Shopping Bag
NEED HELP? CALL 01234 889027
NO QUIBBLE 30-DAY RETURNS

The Blog

Come on sisters, we are better than this

13 December 2016 -


My heart sank to read the recent comments made by an American professional regarding Michelle Obama. It became a news piece because after initially losing her job for the derogatory and racist comments that she made on Facebook, the woman has recently been reinstated as a director at the company that fired her. 

I am not going to give oxygen to the unkind, untrue things this woman said about the first lady. I am not going to wade in and be rude about anyone else to make an easy point. I am sure you have come across it already and have your own views. 

My view is this. As long as women and girls tear each other down, rather than come together and unite as sisters, we are never going to fulfil our potential and harness our power to do good. I have read that back, and I am cringing a bit. It sounds so wholesome and idealistic. But I am going to be brave and leave it be, as I do believe it. We can all have a bitch. I am not going to deny that part of my nature, but I also refuse to give into it. I have a better self than that. Those unpleasant thoughts about someone else that we think from time to time, usually when we are feeling a bit low or insecure ourselves? They should not define us. We can call them out. Why do we do this to each other? Are we not on the same side? Boys and men just don't tear each other down or bear the grudges that we do. I think the ever wise Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie may have summarised it best (forgive me for not being able to bring myself to shorten) when she said: 

“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.”

We raise girls to see each other as competitors. It is so simple and so heartbreaking. And we do. And for which precious resource? The attention and affirmation of men. Men don't do this to us, we do it to ourselves. This woman in question is vying for the support and agreement of none other than President Elect Trump. Goodness. Just terrifying. And she is willing to tear down an intelligent, inspiring woman to do so. So what can we, as mothers raising the next generation, do? Well I think Michelle has the answer herself. 'When they go low, we go high'.  

So, I am teaching my girls certain mantras. It is a longterm job. We talk about being kind, being brave. Standing up for people that are being picked on, even if it makes you unpopular or you are the only one doing it. Even if the person you are trying to defend is saying or doing things that you don't particularly agree with. These are easy things to talk about and philosophise about, and exceptionally hard to put into practice. Every time my daughter tells me she hates something or occasionally someone, I try and take this apart with her, especially when it is about her little sister (again!). It is exhausting and time consuming. But she has a good heart and a kind soul and it deserves the very best education. We have to learn how to be kind, it takes time to be wise. The Dalai Lama has usually already said most things that need to be said and it is certainly the case in this instance - 'Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.'

Whenever I hear the Obamas talk about girls it makes my heart soar. Especially as from what I can see, they are raising decent, intelligent daughters in a time and place where that can be hard, especially under such an intense media spotlight. Whenever I hear the Obamas talk, it makes me feel the exact opposite of this news piece that prompted this blog. I feel their goodness and their light, and it makes me want to follow that example.  

Mums, daughters, sisters. Have courage and be kind. Maybe not always, but whenever you can. Kindness is a super power. A hugely underrated one. Sometimes it is even seen by some as a weakness. I think I value kindness and generosity of spirit more than anything in my child, and she has so many appealing qualities. Oh, and sisterhood, I am pretty keen on that too. 

 

 


Competition time again at After Alice

11 December 2016 -


It is time for another After Alice competition. We all know a dog is for life and not just for Christmas. But, we have a perfect pack of pooches looking for your love and attention this Yuletide (but thankfully not your hobnobs). These Fabbies have charmed their way into our affections. We love their natural, neutral colours and high quality materials. But more than anything we love how much character each has.

To win your favourite, simply like and share this post on Facebook. In the comments section of the post please state which breed and size of dog you would like to win. There is one of each size (small or medium) and breed (Scottie, Dachshund, Pug and Basset) up for grabs.  See here for the full range.  Simply for our amusement please tell us what you would call the pup if they were yours (can you really give them away?!).

Winners to be drawn on Friday 16th December 2016 at 8pm. Must be delivered to a UK address. Good luck!

Please note the tags have been removed from the dogs as they were used in our photo shoot. That aside they are in perfect condition. Not micro chipped.


After Alice's top 20 Christmas Stocking fillers

06 December 2016 -


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,'

If you are looking for a little bit more than sugar plums, clementines and walnuts to delight your Alice come Christmas morning, take a look at our Christmas Top 20 (Slade free, we promise). 

1. IAmElemental Action Figure. We do bang on about these, but that is because we think they are really REALLY good. Well priced for a little extra and the perfect size to fit snug in a stocking. She may be small but she is mighty. Your only difficult decision is which one to go for - Honesty, Persistence, Bravery, Energy, Bloodymindedness . . .(okay I made that last one up). 

