Some people have Christmas in July, but in my house – we had Christmas in mid-January. We are quickly approaching “dance season” and it is time to get our stuff together. Figuring out how to get things from the house to the competition venue has taken some strategic planning. I was concerned about how it would happen, honestly. I have a small SUV, but I won’t have the luxury of laying the seats down (my kids will be in the backseat). Gone was the idea of just purchasing a rolling rack and bringing along several pieces of luggage – not going to fit! I was stressed … and then I found out about Dream Duffel.

This BRILLIANT product comes from the company Dancer’s Dream which is the brainchild of Barb Johnson and Kris Barkow. Started in 2008, this idea came to them as they struggled with the same problems that I mentioned above (plus more) and thought “There has to be a better way!”

Leave it to some mom’s to figure it out! And to make it EASY.

My husband’s biggest concern was that I had to have a product (or at that time productS) that I could assemble myself. He won’t always be with me and certainly won’t be allowed in the dressing area where I’ll be using everything. Last night, I did everything myself. It was so simple. And quick. I was giddy, because it literally worked just as it appeared – no engineering degree needed.

This post is very picture heavy. I will be posting about the duffel much more in the future weeks as we pack it and begin to use it. I will say, however, from my initial set up that this is a heavy duty duffel. Although it isn’t heavy weight-wise, the bars and product materials are sturdy. (As always, follow the directions when using – I’ll talk more about that later as well.)

So, here you go. Picture heavy – consider this your warning!

So excited to open this! It was like Christmas in mid-January

Not a lot of wasted space inside the box. The stool was inside beside the bag. You can see that the bag was covered in plastic and the additional contents were inside the bag so that they were protected in shipping.

This is the front of the bag. A large insulated pocket on the left and an additional large pocket with a strong closing clasp on the right.

I thought it was important to show the depth of the bag. For a small, it is very deep – you can see here that when I put my leg inside, it goes to my knee!

The front pocket is insulated – I think that is brillant. The days will be long when we are at competition. Being able to throw a small snack in here without the hassle of dragging along an additional cooler is a genius concept.

The hanging cosmetic case is another awesome idea. The piece that I’m holding on the right is sectioned. I’ll be able to show that more in-depth once we have it loaded. The mirror is held on with velcro – when not in use, it has a stand so that it could be used on a table. It has PLENTY of space for everything we’ll need. I couldn’t believe how intelligently it’s designed.

There are 2 spots on the Dream Duffel where you can use a patch. They come blank (and you can also order replacements). This particular one was embroidered with Piper’s name. I plan to have the other embroidered with our studio logo! The great thing is that if we decide later that we’d like something else – we just order a new patch. Super simple.

The garment bags that are sold by Dream Duffel are so unique and great for this activity. Aside from the quality of the plastic, you have 3 additional pockets at the bottom. 2 are smaller squares and 1 is a long rectangle. I envision us using the square pockets for gloves, tights and accessories; and the rectangle pocket for shoes. The smaller pocket will be great for the dancer’s name, the times and locations for dance numbers, “do not forget” memos, or how about some sweet motivational phrases!

This is a pic of the full setup. Notice here the stool. It is perfect for me to sit on with Piper standing in front of me so that I can fix her hair or apply her makeup. I will also love having a stool to sit on instead of the floor when we are in the ballrooms all day.

I love the accessory box. It’s great for all the small items that are finding their way into our life! I had envisioned having several small cases to keep them all straight, but this will work brilliantly for us!

And, last but not least, what dancer wouldn’t want a little bling. Piper is all about the sparkle, so this is PERFECT for her! There is plenty to choose from in the kit and lots of ways that you could use the pieces that are included – I guarantee that no two will be alike. It’s also a great way for Piper and I to work together on something to get her ready and excited about the competition. She’s already declared that she’ll be pulling the duffel … like I thought I would have a chance! LOL.

PS – My bag is a small. It will hold 4-6 costumes. Medium and large bags are also available by size and also in other colors/styles.

I was not compensated for this post, although I was given the product at no charge. All thoughts and opinions are my own and true to my experience. To learn more about Dream Duffel and purchase your own, find them online. 

Be sure to visit Jessica at The Mom Creative to get inspiration for your own Project Life.

Here’s what we did – January 8 – 14:

Ugh ... so frustrating. Brand new tires.

We were victims of horrible flash floods. The water rose so quickly it was outrageous.

By the afternoon, the flood waters had started to go down and we were able to make it to dance.

Don has had me looking for instant grits. I can only find the packets & not the container. I've looked everywhere.

Avery's fingernails grow SO fast. I clipped them 10 days ago and now they are this long. I always tell him "Women pay good money for nails and eyelashes like yours!"

