Feeling like a grown up

Well, Sasha got off on the school bus this morning and Marisa is happily playing at preschool and I am sitting in a Wi-Fi connected local bagel shop with my MacBook and actually getting several hours to work!  I never thought I would be so excited to have time to work.  Then again, I never thought I would start my own business either or have two kids at the age of 30 so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at life anymore.

So now that I have time to work, I also have time to get this renewed energy and motivation to really get Monkey Beanz to the level of the vision I've been working towards for the past couple of years.  Not to sound cocky, but I so believe in our products and the fair trade foundation of the company and know that the more we get it out there, the more people will respond.  We have had such great success with our customers thus far and have been doing great with expanding our wholesale accounts (a big round of applause for Nyki!), one of which has already sold out of their first order and is ready for more!

While it may not be mainstream yet, more and more people (and parents in particular) are spending more time thinking about what we are putting into our bodies and our minds and those of our children as well as the significance not just of the final product but the process that has taken place to get the product into our home.  I love being a part of this and being able to offer a place for families not just to be able to shop for products they love and feel good about, but also a place that can offer an added layer of awareness for children about the world they are growing up in.

One of my other hopes for this year is to be able to spend some of my new solo time working on products and projects that will take the same Monkey Beanz ideals of fun, play, imagination and awareness and create a greater focus on global and cultural knowledge for children.  One of the greatest lessons for me as a mother of bi-cultural children is that it is never to early for kids to learn about the world and the people, and problems, in that world.  These lessons are so valuable as they form their own ideals and can be made age appropriate so that they can still begin to grasp that knowledge of the vastness and diversity of the world.

I've been thinking a lot recently about our family and our own diversity and how these impacted our decision to begin Monkey Beanz.  I don't want to get too long winded already so I'll offer up this post as a preview of my thoughts and posts to come.  As always, happy to hear comments, and experiences.  Off to enjoy my locally brewed fair trade coffee and promote Monkey Beanz!

Labor Day

Good Morning lovely people!!!! Happy labor day. The weather is perfect here in Maine.. some would say it is too cold.. NOT ME!! I love Fall so bring it on. We started on our nursery this week, so far we have a changing table, I cannot wait to have a baby shower and see the lovely things people get us.. I know I sound greedy, I can't help it!!!

I am very excited about Monkey Beanz. Julia and I are working very hard to make it a full time career for both of us. Here are a few of my goals.

1. Gain 3 more wholesale accounts this month (for this I have hit the road.. so far so good!!)
2. Become a regular blogger
3. Get creative with new ideas
4. Create a schedule for myself that would help me get more work done
5. Have an office for Julia and I by the middle of 2010, this is a distant future goal.
Well I will accept any advice from anyone.. no matter if it is good or bad..bring it on
Have a great Monday
Nyki Greene

How to Blog - Organize or Let it Flow?

Well, I'm feeling pretty good so far in my quest to blog.  At least I haven't given up yet, right?  My current confusion is actually stemming from my creative juices not just beginning to flow but to explode in volcano fashion - ideas spewing forth lava like and running amok.
So now, my self-doubting blogging self overthinks this and begins to stress.  Do I choose a topic for a particular day of the week: being a mom and running a business issues on Monday, general parenting on Tuesday, fair trade issues on Wednesday, children's book reviews on Thursday, Monkey Beanz updates and product info on Friday?  If I do this, can I write more than once in a day?  What if I miss a day - does that throw the whole schedule off?
And perhaps now, you are starting to understand why it has taken me so long to actually start and continue this blog.  Yes, yes, I am an analyzer, an overthinker, one who spends too much time in her head, I second guess everything.  But wait, this is my new beginning!  My Monkey Beanz New Year! 
So what is the conclusion?  There isn't one and I will still keep blogging.  I have so many ideas that I will write about on any day whenever it strikes my fancy (and my kids are off at preschool/kindergarten or in bed) and perhaps even sometimes when it doesn't. 
Tomorrow is the first morning that I will experience having both children in school at the same time for several hours and I'm hoping to get over my shock for long enough to blog about it.  Wish me luck!