They DO exist!

Mr. Incredible and I work every day to make sure our children have (and use) good manners.

Most of the time they use those manners, but like anything it's a work in progress.

I have noticed more and more that today's children (wow, I sound old) are, generally speaking, not held as accountable for their manners as we would have been as kids.

We teach our children to open the door for people, hold the door for people, say please and thank you, etc...even the three year old tries to open doors for people. It has actually been pointed out to us by strangers and teachers more than once how polite our children are. Yes, I'm bragging just a bit.

One mannerism that I was taught is that when you are walking and someone driving stops to allow you to cross the street, you give a small wave to say thank you. We teach our kids this every time we are out for a walk. The three year old likes to also scream "THANK YOU" at the top of her lungs...but the wave is sufficient. To be honest, I kind of thought that nobody was teaching their kids this. I have been dropping my kids off at their schools for over a year and have let many a school-aged child cross in front of my car. Never have I seen a wave of thanks...until this morning!

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to see a little girl and her sister (they both would be between ages 6 and 10, given the school) cross in front of my car and then the older sister looked at me, smiled, waved, and mouthed thank you. THEN, (that wasn't all) she stopped and told the younger one to wave to say thank you and she did too! It was amazing to see that someone is, in fact, teaching their children this. And I would like them to know that their children listened!

So, to all who teach their children good manners. Keep it up! They are actually paying attention. Someone will take notice and appreciate the small moment your child took to be polite.

Momma Days

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A firefighter? A vet? A teacher? A rockstar? 

I wanted to be a mom...a wife and a mom. That was my goal for my life. 

So imagine my surprise (after some wrong turns) when I ended up the wife of an absolutely amazing man and together we have five kids! Some would say that I got more than I bargained for. That may be true...but what a deal! 

I love this man and all five kids with everything inside me...with a love so fierce sometimes it hurts. 

And I love being a mom and wife...more than anything I could ever hope to be. I have the most special job in the entire world. I get stand next to the best man I know and to teach these kids about pretty much everything. I get to help shape who they become as adults in this world. Sure we have rough days but...still...I love being a mom. 

I love it so much...but there is one part of being a mom of SO many kiddos that is really tough. Tonight we were in the playroom waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Our playroom has old school wide floorboards...the kind that things get stuck in all the time. Mister said he was hungry...like really hungry...like dying of starvation (his words not mine)...he was holding his stomach...I made a comment that dinner would be ready in a few minutes and that he was being a bit dramatic. And then...yeah...I'll spare you the guided imagery but the next hour was spent cleaning the playroom floor and lysol-ing every surface of the house...cleaning between floorboards with a q-tip and bottle of lysol...it was a blast. As it happened, the timer went off for dinner, the kids started screaming, and I prayed nobody would get it on them. I ushered the other four to the table and had to serve them dinner and help Mister before any of the cleanup could happen. Too many kids...not enough hands. Someone should work on that...

.

.

.

This is the other big problem with seven people in one house...almost every illness is times seven...or at least times three. Which makes for a very long three to seven weeks in "Momma Days". So far this illness has taken down three of our troops (Mr. Incredible being one of them)...but it seems to leave as quickly as it comes on which I guess is good. The other three have instructions that if the floor is necessary, head for the kitchen linoleum. (I'm kidding...sorta). I am off to do more laundry because we are out of lysol. 

What do I do for work? I'm a hooker!

That's right. I'm a hooker...sort of.

Not THAT kind of hooker (get your mind out of the gutter!)

I'm the kind of hooker that uses a hook and yarn...a crochet hook.

I love to work magic with my hook (sometimes the kiddos call it my magic wand) turning skeins of yarn into works of art. It is a relaxing, easily transportable hobby that I'm fortunate enough to include in my works for sale.

Bella wanted to get involved in yarn-art as well so I taught her, JBean, and Mister all how to finger knit. A couple of their cousins too! I will post a video tutorial soon so that you and your monkeys can also learn. It's a great activity for quiet time or even in the car on long rides.

I have been working on three pairs of slippers lately with my "magic wand" and I can't wait to share them with you, but for now I leave you with a case of the giggles.

Parenting is for the birds...

This weekend was rough. The kids had a million different things to do at all different times...I played taxi...if you have kids over the age of 3 you likely know what I'm talking about. The only day that every single one of us was home was Sunday...and even then we weren't home, but at least we were together. This is not an example of our normal weekend. We try not to let our schedule get TOO hectic.

Sunday night...it all fell apart. The kids are stressed about things that are going on (that no child should ever have to be stressed about), Mr. Incredible and I are stressed out and trying to put our stress aside to be good parents to these amazing kiddos we have been blessed with, and the crazy weekend schedule just added to it. We were all a mess by the time we made it home.

Consequences had to be issued before bedtime.

I hate consequences. Doesn't it always seem like parents get punished too? It bites the big one. But consequences in our house mirror whatever the infraction was. Lie to me? Lose the privilege to go places that I have to trust you to be. Potty mouth? Write "I will not swear. I will respect myself and others." Rude or unkind to one of your siblings? Write/Draw them an apology letter and/or do something nice for them. All valid consequences and the kids are able to draw the lines between cause and effect most of the time. All of these consequences take time though...and energy...and mom guilt. I have a bunch of that (the mom guilt, not the energy haha!)...don't most moms? It's something I'm working on. There will be a post on it later I'm sure.

I not a huge fan of bedtime either...it's never the low key, relaxing, kids-are-sweet-as-pie-and-snuggles-are-abundant, time of our day that I would love it to be. It never fails that someone is cranky, someone is overtired (that kind of beyond overtired where they Just. Can't. Even.), someone is off the walls, and someone is anxious or stressed. We do music, a lengthy bedtime routine, low lights, sometimes even essential oil blends...everything that is recommended for that amazing bedtime we all dream of. It's just never that easy.

