Hello, lovely readers!
So, the leaves are piling up, the curtains are closed by 6 p.m., and just like thatābye, bye summer! Hello, Autumn! (Or should I say winter, because letās be honest, it feels like it, right? Or is that just me?). Iāve already got my heated gilet on, fluffy socks, and Iām even rocking a wooly jumper. I am officially ready for the cold weather takeover!
Donāt worry, Iām not here to moanāI actually LOVE it. Rainy, chilly days are my jam. My mumās too. Oh, and my catāLewes Nigel Cooperāheās a fan as well. Weāre a snug little trio over here.
September though... Where do I even start?! I think it's been the craziest, busiest month of the entire year for me. Seriously, I know Iāll be saying the same about October, November, and December too. Catherineās Originals has been on fire, and Iāve been busier socially and personally than ever before. And if you know me, youāll know Iām not really the āout and aboutā typeābut this month, wow, I was practically a social butterfly! and Iām not sure how I feel about itā¦
Weāve been packing SO MANYĀ of our Vegan Selection TinsĀ lately. Honestly, there have been soo many days weāve had to stay a couple of extra hours just to get through the orders. At one point, the line of orders was as long as the car park! Weāre down to our lastĀ 450 tins,Ā and Iām honestly kicking myself for not ordering more for Christmas. Idiot! I thought weād ordered enough, but clearly, you lovely lot are snapping them up faster than we can say āChristmas.ā We need more Gluten Free and Vegan Chocolate Tins to go round!
It breaks my heart knowing some of you might not get your hands on one. Weāre trying to fast-track more tins, but the odds are looking slimā¦ cross your fingers for us!
Oh, and did I mention the Catherine's Originals XĀ Deliveroo partnership?Ā If you havenāt seen it yet, go check it out because itās our BIGGEST one to date. Exciting times! And to top it off, I ran my first half marathon since my injury over a year ago! Without pain! GET IN!š
And then, as if that wasnāt enough madness, the whole team took on a 10-mile Tough Mudder challenge the next weekend. Talk about getting down and dirtyāliterally. Itās next-level team building, swimming in freezing, stagnate muddy water that hundreds of others have been through (I just tell myself it's chocolate to get through it).
But the BEST part? My ankle held up! After being out of the running game for over a year, it feels amazing to be back. Running, if you know, you knowāitās my go-to for stress relief and energy.
Spooky season is HERE šāand Jamie and I are embracing it with cinema trips. We watched Beetlejuice this Saturday and oh my god, it got funnier as it went on. Seriously, go watch it for some giggles. Afterwards, we went for a rainy walk in the woods with a bag full of chocolate. Typical us. This is actually the first Halloween weāll be properly stocked up on treats for the little trick-or-treaters (is it wrong Iām using a selection box?). It's not super spooky themed, but come onāwhoās going to say no to chocolate?
Random fact: Iāve always lived in the sticks, so Iāve never really experienced trick-or-treaters knocking at my door. Once, when I was like 12, the doorbell rang, and the whole family freaked out because NO ONE ever knocks at our door. Turns out it was just my brother pranking us. Thanks for that, Will! š
On the work front: Exciting newsāweāre recruiting three more full-time members to join our crazy chocolate-loving team starting in January! Chocolate training included, of course. So, if you know anyone in West Sussex whoās keen to dive into the world of chocolate, send them our way!
Last week was a tricky one, though. I was completely overwhelmed and had to take 3 days off. An infection hit me hardāTough Mudder mud probs didnāt help, letās be realāand I ended up in the hospital getting antibiotics (which, by the way, I was hoping to go my Ā life without needing). But hey, sometimes you just gotta take the meds, right? Thereās a time and a place. Taking time off meant coming back to a mountain of work, and Iām still catching up. Seriously, I felt so guilty being out of action! Thankfully, Jamie and the team held it down for meācouldnāt have done it without them. Thank you, guys! š
Oh! And for those of you asking, I found five more Autumn bundles hiding away, so grab them while you can! And let me knowāwould you be interested in a Christmas bundle this year? Letās make it happen!
Stay tuned for more updates! And if you want your local shops to stock us for Christmas, let them know nowāour stock is flying off the shelves!
Stay sweet, friends! š
Catherine