We’ve been tagged! And I am really chuffed that someone would tag me in the ‘seven things you didn’t know about me’. Thank you Michelle at Baby Dines Out, yet again you’ve made me smile. And somedays that doesn’t happen often! I’ve never met Michelle in person and we’ve only exchanged a few emails, but I have read her blog and she seems like she is my kind of person She likes the nice things in life and doesn’t like to compromise on quality. here here.
When thinking about this 7 things blog, I couldn’t decide whether it should be 7 things you didn’t know about families recommend or 7 things you didn’t know about me (Sarah). So I have decided to do both.
Families Recommend
1. The idea for the website came about when we had some really bad treatment at a pub in a market town in North Yorkshire. We were told that we couldn’t take the baby into the bar (even though they served food there) – fair enough, and were told we could eat in the restaurant instead as it served the same meals there too. However, we couldn’t take the pram into the restaurant, we could leave it at the front door while we ate. Firstly, no one in their right mind is going to leave an expensive pram in an open doorway are they? And secondly, and more importantly our 8 month old son was fast asleep, so we were not going to a) wake him so we could eat or b) leave him in the doorway while we ate. Now I would understand if the restaurant was small and there was no space for a pram, but believe me there was space and plenty of tables where the pram with sleeping child could have been parked without getting in anyone’s way. So we declined the offer of food there and obviously annoyed as we walked away discussed between us wouldn’t it be good if there was a website where people shared their experiences of family friendly and not so friendly places. And there you go http://www.familiesrecommend.co.uk/ was born!
[ok long winded, but now I've got that off my chest, the rest will be much simpler!]
2. Familiesrecommend is run by me and my husband in our spare time. We are what you call 5 to 9 ers. ie we run our business after we come home from our day jobs. We hope it won’t always be this way. I hear there is a roll over on the lottery tomorrow……
3.It took us ages to launch the website, about 5 months after we first got a view of it from our designer. Perhaps we were nervous people wouldn’t like it or wouldn’t visit it……
4. It’s been a rollercoaster. Since launching 12 months ago, we got no one, then we got some visitors, and then we got more visitors and then we got a few more!
5. It’s our birthday next month- 1 year since launching live to the world. Join us from 8 May for great articles (including one by Michelle of Baby Dines Out), birthday messages, fabulous money off offers and free giveaways!
6. We’ve met (and virtually met) some fantastic people in the last year and they inspire us everyday.
7. Running a website is hard work especially when you work in another job for a living. But we enjoy it, even if the nights are late, the wine is always chilled!
Ok the 7 things you didn’t know about me (Sarah incase you were wondering).
1. In my day job I am a senior analyst. If you can work out what this means let me know!
2. I dream of giving up #1 and working from home, running my website and making a decent living from it.
3. I hate injustice or big organisations trying to step on little people. And I will fight these injustices however I can – like walking 13 miles from one hospital to another hospital to highlight the distance parents with premature babies had to travel becuase of the closure of their local special care baby unit. (I wasn’t alone and we had politicians and the press to see us off on our long walk).
4. I had a premature baby (10 weeks to be precise).
5. My favourite food is pickled onion Monster Munch crisps!
6. I am gutted that ITV is cancelling The Bill. It’s my all time favourite programme
7. For the first time in my life, I have no idea who to vote for in the upcoming election. Feels both a bit wierd and also a bit freeing. Come on parties, here’s your chance to impress me.
