LIFE: A day in the life...

Crazy days, each one seems to be more and more busy.  Honestly, I love it.  I love a little chaos, keeps me on my toes.  And the less-chaotic days seem to be fewer and farther between.  Which is totally fine, bring it.

How do I love Thee?? Let me count the (Givea) ways...

Many of you who follow me on Twitter know that I have an obsession with sweets.  Thankfully, I am NOT alone in this department - I share my sweet tooth with my #sweettootholympics buddy Sweet Harper (@sweetharper).  We're constantly tweeting about our latest sugar highs and cravings.  

I thought I'd share my sweet tooth love's fun products with you because it's back to school season.  And who doesn't love new hair accessories for school?  (um, I can't think of anyone!) Check out Sweet Harper's etsy shop for amazing clippies for your daughter - they are the cutest things around.
 

We received these fabulous headbands from our Twitter BFF, aren't they great? 

 Rose's words exactly "Oh MY Gosh, Mom!!!  These are the cutest things I have EVER seen in my whole entire life" (I think she liked them?!)

  Ella's favorite colors are blue/brown. Sweet Harper did a fabulous job capturing that! 

So here's the fun...
It's a Double Whammy giveaway.  You've got two shots to win - here and there.  So get your contest fingers ready for our very first giveaway!!

In honor of Back to School Sweet Harper & Monkey-Toes are giving away prizes on both of our websites.  Sweet Harper will give you a $20 store credit to go crazy, and Monkey-Toes is giving away a pair of your favorite shoes (valued at $37.50).  If you love them, and us, the contest details are below...Folks, it's super easy!!

Mandatory entries (there are 2) - 
1 - Go to Sweet Harpers Etsy Shop and tell us what your favorite item is, leave 1 comment below
2 - Go to Monkey-Toes website and tell us what your favorite item is, leave 1 comment below

For additional entries (make sure you leave individual comments below for each entry - and more chances to win)
1- Follow Monkey-Toes on Twitter
2 - Follow Sweet Harper on Twitter
3 - Follow the Monkey-Toes blog (super easy, you're here already, so click on the right)
4 - Follow Sweet Harper's blog (you won't regret it!)
5 - Tweet about this giveaway and make sure you include @monkeytoesshoes & @Sweetharper in your tweet.  Cut and paste the link below

And remember, Sweet Harper is doing the SAME giveaway on her blog...Go over and enter that one too - you're already half way there.

Contest Ends Friday August 20, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US & Canada residents only.  Tracy from Sweet Harper sent those gorgeous headbands for free for us to review, love her!  

Sweet Spring Style...

The thing I love about spring for little girls, ok - and me too, spring dresses, short sleeved t's in bright colors, shorts, no jackets, etc, etc, I could go on all day. These days with a new baby in tow, I don't get out much, but when I do I'm seeing tons of adorable matches to Monkey-Toes. I've decided that when I see these complimentary pieces I will snap a pic and show you, especially when it's a steal! So here goes - the first finds are at Target - and at the amazing price of $6!

Both dresses are the Circo brand from Target. Instantly, when I saw the precious multi-colored stripe dress, I thought of the Flutterflies.

Not into the stripes? Target had plenty of solids to choose from too. I chose the pink ruffle dress (of course) and thought the Flutteflies Mary Janes would add that touch of whimsy and color to spruce it up.

And get this...only $6 each! Both the dresses and the shoes could take any little princess through the summer in style...Sweet style that is!

See something while you're out and about? You can email the pic to info (at) monkey-toes (dot) com and I will share it with our friends!

Halloween 2009

Halloween is absolutely, hands down one of my favorite "holidays". Not because it has anything to do with the darker side (I'm not like that, though I do LOVE candy), but mainly because I really love being creative with costumes. I usually ponder endless ideas all year long and then pull it all together last minute.

Last year my daughters wanted to dress up Ella - as a Pink Lady from Grease and Rose - a Flower (for obvious reasons).

Ella's costume was a store bought costume, we just added some ballet flats, makeup and curled her hair up "Sandy" style.

