Twenty Four Days of Treats & Tiny Reminders!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

I mean, if you've clicked on the link to come to this post, then that's likely what you're looking for, but still, I'm warning you again, just in case you've changed your mind & want to back out and keep the treats in your advent calendar a secret surprise to enjoy each day!

(Or in case you've stumbled across this post some other way - if you don't want to see the contents of this year's Leslieanne Made It advent calendar - click away NOW!)

...nope? You really wanna know what's inside each little package? Alright then, here we go! >>>

MAKE time for DOWN time!

 

Productivity is GREAT, I mean we all love that feeling of ticking everything off the ol' to do list, right? But do remember that REST is important too!

Go too long without taking a break & you'll most likely not achieve much at all!

Let's Have FUN Today!

Any of my fellow parents feeling like they need to work extra hard to make the summer holidays at least a BIT fun, despite living in the times of the Coronacoaster?

I mean sure, most kiddos have already had a huge chunk of time "off" - but it really didn't count, did it?! They couldn't see their pals, nothing was open - even the park was out of bounds!

Honestly, I think our children deserve a lot of credit for getting through pandemic life in one piece - there have definitely been days when my 11 year old handled the whole thing better than I did!

Sure, there was many a wail of "I'm boooored!!" & a few tantrums [on both sides] about home schooling, but ultimately, he dealt with it all brilliantly.

Really, kids deserve the best summer ever for getting through all the weirdness that's been thrown at them, but with everything still topsy turvy, it's easier said than done.

EXCITING NEWS!

...Leslieanne Made It is re-opening!

I know the world is far from "normal" yet, but after much (much) deliberation, I have decided to re-open the shop - albeit on a slightly scaled back for ease of social distancing basis.

I'm going to be posting orders out ONCE a week until further notice (on Tuesdays) - the cut off for getting your treats in the weekly post bag will be 8pm on Monday.
(Also, please be aware that there might be slight delays in Royal Mail getting your packages to your door - those guys are HEROES, but obviously they're having to abide by their own safety measures too, so patience is much appreciated!)

Leslieanne's Lockdown Smile Stash Giveaway!

Hello lovely humans!
How are you all doing?

It's day 16 of quarantine/lockdown/stay at home club for my little gang and me, and we're doing okay 😊
As you might already know, I've temporarily closed the shop until things settle down, but I wanted to do *something* fun to keep things ticking over (and, real talk: help me pay keep making *some* income while the world is topsy turvy!)

So, allow me to present: Leslieanne's Lockdown Smile Stash Giveaway! 😀💛 or, #LMISmileStash for less of a mouthful on Instagram 😉

Closing down... for now!

As a small business owner, the idea of "shutting up shop" at all is basically terrifying, let alone doing so indefinitely; BUT, in light of all the Covid-Chaos; that's what I'm doing.

For as long as the UK remains in "lockdown", to minimise the risk to my customers, my family & myself, I have decided to close my virtual doors 😕

But it's not all bad!

I will be continuing to send Smiley Snail Mail as usual (it's much easier than orders to just drop in a postbox once a month), and I'm working on something else that should be fun too...

Also, I'll still be around on Instagram, I'll still be sending my Friday emails, and It's very likely that there will be more content than ever over on Patreon!

So it's not really even goodbye, it's just changing things up a bit, for a little while.

As soon as I can safely re-open, I absolutely will, and of course I'll keep you all updated along the way.

Take care gang, and if you can, STAY HOME!
💛 Leslieanne

This is a story all about how...

...Leslieanne Made It became what it is now!

March Meet The Maker, brainchild of the ever lovely Joanne Hawker starts again today - yay!

I love this challenge, because I always "meet" some new faces & get to know a bit more about some old favourites 😃

Day one's prompt is "story" & since I couldn't edit mine down enough for an Instagram caption, I decided to share it here on the blog instead

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin!

Opinions Aren't Facts! Five Tips to Politely Decline Unsolicited Advice...

"You should do it this way!"
"You're not really going to eat that, are you?!"
"You can't possibly believe that!"
...opinions eh?
Everybody's got 'em, and sometimes people just can't help but share!

