03.14.06

sick kids

Posted in mom inventor at 6:12 pm by Tonya

Sometimes it seems like it is hardly worth trying to work for a living.  Even when the kids are school age, they seem to get sick a lot, and then I am not going to work.  Sometimes I wonder why I have a job when I am not doing my job.  My kids are most important though, and when they are sick, what else can you do but stay home with them? 

Of course there are those times when one of the kids gets sick and it is almost a relief because I have a house full of things that need to be done, and staying home with a sick kid gives me the opportunity to get them done.  I don’t get as much done when the kids are home though as when I am home alone and the kids are at school.  At least I do have those days some times.

 

03.11.06

techniques and tricks to handle diaper changing struggles

Posted in diaper changing struggles at 6:51 pm by Tonya

Babies naturally start fighting diaper changes when they get old enough to crawl and walk.  This is a normal stage of development.  It is not that they are fighting the actual changing of the diaper, they are fighting the restriction of doing what they want to do.  There are many ways to handle this, and some babies are more compliant than others.  The more compliant babies will settle down with a few tricks.  The less compliant ones may require the Hug n Hold vest.

Some tricks that can help in the diaper changing struggle:

  •  First, start changing him on the floor if you’re not doing that already.
  • Give him things he normally isn’t allowed to play with that fascinate him (your watch, a penlight, junkmail, a mirror, a cell phone).
  • Play special games, like blowing on his tummy, only at changing time.
  • hold his shoulders down with your feet while you change him (this has to be done while sitting on the floor).
  • give him a rolled up piece of tape (sticky side out) or a band-aid to play with.
  • hang a mobile on the changing table. 

why do I spend so much time on the computer

Posted in mom inventor at 5:36 pm by Tonya

I am getting tired of sitting on the computer and working.  Pretty soon I am going to have to take a forced break and try really hard not to turn on the computer.  I will only be allowed to turn it on to check orders, and once they are fulfilled, I will have to turn the computer back off.  Even now I am on the computer, and I am not doing orders right now.  I am typing.  My bottom is starting to get a permanent imprint of the computer seat.  I spent all day Thursday updating my website, and my planned household organization tasks went undone.  In many ways, the computer makes life much easier, but in many ways, it makes life harder and more complex, and fuller.  It can be a pain.  Now I am going to get out of this chair, and get on with other aspects of life.

03.08.06

Hello world!

Posted in mom inventor at 5:19 am by Tonya

So, here it goes.  I probably won’t be doing much blogging because who has time.  I don’t even know why I am doing it, but maybe I just need an outlet to vent.  I just found a packaging source (vinyl zippered hanging bags) that doesn’t require me to purchase 10,000 bags at a time, and when I got the order, they were not the size that I had ordered.  Now I have to add to my list of things to do, call and get the right size of bags.  I am getting ready for the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association) trade show in May.  I have to get all new signs, flyers, brochures, business cards, media packets, packaging, etc. printed because I changed my product name and got a new log (which I paid a graphic artist a lot of money for).  I am also trying to make sure that everything that I bring fits into a suitcase so that I can just bring it on the plane. 

I just sent a sample to a factory in China, and may be making the leap from getting manufacturing in the US to having it done overseas.   We’ll se how the samples come back.  I assume that they will be good.  My last manufacturer (who I think I need to be done with) finally sent me the last of my last order.  It has been 9 months since I made that order.  I think that is a bit long of a lead time. 

Now I need to find a good printer to do my package inserts. 

 

On a personal note, spring break is coming up at the end of March, and it will be nice to take a whole week off from my real job.  Of course I will probably still be doing work on my product.  That never ends.  At least I’m not making them myself because I hate sewing.