Love, Lists and Labels

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I'm so happy and grateful that I've got three beautiful children and I know that he's going to love school. They're all at the same school and they'll play together at lunchtime."

I was working as a nurse in the NHS but I stepped away from full-time work and had more time in the home, so I started labelling more and found a real love for it. In an interview with the Mirror, Jemma opened up about juggling family life and her growing business. I created a WhatsApp group where I told all of my friends that if they ever needed to get anything off their mind nothing was too big or small for the chat. It’s a safe space for us to share our feelings.”

What are your tips for doing packed lunches?

The only thing I leave until the last minute is the school shoes. About two and half weeks before term starts, I'll take them to get shoes. You never know when a child will have a growth spurt with their feet. The company started in January 2020 on my husband's birthday. I'd had a labelling machine since 2017 and I'd always used it in the home as well as for my previous balloon business. We try and keep on top of things. At birthdays and Christmas, we don't buy our kids loads of toys because they get enough from everyone else, and prior to that, we have a big sort-out because I can't store it all. We give a lot of stuff to charity and the pre-school. Over the summer holidays, I'll go through all of the kids' wardrobes and anything that doesn't fit will go to charity.

She says: “I believe it was caused by the trauma of the birth, but it wasn’t until much later I realised I needed professional help. In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people. I lay the uniforms out the night before and get their PE stuff ready if it's PE the next day. I encourage them to do it too. I'm a big advocate for my children having their own responsibilities. It wasn’t until we started writing the books that we reflected and realised how many little things happened when we were younger that influence us now. Our mum would sort all the Lego out into the little people and flowers etc and organise our bedrooms. Don’t get me wrong, we could be messy – but we loved going in and seeing that organisation.”She is highly determined, hard-working, and with The Label Lady, she has created a brand that taps into the trend for home tidying.I was particularly impressed with the way in which she had managed to scale the business in such a short space of time on social media, and built such a large and loyal customer base with little-to-no marketing spend. I am looking forward to working with Jemma to help her scale the business, and to take it to the next level,” he added. Stacey was already a mum, but it didn’t even cross my mind to ask her about it. I have no idea why I didn’t mention my worries to her – we tell each other everything.”

Such a strong work ethic was instilled in the Solomon sisters from a young age. “We come from a working family. I’ve never known anything different but to work.” Jemma started work aged 14, doing after school and holiday shifts in a nursery, working though her GCSEs and A-levels. “I don’t come from wealth, anything I want I need to work for.” Jemma Solomon is married to her husband Lee, with whom she shares three children, Darcy, 10, Mila, eight, and five-year-old Hudson. While she still experiences anxiety, therapy helped her develop coping mechanisms – and staying organised is one of them. “Organisation is a good distraction and keeps my mind busy. By tidying through a cupboard, I physically have to move, label, empty, clean and refill objects. By the time I’ve done all that, my brain has forgotten about whatever was worrying me,” she says. The Essex-based mum-of-three, and sister of TV personality Stacey Solomon, started The Label Lady in 2020, leaving her full-time role as an NHS paediatric nurse to do so.I like to think that growing up, I was the more organised sister. My siblings – Stacey and my brother Matthew – might say otherwise, but keeping tidy has always kept me happy,” Jemma adds. I try and get organised at the start of the summer holidays. Otherwise, if I left it until mid-August, it would be a complete panic. Hudson starts school in September and I've already started to buy his uniform. If you leave it until mid-August, none of the shops have got your child's size or the right colour. You can plan whatever your heart desires, from Christmas and birthday presents to sleep schedules and mealtime menus - there's space for it all and you'll learn how to make planning fun (because it can be)! It doesn’t matter where your anxiety comes from, it’s about finding what triggers it and what helps.” When I first started, I’d work until five in the morning then start again a few hours later. I’d bring the kids along to the HQ and make them a den under the table, keeping them occupied with sweets and films to watch,” says Jemma.

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride. It was quite scary to take the leap because my business is what funds my family. How well it’s doing depends on whether or not I’m doing a good job,” she says. “By the January, we were all sitting around the family table, and I was like, 'I can do this for a job'. My husband said, 'Go for it, do what makes you happy,' and it just went bang!" Jemma, mother of Darcy, 10, Mila, eight, and five year old Hudson, was a paediatric nurse until 2019 when she stepped down from her full-time role to take part-time shifts so she and husband Lee could save on rising childcare costs. Now, Jemma hopes sharing her experiences of anxiety will help other sufferers and make them realise they’re not alone. My fridge is quite organised. I have everything laid out in there so you can literally just go and take whatever you need.