Which is fine, we're all 100% entitled to our opinions (and 100% entitled to disagree with someone else's!), but when opinions cross the fine line into unsolicited advice territory, sometimes they need to be nipped in the bud.

Not a fan of confrontation? Me neither, so here are five top tips to politely, but firmly decline...

Happiness is... Sweater Weather!

I switched my wardrobe around this weekend* - which sounds a lot grander than it actually is & ultimately means that I'm delighted to be reunited with all my cosy jumpers for autumn 😃

When it comes to the seasons, I'm very much a "love the one your with" kinda gal; they all have wonderful things to offer.

But, as much as I always mourn the end of summer & much as I miss those long light evenings and pretty floaty frocks, I have to admit that deep down, Autumn is my true love & does have a little edge on the rest of the competition.

Say Hello to Tenner Tuesday!

So, Tenner Tuesday - what's that all about Leslieanne?!

Well, it's a fun new thing I'm introducing to the Leslieanne Made It shop that I hope you're going to love!

Essentially, every Tuesday, there will be 10 boxes available, for £10 each.
What's in the boxes? That's the fun part!

The contents will change every week, but they'll always be bargains.
The full details of what's inside won't be announced until the boxes go live each Tuesday, but my mailing list subscribers will get a sneak peek on the Friday before, so make sure you're on there!

How to Forgive Yourself for Making Mistakes

"Mistakes are proof you're trying!"

...hands up if you've seen that little gem a million times on Pinterest? - I'm not disagreeing with the sentiment, at all, in fact I'm trying daily to embrace it, but it's hard isn't it?

However much you try to remind yourself that mistakes are part of life, that everyone makes them, it doesn't make it any easier in the aftermath of actually making one - especially if it's a great big clanger!

But here's the thing: Mistakes do happen. You will make them. And that's okay.

What's important, is how you deal with them.

As someone who has spent more hours than she'd care to admit berating herself for blunders she's made over the years, here are my own ways of trying to stop the cycle of doom!

How To Be Your Own Biggest Fan!

When did you last take time to congratulate yourself on a job well done? To give yourself a tiny cheer; or celebrate a victory, however small?

If you're struggling to remember, ask yourself this instead: when did you last give yourself a hard time for not doing a good enough job, for messing up or falling short?

It's an easy trap to fall into isn't it? It';s so much easier to be self critical - most of us are guilty at some point of being our own worst critic when really:

* * * We should be our own loudest cheerleader! * * *

Because let's be honest, who else is going to do it for you? You need to believe in yourself before you can expect anyone else to!

So, with that in mind, here are some ideas to help start tipping the balance in your favour, to get you on your way to being your own biggest fan!

It's not just them - YOU'RE amazing too!

I think one of the silliest things about human beings is that often, we can see so much good in other people, but struggle to find it in ourselves.

It's no problem to tell a friend that their outfit is amazing, their hair looks great, they're smashing it with their new job... but how often do we give ourselves the same boost?

On social media, we scroll through the highlights of other people's lives and assume that they're just wonderful at everything they turn their hand to, usually without stopping to acknowledge our own talents - talents that someone else is probably in awe of in the same way!

So, this tiny reminder is for anyone who needs to hear it: It's not just them, YOU are amazing too. Maybe you just need to remember to give yourself some more credit from time to time!

For more tiny reminders & doodles delivered to your inbox every Friday, get yourself on the mailing list here :)

Treat EVERY day like a special occasion!

Be honest - do you have things in your life that you hardly ever use becaise they're "too nice"?
Things that you're saving; maybe for "a special occasion"?

...I think we all do to be honest - the posh silverwear that only comes out at Christmas, the plush towels that are just for guests, the fancy frock that mostly lives in a corner of your wardrobe waiting for the once a year or so it gets to shine... it's silly really!

I think we all need to get over ourselves and start living in the moment!

Life is too short, and frankly so precious, that every day is special and should be cause for celebration!

So USE those beautiful things! - you deserve those little pockets of joy they bring - all of the time, not just when there's something "special" on the calendar!

Enjoy them & treat every day like a special occasion - and yourself like a VIP, because you are!

