Things Are Starting To Happen!

Happy Monday and welcome to August!

Summer is in full swing and we are busy, busy, busy! I worked a temp job with Julie on Thursday and Friday and though we were working, we had some time to visit. We went to the Lodi Thursday night farmers market and met Greg, Heather, her parents and Josh for a nice evening of music, fun food, and a great glass of wine.

On Saturday, Dave, Mason and I were getting the ball rolling for our trade show in September. We are looking for two kid mannequins, a counter top spinner rack to display our gloves, and so many other things. We scoured Denio's Farmers Market & Auction and found a pair of children's skis and then we also found a pair of kid's cross country skis at a thrift store. From there, we went to TAP Plastics and got an earful on how to make molds and castings of children's hands. We bought our resin mix and headed to Michael's craft store to get our alginate mold material. We made two castings of Mason's hands and it worked beautifully. Now that we've done it once, we now need to do it again to get exactly what we need to show buyers why our gloves really are the best!

In addition to all the ZBG work we did, Dave worked in the front yard, I cleaned our room, and did loads of laundry. Mike came up and we had a ZipperBack Glove meeting over pomegranate margaritas while we sat by the fire in the backyard. It's exciting to know that in January 2008 this glove project was just an idea. Here we are in August 2009, preparing for a pre-sale, a trade show, and to have our gloves for sale in retail stores in just a few short months. WOW! It just goes to show you, if you take small actions on a consistent basis, you will create something...something more than small talk about this great idea you have. Stop talking and start doing and you, too can be busy, busy, busy, and say, "Things are starting to happen!"

The Faster I Go, The Behinder I Get!

How far behind do you have to get before you decide to quit? Behind in what you may be wondering, to which my answer would be, "Anything that's important." I'm currently behind in filing my monthly paid bills, my monthly newsletter, Mason's cookbook, my exercise program, and several other pressing projects. When I start to feel this way it makes me just want to throw my hands in the air and start new at the beginning of something completely different. The reality is, no matter what I'm doing, if I'm not staying committed to the timeline, I'll fall behind again!

As a family, we're doing more trying to make the most of the long summer days, but yesterday, Mason and I scheduled nothing. Not a single thing on the calendar, Mason watched SpongeBob and I talked on the phone with my girlfriends...not all of them, but a few that I haven't spoken with in more than a month. Yet again, I've fallen behind on keeping my relationships current!

In years past, I've felt a strong sense of balance, like I was doing enough outside and spending my fair share of time at home. Of course, there have also been the times that balance was way out of whack! The out of whack side is rearing it's ugly head this month. I've been working to gain more consulting clients, looking for a regular paying job, along with any other way I can earn a living. Our glove business is moving along with Thursdays delivery of our first shipment of retail ready gloves! We have a trade show to get ready for in September and Mason starts kindergarten on August 19th, just about a month away. Our life is surely no different than every other working family, but some days, it just all seems so overwhelming. It's hard to feel like you're succeeding with anything when you reach a point of completion, all you can focus on is all you still have left to do! I know you know what I mean.

We're not quitters and we will keep persevering no matter how hard it gets. Are you finding that your lists are longer and your check-marks fewer? Do you have any tricks or tips for coping when it seems like there is so much more to do than you can ever accomplish? Please, do tell!

Have a great week. My motivator for today is this: Take some time each day this week to tell someone something about you or your situation that will reveal to them that they are not struggling in this economy alone. Though we all logically know we're not alone, it sure feels good to have the ones we love share that they are coping in some area of their life as well. You can start with me if you want!

Happy As A 5 Year Old.

Happy Monday Friends!

While on vacation, I made note of something that I may not recognize while at home. The simple things that make a 5 year old happy and how they express their joy. There are some obvious things like a Popsicle, staying up 15 minutes later than bedtime, or a handful of M&Ms.

What I noticed while on vacation was that Mason took advantage of all the amenities that we came across. Like what amenities you may be asking...like taking a drink from a water fountain on the sidewalk, or stopping to look at the new design on a soda can. Really! We don't drink soda, but Mason noticed the new designs on a soda vending machine.

There was the daily ritual of anticipating being able to put the card key in the slot and open the door at precisely the right moment to let us into our condo and then again at the pool gate. Getting close to the pool and hearing kids laughing and splashing, Mason lit up and said, "I hear fun!" Can you be that happy while hearing other's joy and knowing you will be a part of it? Mason was and did! He went right over to the vacationing children, jumped in the pool and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm M-A-S-O-N. Do you know what that spells? Mason."

On the one day we planned to stay in, Mason came out of the bathroom and said, "Hey guys. What are we gonna do today? Maybe we can toodle...you know, in some town, a little look, a little see. Wouldn't that be fun?" All while smiling his crooked little smile nodding his head. How do you say no to that?