2. Fabulous Fabbies. Can you really resist? Everyone has their favourite. The small size are ideal for this very purpose and they won't widdle on your shoe, or make vile smells from behind the sofa.  

3. Story Box. Just arrived and already we love it. Especially good for younger Alices who aren't yet ready for Storycubes but are keen to tell a tale or two come Christmas morn. 

4. Watercolour Pencils by Djeco. If you are like me and your heart sinks when your child asks 'can I do some painting?' these are a godsend. No squirty paints to faff around with, no hunting through the recycling for suitable mixing receptacles. This is about as simple and mess free as painting can possibly get. This lovely little set of 12 pencils is made for a stocking. Can be used as a pencil, or add a paintbrush and water for watercolour paints. 

5. Singing birds from RSPB. These cuddly toys are very sweet, and give them a squeeze to hear them tweet (nothing to do with Twitter, they actually sound like a real bird). A charming way to teach children to recognise birdsong, and the markings of garden favourites. Also sit very happily on a Christmas tree. 

6. Storycubes. So many themes to choose from. These handy little dice are a great way to stimulate creative writing and verbal storytelling in your child. Can be used on their own, or as an extension to the original Storycubes. Also available in Moomin flavour. If you have bigger feet, and a slightly bigger budget go for the originals. 

7. A finger (toe?) puppet. We have lots. You may have noticed. I am seeking help. In the meantime you can browse my obsession at your pleasure. My personal favourite is the hummingbirds, or the mermaids, or the mini sockettes. And who wouldn't want a magnetised Joan of Arc or Ada Lovelace to perch on their digit, how much awesomeness can you fit on one finger? Finally an answer. A lot. Oh, you get the idea. I like puppets. Join me. Stick one in your stocking. 

8. Marbles. You may have noticed I am rather partial to these too. I really think a little bag of exquisite globes of fabulousness cannot be beaten. Give a child some of these to jangle in their pocket and they will be a happy little soul. The handmade ones are a delight just to behold and well, hold. If you are looking for a bargain we have a real range (starting from 10p each). If you are splashing out we love the Crystal World Map Marble (altogether now 'she's got the whole world in her hand'), and for Roald Dahl Twit fans we have some eyeballs for horrifying the unsuspecting and frail of mind. And there are so many games to enjoy once you have a handful of marbles. Get down on the floor and remember what it was like to be young and nimble (until your knees/hips/lumbago tell you otherwise). And don't get me started on homemade marble runs - simply a perfect Christmas afternoon pursuit. 

9. WWF Playing Cards. Every child needs a decent pack of cards. A bit like felt tips, you can't beat a brand spanking new pack. The gateway to hours of fun. These ones feature beautiful photography of endangered species on them so are a particularly good choice for Alices who like to stay aware of Animal Conservation issues whilst they are whopping your ass at Rummy. 

10. Spotting and Jotting Guide. It is so tiny small and so very cute. A charming dear of a book for twitchers. Perfect to fit snug in a stocking and then in the pocket of a lucky Alice who can walk off some turkey/ nut roast with a good rousing bird spotting constitutional.

11. This huge black jumping spider is ridiculously fake. That said, my daughter keeps changing its position and it pretty much gets me EVERY SINGLE TIME. No really, it never gets old. Practical jokes are big in our house. I live on my nerves. And stollen bites.  

12. Modelling clay. Remember Morph? And his friend? Nope me neither, never remembered his name. He definitely needed a better agent. Keep those little fingers busy on the 25th. Maybe that way you'll get 5 minutes respite from jumping out of your skin every time they move the spider. 

13. Pinocchio spinning top. I refuse to believe there is a closer to perfect spinning top out there than this fine specimen. And it is made of tin which makes me think of old school Christmasses (Christmi?!) when things were built to last and a satsuma in your stocking was a cause for celebration rather than a tantrum. 

14. Who in their right mind would not want a rocket pen? I love the design, plus you can choose 4 different colours of ink. If you are not in your right mind you can just move on. 

15. Secret Decoder Game Book. This is so good. Every child I have bought this for has loved it, including my own. A great price and perfect stocking size. Help keep those brain cells alive around about 3pm when energy levels slump and all your favourite Roses have been devoured. 

16. Springy Snake Nut Can. It doesn't matter how many times someone offers you a nut and you get a crazed noisy snake man jump in your face, you always take the nut, and you always smile that wry 'you got me again' smile. Without doubt one of the favourite toys in our house for little people who are basically pretty terrible at jokes, but still want to act the comedian. Nut anyone? 

17. Compass. I refuse to say any more. Apart from this. If you cannot see how perfect a compass is as a stocking filler, you are possibly on the wrong site . . .

