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OK, so I've been having Little Guy help me around the house a lot more since I wrote about him helping me clean the kitchen earlier this month. One of his favorite things to do is vacuum. Since there are always little crumbs all over the floor from his snacking, we have to sweep everyday. He just loves watching the little pieces of crackers and what-not get sucked into the hose.

Well, since he was doing such a great job the other night, I decided to run into the kitchen real quick to fill up my coffee cup and get him some more juice. Then I heard it - BBbrrrrrraaaaappppp!!!!! I literally dropped my coffee mug and flew into the living room. This is what I found:

I'm just glad that my husband uncharacteristically decided to clean those hose attachments the day before! I don't know why he did it - we never clean those things - but it made the shock factor of seeing this when I ran into the room a little less!

My Random Act of Kindness for YOU - A GIVEAWAY!!! {March of Kindness 3/24}

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Please - only enter this giveaway if you really, truly want this book!Thanks.

When my oldest was about 2 1/2 years old, we began making bi-weekly trips to the library. One trip to our local library in North Hollywood, and one trip to the "big, fancy library" in downtown Los Angeles. Since he was so little at the time, library trips were usually composed of him running through the stacks, stopping every once in a while to look at a book that he deemed interesting just by looking at its spine. I didn't have time to browse for just the right book. So, I learned the Dewey Decimal System by heart and would steer him toward the section I was interested in the most on that particular visit. I began choosing MY books the same way he did - which spine looked most interesting. Hey - I found a lot of really great books that way!

See why we went to this library? THIS is the inside!!!

Los Angeles Central Library

On one trip, I decided to hit the downtown library's basement where they kept all of the books on teaching and learning. As I was trying to keep up with my zooming little one, I saw a book with a bright yellow spine. I grabbed it without even looking at the title. After we had left the library and were on the subway heading toward the San Fernando Valley, Mr. Zoomy fell asleep. I pulled the book out from the bag filled with Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry books and read the title, How Children Learn by John Caldwell Holt. "Hmm..." I thought to myself, "Sounds interesting." By the time we got off the train, I was hooked!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with John Holt, here's a very short explanation: John Holt was a teacher and a researcher. He was a fifth grade teacher in private schools for many years. Since he had friends and relatives with very young children, he began to notice the huge difference in attitude toward learning between his 10 year old students and the toddlers he was around. The young children were bold and never seemed to mind making mistakes - they just tried again. They were eager to learn by observing the people and the world around them. Conversely, the fifth graders were withdrawn and self-conscious of the possible errors they might make. Holt decided to study how and why children went from being bold explorers to timid and self-protecting pre-adolescents in an attempt to find a better way to educate. He and another teacher, Bill Hull took on a project where one would teach while the other observed - day in and day out - to see what teaching strategies worked and, when they failed, why. Holt ended up writing three books with his 11 years of observation: How Children Fail, How Children Learn, and Learning All the Time.

My RAOK to you, my readers, is a giveaway of How Children Learn. I LOVE this book! I think that, rather than putting some "just-in-case" formula samples in those free diaper bags they send new parents home from the hospital with, they should put a copy of this book. Every new teaching student needs a copy, too, along with anyone who works with children or has any say in education policies. In this book, Hold described his observations of children learning naturally. He explains his theories behind the tantrums of two-year-olds,why we should let children decide what they need to learn, and the importance of fantasy play and games for children. John Holt was a huge advocate for unschooling - some say he was the father of the homeschooling/unschooling movement. He founded "Growing Without Schooling",a homeschooling magazine.

To learn more about John Holt, start HERE.

Oh, geez... I just can't explain it well! This guy is my hero!!! As a mom and a student teacher, his writings hold special meaning to me. He just plain makes sense. Here are a few excerpts from the book:

"...All I am saying in this book can be summed up in two words - Trust Children. Nothing could be more simple - or more difficult. Difficult, because to trust children we must trust ourselves - and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted."

"...It is only in the presence of loving, respectful, trusting adults like Millicent Shinn or Glenda Bissex that children will learn all they are capable of learning, or reveal to us what they are learning ... Of two ways of looking at children now growing in fashion - seeing them as monsters of evil who must be beaten into submission, or as little two-legged walking computers whom we can program into geniuses, it is hard to know which is worse, and will do more harm. I write this book to oppose them both."

