Facebook Page - TEMPORARY CLOSURE

After alot of thought, going back and forth and not sure what to do........ I have decided to temporarily de-activate my facebook page sometime in September. I am going to try to aim to  re-open the page sometime in November.

I am busier than ever with orders, so you may be wondering why I would do this?? With my daughter's surgeries, hospital visits every other day, a new baby, my other children and life in general, things have been extra hectic. Maintaining my facebook page and responding to e-mails alone takes up a minimum of 4 hours per day. This is 4 hours less working on orders, 4 hours less with my kids and although I do not sleep much as it is, I do need sleep. I wish I could stay up 24/7 and split myself into 10 in order to get everything accomplished. Since I am booked solid for many weeks and having to turn away so many people (this makes me sad, I wish I had more than two hands) - it only made sense for the time being to shut the page down.

Thank you so much to all of my clients. All of which have been so amazing. Thank you for trusting me with making you some amazing creations for your children, grandchildren, friends, as gifts, photoprops etc. Thank you for being so understanding, and patient. It's hard to be the only one trying to run a business. I don't have the luxury of having employees.  I do not have an assistant who answers my emails and phone calls.  I don't get sick days, vacation, and very rarely do I actually abide by my "business hours." I'm the designer, creator,  the accountant, marketing, shipper, receiver, purchaser etc etc, (I think you get the point, I do it all)  and all the while being a mom and wife. I know I get behind and forget things from time to time. I try my very best to stay on top of things, but I am only human and I am not afraid to admit I do make mistakes. There are times my organizational skills are less than stellar, yet somehow I remember where I put everything! I'm not sure I will ever catch up on laundry, dusting, tiding up and there always seems to be at least a few dishes in my sink and my house astray! My job never ends, in either career. But I enjoy every moment of it.

So again, thank you! You are all amazingly wonderful! I also look forward to working with all my faithful clients and the many new ones to come. I love what I do, and feel blessed to be able to do what I love, contribute to the house financial and most importantly stay home with my fabulous children and to be able to enjoy every little moment in their lives. Life really is amazing isn't it?! I certainly think so.

While I am away, I will still answer e-mails however, this will be sporadic - I will try to be online at least once a week. If you do not hear from me within a week, please send me a reminder - I may not have received your initial e-mail, I am not ignoring you and do not think of the reminders as harassment.

If you have an existing order, no fear - I will work on it and it will be shipped or ready for pick up as discussed. If there will be any delays, I will be sure to send you an e-mail to the address I have on file. During surgeries and while in recovery, I will not be online at all until my daughter is home and well.

I look forward to talking to you all again soon ~ until then, take care and as always, no matter what you may find yourself doing - Make It Count !!

Much love,

Stacey

iPad for Londyn

Words cannot even begin to express how grateful we are to each and everyone of you that made getting Londyn a new iPad to help keep her comfortable at the hospital during her multiple weekly treatments and during her hospitals stays after surgery.

I am still overwhelmed and speechless that so many of you came together for my little girl and in 1.5 hours exceeded our $500 goal and contributed a grand total of $565.. WOW...... AMAZING !!

It took everything in me to suck up my pride and ask for help. I have never been one to ask for anything and have always done everything on my own - asking for help always seemed to me as if I would come across as weak, or less of a mom/person or a beggar. It is still a struggle and to those of you whom sent such kind and uplifting messages - thank you ! You made this "weak" mom feel so much better.

Anyways.. I presented Londyn with her iPad today... oh my.... she was floored and over the moon ecstatic. I will forever have the imprint of her reaction and wee voice in my head. This would not have been possible without your big hearts and generosity. I will forever be grateful.

With the money raised I bought her the follow:

1. Of course the iPad - white, 4th generation
2. A pink stylus
3. A purple military great cover (the one shown in the picture is pink and we returned it as it was only the front cover and it was soft) - they did not have a pink but her second favorite color is purple.
4. A zagg invisible shield for the screen

The grand total: $562.75

With the $2.25 left over, I bought her a strawberry snapple and skittles !! The money was for her and every last penny was spent on her.

She loved when I read the card with all her angels names in it.

