Monday, June 27, 2011

It's update time.  Last week Patrick and I drove to Calgary to tape our Dragons' Den update.  It has been just over a year since the show aired and we went from having just an idea to ordering over 20 000 pair of socks.  
We arrived at E Children early to make sure everything was set up.  The socks were already on display. 

My rep Karen does a great job with displays and she was making sure everything was in place for when the crew got there.  
Thanks to Twitter I am keeping up with Kula Klips another mompreuner that does the belts that were in behind my display.   
The socks come in 8 styles which are in 4 sets.  Retro- gold and green, Jungle- Frogs and Monkeys, Stripes and Solids- Pink and Brown.  The sizes are 0-9 months 9-18 months, 1-3 yrs, 4-6 yrs, 7-9 yrs and 10+  I sized them that way because I could never remember when I was at a store what size my kids feet were.  
The finished display.
 It's has been a long year and I was glad to have my hubby there with me and my amazing rep Karen who has worked so hard to get us into nearly 50 stores across Canada. 

The crew arrives from another shoot. 


The friendly local sound guy.  We realized even though we were across the store after we were mic'd up he could hear everything we said!

  
Our fun, fantastic, fabulous producer Molly.  She brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the shoot! 
I was deep in thought when Brett walked in and said, "Excuse me Miss." 

I think we are dancing here!
Then he takes a picture with his I Phone.  I told him I hope my rack looked good in the pictures.  Yes I mean the sock rack. 
We found a cute little model and her Dad who were willing to be on camera.  
 The last shoot I got to roll around in the socks and toss them in the air.  It was so fun and E Children was amazing.  A special thanks to my hubby Patrick for getting me there and being there for the last year of development, Karen my rep who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, Brett Wilson for investing in Snappy Socks without him this dream would not have come true.  Rene and Danika that came to watch and be shoppers. My friends and mom who took care of  the kids and my brother for meeting me halfway to Davidson for the drop off. To Molly and everyone at Dragons' Den for helping make our dream a reality!
So that was the fun and glamorous side of the trip.  Maybe I should just leave it at that but what the Circus House be without a bit of chaos and I have never been one to not share the bumps of being a busy family.  So here is the behind the scenes story.

Four of the five kids were sick the week leading up to us leaving.  We attended Drs. Appointments with them one at a time as they became sick each receiving a gallon of banana medicine.  Grandma took the little two in Davidson where she was sure she could potty train Ellie but instead Ellie spent 3 days calling Grandma a buttocks which she learned from her older siblings.
The night before we left we I was shooting grad pictures until 9 and still had to pack and we also had to empty our whole closet as renovations on our house were starting the next day so Pat and I finally fell into bed at 1am only to be awoken again at 2 by Olivia on her hands and knees outside our room throwing up.  We were up at 5 and getting ready to go a friend took Olivia to her Drs. Appointment and guess who ended up watching Olivia since she was too sick to go to school?  Our friend who is doing our bathroom renos!  Would your contractor do that for you?  We are pretty lucky to have that kind of full service.

If you are looking for any renos in Red Deer or Calgary especially bathrooms you would be lucky to get Dale's Home Renos but babysitting is not included.  We are really fortunate to have someone so awesome doing our work.  We were gone to Calgary by 8:30 and he already had all the flooring out and our old closet apart.


 Well in the end it all worked out great but it was a bit stressful making it happen.

Stay tuned for the pictures from the Brett's fantastic Garden Party.  Here is a video clip from the interview I did there with Kempton.  

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Socks are Finally Here!!!

My socks will be arriving in Calgary today!  It has been just over one year since we shook hands with my business partner W. Brett Wilson on the set of Dragons' Den.  To me it has been a long busy year.  A year of due diligence, research, sourcing, sizing, designing, legalities, excitement. This week finally comes the pay off.

I received my samples last week so needed to get doing the photography for the new website store, brochures, ads. etc.  I thought it best to get some shots of my own kids with my socks.  To show age ranges and styles and because I think my kids are great models.  The next day I was shooting the product in age categories with a number of volunteer models so for this shot I had a vision of the busy parent making it to activities and even if the day was frazzled the kids would have matching socks.  This was not too far from the truth this day.  This is what they were all really wearing.  It was a Monday and the three boys have ball, Olivia has violin and Pat was out of town for a meeting.  

Pat and I are very excited to head to Calgary for meetings with my amazing Sales Rep Karen who has worked so hard and been so supportive for over a year.  We are also taping a Dragons' Den update at E Children and then attending Brett Wilsons' Annual Garden Party.  Should be a crazy fun week.  





