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Hip, hip, hooray! Our Kickstarter project launched today.  Friends from all over the world are helping us out and it's awesome.  When I say friends, I mean everyone....people we don't know as well as people we know.  It's absolutely amazing and we are so thankful for all of the support.  I think the key was the hard work and dedication that my brother has put into this project to make it happen, and us cheerleaders on the side-all being a part of a fun, loving team.  And now, you are a part of it, too... Just by reading this to start.  What a great feeling. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We are 50% funded on the first day, and have 34 days to go.  A lot of people found us through Kickstarter.  After that, I would have to say that Facebook really helped.  I have to admit that I don't use Facebook all that much.  However, the day that we launched our project and reached out to all of our friends, they all were willing to help out.  Thank you!

We're so excited to share this fun balance board with everyone and can't wait to hear how people use it and how it helps them in life.  Cheers!

When you take something delicious and familiar and then add it to something a little less desirable, it somehow makes that little less desirable thing magically turn into something fantastic.  Cereal companies figured this out years ago: Take cardboard tasting crunchies and then adding sugar.   As a parent and teacher, one of the tricks I learned on how to make things more desirable to kids is to add a few fun words to the mix.  For example, when my daughter is craving something unhealthy at the grocery store, I'll say: "How about an avocado ice-cream?"  She's immediately thrilled with the idea, because it has the word ice-cream.  Then, I grab an avocado, turn it upside down (opposite side of where the stem was), and peel the top skin off so that the bottom looks like an ice-cream cone.

So, my brother Glynn, niece Ripples, and I are working on this new company together and it's a blast.  It's the first time that Ripples and I have "started" a company, and we're learning about all the trials and errors. We're lucky, because we have the best teacher-my brother who also happens to be Ripples' dad.  He's the entrepreneur with all the tools and tricks. Today, one of the things I learned was to better label my photos in my photo dropbox.  "Milkshake I" and "Milkshake II" labels don't help me much.  Neither do dates.  So, now to come up with a formula....hmmmm....that's the other part of starting up a company.  How much time do you spend on each task? And if you are someone like me, your brain gets easily distracted. 

What was I saying? Oh, yes...starting a company.  So, first thing is first. You must figure out what your company is selling of course.  Now, you can do one of two things.  You can take something that is already out there and make it better, or invent something on your own.  Obviously, the second choice would ROCK, but if that doesn't come naturally to you, figure out how to improve something that is already invented. 

Second, you have to be passionate about what you are about to sell.  At least that's what it is for me.  Because you are going to be spending a lot of time and energy thinking about this baby.  Everything you do will revolve around your product or idea.  It's awesome, so you better like it.  Besides, people can tell if you are passionate about something or not.  And you should just be honest with yourself.

Third, find a good team to work with.  Whether it's just yourself, a partner, or a whole troop of monkeys-find individuals that you love to be around.  You don't have to, but it makes things easier. 

Fourth, start to be seen and heard. Everywhere! Go global if you can.  Just get out there and let people know what you are up to and that you want them to be a part of the grand picture.  We're all in this together.

Fifth, stay focused.  Stay connected.  Keep at it. If you don't understand something, learn about it.  Become an expert or at least be able to help someone else figure it out once you have figured it out.  They say that when you hear something, you remember 10% of what you read, 20% of what you hear, and 90% of what you do and say. 

Finally, have fun!

Sometimes I think about the pros and cons of being a child these days.  Naturally, pros and cons can be different for every individual.  For me, the pros are more choices.  Kids these days can do almost anything. The sky is not even the limit.  There are choices about what to have for lunch, or what school they want to go to.  For some people this may seem more complicated and overwhelming, and perhaps it is.  That's why it's so important these days to enjoy each moment and be more mindful of the present.  "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is the present.  That's why we call it a gift" (Chinese Proverb)

In yoga, we end the day with "Savasana."  It's a little yoga nap where we just lie down, relax, and focus on the present.  It's probably one of the more requested parts of yoga (by both kids and adults), and it not only relaxes you, but energizes you in a way that makes you feel new. 

Whether you do yoga or not, you can still practice this sort of meditation.  It only takes about 10 minutes of resting your body and clearing your mind of any thoughts that are negative or too busy.  Lie down on the grass, snow, sand, on a mat or board, or wherever...as long as it's safe. Inhale and exhale deep breaths and just think about 10 things that you are happy and thankful about.

Enjoy.

Growing up, my brother, sister, and I would spend hours and hours outside creating obstacle courses.  We'd take some usual household materials, such as broomsticks, mops, chairs, stools, ladders, and ropes and put together our obstacles.  Brooms or mops across chairs made excellent high jumps (or we would also have to crawl under the jump as another obstacle).  Ladders were for climbing or jumping, and ropes were great for tug-o-war if there was a tie at the end. The obstacles that a child can create are endless. 

Obstacle courses are a great way to get kids active with a fun purpose.  Even for adults, obstacle courses can be fun or a great way to get in a training, especially if you don't have the space or time to get in a long workout.  Obstacle courses can include push-ups, sit-ups, hopping on one foot, skipping, jumping, crawling, climbing, and just about anything.  They can also be done indoors or outdoors.

Remember the days when we pretended to be spies looking for a secret passageway? Well, obstacle courses are a great way to relive those memories and maybe prepare yourself for a real boobie trap!  Talk about the coordination, balance, and focus that are required with an obstacle course. Oh, and that's not all.  The fact that you are refining your gross motor skills and fine motor skills is a bonus-all without realizing it.  Just talking about this makes me want to rearrange my furniture into an obstacle course right now!