I asked her, "if you could see all your angels in person, what would you say or do"?

She replied, "I would say, Thank You forever" and give them hugs. I have the best angels. (I cannot argue with that, she certainly does have the best angels)

Below are some of the pictures as well as a picture of the card !

The message on the card reads:

Everything that happens in life is a gift. Even as you struggle through this difficult time, you are gaining strength and wisdom that will help you further down the road...Remember, no matter what happens, you'll always have people who care for you.

I added:

Miss Londyn, enjoy your new iPad sweet girl

Lots of love:
Your Angel Friends xo  (each and everyone of your names is listed)

So sorry for the blurry picture, I grabbed my camera quickly and was trembling so bad. No amount of vibration reduction could handle my trembling. But you can still see the look on her face... she could not have a bigger smile. For me, my iPad, my iPad, is this really mine... hooray, she says.

Giving her iPad a hug !

 

Instantly turning it on........

Wasting no time, already playing with it !

Again, from the bottom of my heart... THANK YOU !! THANK YOU !! I feel like a broken record but I have no idea what else to say. I have never been great at finding the words to truly express what I am thinking and feeling and sometimes there just aren't enough words in the English language to do so... this would be one of those times. My heart is so full !

Much love to you now and always,

Stacey

52 Week Money Challenge ~

Late last year I had made a post about cutting back on my beloved coffee from Tim Horton's to save up for a new Nikon D800. Spending on average of about $400 a month on coffee is a little extreme but in order to cut back I need to challenge myself, give myself a goal... a new camera was certainly goal enough for me. For the most part I have been pretty good at trying to limit my Tim's coffee and am almost 1/2 way to my goal.. hooray !

I have also started a new challenge after coming across a weekly money saving challenge earlier this year. This one in my opinion is way easier!! My husband and I have both taken on this challenge and in the end, the reward... a trip for just the two of us. Something that is long overdue.. we are looking forward to it.

So I would like to challenge you all to this 52 week challenge, whether you want a new camera or lens, pay a bill, buy new shoes, go on a trip or simply put it into a savings account etc... it is a realistic challenge that everyone can do.

Below is a chart.. I believe some of the calculations are off a little (I did not make this chart) but you get the idea.

Good Luck to all of you whom take the challenge, I would love to hear what you are saving for ! You can do it ~

HAPPY SAVING !!

Nikon & Canon USB Stick Winners !

Finally a few minutes to make the draw for the Nikon and Canon USB Sticks. The last few weeks have been extra crazy with the notification of my daughter's last minute surgery and then her recovery  - any extra minute I had - for once, I used to just relax.

Thank you all for your continued support and patronage of Prairie Tots Boutique. It means the world to me... every sale, every share, referral etc continues to allow me to stay home and not only provide for my family but to continue to battle with my wee one and stand by her through her medical journey.

Rather than re-typing each name from the paper I recorded the names on as I saw the comments/shares, I have just taken pictures of the papers.. lol. Sorry for the "red neck" method and "chicken scratch" writing but it works.

There were 62 shares/comments that I came across.. I doubled checked and looks like I got everyone. The names are not listed in any particular order other than the order I saw them.

The numbers chosen via random.org were #11 and #59. The corresponding names were Deryn Bothe whom preferred a Nikon and was listed as #11 and Jaimie Hutlet whom had no preference and either one would be fine was listed at #59.

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners and thank you all again for you sharing. I still have hundreds of dollars worth of  products to giveaway as a thanks and when time sees, fit I will be sure to offer them to you all for a chance to win. Hopefully I can get some post before Christmas.

WINNERS: Please contact me at prairietots@gmail.com within 48 hours to claim your winnings. If I have not heard from you by the evening of Nov 5, new winners will be drawn.

Sweetest of Gestures

One day last week I was off to take my son to school, backing out of the driveway I noticed my steps full of packages, I had to stop and get them before we carried on to school - it was obvious what most of them were..... supplies, business cards, a Halloween costume etc but there was one package that caught my eye... a mystery package. It took every ounce of control in me not to open it while driving.......

I caved when we got to the school, I just could not wait any longer.

