Blog - KL Online Shopping Events

3 TOP reasons to love media and KLE

Some social media platforms are like Marmite. You either love it or hate it

I love Marmite if you’re asking x

Facebook

Now this has a massive love / hate relationship with small businesses…especially since it’s upgrade to Facebook 5 in 2020. It basically destroyed small business pages who are still trying to get more followers and more brand awareness.

You can use the value, entertain, be credible posts but only 10% of your followers will see your posts and those 10% might be the “look but don’t touch” kind. The ones that just watch and never comment or engage. Don’t get me wrong we love these followers, especially if they make a purchase, but when it comes to your much needed page engagement to enable you to grow they’re not doing anything for you.

Unless you pay for it.

I’ve tried paying for it. I’ve used adverts on FB and the amount of people they get shown to vs how many end up following you is insane. I don’t mean as KLE, I mean as my graphic design business. I’ve tried different kinds of adverts too, I did a lot of experimenting and lost a lot of money (for a small business)

If you’re a small business on there today it’s best to join free networking posts to boost your engagement (although this doesn’t always work either because you’ll find that those in the networking comment on your post but no-one from your follower list and definitely no-one new)

Other things you can do are: Post in groups daily. Post in community pages that allow it daily. It’s a lot of work.

Facebook – you need to create Craftbook. Like Facebook of old but just for small businesses.

Reason 1

But seeing as that doesn’t exist you should try KLE if you own a small business.

The events I run on Facebook (I use other platforms too) are done LIVE to increase your sales, and I also use a virtual route system so that visitors can take a tour of ALL stall holders (small businesses pages) and engage to increase their reach and engagement, which increases brand awareness, as well as the potential for sales.

KLE has 1,743 followers and reach of around 5,000 to 6,000. But I get visitors to go from me to YOU. Other stalls involved will have their own followers who will also visit YOU.

So if I had 10 stalls involved in an event and they each had 2,000 followers (some have less, some have more) then there’s potential for my followers and 9 other stalls followers to visit YOU. That’s 19,743 potential followers that could visit your small business during my event.

And that’s JUST Facebook.

I DON’T USE JUST Facebook.

TikTok

A fabulously fun but addictive platform. I find myself on there during the TV ad breaks and then miss my program !

TikTok is great for exposure. I’ve found it a way better video platform than YouTube.

You can follow your fav celeb, fav movies, silly dance crazies, dogs, cats, rabbits, spiders, cleaning DIY, cooking and craft and much more. It’s for everyone !

Reason 2

I use TikTok for my event advertising. This means that your business gets seen even more !

I showcase pre-event prizes, pre-event products, I do silly stuff to get more followers, I showcase my website vendors and event reminders. It’s worked awesomely so far.

I started using YouTube in 2018 and to date still only have 17 subscribers and only 621 views since then.

I opened the KLE TikTok in April 2021 and to date have 43 followers and 4,590 views in the last 60 days alone. I love TikTok.

WordPress

I use my wordpress as an e-commerce website and blog.

People say that Blogging is dying but it isn’t. My subscribers open my blogs. My subscriber mailing lists are growing.

My blogs are also my events. I have links to each small business involved and showcase their products. I house favourites in the KLE store so people can purchase from there if they don’t like Facebook.

Reason 3

My website events get sent to my website followers and mailing list subscribers. They open blogs and event emails before, during and after the event. I always have a spike around event day.

Blogs before event day have stall holder introductions, teaser trailers videos and links to products for purchase. The event day blog does the same thing but also has links to small business pages.

Products stay on the website favourites store for 4 weeks after event day.

Great exposure for those involved and even more opportunity after the event to make sales.

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Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:July 20, 2021
Post category:Blogs
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Craft as therapy

I thought I’d look into crafting from a different point of view. If you ask a lot of crafters why they started, you’ll find quite a few of them give an answer relating to their health. I don’t know about you, but I use it as an escape and to have a bit of time for myself. I also find it has a childlike feel about it, going back to a time when things were simpler.

Did you know it can have therapeutic benefits for both our mental and physical health? According to many studies and much research, crafting can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, depression, loneliness and even dementia.

Kelly, our host, uses craft to help with anxiety.

There are lots of different ideas when it comes to craft as therapy, but they all aim to help you:

gain a safe time and place for you
understand and make sense of things
resolve complicated feelings and find coping mechanisms
communicate and express yourself
challenge your brain to help find a better headspace
gain a sense of achievement, pride and enjoyment
relieve stress
build self esteem

From a mental health perspective, therapy can be part of official treatment (e.g. from the NHS or a charity), something you discover on your own at home, or socially within your local community (e.g. a knitting group).