18. Anisnap watch. A great price for a great product. We are really proud of these. Animal and dinosaur designs. Don't be troubling with those fiddly buckles, just snap one of these beauties on and you are ready to go. 

19. The humble but wonderful yo-yo. Enough said. Get them a classic. Great for co-ordination and lobotomising younger annoying siblings (though the 'I was only trying to master walking the dog' argument will probably only work once). 

20. Christmas morning isn't really Christmas morning without that toy that produces a really irritating noise, and makes you instantly wish you hadn't bought it. A kazoo is a really easy way to achieve this. A harmonica in the wrong hands/mouth can also be pretty terrible, but at least you didn't get a violin. We are trying to encourage you to buy these. I may need to work on my technique. 

 

So that is it. Well we have lots more but if my first 20 suggestions didn't enthral you, I think I'll quit whilst I'm behind. May your stockings bulge pleasantly (unless it is due to varicose veins, then you have our sympathy), your children respond magically to your inspired choices and your honey roast parsnips never burn (still trying to perfect those). 

 

 


After Alice's Fantasy Agony Aunts . . .

03 December 2016 -


If you could have the counsel of any wise soul, living or dead who would it be? Someone to sit and listen with an open mind and generous disposition? Or maybe a character who has learnt from hard truths and bitter experience? The arrival of our Little Thinkers at After Alice has got us all pondering. We admit that we have been totally biased in our selection. There are so many great, good and downright wacky personalities to choose from in the Unemployed Philosophers Guild range, but we decided to cherrypick the finest female minds, hearts and talents. If you are looking for an unusual yet inspiring gift for older Alices, you may have just found it.

We rather like the idea of Austen sitting wisely on the desk, Kahlo gazing approvingly at your easel or Curie quietly encouraging endeavours from the bookshelf.  Our full range of female influencers also include Ada Lovelace, Marilyn Monroe, Cleopatra, Virginia Woolf, Florence Nightingale and Emily Dickinson. They can all be admired here.

For a chance to win one of these inspiring dolls for your Alice, just tell us who is your favourite and why. You can do this via Facebook or Twitter. The winner will be whoever's comment we deem most worthy/ entertaining / insightful, or simply the one person who bothered to enter. Winner to be announced on Friday 9th December at 8pm via Facebook / Twitter. Good luck. 


After Alice Breaking News. It is officially Christmas time!

01 December 2016 -


I'll admit it, these days I am a grumpy old woman. There are so many ways to get my goat, that I am plain all out of goats (I started with a sizeable tribe). For instance, I love Cadbury's Cream Eggs (even when they muck about with them and fob us off with inferior grade chocolate) but that doesn't mean I want to start eating them several months before Easter (in fact I need as much restricted access as possible to prevent me actually looking like an egg). Halloween is fast becoming a favourite rite (yes, yes I know, despite all the shortcomings) which is not to say I want to start tutting over the terrifyingly flammable sexy zombie/ sexy witch / sexy cat outfit choices for girls from September onward.

This preamble is just a long sanctimonious way of me saying that today is December 1st. Therefore at After Alice, we can officially start talking about Christmas without feeling like idiots with premature celebration problems. 

So. What do we have for you? A budget-kind range of stocking fillers to please Alices everywhere, whatever delights them. From the classic (yo-yos, spinners, terrible jokes), to the fantastic (awesome action figures for girls, compasses and art kits), and pretty much everything in between. We will shortly be sharing our top 20 choices but our full range of wonderfulness can be seen in Party On Alice or pocket money

For those feeling the Christmas pressure already, rest assured, we can help. Too pushed for time / lacking in co-ordination / scared of paper cuts? We can wrap your Christmas parcels and send them out direct to the lucky recipient. Just choose this option at check out. Free gift messages can be attached. We also do a rather lovely Chrimbo card

Still in need of inspiration? We don't think you can go far wrong with the following Christmas present buying yule rule. Something you want. Something you need. Something to wear. Something to read. Thank you Facebook for circulating that genius post. For the latter, my eldest daughter is getting another year's subscription to the fabulous science magazine for kids Whizz Pop Bang!. An inspired gift that gives her pleasure every month (sheer delight from having her own addressed post is just the start) and gets the whole family excited about science. My youngest is crossing her fingers that she'll find an Animalium Activity Book under the tree, having fallen in love with the original book after a trip to the Natural History Museum. You'll find lots more brilliant bookish inspiration here

One last thing, don't forget to check out our beautiful Valentines Marble, after all there are only 2 and a bit months to go . . . (sorry, couldn't resist). 

 


JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Get the latest news and offers straight to your inbox

Follow After Alice

Loading testimonial...