Edenbrook Farm Therapy Program Radio Interview Featuring Landon!

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Edenbrook Farm Therapy Program Radio Interview--August 2010

some days are much more difficult than others...

Blessed Are Those

I. Blessed are those who stop and listen to my chatter. You may not understand me; but I love when people talk to me, for I long for companionship, too.

II. Blessed are those who take my hand and walk with me when the path is rough, for I easily stumble and grow weary. But thank you, too, for letting me walk alone when the path is smooth, for I must learn independence.

III. Blessed are those who take the time to tell me about special happenings, for unless you make special effort to inform me, I remain ignorant.

IV. Blessed are those who wait for me. I may be slow, but I appreciate your patience.

V. Blessed are those who are not ashamed to be seen in public with me, for I did not choose to be born thus. It could have been you as well.

VI. Blessed are those who do not pity me, for I don't want pity. All I want is understanding and respect for what I have learned as well.

VII. Blessed are those who notice my accomplishments, small as they may seem to you. I must work long and hard to learn many of the things you take for granted.

VIII. Blessed are those who include me in their games, even though I may not understand the rules, I still like to be included in your activities.

IX. Blessed are those who think of me as a person who loves, and hurts, and feels joy and pain just like you do, for in that respect I am normal.

Author Unknown

losing it

okay...i'm about to just bag it. but before i do, maybe i should investigate making reusable shopping bags to sell...they're unisex, right?

i've made some out of old t-shirts before.

if only i could sew well...they could be more appealing.

why is it so hard to raise money for a good cause?

i don't know...frustrated...frustrated...frustrated.

updated webpage!

check out www.landonslove.com

New products!

etsy.com

If any readers sell or have sold on www.etsy.com, please let me know how you like/liked it. Do you have to have a business license? Because we're raising money for charity, i want to make sure I don't have to pay a company tons of money to listing our items, so that is a concern. just wanted some feedback from some readers before i looked more into it. I just figured it might be a nice way to get the word out there because so many people visit the site (I know i'm on there multiple times a day.)

metal stamps

rather than splurging and spending 50-170 dollars on a metal stamping letter set, i opted to buy a single image (star). This way, i have not spent but a few bucks and i can see if i think the washer keychains will be successful before spending all of that money. I hope it works out. Once it gets in and i get some sample products, i will post some pictures.

keychains

thanks for your feedback on the keychains. does anyone know of anywhere i can get a metal stamping kit locally? I found one online with adorable font, but it's pretty pricey.

too dreamy? NEW IDEA

okay, so now that i can stay up past 8pm, my creativity and imagination are surfacing again.

last night i thought of an idea for Landon's Love...it might be a little lofty as i just might not have the time to do this...or maybe the better statement is...i might not want to spend this time away from my family.

Landon's Love hosts Playdates

Moms, Dads, Sitters, or Grandparents host a playdate party for up to 5 kids.

They choose from a list of activities for me to bring that range from games to arts and crafts.

I bring all of the supplies for the games and arts and crafts.

Kids would leave with "souvenirs" from the playdate such as products from their arts and crafts or replicas of the games we play.

THOUGHTS????

new product idea?

yes or no???? i could customize. Vote to let me know (poll is to the right)

product idea...need your help

i know it's been an eternity since i've posted anything.

it's been a combination of pregnancy and lack of ideas. i'm sure they are related.

i am really searching right now...searching for direction. I think Landon's Love might need a face lift, so to speak. I am trying to figure out if I need to concentrate on ONE thing to sell/do to raise money rather than expanding the Landon's Love line.

I love the magnets that started Landon's Love, but they are awfully time-consuming and if i have not been able to make them now, i can only imagine in the fall that i will have even less time to make them.

