Showing posts with label Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Festival. Show all posts

Monday, 21 December 2015

Being a Christmas Birthday Babe

I've just read a blog post about having a birthday at Christmas. I'd like to share it and add to it because it really resonates with me:

http://www.thetortoiseshellglasses.com/2015/12/christmas-birthday/

My birthday is December 29th. 



Having that one day where you're allowed to be self indulgent and have a whole day that's all about you is tough at this time of year. No one's interested in your day when there is much more to celebrate and everyone is busy thinking about everything else at Christmas that they'll probably forget anyway.

My mewsings today are for everyone out there who's birthdays are at this time of year - I feel your pain...


Kacey's comments about the effect having your birthday at Christmas has on you as a child is especially poignant.

But it's not all bad, there are pro's and con's to being a Christmas birthday babe (granted, there are more con's, but I always like to look on the bright side.)




Con's

  • For kids, I reiterate Kacey's comments: not being made of fuss of at school like all of your class mates is a cruel and merciless experience.
  • If you know someone who's birthday is at Christmas NEVER wrap their present in Christmas paper - this is a crime for which no punishment is suitable
  •  Every year my husband complains he has to buy my birthday card in September as there are never any decent birthday cards in the shops in December, you're lucky to even find them in most places
  • NEVER give a Christmas birthday babe a 'joint present' - you look like a total cheapskate and an a'hole (unless they ask for something big as a joint present, then it's OK.) 
  • No one will come to your party. My birthday is 2 days before New Year's Eve so every year the excuse is that everyone is saving themselves for that. I can't even remember the last time I had a party for my birthday - really, what's the point when no one will come?
  • One year I decided to have a 'half birthday' in the summer and throw a party. No one celebrated it because 'it was silly', and then when my actual birthday came round no one came because I celebrated it in the summer! Lose Lose. 
  • You have to think of more present ideas and think carefully about what to put on your list as you only get one chance a year. 
  • If you don't get want you wanted for Christmas, there's no second chances, you have to wait an entire year to ask again
 
Pro's

  • When I was a kid, I used to get a lump sum from our grandparents at the end of the year which meant I could buy big stuff for myself without having to think about saving up. Rubbing my brother and sister's face in it when I bought something bigger and better for myself in the January sales was like no other joy
  • I've never had to go to work or school on my birthday. In fact, I've never had to have any responsibilities on my birthday
  • It's much easier to have a low key or intimate birthday - no one will notice anyway so there's no pressure to put on a big bash. 
  • Because it's party season, even when your Christmas birthday is mid-week bars and restaurants are busy and buzzing. 
  • When I was working for someone else, I never had to take cakes into work on my birthday, and honestly, my colleagues have always been grateful when the staff kitchen is full of everyone's unwanted Christmas chocolates and sweets.
  • It's OK to just keep on partying. People are in a festive mood anyway so having a birthday just after Christmas means I start celebrating on Christmas Eve and just keep going until New Year's Eve. Result.

Enjoy the festive season everyone - Party on!





Tuesday, 11 August 2015

5 Non-monetary Reasons to Love Crowdfunding




 My latest...

Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship 




After successfully completing a crowdfund last year to publish Solomon's Secrets, when I was asked to join the organising committee for Bristol Festival of Literature this year and we talked about how we would finance such a monumental project to host a fantastic city wide event; crowdfunding was my first thought.

But crowdfunding is not just about money - there are plenty of other reasons to consider it to boost your business.

Here are 5 non-monetary things I love about Crowdfunding:
  1. Building Community. You can mobilse the support of your fan base and give them a hook to share with their networks
  2. Social Proof. It’s a very public way of showing that people support what you are trying to achieve
  3. Marketing Platform. It’s a great excuse to embark on a sustained marketing campaign to raise awareness.
  4. Newsworthy. A crowdfund is a newsworthy activity and makes better editorial copy than an advertisement
  5. Telling Your Story. People don’t just buy people, they buy stories. A crowdfund campaign can provide a great platform to share your story and engage people
Support Bristol Festival of Literature by sharing this link to the crowdfund:
Follow on Twitter: @BristolLitFest
Use the hashtag: #Unputdownable2015