For more tiny reminders delivered to your inbox every Friday, join my VIP mailing list here :)

ANY Day Can be the Start of Something NEW!

Stop waiting for Monday, or the start of a new month, or a new year even! - Sure, those are all great times to embark on a new adventure, start a new project or throw yourself into a new way of thinking; but do you know what's an even better day to do any of those things?

TODAY!

Right here, right now.
So set your own schedule and get on with whatever it is that's going to make you smile :)

If you'd like a new tiny reminder critter in your inbox every Friday, get yourself on my mailing list here!

Keep Being Kind

...because kindness is cool & you are the coolest :)

Seriously though, do.
Keep being kind.
Even when other people aren't.
Even to grumpy people, because they probably need it more than most ;)

Be Kind was the first tiny reminder enamel pin I made & it's still one of my favourites, simply because I believe that kindness is a super power, that lets any ordinary person change the world, one tiny action at a time, and I think that's pretty magical, don't you? :)

Remember, there's lots more tiny reminders over on my Patreon page if you fancy a peek!

Stay on YOUR path to SUCCESS!

How many times have you looked at someone else & thought "I wish I was doing as well as them"? ...don't worry, you're not alone!

It's a natural human reaction to measure ourselves up against our peers, BUT! It's also a totally pointless exercise.

Someone else's success is NOT your failure.
THEY are working on their dream, YOU should be working on yours.

Okay maybe your goal is to achieve something similar to what they already have, that's fine - but don't get caught up in comparing where you are to where they are.You have no idea how long they've been at it, how hard they've worked... and most importantly - just because they've already got whatever it is you want, doesn't mean YOU can't have it too! Use their success as motivation & inspiration to show up, do the work & crack on with making YOUR dreams come true.

Keep Going!


If you'd like a postcard or sticker of this tiny reminder to keep, have a look at my Crush Comparison Collection - - - If you'd like to see more tiny reminders, check out my Instagram and/or add yourself to my email list :) - - - If you'd like to support my work, I'd be delighted to have you over on Patreon!

How to AVOID the Comparison Trap!

The comparison trap is an easy one to fall into - even if you're deliberately trying NOT to!

You start out harmlessly scrolling your social media feed of choice, and before you know it, you're wishing you coulf drop a dress size, upscale your house & book a lavish holiday.

S T O P ! ! !

Remember: 99% of what you see on social media is NOT real life. It's a curated feed of perfectly styled snapshots of tiny moments in time.

T A K E . A . M O M E NT ! ! !

...be grateful for everything YOU have & remind yourself that that stuff, is REAL! So don't go letting what you wish you had cast a shadow on what you've already got.

D E C L U T T E R

If there are accounts on your socials that constantly make you feel like you're not enough, or that your life's not photogenic enough, or just bring you down in any way... DITCH THEM! Delete, unfollow, block. You don't need that sort of negativity in your life!
(You can always re-follow when you're in a happier headspace.)

In the meantime, fill your feed with what DOES make you smile, what makes you feel empowered, content, and HAPPY with who you are & what you've got going on.

Above all else, remember that comparing YOUR fully rounded, messy, complicated, access all areas version of REAL life to someone elses carefully styled & curated highlights reel just doesn't make sense.  Comparison is the thief of joy; and when you're not even comparing like for like, it's definitely a recipe for disaster!


If you'd like a postcard or sticker of this tiny reminder to keep, have a look at my Crush Comparison Collection - - - If you'd like to see more tiny reminders, check out my Instagram and/or add yourself to my email list :) - - - If you'd like to support my work, I'd be delighted to have you over on Patreon!

Be your OWN biggest Fan!

...because you're pretty great :)

It's okay to NOT do it all.

...it really is.

It's okay to say no when someone asks a favour - even if it's a good friend - if you're too busy, overwhelmed, or just not into it, that's YOUR call.

It's okay to turn down an opportunity if it doesn't feel like a good fit, or if you're just plain too busy with other things to spin another plate.

It's okay to ignore the FOMO & turn down an invite if all you really want to do is stay home & catch up on sleep.
(Or bingewatch a netflix show with snacks.)

Sometimes, "No." is a full sentence, and that's okay too.