Add these two delights (sarcasm much?) together and Mr. Incredible and I finished bedtime feeling like crap. Yup, I said it. Parental Crap. I looked at Mr. Incredible and simply said "parenting is for the birds". He nodded. We sat and talked for a while to get our own "calm" back before bed. That is the key. Seriously...the key to surviving this parenting thing. I'm going to give it to you.

The key to surviving parenting...Having another crazy bird to say "Hey that stunk...Let's do it again tomorrow." to and knowing that that person knows exactly what your talking about. It doesn't matter if it's a spouse or a friend...one crazy bird needs another because this parenting thing? It's for the birds.

Image from https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images
&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO4tOlytLLAhUCdz4KHXI7AIUQjB0IBg&url
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%2Ftwo-birdswire&bvm=bv.117218890,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNG4_mLG1AscOlLy9K1urKSo9Jy5mw&ust
=1458677174257685

Review: My newest obsession

My newest obsession...I am not a yogurt lover...at ALL...but this stuff is amazeballs. Seriously. I can't get enough. Yoplait Greek 100 calorie Whips! I've had a few flavors (Cafe Latte, Raspberry, Vanilla Cupcake, Strawberry, Strawberry Cheesecake) and they have all been incredible. The yogurt is smooth, light, and doesn't have that weird "yogurt tang" that makes me loathe most yogurts. It is filling too! At only 100 calories, 9g protein, and about $1/each...I can't go wrong. Try one and let me know what you think!

Side note: I am not being paid in any way by Yoplait for my review. I just tried a new yogurt and adore it. 

A New Day...A New Treehouse

First off, to all our fans new and old, we appreciate you. We wouldn't exist if it weren't for you. 

Now, we have been quiet in the Treehouse lately filling orders and changing our structure. We are VERY excited for our changes though and we think you will be too. The people and places have not changed, just the focus of our business. 

The Monkey's Treehouse will still offer handmade items at a great value. Many of our items will be available with customization but we will take very few fully customized orders. The majority of our products will be already crafted and in stock which means you will be able to get that lovingly handmade quality you love, at the speed of a box store. Additionally, our blog will be Where. It's. At. 

The Monkey's Treehouse will very soon become your absolute resource for reviews, events, ideas, advice, Treehouse products etc...Our calendar of events will be updated (For the New England area) and will be available for you to find events to attend with your family. We will also be sharing more of our story with you so that you can be a part of The Monkey's Treehouse Family. 

We hope that you will join us on this next adventure and be as excited to be a part of our future as we are to be a part of yours. 

From our treehouse to yours...Thank you.

Groundhog Day

Earlier this week was Groundhog Day. Yes, the groundhog saw his shadow...Yay for early spring!

Remember the movie Groundhog Day though? The one where the day repeated over and over again. That was my day on Tuesday. And I loved it. That's right. L-O-V-E-D it.

I know that sounds a little weird that I would be so excited about the same old routine, but I was sick this weekend. Like, dying on the couch can't do anything except get up and pee, sick. Mr. Incredible was amazing and took care of the kids and me. Don't get me wrong, I am well aware of how lucky I am to have had him around to take care of everything. It was kind of terrible to be unable to do anything though. Like I wasn't able to help the kids fold their laundry, or hear about their days at dinner. I wasn't able to help the girls with their hair or make sure the boys didn't accidentally have each other's clothes on. I wasn't able to hang out on the couch with Mr. Incredible after the kids were in bed. Simple, mundane things that I do every single day...the tasks I sometimes take for granted (and sometimes grumble about)...for three days, those small moments were all I wanted.

Tuesday...Tuesday I was back to MY Groundhog Day. My every day, take care of the house, take care of the kids, take care of my hubby...My. Every. Day.

And I loved it.

Sometimes you have to lose a little to know what you have. Fortunately for me this time was just me being out of commission for a few days...but there is the morbid, though very real, chance that it could be more serious. Hang on tight and appreciate every day...each day, no matter how "normal" or "mundane"...no matter how exciting or frustrating...Take it in. Enjoy it and appreciate it for what it is, one more small moment with your loved ones. One day you will be wishing you had another Groundhog Day.

Image courtesy of: www.funnydam.com

There were 3 in the bed and the little one said...

Welcome back Treehouse readers! 

We promise that we will be getting back to our daily blog with updated activity calendar oh so very soon. We are working on finding just the right balance of guests, information, stories, and activities to share with you. In the meantime, we are back with one of our "balanced" guest bloggers- the ever so lovely Christina- with your weekly Hump Day Happenings. 

Happy hump day! Welcome back!
Today I wanted to talk a little about how sex changed from pre-children, and then after child #1 and then #2.

Sex used to be spontaneous, at the drop of a hat, mid movie, mid conversation, morning, afternoon, evening, it didn't really matter.  We were in love and completely free to be engulfed in each other... ALL THE TIME! 

Fast forward slightly, we are expecting baby #1.  My body is changing in so many ways.  My hormones are all over the place and so are my thighs, my belly and my booty!  Haha.  How can I possibly still look sexy to my partner or feel sexy?  I can say now, with certainty that I wish I had cherished this time.  I had no idea then, that for quite some time it would be the last of "our time".  After countless sleepless nights and about 6 months of colic, we got into the groove of parenting.  About 2 years later, we got back into the groove of more "regular sex" and more sleep (which didn't hurt). 

