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.

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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