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It-worked-for-me Mommy Tips! Contest
Have something to share? Leave us a comment letting us know your best mommy tip and you will automatically be entered to win one of five $55.00 Lovable Labels Gift Certificates! We want to hear your best, most ingenious it-worked-for-me kid tips! The top 10 tips will be published in an upcoming blog post.
The Prizes:
Five $55.00 Lovable Labels Gift Certificates will be given to 5 lucky winners!!
How to Win:
- Simply leave a comment with your best mommy tip!
To increase your chances of winning you can also do the following: (please leave separate comments for each of the following):
- Add our button (Lovable Labels Button) to your blog. Post a comment below and include your Blog website.
- Become a fan of the Lovable Labels Facebook fanpage and post a comment below with your name/ID.
- Follow us on Twitter @mylovablelabels and Tweet about this contest with a direct link. Post a comment below with your Twitter ID.
- Visit our website www.lovablelabels.ca and post a comment below telling us what your 3 most favorite products are.
Contest Details
- Contest ends April 13th, 2010 at 12:00pm EST.
- Winners will be drawn by random draw on April 14th and will be notified via e-mail and posted on our “Label Me Crazy” Blog.
- Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email or a new winner will be drawn.
- This contest is open to US and Canadian residents, except for employees and agents of Lovable Labels Inc. and their immediate family.
- Participants in the contest grant permission for Lovable Labels Inc. to contact them.
- Winners agree to authorize Lovable Labels Inc. to announce and publish his/her name, city and posted comments.
- All participants agree to abide to the rules of the contest and the decisions of Lovable Labels Inc. which are final. Winners are required to release Lovable Labels Inc. from liability with respect to the contest and prizes.
Feature Blog: Embracing Chaos
“I have a great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift.” – septima poinsette clark
Day: Monday
Time: 6:00 PM
Scene: Mom (a.k.a. “me”) scrambling to get dinner ready for her family
It was a typical Monday evening at our house — the kids were hungry and cranky, my husband had just come home from work and was trying to tell me about his hectic day, my 5-year-old was crying because she was trying to do a word search and “no one EVER wants to help her,” my 2-year-old was hanging off my leg, and the chicken was way overdone. Sound familiar?!
Normally at this point, I’d have a mini meltdown and tell everyone to freeze because “Mom can’t think with all the racket!!”
For some reason this particular evening, I reacted to the chaos in a completely unexpected way. Rather than lose my cool, I felt an unusual calmness and smiled as I thought to myself: “This is being a family.”
It was an “A-ha moment.”
From scrambling to get out the door in the morning, to tantrums, to sibling rivalry, the calamity and chaos of the family circle is inevitable. Put any group of people together long enough and mishaps, squabbles and annoyances are bound to emerge. What is not predetermined, however, is how we think about that chaos and how we respond to it.
For most parents (especially Moms who tend to experience it on a more regular basis), pandemonium in the family is typically seen as stressful and taxing—it wears on our nerves and robs us of precious energy. And the more we experience it, the more negatively we respond to it. We think: “Make this go away,” “I can’t handle this,” and “I’m losing it here!” Often times our negative thinking is what takes us to the boiling point faster than the chaos and calamity around us.
So here’s what occurred to me in my light bulb moment: if chaos and calamity is inevitable, maybe it’s a sign of a normal, healthy family. If pandemonium is a normal family event, maybe responding to it in a negative way is futile and the real waste of precious energy.
Could it be?
Now when I say that chaos and calamity is “normal and healthy,” I’m referring to the minor irritabilities and frustrations that happen on a day-to-day basis in families—overflowing laundry baskets, bickering between siblings, puddles of water throughout the house from the “tea party,” overflowing diaper genies, “MOOOOM, Emily’s touching me!” “DAAAAD, Jason took my book,” “Are we there yet?” “That’s mine!” “Mommy … Mommy … Mommy … Mommy?” You know what I mean! This kind of chaos is not only normal, it also offers several benefits – really!
