Consignment Sales!

 

 Looks like the Baby Owen Company is going to be holding a consignment sale in October 2009 — visit our consignment site for more information:

 

www.obabysale.com

We’re excited about it — I think it will be good … with the economy the way it is I think sales like this are becoming increasingly popular — a way to get good quality clothes for your kids without spending a fortune!

Stay tuned for more info…we’ve just started organizing but things seem to be going well so far!

…ya gotta be kidding…

Halloween is upon us and once again I find myself struggling for a costume for my 3-year old.  It would be a lot easier if he would just tell me what he wants to be, but the whole concept is sort of lost on him.

While searching one of the online “costume” sites I found someone selling a “ghost sheet” for $17.60 plus shipping.

UNBELIEVABLE!

The hunt continues….

The Agony and The Ecstasy: Thomas Live!

Well, I hate to admit it, but I shelled out almost $75 for two Thomas Live! On Stage tickets today.

For those of you living under a rock, Thomas the Tank Engine is a talking train (only he doesn’t actually ever do the talking, various narrators from Ringo Starr to George Carlin are more than happy to talk for him.) 

Anyway, he goes on these adventures with all his other talking train friends and bascially pulls in jillions of dollars licensing his Thomas and Friends junk.

I say “junk,” but of course we own 1/2 the stuff out there — you name it, we probably have it.  And its expensive junk too.

Anyway, my beef today is not with the outrageously priced tickets ($25 in fees alone) but rather with the production itself.  (Now, to be fair — I wasn’t there.  I roped another unsuspecting relative of our little Thomas disciple into going.)

Apparently, just before intermission, they turned off all of the lights (I guess it had something to do with the story line) and scared the hell out of all the 2- and 3-year olds in the place.  (Including our own little Thomas fan.) 

C’mon…who DOES that?  You can’t just dim the lights, maybe?  Or pretend its night time?  Its a bunch of preschoolers in the audience for cripes sake.  I have half a mind to write a letter or an email or something. 

Or boycott all things Thomas from now on.  (Yeah right.)  We already have our tickets for the Thomas movie on September 8th.  I can’t wait to see how THAT goes.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “Peep. peep.”  Thomas the Tank Engine

Hey, a Newsletter!

About three weeks before the birth of our second child (if I’m lucky I have that long!) I had the brilliant idea to start an online newsletter.  Since folks are always asking me how things are going, I thought it would be a good way to keep folks informed.

Oh, and also to write a monthly column about my “take” on the whole product development thing. 

So anyway, if you’re interested in signing up you can visit the website and type in your email address:

 www.babyowencompany.com

Old newsletters are going to be archived there as well, so I guess it really depends on if you want to check back periodically or have the hottest news delivered to your inbox “as it happens!”

Either way, I’m happy to have a loyal readership!

So anyway I’m finding that this online newsletter thing is that its a little bit of work, but not too bad.  It might be LESS work for someone who comes from more of a computer background (the most technology I ever came into contact with in high school was an IBM typewriter), but generally I think I’m figuring it out (sort of like the product to market odyssey.)  Thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:  “The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”  George Bernard Shaw

A Crash Course in Preschool

Well, we started looking into preschools for Owen. He’s only 2, but he’ll be 3 soon, and I thought it might be nice for him to be able to go to “school” in the fall, if only for 5 hours a week.

The prices, of course, run the gammut — from $8K for a private preschool for the year to $60/month or so at a local cooperative preschool (where the parents chip in and help.) I love the stuff from some of these private preschools where the 3 year olds are taking a curriculum rich in art, music and French (Yes, FRENCH!). Talk about pressure.

Its a mystery to me how anyone from my generation got as far as they did without preschool. There was no preschool back then (at least, none that any of us attended!) At 5 years old (or in my case, 4) you started kindergarten and that’s where you learned your letters, numbers, and how to navigate the social world. I have friends who are doctors, lawyers, college deans and accountants.

How the heck did they do it without preschool I wonder???

I will say this, though — the curriculum in kindergarten and first grade has changed dramatically since the 60’s and 70’s and you probably do need a little help just to get started (at the ripe old age of 5) and not find yourself behind your classmates. Apparently now the 5 and 6 year old set are studying things like probability, quantum physics and algebra.

