Mommy's Little Monkey ........... Transitioning to your new life

2010-08-05T13:47:00.001-07:00

A Sweet Package Giveaway!

In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week Mommy's Little Monkey™

is giving away a package of goodies. Included in the giveaway is our Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtain™, a matching set of burp cloths and a Pro Nurser Onesie! (print selection of your choice)

The Simple & Sweet™ will have you covered with the most beautiful and detailed fabric on the market. Each cover is embellished with matching ribbon, has detailed stitching, a secure snap closure, forming rigid neckline and a handy pocket for your nursing essentials. Plus they come in their own matching bag perfect for quick trips and big enough to throw in a couple diapers and wipes. Match your cover with a set of our sweet burp cloths plus celebrate your decision to Breastfeed with our original Pro Nurser Onesie!

Win! Two readers will win a package, print of their choice.

To Enter :

*Visit the site and tell me which print you like.

Get one additional entry for each of the following you do:

Follow me on Twitter at @mommyslittlemon and tweet about this contest

Copy & Paste: Enter to be 1 of 2 to win a Nursing Cover package from @Mommyslittlemonkey.

*Become a FAN of Mommy's Little Monkey on Facebook

*Send and e-mail to your friend(s) about this contest and CC me plus post it in the comment section to get your entry(s) counted.

*Make sure to leave your email address if you're not on blogger, FB or Twitter

2010-08-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Note to Nurse Set on the News!

Check out our Note to Nurse Set mentioned on the Fox in the morning.

Babies in Bloom owner, Rochelle Mclean, was interviewed about World Breastfeeding Week and all things relating to breastfeeding where she kindly plugged our set. Thanks Rochelle!

2010-08-02T13:43:00.001-07:00

World Breastfeeding Week Day 1 Give Away!!!!

Okay, so we Love, Love, Love World Breastfeeding Week around here at Mommy's Little Monkey and feel very festive this year. We're looking forward to a full week of fun and celebration! We want to include you in the festivities we have planned!

Today we want to give you a short sleeved Note to Nurse Set. Answer the question below by 9PM pacific time/12 AM eastern time in our comment section to this post and we will randomly select a winner. If you don't win today don't worry there are more give aways planned everyday all week long :)

Question: Which step do you love the most of the "Just 10 Steps! Breastfeeding the Baby friendly way." (Check out our post below)

2010-08-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

What is World Breastfeeding Week? World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year on August 1 through the 7th in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocent Declaration made by the WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

This year's theme is "Just 10 Steps! Breastfeeding the Baby-Friendly Way."

Step 1: Hospitals to have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.

Step 2: Train all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement the breastfeeding policy.

Step 3: Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

Step 4: Help mothers initiate breastfeeding soon after birth.

Step 5: Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their babies.

Step 6: Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated. (Mommy's Little Monkey has Mommy and Baby covered with our Note to Nurse Set)

Step 7: Practice rooming-in, allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

Step 8: Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

Step 9: Give no artificial teats or dummies to breastfeeding infants.

Step 10: Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

Pass on this information and support women who plan to breastfeed or that breastfeed in your life.

~Much Monkey Love,
Evie

Breastfeeding Mom Harassed at Cafe

2010-07-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

2010-06-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

A New Little Monkey

My newest little monkey has arrived! Ava Juliana was born April 8th weighing 7 lbs. 2 oz. She's a beautiful little princess and we adore her.

I have so much to share! From my labor experience to my decision to cloth diaper. Plus I have so many little reviews to write on the wonderful products I wanted to try out and am finally using like Aden & Anais, the Ergo Carrier, the different cloth diapers I chose and of course the Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtain.

Keep coming by for my little posts.

Much Monkey Love,

Evie

2010-01-18T18:51:00.001-08:00

Baby On Board

When I was a little girl I didn't really have a dream to become a mother someday. I can't say that I was one of those girls that always dreamt of having a husband and large family. If I ever played house with my sisters and brother, I was always the sister or daughter role but never was I the mother. Then again I was the third child so maybe my overpowering older sisters took that role permanantly away from me.

My choice of make believe time was believing I was a baker with my own business. My display of breads and rolls was a very detailed process. Buckets of pool water on the side of the house was crucial along with digging in the dry dirt and adding the pool water slowly. My hands slowly folded the dirt and water into a nice and thick mixture. My brother usually accompanied me during this make believe time and was what we loved to do. We would then take precise fistful amounts of mud, mold them and then place them on the fence to dry. Once they were all sun baked we would display our goods on our bakery floor, right next to the empty bucket that held our pool water and would pretend to enjoy each delicate pastry . Later, make believe became office boss or secretary with my cousin and office supplies were a must. I remember I was obsessed with pens, stationary and of course colorful stickers there for a while. I mean you can't run a office with out beautiful stickers. To dramatize the clicking of our calculators my cousin and I made Lee Press on Nails a must before starting "office time". Oh, the good ole days.

So as I get myself prepared for the arrival of my forth child I wonder how this all happened? I was the High School student who could only imagine going to college and becoming successful. I had no plans for children or at least it wasn't high on my goal list. I mean, I know cupid got me good. Did he ever attack me with his bow and arrows. The next thing I know I'm married with children and maintaining a home, family, baby on the way and a little business.

Our new baby girl will arrive sometime in early April. So as you may ask yourself, "how will she/can she do it with 4 children?" I want you to know I have asked myself the same question. How will I run a business, manage a family, my home, everything I have on my plate on a daily basis? In fact I've asked myself those questions more than a couple of times and as her arrival date draws closer. I have found myself wondering about how my life will change so much very soon. I guess my remedy of not wanting to freak myself out too much is to just try not to think about it and then calm my dramatic self down. Realistically I just tell myself to take one day at a time and to remember I've done this before and doing it again will be fine. I know once I meet her tiny little face and get to know her personality I will wonder how life could ever be without her.

As for how my three little monkeys are taking it, well let's just say I'm amazed at how naturally excited children can be when they know a little brother or sister is on their way. I have had such a great time experiencing this pregnancy with them. I love seeing their amazed faces when she kicks and wiggles around and I especially love to hear them sing and talk to her through my gigantic belly. I know she's going to be a sweet addition to our family and that all will be fine.

As for what lies ahead and what I have planned, I guess I've realized it's not always about what I have planned but that sometimes I need to surrender for what "he" has planned for me. I'm sticking to my rule of taking it one day at a time and embracing what is happening to my family and myself. I guess the first thing I'll do is get something I've long deserved. I've never had one of those signs that reads "Baby on Board" for my car before. Maybe now would be a good time to get one.

2009-11-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you from Mommy's Little Monkey

This year has been a great one and I'm so thankful for all the little blessings in my life right now. From the addition of more boutiques for Mommy's Little Monkey products, the addition of the Mommy's Little Monkey magic helper (a.k.a Kathy) to the little monkey addition growing and arriving this spring, I am so thankful. I am especially thankful to all of you who use Mommy's Little Monkey products, because of you my business has grown.

Thank you!

2009-06-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

DRESS FOR THE NINES
Look Gorgeous During Pregnancy- And Beyond!

Working with Evie and visiting boutiques has opened my eyes. The word 'boutique' had me thinking super expensive products, cold sales associates, and over-the-top clothing designs. I couldn't have been more wrong.

One boutique in particular is a shop in the Hillcrest area called 'Dress For The Nines". Walking in and seeing all the chic, classy clothing and accessories I had to remind myself- this is maternity wear. But it was all too fabulous! The jeans and tank top paired with a gorgeous purse (it was a diaper bag... kinda different from the awkward, pastel, vinyl monster I had), and the dresses and sleepwear!!

My somewhat frumpy maternity clothes were found on sale at Target or Ross. That was many years ago, and there are thankfully more options now. Dress For The Nines offers maternity clothes you can keep on wearing even after baby comes out, and you will still look great! And the prices aren't scary! It's worth the little splurge to feel and look great.

(click on the pics for a closer look)

And the owners couldn't be nicer or more welcoming. Allison and Kyle are genuinely sweet ladies, their passion is to bring great products to moms at a reasonable price. They were also very earth friendly when decorating and furnishing the place. It's clean, cool and relaxing. Not pregnant? Come in and find the perfect baby shower/new mom gift. There's lotions, books, onesies and more. And of course they carry the Simple & Sweet Nursing Cover! Yes, they have Mommy's Little Monkey products, and we're so proud to be among such beautiful products for such beautiful moms!

So grab a coffee or tea, and visit the lovely new boutique where
you are always welcomed, never pressured or hurried. Not sure where it is? Find out here.

-Kathy

2009-05-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

WHAT TO PACK FOR THE HOSPITAL

I know Evie has touched on this subject before, but things are forever changing and lists can vary from mom to mom (and from baby #1 to #2...). So if you are planning a hospital delivery, you might consider the following:

socks and slippers- hospitals tend to be cool, and you can wear your slippers to shuffle around the room. If you can walk normal right away, great. But it's ok to shuffle a bit .
a favorite snack- you might be lucky to be at a hospital that serves great food. But babies like to arrive at odd hours. A sandwich bag with your favorite cookies, crackers, granola, etc. might help in between meal times.
sandals (flip-flops)- you might want to wear these while you shower.
comfy bra and/or camis w/shelf bra- whether you plan to breastfeed or not, your milk might start to drip (or pour) out. Breast pads help, but your bra/cami can still get soaked so pack extra. The added pressure can help to slow or stop the leak. Sports bras tend to give you more room in case of engorgement and can easily be lifted or pulled down for nursing.

Also consider packing an extra bag to leave in the car. You might not need these extra things, but Dad, a friend or grandparent can easily get them for you. A magazine, more snacks, extra clothes, your "What To Expect..." book, bottled water, etc.

We know there are many lists out there, and if you have a suggestion to share then feel free to leave us a comment!

-Kathy

2009-03-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

New Fabric Prints!!!

We are excited to bring you the new spring line of Simple & Sweet nursing cover prints! Check out our beautiful models showing our fresh new prints and fabulous features like our lovely front pocket, beautiful embellishing ribbon, and the most coverage on the market.

As you can see in the pictures, if your shirt or blouse rides up on the side or in the back while nursing, the Simple & Sweet cover will have you covered!

The website will be updated with more pictures, so check back soon!

-Kathy

2009-02-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

New Fabrics!

Just wanted to let everyone know that there will be new fabric designs coming soon to the Simple & Sweet nursing covers! Evie looked through hundreds of samples and asked for swatches to make sure the nursing covers she offers are not only beautiful, but light and comfortable too!

Do you have a suggestion on a type of fabric print you'd like to see on the Simple & Sweet? Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome.

Make sure you check out our burp cloths, too. They match your nursing covers, and also come in a mini size, perfect for your diaper bag or purse!

-Kathy

2009-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Kathy and I'll be helping Evie out here at Mommy's Little Monkey. My goal is to help out in any way possible and get the name and and products of Mommy's Little Monkey out there.

Evie was VERY kind when she introduced me in her blog! As she said I am a mom of 2, I have a 10yr old son and a 6yr old daughter. I nursed both and have experienced a lot of the frustrations and joys that comes with it!

I look forward to working with customers, visiting boutiques, contributing to the blog, and anything else Evie trusts me with! Please feel free to leave questions or comments. Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Kathy

2009-01-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

Business Growth

As a New Year Resolution I've made a commitment to myself for myself and my business to get a little BRAVE. That said I am taking steps to grow this business every way I can because it's time to take those steps and strides.
The first thing I've done to help with that resolution is I've asked a good friend to come on board with me and Mommy's Little Monkey to get organized, help with inspiration and motivation and of course so much more that comes with having a business.
Let me introduce you to Kathy! Kathy is a mommy of 2 monkeys and is one of the sweetest women you'll ever meet. She's caring, kind and very attentive to detail plus a very special quality I personally admire in Kathy is that she is a philanthropist and very passionate about it. I know Kathy will contribute so much to Mommy's Little Monkey and we have plans already set for her to do some great contributing to this blog in the near future so look out for that soon.
With that said, I'm proud to have Kathy on board and wanted to personally introduce you to her before she writes a bit to you herself.

~Evie

2009-01-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Francie Pants

I see London, I see France, I can't see any girly underpants with Francie Pants. If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about let me tell you all about them. First, let me take you back to elementary school when you loved to play hard on those monkey bars, climb anything you could, chase everyone around and compete with anyone at tether ball. Now remember the days you wanted to look cute in your favorite dress plus do all of those great things and sit comfortably at circle time. I bet you those undies came exposed a couple of times making it very embarrassing for you not to mention unforgettable.

Well, Ciaran Blumenfeld, a mommy of 4 monkeys (two princess monkeys) designed a little solution to this timeless problem you or your little girl has probably experienced....drum roll please...Francie Pants!

My princess monkeys checked out the fabulous Francie Website Launch Party during December and begged for a Francie in their favorite print. Blue and Rainbow hearts won them over. When they got a pair in their stocking Christmas morning they were so excited and put them on right away. I can't tell you how cute my princess monkeys looked placing their Fancies right over their Pajama pants! The best thing is that they really serve their purpose, look great and feel so good on(according to my little fashionistas).

