The time has come to say.......

......farewell x

After 8 years and 10 months, I have decided to say goodbye to dots and spots. It has reached a natural conclusion and I long to do something different, be around people again, be part of a busy work environment.

What started out as a little creative ‘playing’ in my studio whilst still teaching back in 2008, became a business bigger than I ever intended. 

 (How young do they look here!)

Something to ‘fit in around the kids’, soon became something ‘the kids had to fit around’. 

I gave up teaching and after a truly successful five years of designing and trading at the big London shows, we stocked just over 400 Independent retailers in the UK, including large orders to Dobbies Garden Centre’s and Harrods to name a few. However, we started the business just as the recession began and with increasingly difficult trading times, coupled with Jeff's unexpected redundancy in 2013 and subsequent ‘full on’ new job, we made the decision to scale the business back, rather than take the risky decision to employ staff and move into bigger premises etc.

  

So, for the past 3/4 years the business has taken on a steady platform, selling through our own website, NotontheHighStreet.com and selling wholesale to some loyal independent retailers. Over this time we have not been designing new products, as we didn’t want to take any financial risks on big print runs and Jeff doesn’t have the time or enthusiasm to add new things to the website etc.  The orders are easily picked and packed with plenty of spare time on my hands. 

I’ve dabbled helping out in my friends shop, which I loved but sadly it closed. It did make me realise though how much I enjoyed other people’s company, I miss being part of a ‘place’, a busy working environment. 

Since moving house last year, I have used the extra time to manage the extension build and decorate our new home but with my dots and spots unit still over in Shepton, where we used to live, 25 minutes away and with the desire not to fill this house with dots and spots ‘stuff’ and move it all over here, the time has come to say goodbye.

We have given notice on the unit for the end of April. We will be holding a *CLOSING DOWN SALE* over on our website throughout the month of March, with 75% off everything starting on Tuesday the 7^th March and in April, will possibly sell off other bits, cello’s, packaging, postal tubes etc before we ‘give up’ the unit at the end of the month. 

(Poor Jeff - one of the many Ikea flat packs he's put together over the years!)

Want a bargain, want good quality items for fund raising projects or to sell on yourself, then ask? 

( info@dotsandspots.co.uk )  We do still have larger quantities on some items (notebooks in particular) a few 'full' boxes of tape and are more than happy to discuss a sensible price/offer. Live locally or have a van and want IKEA Billy bookcases or the old IKEA 5x5 Expedit, now called Kallax shelving units, then ask.

New job – who knows!?! I need to do something to bring some money in and still fit in around the children but with Sophie learning to drive and hopefully soon passing her test, I won’t be restricted by the school run for a year or so. I have no idea what I want to do, I’ve done a little supply teaching recently but I’m not sure I want to go back to it. I would be frustrated as a classroom assistant but I don’t want the responsibility/workload of a full on teacher and I hate the short notice of supply. I just know that I want set hours, a regular income and to be around other people.

It won’t be long before Sophie will be off to university and I guess Sam will soon follow. Jeff’s job in term time is all so consuming, so ‘now’ is a time to find a ‘little’ something for me. I like to be busy, I like to feel I am contributing to the family pot, I like to know what I’m doing and although dots and spots gave me reasonable flexibility, it was also so very in-flexible and unpredictable, as you never knew how busy or quiet you would be. 

Family time during the Summer holidays and Christmas were often our busiest times, so I am actually looking forward to the 9-5 routine, set hours and holiday time, weekends on/off, a payslip at the end of each month, no surprises. 

No customer enquiries late on a Sunday evening, no ‘just popping to the post office’ en-route to somewhere else to drop off mail sacks, no worries about money coming in or going out, no chasing late payers or saying goodbye to £1000's because someone goes under. No dealing with customer enquiries whilst on holiday, no more waiting around for couriers, deliveries, lost parcels and hassle!

So it is with a little sadness that I say goodbye but also with a big smile on my face, for what I have achieved and for what is ahead. I’ve just got to find the right thing.

I would like to thank you all for your encouragement, support and custom over the past 8+ years. I have loved sharing the ups and downs of running a business here on the blog and have loved engaging with people over on Facebook, Instagram etc. The website and Facebook page will close shortly (end of April) as all the loose ends are tied but the blog will still continue in the vein of recent years, more as a personal diary for me to look back on.

I do have to say a few thank you's but will write another post - too many for today.

So farewell to dots and spots x 

Pinch and a punch......

I love the start of a fresh month - hello March!

The promise of Spring just around the corner. The hope for warmer, sunnier days ahead. 

I really do not enjoy the winter months, so welcome March with open arms.

February was a something and nothing month - most of my time has been taken up with driving with Sophie, the odd cinema trip and the rare sign of Spring just around the corner.

I have however spent a lot of time reading, researching and planning the role 'Sugar' plays in my health and well being, so go into March and 'Lent' with my 'Sugar Free' focus, well and truly ready to go! I will really give it a proper go for the Lent period and see how it makes me feel - no cheating, no odd nibbles (it doesn't matter) 100% 'sugar free' for the next 40 days or 44 if you are counting exactly (something about Sundays being days off in Lent!) There is of course sugars in lots of food, including healthy fruits and vegetables, so I will be aiming for no more that 6tsps a day. Fruit will be limited to 2 portions a day and of a certain type, maxing out in the veg department instead and I will do my best to limit all the sugar I can in other foods - no refined sugar. I've opened a new Instagram account @beckyswandsprouts to track what I'm eating and share any 'Sugar Free' gems.

