We've moved! (The blog, that is...)

I've moved my blog to our website. You can now find my posts @ www.organiluxe.com/blog.

End of Preschool... Hooray!!! (I think)

Well, tomorrow is Jillian's last day of VPK. Like every other mom of a preschooler, I can't believe how this time has flown by! She graduated last week, in her tiny little cap and gown. If I hadn't been so busy taking pictures and filming the whole thing - camera in left hand, video camera in right - I probably would have cried.




I am so happy with the way this past year has gone for her. It wasn't long ago at all that I seriously doubted whether she'd be able to attend school or not because of her allergies. Being severely allergic to milk, eggs and nuts certainly has it's limitations in life, but she successfully whizzed through an entire school year at Thompson Preschool, and loved every minute of it! I cannot express enough thanks to the ladies at that school. They really went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that not only was Jillian safe, but that she got to participate in every activity, even if it meant changing the activity for the whole class.

She doesn't know how "different" she is. She understand that there are things she cannot do, things she cannot eat, but thanks to a wonderful school and staff, she felt just like the rest of the kids... for one more year, at least.

Next we tackle Kindergarten. I'm optimistic, I really am. I have already spoken with the principal, guidance counselor, and nurses, and I feel confident that they are going to do everything they can to keep her safe. It's a wonderful feeling to know that people understand your child's needs and are willing to accommodate them. But at the end of the day, she is my child, not theirs, and I have to stay on top of things.

Luckily, my little ball of sunshine has always been quite good at rolling with the punches, so to speak. Maybe she can give me some tips.

Pesticides and ADHD - Did we need more convincing?

As many of us have heard by now, a little over a week ago a new study was released that linked pesticide ingestion (from produce, mostly) to ADHD in children. I think we can all agree that we knew pesticides weren’t exactly good for us, right? But now we’re starting to see some actual research backing it up, which will hopefully lead to some changes in the way our society works – ideally, that is.

Pesticide-laden foods are not the only thing wrong here. Take a look at your clothing. One T-shirt made from conventional cotton requires 1/3 pound of harmful chemicals, including pesticides. One-third of a pound! Now imagine wearing those chemicals around all day, dressing your children in them, going to sleep in them at night… Not such a pretty thought, huh?

I’m not saying to trash everything in your closet and only wear organic cotton clothes. In an ideal world, maybe, but that would be pretty hard to do, actually. Conventional cotton is by far more readily available to us than organic. But maybe it’s time for all of us to start making some small changes in what we buy, all around. The more demand there is for organic food and cotton, the more available they will be - period.

Gearing up for LA!

Less than a week now! I leave next Thursday morning... very early. Not looking forward to that so much, but I am getting real excited about the trip itself. Mom has been sewing, sewing, sewing trying to get all the products made that we'll need. It's quite a bit of stuff. Plus all the orders we've been filling in the meantime - we've been pretty busy!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm heading to Los Angeles next week for The Silver Spoon's Celebrity Dog & Baby Buffet. It's an event where stars of all kinds bring their pups and kids of all ages to pick up goodies from vendors like us! We're going to be handing out our Organic Lunch Bag Sets and our Organic Sandwich and Snack Sets to all the lucky guests!

The event is held on Friday and Saturday, May 7&8. Joining me in LA will be my very good friend, Jonathan. This is not his first OrganiLuxe event, either! He's a tremendous person to have around, and he really loves our business and our products. Mom will be staying home with the kiddos - someone has to... plus she says these kinds of events aren't really her thing, lol.

We're just really excited to be involved. There is a lot of opportunity for some great media coverage there, so keep your fingers crossed for us! I'll keep you all updated!

"Today Show"

Very, very VERYYYYYYY exciting news!!! I found out today that OrganiLuxe's Organic Canvas Totes will be featured on the "Today Show" on NBC THIS FRIDAY, 4/9/10!!!! We will be mentioned as one of the "Top 10 Must Have Items," with the show's Style Editor, Bobbie Thomas!

And this is all thanks to the lovely ladies at The Silver Spoon out in LA, who are responsible for getting our bags used in Tiffani Thiessen's baby shower and also the Dog & Baby Buffet in LA, which I will be attending with my good friend, Jonathan, in May. They "LOVED" our bags - their words, lol - and sent them to the "Today Show" for us! We couldn't ask for better publicity!!! It's really amazing!

I suppose there's always the chance that the segment won't have enough time to mention us (you know how those things go - if there's a table full of items and they run out of time for them all...), but we will STILL be listed on todayshow.com, which is AWESOME!!!!

As you can tell, we're VERY excited about all of this! And we hope there is more like this to come! :)

Once in a While...

Once in a while, something really exciting happens. Sometimes it's small, like your baby taking a few shaky steps. Sometimes it's HUGE, like your baby taking a few shaky steps!!! And once in a while, more than one exciting thing will collide and make an overwhelming week of super-excitement that leaves you... well, breathless!

This is what life has been like lately... breathless! But breathless in a good way. Trevor turned 1 on St. Patrick's Day, and he's started taking a few big-boy steps - only when prodded, though. He'd much rather crawl, thank you very much! It seems like this age brings a new twist around every corner. The beginning of walking, the beginning of words, the beginning of one of the cutest stages of life, and along with it... the beginning of a whole lotta trouble!

He's already into everything imaginable. Seriously, everything. Not much babyproofing was done for Jillian - she didn't need it. Not only was she tiny and unable to reach most stuff, but she really wasn't all that interested. I didn't realize the gift I was given, ha! Trevor is God's way of making up for that/laughing at me! He's all boy, though, and I love him to pieces. If he would only leave my computer alone...

You see, I need my computer. I need it for personal reasons, of course, but it's also where I spend the vast majority of my working hours. In our business, my mom does all the sewing and I take care of the "other end" of things. It's amazing how much work that "other end" entails! Mom's really busy right now, though. And for good reason. Here's where more of those really exciting things have collided...

About two weeks ago we were asked to be the Official Gifting Bag for actress Tiffani Thiessen's baby shower this past weekend! We were very honored and extremely thrilled! I've been a fan of hers since the good ol' days of "Saved by the Bell," so we jumped at the chance! We also finalized plans to attend The Silver Spoon's Celebrity Dog & Baby Buffet in L.A. this May, where we will be showcasing our Organic Insulated Lunch Bags and our Organic Sandwich and Snack Bags. These are both really big opportunities for us, and we're really happy to be a part of them... and we're also breathless. Whew, it's a lot of work!

But breathless or not, I can't help but be pleased with life. Once in a while, it feels like you're right on the edge of something big, and I feel like I'm there - in more than one way.