Check out Francies and have fun picking out a pair for your little girl. Oh, and don't forget to have fun on the website while picking your favorite Francie.

~Evie

2009-01-07T21:09:00.001-08:00

Happy New Years!

Mommy's Little Monkey wishes you a very Happy and prosperous 2009!

2008-12-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Bitter Sweet

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last post. I apologize for being lost for weeks or more like months at a time. Business has been busy and picking up so I'm usually a little too exhausted to write at times. Today is a great day to catch up and write to you so here I am :-)

Since October I've been working hard and getting into boutiques. I'm up to 7!!! Make sure to check back soon because my retailers link will be updated. I'm grateful that my products are are being received so well and are in beautiful boutiques but the journey has been bitter sweet. I love the work, pressure, goal setting and creating easier pathways to accomplishing all that I have to do BUT I don't always wear every hat comfortably. The hat that fits a bit snug is the sales hat. I'm forcing that baby on the best that I can and making it fit because there is no other head at this moment that I can fit that hat on but mine. I really believe I have to make it work for myself before handing it over to someone else. I need to know the job, force myself into the position so that one day when it is on someone else I'll know and have the experience plus the knowledge for the proper direction.

I've been praying so much for guidance, and especially for confidence. I've been reading and forcing myself to get on the phone and to get into more boutiques somehow. This is the part that kills me the most-cold calling. You wonder how a phone call can be so difficult? I really don't know! Meeting with a potential customer is exciting and I'm very confident when I go to my appointments. I mean I can still get a bit nervous but there's nothing like trying to make a great first impression on the phone with someone who doesn't know you, your business or your products and it's left up to you discussing it all and selling yourself in seconds on the phone to get an appointment. I'm looking forward to the day it doesn't kill me, make me a bit light headed or nauseous after making a simple phone call for my business.

For you who don't know what cold calling is, simply put it's calling up a boutique owner with a scripted spiel and asking for an appointment to show or present your business and products to him or her. I mean it doesn't sound so bad right? Well, I don't like this part and after so much thought my conclusion is that I don't want to hear "NO thanks" or "I don't have the time" or how about "I'm happy with what I carry right now". So here's what I do to get myself over the pain in cold calling and negative thoughts in my head. (I've taken tips from Amber at Babyfabulous. If you're starting up your own business and want to know some great advice, tips and direction then she's the one to read up on). I lay a script out in front of me after I've gone over it a couple times and make sure I feel confident to call and then I do it, I dial my contact and wait for the answer and usually after I get an owner or purchasing agent on the phone I give my spiel and lately I've received those appointments to get in and show my products. Once I'm in I usually get a great response. I do have to say that I've been doing pretty good at it lately even though I still get a little light headed after making calls. I'll make sure to post a write up when the day comes that I don't have side effects after making my phone calls.

until then
~Evie

2008-10-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

The safest choice is clear: Breastfeed your baby whenever possible

I ran into this article taken from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website on the latest research on toxic chemicals found in the lining of formula packaging. Read more details here.

Liquid infant formula from the top manufacturers is sold in cans lined with a toxic chemical linked to reproductive disorders and neurobehavioral problems in laboratory animals, according to an investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG). The chemical is almost as common in the packaging of powdered formula, with 4 of the top 5 companies acknowledging its use.
The chemical is bisphenol A, or BPA, a component of the plastic epoxy resins used to line metal food cans. Dozens of laboratory studies show that BPA affects the developing brain and reproductive systems of animals exposed to low doses during pregnancy and early life.

For a healthier choice, Breastfeed whenever possible. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It contains essential fatty acids that help bolster babies’ bodies against the impacts of toxic chemicals. However, there are many reasons why families rely on formula for some or all of their baby’s diet. Seventy percent of babies in the U.S. receive some formula by the time they are 3 months old. These babies need a safe and healthy source of food, and formula should be manufactured in a way that avoids contamination with harmful chemicals. Research breastmilk and why it's best for your baby and you will soon agree that it is the best choice for your baby.

2008-10-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

A Trade Show Experience

This last weekend I was able to attend the Mom 2 Be trade show held in Los Angeles at the California Marketplace Center. Being that I've never exhibited at a trade event I contacted the event coordinators and asked if I could walk the event as a future exhibitor. You see, I'm doing my homework. Why you ask? Well, simply put, they cost an arm, a leg plus a head to be in one. It is wise to really do your homework prior to attending not only due to carefully selecting which events to launch and present your products at but also because you want to know all the details that go into displaying your products and brand.

So off I went with my two closest friends (which are also 2 beautiful models I have on my site) in my ever so cool minivan on a road trip to the event. We hit the road in the morning and of course stopped and loaded up on some Java. Some great pastries and interesting conversation was included in that little stop and soon we were back on the road. About an hour later we were in downtown LA and this was very exciting for me being that I've never really been into LA my whole 30 something years of life (ha ha). Getting closer to the trade show my stomach started to get the nervous butterflies fluttering around. I have no idea why I got nervous, maybe it was excitement. I don't feel this emotion too often so it's hard to realize what I'm feeling sometimes. Once we hit the parking garage (which was a pit to hell employed with a million people directing us where to go) we parked my fabulous and ever so cool bus and off we went to the elevator. Once we stepped into the stinky box we realized that it wreaked of stinky feet or french fries...not so sure which it was. The doors opened and it was like a movie. We stepped out into a lobby of glamour and beautiful fashion surrounding us on mannequins and people.

There were beautiful people speaking to each other as if they knew where they were and where they were going. Instantly I was a little confused where to go or really what this place was. Looking up there was about 5-6 floors above and I could only imagine it was loaded with more beautiful fashion and people. I immediately went to the information desk right in front of me and I asked where the Mom 2 Be trade show was being held. The representative told me all the information I needed to know and off we went in search of pregnant mannequins and baby clothes.

Once we reached the trade show desk we met the coordinators of the show which then led us into the showroom where a sea of familiar companies and fantastic displayed products could be seen at every corner. I was literally shocked by the simplicity yet great and elegant way every business chose to display their creations. Excitement and confidence filled me knowing I could do this and possibly do it very well. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be arrogant just simply put, it's one thing seeing an on line presence for these companies but I've been working hard on my presence and my products and I know I'm ready to play with the big boys.

I left the show happy as could be and knew soon this would be a reality for me. Back on the elevator we all went in to the depths of hell back to my little bus and on the road South to San Diego. Taking a detour into to Long Beach we decided to dine at a cute and delicious Persian restaurant where we giggled and talked more with one another. I have to say, it was a much needed little road trip away from reality and a great time with the girls.

~much monkey love,

Evie

2008-09-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Boutique News

Just wanted to let you know that we've been welcomed into two very important boutiques here in San Diego! Sharp Mary Birch's New Beginnings Boutique and Scripp's Mercy Nursing Notions Boutique have officially added us into their family of products that they carry.

We're very thrilled that we're able to highlight these boutiques for you. If you happen to reside in San Diego remember us when you visit a loved one who just delivered a baby at either hospital!

Much Monkey Love

~Evie

2008-09-08T08:38:00.001-07:00

Win a Breastfeeding Package at Supermomz!

Hi Everyone! Happy September and a New school year. Last week was our first week back to school and believe me I was doing the Happy dance the whole week.
We had a nice summer but towards the end of the 11th week I was surely feeling that Mama Monkey needed a break so of course we filled up our last days of summer with the beach, swimming at the pool and picnics at the park. We prepared with some back to school shopping and we were ready for that first day of school. I'm so glad my children get so excited to go to school too and are not over anxious and nervous wrecks like I was back in my good ole monkey days.

On with the Show

Have you had a chance to check out our new site? See anything you may like? Well.....drum roll please...our good friends at Supermomz.com are giving away a prize package of our goodies worth $102. Check it out and simply leave a comment to be entered into the contest. Good Luck!

Make sure to check back for links to other giveaways we're sponsoring to get in on all of the fun.

2008-08-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

World Breastfeeding Week

Although it's over it's a constant celebration in my big ole heart. I will remain finding unique celebratory articles, humorous clips and products all on or for breastfeeding in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.

Website Update!

It's almost done and here! If you've tried clicking on the website or if you received a newsletter email from Mommy's Little Monkey you probably noticed that some links were down because my genius webmasters are in the process of doing their magic. Check back soon. If you've signed up for our emails then you'll be notified as soon as it happens.

Much Monkey Love

~MLM

2008-08-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th World Breastfeeding Day!
Pump Pump Away

Today I dedicate my post to the new yet transitioned mother and nurser.

You have breastfeeding down by now. Your baby is on a every two to three hour nursing schedule so you dare to venture out a bit and take small trips to the supermarket or run errands while baby stays asleep with daddy at home. You may tend to receive the occasional hesitation from Daddy and he may comment that the baby needs you and only you plus he does not have the equipment to calm the baby down while you're gone :-)

Solution: Pump in Style Medela Breast Pump.

Never mind all that crazy talk, you have a dual pump you can pump with when you want to. You have to take the little time for yourself when you can and breastfeeding should not be a reason not to be able to do so.

I purchased mine 10 years ago and the healthy work horse is still ticking away. Of course I'm not so sure if I will use it again but I can honestly say that if I ever had the pleasure to need it that it would work hard for me.

The Pump in style is an investment but it is well worth it.

2008-08-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Let's Laugh

Breast Pumping can take a while to get used and tends to make you feel a bit strange but once you see how much you make and that it means you can leave your little monkey for a while, it's all worth it. Dad labs is my funny new find!

2008-08-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of World Breastfeeding Week

Breastfeeding Necessities! Okay, so today I'm dedicating my post to new mommies transitioning into motherhood. We have so much to talk about. Having had three of my own children, that I breastfed for 14 months each, I know of many products I love and want to recommend to you.

FIRST Product: There are some products that you just have to have to function after baby is here and especially to just breastfeed easier with. We all were bras, right? So once baby is here you have to get the right bra to breastfeed with. One I absolutely love is the Glamour Mom bra. Love this company and I've been watching them since their launching. Man, how it has grown! So many styles, so many colors and the best thing they just added is their longer lengthen tanks. Love them!!!! If you're wondering why a tank then let me tell you why. The longer length allows you to pick up your shirt while nursing in public and not having your stomach, sides or sensitive marks (A.K.A stretch Marks) revealed. The tank style bra also allows the new mommy to wear anything she wants while nursing meaning you don't have to purchase a whole new wardrobe of nursing clothes and can get back into your pre-pregnancy cute shirts :-)
Need a bra that costs a lot less? Target has a great tank style bra half the price.

SECOND Product: Next thing you may want to get yourself if you feel the need to breastfeed modestly in public, a nursing cover. Of course I have to recommend my own brand but all women are different and feel the need to cover in different ways. If you're looking for a stylish cover that you can wear in different ways then try out The Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtain™. I have a fabulous new website design launching in the next couple of days so check back to see all of my new prints and products.

Back to the Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain, this nursing cover is so great. I actually designed it with enough fabric to help cover up those post partum spots (stretch marks, left over skin I needed to loose...you all get my point). It has a great formable neck ring to check in on your little one while nursing, never compromising your privacy and has a little pocket on the front of the cover to hold all of those little things like breastfeeding pads, toys, pacifiers, you name it. Carry your Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtain in the matching drawstring pouch it comes in, add a couple of diapers and some wipes and off you go ready for a while without a bulky diaper bag.

Third Product: Breast Shields. I have to admit it took me a while to get this one down. I hated using disposable pads because of environmental reasons but I hated washing cloth breast pads and lost them all of the time or they leaked on me. I was what you would call a leaker. I leaked all the time. There is nothing like being out and about running after your toddler (s) and holding your newborn, finding a place to nurse and then....oh no I'm wet. Let's just say a leaked nursing bra = wet shirt = embarrassment= back home! So let me share a new product with you that I just purchased for a friend. Lilypadz reusable breast pads. They eliminate leaking even while you sleep, this is a huge plus for me. Once I bought them I have to admit I was a little jealous because I wanted to try them out. I have no baby at this moment to try them out myself but the feedback I received from my friend who is mother leaker says they're great and loves them! So I'll give them an A+.

So those are some great necessities you may chooses to use during your breastfeeding experience. Hope you find my suggestions of some use.

~Evie

2008-08-03T00:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Breastfeeding Week Day 3

While searching for some great breastfeeding topics the other night, I came across some funny short clips by Dadlabs at http://www.dadlabs.com/. This is a hilarious clip obviously over dramatised by men. Maybe just a little bit?

If you have a problem viewing it then link directly here.

2008-08-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Happy 2ND Day Of World Breastfeeding Week!

The second day of celebration and I want to talk to all of those mommies in their third trimester getting ready to nest and get that hospital recovery plan together.

Now, by this time you're pretty sure what you're feeling on the subject of caring for baby. You've been practicing this whole time you've been pregnant whether it's exercising and watching everything that goes into your mouth or maybe you've been scrap booking every photo of your growing belly to the ultrasound photos they hand you. Whatever you've been doing to take care of yourself and the details of your pregnancy, you've been connecting with that baby growing in your womb. You know what time is the most active time of day for your baby. You know what triggers activity from your little one, maybe after eating or right after exercising. You know when they may get their daily bat of the hiccups and you know just how to get them to move in you...maybe pushing down on your belly in a specific location to get them to kick. You may love to talk or sing to your little one and about now you're starting to know exactly what you want your birth plan to be but what about your recovery plan while in the hospital. You have an idea that you may want to breastfeed although you may know that it may be a challenge but you're going to give it your best. So let me suggest not only a birth plan but also a recovery plan for you to succeed at your breastfeeding goal.