Rose's costume was something I threw together. I bought (at Walmart) a green shirt and skirt, she had the brown tights in her closet already. From the fabric dept at Walmart I found 2 pieces of self-sticking felt which I cut in the shape of a leaf and stuck to the arm of the shirt. I drew the lines of the leaf on with a chalk pencil. A lot of these things I had around the house already - the bee you see on her neckline were actually part of an old bee headband that I tore apart, the other bee we added to the ponytail in back. The petals around her head were created with a small amount of pink tulle in which I embellished with rhinestones I had laying around from other various projects. I actually sewed the tulle with yarn onto a headband (the girls have tons of these they don't wear). Pretty easy stuff!

I really don't like throwing things away, especially craft scraps. I seem to always come up with a use for them. Be creative!

This year, I scoured the web looking for cute costumes that match our shoes. And you could always take the ideas for these costumes and make your own. Black turtlenecks and leggings or sweatpants will do wonders (think: add red felt polka dots and done, you're little ones a ladybug). You really don't have to spend a lot of moola to get a cute and re-usable result.


Pair this little monkey costume, from www.PinkTaffyDesigns.com with our Silly Monkeys Tennis shoes or Mary Janes!

Another inexpensive way to create this costume would be brown pants and shirt, monkey ears headband and monkey tail pinned to the pants in the back. Finalize the outfit with a plastic banana. Easy!

Another adorable yet simple option is a bee, which is charming on any boy or a girl. At Monkey-Toes we have all of our bee wings, wands and antenna on sale! Just add a black shirt and pants and voila, instant costume... Plus kids love to play dress up year round, so you'll have this one around after Halloween too!

Let me know what you think and if you have any others - there are tons of you crafty ladies out there! Maybe I'll post them too.

Find out how this wonderful pregnancy is going!

The fabulous people over at Mom To Be Depot asked me to blog about my pregnancy. Read my candid outlook here

A fresh new post

Happy New YEAR! I have a Blog post, that I am SUPER excited to share with you. I asked Lauri Harrison of MomToBeDepot.com and Lauri Harrison PR to be our guest blogger. Here's the scoop on Lauri -

"Lauri Harrison is a marketing and public relations veteran. She launched MapQuest.com, DexKnows.com and dozens of other start-up companies since the mid-90s. She launched MomToBeDepot.com and momtobedepot.blogspot.com to write about cool, new products available for women and babies. Lauri is a featured mom blogger with Working Mother magazine and is a frequent speaker on marketing, branding and public relations for universities and organizations."

I have had the pleasure of working with Lauri on many occasions. And I have been so fortunate to get to know her and to be able to slap some of our shoes on her adorable son!

Our "question asker" (yes, the official term) - Claire (congrats! I'll tell you what you won below) - wrote a great question, which I thought was perfect for Lauri to handle.

"How does a small business get started with marketing
your product and/or your site?"

"This is a common question for many small business owners. The first thing you need to do is figure out why your product or service is better or unique - versus everyone else out there. Many business owners skip this test and just focus on what all their competitors are saying. That just lumps you into the same bucket as everyone else. The more you can separate yourself and differentiate - the more excited your customer will be to try it. Bottomline, refine your messaging and key differentiators to really stand out against your competition

Next, you should determine if you should build a web site or just get started with a blog. Then just build it! Be sure it's easy to navigate, has images that aren't too large to download and provides all the necessary information about you as a company as well as the product. Include guarantees or return policies as well. Once your site or blog is built - include the URL in all of your marketing
communications, such as email signatures, business cards, flyers, postcards,etc. This is your storefront - and you need to keep the URL visible in all kinds of ways - online and offline.

Build community - find like-mind people that would be interested in your product or service. This is where social media has a tremendous influence. Utilize MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, BrightKite, Ning, MeetUp, etc. Get the conversation started - by you plugging yourself but not just from a sales perspective but from an informative perspective. Perhaps you have eco-friendly products - talk about why it is beneficial for people to utilize green products, etc.

Get connected with as many people as you can online and in the real world. Participate at local networking events. Join leads groups. Be visible. It does take time and effort but that's the best way to build your brand - and have your customers become walking brand advocates for you.

Create a referral program. Incent your customers to help recommend your products - and reward them. This is a great grassroots effort that can take you to the next level.