Fast forward one year later, and welcome baby #2.  Same thing (maybe a little more frequent sex this time), but essentially now I was on call 24/7 for two kids.  I was the milk maid, the nurse, the professional tushy wiper and the best thing to puke all over, among so many other "duties"!
How could I possibly feel sexy by the time my husband got home from work and wanted some us time? 

The answer is: I didn't.  For a long time sex felt like a "chore".  I still very much loved my husband and am more attracted to him now than ever but at that point, mentally, I couldn't get my mind off of the countless times I had been covered in someone else's body fluids and even a shower couldn't wash away my mental exhaustion. 

Then I joined Athena's.
This past May I went to a workshop at company head quarters in Rhode Island.  The topic of the education portion that evening was sex and motherhood.  It was presented by none other then the president and CEO of the company who is a married mother of two.  I listened with such intensity that I actually started crying.  

As important as it is to be everything and give everything to my children, how could I be forgetting the reason they are here?  That love and lust my husband and I had. How could I have pushed it all aside?  

She mentioned how important it is to still invest in your relationship and your intimacy for both yourself and your children; how important it is to keep the spark alive. She told us how she and her husband planned a weekly date night.  No matter what was going on in their world, they set aside one night a week (even if just for an hour) to completely devote themselves to each other. If they had a 5-10 min break during nap time or other occupied time that they would sneak away for a quickie. You know what? They are still so in love 30 years later!  

Food for thought:  What are you doing to keep the spark in your relationship?  Do you make the time your partner deserves from you and visa versa?  Do you remember why you fell in love in the first place? 

Until next week!
Xoxo Christina

Image from www.genconnect.com

The little word that can change your life

In this season of thanks, what are you thankful for? We are thankful for many things up in the treehouse, but we are extremely thankful that today we get to introduce a new weekly guest blogger to you. 

Whether you are thankful for it or not, sex is a part of our every day lives. After all, chances are good that sex is exactly how you ended up with your own little monkeys. Our friend and Athena's Goddess, Christina will be talking weekly with us about sex in our lives, with a focus on sex in our lives as parents. Tune in every Wednesday ("hump day") to find out what Christina has to say about this little word that has a huge impact on all of our lives. 

Greetings readers!I am so excited to be a guest blogger!  I thought it would be extremely appropriate to be your "hump day" blogger.  Here is a little about me!

My name is Christina, I am a 27 year old married mom of two.  I have been married for 5 years and have a darling daughter that is 5 and a sweet little boy that is 2.  I am a stay at home mom and childcare provider by day and an Athena's Goddess by night.

I started my journey with Athena's in February of 2014 to get some adult interaction and to feel like I was making a contribution to my family's income.  My reasons for continuing are infinite.  My confidence has grown tremendously, I have made life long friends from my fellow consultants, hostesses and party guests, I make a fabulous income on my own schedule, and I change people's lives.

Let's talk about that last one for a minute.  When people think of Athena's they don't realize all that it encompasses.  I like to think of myself as an educator.  I meet people from from all walks of life, parents who have trouble keeping the "spark" post children, people that have been victims of sexual abuse, people that have been shamed in regards to sex or their sexual preferences and so many others.  

"Sex" is not a dirty word.  As a mother of a daughter I have thought to myself that some day she will have questions, and I will have to answer them... Do I want to give her the run around or shame her?  Who knows how she will get her answers then.  I want my daughter to someday understand what a healthy sexual relationship is.  Including having enough respect for herself and her body to not be afraid or manipulated. Someone once brought to my attention that it is up to me to teach her what is OK.  I would rather her get "grossed out" by the sight of my husband and I showing affection in front of her, than hearing us argue and her watching the opposite. 

Food for thought, if your children "learn what they live" how would your current relationship shape their future relationship?  Would you want that for them?  I'll "see" you next week.  Feel free to find me on Facebook and friend request me.  I'd love to answer any questions you may have and I am open to any topics you would like me to discuss.  

Until next hump day xo Christina

How do you "do it"?

So our little peanut started preschool this week.

Yes, I know I already did a post about that.

This was the first week EVER that mommy had any time without children. 

Can I admit something? It was bizarre. I missed my kiddos. 

Can I admit something else? I was a better mom, better wife, and better business woman this week than I have been in a LONG time. 

I was more productive this week at The Monkey's Treehouse. I was able to make dinners and pack Mr. Incredible's meals for work. I was able to help kids with their homework and fill out papers and tote little monkeys to activities. I was even able to get Belle and Bean's birthday party set for today without major stress. It was easier this week, but I've always done these things. 

"How do you do it?" I get asked this at least 5 times a day. And there have absolutely been days where I answer, "I don't friggin know...I just know that I do."

So I came up with some of the things that help me. Here they are for your use.   

Lists. I got organized and made lists. I like to use either paper or dry erase boards for my lists. If I'm out and about and think of something I need to do, I put it in my phone and then add it to my physical lists later. There is something much more satisfying about crossing something off a list than just pressing a button to delete it. 

Mindfulness. Do you realize how much of your day you spend doing just about nothing? You're not actually doing nothing but...you check your email, see someone updated a post on Facebook. You go on Facebook, and 30 minutes later you're on Pinterest looking at kitchens because a friend posted a recipe on Facebook that linked to Pinterest and it reminded you that someday you want to paint your kitchen. Pay attention to how you spend your time. There is something to be said for taking 30 minutes to relax and peruse Pinterest, but not necessarily when you're supposed to be working. 