"... This book did not change, as I hoped it might, the way schools deal with children. I said, trust them to learn. The schools would not trust them, and even if they had wanted to, the great majority of the public would not have let them. Their reasons boil down to these: (1) Children are no good; they won't learn unless we make them. (2) The world is no good; children must be broken to it. (3) I had to put up with it; why shouldn't they? To people who think this way, I don't know what to say. Telling them about the real learning of real children only makes them cling to their theories about the badness and stupidity of children more stubbornly and angrily than ever. Why do they do this? Because it gives them a license to act like tyrants and to feel like saints."

And finally,

"...In this chapter I will say something very simple, that may not often have been said before. Children use fantasy not to get out of, but to get into, the real world."

*** Edit: I wrote this post at 3am, so I forgot to add something very important about this book. It's a very easy read! This is not full of technical mumbo-jumbo and theories. It's just a guy writing about what he's observed and his reflections of those observations. You could open this book at any page, read for 5 minutes, and take something away from it to think about. It goes kind of like this: "Today I was watching a two-year-old do _____. First she tried this way, then she tried that way. When she got frustrated and near tear, I thought I could help her out by doing ____." Then, after the story, he will explain why what he did (or didn't do) was the right or wrong thing and why he thinks so. He never tells you what you should or shouldn't do - only suggests!

The book will be used. I am sorry about that, but I have some very good reasons. First and foremost - this is reusing at its best! I could never understand why someone would insist on a brand new book when you could get one that was almost-new and not cut down trees or spend an arm and a leg. Second, The company I buy from, Better World Books, gives a major portion of their profits to literacy initiatives. And, finally, you may be wondering about whether my choosing used books to save a tree vs. using trucks, etc. to transport said books halfway across the country, right? Well, Better World Books works with a consulting company to actually make sure that the carbon imprint of shipping is the lowest possible. Check it out here. **Being a used book store, I may not be able to get it through them. Right now, they only have one copy. So, if you're the winner, don't be disappointed if the book doesn't come from them. I'll find another store with similar interests as Better World Books.

So, how do you enter? I'm not going to ask that you follow, like, subscribe to, or share my blog. If you like what I write, I hope you will. But, this is a random act of kindness and I want nothing in return except the knowledge that I've been able to share this book with someone else.

WIN: One slightly used copy (see above paragraph if you skipped down to the bottom!) of John Caldwell Holt's How Children Learn. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 11:59 pm, EDT. Winner will be notified via a blog post and email and will have 48 hours from the time the notification email has been sent to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry:

Promise that, when you're through reading this book, you'll pass it on to someone else (a new parent, a teacher, anyone who might benefit from its message.) Just leave me a comment with your promise and a way to contact you.

Extra entries (these will be fun - I promise!)

Answer any or all of these questions. There are no right or wrong answers. PLEASE - keep your answers nice. There's no need to get nasty! I will delete any comments/entries that have a "them's fightin' words" ring to them. 

Please leave the number of the question you're answering in the comment, too, along with a way to contact you.

1. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?
2. If you could be any age again for a week, what age would you choose and why?
3. Were you a sneaky child or teen? (Share a good story if you want!)
4. Share your favorite quote! (Don't forget to say who said it!)
5.  What vegetable do you most resemble?

The fine print: This is a giveaway that I am hosting on my own. I accept no liability. You enter at your own risk - reading this book may alter your opinions on raising children ans education You've been warned!

Newest Random Acts of Kindness {March of Kindness - March 18-23}

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It's been almost a week since my last March of Kindness post, so I figured I had better get caught up! I could have written an entire post for each of these, but things have been pretty busy around here. I'm trying to keep up with my Educational Psychology course (it is SO interesting!), my oldest has been caught lying about his homework (again) and I found out he's missing a whopping 21 assignments, and the great weather had gotten us outside quite a bit. Well, my homework is done for today, my oldest is sitting at the kitchen table (his new home) doing his homework, and the weather has turned cold and yucky again. I think I have time now!

#1 - Clean Up the Neighborhood
We live approximately 100 yards from "the wrong side of the tracks" - literally. Around here, it is not a stereotype, but a reality, about the amount of trash floating around low income neighborhoods. People just don't have any pride about their surroundings when their homes are so run-down looking. So, when the snow melted a little over a week ago, all of the trash that had been strewn about all winter surfaced. It looked terrible! Everything from potato chip bags to empty pop bottles to broken fifths of vodka littered our neighborhood.

This is our side yard. The "wrong side of the tracks" is just beyond that train.