First I opened a sweet card with an additional message of amazing uplifting words in it.

The card read:

Lucky Me, Knowing You
 At just the right moment.....
at just
the perfect time...
just when
I really needed to know
there were still
caring and big-hearted people
in this world,
you came through.

So thankful for you.

I was already in tears before I read  the letter that was also in the card. It took me 4 tries before I read the entire message... I could not see through the tears. I think I scared my daughter... she had never seen me so emotional or cry so much.

I gained some control and opened the box.... oh my word.. the tears started to flow again..... no words needed to be spoken, the gift itself and the message it sent through my body -  powerful.

Enclosed in the box was a gorgeous art piece (shown below) ............ it came at the perfect time as my daughter has been recovering from surgery. I showed my little fighter what was in the box. All I said was "look at this" and instantly she replied, "mom, it is a trophy of me and you" For now the this is proudly displayed in my daughters room next to a maternity picture of her in my belly. It will eventually be displayed in the main part of my house for all to see. This piece will be treasured forever and the memories/message it holds - not only powerful but priceless.

This amazing gift came from a client., someone so very special in all aspects - I consider her a friend. A friend that is separated by distance but has come to be someone close to my heart. I hope to have the honor of meeting her one day in person.

Thank you "Gin" from the bottom of my heart ~ there are no words to describe how blessed and honored I feel to have you in my life - I am so glad our paths crossed... it was meant to be !!  There are no words adequate enough to describe how much I love and appreciate this gift, something my daughter and I will treasure always and forever and a constant reminder that no matter what we are faced with - LIFE IS WONDERFUL !

Across the miles, from me to you ~ BIG HUGS my friend !! xo

Little Fighter ~ So Strong & Brave

Below I will share a few photos from my little ones most recent journey. I am not sharing because I want sympathy, that is the last thing I am looking for. 
I normally do not post or talk to much about my personal life and keep it as such.. personal. It is still a very sensitive subject for me to talk about my youngest daughter and her health battles but I have come to realize, that the little bits I do share not only helps others but is somewhat therapeutic for me. Beneath all the bad that life throws our way, there are still many reasons to smile and to be thankful for what we have been given even when the given may not be ideal or makes sense. No matter what.... Never Give Up and always, Love Your Life for it truly is a gift and very precious. Think twice the next time the thought of FML (eff my life) enters your head because you lost your cell phone, your broke a nail, did not get those new jeans you wanted, it's raining out or the dog chewed your shoe etc.. are those really a reasons to hate life?! If I had a dog, I would gladly give him my entire shoe closet, if that meant by daughter would be fine and not have  endured what she has thus far and what she has to in the future just to stay healthy. Life is what you make it, if you go through your day thinking it sucks, chances are it will and continue to suck until you change the way you look at it. Embrace it... good and bad.. I promise you, life will be so much better.. it may not always be easy but better it will be. LIFE IS GOOD.. SIMPLE AS THAT !

Lots of big hugs and kisses and I love you's and she is off, the strongest and bravest little being I have ever met and I have the extreme honor of being her mom. Behind those doors awaits a bright red Corvette Convertible (power wheels), she jumps in and drives herself to the OR. There are no tears shed... we feed from each others love, strength and trust, knowing that we will soon be hugging each other again. ..........the hours of waiting and pacing begin.

I finally got to hug and kiss her... I was a nervous wreck this time... 1.5-2 hours had past beyond the time I was told she would be out of the OR. I was so happy to finally see the surgeon walk through the door and heat the words, "she is fine"..... what a relief.
The surgery was successful but did not come without complications that have come to be expected. The skin on the "bad" side of her head is thin and disintegrates. The best way to describe it would be to put toilet paper in water and try to pick it up, that is what the skin it like. Yes, it not only makes closing incisions from surgery difficult but even get dressed on a daily basis ... if a shirt rubs to much on her head, it tears and bleeds and is very tender to a simple touch.