ODAT. What the heck does that mean? It means take things One ever-loving Day At a Time. Yes, I plan things out weeks (sometimes months) in advance and my calendar is color coded (We use the Cozi app and I absolutely love it). But I can't worry about how I am going to get the kids fed and to all of their activities in the spring when I have to worry about how I'm going to make dinner and get the kids to their appointments tonight. I try to take things as they come. I wasn't always like this. I was a worrier. What's going to happen when the schedule changes and then there might be a conflict? You can't live like that with 5 kids...you can't live like that with ANY kids. If you spend all of your time and energy on worrying what will happen next week or next month...you won't have any energy left to do what matters today. Take things one day at a time and go easy on yourself. 

Make time. There are 168 hours in a week. Every person has that same 168 hours at their disposal. Use them. Yes, you need to sleep, eat, work, and have time for self care. These should be part of your schedule (yes, even self care...especially self care). The rest of your time is yours. Plan it out if you need to. Yes, it's a lot. But time is your power. Use your powers wisely. 

Lastly, Breathe. Light candles if you like that sort of thing...and Breathe. Be sure to take care of yourself so that you can be your best you for those that need you. 

There are days that are rough. Days that I finally get the kids in bed and I think to myself "how the heck did we survive today?" But then I stop and I pat myself on the shoulder because ya know what? We did. We survived. It may not have been pretty, and hopefully tomorrow will be better, but we survived. 

Try out these tips this week and have fun "doing it"!

To the mom-preneur/WAHM who feels like she's drowning...

Water, walls, kids, husband, in laws, parents, friends, clients, bills...
it doesn't matter what it is - it all feels like it's closing in.
There is a serious lack of oxygen in your personal bubble.
You feel like you're drowning in your very own life.

The life that you fought so hard for.

The life that you desperately wanted.

Your mind is filled with "Is this really what I want? This isn't what I thought it would be. Maybe I should just give this up? But I fought so hard to get here."

Your inbox may be filled with "Hey! I found this really great job opportunity for you."

You feel like everyone is waiting for you to fail. You feel like the success you are reaching for is out of reach...perhaps that you are not worth that success.

It's a lot. I hear you. It's overwhelming.

But do me a favor...stop and breathe for a second. I'm serious. Take a deep, belly expanding, full body breath. Now let it go. All of it.

Now listen...I've been there...some moments, I still am there...but those moments are less and less.

Here's what I've learned:

- You are the only one waiting for you to fail. I'm serious. Many small business owners get in their own way and self-sabotage their way right into burnout. I was chatting with fellow mom-preneur, mindset coach, Kimberly Lin Pollard aka "The Troll Tamer" today and she said something that really resonated for me. She told me "Remind yourself that the trolls in your head are lying little jerks who are too lazy to pack up their stuff to move under a bridge in a new comfort zone." Nothing about starting a new business is easy or even comfortable really. You have to work hard and push out of your comfort zone to get where you want to be. You won't get there by staying where you are.

- You are SO worth it. Part of building a successful business is knowing that you are deserving and worth the success that it will bring. Knowing that sometimes, the best way to be productive, is to schedule time for self-care. When we take care of ourselves, we are better prepared to take care of the people around us, and we show the people around us that we are worth being taken care of. Because honestly, if you don't care about you...why should other people? Show them you are worth it by showing yourself you are worth it. This creates a better dynamic with those in your life, whether they be family, friends, or clients.

-You CAN do it. Breathe deep. Take one day, one hour, one project at a time. Be organized. Be calm. Be deliberate with everything you do. Brain dump whenever you can (you can read more about my brain dumping experience here). Know you are worth it. Know that you are the only one standing in your way.

So tonight, after your kids are in bed, when you are trying to figure out where to start and that drowning feeling starts to set in...breathe.

You CAN breathe. You CAN be successful. You WILL be successful.
The only way to fail, is to give up.

Photo courtesy of http://galleryhip.com/michael-david-adams-underwater.html

***For more motivation check out "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten. It will make you cry the first time and then it will kick your butt into gear. I have been known to have it on loop when there are hard days.

Ready, set, ....

Did you finish that sentence?
Did you finish it with "Go!"?

If you did, you don't have a "youngest baby" that just started school today.

Yup. Peanut had her first day of school today. She looks devastated right?

I have been fortunate enough to always be home with my monkeys. Even when I had to work outside the home, they always came with me (I was a bus driver for some time there), or they stayed with friends/family. Now that I run The Monkey's Treehouse, I am able to stay home with them as well. They never went to daycare. Not even for a day. They spent MAYBE 2 hours a day, if that, at the childcare center at our local YMCA (which we adore). So today was huge. I was nervous but Mr. Incredible and I knew she needed this. We knew she was ready. I'll be damned if we knew just how ready she was.  

Last night was a rough one in our house, but I was hopeful at 230am to get a little bit of sleep before the alarm went of at 6. Well, as I was dozing off, a very excited Peanut came about 2 inches from my nose and went "MAMA! I go to school today! Let's go! Get up!".

Hate to break it to you sweetheart but I'm pretty sure your teachers weren't there at 4am. 

Anyways, Peanut and Bugaboo go to the same school. He started last week as a Kindergartner. So he "knows his way around" the school. Peanut spent all day yesterday making him "pomise (promise)" to walk her to class this morning. It was adorable. Funny thing is though, come this morning, she didn't even give him a chance! Those doors opened this morning (it's a parents-stay-outside-if-at-all-possible drop off situation), mommy got half a one-armed hug, and off she went. She left Bugaboo in the dust going "I thought she wanted me to bring her to her class mom?" 

As I said, she was ready. 

So what is the point of all of this besides showing you more ridiculously cute pictures of our monkeys (see below)? The point is, we need to trust our kids. Even the 3 year olds. They know what they need and they will tell you if you listen. You may have to listen in a different way than you're used to, but they will tell you.  