Piper loves her American Girl "Bitty Twins". I made a trundle out of the one of the drawers beneath her bed. She loves it. (Here, she is reading them a bedtime story.)

Don was out of town, so the littles and I enjoyed a night of Tex-Mex. With Don's new restrictive diet, there are some things we tend to stay away from. Spicy is one of them!

Why did I wait 2 weeks to tackle the laundry? I know better. Bleh.

All that trash on the floor wasn't on the floor before. Ok, some of it was ... but the "culprit" did a great job of dumping my glove compartment & console out.

Dear Car Intruder,

I want you to know that we prayed for you this morning. We prayed that someone like you – that goes about in the night checking to see if car doors are locked – will find good in your life. We prayed that as you spend the change that you stole from us, that someone will show you kindness and lead you to a better life.

Oh to you, it was probably just a cheap attempt at grabbing something quick, but to me it was more than that. You came onto my property while I was at peace with my family in my home. You made two innocent little children feel uneasy and unsafe. You scared them. And, frankly, that makes me mad.

Here’s the bottom line: I have overflowing sympathy for you. I’ll continue to pray for you for a long time even though you are probably just a kid pulling a prank to impress “friends” … I’m still going to pray for you. And, should you ever read this, pray for me – because I’m going to be dealing with this aftermath for a long time. Crazily locking my doors, setting my home alarm {yes I have one & yes it is obnoxiously loud), comforting kids, and driving my husband insane about security.

Let’s just agree to keep each other lifted up, can we?

Stephanie

This is my third year doing Project Life. I absolutely can not imagine ending this project. We all enjoy looking back through the binders – it’s a legacy-building endeavor if ever their was one.

Here’s what we did – January 1 – 7:

We started the new year with a puppet show written by the kids - "The Boy Who Cried Lion". It was incredible. The dog also enjoyed it

Don has worked so hard on adding under-cabinet lighting in our kitchen. Hiding the wires, drilling into the cabinets, etc. ... what a nightmare, but he's been so careful to make sure that it's perfect for me!

Back to work! Happy Birthday to Bobby - we celebrated his big 4-0 during our team meeting.

It's time to tack down straps and make necessary alterations on Piper's dance costumes. That means only 1 thing: competition time is near!

Erin used Savannah as the model when showing us how to do the required hair and make-up for dance days.

Avery got food poisoning and had to stay home from school. By mid-day, he felt a little better. The weather was gorgeous, so I had him spend some time outside while I aired out the house and disinfected.

The mini-dancers had all-company run thru. When they were finished with their dance, they received critique from the teachers in the studio.

This will be an 8×10 additional piece that I’ll include for January 7:

It was a great day to be a dancer at Becky's Academy of Dance! It was Piper's FIRST "All-Company Run-Thru" and she had an absolute blast! All of the girls that will compete this year performed their larger group numbers. Piper was inspired by seeing what lies ahead of her as far as opportunities in years to come ... and I was excited to see what the older girls are learning and that their technique is strong. Piper's group ran each of their numbers twice and overcame the hurdle of "facing away from the mirror" as they turned their back to it each time. The first time was a little rough, but they did much better the second time. I was encouraged that Piper knew what she was doing both times (and fixed some mistakes she made during the second run). And, that she didn't appear to have any stage anxiety. Performing for your peers and teachers is many times harder than for an audience of strangers! As always, I thanked God for a little girl who loves to dance ... and boy, does she!!!

]]> http://www.stephanieclick.com/archives/3456/feed 5 http://www.stephanieclick.com/archives/3456 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stephanieclick/~3/G9luRCmMxZU/3432 http://www.stephanieclick.com/archives/3432#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:21:42 +0000 admin http://www.stephanieclick.com/?p=3432

The time has come. We are having our “All Company Review” tomorrow and the girls have to be decked out with hair and make-up. (No costumes as of yet since most are out being stoned.)

I have begun to get our “stuff” together and like every good mom, I’m making a list. Of course, costume parts and jewelry that is required for each number is a no-brainer. I’m talking about the other things that I’ll need.

Last night, a seasoned company mom and my beautiful friend Erin, used her daughter Savannah as a model and went through how she does her hair and make-up. She also brought along their box of goodies that they carry along with them. Some things were obvious that we would need, but others were an “ah ha” moment for me.

Now, it’s your turn! What have I forgotten? Leave your answer in the comments section and I’ll update the list as I go. Hopefully other moms can use this as a starting point for their daughter as well.

I realize that every studio is different, but let’s face it – most things are probably pretty similar! Use this as needed for your situation.