A birth plan is the plan for your labor. Usually the rules you want the hospital staff to carry out during your labor. It is a plan communicated to your birthing team prior to labor because once there and in labor let's just say it's an experience we've never experienced and never will forget. Discussing the plan with your partner is a must. Some will decide to go natural as long as they can, some may decide only natural no matter what and have their partner there working hard through each contraction. Some women have decided that as soon as the first contraction hits they have to get right to the hospital and be medicated yet others may have no choice and have a cesarean planned due to positioning of their baby or complications. Whatever your plan may be remember that the plan does not stop there. What is your recovery pan? A recovery plan is when your recovering post partum. Have you thought out if you will breastfeed once baby is delivered or will you wait until you have privacy in your recovery room? Will you allow your baby to be taken to the nursery so that you can rest or will the baby be right by your side while you recover? Will your partner stay with you in your room to transition through it all with you plus be there when you have to go to the bathroom, shower or if you're unable to get up right away to attend to the baby? Will your baby be circumcised and if he is will your partner be accompanying him? This is what goes into the recovery plan. It may be a lot to think about but they are little details that will help you to succeed at breastfeeding and transitioning.

You may have your mind set on breastfeeding but so much changes when other factors set in like a screaming baby that freaks you out. Yes, that's what happened with me. A screaming baby that needs some sort of consoling but you have no idea what to do. Yes, that also happened to me. A screaming baby that causes your nurse to ask if she can take the baby for an hour or so into the nursery so that you can get some rest. Yes, that also happened to me. So I got some rest and 8 hours later I woke up rested with my baby still in the nursery on a full belly of formula. This takes me to my next point, your recovery plan will allow all staff to know exactly what your intend for your baby. Practices unfriendly to breastfeeding are a fact and it happens everyday. Unfriendly practices means hospital staff feeding babies formula, sugar water and water supplements while in their care just to calm the baby down occurs everyday without consent from the new mother. According to the article written by the CDC (centered for disease control and prevention) on U.S. hospitals, most of them don't do very well when it comes to promoting breastfeeding.

Shameless Plug: This happened to me too. I had my plan. I was a first time mother but I knew that I was going to breastfeed. Once the baby was here though, I was very uncertain of what to do that first night in the hospital. I took advice from my nurse to have my baby placed in the nursery so that I could get rest after a 24 hour labor and woke up 8 hours later to a baby away in the nursery, very deep in sleep with a full belly of formula. I could post another blog entry on how that made me feel so I'll share what that inspired me to create, The Note to Nurse set.

Recovery Suggestion:
1.Get both plans ready
2.Be well prepared
3.Have your knowledge ready and take advantage of the Lactation consultant available for you. 4.Be prepared to tell your visitors to exit your room if you have to nurse and practice latching on and off those first few nursings in the hospital.
5.Take some books with you to read on postnatal care and especially breastfeeding.
6.Be prepared to rest with your baby and accept the pampering you'll receive from all who love you.
7. Last but not least, have a Note to Nurse set ready to place on baby after their first bath :-)

2008-07-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

(Lena and Breast by Terri Frank)

Happy Breastfeeding Week!!!!!!

Today marks the first day of world breastfeeding week!!!!! I'm in the mood to do a happy dance and celebrate. So excuse me as I do a little fancy footwork........okay, back in my chair.

Although I am no longer breastfeeding I am a happy advocate and fully support the movement. So this is how I'm celebrating this week: I'm going to bring you a bit of awareness each and every day. Great products, books, links & articles plus supplies that help the movement in every little way they can and do.

So on with the show!

DAY 1 Today I am writing to all those Mamas that have just found out they are about to have a little monkey of their own! What to do? What to do? There is so much to do!!

First, I hope that you've met your Doctor. Second, you should have a pile of paper, books and pamphlets that every health professional in the OBGYN's office could possibly load you up with. Well, start reading it. Third, let us get on the subject of BREASTFEEDING!!!! Here are some books to get you edumacated on the subject :-) (Man is my spelling check going to hate that word).

1. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding because "babies are meant to breastfed" by the founding mamas of La Leche League. A really nice, informative and supportive book for all new mothers seeking knowledge and answers to breastfeeding and also childbirth.

2. Although this is a movie it's a must see with natural living and birthing choices plus they do talk about breastfeeding- The Business of Being Born! Loved it! I cried, laughed, got a bit angry yet rejoiced and felt so proud to be a woman after watching it. A Must see!

3. New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding by Joan Younger Meek with Sherill Tippens. Great book with an Anatomy break down and great advice on caring for yoourself in the early days after baby arrives plus more.

4. Happy, Healthy Moms and Babies A Lactations Consultant's advice for Breastfeeding during your hospital stay by Rose deVigne-Jackiewicz. Now, I had the pleasure of being consulted by Rose after the birth of my first baby. After running into her a while back she mentioned that she wrote her own book and I had to get it. After reading it I do have to recommend this book because it is so great. Tips like taking your breastfeeding plan with you to the hospital, keeping baby with you at all times during recovery plus latch and positioning baby on breast are emphasized in the book. Get it and take it with you to the hospital to read while recovering next to your baby.

So that's my post for today. There's some breastfeeding knowledge for you.

Stay tuned for DAY 2!!!!

~Evie

2008-07-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

Thumb update

We recently went for our 6 month dental check ups. Everything checked off perfect for all three little monkeys and myself. Our appointment was followed by an orthodontic consultation for both Princess Monkeys and that's where we ran into some dental craze.
Princess Monkey Mia has a tiny bit of overcrowding. Nothing unexpected coming from a family of snaggle toothed crowded mouths (yes, I admit my genetic code will take the credit for that). Princess Monkey Nina on the other hand has the same overcrowding BUT she also has a sucked in upper jaw and a severe cross bite or something like that's caused by her thumb sucking. The doctor informed me if we didn't get her to stop she would eventually have to have an operation. UGH! This thumb sucking is so hard to break. I did have the doctor help me this time though. I mean why not use a total stranger to Princess Monkey Nina to explain to her what could happen if she didn't stop (even if I made him lie a bit). In fact the thumb sucking fiend has actually been a bit better and has been working with me because of what I asked the doctor to tell her. So what were the magic words? I made the doctor explain to her that she had to stop or her face would fall off. So far so good.

~Evie

2008-07-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

Mother Earths RAW Minerals

I've never really been into make up. In fact the only necessity I have really ever had is my eyebrow pencil (of course, I hardly have eyebrows) and my eyeliner (to help fill in the eyelash line). Foundation is something I have probably worn on a handful of occasions including my prom, wedding day and possibly a couple of other events I've attended with my hubby.
Well, reaching my wonderful thirties really opened my eyes to the changes in my skin. I'm sure some of you know these changes like the ever so wonderful crow's feet, liver spots, deep skin acne and dry patches. UGH!#$%^ Believe me if you ever spoke to me you would hear only positive things on aging. I refuse to speak harshly on the subject because it's going to happen to every one of us and we need to accept all that comes with it UNTIL I saw myself starting to do it. So when I researched foundations to help cover up some of the stuff sent from God on my face, I hesitated to wear liquid foundation. I wanted natural, non- clogging, earth friendly and natural make up. Also the requirement had to be that it contained no harsh chemicals and because I have a cancer phobia it had to be non carcinogenic. I FOUND IT!
Raw Minerals all natural make up covers my blemished complexion, hides the liver spots (the small ones I'm starting to get), and helps hide the small crow's feet I know are there. What's even better is that it's lightweight and feels like you have absolutely nothing on your face. It's very affordable and the line in extending everyday with foundation powders, eye shadows, blush and more. Yes, I know you've heard of mineral make up but do the ones you know of contain Bismuth? Well, this company makes their mineral make up without Bismuth which is known to irritate the skin. They have a tutorial as well for those of you hesitant to try mineral make up because of the application.
Check it out.

~Evie

PS The company gives away gift packages every month....Register to win some great make up!

2008-07-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

Summer update

Well, I'm officially insane! 4 Weeks down and 8 to go until school starts again. The Monkeys have been sick with some wacky virus that kept us in doors for a week and a half so that didn't help out one bit. This week they're feeling better and up to getting out.

~Insane Mom

2008-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is Here!!!!

Today was the last day of school. I officially have the kids home for the next 12 weeks (3 months).

I'll keep you posted on my insanity :-}

~Sane Mommy (at this moment)

2008-06-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

Change is Coming

Mommy's Little Monkey is due for a face lift and will receive one very soon!!! We've been working extra hard on the new changes. Stay tuned!

~Evie

2008-05-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Thumb Addiction

When my little monkey princess~Nina was born there were a couple of indications she would probably suck her precious little thumb. Actually, I guess the first one came before she was born. Her ultrasound showed her peacefully sucking her thumb in womb. Once born, she was a pro nurser. Immediately she went straight to the breast and was very ready to nurse or pacify. This was a very different experience from our first Monkey Princess~Mia.

Princess Monkey~Nina was calm and very peaceful mostly all of the time but even more so if she was nursing or sucking on her hands until she found her thumb at about 2-3 months old and from then on that's what she always preferred in her mouth (of course other than her nursing tool).

Monkey Princess~Nina will turn 6 soon and the habit that was once so cute and photo worthy has turned to not so cute and forget photos if she's caught with it in her mouth. It just has to stop. You see, I never had problems with Monkey Princess~Nina sucking her thumb. Not when we recently witnessed her permanent teeth start to come in a bit crooked or even when I gave her a manicure making sure to skip the thumb that has flattened and widened over time knowing if I paint it it will scrape off in a day or two. I did however get very bothered once we started trying to quit. I realized what an addiction and small problem she has that will need much motivation, diligence and bribery to attack.

The first night we tried to quit cold turkey, and this was a mutual agreement with a bit of a bribe attached, she had a panic attack/temper tantrum. She literally kicked and screamed on the floor until she got it out of her system then I invited to hold and lay with her on the couch until she fell asleep. The next night was a bit better and then the next better than the night before the previous one but then I went to my best friends home to visit about 5 days into the quitting and did not put her to sleep as I routinely had been doing so and it messed up our achievement causing her to relapse and go back to the dirty little habit. We've been trying but as you can see inconsistency really has hurt our goal. Back to the start and trying over again. Tonight she cries (more like whines) wanting to suck her thumb as I wait patiently for time to go by to see if she can put herself to sleep without her not so little thumb. As I end this I hear nothing in the distance....I think she has conquered our first night again. Much better this time.

Any suggestions?

2008-05-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

Monkey Man Update: Popcorn Kernel in your where???

I believe that someone should invent a device of some sort that would allow all mommies and daddies to extract the unpopped kernels in a microwave bag of popcorn. Wondering why I even mention this? Well, because I have three little monkeys that LOVE popcorn! They also love the unpopped kernels. They love to suck the salt off the unpopped kernels, chomp on the unpopped kernels and recently my little monkey man decided he loved to stick them up his nose and in his ear!
Yes, he actually stuck one up his nose but luckily he was able to blow it out.....the one in his ear he was not so lucky with. Yes, if you follow along with this blog then you would know that little monkey man is a mischievous, curious and a very active little monkey. He just so happened to be a little too curious and stuck one in his ear which led us to the Emergency room then led us to surgery..........I know he has fed his curiosity with popcorn kernels and has recently mentioned that they do not belong in the ear or the nose.
Glad to know that probably will not happen again considering what he had to go through to get it out.

2008-05-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Goal Update!

Well, I wrote to you letting you know that I had a goal for the month of April and that was to add a boutique to my retailers list. Well, guess what? I did!!!

Champagne Taste, a sweet boutique with a very kind owner, Andrea, is a place I've been hoping would make Mommy's Little Monkey a part of their shop and has done just that, made The Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtain a little sweet home. For anyone in the San Diego area wanting to do some very cute and quality shopping for your little monkey you must check out Andrea's shop, Champagne Taste where you can find Eco friendly candles, lotions and potions, baby clothing and great children's books plus more. Champagne Taste is located at 2248 30Th St. San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 234-3585‎

www.champagnetaste.com

2008-05-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day

"Imagine that the world had invented a new "dream product" to feed and immunize everyone born on Earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery -- and helped mothers to plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer. Then imagine that the world refused to use it." -Margaret Porter

2008-04-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

Red Box

I Have to share this great new Red find with you! Red Box. Let me tell you what it is, it's a red box (yes, literally a red box) with movies you can rent inside of it. They're located in several different places and they hold current and fun movies you've been wanting to watch. The way you use it is just press the "rent a DVD" touch screen option and choose the movie you want, check out with a easy touch screen option, pay with your debit or credit card and whalah you have a movie rental for just $1.00 for one night. Return it by 9PM the next evening and you're good to go but go over the 9PM time frame and you're charged another $1.00 fee. If you should want to keep the movie the Red Box company will charge you everyday for 25 days maximum and it's yours to keep. Genius! No lines so far, no one to hassle you or ask you questions you just go, choose, pay and return the next day.