These are some basics that can get you started - and build buzz quickly both
online and offline. Need more info? Just ask us!!"

Thanks Lauri! Even as a business owner for over 6 years, I learned some new stuff! Which reminds me, you can see us at all the following places -

Be our friend on Facebook
Spy on us on Twitter

Claire - I bet you're wondering what you won??? Well, it's from my personal prize closet - the cutest little PJ's from Liberty Garage (www.LibertyGarage.com) they say "Stinky's Diaper Service" on them - so cute!. I have always LOVED this company. Their product design is absolutely adorable. We personally eat all of our pizza off their slice shaped pizza plates. I have given this fun stuff for gifts too, it's a bit hit! Congrats! (contact me for details)

Have a question? Wanna win something? Wanna give something away to promote your product/business? Just ask us!!!

See...I didn't forget about you...

I owe you major apologies. Life has been pretty crazy - in a nutshell - house shopping, during the holiday season, kids crying because they have to move schools, renting out our current home, trying to get work done in my oh so much spare time, found a house, wrote a contract - YAY!, had a surprise party for my wonderful hubby (happy birthday babe!), just upped and decided to rescue a dog, still trying to work amongst Oprah replaying THE episode and getting slammed with the marketing and order fulfillment that goes along with that kind of exposure, kids crying about moving schools, again, but excited for the dog, Christmas shopping, packing, new TV shopping, new furniture shopping, holiday decorating, etc, etc, etc.. I am waiting for the moment when my head literally whizzes off into the sky because it is spinning so much (did you catch that visual, it's not pretty). So I am sorry, and thank you for your forgiveness.

When thinking about all of the things you need to just start a business it's easy to get overwhelmed. It is a busy time, but you think there will be a light at the end of the tunnel - "once it's up and running". I'm sorry I have to be the one to bust your happy-go-lucky small business bubble. But I have to tell you that if you have the slightest twinge that in a year or so after opening the doors, you'll be sitting back, in your cush chair, looking at your bank account online and watching the numbers grow - you really are C-R-A-Z-Y. The chaos doesn't quit, there is always something to do! (but if you have found someone that has made this type of success, please pass along my info, hook me up, I'd love to know their overnight success story!)

Our first small business question comes from Shanea (yay Shanea, you won some socks!)

"My question has to do with manufacturing. I have an idea for baby socks but I don't know where or how to have them made. How do you work with someone until the product is just as you imagined? Help! Any thoughts or knowledge is much appreciated."

Thank you for your question! Of course, you can travel to China and make friends with the manufacturing plants, but let's face it, who has that kind of time/money? Many companies use what is called a "Sourcing Agent" for overseas manufacturing. (and I actually know one here in Denver, and highly recommend him, email me for details). This agent will charge a percentage of your invoice from China, or something to that effect just based on what you negotiate . He will (or a contact in the country of the factories) seek the correct factory for your products, generate a relationship, negotiate your pricing and minimums, oversee your products being made, and will help to coordinate getting the product shipped to you. This really is an invaluable service for someone who is new to manufacturing. There are a bunch of pitfalls and logistics when manufacturing and bringing product back to the good ol US of A. You want to know that the factory you are wiring thousands of dollars to is not going to close up overnight or take the money and run, you also want to know that they know that they are doing what they are supposed to.

Please note, everyone who is launching new or has existing products for kids needs to know about this - The CPSIA is implementing new standards and testing on ALL children's products. Read more about the new Mandatory 3rd Party Testing laws which will be implemented Feb 2009 here.

Hopefully that answered your question, and if not, well, write back and I will hunt down more info for you! I don't like to brag, but I know people...:)

Anyone have any stories to share on this topic? We are an open forum and glad to take comments or answer questions! And if we use your question - you win FREE stuff!

Let's do coffee!

I am always flattered when I receive an email from ambitious, budding, entrepreneurs, wanting to get started. It's crazy how their demeanor changes from the beginning of a meeting with their list of questions (all organized like) happy and sunshiney (is that a word?), and by the end of the meeting they look like a deer in headlights, big eyes, all pastey white. With the "To Do's" and the "To Don'ts" adding up. It can get confusing and overwhelming. Shoot, even I get overwhelmed thinking about EVERY.LITTLE.THING that needs to be done, and Monkey-Toes has been going for 6 years now. So folks, if you think it gets easier, you're crazy!

