First Thing's First

This year has marked a lot of firsts for me and my family. My wife had her first official book signing. Kid Z lost his first tooth. This was the first time I've launched a new company (:D) and attended an expo as a vendor. It was also our first year we owed taxes instead of getting a refund (blerg). And many more. Some good, some not great. But one in particular happened this last Monday, and it was a monumental experience for my wife and I. Our youngest, Kid A, officially became a little boy. He is no longer our little stinker that helped us invent the baby butt spray and would run around the house telling everyone to "smell my butt!" after spraying him with the several test samples as we perfected the formula (he loved being our guinea pig). He's growing up and Bree and I got a little emotional about it. Maybe its a little silly, but this experience made us reflect on our lives, our children and realize how blessed we are. It made us nostalgic for all the fun times we've had so far with our boys, but also excited for their future and how awesome they are bound to be.

So what was this groundbreaking, monumental, and time altering rite of passage that Kid A experienced?

His first SOLO bike ride.

Take a look at a little video of it I was able to capture on my phone. (Sorry about the sound quality. I apparently had my finger over the microphone as I was jogging to keep up with him)



After a an hour or so of riding around the cul-de-sac, Kid A also experienced his first crash. I was so proud of him because he just got right back up, brushed himself off, smiled at me and got back on the bike. I hope he does that whenever he falls-- on the bike or in life. As a side note: we found when we were done that the boys had that not-so-pleasant-I-can't-sweat-yet little boy smell. Good news! We found a new use for Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray :P

Here's to all the many firsts in life and the many more to come, because with life's experiences come wisdom, strength, and happiness.

-Brick

Disnyland Deals

The day my son was born my father wanted us all to go to Disneyland. The idea was to go for his birthday on 10-10-10. So after almost 2 years we've started planning the trip for the Fall and wanted to share some great tips I found from Freebies2Deals.

Local Utah Mama Melea started Freebies 2 Deals as a way to share her money saving tips. She has over 3,500 Facebook fans (well, Facebook "likes") and is growing in popularity.

Read this article she wrote on how Disneyland is Affordable for Everyone

Then watch these three awesome videos (it will make you want to pack your bags and leave tomorrow!)
Video 1:



Video 2:


Costco also sells the Southern California Pass for three days to Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, Sea World for $249 or you can do a Four Day Disneyland trip for $159. A great deal when on ticket costs $79.

I hope these excellent tips will help you plan your next trip to Disneyland!

- Kathy

Keep Calm and Carry On

"Keep Calm and Carry On was a propaganda poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, but never used. It was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private sector companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of other products" (Wikipedia).

I purchased this print for my home right after I made the transition from working full-time in a corporate office to being home full-time and running a business from home.

It serves as a reminder to take a deep breath and relax, it's all going to work out.

These prints can be purchased a number of places, I found my on ETSY. There are posters, jewelry and even pillows.

I hate you mom

This was taken from Wasatch Woman Magazine March/April 2010 issue.

Do you ever find yourself at a loss for words in a sticky situation? Read on to get answers from relationship expert Julie de Azevedo Hanks, MSW, LCSW director of Wasatch Family Therapy.

Q: What is the best way to handle when my preschooler says, "I hate you Mommy!" It breaks my heart to think that she hates me.

A: Most moms hear those words as a normal part of parenting, and it hurts. Your daughter is feeling intense emotion and has limited ways to express herself. Instead of believing her words, listen to the underlying emotion that she's trying to express and reflect that back to her. Try something like, "Wow, you're really mad at me. You want to go play outside and I said you can't play because it's nap time. You really want to play." What she needs from you is help to learn how to identify and manage her feelings. Providing your child with the words to say to you and then having her repeat them back to you will help her to better understand her own feelings (while helping you salvage your own).

Favorite Phrases:
- When you want someone to change their behavior try, "It would mean a lot to me if..."
- When someone asks you about another person's personal life try, "That's a good question to ask her."
- When your child is expressing anger to you try, "Wow, you're really mad at me."

Expo

The Little Stinker team was at the What a Woman Wants Show this past weekend and we had a blast!

When we got there, both Brick and I were a little surprised by the size of the booth we had (as in, it was very very small). Luckily we ended up next to a really nice couple of ladies that own Swanki Hats. It was fun talking with them and working side by side with people that are so cool because we were very very close :D. They also had some super cute hats and brought in a lot of traffic.

We had some very funny moments where people actually wanted us to spray the product on their bum and even got one lady to chase around her friend trying to spray him with Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray. Classic. Just wish we'd gotten a picture of that.

We got some great feedback from the attendees regarding the fragrance and how much they enjoyed the scent. Not too strong- but effective. And it was fun to see all the "look n' laughs" from passers-by.

Thanks to our darling sales rep Jen Paxton for being a trooper and a total rock start. She dove right in and was excited to tell people about the awesomeness that is Baby Butt Spray. She had a great sense of humor and kept people laughing and interested. We couldn't have done it without you.

We also had guest author of The Dark Divine, Bree Despain, there signing books. (She is Brick's wife and yes, he calls himself a trophy husband). She was a hoot and it was great to see so many teens go fan girl over her being there. And the free nail polish she was giving out didn't hurt either.

It really was a lot of fun being there. I am so glad we took the opportunity to get out there and talk about our passion. What a great way to meet new people and I can't tell you how rewarding it was to see when people just 'get it.' That look they get when you can actually see the words "what a great idea!" forming in their heads was priceless.

Thank you everyone for stopping by. We had a blast meeting twitter friends @tech4mommies and @sahans and @ryles (@mylittlestinker) and enjoyed talking to you!

We are looking forward to the next time we can do a show... maybe the baby expo this fall...?