(Well, maybe not the physics and algebra stuff…but I have it on good authority that some kindergarteners and first graders are learning about probability.) As in: What is the probability you’ll end up being a doctor if you never went to preschool?

There’s an interesting article on CNN.COM today about this:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/14/paying.for.pre.kindergarden.ap/index.html

And here in NYState our new governor is advocating preschool “for all” (but who is going to pay for it? That’s the question!)

Ah well….Owen will likely end up doing SOMETHING in the fall — if only to give me a break and get him out of the house (the real motivation, if you must know the truth.) If he learns something, great. If he has more fun at recess — even better (see my earlier blog entry about letting your kids just PLAY!)

My 2 cents.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “I have a rock in my nose.” — 2 year old son, greeting his mother after preschool, a full hour after recess was over.

A (very long) Series of Unfortunate Events

…no, not Lemony Snicket – my (2 year) odyssey into the world of product development!

I can see why most “great ideas” never make it to market…its a heck of a lot of work. And when you are dealing with people who aren’t as commited to the project as you are, things can (and do!) move at an excrutiatingly slow pace.

Last year I lost 6 months (literally) on a molder who decided they weren’t doing custom injection molds anymore. Then it was a problem with the color…and now new issues with the mold that I’m trying to resolve….

…and on and on it goes.

I think I’m past the point of no return (although last week I considered cashing in my retirement fund, paying off the loans, and calling it quits.) But I decided to see this through, and if I sell just one sink mat I’ll have gone farther (or is it further?) than most.

If anyone out there is developing a product and wants my insight/help (such that it is) drop me a line. You don’t have to worry about your idea getting “stolen” (I think a lot of people worry about that) but in my experience its more about figuring out if you even HAVE an idea that would be worth “stealing” eventually.

And besides, I have my hands full. If I survive the baby sink mat I have at least two other products I want to get off the ground. More than enough to keep me busy with another long series of unfortunate events. At least this time I’ll be prepared.

…
Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “We are very concerned.” Violet Baudelaire, a memorable quote from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

24-hour Day Care

I saw something this week (either on the news or online) about these 24-day care centers that are popping up.  I guess they are primarily for working parents who work outside the home, but I thought it was an interesting concept as they mentioned that many parents (especially moms) are now working “non-traditional” hours.

I don’t see myself dropping Owen off at a day care center at say, 8pm, so I can sleep and get some work done…but I found the whole idea of an industry popping up around non-traditional work hours an interesting one.

I’m actually considering some “in house” day care when the new year starts.  Someone just to help me with Owen while I’m here at home working a few hours each week.  That way I sort of have “oversight” but I can hole up in my office and not have to worry that he’s tearing the house apart unsupervised.  I think for me (and maybe for a lot of work-at-home moms) the key may be an extra hand a few hours a week (if you can swing it) combined with the non-traditional hours (for me its 3:30-6:00am most mornings.)

On another (but related topic) — I know some folks are probably interested in how the product development/invention side of things is going as well, so I promise to devote some blog time to that in the next few weeks too.  I’ll get to it, say, around 3:30 am one morning….

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!  And thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Great TV debate

For those of us that are home the majority of the week with the kids, the TV can be a blessing and curse.  Its easy to get sucked into the “TV trap,” especially if you have toddlers in the 2-3 year old range.  For them, TV can be like a drug.

There was an interesting article out this week that talks about the love-hate relationship that moms, especially, have with the TV.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/11/10/par.moms.tv/index.html

My own personal view on the great TV debate is sort of like my view on every other debate — I’m somewhere in the middle.  I’m not a die-hard “no TV at all” mom, but you’re not going to find me on Dr. Phil either, asking for help because my kid is watching 8-10 hours of tube a day and I don’t know what to do about it.

For me, its “everything in moderation.”  Owen likes to watch the WIGGLES, and sometimes when he wakes up he’ll ask for them, “Wig-gles…wig-gles…”  But other mornings he could care less.   At 8am Curious George comes on (“George!”) and most mornings he’ll watch that (1/2 hour.)   After that, the TV goes off, but sometimes if he’s interested I’ll let him watch Sesame Street (usually I’ll ask him if he wants to watch it or not…he’s usually pretty honest and doesn’t have much interest except for Elmo and the occasional letter of the day, especially if its X.)