In a world where we always feel like we’re on the go, or have increased amounts of time staring at a screen, it gives us a chance to actually use our hands and create something.

Whether you’re a novice or expert, it’s not a competition. No one is judging you or your work!! In fact part of the fun is the learning, experimenting and seeing how things develop.

Whatever craft you chose, it allows you to immerse your thoughts purely into what you’re doing there and then, calming your mind and blocking out the noise inside your head. This could be a good distraction after a traumatic event or major lifestyle change. By trying something new, we are also challenging ourselves. This self-development can improve confidence not only with your craft, but within yourself and other areas of your life.

Did you get excited as a child when it was a new school year and you got a new pencil case / stationery? You can now relive this with your craft supplies too. You’ll be stalking the postie waiting for your crafty happy mail hehe. You might so enjoy organising your supplies and work space.

Craft-based activities have been an integral part of occupational therapy for many decades. For example, soldiers returning home from the First World War were taught to knit as a way of taking their minds off the pain and trauma they had experienced. This was as both diversional therapy (taking your mind off pain and negative thoughts), as well as skills-development geared towards re-entering the civilian workforce. Learning a craft gave them a sense of purpose.

The same can still be said for people today. This is down to the effort, multi-sensory engagement, repetitive actions and anticipation of satisfaction involved. The required focus and attention can provide a healthy distraction from other stresses. By using all of our senses, we engage in mindfulness, keeping us in the present moment, helping to regulate our emotions and dampen negative thoughts.

Another advantage of crafting is that it can be as social as you want it to be. A chance to take yourself away, or use it was an excuse to connect with others with a common interest. This can be in person or online – I know from networking that you can become good friends with people you’ve never met.

There are also benefits relating to helping to keep our brains active, improving memory, concentration and problem-solving – great for keeping dementia at bay.

It’s also used as physical therapy, for example after a stroke to help improve and re-establish hand muscle memory.

This form of therapy is thought to be so effective within the medical world, that there are specific job roles to help offer it as part of patients’ treatment plans.

As with all things, different things work for different people. If you’ve tried something that hasn’t helped, it’s an excuse to try something else. You could look at something music, dance or drama related. Or gardening, or even cooking? These proved to be very popular during Lockdown – how many people struggled to get flour and eggs at one point or another!! Over the past year, me and a couple of friends have been taking it in turns to bake. We then share our makes and have a little catch up on each other’s doorsteps whilst delivering.

Kate

Event Ambassador x

Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:July 16, 2021
Post category:Blogs
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The Baby Boom Event

Welcome to my Awesome Evening event, sit back, relax and enjoy.

We’re open 7pm to 10pm (UK time).

Check out the awesome selection of baby clothes, baby books, nursery room decor, baby shower gifts and more from my stall holders.

Here's just a few items that are in store. Event products in the KLE Favourites store will be available for 4 weeks after the event too. Go and see what else is available.

If there is anything in particular that you’re looking for just WhatsApp me and I’ll work my magic, send you links for later. I’m here until 10pm. Kelly x

Meet the stall holders taking part - these are their Facebook links - you can go from 1 and travel the route system from their albums.

1) Verity Rose – baby clothes, bonnets, shoes and changing mats

2) Pamper time by Tracey – hampers

3) Taylor Mayde – car sun screens, first tooth & curl and personalised gifts

4) Coffee monkey – cups and travel mugs

5) Beauty inside out – facials, bath products

6) Claire little library – Usborne books

7) Janes wax melts, candles and crystals – crystal packs, wax melts and burners

8) Kelly Woodward Graphic Designer – bedroom decor

KLE

Find new businesses to follow and enjoy x

Competition winners will picked and announced LIVE on Facebook at the event.

Share this shopping event with your friends!

The next event is

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Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:July 9, 2021
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Baby shower gift guide

Whether you want to buy a present for a new parent or for the baby, I’ll show you what we have in store.

Gifts for baby
Gifts for Mums/Dads
Affiliated links

Gifts for baby

Gifts for Mums/Dads

Affiliated links

You can’t buy these on my website but these links will take you to the small businesses who are affiliated with KLE

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Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:July 5, 2021
Post category:Blogs
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Essential tips for new parents

Before I launch the Baby Boom event on 9th July, being a parent myself I thought I’d use my own experiences and research best tips for new parents. It’s not easy doing this parenting malarkey but it’s so rewarding and it’s always nice to have a few suggestions 😉

Just remember – No parent knows what they’re doing. No-one is perfect. You will be learning to parent for the rest of your child’s life x

Crying and using your instincts

From my experience I tried to listen to baby cries and try to work out which cry meant what. I found that they are very subtle differences and to be honest I didn’t learn all of them for weeks. When my daughter cried I would just check everything – was it nappy? food? cuddles? sleep? teeth (as she grew) Sometimes she seemed to cry for no reason at all because I’d check everything I could think of and she’d still be crying. If my husband wasn’t at work I’d try daddy-cuddles. If he wasn’t here I would hold her and sing to her.