2008-04-05T14:01:00.001-07:00

March Update

Let me catch you up on what I've been doing the last month and a half. Let's start on my personal side first. Well, I've had a little monkey man accident about every two weeks. 1 Broken shower faucet, 1 clogged toilet which he chose to clog with a plastic bottle cap, a clogged sink which he chose to play with the faucet water stopper (whatever they're called) a couple of times too many and then it broke off so off to the hardware store we went to buy a drain stopper and then he took that off and stuck one of his sisters barrettes down the drain. Up until today nothing had really be destroyed by monkey man for about a week but then he came into the house with a broken light bulb that he mentioned he just so happened to be trying to help me screw it on tighter but he actually unscrewed it causing it to fall off my sewing machine and break. Ugh! The RULES lecture has come up a million times in that last month in my house.

Spring break has passed and it was relaxing and nice to spend time with my little monkeys. Monkey man is on a three week break from preschool (looking forward to that starting back up) and of course Easter came and I was able to spend a very nice time with our family.

On the business side of things I landed an account with a W.I.C. office here in town! That's a great and wonderful step for my business. I've been working hard planning, organizing and getting ready to update my website and change out my nursing cover fabric and need to add baby tees plus I'm getting myself mentally prepared to get out into more stores. Which brings me to a little vulnerable subject to share with you......I am terrified of approaching stores! Why you ask? Well, I don't know why exactly but after reflecting on this subject I'm assuming is that big ole rejection factor I personally hate and am fearful of. So, knowing I need to do it no matter what and trying to gain knowledge on the whole subject I went to my good and knowledgeable friend, Google, and he led me to so much information on cold calling and business approaching. I found a wonderful and to my surprise a local business that blogs about her business experience and after reading it for a while I was in tears! Yeah, I'm an emotional wreck at times but Amber of Baby Fabulous hit all of my fears, excitement and struggles of creating a business from scratch and bringing it to fruition on the nail. I can create, I can organize, package, and have details in order but sales.....let's just say I'm terrified of it. I love her blog and she is such an inspiration and has honestly motivated me. I wrote to Amber hoping to meet her someday.

My goal for April, which I will blog to you about and work on, is to make it into 1-2 new boutiques. Cross your fingers, your toes and say a little prayer for me while I do this and I'll keep you posted.

Talk to you soon,

~Evie

2008-02-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Big Apple Moms Encouraged to Breastfeed for 6 Months

New york City's Mayor Bloomberg is launching a multimillion-dollar good-parenting campaign that includes a push to put more newborns to the breast. The city is spending more than 2 million to encourage mommies to nurse for up to six months where at this point 75% start to breastfeed and 38% stop before 6 months.

The campaign will really help turn New York's hospitals into baby friendly hospitals where they will not encourage formula feeding or automatically give away formula filled diaper bags and information. Two new programs will ride the campaign to help low income mothers providing health workers to check up on the new mothers and another where health workers visit families every two weeks up to two years.

This should be something we all tune into to see how it works and if the rates increase with this great campaign.

2008-02-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hope you're day has been wonderful and full of love! Mine has been full of Valentine's for the kids, cookies, candy, parties that were full of cookies, candy and sugar, plus a ton of cards...oh and did I mention candy? With three kids a valentine's day is sure to promise cavities :-)

I did get the best card from my gorilla hubby though. I had to share it with you because I love it and promise to keep if forever......oh gosh I'm such a mess. Just in case I did a horrible job photographing it, it's a photo of king Kong in boxers.

Have a great night!

~Evie

2008-01-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Again

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and New Year's.

So I'm back into the swing of everything and it's been a little hard getting in the groove. Christmas vacation was wonderful. Sleeping in, baking and relaxing with the kids was very nice. We did have a lot of running around to do though too. Last minute shopping, wrapping and gifting made our vacation a little hectic but it's all over now and I look forward to spring break :-)

We here in San Diego had so much to celebrate with the Chargers going to the Playoffs the last couple of weeks. The whole city was really in the spirit. I Just happened to go downtown this last Friday evening and many building were decorated with lightning bolts and Charger signs. It was too exciting! My Gorilla hubby went downtown for all of the festivities on Friday morning and had a great time too! To make it even better he won a autographed L.T jersey in a contest. He even made it on the evening news because of it. Let's skip the sad lost though and go on to the next subject.......

Babies, babies, babies!!!!!! It seems that there is a baby boomlet going on in the United States. The rates are the highest since 1961. Reports state that the expected number of children a woman is to have in her lifetime is 2.1 compared to other countries at 1.3 per woman . The Rise has been blamed on a larger population and an increase in Hispanics! We're having all the babies according to the CDC. Hispanics have a higher fertility rate, about 40% higher but I will agree with the experts that middle America just has a more favorable out look on family and children in general. As for me and the surrounding women in my life, we're all averaging three children each with the exception of a couple that have more than three. I do have to agree with Nan Marie Astone, associate professor of population, that "Americans like children. We are the only people who respond to prosperity by saying, `Let's have another kid,"'.

Love That!

Until next time

~Evie

2007-12-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Pretty Embarrassing

For my business promotions and spreading the word I use a great service called Constant Contact. This really works well because it keeps all of my customers informed on the latest happenings with Mommy's Little Monkey.

So I sent one out last night to my contact list at around 12 am. Being that I've stayed up every night until 12-1 am I was pretty beat. No excuses, I sent out a email with a misused word! That is very embarrassing! It wasn't a small word or hidden mistake either, it had to be right at the entry of the email and one of the main point words :-( of course spell check didn't catch it because it's a word, it's just not the word I wanted to use!

Here it is:

Need to but that special gift for that special mommy or baby in your life? You're invited to A Mommy Soiree!
To celebrate this holiday season, Mommy's Little Monkey is offering you 20% off of your next purchase. Present this coupon at the event or order online to receive this special offer.
*Discount will be refunded after on line purchase.

Event: A Mommy Soiree
DATE: Sunday, December 9Th
TIME: 3-6 PM
Location: 2802 Juan Street In Old Town, CA. 92110 (right in front of the boutique)

Really bad and embarrassing. If you received one please excuse my mistake.

2007-12-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

I think it's time for a new and higher resolution camera.....don't you?

I have spent so much of my day trying to get my camera to take a good picture of my products. It's not working.

Santa will you please bring me a great new one?

Thanks,

~Evie

2007-12-02T00:04:00.000-08:00

To my Wonderful Nurse......

When I was pregnant with my first little monkey I made sure I went over my birth plan with my doctor. Because he was not guaranteed to be there for the delivery he told me not to worry and to have it ready to fork over to my delivery team once I arrived at the hospital.

My husband and I had it all planned out. I was not to have any medication, I was also only going to breastfeed and we had chosen to save and donate her cord blood along with some other little details in our plan. So once in labor and in a ton of pain we set off to the hospital. In between contractions and concentration I made sure to remember my paper with my golden birth plan on it and tried to hand it to my nurse. The attitude I received from my nurse was more like the paper was written in a different language and was immediately disregarded. However this made me feel, a bit insecure, irritated and ignored, I continued laboring to get what felt like a 30 pound watermelon out of my pained body. As expected from people who had no idea of what my wishes were there was pressure to medicate, anger directed to my poor husband by the staff who was first of all only trying to carry out my original wishes, and of course a bottle feeding of formula.

I was an emotional and not to mention a hormonal wreck while recovering. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to just be heard and not treated as the inexperienced mother I was. Although I knew why I was so emotional, I still struggled against my emotions because I felt the staff had so much more knowledge then I could have had in the few hours I had become a mother. Clearly my nurse acted as if she knew what was best for me. She suggested we get rest and have our new crying baby taken to the nursery. So, after a 24 hour labor and a new baby that would not stop crying who would resist her invitation? I guess I should have. I didn't though and 8 hours later I woke up without my baby realizing we had been separated for a very long time and insisted on having her back with me. My nurse brought her to me bundled and comfortably asleep filled up on a bottle of formula. That 's when I knew my time was up at this birth plan disregarding hospital and I wanted out!

This experience and recent conversations with other women and their similar stories has inspired me to make a little difference. Giving mommies a little reassurance is what I hope to achieve. Introducing my new little "Note to Nurse" shirt/beanie set by Mommy's Little Monkey. The note reads:

To my Wonderful Nurse,

I am learning how to breastfeed.

Please no bottle or pacifiers while I'm in your care.

Mommy is waiting for my return to feed me.

(heart),

Baby

Beanie reads:

Breastfeeder in Training

Each set in carried in a stylish drawstring organza bag and come in size newborn. This is the perfect baby shower gift. Check them out and pass on the news about this great new product!

2007-11-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

Wearing my Monkeys

When I started this business I really did not know how many groups or parenting styles women/parents place themselves in. I know, I know I talk about this a lot but just keep reading, I'm getting to my little intro..

I mean I labored naturally with all 3 children (with the exception of my first 24 hour labor- I had 2 shots of Demerol) but I never placed myself in a "natural birthing" mom club. Did I feel proud? Of course I did but it wasn't a lifestyle that I revolved around. I co-slept and still do from time to time but did I consider myself an attached parent? No, not until I learned what an attached parent was, I just did what my parents allowed me to do as a child. I wore my babies in carriers or Baby Bjorn's but I did not consider myself a baby wearer? No, really all that I was doing was taking very little steps at making motherhood as easy as I possibly could. With 3 children, sleep deprivation and a things to do list the length of Santa's list I just wanted rest so I slept with my kids and just wanted peace so I wore my kids so I didn't hear them crying. Plus it killed me to see them so uncomfortable so if I could help out in this very temporary stage of life by wearing them then I would and I did.

So do you know all of the different styles out there to wear your baby? There's the sling, and the pouch and the carrier and the back pack and I'm sure more than that but that's all I know at this moment. I personally wore a carrier BUT if there happened to be a next time I will try them all. A new company out there (which I consider a sister or cousin company since the designer of our sites is the same company) is

Wearing My Baby.

I'm very excited to meet the owner, Catherine, very soon at an event we'll both be attending. If you happen to be in San Diego come and check us out at the Mommy Soiree on December 9Th from 3-6pm in Old Town at the Ducks n Daisies boutique courtyard. A evening of shopping, prizes, food and beverages is what to be expected. Check out the advertisement on Page 50 of Family Magazine for December to find out more.

2007-11-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

Project Runway is BACK!!!!!

It's finally back....yeah!!!! I love project Runway so much, it just gets my creativity flowing and my heart dreaming away. If any of you (the 2-4 readers I have :-) kisses to you) love it as much as I do I thought I would pass along a little reminder, tonight on BRAVO at 10/9c. Tivo or DVR it if you have to.

Love ya,

~Evie

2007-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

And the Winner is.......

If you've had a chance to check out my myspace page then you've noticed that I have a guestbook. I really like this feature so much and wanted to do a giveaway that I combined these two ideas and motivated my myspace friends to sign my guestbook for an entry into a drawing I held today. The prize? Well one free item from my website of course.

I drew a name from the 14 entry's and Angie from Tennessee won! If you're interested in next months drawing being held December 1st then just log onto my myspace page and sign my guest book. You'll be entered into the next giveaway.

Pass on the word too.

Good Luck

~Evie

2007-11-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Halloween with my Monkeys

Halloween was wonderful and exciting!!! It's an actual exciting holiday here in my house. I make a nice dinner and this year I made a Halloween cake plus caramel apples. I made the monkey princesses their costumes by hand and of course being that little monkey man is absolutely obsessed with Cars the movie he was a very adorable Lightning McQueen (last year he was Tow Mater). Loved the day and had a wonderful evening with my brother, sister-in-law, nephews, grandma,grandpa, Nana and papa, cousins and their children.

2007-11-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

To the 3 of You

To the 3 of you who read this blog Thank you! All joking aside, I'm back to write in and update you on this Mommy's busy life. So Far all has been good. If you've been alert lately you probably know all about the terrible fires southern California had two weeks ago. It rained ashes for days and our homes smelt of smoke. We couldn't open the windows and of course the temperature outside rose into the 90's. Here we've been hearing the terrible stories of loved ones, friends and family experienced during it all. It's tragic, very sad and honestly something we here in San Diego will dread every October to come now that it's happened twice.

2007-10-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

In The Toilet

What is it with kids and toilets? Every one of my little monkeys has gone through a stage where they just have to clog it with something. The girls just toilet paper but my boy, let me just tell you what happened. Little Monkey Man loves toilets. He loves to throw anything he can into them, he loves to pee all over them (and on the floor) and he loves to clean them when I'm not around with wipes. Yes, my first and only boy so I'm as grossed out as much as everyone else will be after reading this.