As always, she stole the hearts of all medical staff. She never once complained about pain other than her foot was sore. She stuck up her foot to every nurse that walked in and told them it was sore. They were amazed, she just had her head cut open and has not complained about any pain from the surgery other than a tender foot which had nothing at all to do with the days events. She smiled and greeted everyone that came to the room and talked away, she would even thank them for giving her medication and taking care of her. Nurses not even caring for her, came from all different wings just to say hi... I was told that she was not the average 2 year old and everyone had to see for their own eyes just how amazing she was. They all wanted her as a their patient and although happy when she was able to go home, they did not want to see her go.

Only hours after surgery and she was ready to conquer the day. It will take more than having her head cut open, skin grafts, anesthetic, morphine and a "helmet" to ruin her spirit and take away her smile. I am blessed with this smile on a daily basis - still dopy from the drugs and a face so swollen her eyes barely open, she smiles. It is contagious... we love smiles, smiles are good for the soul and something a simple as a smile can easily make or break your day.

This was one of her more challenging surgeries - procedure and recovery. She has never once complained about pain, the only thing she has struggled with it the itch from everything under the bandage healing and from not being able to take the bandage off to wash her hair, heat etc.  When we were finally leaving the hospital she looks at me, points to the bandage on her head and says, "Mom, do I really have to take this thing with me." ha ha.

She really pulled at my heart strings about 5 days after surgery, the itching was getting bad. She says, "mom, can you help me." Off course, I will also do anything in my power to help my children. She went on to say, "Can you please take this thing off my head". Well my heart shattered, something as easy as taking off a bandage yet I couldn't. I tried to explain to her that I was helping her by making sure she kept the bandage on and I was doing it to keep her healthy. We talked back and forth for a bit and she was ok. She hugged and thanked me and told me she loved me so much.

I stay pretty close to her to make sure she does not try to put her fingers under the bandage... I really do not want to have to restrict the use of her arms and put braces on them. She has tried on a few occasions... I cannot imagine.. if it was me, I think I would have ripped that off my head.


She will have the bandage on for several weeks. We go back to the hospital next week for a dressing change, she is really looking forward to having that off her head, even if it is for a few minutes and I am curious as to what it all looks like as well. I will then continue to do the dressing changes at home until she no longer has to have her head bandaged.

Her journey is far from over but she is so strong and I will continue to be by her side every step of the way. She has about 2.5 to 3 years left of surgeries just on her wee head.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers and kind messages... they really do mean so much and warm my heart. You all continue to bring my faith back in humanity... not everyone is heartless, selfish and bad. Genuine kind people still exist and I am so blessed to have some of the kindest people in my life. Sadly there are still heartless, negative downers.... to those people... you will not even get a reply from me. Life is way to precious to give you the time of day and I pray that you get the help you need because you really are missing out on so much by being so down and negative..... bucket dippers never get to far in life !

My concentration over the next few weeks will continue to be on my daughter and her recovery however I will be working on orders now that we are home. I will try to reply to all messages that I have received over the last week within 48-72 hours. If you have not heard from me, please send me a quick message at prairietots@gmail.com or use the contact tab NOT the message feature. The message feature on facebook is not reliable.... messages seem to appear and disappear if I get them at all.

Have a wonderful day and as always.. Make It Count !

Hugs,
Stacey

*** IMPORTANT UPDATE ~ TEMPORARY ABSENCE***

My mornings are always crazy, all over the place getting the kids ready for school. This morning was extra crazy AND more stressful than most mornings. I was not awoken by my alarm clock but a phone call from my daughter's surgeons office. :-( Once my oldest was off to school, we went and waited at the pediatricians office for over 2 hours to get a pre-op assessment done to have her cleared for surgery and I have not stopped running since.............

My little fighter will be having a rushed surgery Monday morning, October 15 on her skull. Needless to say, I will not be around. I will be at her bedside until she is released from the hospital and I can bring her home. Her hospital stay is unknown at this time and will range from 2-4 days.

During the time she is in the hospital, I will not be near a computer and unable to answer e-mails, I will not be working on orders and packages will not be shipping.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. My daughter and her health will always take priority over work and anything else going on in life and I would like to think that anyone else in out situation would do the same thing.

Please pray for a successful surgery!

Much love,
Stacey xo