Are you ready? Are you set? Go. 

Go listen to what your kids are telling you. 

Because at some point, 

THEY are going to be ready, 

THEY will be set, 

and THEY will go...and when that time comes, you might not be as ready as you thought.

More ridiculously cute pictures from this morning:

What do you look for?

What do you look for?

Seems like a simple enough question, but there are so many different directions to go with that question and the answers would not be at all similar.

For example:

Q: What do you look for in a home?
A: I look for enough space for our rather large family, yard space for the monkeys to play, a well-run/well-rated school system, and a safe location.

Those answers would not make as much sense if I said "What do you look for in a work space?".

But what happens when your home becomes your work space? Things overlap. You get distracted. There is school work, with business work, with paper work, with receipts...add to that children's toys, headbands, junk mail, bills, and some photos and you have a pretty good summary of what my desk usually (and currently) looks like.

When your work space is cluttered, you allow your thoughts to clutter your brain "work space" if you will. This is how we, as work-at-home parents, end up with 2700 different half done projects (yes, this is even true for the multi-tasking mommas...sorry ladies. I'm right there with ya but...we have to be honest with ourselves.) This is how our day (okay, morning) ends up looking something like this:

Wake up
Boil water for coffee
Make breakfast for kids
"Sit on your bum in the chair please"
Get drinks for the kids
"PLEASE sit down"
Continue making breakfast
"Get off the table, please"
Reply to customer email
Notice notifications from Facebook during response to email and check Facebook
See something cool on Pinterest
Realize that you have no idea what to make for dinner
Sit down to try and meal plan (who are you kidding...just trying to plan A meal)
"Mom! Peanut spilled her drink and it's all over her!"
Get towels to clean up spill
Realize that the water for coffee has been boiling for a while
Make coffee
Make a mental note to make a slideshow about your super cool coffee hack (coming soon)
Text that friend that you have been meaning to set a coffee date up with
Check calendars for school events, meetings, and deadlines for the business
"Would you PLEASE put your clothes on!"
Realize that you haven't had a chance to get out of pajamas yourself
Listen to monkeys screaming like banshees while you get "dressed" in 6.5 seconds

   

You get the idea. That's a pretty normal morning around here. Overwhelming. (And yet, I love every minute.)

Your business should not overwhelm you. Your business should be your passion. Unfortunately though, even passionate business owners (and parents) can get burnt out. Neither one makes for a happy person.

To be honest, the clutter in my brain was making it so that the 2700 half-done projects were from home, work, and play. By the time my monkeys went to bed I felt like I worked all day and got absolutely nothing done. It was like being on a hamster wheel. I was tired.

I was perusing Facebook looking for more marketing opportunities to advertise The Monkey's Treehouse, and a sponsored ad came up for a business enrichment opportunity: Fired Up and Focused: 21 Day Challenge run by the lovely Racheal Baxter Cook. I clicked. I read. I joined...almost immediately. Now, I'm only on Day 2, and already I am more productive. Obviously these glorious 2 days has not been enough to show me a financial gain from this productivity and I still have quite a ways to go...but let me say, these last 2 days have been less overwhelming and more productive. Today's exercise was especially helpful in de-cluttering my brain.

It's called a brain dump. Try it. Grab a paper and pen/pencil. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Spend 15 minutes writing EVERYTHING you need to do. No matter how big or small it is; whether it's for business or pleasure, home or work...write it all down. When the timer goes off, take a couple minutes to write down anything else in your brain that needs to get done. Once it is all on paper, you can prioritize what is Urgent and Important (you want to eventually get to a point that this list is minimal), what is Urgent and Not-Important (necessary but you want to systematize these as soon as possible), Not-Urgent but Important (this is where most of your tasks should lie...this is where you will be most productive), and Not-Urgent and Not-Important (if nothing bad will happen by getting rid of these tasks...do that. Because quite frankly we all have enough to deal with daily.)

Now this brain dump was part of a business exercise, but what if you applied it to your life? If you were less overwhelmed and less cluttered, would you be less stressed? More able to focus on relationships with loved ones? Less anxious that not everything will get done? What have you got to lose? Besides loads of stress, of course.

This week, try and "dump your brain" at least once. Pay attention to how you feel before and in the days following.

I have been looking for calm, for clarity, for peace of mind. I believe that organizing life like this can get me there.

The question is, what do YOU look for?

(Image of monkeys on the bed courtesy of: www.clipartsheep.com)

It's been a while...

Good morning and welcome back to our treehouse!

We got swamped with orders and back to school shenanigans.

Four out of our five monkeys started school this week; Peanut starts next week. So far they have had a great week! Their teachers seem wonderful and they are all having a great time.

I think what took the longest (aside from the yearly mountain of paperwork) was writing our yearly beginning of school emails to the teachers. Every year, we write an email to each teacher explaining each individual child's strengths and areas of improvement. We also explain a little bit of their background and open the door to communication. If you want your child to be successful at school, they have to know that you care enough to contact their teachers. Our monkeys know that good days or bad, we will hear about it. Even our middle school teachers get emails. This is not just at the beginning of the year though, I am a crazy-person and email our teachers regularly to keep tabs on the monkeys and make sure that we are all on the same page. Let me tell you, the good teachers-appreciate it! Having been a teacher before I had kids, I know what it's like to have a kid in your class that you know nothing about and try to connect with them. Especially if they have a lot of transitions going on in their home lives...it makes it even harder. Knowing what they are coming from makes a teacher's job easier. It also lets them know that you are involved and invested in your monkey(s).