The resort had a playground and Mason made it a point to get out of the pool and go play at least one time before we left, "Because it's a play ground and that's what kids do, they play." He said. Dave took Mason to the arcade where he played each game and it seemed that was enough to check off his list of resort amenities. Of course, you all know Mason and know that being on vacation is not the same without a bath in a bath tub! Yes, we have two bath tubs at home, but there's something about a hotel bath tub that has a special quality. I think it's that it's clean!

Here's my question for you; What do you have right under your nose, everyday, that you can take advantage of and really be joyous about? Can you be as happy as a 5 year old?

I have many things, but first and foremost is the keen eye and wonderfully simple sense of humor of my sweet Mason. He is far more my teacher than any educator I've ever had!

Where Did The Weekend Go?

Dave asked me this as we were falling asleep last night. I think we all feel this way, but I find it comes after an especially enjoyable weekend.

Saturday we took Mason to a birthday party for one of his friends from preschool. The family lives on five acres and had three huge blow-up water slides. What fun! The kids had a ball. Dave and I left the party for a little while to walk around downtown Lincoln. It was nice to have a little couple time and know that Mason was not only in good hands, but having lots of fun, too. Later that evening, Mason was in bed so Dave and I made s'mores by the fire testing out some of our adult themed ideas for Poobah's "S'more's-Ga-Borg." After snacking, we got in the hot tub and relaxed watching the last of the fire. It was a really nice day.

Sunday was getting stuff done around the house. Mason messed and I cleaned while Dave watched the race. Before we called it a day, Dave worked in the yard, we started organizing our camping gear, I made a new pile of stuff for GoodWill, and we wrapped up the weekend with the kid s'more ideas. This time, we included our neighbors and their two girls to help pick the best recipes. We've got some good ones, so if you're coming to Poobah, get your thinking cap on, we're gonna be hard to beat!

Now it's back to schedules and work. I look forward to the structure of the new work week, do you? It's certainly tough if you don't like what you do for a living and if that's the case, start thinking about what actions you could take to find something that you really look forward to doing. With that, make this week really great and drop me a note letting me know all about your weekend!

Happy June 1st!

Can you believe it's June already? I'm excited. There is so much I have to share that there's no way you want to read that much, so let me just cover the weekend.

As all of you know, I've been decluttering. On Saturday, Dave, Mason, and I went out to Denio's Farmers Market and Auction and rented a space to sell some of our clutter. We had to be up at 4:30, to the site by 5:30, and set up ready to sell by 7:00 AM. I had loaded both vehicles the day before so that was done, but it still made for a full, busy day. Mason did really well considering it was a long time and hot outside. With Dave and I working, he had to entertain himself. We stayed until 3 PM and sold enough stuff that we only had one vehicle of clutter to bring back home.

Sunday, I was back at it. Dave helped me load the Durango of all the stuff that didn't go to the auction, and that completely filled the Durango. I took that to GoodWill. I returned home and loaded up the clutter that didn't sell and that was another complete Durango load donated. That's 3 full loads of stuff that is no longer in our house! Even still, we have a few high ticket items that I've posted on craigslist, and if they don't sell there, I'm planning to donate them to the appropriate charity.

There is lots of good that I acknowledged this weekend. We all really worked well together and we had a fun day at the auction even though it was work. I can't forget to mention that we made a few bucks, but the best part was when we arrived home. I came in through the front door and the house was so welcoming. The kitchen table was clear, the shelves under the windows were free of clutter, the bar area was clean, it all just felt so good to come home to. Home really felt like a soft place to land. What a wonderful feeling. Not only does this feel so good, but it's easier to keep up. There is less stuff so everything has a place. I never really realized how I simply moved stuff from one place to another. When everything has it's own place tidying up to clean is a snap!

This is the perfect motivator for today. Have a wonderful, clutter-free week!

What's around you?

Look around you. Do you see clutter, confusion and chaos, or do you see focus, direction and purpose? Not only does your environment say a lot about you, it has a profound effect on you. The person you are does not end at the tip of your fingers. Your essence extends deep into the world around you. You influence that world and it influences you.

So what kind of influence is it having? Does your environment support you or does it detract from what you're attempting to accomplish? Sometimes a small change in your surroundings, something as simple as cleaning off you desk or washing the windows, can have a profound effect on your attitude and effectiveness. The effort you put into making your surroundings more supportive can multiply the effectiveness of all your other efforts.

Take control of your life by taking responsibility for the things around you. Surround yourself with excellence and your efforts will more naturally and more surely lead toward excellence.

Used with permission by Ralph Marston www.thedailymotivator.com