When we went on our neighborhood walks, the boys and I took along two trash bags each time. One was for the trash, the other for recyclables. We always came home with both bags completely filled. It was hard trying to teach Little Guy which things he could pick up and which I wanted him to leave for me to touch. Broken glass seems to be a huge draw for him with it's sparkly, shiny qualities! On each of three walks, we came home with two completely filled yard size trash bags. My oldest got to keep all of the cans and bottles we found (worth 10 cents each in Michigan!) and ended up with $20! We found a book shelf that only needed a little cleaning, a few Hot Wheels cars for the little guy, and even a $2 Canadian coin. We got weird looks from passers by for the first day, then we noticed a few people walking around with trash bags on our second day out. And THEN, we saw FIVE other groups of people out cleaning up on our third day!!! Yes, there is a ripple effect for random acts of kindness - I just can't believe that it's turned into a tsunami in our neighborhood!


#2 - Help an Evicted Neighbor
Last weekend, our downstairs neighbor was evicted. In our area, the eviction process lasts a mere 2 weeks from the time the tenants are served until the sheriff's department comes to escort them out of their homes. This leaves little time for securing a new place to live and for packing belongings and getting them moved out. Our neighbor went through this and had only managed to move half of her things out before the locks were changed. She managed to get her large items into storage - furniture, appliances, etc. but she had none of her other things like dishes, bathroom items, and even most of her clothes.

This is how it's supposed to go. But, in our county, they've changed the times around and you can be out within 10 days of the start of this process.

I called the landlord. He came over the next day and let me go into her former apartment to get the rest of her things out. It took forever and I had no place to put her stuff. The four of us live in a tiny, 625 sq. ft., one-bedroom apartment - there's no room for our stuff! But, we stacked everything up wherever we could find the room. Our house looked like those pictures you see of hoarders' homes! She was so happy when, a couple of days later, she was able to come for her things. It felt good to know that I was able to help someone like this. I have been evicted a long time ago and lost everything but the overnight bag I had packed - it was so hard to start over! I know how she was feeling and I am glad that I had the ability to take some of the stress off of her shoulders.

#3 - Helping Out Other Bloggers
This was an easy one and I'm kind of embarrassed to even mention it, but maybe it'll give someone else an idea to do the same and get that ripple effect going online. I spent the past week blog hopping like crazy. I tried to leave comments of every blog I visited. I followed those blogs on GFC, Facebook, or Twitter (or all three, in some cases). I added buttons in my sidebar for the blogs I really enjoyed and want to share. I entered lots of low-entry giveaways and often shared those giveaways on Facebook or Twitter to help the blogger and sponsor out. (Hey, if I can't use the prizes, I know people who can!)

I also joined a new hop hosted by Real Mom Reviews designed to lower Alexa ratings and hopped around as much as possible. I'll keep on doing this Monday hop because it helps me find new blogs to follow, lowers their Alexa ratings, and improves their stats all around.









LOL - I know, not a great hint, but it's all you're going to get!

"Supermoon" {Wordless Wednesday 3/23}

Well, it wasn't as "super" as I thought, but still very bright and very beautiful. My photos kind of turned out OK. The first few were taken through my dirty kitchen window. The rest were outside. Though I love my cheap little digital point-and-shoot, it's frustrating when you're trying to do something creative! So, without further ado...

My Photos of the "Super" Moon

Moonrise - 8:20 pm  That's exactly how yellow it was! Amazing!

9:40 pm

About 9:00 pm

10:45 pm

My Favorite - 11:50 pm

It's the Journey, Not the Destination...

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Now that spring is beginning to make its entrance, we have been taking walks as often as possible. I can't believe how much Little Guy has matured over the winter! Last year, out main goal when taking walks was teaching him how to hold hands - a tough job with a little one who loves his freedom. Our "walks" consisted of me constantly chasing a toddler who thought it might be fun to dart into the street at any given moment.

It is all different this year. All that teaching him how to hold hands has paid off - I merely have to ask him to hold my hand and his little paw is up in the air waiting for me to grab hold. He is also listening a lot better. If I say "Stop," he actually stops! He is understanding me more, so I can give him explanations as to why he can't pick up shiny broken glass or go into the back yard with the barking dog. He will really listen to me and comply!

We always have to look at "the trucks in the fence."

"Nature will bear the closest inspection. 
She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, 
and take an insect view of its plain."
~Henry David Thoreau

And (the best part) he's a little explorer! He loves touching, picking up, and looking at things. No more simply running around just because. He has a purpose now. He picks up sticks, leaves, rocks... anything that looks interesting. We always bring a bag with us to keep his "collections" in. He stops to look at the rocks embedded in the concrete sidewalks and pays special attention to the footprints left in wet cement by people, squirrels, dogs, and birds. We have to stop often so he can feel the bark of a tree trunk, the leaves of the emerging plants, and the needles on pine trees. He even stops to smell the pinecones he finds on the ground. We hear all kinds of sounds and imitate them - sirens from fire engines, dogs and squirrels barking, children playing, birds chirping... everything.

