Over the past year I’ve been supporting a charity called The Lunch Project and have become the TLP UK Ambassador along with a business associate of mine. We’ve decided to take it to the next level and to start up The Lunch Project charity in the UK – this means we have to actually start up a charity!! Wow, I hadn’t exactly planned on doing that but it’s going to be amazing. It means we can hold fundraising events locally and introduce their education program to UK schools as well. We’ll need to form a board and go through all the steps to start up a charity and from what I can see so far, it looks more difficult than setting up a new business! So all new stuff going on there. It’s going to be a huge learning curve. I feel so inspired by The Lunch Project and so passionate about what they are doing that this will be the driving force behind me and keep me going when it all feels overwhelming.

The second new thing about this week is that I’m in the initial (very initial) stages of starting up a new business. It’s completely related to what I’m currently doing as director of White Ochre Design Ltd., but it’s going to encompass even more and involve a marketing expert. That’s all I can say at this time. It really is all I can say as I haven’t gotten much further than that!

The third new thing that happened this week is my daughter, Anna Grace, started her harp lessons. Very exciting. I went to sleep last night to the sound of her playing the harp and it was wonderful. Yes, she now sometimes stays up later than I do (my excuse is that I’m old). Her homework was to create her own piece and to practice what she learned. I don’t think we’ll be seeing much of her around the house without her new BFF.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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The post Word of the Week #4 appeared first on Bringing Up Brits.

Man it’s been busy! Busy with work, busy with kids and busy with house.

• Washing machine to be fixed – Tick!
• Athena networking prep and event – Tick!
• Lots of design work for Britain’s Next Bestseller – Tick!
• Newsletter for Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs – Tick!
• Got money back from laundrette – Tick!
• Had play dates for Jonah here at the house on Monday and Tuesday – Tick!
• Leak under sink needs to be fixed – not yet!
• Boiler not working, needs to be fixed – hopefully today!
• Updated T&C for White Ochre Design – Tick!
• Paid HMRC – Tick!
• Lots of graphic design work for a Sussex family theme park – Tick!
• Design meeting with new client – Tick!
• Design meeting with client at her new art gallery (exciting!) – Tick!
• Feed neighbor’s cat – Tick!
• Made and decorated cupcakes for Jonah’s school cup and cake sale – Tick!
• Helped out at cup and cake sale at Jonah’s school – Tick!
• Parents’ evening at Anna Grace’s school – Tick!
• Arranged meeting with IFA to look at my pension (boring but essential) – Tick!
• Re-vamped charity website for a client with help from my junior website designer – Tick!
• Designed magazine advert for a client – Tick!
• Designed flyer for a client – Tick!
• Sent out invoices (or rather, tasked my administrator) – Tick!
• Designed website for USA based business – Tick!
• Blog post for White Ochre Design – Tick!
• Ordered prints of Jenny’s beautiful photos – Tick!
• Wrote a review for The Single Mum’s Survival Guide for my friend Vivienne Smith – Tick!
• Arranged kids’ activities for next week – Tick!
• Finalized First Aid Course I’ve organized for young people (happening next week!) – Tick!
• Started to read Taming the Tiger Parent for Tanith Carey, review to follow – Tick!
• Started to read The Expat Activity Book for Jodi Harris, review to follow – Tick!
• Sent out two design quotes to potential clients – Tick!
• Got pumpkins ready for carving next week – Tick!
• Got Halloween decs down from loft – Tick!
• Bought 3 birthday presents for Jonah’s upcoming birthday parties he’s been invited to – Tick!
• I’m sure there’s more but I’m too busy to remember *tongue in cheek*!

And today I will be doing more design work for my fabulous clients and planning my working week around the kids for next week when it’s half-term here in the UK (for State schools in Sussex at least).

Have a great weekend everyone.

I’m going to try and have some R&R on Sunday.

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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The post Word of the week #3 appeared first on Bringing Up Brits.

Scotland won’t have their independence after all. What a week! I’ve watched more news this week than I have all year. My husband says he’s sad for Scotland. I say we’d be much more sad for Great Britain if it had been Yes.

I’m glad because now I won’t have the re-design the cover art for Bringing Up Brits which I was panicking over. Ha, you see how British I’ve become with my sense of humor?

Seriously though, I am glad that it’s a no vote and I’ve been saying no all week. But what’s going to happen now going forward? No doubt there will be tensions. What about those families who are split? Those who have disagreed and fallen out over this? It might be over, but it is far from being over.

At least now I can still fulfill number 3 of my expat bucket list and number 4 will still have the same significance as well. See, more Britishness from me today.

Was No your word of the week too? Or was it Yes?

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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The post Word of the Week #2 appeared first on Bringing Up Brits.

And perhaps ‘don’t forget’ as well.

“Remember, you have to get up early this week. So start going to bed earlier.”

“Remember, we have to get new school shirts before Thursday this week.”

“Must remember to label new shirts.”

“Remember, swimming starts this week.”

“Remember, trim your nails before Thursday!”

“Remember to get your school bags ready on Wednesday evening.”

“Don’t forget to wash your hair Wednesday evening!”

“Remember to dig your school shoes out and polish them for Thursday.”

“Don’t forget to get your lunch box ready.”

“Must remember to get lunch box food!”

“Remember, Jonah does NOT need a lunch box this year so don’t get his ready!!”

“Don’t forget your glasses and glasses case!”

“Remember to organize your pencil cases and tell me if you need any supplies.”

“Don’t forget to go to the store to get school supplies!”

“Remember your PE kit.”

“Must remember to check PE kits.”

“Must NOT forget to get Jonah from school at 3pm. Must remember to leave the house at 2:45pm. Better set the alarm!” (I tend to get very engrossed in work and sometimes forget to look at the clock!!)

“Remember to put your lunch box in your bag.”

“Don’t forget your keys!”

So yes, remember! Is there anything we’ve forgotten?

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Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.

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