Well, yesterday evening he just so happened to love the toilet so much that he threw his sisters toothbrush in it!!!! Just wonderful. Of course my 5 year old monkey girl reported the situation to me immediately. She also made sure to inform me that it was hers and that it needed to be taken out. The wave of voices saying the exact thing by the next two monkeys followed. I just did what any other mommy would do at 7pm at night. I told them I would do it later....at least once showers were done. Well, I forgot. So the kids took their regular evening showers and then Diva Monkey girl (the new name I've given my eldest daughter) had to use the restroom and flushed it down with the rest of the stuff no one wanted to sort through to remove this tool that would potentially cost me a fortune to fix!!! What a disaster.

I flushed and flushed and plunged and plunged and then thought of the one tool all homes need to have in case of an emergency, even if you won't use them in your closet, a wire hanger. Every time I'm in a bind to get something far in a corner, out of the sink, in a crack, I swear I could even use one as a weapon if I had to, I think of the good almighty wire hanger. So I went and got one out of my husband's closet and reshaped it and Ta Da I got the long nasty toothbrush out of the toilet. Yeah, I'm too proud of myself for fixing that problem.

Then came the lecture to Little Monkey Man that he is not to place ANYTHING in the toilet ever, except ....well, you know what naturally is supposed to be in there plus a little bit of toilet paper. So what does he try to place in there this morning? PAPER TOWELS!

Point of my story: Always keep a wire hanger around they're great tools.

~Evie

2007-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

ebay

When I first started this business everyone had advise, they still do, and I appreciate it very much. One bit of advice I thought I'd stay clear of was ebay. I was told to try and sell on ebay and I was hesitant. Well, I tried it. I do have to say that I liked it. I sold two Simple & Sweet Nursing Curtains and am happy to say one went to Australia.

Pretty cool.

Don't ask me how much.

At least I'm spreading the word on my products :-)

~Evie

2007-09-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Detox

No, not the bad bad detox, the okay detox. I decided to detox my system of caffeine. I really don't consume too much of this very addictive drug. I usually just have it in my morning cup of coffee which hardly gets consumed because I have three kids that are either fighting, almost late to get to school or have hair to be brushed.

Now, there have been many times I've painfully put my cup of coffee down. I mean, I have to make a decision often do I make the kids their lunches for school or drink my coffee in peace, do I brush my child's hair or drink my cup of coffee and then there have been time that I've tried to do both and the end result is coffee everywhere including hair and none in my system. So I came to the conclusion I really don't need it and I'm going to try to go through the rough days of detox!

First day, forget it. Besides the fact that I stayed up until 1 am working on my business and started the detox program UI was a mess and mean. I was so confused all day long. I was a mad mess. Did I mention that I was a mess? It was good my family stayed away from me. I had to take a nap...if you know me I don't do naps. I even went to sleep that night at 8:30pm. I mean if I was going to have a headache, which I took 4 tylenol for all day long, I may as well have slept it off. The second day just a little cloudy. Today, the third day, I'm actually very clear headed and feel great. The only thing though, along with detoxing my body of caffeine I sware I'm detoxing it of food too! This program I'm on just makes me hungry!

Yes a program, it's the Jay Robb Fruit flush and detox program. I read the book and it was pretty healthy so I'm on it. Flushing my body. So far so good, just HUNGRY!

I don't know what's worse, me grumpy because I'm detoxing the caffeine out of my body or me grumpy because I'm hungry. My poor husband can probably answer that one. I

I'll keep you posted on how it works. I can say besides the detoxing I've lost 2 lbs. but come on when you're hardly eating that's sure to happen, right?

~Evie

UPDATE: Well I did last the 3 days on this little detox and I did feel mentally and physically better by the 3rd day. I also lost 8 pounds and got into my one size smaller clothes by the end of the program. I don't think I would recommend it for weight loss but I would for a caffein cleanse/body cleanse. It really helped me focus on eating better and focusing on my health.

2007-09-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

My Space

I'm on myspace now! Click on the link to the side to check us out and add us as a friend!

2007-09-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Water Babies

This summer was filled with tons of fun in the sun. Swimming anywhere we could was the goal. There was a nice hot day that we we able to gather with friends at a community pool and my sister invited her friend and her little show off nephew :-)

Let me tell you a little about this boy. He's only 3 and swims like a fish. He could out swim any adult and pretty much made my three year old feel pretty competitive. Yes, there was a moment monkey boy took off his life vest and actually jumped into the pool. He was feeling pretty brave and had to show everyone he could swim too. Well, he sank. I made sure to be very close by and had his older cousin and Princess Monkey sister right there next to him to save him if he went under water for too long. I mean he had to find out that he was not a master at this skill yet.
After swallowing a small amount of water he realized he could not swim and did not fight with me further. Back in the life vest and into the water monkey man went. He was fine but now I'm a bit determined to have him ready for the next swimming season.
Come to find out this young swimming master (let's call him "show Off") started swimming classes at the very young age of 5 months. Now, that's pretty cool. Can't wait to get my little monkey man started so we can have a swim off :-)

Here's a link to such a great swimming technique for all babies and toddlers. I was sent it today and had to share.

Evie

2007-09-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Go To BED!!!!

Getting back into the school routine has been a challenge. I swore that I was going to get my monkeys practicing their normal 8PM bedtime a week before school started so that they would get used to it BUT that didn't happen. We pretty much waited until the night before school started to enforce bedtime at 8pm.

Three weeks into school and we're still fighting at night with all three of them. I found this really cute piece on you tube. Have fun watching, just don't watch while you're angry at them or waiting for them to fall asleep at night :-)

2007-09-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

Public Breastfeeding

Okay, so I'm a bit late to discuss this issue but I really wanted to post and link you to it. A woman in a Applebee's restaurant was recently out to lunch with her children celebrating an anniversary and was approached by her waitress and asked to cover up while nursing if she wanted to remain in the restaurant. The woman did not have a blanket with her but the waitress repeated herself and then the woman had to go to her car to nurse her infant!!!!! I guess some people in this country have not been on top of what is happening when they mess with hungry nursing babies and their mama's. I hope this woman (Brooke Ryan) does some great legal stuff for at least her city and place Applebee's and other companies in their place!

2007-09-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Because I Said So!

This is something I do say very often to my children. I mean, if you're a mother, how could you not say it? With so many questions and little people around complaining, whining or hesitating to do as you ask, it's something you find yourself finally using after too much explanation.

Today I came across a very great blog I wanted to share with you, Because I said So. This very well written blogger, Dawn, mommy to six children all aging from 12 to 1 years, is hilarious. Dawn writes of everyday life with little ones and the funny, frustrating and just everyday battles a mommy to six goes through. Dawn is my newest hero.

2007-09-10T14:33:00.001-07:00

Summer Vacation

Yes, I've been missing for the whole summer! My kids were around and drained every last drip of energy I had. I decided I would just take a little break and get into it once school started.

Well, it just started so I'm back. You were on my mind though, and I did miss you.

Good to be back and talk to you again.

Evie

2007-07-03T09:54:00.001-07:00

Freebies!!!!!

I've been thinking lately about marketing ideas and getting my products out to the world at affordable rates. Being that my number one job is that I am a stay at home mom (SAHM) and secondly a work at home mom (WAHM) a marketing budget can sometimes be very far off when I want to promote my products. I came up with a little free idea and want to pass on the news about my few products baby step at a time. So I'm inviting my past customers and interested visitors to get involved. It can't hurt and I know it'll be fun. Everyone loves a freebie now and then. Right?
Besides my own products I have other companies and online boutiques in line. I'll start off with my own products and go from there. Just to get you a little excited, Babylegs are a cute and fun product I'm going to give away as well. Check them out and get excited!
Check in with us from time to time and have fun. Oh, one more thing, pass the word out to all mommies you know that this is going on here.
Thanks,
Evie

2007-07-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Kids are out for the Summer!!!

My monkeys are out of school for the summer. This means I have 12 weeks with them here at home (2 down, 10 to go).

We started off summer with a weekend to Disneyland, birthday celebrations at school the last week for my monkey princess, 1 week bible camp and camping. All in two weeks! We've been busy but it has been wonderful so far being with them.

2007-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Mama Kanga

Do you baby wear? I think we all eventually do weather it's with a pouch, sling, carrier or our plain ole arms because that's what babies want right? It soothes and calms them just to be on us or in our arms. So the best inventions ever are the solutions solvers to this problem of never being able to put your little monkey down, the pouch, sling, and carriers of all sorts out there.
The next give away that Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is doing is $75.00 towards products at Mama Kanga. While I absolutely love the look of the Sling Ring Slings, I have a horrible back and know this pretty baby would just put me on the floor for days so I would stick with the Cat Bird Mei Tai hoping that this helps distribute weight evenly (it's really cute too).
Check out Mama Kanga for all of their really nice babywearing products and also check out how to win this gift certificate for yourself on Adventures in Babywearing !

Evie

2007-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Business Advising

Today I had an appointment with a business advisor. What a great experience. I'm a year into this official business stuff an I've taken business courses, I've read business books (especially those geared towards women) but I've lacked the business mentoring from a professional.

It started off great. He really knew his stuff and really liked my invention, my clothing, my ideas and mission. I did get a bit nervous when the topic on "Business Funding" came up because I hate thinking about credit or owing money to anyone BUT I'm figuring that many have succeeded with this form of assistance. It's still up in the air and there is so much to research and plan.

Boutique Scouting

This week I've been off to a few more boutiques and I have an appointment with a couple more. I was accepted into one, which is owned by two really nice women. They complimented me on my business and product which made me feel really great. Another boutique owner is planning on ordering some covers. I also have my fingers crossed for my appointment at a local hospital boutique. We'll see and I'll keep you posted. I'll be updating my retail locations soon.

Evie

2007-06-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Diary of a Mom to Be

For any of you who would love to follow the pregnancy of a mommy to be then follow me to Chic Blvd.'s season 2 of Diary of a Mom to Be.

Her name is Alli and her little one is due very soon, September to be exact. She's expecting a boy and Mommy's Little Monkey is proud to gift her with a Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain plus clothing for her little one. Check out her blog and look forward to your own pregnancy or simply reminisce about your recent pregnancy/pregnancies. Also check out the great products she receives along the way.

Evie

2007-06-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

SHOES

fit for a little Monkey!!!!!

Having three monkeys means I am always on the search for new shoes. Growth spurts plus little monkeys that "drag" their feet everywhere they go equals shoe shopping every couple of weeks, it seems like. I know that if it were possible they would walk barefoot every second that they could but because they can't I'm happy to have come across some cute thick soled shoes that look like they can take some good ware. Stephanie at Adventures in Baby Wearing actually posted a contest on her site to win a gift certificate for some Vincent shoes so hurry up and check her site out for all the info.

Vincent shoes are stylish, cute and the best thing for me is that they are available in large sizes for my older monkeys. My favorite pair for "Monkey Man" are COOL. For my "little Monkey Princess" I prefer Sanna, although I know she would live in the Princessa if she could. For my "big Monkey Princess" I really like the Tanja's and I know she would really like these too. By the way, did I mention that they offer large sizes for older children? If you have older children in larger sizes you'll probably really appreciate this as well. The larger their feet grow the harder it is to find sweet and age appropriate styles.

Hip Hip Hooray for Vincent shoes!

2007-05-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

What about Mommy?

A little fashion plus comfort after giving birth is a necessity. Although I'm not a walking model of fashion (to tell you the truth I'm often seen in work out clothing) I can't help but hope someday I will be fashionable :-)

I can say that I clean up pretty well though..haha. So on to the topic. I do feel it is a very neglected subject-new mommies and fitting fashions. This is a crucial time, a sensitive time and often the time we feel our frumpiest. This is a time that nothing fits and we find out that most won't for a while. We get stuck in maternity clothing and never ending roller coaster of emotions. Do we go for a walk? Should I eat that? Why am I not loosing this darn weight? Will those pre-pregnancy pants fit yet? Why am I not loosing the weight, I'm nursing that baby like crazy and feel like a dairy cow!

Okay, I am determined and on a mission to help those women out there, including myself (because one day I may go through this again) to find fashionable clothing that will help during a woman's transition into motherhood. We all know how many emotional and physical changes we can go through and having comfortable, well fitting clothes (not maternity clothing) will help in this department.

Let's start the day we deliver. Cute post partum lounge wear is a great start. I remember watching when Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) from FRIENDS had her baby on the show and I absolutely loved what she wore when her Friends came into the room to see her and her baby for the first time. Rachel was in a shelf bra Cami, a hoodie and what I could imagine were some cotton cute pants. When I had my third baby I made sure to go out and find this type of clothing for my post partum resting. I felt so good when I received compliments from my nurses. Thanks Rachel ( or more like the fashion stylists for the show)!!!! Here's some cute stuff I found and at reasonable prices for your recovery. A pair of drawstring lounge pants, a tank top or Cami allows easy access to baby during nursing time, and a thin hoodie is a plus during your stay especially when that air conditioner kicks in. Don't forget a pair of slippers ( make sure to pamper yourself with a pedicure before labor. Whether it's professionally, hubby or best friend doing it for you).

Now a great "Leaving the Hospital outfit" would be nice too. This would be the outfit you go home in and later can accept visiting Friends and family or run quick errands in. Make sure clothing afterwards is as loose as you would like but shorter than maternity clothing. Drawstring or elastic fashions will at least help your emotional transition and will help you physically transition back into to your pre-pregnancy clothing.