Have a great March! 

Half term's go by far too quickly!

The latter half of half term has been better weather. We didn't make it to Exeter, as our planned day was rainy and Sophie and I didn't fancy wandering around in the rain, so we're saving it now for the Easter hols, maybe a trip to Cardiff Uni too! Jeff has been out in the garden, still too cold for me but there are definite signs of Spring on it's way now.

I've spent most of my time, when Sophie is free, driving around the streets of Yeovil. It's a good 25mins away but is where she'll have her driving test, so any chance to get over there and practise is a bonus. I never really noticed Learner drivers much until now - yes, there would be the odd one out on the roads but in Yeovil, they're everywhere! She's doing really well, much further on than I would've imagined when we started back in November. 

In my free time, I've continued my research into finding a better plan for me to maintain my weight. I've read up about the PCOS condition I have (see previous posts) and due to my body's inability to process sugars/insulin, have been led down the 'I Quit Sugar' route. I watched a truly interesting and informative film, that can be found on YouTube, called 'THAT Sugar Film' by Damon Gameau, which makes you think, a very good watch and have been googling Sarah Wilson and David Gillespie, all Australian's who are leading figures in the sugar debate. I've also just bought Dr Michael Mosley's 8 week Blood Sugar Diet book to have a read. I'm not wanting to lose weight, just a couple of pounds but really need to find a better way to maintain my weight loss, long term.

So, I have decided to give it a go - only 6tsp of sugar a day! 

It's not going to be easy but as my body has a problem processing it, why am I eating it!? I guess the problem is that sugar is in everything, including fruit. The advise is to cook from scratch, which is something I do already, only eat 2 pieces of fruit a day and only the specific fruits they advise, no dried fruit, cut out/down on the carbs and only eat something that has 4g or less sugar per 100g. I'm using an app to record what I eat, which also calculates how much sugar I consume. I have also gone back to just the one snack a day - pcos advised 3 meals, 3 snacks a day but I think I was eating too much. I Quit Sugar advise 3 good meals a day with little to no snacking - the idea being you eat proper food and full fat during your meals and so feel fuller for longer - I will let you know how I get on.

So to end this post, I had to share with you this photo I took last night - the sky was simply stunning. I hope you're having a good break - here's to a good weekend.

Happy Valentines Day

I hope you are feeling loved this Valentine's Day

We never go mad, just a card or two! and I might treat him to a bar of chocolate. 

I know he loves me every day and I'd rather have that, than a bunch of roses one day a year.

Bit of a catch up!

Time is flying by so I thought I'd do a little catch up!
Last week Sophie passed her Driving Theory test, so will be booking up her actual driving test very soon. She's lucky in that she gets to drive to school and back every day, so lots of practise and now the theory is out of the way, she's a step closer to driving.

The weather has been very mixed - the two photo's of the Tor (above) were taken just a day apart. It's bitterly cold here today and we have had a fleeting flurry of snow. I dream of warmer, sun filled days. I do not like the cold, wet or dull days at all!

There are signs of Spring if you look for them.

These daffodils will look fabulous when they flower.

I've continued to make use of my local cinema's Wednesday Morning coffee, biscuits and a film deal, for £6.50. I've averaged a film a month nearly, since I started in September. In this horrible weather, it's the perfect way to spend a couple of hours and I get to see the films I wouldn't have otherwise seen. Jeff has said we'll go and see Trainspotting 2 this half term but I'm already betting we won't get round to it, so that's why my Wednesday's are so good.

Yesterday was an Inset day, so Sophie and I headed to Bath for a little retail therapy and cake! She's worked every weekend since she started her job in October, so it's been her first chance to spend any of the money she's earned. 

We're off to Exeter this coming week, during half term, to suss out where the University is and have a wander around the city. It's on Sophie's list of 'possibilities' so we're off for a nosey and some extra driving practise! She has driving lessons, college work and her job to keep her busy this week. Sam will no doubt meet up with friends, spend all his spare time on his computer and to be fair, he is still trying to get over this bug that's been going around. 

I hope you have a good half term break (if you get one) 

Progress

So this morning I faced the Slimming World scales and was rewarded with a 3 pounds weight loss - yippee! I weighed in at 9 stone 4&1/2lbs on the official scales, so back in my target bubble Phew!

As you know, I've been researching my PCOS condition and am looking for ways to fine tune my eating habits, to make maintaining easier and manage my PCOS better. One thing I have enjoyed is introducing more snacks, so 6 eating opportunities a day! The idea behind this, is to keep your blood sugar levels more constant. Obviously the food has to be the right food and I'm supposed to eat protein and carbs together but I have enjoyed the extra snacks this week.

And I have been doing an awful lot of reading up around the subject, whilst also enjoying daily up dates via the PCOS Diet Support Starter Kit emails. I have decided for now to try:

Low dairy - no more than one portion a day.

Gluten Free choices when I can and low/no carbs.

Choose Low Glycemic Loaded foods where I can and

Go Low Sugar rather than No Sugar for now, 

(although I am still reading up around the subject)

So we will see what this new week brings - fingers crossed a couple more pounds off, seeing me more comfortably in my target range.

Have a good week x

50p Feb!

You LOVED our card packs during the SALE!

So we thought we would treat during the month of February, to select your own.

So all our Greetings Cards are just 50p each, all month!