The Things We're Grateful For in 2018
I’ve been happily reading people’s Instagram posts about what they’re grateful for in 2018. And it’s really reminded me how important it is to celebrate achievements, however big or small. I think we also learn a lot from failures and these are important too, but taking a look back to remind ourselves how far we’ve come can be really rewarding.
2018 has been an amazing year for Matchstick Monkey. We’ve brought new ideas to fruition with the release of Colours, our book for toddlers. Also, we’re incredibly proud that our original Matchstick Monkey teething toy has also won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry!
Before I do a victory dance, we still have so many more plans on the way. Products that help to change the lives of children and parents, with a keen eye on the environment, are still in the pipeline. We can’t wait for 2019 and everything it will bring, but for now - here’s a roundup of what we’re grateful for from 2018.
I’m really looking forward to 2019 and showing everyone new things we have been working so hard on in 2018 x
Mother & Baby Awards 2019: Best Baby Toy
The awards for the Mother and Baby Best Toy for 2019 were announced in November 2018. The competition was really tough so it was a huge honour to win.
The Mother & Baby Awards “put the very best baby, pregnancy and new mum products on the market through their paces.” Products are tested by real mums by living with them for a month before giving their honest opinion about which products are worthy of winning!
The Original Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy winning Best Baby Toy 2019 was definitely one of the highlights of the year! There were so many amazing toys entered, it was great to see how much innovation there is out there. It was also really wonderful hearing all the positive feedback from the real mum’s who tested the product.
As one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, it meant so much to everyone at Matchstick Monkey to win and we are really, really proud of this one!
Junior Design Awards 2018: Gold
These awards look for “uncompromising style, design and beauty” so our little Dancing Monkey was, I’m sure, feeling very flattered after winning a coveted Gold!
We were also happy to hear Influencer and founder of Dress Like A Mum Zoe de Pass who brought her newest addition to the family (she has 3 children) along to the judging day say "A teething toy to rival Sophia! Like the dishwasher element too!"
Little London Awards 2018: Runner-Up
It was lovely for our Dancing Monkey to be a runner-up for the best toy at the Little London Awards. These awards were created to “champion excellence in pregnancy, baby and children’s brands” and are in their fourth year.
Launching a new sensory book, Colours
This was definitely one of my favourite moments from 2018 with Matchstick Monkey. We worked really hard to make Colours as good as it could possibly be for toddlers, and are so pleased with the results. The kids seem to love it too!
Kind + Jungend Show in Germany
As the international leading trade fair for premium baby and toddler products, the show is a big deal for us. As well as exhibiting to around 22,500 visitors we also get to check out some of the most innovative products and trends from all over the world, which is a huge amount of fun!
This year the trend was focussed not just on beautiful design and quality, but also sustainability and being environmentally conscious.
I had been a bit nervous as this year we decided to take a pretty big leap and increase the size of our stand. It was HUGE display space compared to the first stand we ever exhibited with, but everyone loved it and it really worked. This reminded me just how far we’ve come on this incredible journey that started in my little kitchen as I fed my baby daughter. Crazy times!
There are many parts of 2018 that I look back on but all in all, I just look back and think about how I’m so glad to be apart of Matchstick Monkey and their fun team. The whole year has been about constantly opening new doors & bringing out new products to hopefully help mums around the world. Every moment matters and I hope we are helping mums enjoy even those slightly more challenging moments!