Firstly, it offers us the opportunity to model for our children (and better learn for ourselves) how to deal with chaotic situations calmly and rationally rather than frantically and unreasonably—a skill that will serve them well throughout their lives. We also have the opportunity to help them learn how to resolve conflict effectively and respectfully—an essential skill that will not only serve them well as they mature, but also that is in dire need in our culture. Finally, it offers us the opportunity to grow and connect as a family. When a family can move through chaos in a positive way, it enables each member to become more loving and tolerant of one another.
When you can begin to view chaos and calamity in a more positive way, you move to a place where you can “feel the chaos and embrace it anyway.” Chaos starts to feel okay and you can actually smile to yourself and think: “I can handle this” and “This is being a family.”
Embracing chaos doesn’t guarantee you won’t lose your temper or things won’t fall apart. There will be those moments and days when you really can’t deal with the chaos and calamity. We all have them. Embrace those times, too. Chalk it up as “just one of those days,” have yourself a glass of wine or watch a mindless movie after the kids are in bed, and know that tomorrow is a new day.
The chaos and calamity of the family circle is yours—for better or worse, in sickness and in health—it’s yours! But chaos is what you make of it. My experience has taught me that if you reject the chaos and view it as stressful, taxing, and unnecessary, that’s exactly how you will experience it. Embrace it as part of the family experience and you’ll increase your tolerance for frustration ten-fold, introducing a new level of peace and happiness into your life.
Idea for Action
For the next few weeks, practice reprogramming how you think about and respond to chaos. Pay attention to your reactions in chaotic situations and begin intercepting any negative thoughts and responses with something positive – a funny song, a burst of laughter, an inspirational quote or prayer – whatever keeps you in a “happy place.” Once you replace those automatic negative reactions to chaos, you’ll begin to view it in a different light. You’ll be well on your way to feeling the chaos and embracing it anyway.
Dr. Kelly Pryde is a parenting and self-development expert and the founder of DreamKids. A speaker, author and mother of two, Kelly holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and offers today’s Moms inspiring and practical ideas for living with more energy, inner wisdom, purpose, love and joy. You can visit Kelly on the web at www.drkellypryde.com © 2008-2010 Dr. Kelly Pryde. All rights reservedDaddy Bonding
Dads need and want to bond with their newborn babies. Here are just a few simple steps that will help benefit baby and daddy – not to mention mommy!
#1 Recognize the importance of your husband’s bond with your newborn
You had nearly then months to bond with your baby in a way that your husband didn’t. When you bring your newborn home, support the development of that bond by encouraging your partner to hold your baby, giving him baby care responsibility and trusting him to complete them.
#2 Don’t criticize!
With first babies in particular your partner may feel awkward and not know how to help. Encourage him but resist the urge to criticize his efforts to jump in and show him the “right way”. He may have a different, even less efficient way of doing things, but that’s not as important as his developing a relationship with your baby.
#3 Get out of his way
Dad can’t bond with the baby and develop a relationship if you never let him take on any of the baby care tasks. Let him bathe and feed baby on his own!
#4 Let dad put baby to bed
Bathing, reading stories and rocking gently are all wonderful parts of the night time routine and they may be just the right time for dad to get in some extra bonding time.
#5 Respect dads way of parenting
Dads parent differently than moms. It is important that as mothers, we respect and value what they bring to the table.
Nurse Jenny is a mother of four and a grandmother of 10! Now retired, Nurse Jenny spends time with her grandchildren and shares her years of wisdom and expereince through various media outlets. If you have any questions for Nurse Jenny please email us at info@lovablelabels.ca and we will be sure to pass them along!
