Hello giddy friends! I’m Lydia and this is my day in the life of a toy shop packer.   I arrive in the heart of Didsbury Village, hop off the bus and make my way merrily to Giddy Goat Toys.  I say a quick good morning to Princess Joy, our Playmobil princess, who stands outside our shop, keeping watch. It’s always important to say a heartily, good morning, Joy! Otherwise, she gets very upset with us. (Remember next time you visit Giddy Goats to give Joy a hello or a good morning wave! She always appreciates it!)   Then I greet our commander-in-chief, Amanda! Who gives me the lowdown on what's new in the shop! — like our new colourful furry friends, the Mood Bears. Have you checked them out yet? You haven’t! What! Well, here’s the link —  www.giddygoattoys.co.uk/MoodBears —we’re certain you're going to love them!   Probably one of the most important things a toy shop packer must do before anything else is… make a cup of tea! I love a good mug of tea to get me started in the morning, and as I slurp my hot tea, I check over all the orders on the order shelves that have come in overnight. Then I get to work!    First, I make sure all the paperwork and the product codes are correct. Then I determine what size box I will need. Here at Giddy Goat Toys, we pack all our outgoing orders using recycled boxes. We reuse the cardboard boxes our stock has arrived in as we see no reason why these boxes can’t be reused again and again. Plus, they are the perfect sizes for our toys heading out to their new homes. Once I’ve selected the right size box, I arrange the products in a presentable way, taking into consideration how a customer would like their items to be presented to them when receiving their order. Then I add in our recyclable packing paper, using the necessary amount to make the item secure inside the box so the product won’t become damaged during transit.  Sometimes bubble wrap is necessary for products but I personally try to opt for packaging that is environmentally friendly and only use plastic when I absolutely have to.  When the order is packed and already to go, I add the customer's address label and then once all the orders are completed, we print out Royal Mail labels and stick them on. Then our wonderful Royal Mail Man picks them up and sends them on their way!     I must admit that my inner child becomes very excited when packing our lovely customer's orders! When I spy anything relating to Harry Potter, I can’t help but do a little happy dance! A current favourite of mine to pack is the Lego Harry Potter Shrieking Shack and Whomping Willow! Including the main trio and Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew! As well as the Shrieking Shack and the temperamental Whomping Willow! I just know when packing this order that a fellow Potterhead is going to one excited bunny when they receive this!   I’m also a huge book nerd and do love to see books being sent off to fellow book worms. My current favourite is What Do You See When You Look At a Tree? By Emma Carlisle. This picture book is all about the amazing wonders of a tree. Emma Carlisle beautifully illustrated book encourages little ones to become interest and enjoy the magic of nature! As an illustrator and nature enthusiast I highly recommend this book!   When I’ve finished all my packing duties I end with another cup of tea!