 The older ones were more reluctant models but they humoured me. Ellie doesn't stop talking about going dancing next year.  We just have to get on board the "Potty Train"
The "Family" of Snappy Socks TM.  On my actual family!  There will be 8 styles available in 4 sets.  Jungle- Frog and Monkey socks.  Retro- Green and Gold (as seen here on the outsides)  Solids and Stripes- Available in Pink and Brown.  
 The sizes are 0-9 months 9-18 months 1-3yrs 4-6yrs 7-9 yrs and 10+ which are the size of a larger ladies sock.  When I get to the store I can never rember my kids sizes so I wanted to make it easier.  I also sometimes forget their birthdays when registering them for activities!

So what is the going rate for sock models these days?  One round of Mini Golf.  The ballerina is also a pro golfer.  

She doesn't stay still too long but at least the socks are in focus!

Showing everyone how it's done.  

The littlest and the biggest.  
 The next day I had about 30 kids from 0-10yrs come in to the studio to model for me.  They all did so great.  Here are a few of the shots.

The Retro collection can be a Mommy/Baby gift.  Great for Moms that already have too many things to keep together.  
Mr. Independent putting on his own socks.


 

 This week the socks will start making their way out to retailers across Canada.  There are stores right from B.C. to New Brunswick, up to the NWT and the Yukon.  Even one order has made its way to Japan.  Here are a list of all the retailers.

British Columbia

ROOM FOR 2
1409 Comercial Drive
Vancouver BC V5L 3X8 604-255-0508

Moms toBe the Baby Store
#1 10200 - 8th Street
momstobe@pris.ca
Fern Hansen
Dawson Creek BC 1-250-719-0574

Alberta

E Children Calgary
130-71st Avenue SE Calgary
403-258-2332



Sproutz Kids Inc.
36-37th St. SW Calgary AB T3E 3B3
403-242-9877


Great Things In Store
Cochrane AB


Baby Bear Infant & Toddler
603-21 Avenue Cold Lake AB
780-207-5500



E Children Edmonton
10424 169 St. Edmonton AB
780-489-0707



Bosom Babies
12413 Stony Plain Rd


Edmonton AB


Birth Source
5024 106 Ave Edmonton AB
info@birthsource.ca

780-758-2525



Grow With Us
5103-35 Mackenzie Way
Airdrie AB
403-948-4843

Good To Grow
8614 70 Avenue Grand Prairie
780-513-8505



Saskatchewan


Pharmasave
Swift Current SK
306-778-5365


Stedmans V&S
Box 100 116 Washington Street
Davidson SK 

306-567-4353

Cravings


#18-2105 8th street east
saskatoon, sk, S7H 0T8
(306) 477-8235

Hello Baby
2555 Quance Street East
Regina SK
306-757-2229


Ontario

The 5 Fifty 5 Shop
110 Elm Street Toronto ON
Sick Kids Hospital

Sweet Pea
Hanover Ontario
info@sweetpeahanover.com
Krista LeSauvage
519-364-1200

Little Bo-Tique
Tilbury Ontario
leannej@xplornet.com
Leanne Jack
519-358-1927

New Brunswick

Stylin Mama
1 Market Place St John NB
stylinmama@nb.aibn.com
Jenny Scott
506-657-6262


Yukon

Angelina's Toy Box
17 Moonstone Lane Whitehorse YK

867-393-4488


North West Territories

Barrenland Jewellry
Center Square Mall YellowknifeNT 



Japan
Strawberry Satay

Friday, June 17, 2011

Father Days

To Celebrate this Fathers Day I thought it would be nice to remember each of the days Pat became a father.

Levi

When Pat asked me on our first blind date he knew I was a Mom.  He knew he was getting a package deal.  I remember the first time Levi called Pat "Dad".  Patrick asked me to marry him and I told Levi we would be a family.  He said will I call him Dad?  I said if you want to.  He decided that would be OK with him.  He was 3 at the time.  We drove from Davidson to LeRoy on one of our 3 hour trips to visit Pat in his Credit Union house.  His shirts were ironed and hung in his closet according to their colour.  His cupboards were organized and his bathroom was tidy.  Then we entered the picture and his bachelor life was never the same again.  We walked through the door that June day after a very long drive.  Levi called out to Pat, "Hi Dad!"  It sounded so much like, "Hi Pat."  that at first it didn't register.  I asked, "Did you hear what he said?"  and I asked him to repeat it.  Levi said, "Hi Dad!"  and we have been a family from then on.  It was pretty special.  Not many Dads get to hear, "Hi Dad" from their kid the minute they start being a Dad!


I asked the kids to tell me their favourite things about Dad.


Levi Said That he feeds me awesome suppers and all the sports he has coached me in.  