Cheers to motherhood, because it's beautiful and so are you!

2007-05-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Sun+Skin= A Painful Burn

The sun is officially here and it's the time of year we welcome it and all the fun that tags along. The beach, swimming parties, camping vacations, and not to mention amusement park visits are all coupled with bathing suits and barely there fashions exposing hidden skin we're so ready to drench in the sun.

I have to admit I am very ready to relax and soak in some rays. After the recent teaser,Memorial day weekend, I am very excited to start summer and have a little fun. So I wanted to mention SUNBLOCK!

What age is an appropriate age to lather those kiddos in protection? I just so happened to apply some on my first monkey princess when she was 7 months old (one month older then the recommended age) and she had a painful reaction. Her skin turned red and her eyes teared up. I felt like a horrible mommy after it occurred but just wanted to protect my baby's skin. After a quick washing off with mild soap she was all better and we made sure to place a good floppy hat on her head.

Researching the topic a bit I found this article on Sunblock and babies. Best bet is to just keep baby covered and a hat on. Their tiny body and sensitive skin may just not be ready for the chemical filled sunblocks a larger body can handle.

When protecting an older child (6 months and older) make sure to use a high SPF. Here's a natural brand of sun protection I found. Combine this with a great hat and you're set, but remember to reapply sunblock every 3-4 hours and keep little one out of the sun during high sun ray hours (12-4pm).

For Mommy and Daddy try Clarins sun protection (just mentioned on Oprah) and for hat protection (something I've been recently searching for) Hat attack offers a great floppy hat for women and for men check these out. A pair of cute sunglasses and good hair conditioner for mommy and you're set! Oh, make sure to protect your hair and scalp, especially those hair partings on your scalp, they will burn. Believe me, it's happened a couple of times to me and it's pretty painful not to mention embarrassing once your scalp starts peeling

:-( Gross.

Happy sun fun

Evie

2007-05-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

Diaper Bags

Diaper bags are what saves a mommy's life! You can place your baby's whole wardrobe in some bags and place just a couple of things in others. Well, I went in search for a cute diaper bag that would double as a stylish purse during and after baby packing days. I fell in love with........drum roll please!

Mia Bossi ! A little pricey but it's the same amount many women are spending on their own bags these days. Mia Bossi bags have compartments for all the many things we carry with us keeping it all organized and pile free. No more digging! (At least for the first couple of uses). After you're done with baby carrying check out how you can change the interior insert to a computer bag! Too cool working mommy!

Here are some other cool and stylish diaper bags. Caden Lane, now this one is too cute and pretty. I love the pink trim. Chocolate brown with pink lining, now that Mommy's Little Monkeys signature colors.

For more cute diaper styles check out Caden Lane's Backpack, The blossom Diaper Bag by POSH, and The Sam Hobo bag (in style, functional and no one knows it's a diaper bag).

May I also add that all of these bags will fit my wonderful Nursing Curtain or Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain! Just had to mention that little piece of info. ;-)

2007-05-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Little Monkey Fashion!!!!

Once upon a time when I didn't research on the Internet and had so much time on my hands I did not know about "clothing brands" other than the big names in department stores. I loved anything Target, and I still do, BUT now I'm catching myself notice different brands (boutique brands) when I see them on little ones and in boutiques. To see them in person is so much better than to run into them on line. I never meant to be into this stuff it just kind of happened. Like the different strollers and shoe brands-they're catchy especially when you're researching brands over and over again. I do it to see what the company is up to, where they're going through media coverage and so forth. I also love to see the development of their web sites. So blah blah blah on to my point for this posting.

I came across a clothing brand that is so nice and reasonably priced, at least for special occasions. TEA Clothing is absolutely beautiful. Don't tell her but I purchased a really pretty Dress for my daughter's upcoming birthday and I know she'll love it. Tea prides themselves in designing clothing inspired by celebrating the beauty found in cultures around the world. I absolutely love that about them. The dress I bought was a Mexico piece. I can't find it online at all but I'll add a picture once I give it to her to show you how pretty it is.

Check Tea out.

That's a fashion bit for your little monkey.

2007-05-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Business

I've been thinking about this blog thing and where exactly it fits in with my business and life. I mean do people really care that I have anything on my mind? Do people want to read my life challenges, although I haven't really been posting too many of those colorful events lately? Do people want to read about my little monkeys and my gorilla husband? Do they want to read about the road I'm traveling with my business, my triumphs, my up and downs, what makes me happy and sad and that I really do cry because I'm an emotional wreck plus sleep deprived? Well, maybe you do. So, I decided I'm going to take you on a little journey with me through it all.
Okay, so if you've been reading this blog then you realize I'm not so great at writing. Here's a little secret, I often come back on this blog and re-read everything and then correct my mistakes, clarify what I'm trying to say and correct misspelled words because this darn spell check is lousy. So forgive my writing and that's the end of that.

On with my new journey

Evie

2007-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Picked up!

Mommy's Little Monkey was picked up by a cute and posh boutique! My Little Sprout located here in Chula Vista. The Shops at San Miguel Ranch to be exact, has picked up clothing and The Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain by Mommy's Little Monkey.
I'm thrilled! After preparing my presentation I was a bit nervous and hesitated to go to the boutique. You see, I'm a bit shy when it comes to this business stuff. Maybe it's the fear of rejection I have haunting me. I'll have to get over that.
This was a new experience for me. I had sincerely contacted Java Mama's owner complimenting her on her great idea for her wonderful and much needed mommy coffee shop/hangout and she responded with an invitation to pick up my line of products. That was thrilling but this was a actual knock on the door "Hello would you like to buy some cookies" ordeal, and she bought some! I mean I won't compare my stuff with cookies because, you know, they're not cookies. I'm just so happy to finally be walking the road of having my products liked and recognized.........I guess finally making this (my dreams) a reality.
After the presentation was over we talked a bit about business and our aspirations. When she finally made her decision I went to my car to get my products, checked the time and freaked! I had to go pick up my two little monkeys from preschool. WOW, I had 20 minutes to get to the other side of town and had to let her know that I needed to go. I'm so thankful she understood and that my very good friend stayed with the monkeys until I got there.
I returned later to finish the order and I was off. Now, maybe being sleep deprived and exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions I had experienced earlier that day made me exhausted but I still drove to my best friend's house to take pictures of her and her little monkey with the Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain on to add on to the website and then realized it was nearly 8:00pm once we were through. This meant that I really didn't see the kids all day and I wanted to get home to them plus tell them the great news. I talked a bit with them and then put them to bed, found my way to the couch and I was out by 9:00PM. The next day I was pretty beat. Well, I guess I'll stop whining and express my excitement on this great experience. WHEE!!!!

Happy I'm spreading the news on my business.
Happy I'm being picked up by boutiques.
Exhausted and a bit fuzzy headed while doing it all.
Loving the journey.

Evie

2007-05-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day !!!

I want to wish all mommies a very happy day on Sunday. May it be filled with many cards from your little monkeys, macaroni necklaces and kisses. Here's a beautiful poem written that touched my heart for moms.

Women have strengths that amaze us.

They carry children, they carry hardships,

they carry burdens but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in. They stand up for injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without new shoes so their children can have them.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They have sorrow at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin!

Women do more than just give birth.

They bring joy and hope.

They give compassion and ideals.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have a lot to say and a lot to give.

-Author Unknown

Evie

2007-05-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Mommy Test

This was sent to me today and I wanted to post it on here so that other mommies can smile and laugh.

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my daughter asked. "Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Mommy, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart." I was thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information."OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the daddy." "Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face.

When you're finished laughing, send this to a Mom.

2007-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

The New Simple and Sweet line has arrived to Mommy's Little Monkey!

Mommy's Little Monkey has a new line of nursing covers! Introducing The Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain ! The site still needs a bit of photo fixing but let me give you all of the details on this new cover.

The Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain is similar to The Nursing Curtain but it lacks the extra piece of material (the valance) along the front chest area. It comes in all the same new prints as the Nursing Curtain and is embellished with ribbon to accentuate the colors in the fabric. This is a great addition to Mommy's Little Monkey and we are excited to have it finally added to the site.

Check it out and pass on the word to your nursing friends and family.

Evie

2007-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

QVC/Oprah's Search for the next BIG Idea!

Tune in Thursday to the Oprah Winfrey Show. The audience will choose the next BIG idea to be on QVC and sell their products. More than 6,000 people applied and interviewed for the spot with QVC judges and only a couple were selected to be there. We went, were not chosen but we were interviewed by Oprah's film crew and hopefully we made a little spot on the opening intro. to her show. I'll be watching but even if we did not make it on the show we still had a blast going and being a part of the whole thing.

Tune in this Thursday, May 3rd!

2007-05-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Cinco De Mayo was a great success!

Mommy's Little Monkey turned 1 and returned to the Cinco de Mayo celebration! So many people recognized us and congratulated us on our success. It was really rewarding to have returning customers come up to me and tell me how much they loved my product, read the blog and appreciated my business. It was also wonderful to have excited people come up to me and discover my business, complimenting me on my products. It was so motivating!

I want to thank each person who was there and browsed, purchased or simply took a card wanting to spread the news on my business. :-) Thanks!

2007-04-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

!Fiesta!

This week I'll be working like a Crazy Lady trying to get things done for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration here in my town. It's this Sunday, April 29th. A bit before Cinco de Mayo but it's all good. That means that Mommy's Little Monkey is turing 1!

Yes, we launched last year the exact same weekend. I'll definitley be celebrating after it's done with my favorite fiesta drink, a Margarita!

Cheers

Salud

Evie

2007-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Lumps

Tonight I was visiting fellow blogger sites. Motivated to spread the news on a topic posted on Mama Knows Breast- Breastfeeding Cuts Breast Cancer Risk, I wanted to give you the link so that you may educate yourself on this new Research Story.
Andi has a friend who is currently journaling her journey with breast cancer. Her journal includes when she finds out she has cancer, battling the Chemotherapy to loosing her precious hair. The way she handles each step is so heart moving.
Just as Kelly found a lump while nursing her little one , I too had/have a lump in my left breast that I found while nursing my first child eight years ago. I was immediately concerned about this lump. I went several times to the doctor for this lump in my breast but each time I was told that it was not common for a 23 year old, breastfeeding woman to have cancer. I was also told my breasts were/are fibrous and that I should not worry. For a while I've ignored the concern for this lump but I have been checking in from time to time just to see if it has grown. Again, I'm concerned. So far she has stayed the same size but getting checked would probably be the best thing to do, don't you think?
This story has motivated me to go back to my doctor to get it checked out again. Having lived with Alopecia as a child my worst fear is loosing my hair, as it is I don't have eyebrows because of it so when I was little being bald and eyebrowless, many people always asked my mom if I had cancer. Does this sound shallow or what? I mean who cares about this-Hair loss? Overall the average person would primarily think of CANCER first, but me HAIR LOSS! After reading Kelly's story I am humbled and feel ashamed for these emotions. Her strength-inspirational, her personality through all she has journaled-motivating, my prayers go out to Kelly and her family.
I am so glad I read this tonight and promise to make my appointment tomorrow to see my doctor on this lump in my breast. I also ask for you to spread the news on cancer and the connection of breastfeeding reducing the risk in women.

Evie

2007-04-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY

This Sunday, April 22ND, marks EARTH DAY. Celebrate with all responsible parents and people who want a better future for their children and generations of future family by supporting "The Sky Belongs To All of Us" http://earthday.net/sky3/.

Since I've become a mother pollution and becoming "Green" has been a priority. I continue to teach my children and incorporate Green living into my everyday activities including while running my business. Doing just a couple of things can help our environment. We can make a difference little steps at a time.

Learn about little things you can do to help here http://www.earthday.net/involved/envtips/default.aspx .

Evie

2007-04-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

My Monkey Man turns three and Starts School in the same week!

Monkey man just turned three Sunday and we celebrated by removing his little horns in his much anticipated baptism. Yes! Finally maybe we'll see a halo start to appear. So far I haven't been able to see a thing around his head, maybe it takes some time.
The family came over and we had a small celebration combining his birthday in there as well. He's been into Monster Jam lately and so we ended up getting him a Monster Jam cake. For any of you who don't know what the heck Monster Jam is then let me explain. It's when these ginormous vehicles that sit on metal frames crash into each other and destroy various objects in their paths. They fall apart sometimes and make very loud noise while doing their destruction. Daddies love it, at least my hubby does.
If you live in a boy world you probably know all about it. I came from princess dress up, tiaras and wands with my two first monkey princesses to a world of Tonka trucks, Monster Jam and this great cartoon I have to tell you about, "Bigfoot Presents" on Discovery Kids. This great show can keep my monkey man occupied for a long time, he loves it! If I need to clean or get some lunch together I know exactly what to put on the tube feeling confident he's not destroying anything or hurting himself.
Well, he ended up getting a great lunchbox for his birthday from my brother and sister-in-law and monkey man is crazy about it. Today he woke up excited that he was starting school. We dressed him and then he and his sisters went to the kitchen to get ready for breakfast. When he knew it was time to get his snack together he scambled for his big Fire engine lunch box and made sure he was right there watching all that was placed inside it. Then he held on tight to it and would not put it down.
When it was time to take him and his sister to school I didn't think I would get emotional BUT I did. I felt confident his sister would be fine because she currently is in pre-school and is attending this new one with monkey man to help with the transition. When it was time to leave him I was taken over by many emotions. I just watched my last baby sitting at the play dough table sculpting away. He never really looked up at me or F . We said goodbye to the both of them and turned to walk away then he yelled "mommy I want a hug" then asked F for one too. We said good bye again and then off we went. I started tearing up and walking to the car the tears came down.
I'm happy that they're in school but it's a new little chapter in my life. I'm a scared it's all happening too fast yet I kind of asked for time to speed forward during my challenging moments with them. Now, it sits here in my lap and I want to rewind time and hold them in my arms again and change diapers......okay maybe not that part. I have to just take it in and see what lies ahead. More time for my business but the down side of it all is I now have six hours a week to myself so I have no more excuses for a dirty house :-(

Man!!!! Now you know what I did today-cleaned!

