We're going to slay the Dragons!

I rarely get a day away from the kids. In early February I headed to Saskatoon and left my husband in charge of getting three little ones off to school early before work and the two preschoolers to the baby sitter's before the sun was even up. We are lucky that we don't have to do this very often but it was for a special occasion. I was heading to Saskatoon to audition for our family's favorite show Dragon's Den. I went to pitch my idea of "Idiot Socks" just like we had when we were kids "Idiot Mittens" but socks. I dreamed the idea up right here on the blog during a rant about laundry and having to sort 98 socks a week. The idea stayed in the back of my mind for weeks after that as I thought I may be on to something.

I am so excited to share that I got a call from the producers of the show last week and they asked me to come to Toronto to be on the show. They tape 280 segments and will end up airing approximately half of those so there is no guarantee that we will make it on TV but I know if we stay at home there is no chance at all so once again my awesome supportive husband will be supporting another one of my crazy schemes and we are off on another family adventure that will probably end up looking a lot like a "Griswold Family Vacation"!

Let me know what you think about the product. Can you relate to my sock sorting dilemma? Some people are concerned about the tangling in the washing machine so I will be testing that out. Some people ask will it be comfortable to which I answer my kids have been know to wear shoes on the wrong feet, pee their pant while sitting in a sandbox and not quit playing, wear their younger siblings clothes or have a dryer sheet stuck in their pant leg all day so do you think a little piece of soft string will bother them? One mom brought up a concern about the term "idiot" being degrading but I think of the series of "Dummy" books like "Cooking for Dummies" or "Internet for Dummies" and just like my idea it is not meant to be offensive but rather simplify something and is a marketing idea.

If you have any suggestions, ideas, extra air miles to fly seven people to Toronto, or any expertise in website design or marketing I would love to hear from you!

Take a Chance- My Dragon's Den Audition

I asked the camera man to take my picture after the pitch. I am not used to being on that side of the camera. I wore my lucky "Bronco" Blue scarf!

It went great!
Behind the scenes

Please excuse my absence from blogging of late. I have been out in the world seeking adventure. My latest quest for excitement occurred this morning bright and early in Saskatoon Saskatchewan where I auditioned to be on the hit TV series "Dragon's Den". I have been patiently waiting for CBC to announce the audition schedule for the upcoming season. Our family watches the show each week together as we evaluate the pitch and try to guess if they will succeed in making a deal. There aren't that many shows on television that a family can sit down together and the kids and parents can be equally entertained so Dragon's Den has become part of the Wednesday night ritual for our household. When the host of the show Dianne Buckner announced that information about auditions was online I literally jumped off my couch and ran to the computer. The very first stop on the audition tour was Saskatoon. I wasn't sure if I would have the biggest or best pitch of the tour but one thing I was hoping was to have the very first road pitch of the tour and I did it! The audition wasn't nearly as scary as I was expecting. The producers were fun, warm and encouraging. They really want you to do well and were more interested in helping you improve your presentation then tearing it apart. I can't say how good my chances are of making it on the show as they only choose 300 or so from the over 3000 entries but I do know that if I hadn't auditioned then the chance of making the show would have been 0% so that makes the trip worthwhile!

My kids kept saying to me, "Mom you're not really going to go and pitch your idea are you?" I guess they don't know me that well after all. So many of the great things in my life have come about because I took a chance. I did something that may have seemed scary or overwhelming at the time but upon later reflection I am so glad I didn't let fear and common sense stop me. If I had used rational thinking I would have never gone on a blind date to a hockey game in 11 years ago with a guy I ended up marrying and being head over heels for to this day. If I had decided to take the easy road I probably would have stayed being a teacher and wouldn't have put an ad in the paper 13 years ago advertising my professional photography studio before I ever even owned a camera. I said I could do it and then figured out a way to make it happen afterwards. I have tried out to be a Rodeo Queen, Miss Canada, Miss Saskatchewan Roughrider, a Saskatchewan Roughrider cheerleader (which I quickly gave up when I found out there was no salary and you weren't allowed to date the players!). I also love entering contests which has lead to having my husband and family featured in Today's Parent magazine and giving me the opportunity to write a blog for the Today's Parent site where I am lucky to reach out to other parents across the country and hopefully provide some entertainment and information. My point is that you don't have to wait for experiences and opportunities to find you that you can make things happen.

And just because your life is filled with diaper cream and potty seats doesn't mean that you too can't have adventure. If you like to paint or sew or write poems or take pictures or if you want to run a marathon take the time for you to do something you enjoy. If you want to share what you do with the whole world or just keep your talent to yourself find a way to do something for yourself so that you will be a more whole person for your family and to be a role model for your kids that you can pursue a dream. But my advice to you is to get up off your couch a do something don't watch life from the sidelines, get in the game! I am not interested in creating a "Bucket List" of things to do before I die rather I am adding to my "Life List" which is a compilation of things that I was not afraid to go after no matter how crazy, unconventional or silly! Today I can add pitching to the Dragon's Den to my life list!