Feature Blog: Awarding Attempts or Results
My oldest son started playing hockey this year. It began in September when they had a skills session where all the kids demonstrate their skating to see what team level they would play on – Blue, Red or White. Blue is the lowest level and I had no doubt in my mind where he would place. Skating isn’t his forte and I don’t care. What I care about is the smile on his face as he gets into his equipment and the excitement in his voice when he talks about finally being on a real hockey team “with a real jersey mom!”
I sat in the stands and watched him go through the drills.
It was a long process. We’re Canadian eh and everyone and their sled dog wants to play hockey. Finally it was his turn for the first drill. They were to skate as fast as they could to the centre of the rink and jump over three hockey sticks laid out on the ice about 15 feet apart. He skated up to the first one, jumped and fell. My stomach clenched and my heart was in my throat as my hands pressed up against my face on their own accord. I watched as he picked himself up, went back and attempted to jump the first hockey stick again. This time he made it. He went on to the second stick, jumped…. and fell.
My hand were up against my face again – parenting isn’t for the faint of heart.
Then Adam did something unexpected. He picked himself up, went back to the first stick and started all over again. He continued to do this until he made it across all three sticks in a row.
Fast forward a few months. His skating had gotten better, but not as quickly as the rest of his team. It takes him longer to turn, he’s a little slower to stop, by the time he gets to the puck it’s on the way down to the other side of the rink. But he’s oblivious to his lack of skill. He loves hockey. He loves going, he loves getting dressed, he loves the practices, he loves being part of a team. And his coach? His coach may as well walk on water. He loves him too.
Every week I sit in the stands and watch as he skates his little heart out. All he ever wants is to be able to hit the puck just once in a game. His pride when he tells anyone and everyone about his hockey/puck connection is palpable. And for one miraculous moment in this game, my son and the puck were at the same place at the same time. He took his stick and hit that puck with all his might…..in the wrong direction.
I tried to reverse the puck’s direction with my mind. Apparently sheer willpower isn’t enough.
And then a little later on in the game, he got the puck again. It was near the net and his team members were yelling for him to pass, but his stick handling is lacking and he hit the puck, not to one of his fellow skaters or in the net, but off to the side.
By the time I got to the change room, the awards for the game had already been given out. They’re given out every week whether the team won or lost and it’s not even an actual award, only the coach calling out the names of the kids who had done a great job that game. Most times, the same names being called out every week. I saw my son sitting in the corner on the bench with his head down, tears welling up in his eyes.
What’s wrong honey? I asked.
How come I never get an award? he asked back.
My heart broke. Because, yes the kids who did an exceptional job should be praised. The goalie on his team made some incredible saves and deserved to be praised. I’m not a parent who believes every child should get a trophy just for showing up. If your child wins the 100 yard dash, they should get the first place trophy. But when you’re on a team, should it always be the number of goals or passes that are rewarded? The results? Or should effort be rewarded as well.
And so I quietly tried to explain to him that one day his name will be called out too and to think how special it will feel because he’s waited so long to hear it.
Life is competitive, sports are competitive. Right now, my son is the weakest player on his team – he doesn’t know and doesn’t care. Maybe that’ll change and he’ll come into his skating like he’s come into other things in his life. If not, there may be a day when he realizes he’s the weakest player. I can’t stop that day from happening but I’ll do my damnedest to postpone it for as long as possible. Because right now, he’s having fun playing hockey, skating his heart out each week and giving it his all, even when he’s shooting the puck in the opposite direction.
After I wiped away his tears, I overheard one of the other kids say to his dad that they could have gotten another goal if Adam had just passed the puck. We were yelling at him to pass dad, why didn’t he?
I heard the dad reply, Adam’s doing his best.
Shouldn’t that be rewarded too?
Note: This was written during my son’s first year of hockey. This year, he has a new coach who hands out awards not only to the kids who score goals and have good skills but to the kids who always try their best and work as a team. Adam got his first award mid-way through the season. It hangs on the wall by his bed.