Another thing I do to ensure a smooth year, is I "grease the wheels". Yes, I am talking gifts. Nothing elaborate, just gifts of appreciation throughout the year. Between all 5 of our monkeys, there are usually anywhere from 17-25 gifts that go to school and usually my cost is under $20 for all of it. Now these gifts are not in any way shape or form a bribe. They are simply a thoughtful token of our appreciation for the time and efforts they spend on our monkeys. On the first day of school, our monkeys were all sent to school with homemade chocolate chip cookies (I love this recipe) that were wrapped in wax paper, then scrapbook paper, and tied with a string and the tag below. Last year's gifts included baked goods, flower writers, hand scrubs, personalized tumblers, and custom dry erase boards. The teachers very much appreciate the gifts and are more willing to go the extra mile for our monkeys when asked. Trust me, it works. (For our fans that attend regular IEP or 504 meetings, baked goods go a long way there too.)

I have to get our monkeys to school, but enjoy the day folks! Think about what you would like to tell your child's teacher about your monkey...maybe write a short email...or bake cookies. Appreciate the people that spend all day with your children. Your appreciation for them, makes an impact on your children's education.

Have a wonderful day!

Trying something new...

As kids, we are always encouraged to "try something new". Try new foods, try new friends, try new activities....just try it, what's the worst that can happen? You don't like it, don't do it again.

As an adult though, trying something new comes with a different set of risks. There is very rarely a cheering section as an adult saying "go ahead! give it a shot!" So do you try? Or do you stay safely inside the confines of your comfort zone?

One of my creative abilities includes nail art/design. I usually freehand designs and use a sponge for blending. I very frequently can replicate a design or something similar if I have the picture. (The Monkey's Treehouse does sell custom fake nail sets. Contact us to order yours today.) Our monkeys love getting their nails done, especially Belle. She had been asking for days if I would do her nails and yesterday we finally had time. We went on Pinterest (yes, I am creating monsters...very closely supervised monsters) and she picked out a nail that had a gorgeous pink and black swirl design on it. She fell in love (so did I). Then I realized, this was not a freehand design. This was one of those crazy "put the nail polish in the water and then dip your nail in it and hope for the best" designs (yes, that's what they're called...at least in this house). We watched 2 different tutorials on how to do it...and then we got our supplies and gave it a try. Belle asked if I had ever done this before. "Nope," I said, "but what have we got to lose? Let's give it a shot."

Well we tried six different times with different techniques and different combinations of polish...none of them looked like the gorgeous nails on the tutorials. Belle looked at me and said "It's okay. She (meaning the lady in the videos) just has a talent that you don't have yet. Can you just do my nails the regular way?" So we painted, dry brushed, and freehand designed her nails and they look incredible. She loves them, and I love her so that's all that matters.

This was an example of trying something new. Were the risks high? Not at all. We tried, we laughed, and then we decided to go back to what we know. You win some, you lose some. But what happens when the stakes are a bit higher?

Mr. Incredible and I started The Monkey's Treehouse to create a way for me to follow my dreams and be home to take care of our monkeys. I am grateful to him for giving me that every day. But owning a business is "something new" for me and for us as a team. It is a risk we chose to take, to try something new. Every day we ask our fans, our followers, and our families to take a risk on us, to buy local from our business instead of buying from a box store, to trust us with their imaginations so that we might create a reality. But we also spend every day showing our monkeys that it is healthy to take risks and try new things, that the results are often worth the work and risk.

When was the last time you tried something new?

The lull

There is always a time period in businesses when there is a lull...mine seems to be after a busy period. A couple of weeks ago I had 11 orders on my board...11!...this week: Just 2.

It's like life though...there are ups, downs, and occasionally you get a steady flow. Just when you hit that steady flow though, something happens to throw you off.

Sounds kind of like parenting now that I think about it...

With five monkeys in our treehouse, we have a daily routine. There are things within our routine that have routines to them...it sounds OCD...it's not...it's necessary. Our monkeys thrive with routine. They behave better, they have less attitude, and they have less anxiety. No matter how they behave or misbehave, they know what is expected of them and they know that life is full of choices.

We took a trip to Canobie Lake Park on Monday with the monkeys and some family. The tickets were a birthday present to all of us from the family that came with us. So anyways, we had 5 kids and 5 adults. Our monkeys were prepared to stay together as a family and they all knew that there would be rides that they would have to wait at while their siblings went on. Family members decided to split off and take the two little monkeys while Mr. Incredible and I took the big monkeys. The idea being that they "shouldn't have to wait". I disagree but nonetheless, we did split up.

We met back up later and Mr. Incredible and I spent another hour or so at the park with all five monkeys. During that hour, the kids were WONDERFUL at waiting and actually asked why we couldn't have all just stayed together. They had fun separated, but they are used to waiting for each other and are learning to be patient. They enjoy seeing each other have fun and having fun together and our monkeys missed that during the time they were separate. Don't get me wrong, all of our monkeys can get impatient at times. But they are learning and are probably some of the most patient kiddos you'll meet (unless they are with people who give them permission not to be).

I'd like to say that I'm not bragging, in fact I wrote that just now, and then deleted it. I want to be honest with you. I am bragging a little. I am proud of our monkeys. I am bragging to say that our monkeys lasted all day at an amusement park, past bed time, outside of their routines a little (we tried to keep as much of it as we could), and they did really well. We used yesterday as a built in "recovery day" and just had some down time during the day. That worked for our monkeys.

It worked this time...we are in a bit of a lull. That lovely period of time when the kids understand the expectations and the parents understand the kids. It won't last long...in fact tomorrow could be a trainwreck...and then we will once again have to adjust and figure out what works. That's what parenting, life, and business is all about. Figuring out what works...for now.

No method will work forever.

Life is too fluid.