As children grow they have growing pains – maybe this is what that was? I think as long as you’re checking all the options that’s the best you can do.

I would say that if baby kept crying for a long time and wasn’t settling I’d ring the Midwife / Health Visitor.

You may get different advice from different Midwives / Health Visitors. I did. I found it totally confusing and in the end I did what I thought was best for me and baby.

For example: When my nipples were cracking from breast feeding I had one midwife tell me I shouldn’t use nipple cream, I should just use some milk and rub it on, and then another midwife told me I definitely should use cream – which I did thank goodness. It worked very fast and breast feeding was no longer agony.

Nooks and crannies'

I would wash my daughter inside a baby bath in our normal bath. I do wish I’d just got in there with her in a very shallow bath (at the temperature needed for babies – 37-38 degrees C ) It would have been easier and I would have been able to move her around better. It’s not easy to clean a baby when they are hunched up in a baby bath!

A few days in to being at home we realised that we had missed cleaning under some parts of her neck folds and we had to use barrier cream (amazing stuff) to sooth the soreness.

Check those nooks and crannies x

Babygros

I can’t tell you the amount of times I took the babygro off over the head and covered baby’s hair with poo and then had to wash her. I pretty much spent every poo nappy change in the bathroom making her clean.

You know what I learnt after she no longer wore babygros …

They are designed with shoulder flaps so that you can pull them down!

Get out the house

This isn’t easy during covid but when you can – get out.

It took me 4 months to leave the house on my own. I don’t recommend this at all and wish I had the courage to get out before this. I was anxious about driving with baby but I should have just gone for a walk. At least it was out.

Walk round the block with baby in your arms, in a wrap or baby sling, in a pram. Whatever way it is – get some fresh air.

Meet family or friends. Go for a walk, go shopping, go to a cafe.

Try going to a cafe by yourself, go shopping by yourself too. You won’t feel alone because you have baby, it really is different to being alone. You can be out as short or as long as you like x

Why not try a baby and parent group. They are great for socialising both you and your baby. I went to a local church (I’m not a church goer but this was one of the best things I did)

Why not join a baby and parent swimming class. I went to 2 different ones. I didn’t like the first company because I didn’t like forcing baby under water for her to swim to the top, when I knew she didn’t like it and I didn’t either. The second class I took was better for both of us and going under water was a gentler experience done at her pace and I didn’t have to push her under. 8 years later and we’re still there but I’m not allowed in the water anymore!

When you do go out make sure to pack a change of clothes, quite a few nappies, barrier cream, wipes, your purse, your phone and a drink or snack for yourself x

You’re in the UK. If you get stuck or haven’t got something you need, there will be a shop close by (unless you have gone for a walk in the Peak District or some other place out in the middle of nowhere!!) And you have your phone and purse – you can get a taxi if you need.

Coughs and cold remedies

It’s best to avoid medicines when baby is under 6 months old. I tried all of these things at different times to help when baby had a cough or cold. I’m just going to give you a list here and you can try them all:

Put baby in a bouncer on the floor of the bathroom when you are having a shower.
Saline solution to clear congestion.
Put a bowl of water in the window with a few drops of Olbas oil for children in it… OR …
Put some Vicks vapour rub on their feet. Put a pair of cotton socks on. (This worked best for us and still does; it’s brilliant)

Not everything works for your baby

And this is ok. Every baby is different.

Swaddling doesn’t work for every baby.

Breast feeding doesn’t work for every baby/mother.

White noise doesn’t work for every baby (we found that it worked the first time but after this she knew what was going on)

Try different things and see what does work. You don’t have to stick to one thing.

All babies grow at different speeds and develop in their own time. It’s ok.

Don’t compete with other parents or other babies.

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Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:June 29, 2021
Post category:Blogs
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Kids Kingdom Event

Today is the day. It’s our fabulous showcase dedicated to all things for kids !

If you’re looking for kids gifts or you have kids and need some fresh ideas then this is the shopping event for YOU ! Welcome to Kids Kingdom…

Contents

Products / Stalls / Competition / Online Personal Shopper / Next event

Today’s event actually showcases my amazing Event Ambassadors and their businesses. This is my thank you to them for all the awesome work they did in 2020.

