For many new parents, finding time to enjoy things once treasured can often be a struggle once a baby arrives.
And this is exactly what happened when mum Caszie Hardingham, a self-confessed read-aholic, gave birth to her daughter, Elodie, two years ago.
Combined with the pressures of lockdown and being unable to make time to read, the bookworm from Norwich decided to take decisive action and embarked on a new business venture in order to fulfil all of her needs.
She said: “I have always had a love for reading. I find it a great way to take time out from the goings on in the world.
“However, since having my daughter, I realised I hadn't picked up a book since and was noticing with the second lockdown that my mental wellbeing wasn’t where I would have liked it to be.”
Last autumn, during the nation’s second lockdown, Ms Hardingham took the bold step into the unknown and became an independent Usborne organiser with her online bookshop, the Lazy Lounge.
She added: “This has not only ignited my love for reading again, but it has allowed me to share my passion with friends, family, and now customers.
“My proudest moment was supplying a local nursery with sticker books as Christmas gifts for their pupils. The nursery not only had a fantastic gift to give to the children, but they were able to access free books for the nursery as well.”
Ms Hardingham also enjoys reading to her step-children and is currently offering books for children aged from birth, right up to 14.
“My day-to-day focus with the business is to showcase the amazing books on offer to my customers. My short-term goal is to work with one or more schools for World Book Day and get them as many free books as possible with little-to-no cost to the school’s budget.
“Just think of me as your fairy book lady and I'm here to find you the perfect book.”
- To find out more, search for the Lazy Lounge Bookshop page via Facebook.
- World Book Day takes place on March 4. This year, the annual event will celebrate its 24th year helping to raise awareness of the importance of reading.
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