I am so excited! The hubz bought me the domain name for my new home business. Here it is : Mamaknowsbestshop.com and it is almost complete. I'm putting this in writing right now so that it feels more real to me. I was trying not to publish it because there is a terrible picture of me on it and my head is deformed because of the editing on the actual site, but my vain self does not even care, that's how excited I am!!!
The best part, besides the adventure of starting a new business has been the fact that my kids are so excited for me. My boys especially are overjoyed, and they are telling everyone about mama knows best! It is really cute to hear them make plans for the business. Heartbreaker told me that "we are going to be richer than OPRAH"! Haha! I explained that the 'true' best part is the fact that we have figured out a way to earn money while HELPING others and the environment! It is amazing that I have been able to research essential oils and natural butters and have been making products that really, truely work. There are no harmful chemicals and most of the products are organic. There have been some mishaps, (sorry jules for the slippery fall down the stairs and the putrid smelling test vial that you tried for me)but for the most part, we are having SUCCESS.
So here's to Mama Knows Best! Let us have success, happiness, and hope for the well-being of those we love!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
life is what you make it
I was taking a shower this afternoon when I was hit by the realization that my life doesn't suck. I know sometimes i state otherwise, but in fact, my life does not suck. The fact alone that i was able to take a mid-afternoon shower, without anyone banging on the door, is my first piece of evidence. Once I got out of the shower, i really started contemplating all of the things that I regularly bitch about. Here is my average, everyday, bitch-fest............
1. My house. I hate it. It's too small, we pay rent to live in this crapper, when we own a perfectly designed-by-me-and-hubz-to-fit-all-our-kids-and-stuff-house. the problem is that said house had a fire and we have not had the time or money to complete the renovation. that being said, I complain about it alot. I fantisize that if we lived there, the kids wouldn't fight as much, we wouldn't have such a cluttered mess on our hands, we would have more room to have friends over..............the list is neverending about how glorious our life would be if we could just get into that house! The thing is, I guess I could go to work full-time to make more money, and I guess hubz could close his business and get a mon-fri job. Then, I wouldn't be there for all of those milestones, the sweet morning snuggles or the family days that we share so often. If hubz was a 9-5er,I would have to do everything myself. He wouldn't be there to help get the kids off to school, be home in time to help me make dinner, or help on days when one of me is just not enough.
2. Money. This ties into the above point. I guess I am sacrificing money to be a mother. I can live with that, considering peanut will be in kindergarden in 4 years and I can work every day then. Plus, I do have alot of expenses that could be avoided if I choose to avoid them. For example, we have a birthday every other month. No joke. That means a cake with the family and a party with friends, not to mention treats sent into school. Then holidays X 5 kids + soccer, basketball, preschool, theatre, baseball, hockey..............well you get the point. I could skip any one of these things if i needed to, but I choose not to.
3. My kids fight. ALOT. I blame the lack of space and being outnumbered for my kids fightning. Considering that both of these items are true, I guess it could be much worse. They don't get physical very often and usually, the fighting is limited to teasing and annoying each other. Again, I can live with that, considering my kids do love and play with each oter more often than not.
As I type, I'm running out of things to complain about. Im realizing that I am not really in a bad position at all. I am actually in complete control of my life and I am in the position that I am in because I choose to be in it. I actually enjoy sitting at the computer in the afternoon while the hubz takes peanut to the bank and post office. I love that we will pick up the kids from school and have a relaxing afternoon together. The kids WILL fight and come in the house like a bunch of wild animals, but at least i will be here to witness it.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
code name mama's: march of kindness
I have been reading alot about Dionna @codename mama and her March of kindness on facebook. It hit me that this was an excellent idea and I really wanted to participate, but then "the word" appeared. "The word" being COMMIT! Time and time again, I would see that word. Commit to participate in Code Name Mama's March of kindness. Commit to show a random act of kindness every day in March. Will you join us in our commitment to............well, you get the idea. Let's just say, that if we were all in a room, chairs in semi-circular formation, I would stand-up and say "my name is Jodi, and I'm a commitment-phobe".
The funny thing is, I'm not a commitment-phobe when it comes to the really big things. Marriage, check! Buy a house, check! Help raise step-son, check! Have kids, check, check, checkity, check! I'm a commitment-phobe in relation to the proverbial "small stuff". I don't "sweat" it, I just avoid committing to it. While berating myself for the past few days, and wishing that I could just commit to this quest, I had a thought. By committing to this endevear, I would be doing myself a random act of kindness. By pushing through the uncomfortable, I would be making myself a better person. There is no better act of kindness.