I am really searching for a craft that fits this criteria:

--appealing to men and women
--inexpensive to make
--small and easy to store (remember...i'm giving up my craft room for this little bun in the oven!)
--can be priced reasonably
--materials are easy to find in my area

I have one idea, but want to keep that to myself because i am eager to hear your ideas first.

until next time...cross your fingers that creativity will re-enter my brain.

low point

i'm sure it's a combination of being prego and school consuming my mind, but i feel at an all-time low regarding Landon's Love. I feel like I was looking for things to explode and they haven't. I want Landon's Love to be ridiculously successful, but I don't know how to get there. I'm wondering if I'm selling the wrong things...should i be selling anything at all or should i be hosting social events and asking for donations.

i'm watching other people's recently begun businesses find extreme success and i feel like we're not there and all i want to do is raise money for others...I don't even plan to keep a penny for myself.

i'm sad, frustrated, and i don't know what to do.

maybe the summer will be some fresh thoughts.

Landon's Love Appearance

In case you're in Walton's neck of the woods next weekend, stop by. Walton is hosting a Yard Sale to benefit the music department for their annual trip. Landon's Love will be set up with some new products. I hope to see some of you guys there!

March 27th

8-2

Even better--the women's from mom's church will be set up right beside me with FOOD! Speaking of...mom if you read this, will you ask Ginny to make me two batches of wheat english muffins? :-)

bandana ties!

had to share the green one...shaun did a nice job tying it for me!

tie pics

my mom dared to come into school today to deliver the ties she had made...at 4:00 none the less...she's brave!

the ties are FABULOUS! they are not pictured here, but there are grass green ones that are my favorite! colors so far are: red, grass green, yellow, and blue.

can't wait for you guys to see these in person! i don't know the first thing about getting them "tied," so that's be shaun's job here soon!

THANKS MOM!

new product--neckties for kids!

I am SO EXCITED...Nan hooked it up and has been making neckties for boys out of bandanas! I cannot get the pictures uploaded for some reason, but as soon as I can, I'll post them. Trust me...they are super cute! Thanks mom!

more wooden blocks

here are some of the wooden blocks i've put together for Landon's Love out of counter top samples from the showroom. some of the wood is just gorgeous, so i didn't cover it. the other ones i covered with paper on both sides. I figured i should decorate both sides so that if it sits on a desk or a table it would look nice on both sides. each has a little clip to attach pictures or lists or inspirational quotes. as much as i am trying to purge i forbade shaun from throwing anything away at the showroom without asking me first :-)

i really like the last two pictures...the wood is bamboo and looks awesome along the sides.

searchable

thanks to kelly and tim (thanks for the directions, guys!) Landon's Love should now be searchable through google and bing.

networking and marketing

we finally broke down and joined facebook. shaun showed me how to add websites onto my page. i'm hoping this will be a great way to spread the word of Landon's Love and gain some customers!

generosity shows up when you least expect it

I experienced my typical mid-afternoon frustrations at school today, but only to be quickly forgotten by one of my dear students.

I realize I have been making some unfair generalizations this year. It was clear to me today that not all middle schoolers are selfish.

At the beginning of each year, I always play Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with my students to help them get to know me. This year the million dollar question lead me into telling my kids about Landon and Landon's Love. I talk about him and the business often because I like my kids to know as much about me and my family as I'm comfortable with...I feel it helps me build relationships with my kids and allows them to understand me a little better.

Apparently sharing this information made an impact on at least on one student. She approached me today as class began and told me that her sister (who I taught when I was pregnant with Landon) is directing a play and that some of their money from each night's performances will be donated to a different charity. She asked me if I would be interested in having Landon's Love being one of the recipients. I didn't know what to say! I was so touched. I gave her a big hug.

I am so moved and feel I was the student today rather than the teacher. I learned from her that even during the most selfish time of life, adolescence, people can be compassionate, selfless and caring.

I hope that Landon attains these same qualities and can move those who he comes in contact with as much as I have been moved today.

I emailed the girls' mom today to express my thanks for her dedication to give the girls such a wonderful upbringing.

Even if this doesn't work out for the donation, I have been forever touched by the generosity of 2 girls. I feel privileged to have taught both of them!

wooden products

I played with mod podge yesterday for the first time...it was a lot of fun.

Between yesterday and today, i have come up with 2 new projects for Landon's Love!

