We may live in a high-tech world, but there are still few things better than picking up a real book, flicking through those real pages, and becoming immersed in a fantastic story. And this love of books will date right back to childhood. Fortunately, many children are natural bookworms, who instinctively love reading and will…
This February, why not love your libraries!
Valentine’s Day may be all about showing your nearest and dearest how much you care for them, or perhaps to declare your feelings to someone special who maybe doesn’t yet know it, but how about spreading the love a little further by visiting your library? February has been designated National Library Lovers Month, and the…
Why not make 2024 the year you become an author?
We’re a month into 2024, and how is the year going for you so far? Are you sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? Have you been following Dry January or Veganuary? Well, how about embarking on a different sort of quest for 2024, one that will give you a year-long (maybe even lifelong) interest, exercise…
Happydesigner Piggy Post: News & Features from November 2023
STOP PRESS: HAPPYDESIGNER HAVE MOVED! As announced in our September blog, we are pleased (and VERY relieved) to announce that we are now settled into our new home, and the studio is back to full operation. The move proved to be far more problematic than we ever anticipated, but, in hindsight, we should have expected…
Need to unwind? How about reading or writing a book!
November is National Novel Writing Month and what a great way to encourage people to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and start writing a story. The challenge for this annual event, which started in 1999, is for people to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month. At Happydesigner, we live…
Autumn is here with a bang – and we love it!
Oh boy, do we love autumn – and here it is, in all its colourful glory. This year, more than ever, there seems to be a rich abundance of autumn colours and autumn produce. Wherever we walk, we are bombarded by conkers, acorns, and spectacular hues on the trees. We’re always looking for inspiration for…
Why children’s books are essential in schools…
Of the hundreds of appeals that schools make for additional support, have you noticed how many of them are asking for help with buying books? This isn’t just a whim. It’s because books are an absolutely essential ingredient in school life. So often, schools fundraise for books because they don’t have enough to go around,…
How well do you know your children’s classics?
Here’s a bit of fun for the summer holidays: a fun quiz on how well you know your children’s classics. Are you au fait with Anne of Green Gables? Could you wax lyrical about Winnie the Pooh? Are you cognisant of the Cat in the Hat? By classics, we’re, of course, talking about books that…
Here comes Summer: five things for Children to do!
We may have just passed the longest day, and the nights are about to start drawing in, but summer is upon us, and school will soon be breaking up. So, dig out the shorts and sunshades, grab a picnic and head off outside. Here are five things to do in the summer that won’t break…