So I came up with this idea... I want to use this blog as an open forum to talk about business. Yes, from time to time, I will still add my own random $.02 (did you know there is no cents sign on the keyboard??), celeb sightings, new product, deep thoughts by Jenny Ford, etc. But I really LOVE helping people out - the prob is that there is just not enough time in the day to meet with everyone.

I will have some guest bloggers from time to time to answer the questions that I cannot or do not know an answer to - especially the money stuff - numbers and I wrestle, we do not get along.

If you want to remain annonymous, email directly at jenny@monkey-toes.com.

So, grab your cup of coffee and let's get started... what will be the first topic? Ask a question and I will blog about it...Go ahead, don't be shy :)

Ok, I will bribe you - IF I USE YOUR TOPIC FIRST, YOU WILL RECEIVE 4 PAIRS OF MONKEY-TOES SOCKS!

This is a disclaimer - read carefully - please note that I am not the master entrepreneur, I do not give myself that title, I am still a living, breathing, business owner/mom/human/woman making daily mistakes/successes, trying to run a business as best I know how. All I can offer to you is my personal experience or maybe ideas that I wish I could do. I encourage you to seek out a second opinion! And I also advocate you to chime in when you have information on a topic, feel free to challenge me as well.

Well, she has a great....Personality?!

I am really trying not to be so random, but it turns out, that's just how I am... My intentions for this blog (I know, the road to hell...) was to have it really well thought out and planned; I envisioned well organized diagrams and pretty pie charts. Turns out, that's totally not how I typically behave. As much as I try with my (stacks of) To Do lists, it seems like organization is just not my "thang".

So here goes, another topic that just popped to mind...Personality. This is something that up until about a year ago, I really thought everyone lived by the same standards, the same ways of thinking (aside from boys of course, they're just silly), etc, etc.

Over the summer a took an assessment by Jane Out of the Box (http://www.janeoutofthebox.com/).

"A study, commissioned by Jane Out of the Box, shows that all women business owners, though highly dynamic individuals, can be categorized as one of five types. The distinction between the categories is based on women’s choices in balancing personal and professional needs."

If you are a woman (I guess you men could do it too -please let me know those results) I highly recommend you take this evaluation - it will help you to figure yourself out quicker, in business and in life . Maybe you'll understand yourself a little bit better -- and better yet, the crazies around you (I say that with a smile).

See my profile and even watch my snazzy video (so embarrassing to watch yourself - really). Jane Out of the Box Blog.

If you have the chance - take it and let me know what it says. Is it wrong, is it right?

Happy Monday to you!

(image courtesy of I'm Not Obsessed http://www.imnotobsessed.com/node/52344)
This is another great celebrity find - Jennifer Garner & Violet Shopping over the weekend. Violet is wearing our Buzzy Bees socks - yippee!

W-Hat Fun!

You just HAVE to see what we are working on over here at M-T headquarters (this is a sneak peek). Matching hats by Lollitops USA! These little hats fit the teeny-tiniest little peanuts up to tweens. But the fun doesn't stop there because you can actually cinch these hats up to make a purse as well. Lollitops is the brainchild of Kim Spaan (mom of 3) who, on a mission to find a cute hat for her kiddo, found blah instead. (Sounds like the story of every entrepreneur, right?). The idea went even further when someone asked if they were purses - Viola! A hat that can be used two ways - how fun.

The entire collection of Lollitops USA can be seen on their website - www.lollitopsUSA.com, the sets can be purchased on our Monkey-Toes site - soon.

Whaddya think?


And check out this little tidbit...Allison Sweeney's Mama Bird/Baby bird themed baby shower which benefited St Jude Children's Hospital. She was caught red handed (ok, we actually gifted these goods to her :)) with our LUV bug gift set . It's great to see her helping out such a great cause. Looks like she received a TON of fun stuff - oh, to be a celeb!
image courtesy of Hot Moms Club and Eric Blackmon Photography