Evie

2007-04-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Peace

Although I am almost always a little delayed in my posting I wanted to get on and post my sincere condolences to all the families who lost a loved one during the awful attack at Virginia Tech. University yesterday. I also want to mention that not all students are "young"(18 yrs), single and without children. I was a mother while attending UCSD.
To all the victims may they rest in peace but for any children who lost a mommy or daddy in yesterday's attack, my prayers are also with you in this time of grieving and healing.

Evie

2007-04-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Two Months!

My best friend is two months post partum! Her Little monkey is so beautiful and is now staying awake longer and is more alert. I went over to visit the other night and somehow received diaper duty the minute I got there. I remember those days and actually miss them. I was so happy to have diaper duty. His mommy put his little mobile on and he cooed as I changed him. I couldn't stop holding him and loving him. I really miss the baby days.
BFF is doing so good too. Her transition into mommyhood has been quite a big one but she 's doing so good and is glowing. I actually remember not feeling very natural when I became a mommy and it was a huge challenge for me. Some days were great and I felt good about the whole new life I had and other days I felt like I was surely going to fail at this new job. I still have those days but most days I surrender to the fact that I'm going to mess them up no matter what! :-)
Really though, I love my job as a mommy and with time and more children you gain confidence and get the hang of it, I did.
To babies, they make us the mommies who we are and turn us into women we never thought we could be!

2007-04-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

Moving To Texas!!!

No, I'm not moving to Texas at this very minute but my husband, F, came home from work the other day suggesting that we pick up and move there. What the heck is there in Texas for us? I mean no offense to anyone who lives in Texas, I'm sure it's great but we were both born and raised here in SD and have so much family here that I could not imagine leaving to a state where we have no one. I guess it comes down to the kids and what we will and can offer them in the future. Although he's concerned with these little monkeys who are growing up so fast I can't help but worry that we'll take them out there and once they're grown will be drawn back home to California where all of their family is, leaving us alone in a hot hell.
After discussing it with him a bit I do understand his emotions and so I decided to take a little trip with him to hell (I only mean the heat)to check it out. Austin to be exact is where we're headed to visit in one month.
To be continued.........

2007-04-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Spring Break !

So last week was spring break. It seems like I used to look so forward to it. To mornings I could sleep in and not have to rush around making coffee and watching it simmer and then turn cold as I pass it several times while getting the kids ready for school. To late nights watching movies and playing games or reading books with the kids. This year though, I looked forward to it but it was very fast and we still rushed around not to mention I never had a good cup of hot coffee.

We played at the park and had a picnic. The kids ran, rode scooters and played at the playground. We went to the Zoo and also visited the beach. It was nice and I took a break from working the whole week just to dedicate time to the kids.

Cheers to Spring!

2007-03-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Little Monkey went to Oprah's Search for the Next Big Idea!!!!

Monday was an exciting day for me! I traveled north to Downtown L.A. to enter Oprah's Search for the Next Big Idea! It was so great. I started off the week a nervous wreck. With some motivation, simple mentoring and conversation with a close family friend and fellow inventor he really calmed my nerves where I was able to carry on the week in peace. As Monday approached I prepared and was on my way with confidence and faith that I had a chance at this contest that QVC and Harpo productions partnered up and had set up. I had a 4PM schedule appointment. We (my motivating team and emotional support from the birth of my creation and start of my business, cousin and sister-in-law) made it just in time and arrived a bit nervous yet excited. We signed waivers, just in case we were video taped by Oprah's cameras and then entered the room where many people were waiting to be discovered. Once I realized that there were so many people and that the interview process was nothing like American Idol I was relieved and a wave of confidence set in.
I then went to check in and once in line waiting we said a little prayer and off I was escorted to a table to display my product. I displayed the two products the best that I could and was ready for the interview to begin. A judge, Kim, came over and introduced herself and I then introduced myself and it began. I presented my creations to her and she asked me a couple of questions like what it was made of and if it was machine washable, if I had a patent and what they were priced at. It was a painless process and then I was done. I was very pleased with the experience but one thing I did notice was how these professional purchasing QVC judges showed absolutely no emotion. They simply asked their questions and were then on their way. I really noticed this while I waited. I love to read people too and I could not see any emotion in the two I studied. They must send them through many training courses or poker classes to teach them this skill!
When I was packed up and walking away the girls met me and they started asking me questions. We were then approached by Oprah's camera crew and they asked to interview us! WOW, this was too exciting for me. I said yes and they started asking me questions about the process and if I thought I would be chosen. What was I supposed to say? "oh yeah, I'm getting a call back for sure" NO! I did not say that, I simply said it was great and that the experience was wonderful. My judge was very nice and she made it very painless. I also said I was hopeful of the outcome. THEN.......I had to take advantage of the exposure. I asked if they wanted to see my product ;-) I HAD TO! The crew glanced at each other as if they had never been asked the question before, nodded at each other and kept filming. I took out my Nursing Curtain and informed them of what it was and what it did. The woman who approached me, who was most likely the one in charge whispered that she was nursing. We finished up and I then gave her one!!!!!! One of Oprah's people has one of my creations!!!!
Overall it was such a great experience and I'm really happy I did it. I'll receive the results by April 27th.
Keep your fingers crossed for me,
Evie

2007-03-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

MAMALICIOUS!!!!

Check out my new fabric selections! http://www.mommyslittlemonkey.com/

We changed out the old and came in with some new and very cute prints including Mamalicious Blue and Pink. I love them!!

Soon to be added to the collection is The Simple and Sweet Nursing Curtain which is almost the same but much simpler. This cover lacks the valance and has a cute pocket in the front to hold all your nursing and non-nurisng needs.

Visit us to see what's new!

2007-03-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Helping the New Breastfeeding Mommy

My best friend had her baby on February 11Th. I went to her baby shower the day prior and she had asked me what contractions felt like. I explained a bit and then she said she felt cramping. The day went on and just by glancing at her you could tell she was experiencing discomfort. With my own experience this could go on for days. I left a little later and told her to call me the next day.
She was scheduled to have a Cesarean due to the baby being breached later that week but Sunday, Feb. 11Th, was the his natural birthday. Her water broke very early that morning and once at the hospital they got ready for her and performed the surgery. I missed it all because I was at a baptism and forgot my purse at home! I cried a lot that day. He's beautiful and now officially a month old.
Although I missed the birth I did make it to the hospital later that day and stayed a while with her and her family. When I arrived the baby was in the nursery. When she started to worry a bit about the length of time he had been gone she decided to call her nurse and told them to bring her the baby. They listened to her wishes.....a good thing! When he was rolled into the room he came in bundled like a little burrito. Just beautiful, it actually made me feel like having another one but I think three is good right now :-)
She decided to start nursing him again but he was very sleepy. By the time I left his suction was growing stronger. She asked me when I would be back and I told her I would be back in the morning. This pushed me to go home and read up on Cesarean births and related issues on breastfeeding.
The next day they were both doing very good and his suction was better than the day before. He was very sleepy but expected from a Cesarean baby. His latch on was good too and she was making sure to latch the baby on correctly by making sure he opened wide and placed her finger in there and retired if it was a bad latch. This woman is the poster mama for breastfeeding and I made sure to tell her too. I'm just a little jealous :-)
Once she was home and after going to her first pediatric visit the doctor informed her that the baby need to latch better, that her had lost a lot and that he was jaundiced. This was something I had experienced with my first baby as well. It scared her a bit and she made appointments with a lactation consultant that helped her with her issues.
One thing that also helped her through her breastfeeding challenges was the La Leche Book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". This is a great book and I recommend it to all expectant mommies that are very adamant to breastfeed.
She is now almost 5 weeks postpartum and doing great. I told her my own secret of counting down each day when it gets challenging. 5 weeks has gone by very fast for me but I know when you're the one transitioning it can be hard. Counting down helps you to pat yourself on the back and realize hat you are one day more into giving the very best nutrition to your baby.

Until next time,
Evie

2007-03-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Missing Blogger!!!

I am very sorry that I have not posted anything in a while! I'm not missing...I'm here just very busy.
My best friend had her little monkey in February and I did do a lot of breastfeeding review and helped her out when I could (this topic needs it's own post). I've also been busy with the family, organizing the house, and of course the business.
My birthday just passed on the 13Th! I am now officially a year older :-) I'm proud and very accepting of aging, don't get me wrong, but this year I was a little blue. I 'm guessing it was the cold I came down which attacked me when I woke up that morning.
Anyhow, everything is going good. Now on to some Mommy issues.
Evie

2007-02-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

What a Craze for some Java!

Today marked the Grand Opening of a great new coffee shop here in San Diego. Java Mama was on the news this morning and received great coverage. I intended to make it there by 9:30am or so but ended up there at around 10:30am.

I had my two youngest monkeys in tow and once we walked in it was crazy, a good crazy though. Arm to arm with mommies and toddlers there for some Java and fun. The Bump gave away great bags of freebies, which some of my own products were in there :) and Java Mama gave away free Java and goodies too. The play area, which is designed with little monkeys in mind (ages 1-3), was crowded with toddling toddlers and of course my 2 year old had to be the roughest one there. He was everywhere! Up on the slide, down in the train table play station, then away to the soft blocks where he piled and destroyed on top of very young monkeys. I really felt like I was in the wrong place at the right time. This place is great, it was just the opening day and there was so much excitement. Okay, so I'll blame his wildness on the fact that there were so many other excited little ones and hope that he's one of the best ones next time we go out.

So am I the only one who cringes every time out with the kids. Hoping that they behave and then being a bit disappointed once you're in the moment? Am I the only one who feels like you want to control your child and expect your two year old to behave and mind everything he is told? I have two girls older than this little monkey and they were a different experience. I mean this boy can be wild and I feel like I don't have the tools to tame him and then I also feel like he's little and I need to just kick back. What about you?

Overall, Java Mama was a great hit today and I know my products will do great there. There were so many mommies with itty bitty ones, nursing up some healthy greatness. If you're in San Diego and want some time with your girlfriends, yourself and of course your little monkeys then remember Java Mama. www.javamam.com

2007-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Breastfeeding Etiquette

After reading a really great blog topic post by http://www.mamaknowsbreast.com/ I decided to check out the link she posted for The Today Show and breastfeeding etiquette. Susan Kane , the editor and chief to Baby Talk Magazine, was interviewed by Ann Curry on the great topic of breastfeeding statistics and the declined percentage of breastfeeding mothers at 6 months. Besides the help women need to succeed at breastfeeding, the problem at the work place and breastfeeding, etiquette was the focus and the attitude public has towards the act.
This week ivillage.com took a survey on the topic, which is a Internet site particularly targeted towards women, and the results were

57% responded breastfeeding should only be done in discreet places and all covered
30% responded anywhere-anytime
10% never in public

57% was the result from the national dietetic association's national survey for people who disapprove to public breastfeeding

It is wonderful to see this is becoming such a hot topic and that people are helping to make changes. Susan embraced that it is a very difficult challenge for many women to go out into public and breastfeed due to their own feelings and the way the public treats nursing mothers. Also discussed were the rights to feeds anywhere, anytime defending nursing mothers "what woman do you know wants to show her, sane woman, wants to show herself in public?" in defense to public attitude towards a woman exposing herself while breastfeeding.
Women are able to breastfeed discreetly and continue their breastfeeding relationship in public whether doing so with a cover up (which was emphasised a couple of times in the interview) or anyway a woman can do so. I am very happy this was on the Today Show because it is something so many women are faced with everyday. The choice when faced with this issues is just like Susan said on the show, either stay locked up in your home because of your feelings or go out and do what you have to-breastfeed in public. Check out this interview http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/ and click on breastfeeding etiquette.

thanks to Andi at mamknowsbreast.com

2007-02-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

Java Mama

The best thing is coming to San Diego, a coffee shop for mommies and their little monkeys! If you're a mommy you know that you've been there, wanting a place you can go and have a cup of coffee with the girls while the kids play. Time to talk and bond with other adults without the worry of your monkeys hanging on everything they're not supposed to. How about a place to do some work at while the kids play? They have laptop stations with free wifi and specialty drinks while you work away. Well, it's here and it's opening very soon. Check out Java mama's website and be there! http://javamama.com

The Grand Opening to Java Mama in La Mesa, Ca. will be held on February 15Th from 7am-12 pm and Mommy's Little Monkey will be there!!!!
Go to the grand opening and the first 35 mommies will receive a goodie bag from The BUMP San Diego stuffed with greatness. Also one big diaper bag filled with goodies will be raffled off as well.
Enjoy free drinks for mommy and children and take their classes as well. Enjoy and explore this great new facility!