Product 1: Wooden photo and memo holders (inspired from the wooden blocks I made at Christmas time--http://pinkandgreenpolkadots-ninzo.blogspot.com/2009/12/sampling-of-christmas-part-2.html)

I picked these up at target after the holidays...notice the red stickers? you know what that means! good times!

Even though these will not stand alone like the wooden blocks I made during the holidays, I figured I could find some way to make it work. I couldn't have been more pleased to find these at the dollar store...2 for a buck...are you kidding me!

I used a variety of materials when I made these wooden jokers. Take a look.

Here are some "finished" products--I was thinking folks could use them as picture holders or to do lists, etc.

Product 2: Miniature Wooden Sentiments

In the process of cleaning up the mess from the basement flood, I came across several jenga-type games. I figured we didn't need multiples, so I decided I would play and see what I could come up with for Landon's Love!

I used mod podge on these to protect them as well.

I still need to determine the prices for each of these products and get them onto the website. I don't know if it is worth putting the photo/to do list things on there as I have a limited supply due to the clearance labels. I'm thinking the miniature wooden sentiments could be a permanent product.

Any feedback is appreciated. Let me know if you like these, how they could be better, etc.

now, that's creative

As you know, I've been struggling with Landon's Love and what products to have, etc.

I want something truly unique, but I feel like my projects, which ultimately become Landon's Love products are merely a recreation of someone else's creativity.

I came across this crafting blog this morning and it is amazing--the things she makes are nothing like I've seen before, family-oriented, and green.
http://redbirdcrafts.blogspot.com/

Maybe my mind just isn't in that creation mode these days, I don't know...or maybe it's the teacher in me...teachers are great at "borrowing" ideas from others and then using them in their own classroom.

Nonetheless, I'm moving on, hoping that one day I will come up with something truly unique.

game kits

Landon's Love already sells one family game kit and I'm working on a second.

The first game kit features 3 card games that foster imagination and conversation.

This new game kit will focus on physical activity. In it will be 2 games I've decided on so far. here's one of them:

Bossy Ball

I got this idea from Family Fun magazine (LOVE THAT MAG!)

This game is made with a beach ball. It has sayings written on the ball that tells players how to throw it during gameplay; things like "overhead while singing." I typed up a direction sheet to go along with it.

I think this game will get to the family-oriented products I was looking to create and sell.

3:30am

We saw 3:30 am this morning before mr. mr. went back to sleep!--just in case any of you were wondering how the night ended :-)

On a brighter note, we had a wonderful day at the farm. Vicky is working on getting Landon warmed up to riding again! We also made boo and shiraz some kitty toys, walked the big boys up the big hill (I led Solvin, which I loved, and Landon held my hand), fed the cow (Ramona) and ducks and separated some brushes according to color.

As far as therapy goes, Edenbrook is one-stop shopping. Not only does Landon get to be around fantastic and majestic animals and the beauty of the land, he gets to spend time with a compassionate and caring family (Velikys--we love you guys!), and gets to work on skills that support speech, occupational therapy and physical therapy without even knowing it!

I went to a meeting this week which spoke to the idea of students and their knowledge of concepts and skills. Today I was reminded of that knowledge is what you can apply to real-life, unfortunately not what I always ask of my students in the classroom. Edenbrook is helping Landon build skills that he can use for the rest of his life. I am already worried about Landon's kindergarten experience, but I need to always keep in the forefront of my mind that so long as Landon is building skills for life, test scores in school shouldn't matter.

While we were at the farm today Vicky shared with me some beautiful soaps that a friend of hers made. She had a great idea, which was to think about a way to make something to go with the soaps--like a sleeve or a holder. I love this idea and cannot wait to explore!

