Stimulating the Economy Just Got Easier

Hooray! We have a new shopping cart. Since many of our followers do not have Paypal accounts, we have made the switch to a shiny new cart that will hopefully make it easier than ever to purchase your Happikins.

Our little company is growing rapidly, so please continue to spread the word about making the switch to cloth napkins. We are so grateful for your support and are thrilled that so many moms are concerned about making earth friendly choices. Together we can make a difference.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Go Go Garden

I am thrilled the Obama's planted a garden at the White House. It sends the right message that we can all, green thumb or not, have the experience and connection of growing our own food. We started a garden a few years ago for the kids so they could have the experience of tending to the earth and I love watching the food grow!

We have a few weeks left before we start our plantings so I'm still putting together a plan for what we're going to grow this year. Our tomatoes did great last year, I had so many at the end of the season, I was able to can them and have homemade sauce all winter. I'm going to experiment with some heirloom varieties this year and I hope to have equally successful results. I can't wait.

I am also in love with My First Organics growing kits. You can choose from a variety of seeds such as tomato, beans, squash or lettuce and let your little ones get in on the growing action. What I love most about these kits is that we're teaching our kids about food from seed to table. Contrary to popular 4 year old belief, food is not grown in the grocery store.

Have fun planning and planting your vegetable garden. While you're at it, plant a blueberry bush or try your hand with a strawberry container.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Trying to stay organized

I'm not sure if I have spring fever, but I'm finding it increasingly hard to focus these days. I've had to rely heavily on my to-do list so I don't let anything slip through the cracks. Tomorrow I'm going to clean my office, cut some of the beautiful daffodils outside to flower my desk and light a candle to see if I can find my work mojo.

Here's a few tips I can't live without to help balance my roles as mom, wife, biz owner, and good citizen:

-Organize with MomAgenda: great day planner that lets you easily organize tasks and to-do's.
-Take the time for meal planning: I sit down every Sunday and plan meals for the week. I save money on food shopping and don't have to worry about "what's for dinner tonight."
-Switch to green tea: I still have my morning cup of joe, but switched to green tea for my afternoon pick-up. Since I work at night, I have a cup of decaf green tea after the little ones have gone to bed so I can make it through the rest of the evening.
-Center with yoga: I feel more patient and balanced when I make it to yoga at least a couple of times a week. It's not easy to carve out time for myself, but I cherish this time. Namaste.

Let me know if you have any good tips to share about staying organized as you juggle multiple roles.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Huge Waste

I'm not sure why they even print phone books any more. I can't remember the last time I cracked one open to look for a number or business name--have these people heard of the internet? These books actually account for up to 10% of all landfill waste!

We just received another delivery of these wasters and I decided to take them directly to the recycling center. On the way to the car, my neighbor told me she had books to recycle, so I took hers to save on gas. On the way to the recycling, I picked up my daughter from preschool and a friend mentioned she was headed to the same place. I gave her our books which collectively filled her car trunk. It was a funny chain of events of people making conscious choices. Better yet, I found this site so you can opt out of delivery all together.

Do whatever you can to make small changes in your daily life to help reduce waste. Or, find other cool uses for things that would typically go in the garbage, like this clever couch I found on printnomore.com.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Spring is in the Air

The last few days have been warm and sunny. The buds are starting to form on the trees and my yard is peppered with lovely daffodils. These early days of spring are so revitalizing. I love to wake up in the morning to the song of birds outside my window. It makes me happy to just think about it!

You can help birds feather their nests with the lint from your dryer. Instead of throwing this fluff in the garbage, just leave a pile in your backyard and the birds will know what to do with it! This is also a good time to clean and fill your bird feeders with fresh bird seed so you can enjoy our winged friends for the rest of the season.

Take a moment to stop and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of these early spring days. Think about other ways to use our "garbage" before tossing in the can and help care for our beautiful planet.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Happi Mama

Every mom has moments when their child says or does something that warms her heart. I get these daily when my 2 year old refers to every napkin, paper towel, or kleenex as a Happikin, and heaven knows we have our share of messes. I know most moms get the warm and fuzzies when their wee ones say I love you. For me, I love that my little guy gets what I'm trying to do.

If we start teaching our kids about making smart choices early, we'll be learning from them as the years go on.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

Thanks to House Elves

I love it when my parents come to town. It seems like the few days they are here, my laundry gets done, my floors are swept and all the beds are made. This happens when they aren't here, but the fact that I am not the one doing the chore, makes it all the sweeter.

I had a chuckle today when I came home from a meeting, only to find that my own bed, which I haphazardly made in a rush out the door, was perfectly folded with pillows fluffed and lined in tidy rows. It brought to mind what it would be like if I had a little house elf like Dobby from Harry Potter who was responsible for daily chores. Oh, to dream.

I am usually on my hands and knees after the kids go to bed each night trying to scrape whatever has been dropped, flung, or stuck to the floors and walls throughout that day. When my parents are here, I'm on the couch, glass of wine in hand, and actually relaxing. Ahh, thank goodness for parents and house elves. It's wonderful to have some extra hands.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

A Better Way to Wipe

It wasn't too long ago that I had two little ones in diapers--yea, you got it, diaper changes around the clock. Luckily, I'm down to just one who hasn't mastered the art of the potty, but diaper wipes are still one of the biggest waste factors in our household.

After an excellent tip from one of my favorite people on the earth and fabulous mother of five, I've fallen in love with washable flannel wipes by Bum Genius. I've gone from using 3+ wipes per change, to zero, zilch, nada. It's wonderful, I also purchased yummy Honey Chunks Soap for sensitive skin, which you just drop into a spray bottle with a cup of water, spritz the flannel wipe and voila--squeaky clean buns!

The best part of this new diaper wiping system is there are no chemicals. The soap doesn't have any Sodium Laureth Sulfates and is super gentle on soft parts. We used to struggle with rash issues every time I changed commercial wipe brands. We've been using the flannel wipes for almost two weeks and not a single red spot. Hooray--we're reducing waste, diaper rash and chemicals which makes mama happi.

Sometimes its the small changes, like switching to cloth napkins, that can have the biggest impact. Take a close look at where you stumble and make some earth-friendly adjustments.

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly

New Law Could Hurt Small Businesses

You know I'm a mom of 3 small children and there is nothing more important to me than their safety and well being. I'm concerned about lead contamination from many of the toys and products that are imported from China and other countries but I want thoughtful legislation that targets potential problems, not a blanket "solution" that downs the little guy.

There is a pending new law set to go into effect on February 10, 2009 that could crush homemade and small toy and clothing companies. Basically, H.R. 4040 The Consumer Protection Safety and Improvement Act(CPSIA)will require testing for any products designed for little ones under 12. Although well intentioned, required testing for all products will bury small businesses and make the dream of mompreneurism a stretch for most. As a point of argument, most small business owners, especially mompreneurs, are personally invested in their products and want to ensure the highest and safest standards possible, so this seems redundant.

So get informed on this issue and please, please sign the petition to amend this legislation before it brings many of the wonderful children's products on the market to a hault. Help save Happikins cloth napkins!

Be smart. Be bold. Be happi.
Molly