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Sharon DeVellis also blogs at the yummymummyclub.ca where she was hired two years ago to work as the Yummy Mummy Club Coordinator (meaning do anything and everything) after winning Canada’s Yummiest Mummy Contest. A contest based on creativity and not on parenting skills (*whew* wipe beads of sweat from brow).
After a year and a half of coordinating the ins and outs of the YMC while managing the chaotic life of being a stay at home mom to two boys, and even though you will find at least one spelling or grammar error in every single one of her blogs, Sharon was promoted to Editor.
If you’re looking for insight on how to balance motherhood and working while keeping your house immaculate, go visit Martha Stewart’s blog. If you’re every other mother on the planet struggling while trying to figure it out… welcome to The Inside Scoop: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/the_inside_scoop)
Every little bit helps…
Here are some friendly tips to help our Environment:
- Recycle gently used books and kid friendly magazines by donating them to your child’s school
- Pack litter less lunches – reusable labeled containers in fun colours are a hit with kids
- Encourage loot bags or birthday presents to include books that can be forwarded to a charity or school library once read
- Car pooling/walking to school – means less cars in the parking lot and better air quality for our kids
- Donate gently used games to your child’s classroom for indoor recess days
- Find out what your kids school is doing to promote the Eco message and get involved
Do you have any tips you would like to share?
Unique Labels put to practical uses:
Here is just a handful of what our customers are saying and how they are using their Lovable Labels!
We bought two identical laptops for our pre-teen daughters – we put a cute personalized label on each of them so they don’t get mixed up. The girls love them! – Laurie R.
I ordered these for my son a year ago, and we love them! Now, I’m getting them for my daughter. Perfect for her IPod and other gadgets! - Jocelyn V.
With so many Wii controllers we now know whose is whose! Makes the game even better when there is no arguing amongst the 3 brothers! – Cindy W.
I’m a returning customer! I love your labels and will be giving these as gifts to my 5 year old son’s friends this Christmas. - Jerilyn B.
I have purchased labels for my other daughter and absolutely love them. They hold up better than any I’ve ever found. – Jessica G.
We would love to hear how you use your Lovable Labels!
Top 3 Headlines of 2009 for Lovable Labels!
Hello Social Media! A blog is born…
Lovable Labels was thrilled to be entering the world of e-communities in July 2009! From creating our very own blog “Label Me Crazy” to entering the world of Twitter and Facebook. We feel we are now more connected to our customers and sales agents not to mention all the new friends we’ve made along the way!
Here we grow again!
We continued to grow by adding new innovative products to our line and by the addition of new energetic team members from staff members to sales agents. We welcomed our first and new “international” distributor Hala Hibri Amkia in Saudi Arabia this year as well!
Laura Porreca; Owner of Lovable Labels named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs
I was proud to be ranked 89th in the 11th annual PROFIT W100 ranking by PROFIT Magazine! PROFIT W100 is Canada’s largest annual celebration of entrepreneurial achievement by women.
So as we say goodbye to 2009 the entire Lovable Labels team would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2010! We are very excited about entering the New Year with all of you! We are ready to set some big goals with intentions for 2010 – what are yours?
Happy Holidays!
And the winners are…
We could not just pick just 5 so we picked 8 winners from our More Time Moms / Lovable Labels contest! The following 8 lucky winners will receive a 2010 Family Organizer courtesy of More Time Moms! Congratulations to:
Lisa, Phyllis, Susan C., Angela P., Rebecca, Ale Oliver, Alexia, and Emmenda
All winners have been notifyed by email December 22, 2009. Enjoy!!
A letter to God…
Here is a funny story that was passed on to me from a friend – made me laugh so I thought I would pass the smiles along:
There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.
One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.
The letter read:
Dear God,
I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension.
Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.
Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?
Sincerely, Edna
The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars.
By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman..
The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.
Christmas came and went.
A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God.
All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.
It read:
Dear God,
How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me?
Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.
By the way, there was $4 missing.
I think it might have been those bastards at the post office.
Sincerely, Edna