Well, if that post wasn't random enough for you, I don't know what will be...wow! Sorry about that!

be careful what you wish for

shaun and i have been talking about how sad it's been that Landon has fallen asleep practically every night at 5:30 pm for what seems like forever. although we know he needs the rest, it is disappointing for us because the evenings are the only times we see him during the week.

as usual, he fell asleep on the lengthy 5 minute ride home tonight. shaun and i ordered food, tried to clean up some of this ridiculous mess and then settled in to watch a movie. 20 minutes into the movie what do we hear? the pitter patter of (not 8 tiny reindeer) Landon with the biggest grin and his signature snicker...you know, the one he busts out when he's doing something he shouldn't!

so, here we are...shaun is playing a video game to entertain him and my hair is getting the "twist" treatment!

i'm sure this will be far less comical 2 hours from now when he is still awake, but for now we can only enjoy the time...even if it is midnight!

winter product

In an effort to avoid coming home to this incredible mess, I ran to JoAnn Fabrics, where I have been wanting to go since after Christmas. I figured the fleece would be on sale. Sure enough it was, but the line to get fabric cut and measured was all the way to the back of the store, so I stumbled across some no sew fleece throw kits and thought they would do just fine!

I accomplished two things in my visit:

1. I temporarily forgot about my house being a complete and utter wreck.

2. Purchased fleece to make scarves to sell for Landon's Love.

By the time I get these scarves made and ready to sell it will probably be warm weather, but at least I have the material and will have them for next year if nothing else.

I will post pictures as soon as I get some made. For now, here is a picture of a scarf I made a while back.

I have to decide on a price for the scarves...will post that soon as well.

struggle with focus

i'm having a hard time completely identifying what i want "Landon's Love" to reflect.

i love the magnets i started the business with, and i plan to continue with those, but i guess i'm just struggling to figure out what other products to make and sell. i have enjoyed making everything, but i wonder if there are just too many random items.

i certainly think i have products that appeal to women, but should the other products be completely family-oriented, like games, etc?

another struggle right now is time...i think the business could be a lot more successful if i set up at craft fairs and had more Landon's Love parties, but it's hard to find the time (or energy :-) ). i just feel like seeing the Landon's Love products makes the difference. i am grateful to have the website and certainly don't regret setting it up, but with products being added, changed, and eliminated from the production list, it's hard to keep everything up-to-date.

maybe i should start by getting the inventory back up, and then host some Landon's Love parties.

anyone have any suggestions? any takers on a Landon's Love party? :-)

new product--take out organizer

$2

Use these to organize your delivery and take-out fliers and coupons!



i haven't gotten these on the website yet...maybe this weekend.

i'm always open to ideas, so let me know what you think about this one and other ideas.

More Genetic Testing

we got the results from the last genetics testing. i can't say i really know what anything means, but i appreciated the call.

the test confirmed landon's deletion at chromosome 4 on the short arm (p). this latest test also identified the interval at which it is deleted. the test also concluded that he is missing 33 known genes, which are located in the region.

this deleted interval with the 33 missing genes is thought to be the cause for landon's delays and difficulties at this point.

i am sure we will find out more and more as each year passes.

for now, we celebrate his progress, and he's given us plenty of things to celebrate!

as much as i struggle with our situation, i absolutely cherish the moments that we have. it's almost as if God has put life on slow motion so that we can observe the changes and the milestones unlike other families.

i'm not sure what the future will hold for any of us, but i guess no one does.

Landon's Loves

one of our favorite parts of the week is visiting Edenbrook Farm for our weekly farm therapy session. Landon's newest love at the farm are the two kittens.

today, he was so excited to be with them that he literally locked himself with the two kittens in the office when it was time to leave!

if you haven't checked out this wonderful program, here is the link:

http://www.edenbrookfarm.org/index.html

Wordle Image

A while back i mentioned Wordle and couldn't get an image to upload to the blog. i took a picture of the one the shirts so you can have a taste.

the only thing that stinks about iron-on is that after a year of washing it starts to crack, etc.

i was thinking these images might be cool on things that are worn/used less often...grocery bags or something like that.

it's been a year!

...since the thought of Landon's Love emerged. I believe it was New Year's Eve when i couldn't sleep and i came into the kitchen and sketched the landon's love logo on the back of a weekly calendar from Michaels. i just found that piece of paper when cleaning out the office.

i am pleased with our success in the first year and hope that 2010 will bring even more opportunities to give back to genetics research through Landon's Love.

Happy New Year everyone!