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The Self-Publishing Starter Pack: What I Wish I Knew Before Publishing My First Book
✨ When I first started dreaming of Hello Petal, the idea of self-publishing felt like standing at the bottom of a mountain with no map. There were ISBNs and barcodes, printing specs, marketing materials, distribution options… and no one telling me where to begin. What I wanted most back then was a gentle roadmap. Something that could break the process into steps without overwhelming me. Something honest and practical — but also encouraging. This is that roadmap. Not a strict “rule book,” but a starter pack: part guide, part lived experience. It’s what I wish someone had handed me when I began. 🌸 Step 1: Laying the Foundations Before you…
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Juggling Motherhood, Bookmaking, Self-Publishing and Big Feelings — What I’ve Learned
🌸 Juggling Motherhood, Bookmaking, Self-Publishing and Big Feelings — What I’ve Learned When I first started dreaming of Hello Petal, it was during maternity leave — in those hazy, in-between hours where days blurred and ideas quietly sprouted. It felt impossible then, and even more impossible now that I’m back at work, balancing another layer of life alongside motherhood, creativity, and business. How could I write, illustrate, and publish a whole book — while raising two small children, working, running a household, and trying to hold onto myself in the middle of it all? The truth is, it wasn’t tidy. It was messy, slow, and often overwhelming. But it also…
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Why Emotional Literacy Starts in Early Childhood
When we talk about early learning, we track letters, numbers, and colours.But understanding and naming emotions—emotional literacy—is equally vital.It supports empathy, resilience, and communication—and it starts long before school does. 1. 🧠 The Critical Early Years The Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) defines emotional literacy as foundational—woven into wellbeing, identity, and communication in the first years of life. Psychologists describe it as part of the first 1,000 days, a period they consider the most important stretch in a person’s life for shaping future mental health and relational skills. During this time, the brain is rapidly forming over one million neural connections every second (Harvard University Center on the Developing…
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What Is a Feelings Book?
🌼 What Is a Feelings Book? And why are they such a beautiful tool for little hearts? In the early years of childhood, emotions can feel enormous — but the words to describe them are still blooming. That’s where feelings books come in. These gentle stories support young children as they begin to: 🌿 Recognise what they’re feeling🌿 Learn names for those feelings🌿 Understand that all emotions — even the big, messy ones — are okay Rather than “fixing” emotions, feelings books offer a safe space to explore them — with warmth, permission, and language that feels just right for little ones. ✨ Why Feelings Books Matter Children are deeply…
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✏️ 5 Things I Didn’t Expect About Self-Publishing a Children’s Book
A peek behind the scenes of creating Hello Petal When I started Hello Petal, I thought I was just writing and illustrating a story. I knew it would take time, love, and a lot of drawing — but I didn’t fully understand that I was also becoming a publisher, a designer, a production coordinator, a marketing assistant, a shipping manager… and more. Self-publishing has been full of surprises — some beautiful, some challenging, and all of them stretching. Here are five of the biggest things I didn’t expect: 1. 📚 You become your own publishing house When you self-publish, you don’t just write the book — you become the entire…