"I think, at a child's birth, 
if a mother could ask a fairy godmother 
to endow it with the most useful gift, 
that gift should be curiosity."
~Eleanor Roosevelt

My husband took a walk with us yesterday and he kind of got on our nerves. He kept asking me where we were going. Um... we don't go anywhere in particular for our walks. When we get to a corner, I ask Little Guy which way he wants to go. Unless we need to go somewhere, it really doesn't matter which way we go. Every time we stopped to check out some new and amazing discovery, my hubby was antsy to get moving. "Come on, let's keep going," was his mantra - for an hour and a half. Ugh! It took me quite a while to convince him that we didn't need to go, go, go. The point of taking this walk was to enjoy the weather and watch Little Guy and Big Brother explore and have fun. I kept reminding him that we had all the time in the world and we didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time.

Making big noises jumping on the metal plate in the sidewalk.

It took me a long time to learn this when my oldest was little. I used to rush him here and there. One day, he asked me why we had to hurry up. I had no answer. I had to remember why we were going for our walks in the first place, and them keep reminding myself every time I had the urge to hurry things along. How does that saying go? It's the journey that's most important, not the destination!

Making a mustache from the seed pod of a "Bean Tree."

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
~Buddha

Lower Your Alexa - New Blog Hop w/ Real Mom Reviews {3/21}

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This is a new hop being hosted by Real Mom Reviews. Here is what she has written about it (she says it much better than I ever could!):

 Welcome to Week One of the "Lower Your Alexa Hop"!

This hop works a bit differently than most!

IMPORTANT Please make sure you have the ALEXA TOOLBAR installed.

Why do you need the Alexa Toolbar? "Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users and data obtained from other, diverse traffic data sources." Now in english... When someone with the Alexa Toolbar visits your site, it helps lower your Alexa! More info on that here and here

In the Linky Please leave a link to a post you would like people to hop to and leave a comment!

Then hop to the other blogs on the linky and leave a comment on their post!

<center><a href="http://www.realmomreviews.net/search/label/Lower%20Alexa"><img border="0" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/skyecaitlin88/Alexa.png" /></a></center>

PLEASE grab the "Lower Alexa" button and link it to a post about this hop. Beacuse this is a new hop, it will really help get the word out!
This will be a "Monday Hop" so it will post every Sunday at around 8pm EST.

If you link up, please don't forget to post a comment, thanking her for this hop! As everyone knows, every little comment helps.

Meet Me On Monday {3/21}

Please check out my giveaway, HERE! It ends on Friday and had only 94 entries as I wrote this. It's for 4 sheets of stickers from Sticker You. These aren't ordinary stickers, you can customize them however you want. Even upload your own artwork. Great for kids, businesses, schools, home, etc.

1.  What jewelry do you wear 24/7?
  I wear my Claddagh ring all of the time. Same ring, same finger, different position since I was 13! I also wear the same earrings all of the time. I have two silver hoops in the bottom holes, one silver hoop with a Celtic design on the next hole up on the left (hubby has the other), and a "diamond" stud up on the top of my left - through the cartilage (That one HURT!) I don't wear my wedding ring right now. Since I had my little guy, I've had to put it away because the stone became a hazard - it sticks out to much and I'm afraid of scratching him.

Click on the picture for a little history and meanings of the Claddagh.

2.  Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
Cut it. I hate getting messy when I eat. I break it into small pieces before I cook it, then cut it more before I eat.

by Matthew Vimislik at Vimislik Art

3.  How many siblings do you have?
I have a brother and a sister. My brother is 2 years younger than me and my sister is 5 years younger.

My brother (left), My sister (middle) kissing my nephew with her daughter in front of her, and me (right) with Little Guy and my oldest in front of me.

4.  Were you named after anyone?
Nope! I used to hate my name, Alicia, because it was so different from all of the Jennifer's and Kristin's I grew up with. I just wanted to blend in, ya know? But, as I grew older, my name really didn't matter to me. Now, if I stand out in a crowd, I don't even notice. I have more important things on my mind rather than worrying whether I'm like everyone else!

5.  Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi! For some reason, I get a ginger ale aftertaste from Coke. I can't stand ginger ale! I threw it up too much as a kid (it was my parents' cure-all for any stomach ailment.)

Are you old enough to have taken the original Pepsi Challenge in the 80's? Do you remember Like Cola?