Here’s my list (this is beyond the required make-up, hair & jewelry pieces):

• Q-tips
• Make-up remover wipes
• Baby wipes
• Spraybottle with water
• Handheld mirror
• Nail polish remover/cotton balls (or an all-in-one remover product)
• Double-stick body tape for gaping costumes
• Satin gloves (thanks Natalie) so that I don’t snag Piper’s fishnet tights when I’m putting them on/taking them off
• Safety pins (I plan on spray painting some to match Piper’s costumes – just in case)
• First aid kit PLUS Advil, tums, anything else your child (or you!) might need
• Extension cord
• List of phone numbers (Group mom, parent list, studio owner/teacher – whoever you would contact in an emergency)
• Straws (to grab a quick sip of water and not destroy lipstick)
• Sewing kit
• Ziploc bags (great for impromptu ice packs, as well as little pieces that might go missing)
• Black and/or silver sharpie – label everything.

No need in us each reinventing the wheel. Share your best practices and let’s ALL have a great time feeling prepared and on top of things!

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One of the things that has surprised me most about being a mother is the amount of instinct that comes with the job! I’d always heard about “mother’s intuition” and thought it was a huge hoax, but in my case, I can say – it’s pretty accurate.

Most of the time for me, it comes in the form of how my children look or sound. For example, my kids were away with their grandparents for 6 weeks this summer. When I met them at the beach, I took one look at Avery and said “What happened to your teeth?” Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I called him to me and said “Open your mouth and look up.” Sure enough, his two front permanent teeth were coming in behind his two front baby teeth that had yet to fall out. I could tell with one look that his jaw line was different.

We had another episode of intuition last night. This is one that I think a lot of mothers can identify with. You know “the sound”? The sound that comes in the middle of the night … from a child’s bedroom?

It was shortly after 11 PM and it happened. I thought that it was just intense coughing, but it was obvious that something was wrong. Don said “Do you want to go or me?” I’ll always pick me … always. If one of my children isn’t feeling well or needs something – I always want to be their comfort.

Sure enough – it was Avery and he was throwing up. It came to him out of a deep sleep, so it was off the side of his bed and all over his carpeted floor. He didn’t realize what was going to happen in time to make it to the bathroom. As soon as I got to him, I yelled “Don, I need you!” That’s our code for “this is serious and I really need your help NOW”.

By 11:10 PM, Don was running the carpet cleaner and I had Avery set up with a fresh pillow, trashcan, and cold washcloth on the gameroom couch. Around midnight, we were all done and ready to head to bed – again.

I asked Avery if he felt like he could go back to sleep and he said “yes,” but something told me that this wasn’t the last of it for the evening. I made a pallet on the gameroom floor and sure enough, about 20 minutes later came Round 2.

It was a much quicker process than Round 1 and he was back on the couch within a few minutes.

I tried again to sleep on the pallet in the gameroom, but let’s face it – 40 is creeping up on me and sleeping on the floor is not what it used to be. I tossed and turned, rearranged pillows, caught up on Words with Friends … but could not get comfortable enough to sleep. I knew it was a bad idea, but after 45 minutes, I decided to get back in my own bed.

It felt so comfy and warm – like a cloud compared to the floor. But no sooner than I laid down, I just had a bad feeling. I needed to go check on Avery one last time … I got up, rounded the corner to the gameroom, and had 2 eyes staring at me – within seconds Round 3 began!

Thank you, God, for Mother’s intuition!

Avery is doing much better today. After 3 episodes, he rested the remainder of the night. Fingers crossed that none of the rest of us catch this bug!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Last year, I began seeing tons of buzz on The Elf on the Shelf and vowed to remember it. Thanks to numerous posts on Pinterest, I didn’t forget!!!

So, here’s our story: On Thanksgiving Day, Don and the kids were outside adding lights to our house while I was cooking. Just before eating, we were preparing our plates, washing hands, and getting settled … and Piper noticed a gift in our fireplace. We couldn’t imagine what it could be, but decided to have our meal and check on it afterward. We finished up and then went as a family to investigate. Everyone swore that they hadn’t wrapped a gift. I had done the majority of our shopping, but I hadn’t wrapped a thing. The kids got the gift and opened it. It seems that without any of us noticing, Santa snuck the package down our chimney!!!!

We read the book, reminded each other of the rules, and set off to name our elf. Avery is sure that Santa chose our family to receive an elf, because his name means “elf king”. So, with that in mind, we needed another pure elf name. We researched (we can’t do anything without research) and chose the name Elvin, which means “elf friend”.

Elvin has been a highlight of the season for all of us. The kids have loved it – Don and I have enjoyed it just as much. You never know where Elvin will end up, but we know that it will be silly. Piper is already getting teary-eyed thinking about Santa taking him back when he visits our house on Christmas Eve. Frankly, I am too.

Of course, I’m an doing an additional layout for our Project Life that will be just Elvin. (I’m using these plastics – Photo Pocket Pages – Design F.)

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