I can't be certain, but maybe that is where the phrase "go with the flow" comes from?

Take a moment and look at your life, your own monkeys, or your business. Do you have something to brag about? Revel in it for a moment. Be proud.

Big changes...

Yesterday was a big day in our treehouse.
Bugaboo and Peanut were both officially adopted by Mr. Incredible, Peanut slept in her big girl bed last night for the first time, and she also slept without a diaper or pullup. Like I said, big changes.

Many blended families go through big changes, in our home we have had nothing but changes for the last two years. Some days we jell and other days...well other days are less jell-er-ific. Mr. Incredible and I have learned some very important things while blending our family.

1. No matter how frustrating life gets, we are on the same team! Sometimes we have to remind each other of this when life gets to be overwhelming.

2. Bio, step, adopted...it doesn't matter. We are raising 5 beautiful monkies together and they are all ours.

3. We try REALLY hard not to call each other out if one goes overboard on a consequence. For example, "You are grounded forever and never doing anything ever again." Seems like a fair consequence...until 5 minutes later when we are talking and we go, "okay...so maybe that was a tad overboard?" Yeah...we talk about it after and process and then process with the kids. We never process in front of them, we back each other up and present a united front.

4. It is okay for us to tell our monkeys that we made a mistake (see #3). We are humans. We make mistakes. We teach our children to take responsibility for their mistakes by taking responsibility for our own.

5. We take time to calm down before distributing consequences for less than stellar choices.

Belle got caught lying yesterday (when will they learn that we always find out?). Mr. Incredible and I spoke with her about how it was unacceptable and how disappointed we were. A phrase we use a lot is, "We love you too much to let you grow up thinking that this is okay." Her consequence was not given until this morning. We told her that there would be a consequence but that she needed to give us time to cool down so that it wasn't unreasonable. When we gave her the consequence this morning (restitution), we talked again to make sure she understood that it was her choices that brought her to this place.

There are many other things we have learned but those are the huge ones. I am always looking for blended family parenting advice though. On Pinterest (I'm an addict), on Facebook, even just on Google...I'm always looking. Yesterday, as everyone in our family legally has the same last name now, I came across this blog post from The (Reformed) Idealist Mom. It had some great advice and was definitely a situation that many a frappucino family could relate to.

What's your biggest parenting challenge (blended family or not)? What's the biggest thing your kids have taught you?

Rain on my parade? I don't think so!

Last night before bed, I noticed we didn't really have anything scheduled today. I didn't really have errands to run. We didn't really have an activity planned. So I planned on having the kids get into bathing suits in the morning instead of getting dressed and we would go swimming at the YMCA.

I did not however, check the weather. Nor did I even consider weather as a factor. It is an indoor pool, the only time they cancel open swim is when there is thunder and lightning. Well, guess what I woke up to this morning. That's right! Thunder and lightning. (Well technically it was the squeals and screeches of Peanut (2) wanting to get out of her crib but...). 

So plan B. We are going to have a day at home. Those rarely end well. What to do, what to do. I needed to do some work, and the monkeys helped brainstorm the rest. They had breakfast, did their chores, and then Mister and Bean did their summer math assessments on TenMarks summer program. 

It is a free math program for First grade through Algebra 2. You register your children and then they take their assessment which allows the program to customize to your child. Belle will be doing it too but she hasn't gotten around to her assessment yet. 

While they did that, Bugaboo worked on some math and phonics games while Peanut and Belle played. Me? I got down to work and made Peanut a new headband. She loves to wear headbands and accessories like her sisters, but takes them off after about 5 minutes. So my mission was to make a headband that she would keep on. 

Introducing, The 'Tude band.

(Named such after Peanut modeled them and these are the photos I got.)

She kept the darn thing on all morning! The best part? I was able to re-purpose a pair of pants to make it! Get your own custom 'Tude Band here.

I absolutely love re-purposing things to fit our needs. It saves us money and gives us a unique product. Have something you would like re-purposed? Send us a message  and we will see what we can do for you! 

We don't just re-purpose physical items in this house...we do it with food too. A tight budget means that sometimes we get creative and use what's on hand to make something new. I like to think of it as "Chopped Champions: The Treehouse Edition". 

For lunch, Bean and Peanut helped me make Turkey and Cheese Pinwheels. Not a new idea, but also not something they have had before. They love roll ups with lunchmeat and cheese. They love pizza. We used our favorite pizza dough recipe (find that here), rolled it out on the table, and added chipotle ranch dressing, honey roasted turkey, and sliced american cheese. I rolled and sliced it like I do when I make homemade cinnamon buns (see the recipe I love and use here). We baked them and then let them cool slightly before eating them. Let me tell you, they were delicious. The monkeys loved them. I loved them. I only wish I had doubled the recipe so that I could have stuck some in the freezer. (Freezer cooking is a necessity with 5 monkeys, especially during the school year. I will post more on that later.) Next time you morsels of goodness, next time. 

It may be a gross, rainy day out today, but we will not let it rain on our parade. We are planning a movie night tonight complete with popcorn, cushions (from our other couch and the spare beds), and candy. At some point today I will probably lose my sanity from being caged in for the day, and at some point the monkeys will too. For now though, it's quiet time in our treehouse and my monkeys are sleeping or reading and we are all recharging. 

What happens in your treehouse when it rains on your parade?

Just the same...but different

Have you ever had someone say this to you?

"I had the same exact thing happen to me! It was different because...blah blah blah"

or

"I want this EXACT thing...except here are the things I want to change."