Olivia
With Olivia it was the first time Pat got to experience the delivery room.  Many people that didn't know us well would ask Pat if he had been in the delivery room with Levi and say things like, "Levi you look so much like your Dad!"  This would always make us chuckle.

The second day that Pat became a Dad was the day after our friend Frog and Sheila's wedding.  We had a luxury hotel room booked but only ended up staying until about 6 am as I was in labour.  We raced to Moose Jaw and Olivia was kind enough to wait until just after the World Junior Game to make her arrival into the world.  When the placed that tiny little baby into Patrick's arms for the first time it was the most natural thing in the world.  Pat was meant to be a Dad.  Olivia was one lucky little girl to have such a wonderful man to call Daddy.
 I am sure we took more pictures in the hospital but I think Olivia has hidden her album in her room.  Pat was busy with a video camera, camera and a gigantic silver cookie bowl the nurse had given him in case I puked so this is Olivia's first appearance into the world photographed by her Daddy.

Olivia said her favourite thing about Dad was : (Kelsey you took mine!  Dad's the best cook) He takes care of me when I'm sick





Kelsey
By the time Kelsey was born Patrick was an old pro at being a Dad.  He could change a diaper, swaddle a baby tighter then a cigar and quiet an upset baby.  The day that Kelsey was born was Levi's first day at Oman school.  Grandma ran to town to collect Levi and Olivia from the hospital at midnight.  We named  him Kelsey Patrick after his Dad.  I can only hope he will grow up to be as good a man as his Dad is!

Kelsey said his favourite thing about Dad is: He's the best cook in the world.  He works hard to take care of us. 


Carson

Apparently I lost my camera until Carson was six months old.  I am sure there is a picture of Pat and Carson in the hospital somewhere but since Carson loves golfing with his Daddy I thought this would be a great picture.  The day Patrick became a father for a fourth and what we thought would be the final time was the day Carson blasted into the world and he has gone non stop since then.


Dad takes me on the real golf course and he is a good golfer.  He lets me golf and ride the golf cart.  He takes me mini golfing.

Our last pregnancy was the most surprising and the most challenging.  I could not have made it through without Pat by my side.  Pat took me for one last drive to the Delivery room where he stood literally by my side and with no one else around no a Dr or a nurse got to see Ellie come into the world.  He was the first person to lay eyes on her!  Our little miracle.  She has made our family complete.





I asked Ellie why she loves Daddy and she said  Cuz I said so.  He's good Daddy and gives good Hugs. 


Each year I spend with Pat I know I have found such an amazing partner to share my life with and the example that he sets for our boys to work hard and take care of your family makes me so proud.  And to his girls he show the way a lady should be treated.  Olivia and Ellie will be lucky to find a man just like their Dad.  He is the Ringmaster of this circus and without him it would all go to the clowns!

Happy Fathers Day Patrick We LOVE You!

And where did he learn to be such a great Dad?  Why from his Dad of course!


Cheers to all the Dads this Fathers Day!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Track Stars

It was great to have the chance to volunteer to help out at Kels' Playday.  Since I volunteered to go with Olivia on her field trip it seemed only fair to do something with Kelsey and try as I may Levi won't let me volunteer to chaperone anything especially his High School Dances.  He just knows I have sick moves on the dance floor and would outdance him.  

Here comes Kels for the long jump.  
My favorite!

 The little ones love coming to the school.  They have so many older buddies and even a few moms they know that will push them on the swings!
 Score one point for Mom for being on time, remembering hats and sunscreen but take off a point for not feeding anyone breakfast so pouring Fruit Loops in the stroller and calling it Breakfast.
 Mozy on up to the trough it's feeding time.
 Ball throw.  Two local celebrities from the SC Indians cam to play with the kids.  They were all pumped to have them there!
 How far do you want me to throw it Mom?  To the gravel I told him.
 Is your arm supposed to bend that way?
 I was torn between watching Kelsey and the man in the background painting the apartment.  Please be careful painting stranger.
 We aren't allowed to sign skin.  That was what they told Kelsey when he asked for an "arm autograph"
 Someone in stripes wants to be big like his brother.
Carson is his little shadow.

 Freezie Break.
 Didn't expect Big Red to join the race but he is doing pretty good for kids 3 years older than him.

 Tied for first.
 A visit with Sissy at recess.
Olivia had her Playday the next day which we did go and check out.  She takes after her mom on High Jump.  That was my best event and even went to Provincials! Just a minute while I relive my glory days with big bangs and spandex.
 Ooohhs and awwws from the croud.
Again it is so nice to see the athletes giving back to the community.  The kids had a great time and I think so did the Adults.  Thanks to the SC Indians for running the skills camp for Minor Ball!