On mornings when we go to playgroup (Tues/Thurs) he usually just watches George (1/2 hour) and then we come home for lunch and a nap.  Very rarely is the TV on in the afternoon.  At 5pm he’ll start asking for the news (seriously) which I sometimes turn on.  Around here George is on again at 5pm, so if he asks I’ll let him watch it.  And right before bed he gets to watch 5-10 minutes of his beloved Bob the Builder.

The TV can be a great relief when you’re working at home or (late in the day) trying to get dinner started.  I sort of feel like if I’m too militant about any one thing (TV included) its going to backfire on me somehow.  There are days when he watches no TV, and there have been days that he’s “lost” his TV privileges (ie: no Bob before bed) for acting up.

He’s getting pretty savvy about the TV and the particular shows he likes.  He loves Thomas the Train too and will sometimes ask for “train, train.”  Don’t try to put Percy in when he’s asked for James, though — that’s when the trouble begins.  But generally I’ll gauge what kind of day he’s having, if he’s watched any morning shows and whether I think he’ll benefit from the program he’s asking for.

Again, I try not to get myself too worked up about it.  I have more important things to worry about.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: They say that ninety percent of TV is junk.  But, ninety percent of everything is junk.  ~Gene Roddenberry

My Household Standards

Awhile ago I posted an entry about “loving the mess.”  I haven’t really learned to “love” our mess so much as embrace and accept it.  When you have a toddler running around the house, it really is a given that the place is going to look like a hurricane hit it about 99.9% of the time.

I have the same take on housework.  We go for the “illusion” of clean around here.  Could the house be cleaner?  Sure.  Am I going to stress out about it?  No way.

I wouldn’t say its about lowering my standards so much as it is about making choices.  I’ve got a kid to keep healthy and happy and work to do while I’m at home.  Housework is running a distant third at this point.  I do what I can every day (usually I’ll run the dishwasher and washing machine at least once a day) but I can’t remember the last time the kitchen floor saw the underside of a mop. 

Oh, and I’m fairly certain the Easy-Off under the sink has expired.

I try to do a few chores each day so I don’t get overwhelmed, but its more about maintenance than anything else.  And I figure a few germs are good for Owen.  (There IS such a thing as TOO clean….at least, that’s what I like to tell myself!)  The house is kept-up, but not spotless, and everyone has clean sheets, towels, clothes and dishes. 

The rest can wait.

If the mess is really driving you crazy try enlisting some help (mom-in-law, hubby, etc.) and spend a Saturday going full throttle at it.  When Owen was about 6 months old I had a Saturday like that…just me, the mop, the vaccuum cleaner and roll of paper towels for 4 hours straight. 

I think that was probably the last time I dusted.

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote: “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.”  ~Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller’s Housekeeping Hints, 1966

Flex Time

My time at home is constantly “flex time.”  What I mean is that I’m not only working flexible hours (also known as: in the middle of the night or 5:00am) but that my day — and schedule – are always shifting.  Hence the need to be flexible.

I hear from a lot of moms on the email about how they make it all work.  I think its hard to find what works for you and your family without at least a little trial and error.  A schedule is definitely something to strive for, but its important to not be TOO rigid either.  Some days Owen doesn’t cooperate (mostly on a day that I REALLY need him to take a nap, when I’ve scheduled a conference call for instance.)  But there have been countless days where he HAS cooperated — a nap right on cue at 11:15 just in time for that 11:30 call — that I really can’t complain.

We have a schedule, more or less, for the week which includes 1) work time for me 2) play time for Owen 3) housework and occasionally 4) dinner for my husband.  I think being flexible with the schedule (both when it comes to work, and with Owen) has helped keep me sane. 

I also have learned to be more flexible with the day-to-day household stuff.  Like cleaning the bathroom for example.  I was a die-hard-once-a-week-on-Sundays bathroom cleaner up until 2 1/2 years ago.  But my husband works every other Sunday and so we’ve adapted.  Now I’m a once-every-other-week-when-my-husband-is-off-to-watch-Owen bathroom cleaner.

It works for us.

For me the key to getting (and staying!) organized was a schedule that worked for us, that changes when circumstances dictate.  I’ve learned to roll with the punches.  I think if you’re a working, stay-at-home mom, you have to!

Here’s a quote about Yoga that I thought was relevant for today!  Thanks for reading!

Today’s Baby O’Blog Quote:  Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.  ~Author Unknown