We hear that last one all the time. It's what our business, The Monkey's Treehouse, is built off of. Our clients send us a picture of something. They want that something exactly the way it is in the picture. Oh, but if only the ribbon could be black instead of pink...and instead of a dog could we make it a cat?....I know it looks like a dress in the picture but could we make it a romper? 

I love these conversations with our clients. I love that we offer our clients the opportunity to customize almost anything they see out in stores or online. Some of our clients are very specific...some of them less-so. We do our best with every order to create a one-of-a-kind product, to make their imagination a reality. How many people can say, "people imagine things, we make them happen."? 

I had a friend/client send our business page a message on Facebook the other day. She had walked through three stores trying to find the perfect red hair bow for her newborn daughter for Fourth of July...she couldn't find what she was looking for. She messaged me and sent me a picture of the dress (which was totally adorable by the way). Today, she has the hairbow she imagined. 

Her imagination = reality.

I used to wish, growing up, that I could take what I was imagining and make it a reality. Now I have the honor and pleasure of doing this for other people. When we first started, that satisfied me. Then I got to thinking...who are the most creative people we know? Our monkeys!

It doesn't just have to be the monkeys in our treehouse. I'm quite certain that your monkeys are creative too...it's just the way monkeys are. So Mr. Incredible and I sat down and tried to figure out a way to channel that creative energy. A few hours later, "Artist in You" was born. We were so excited with our new service that we actually offer it as a fundraiser. There is a process involved, but we take children's artwork and embroider it. I can't tell you how much our monkeys love wearing stuff they have made. So much fun. 

So next time you think about wanting to make your imagination a reality...think of your monkeys...think of our monkeys...think of The Monkey's Treehouse. 

We are like every other handmade vendor...but different. 

Mom...can we...?

I must hear this phrase (or some variation of it) at least 10 times a day from each of the five monkeys, moreso this week...it's that weird week. That weird interim week between when school gets out for the summer and when summer activities actually begin. That week that parents either dread or plan vacations for because they know...they know they will have to entertain their own monkeys.

I can't really complain. I have been home with our monkeys this week and they really have been incredible. They know that they have to let me work. The older monkeys help out with the younger ones and it is truly amazing how far they have come. In return, my answer to this question they ask is frequently yes. Even if I have to stop working to set something up for them, it is worth their smiles and the 30+ minutes I usually get to work uninterrupted. 

Now, please don't misunderstand. I do say no to our children. It is not a free-for-all in our treehouse. In fact, if you ask anyone who knows us, we are generally pretty strict and structured. But our children are well behaved and well mannered. It's a trade-off. Children thrive off of structure. We have a chore chart and I am working on creating a reusable behavior chart (they will be available soon for sale on our website www.shopthemonkeystreehouse.com). They thrive with these things in place and our family runs better. Our monkeys just behave better when they know what is expected of them.

"Mom...can we...?", although trying to my patience after the 57th time hearing it, that phrase is wonderful to hear. It means they want to be active. They want to DO things. Two years ago if you had asked Mister (12) to read a book, he acted as though you asked him to cut off a limb...now we can't get any of the monkeys to stop reading. In fact, I just spent some time sorting through reading lists on line to find some books for them to get from the library. Belle (10) is currently sitting in the room with me frustrated with one of the tablets because her e-book is not loading fast enough (ie-she is reading faster than it can load). Even as we sit here though, as she's waiting for it to load, "Can we go rollerblading later?" Our monkeys want to be active, so a lot of my work tends to get done after they go to bed. If I can get 2-3 hours done during the day, I am able to finish the rest at night. 

We try to get out of the house at least once a day. Sometimes it's just errands, sometimes it's do an activity (many of them are listed on the calendar to the right. Keep checking because I'm adding new things daily). Many days they get to do both. Occasionally I try to wear them out and usually I end up just wearing myself out. Sometimes the activities they choose are not scheduled. Here is a short list of some of the activities we do that aren't on the calendar because we just decide on them on the fly!:

Swimming at the lake

YMCA activities

Spinning the Kidgits Wheel at Simon Malls

RAOK (read more about that here) 

Spontaneous beach trips

Many Many playground adventures (we love finding new playgrounds to explore)

Hiking

Pinterest crafts (Mister doesn't necessarily LOVE this unless it's an experiment)

Library Visits

Water fights in the back yard

Bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, and scooters (we got most of our wheels on craigslist for free)

Farm trips (we love McQuesten Farm in Litchfield, NH)

Seeing the giant fish tank at Bass Pro Shops in Hooksett, NH

Movie night/day

So you can see that even without a scheduled activity, we still get pretty busy. Sometimes the weather refuses to cooperate with what the kids want to do, but we always have fun. 

We are fortunate to have so many opportunities to offer our monkeys. We know that even when they aren't in school, they are learning. They soak in every minute. They are learning to enjoy life and be active. 

We are also fortunate, (because Mr. Incredible IS so incredible) that one or both of us get to be home with the monkeys. They are learning so much! They see daily that it is possible to be home with your kids and still work, that you can follow your dreams, and that hard work pays off. They see the ins and outs of running a business. They are also learning the art of waiting (semi)patiently. Some days they even help out and ask if they can learn a new technique that I may be using that day. I get to teach them, work with them, and help them grow. My favorite thing that they see though, is the relationship that Mr. Incredible and I have. We work as a team; loving them, loving each other, and building our business. They will grow up knowing what love and support looks and feels like. 

At the end of the day, whether you work outside the home or inside the home, isn't that the goal? To feel loved and supported. To show your kids what love and support looks/feels like? 

Today I dare you to say "yes" to your own monkeys. Just once. "Mom/Dad...can we...?" Stop. Think. Encourage their imagination. Encourage activity. Say yes. 

Us? We are heading out on some wheels.