2007-02-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Trademark Watchdog Barking at a SAHM blogger!!!!!

So Jennifer, at http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/, was barked at today by a trademark watchdog for The National Pork Board and slapped with a threat to sue her for one cute slogan she came up with and sells at her cafe press store. Apparently her t-shirt slogan "the other white milk" is similar to theirs and they claim that it violates their trademark on the phrase"the other white meat".
PLEASE!!!!! Like anyone who reads her blog, checks out and buys her clothing is really thinking "PORK"when they do so. Does breastmilk, which my own was rarely white due to supplements, have anything to do with pork? Sorry, I never have compared nor will I ever, other than seeing a pig nursing her piglets- the expressions on a mother pigs face can be similar to a human mamas. Oh, and once I did see a mother pig run away from her five piglets but you know if I had five that wanted my chee chees I'd probably run too, but other than that I would not compare the two!
I have a business that I protected legally with patents and trademarks prior to launching and so I can understand and respect all the $ (and more $ and more $) and hard work that goes into protecting your products and names but come on! Really, this is bizarre and only proves that the legal team contacting Jennifer really did not do their homework on what they were barking at. If they simply read her blog a little more then they would see that she was doing great things with her Cafe Press earnings and also would see the passion in her mission with this blog. The Lactavist is harmless, she's obviously respectful and passionate about breastfeeding and her mission the help out with non-profit milk banks. The National Pork Board really needs to lay off. It's just a waste of their money to have had lawyers contact Jennifer, not to mention any reputation they have because now people are pretty fired up. Let's all say no to pork!

2007-01-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

I have to admit that these babies do work some magic. I love these things but watch your kids with them. I was on a mom site a while back where there was a warning posted by one mommy and what it did to her little boy's face. It was so aweful! Check it out for yourself http://www.bloggingbaby.com/2006/11/03/household-cleaning-erasers-may-cause-chemical-burns/.
Let's start with what this suckers are made of. Melamine foam (formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer) is a crystalline chemical compound. It contains microporous properties that remove hard to remove things from smooth surfaces like crayon, markers, pen, nail polish on my wood floors and white molding, dirt and other great things that shouldn't be on my/your walls and hardwood floors! The microporous areas act like sandpaper but on a very small scale, getting into tiny grooves and pits in the subject being cleaned. These little suckers have really been there for me when I've needed them. Just don't leave your kids or your moms alone with them.

My mom will kill me for this entry but I have to write about her story she shared with me. The story of the little boy who burned his face really made me aware of the fact that I need to have them up high like all of my other cleaning agents. I even warned my friends who I raved and hooked magic eraser on. One person I did not warn once I found out was my mother. I mean, why would I warn her? She doesn't have little ones living with her and when the grand kids are over her house it's not like she's cleaning or anything. So I did not warn her and guess what hap pend? Yes, she burned her face!

My mother has this thing with her face. She blames her facial hair growth she has on her last child, which was a son. I'm not certain if there is proof to her theory but she feels that her last child, her son, created a surge of hormones in her body creating hair growth on her face. My last child was a boy and I do admit I've had an increase in hair growth not to mention an increase in smelly underarms and hair growth in various unwanted spots on my body, but you know that's another story. So with this all said let's take you to the point.

I was over their house one day in December and I visited with them for a while. Once they were walking me out to my car I saw my moms face in the sunlight and viewed a whole bunch of little scratches or patches on her face that could have passed for an outbreak of acne. I asked her what had happened and she told me she was under a lot of stress from a little flood they had in their house. Okay, granted, if I had a flood in my house and mold was growing because of it and my kitchen had to be gutted out I would probably be a bit stressed out too (just a little). So I believed her story, why wouldn't I. The truth came out though on New Year's day when we were sitting and talking and the subject came up about magic erasers and the burned little boy. My mom looked at me and told me that that's exactly what had happened to her. She apparently had a little facial hair breakdown and tried to magically erase her facial hair :) leading to facial burn!!! I could not believe this. I asked her why she didn't tell me truth and she just shared that she was embarrassed at the time. She's okay with it now and has gone in the direction of some cool hair removal contraption that she purchased.

So the point of this story is be careful of these wonder workers because they burn. Don't leave your kids or mom alone with them.

2007-01-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

Potty Training and #2!!!!

I am very happy to announce that my little monkey man has officially gone #2 on the potty!!!!!!! He has been potty training for a while and has been peeing on the potty for about a week. My potty training mentality is that they're not really potty trained until that #2 has been successfully accomplished. Yesterday he asked to go #2 on the potty and he did it! A big accomplishment that he knows will get him a fun trip to Chuck-E-Cheese (a great healthy reward!!...Oh yeah) .
So I'm happy and a bit sad at the same time because this means my baby has reached a big milestone to independence......yeah I'm mourning the loss of my third baby/toddler. I know he's going to need me for a long time BUT I can't help but feel that loss of my tiny baby.

Don't even say it......no, it's not time for another baby!

2007-01-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Mail Delivery

Yesterday I opened the door while getting ready to take two children to a doctor appointment and saw that we had mail waiting in our box. I also looked down and saw a package below the mail box. Now I love mail. I look forward to it everyday. Sad but true it's one of the highlights of my day. I love the mail but hate bills, love birthday and Christmas cards but cringe over sending them, love solicitations that pertain to my life and have environmental attacks over the ones that don't have anything to do with me and my life at this moment. Oh well, that's me. So back to the package....I looked down and saw a little box on the floor and immediately wanted to know why there was a baby picture on it. Was this box a free box of diapers? Did this box have a free sample of greatness inside? It sure did but to my surprise it was a box of FREE FORMULA! How did I get this? I'm still a bit puzzled over this but somewhere along the line of stuff I filled out somewhere, I was obviously placed on their mailing list and sent this package.
The intro. letter welcomed me and stated that this company makes their formula to give my baby a strong start in life. :) The product container claims that it has DHA and ARA, special nutrients found in breast milk. Now, the container does state that breast milk is recommended, which is placed on there in small print (kind of like the warning on alcoholic beverages). Another thing on the container is this,
"your baby's health depends on carefully following these easy directions. Proper hygiene, handling, and storage are important when preparing infant formula. Powdered infant formulas are not sterile and should not be fed to premature infants or infants who might have immune problems unless directed and supervised by your baby's doctor". Now, I am a bit unaware of formula because I did not use it with my children and I understand that some mommies need to use it, so I am not putting down the use, but I am concerned with this warning. It's kind of scary.

One more thing to think about, included in the package were some informational brochures and one insert that invites all mommies to grow strong with their babies: "it's never to early to teach the ABC's of a healthy lifestyle-including making nutrition and exercise a way of life" I thought breast milk was the very best start of life.....maybe I'm wrong :-(.

2007-01-24T00:22:00.000-08:00

When your away from baby give them a fake Chee Chee (hee hee :-)

I really have to check out this cool chee chee bottle! It looks so great and exactly what every nursing mommy (at least me when I was nursing) needs to trick that chee chee baby to taking breastmilk from a bottle. It was a challenge to get my babies to take chee chee milk from a bottle while I was away. I would get sweet reports back from Nana and Grandma that they were good but cried a bit which meant a lot. Eventually when they got older they took it without a problem but it's tricking the infant to take their milk when mama's away.
So I ran into this wonderful looking chee chee, the Adiri bottle, on the Internet a while back and told my BF that I would get her one so that she could try it out once she was pumping. Look at how it smothers the baby like a real chee chee http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/Adiri.htm.
!Perfecto!
I'll report back to you once she does to see how great or not it works.
If you have a report on the Adiri bottle let us know.

To the chee chee botella,
Evie

2007-01-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

Diaper Review

Today I received a package of diapers for my friend. We're throwing her a baby shower and one great suggestion was to have a diaper raffle. So in the invitation I suggested to bring a pack of diapers to be entered into a raffle for a spa package. When one of our invites could not make it she sent some diapers and wanted to be placed in the drawing. Too cool. I was asked to open the box to see what was in it by the excited mommy to be.
I was happy to see an assortment of great diapers I had to write to you about. Seventh Generation baby diapers make chlorine free diapers. They're Hypo-allergenic, fragrance and latex free too! Most of all I love what is printed on the packaging "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." (From The Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy)
So on the side label it states the effect of chlorine bleached diapers, which most are made of, and the carcinogenic effects plus environmental and reproductive disorders. The friend who purchased these diapers loves them.
I have to say that Seventh Generation Diapers have my Green stamp of approval. Check them out http://www.seventhgeneration.com/our_products/baby.php for a store locator and more information on their products.
Peace
Evie

2007-01-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

Little Monkey in Breech Position!!!!

So I know that I've been a little absent lately but I was hit by the nasty plague! You know that one going around? It's awful! I was first hit with a cold then a cough then the flu, mixed all together and it was horrible. I'm better now though so here I go with what's going on right now in Monkey land.
This week is my best friend's 36Th week of pregnancy. We're (her support team) are getting ready for this new little bundle. I have to admit that I am so excited...kind of like an aunt would be. This is new for me, not that I don't have nephews and nieces of my own but that it's a new road for her and I to go down. She has been there for me with my three little monkeys and now it's my turn and I'm so excited.
Well, this little monkey man (yes, it's a little boy) is in a breech position. This is very new for me because I never experienced this. She has been a bit concerned because she does not want a cesarean, or more like it would be nice for it to be the very last resort. Talking a bit about it to my sister she informed me that her last baby was in a breech position for a while and turned at around 38 weeks. I didn't know this little detail. I eagerly asked her for any advice because she is a "Home Birth Mama" and is very natural, she actually helps me with so much natural advice. She informed me of exercises that my BF can do and also other things her own friend had done. Here is some information and advice my sister gave me for breech babies as she was instructed by her midwife:

1. Take an exercise ball and sit on it with your feet flat on the floor and legs in a 90 degree angle. Sit up straight , resting against a wall and legs slightly opened is optional. This is helpful at opening up your pelvis helping baby with room to move. Lounging or laying down at this point is not okay. Sis said you must always use this ball to sit on. Also using the ball in a cat position , where you're on all fours and then place your upper torso on the ball and back legs on the floor rolling back and forth is recommended to help open up the pelvis.

2. Swimming was another recommendation. Now it's not just swimming that you're doing, you're actually going to do hand stands in the water for five repetitions.

3. Acupuncture was not something she told me but is something that I researched on the net and is supposed to be very effective.

4. Walking and exercise is on the net as well and something a mama should do when her baby is in breech position.

So this is what we've done this week, so far. On Monday we took a Step class and then I watched her get into the pool and do hand stands :) Today we walked on the treadmill and then got back into the pool (this time I went in with her) and she did hand stands while I held her legs up. I even massaged her belly while she was under water...or more like pressed gently down on the baby in the direction he needs to go in. Yeah, not so sure I know what I'm doing but I was just trying to wake him up and help him move while his Mommy was on her hands.
Tomorrow we will do Step again and back to the pool we'll go and Thursday the same thing. She has her Doctor appointment on Thursday so we'll do the best we can until then and on Friday she has her acupuncture appointment.

We're doing the best that we can but if you can recommend anything at all please pass on the knowledge.

Evie

2007-01-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to Cry ....just a little

This has absolutely nothing to do with breastfeeding, postpartum issues, or really mothering at all but I have to share with you that I am so sad. Today the San Diego Chargers, who were picked to win by so many respectful professionals and, of course my husband, LOST. I have to admit that I am usually really busy to pay attention to the games but having a husband who is a die hard San Diego Charger fan I was asked to watch their first play off game while he attended the actual game at the stadium. I did have interest today to watch and pay attention to who would win because the Superbowl is a huge deal and I really wanted to see them go, plus I wanted to avoid a permanent bad mood my husband would have if they lost BUT there's no avoiding it, it's here and it will be a long off season. I do have to admit I wanted them to win because I do love them and anything from my home town.
Well, I have a bottle of beer (Corona) chilling for the hubby and big arms to hug this sad sap when he gets home.

Until next season (it'll be here too soon),
Evie

2007-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Spread the Breastfeeding Word !!!!

The Office of Minority Health http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=4493 needs our help to spread the word on the benefits of breastfeeding to all women in our country. Research indicates that 72% initiate breastfeeding but only 40% of women are exclusively breastfeeding at three months and 14% are exclusively breastfeeding at the recommended 6 months.

African-American women are at the lowest breastfeeding rates BUT mothers who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, less educated, and younger are low in breastfeeding rates as well, many minority groups fall under this description.

Educate, demonstrate and advocate the importance of breastfeeding and help our sisters gain the strength to make their breastfeeding experience successful!
Evie