I am looking for new EA’s – details further down.

As you scroll down you’ll find gorgeous products as well as the links to the stalls Facebook pages if you wanted to try the route system on there for some extra fun 🙂 Here’s what we have today…

Kids craft – activities
Kids books – all ages
Crystal healing – for school or home
Kids playtime – imagination play
Kids bedroom ideas – decor
Kids jewellery and accessories

The competition winner announcement reminder is below, as well as the Personal shopper details.

You can purchase direct on my website by clicking “add to cart” on the creations you like. You can add as many items as you wish and pay just once. Orders are distributed out to the vendors automatically.

So let’s not waste any more time…

Kids craft

Kids books

Crystal healing

Kids playtime

Kids bedroom ideas

Kids jewellery and accessories

Search here...

Stall Facebook pages

If you entered the competition you'll need to visit Facebook for the LIVE winner announcement between 4pm and 8pm today.

Shop with me if you like, I’m here until 10pm. If there is anything in particular that you’re looking for and you can’t see it just WhatsApp me and I’ll work my magic. Kelly x

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My next event

Become a KLE Event Ambassador

Text here

Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:June 25, 2021
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Kids fashion

I have an 8 year old and she has her own fashion nowadays. She looks awesome in everything (I’m not bias at all)

When they’re little you get to pick their clothes for them don’t you 😉 You can get them super cute tops, dungarees, dresses etc.

Whilst stalls are getting ready for the Kids Kingdom event on 25th June 2021, I thought I’d show you what fashion we have available and what’s coming ! Enjoy x

Babies
Play time
Birthday, Halloween, Christmas
My next event and whats coming

Babies

Play time

Birthday, Halloween and Christmas

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My next event and what's coming

Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:June 19, 2021
Post category:Blogs
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Fathers Day 2021

Fathers Day 2021 for the UK is Sunday 20th June.

Are you ready for it?

Take a look what we have available…

If you want him to smell nice

Something special

For hobbies, work or just because he's super

I’m sorry there’s not much… I need some more vendors!

I have to say that a lot of items on my website are for children, or more aimed at women.

I will get on this for you!

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Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:June 14, 2021
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“I know its hard mama”

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘the days are long but the years are short’ regarding having children and being a parent?

Some days feel more of a struggle than others and that it’s never ending. While other days seem to all blur into one – I’ll be honest, I don’t know what day of the week it is half the time!!

But what they all have in common, is that they’re precious moments spent with our little one(s). Time flies when you’re having fun, we need to seize each moment.

From crawling to walking, teeth and talking, there are so many ‘first’ moments that we as parents want to treasure. And so we should! We created these little people, we should celebrate everything about them.

What might seem trivial to someone might be a big deal to you. I think sometimes parents compare/compete against each other. Every child develops in their own way at their own rate. It’s hard work for them, learning and developing all at the same time. We just need to help them along the way and enjoy the ride.

I know a lot of parents/family members snap away taking photos and videos. Which is great, but at the same time it can feel like you’re missing out on actually enjoying the moment itself.

It would be great to have a secret paparazzi capturing the moments for you – then you could be in the photos too!

Physical items can also conjure up a memory rather than photos. First pair of shoes, a certain outfit, favourite teddy or story etc. You can also get traditional keepsake memory blankets and bears etc

You often hear about a m/paternal bond or relationship between a parent and her child. Whilst normally associated with pregnancy or childbirth, this bond may also develop between other figures who aren’t the genetic parent.

For example it could be with adoption, another family member or friend.

We are able to thrive under the influence of anyone who acts as the primary caretaker. Love, affection, protection, and nurturance are the main necessary components in securing a healthy bond.

It doesn’t matter how old you are either. Newborn, child or adult, we all still have a connection with the parent figures in our lives. As you grow so does the relationship.

Kate x

Event Ambassador

My next event

Post author:kellyandlaura
Post published:June 12, 2021
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Kids gift guide

I asked if you’d like some gift guides and your answer was Yes! So here is my first Kids gift guide for you.

Thank you to all of you that commented on that Facebook post. I have thoroughly enjoyed scrolling through my website to find you…

Gifts for craft lovers
Gifts for kids with big imaginations
Gifts for book lovers
Kids Jewellery and accessories
All things hair
In the bath

Gifts for craft lovers

My daughter LOVES craft so much that our conservatory is her craft room and very messy most of the time! She loves it and we love to hear her laughing. If your little ones are the same then these are for you…