In the meantime, stay tuned to the blog for some fun posts, contests, promotions and more!

Unitl next time :D

-Kathy

Cafe Rio Pork Recipe

I'm not much of a cook, but I love to eat! Try this yummy pork in the crock-pot for an easy family meal.

Cafe Rio Pork

5-6 lb pork tenderloin roast

3 cups Dr. Pepper

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 clove of garlic, minced

7 oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

6 oz red taco sauce

1 tbl dry mustard

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crock pot cover just halfway with water- cook on low for about 8-12 hours- drain pork and remove any fat- at this point the meat should shred very easily with a fork.

In a large bowl mix the Dr. Pepper, both sugars, garlic, taco sauce, dry mustard, cumin, cayenne pepper and stir until sugar is dissolved- If you would like a spicier meat- blend the contents of the can of chipotle chiles and add- I just opened the can and poured just the sauce into the mixture.

Add the Dr. Pepper mixture to the pork and stir- cook on low for an additional 6-8 hours. If there is too much liquid- cook with the lid off to let the extra moisture evaporate.

-Kathy

FREE What a Woman Wants eTicket

Hello blog readers,

As a Thank You for following our blog we are offering FREE What A Woman Wants eTicket . Just click on the link and the PDF will download to your computer.

Hope to see you there, we are booth #229.

Thanks,
Kathy

Dry Skin 101

How many of us have experienced dry skin? For most, this is a temporary nuisance that occurs mainly during the winter months. However, for some it may be a lifelong issue. Although skin is often most dry on your arms, lower legs, and the sides of your tummy, this pattern can vary greatly from one individual to another. The severity and cause of dry skin can depend on a number of factors, including your age, overall health, location, and time spent outdoors. The signs of dry skin are generally quite obvious and can include the following:

- A feeling of tightness, especially after showering or bathing
- Skin that feels and looks rough
- Itching
- Flaking, scaling, or peeling
- Fine lines or cracks
- Deep cracks that may bleed
- Redness

Most cases of dry skin are caused by environmental factors. However, certain medical conditions can also affect the function and appearance of your skin. The most common causes of dry skin include:

- Weather. When temperatures and humidity levels plummet (generally in winter), it can significantly affect skin’s moisture levels. Winter weather can also exacerbate existing skin conditions. In desert regions, where the temperatures are elevated while humidity remains low, your skin can also dry out.

- Hot baths & showers. Frequent and extended hot showers and baths can break down the lipid barriers in your skin. This can also occur from frequent swimming, especially in heavily chlorinated pools.

- Central heating and air conditioning. Reduce humidity and dry your skin.

- Harsh soaps and detergents. Many popular soaps are formulated with an alkaline pH, which strips lipids and water from your skin. Loss of these moisture retaining lipids can lead to dry skin.

- Sun exposure. Like other types of heat, the sun dries your skin. In addition, the damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation can further damage your skin’s health - leading to more serious effects, such as wrinkles, sagging skin, and an increased risk of skin cancer.

In most situations, simple lifestyle changes, such as using moisturizers and avoiding long, hot showers can help alleviate dry skin. While you might not be able to achieve perfectly flawless skin, the following simple measures can help keep it feeling soft and healthy:

- Moisturize your skin. Moisturizers provide a seal over your skin to keep water from escaping or evaporating.

- Use warm water and limit bath time.

- Avoid harsh, drying soaps.

- Apply moisturizers immediately after bathing. After washing, gently pat or blot your skin dry so that some moisture remains on the skin surface. Immediately moisturize with a lotion or cream to help trap water in the surface cells.

- Choose fabrics that are kind to your skin. Generally speaking, natural fibers such as cotton and silk allow your skin to breathe. However, wool can be irritating.

Travis

Join us at the What a Woman Wants Show

We are excited to inform our readers that we will be attending the What a Woman Wants Show on April 16th and 17th. We haven't been assigned a location yet, but we did get some extra tickets to share. Which is good news for you because we are giving them away on our blog!

Here are the the details.

Prize:

We have 20 tickets to give away in pairs, so a total of 10 winners are possible.

Rules:

1. You must be a follower of the blog to win.

2. Enter the contest by posting a comment to this post that answers one of the questions below, or by sending your answers via email to us at info@littlestinkerusa.com with WAWWS in the subject line.

3. Bonus points for making us laugh (+1)

4. Bonus entries for blogging, tweeting, facebooking links to the contest (+2, +1, +1 respectively)

5. Additional bonus entries for getting someone else to enter the contest (+3 be sure to tell them to let us know who sent them)

6. You can win twice, but no more (i.e. you can win up to four tickets).

Duration:

Contest ends midnight April 9th. Winners will be announced April 10th and tickets will be mailed April 12th to make sure you get them in time for the show.

Questions for contest entry-- Answer one of the following questions in your comments:

1. What was the worst poopy diaper change experience you've ever had?

or

2. What does a woman want?

I'll be honest. I have been married for nearly a decade now (9 years end of this month to be exact) and I still couldn't really answer that question. But in that time, I have definitely learned a lot about what a woman DOESN'T want, and I can tell you this-- nobody likes a poopy diaper. Not mom, not dad, not even the kid.

Lets face it. Poop stinks. Figuratively as well as literally. And that's were we come in. Ok, so we can't stop the poop from happening. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to try anyway. But we can stop the gag reflex and help avoid some of the awfulness that is changing a stinky diaper. We can also eliminate that inevitable lingering odor.

Be sure to stop by our table for some fun, to say hi, and to try out our Baby Butt Spray. See ya there!

-Brick

Start Up Princess Interview

Kathy was interviewed on Start Up Princess. Read the article and learn what her business survival tools are.

Read the interview here: Start Up Princess interview