As I type, I am thinking of the sample acts of kindness that Dionna has listed on her website . there were so many simple ideas that can be done. Acts of kindness that should be done everyday, even if there was no 'challenge' to do so. You can spend 5 extra minutes with your child, minutes that would normally be spent on the phone or doing some other task that takes up most of our adult life. You can do something nice for a friend our your partner. Write a quick note of appreciation to someone who has been kind to you. Write a note of encouragement to someone who needs it. There are hundreds of things that could be done to make the world a kinder place.
There are a few things that I have done today that were purposeful acts of kindness, even though i was, at the time, NOT going to commit to anything!! For example, Today, when my BFF asked me to *gulp* commit to watching her daughter, my beautiful neice, I said "yes". I have no issue watching her, I just have a hard time saying "yes" without resistance. I defended a mom at work today even though I have never met her, even though she was not even present, when her son's therapist was talking about her parenting. I stopped myself from yelling at Pip when she continuously interrupted my conversation with hubz. And my greatest act of kindness occurred at a sesame street live performance. During intermission, hubz, pip, peanut and myself were taking a stroll. I was wearing peanut in my moby and we passed a similar aged toddler on a leash. I ignored this, although I had much to say. THEN, as I was recovering from the sight of it, two men of a less than clean, less than smart nature, were heard by hubz saying 'you thought the leash was bad, check that thing out' to each other. Once we were past them and hubz relayed what he had overheard, I decided to do another act of kindness. I decided to NOT punch them in the face. I decided to turn around and give them some information. I asked the men if they thought my baby wrap was as bad as a leash, to which they replied, um oh um. I didn't let them lie, I just gave them some information. One of the men was holding his toddler who was thrashing around in his arms. I pointed out that he would benefit from a carrier. And then I told him what I thought. Leashes promote wild, non-hand-holding behavior. It tells your child that you want them far away from you. A carrier tells my child 'i want you close because I love you'. Wearing my baby is also an act of kindness.
So, Dionna, I will try. I will try to commit to the March of kindness. I will try to do a random act of kindness, every day even though i am still more worried about the 'committment' than i am worried about the 'kindness'!
The funny thing is, I'm not a commitment-phobe when it comes to the really big things. Marriage, check! Buy a house, check! Help raise step-son, check! Have kids, check, check, checkity, check! I'm a commitment-phobe in relation to the proverbial "small stuff". I don't "sweat" it, I just avoid committing to it. While berating myself for the past few days, and wishing that I could just commit to this quest, I had a thought. By committing to this endevear, I would be doing myself a random act of kindness. By pushing through the uncomfortable, I would be making myself a better person. There is no better act of kindness.
As I type, I am thinking of the sample acts of kindness that Dionna has listed on her website . there were so many simple ideas that can be done. Acts of kindness that should be done everyday, even if there was no 'challenge' to do so. You can spend 5 extra minutes with your child, minutes that would normally be spent on the phone or doing some other task that takes up most of our adult life. You can do something nice for a friend our your partner. Write a quick note of appreciation to someone who has been kind to you. Write a note of encouragement to someone who needs it. There are hundreds of things that could be done to make the world a kinder place.
There are a few things that I have done today that were purposeful acts of kindness, even though i was, at the time, NOT going to commit to anything!! For example, Today, when my BFF asked me to *gulp* commit to watching her daughter, my beautiful neice, I said "yes". I have no issue watching her, I just have a hard time saying "yes" without resistance. I defended a mom at work today even though I have never met her, even though she was not even present, when her son's therapist was talking about her parenting. I stopped myself from yelling at Pip when she continuously interrupted my conversation with hubz. And my greatest act of kindness occurred at a sesame street live performance. During intermission, hubz, pip, peanut and myself were taking a stroll. I was wearing peanut in my moby and we passed a similar aged toddler on a leash. I ignored this, although I had much to say. THEN, as I was recovering from the sight of it, two men of a less than clean, less than smart nature, were heard by hubz saying 'you thought the leash was bad, check that thing out' to each other. Once we were past them and hubz relayed what he had overheard, I decided to do another act of kindness. I decided to NOT punch them in the face. I decided to turn around and give them some information. I asked the men if they thought my baby wrap was as bad as a leash, to which they replied, um oh um. I didn't let them lie, I just gave them some information. One of the men was holding his toddler who was thrashing around in his arms. I pointed out that he would benefit from a carrier. And then I told him what I thought. Leashes promote wild, non-hand-holding behavior. It tells your child that you want them far away from you. A carrier tells my child 'i want you close because I love you'. Wearing my baby is also an act of kindness.
So, Dionna, I will try. I will try to commit to the March of kindness. I will try to do a random act of kindness, every day even though i am still more worried about the 'committment' than i am worried about the 'kindness'!
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