Can't wait to read what everyone else's answers are! See you all next week!


Sorry there's no linky. I tried adding it, but it's just not working. Hmm...

Franklin Goose, You Suck {Repost from The Saved Quarter}

Franklin Goose, You Suck

Copy & Paste from Original Site at : http://thesavedquarter.com/2011/03/franklin-goose-you-suck/

Franklin Goose, You Suck

by Penny Saver on March 19, 2011

Welcome, new readers from Facebook, Twitter, forums, and blogs discussing the Franklin Goose fiasco. I know a lot of you guys were screwed with this scam and would love to hear your story in the comments. Also, please consider subscribing for free money-saving tips through RSS or e-mail and following me on Facebook or Twitter.

*****

How it All Began

A year ago, I posted about a Franklin Goose promotion wherein they would pay $5 per review on their website. Excited to use the credit toward my $100 Holiday, I spent hours writing honest, quality reviews of products I’ve used, and accrued several hundred dollars in credits. They requested that people “bank” their credits, saying on their blog on 3/26/10:

In an effort to swallow the astounding number of reviews and orders, we are offering you as much as 20% if you postpone and bank your store credit between 6 months and 1 year.

Simply login to Franklin Goose and click on the links to bank your credit on the account page!

The more you bank, the more you help us. Besides perhaps you can get new products as they become available in the future.

Those that didn’t bank their credits received products; those that tried to help the company out by waiting didn’t. I banked my credits for 6 months, and in October, when they should have been available, I was told that it would be March before I could use them. I’ve been e-mailing since the beginning of March with no response. Yesterday, I got this e-mail:

To all of our loyal customers,
We are writing to update you on the status of the promotion. As you may know, we were overwhelmed by an enormous number of reviews submitted in connection with the promotion, and we thank all of you who followed the rules and wrote honest, heartfelt reviews.
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Unfortunately, many of those who submitted reviews merely sought the promotion’s benefits without providing a commensurate genuine, honest review. While we initially filled a large amount of orders, we simply do not have the resources to continue vetting the reviews to distinguish those that followed the rules from those that did not.
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In order to continue as a business, we must amend the promotion. This is not a step we take lightly, but one which is necessary for the health of our business. Accordingly, we have decided to take down and remove from the site all reviews which were written as part of the promotion. All open orders using store credit and partial store credit will be cancelled, as well as all remaining store credit. In their place, we are providing a one-time use coupon for 40% off of any purchase. The purchase can be as large or small as you wish, but only you can use the coupon code-it is not transferrable, refundable, or redeemable for cash and it can only be used on full price merchandise. The coupon will be good until September 15, 2011. In order to get your coupon code you must email us at couponcode@franklingoose.com. This email is only equipped to send you a personal coupon code.
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We understand that this step may frustrate some. If you have constructive feedback, we look forward to hearing from you. Otherwise we look forward to focusing our customer service efforts on customers placing orders.
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We thank you for your time and effort in writing reviews and value you as a customer.
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Thank you,
Franklin Goose

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What Went Wrong
So I am not going to receive any credit, and I’m angry. They clearly saw that their offer was going viral (how could it not?!) and didn’t place any limits on the amount of credit a person could earn. They didn’t make an effort to stop the promotion early when they could see that it was growing out of control. And they cheered, “We’re giving away over $1 million in store credit!” only to cancel many orders or delete the credits altogether.
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Edited to add: The $1 million amount came from their press release on 8/30/10, when they posted: “Franklin Goose started out by giving $5 credits for every product review its customers made in March. Almost 1 million dollars in store credit was issued, helping thousands of families afford cloth diapering and other organic luxuries they couldn’t purchase before.” Note that they say ISSUED, not PAID. They ISSUED it, but didn’t actually allow that amount of credit to be redeemed. Not exactly helpful to those thousands of families who really could have used the credit they EARNED!
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Their blog posted on 3/25/10:

…your store credit will last **at least** two years, so take your time using it and wait for the site load to cool down. We’re not going anywhere and our product selection and reviews keep improving every day.

I periodically checked on my account to see my credits unavailable (I had $495 banked, including 10% interest), and now they’re gone altogether. It hasn’t been one year, let alone two, so “take your time” is not exactly accurate.
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They Wanted To Go Viral
Edited to add: Also interesting to note: Franklin Goose posted a $25,000 reward for a great idea to get “viral marketing” last February (2010). Surprised at how their promotion took off, when they solicited ideas to make themselves viral? Really now? They posted:

Have you always wanted a chance to prove your business and marketing skills? We have just launched the website www.franklingoose.com and have been trying to figure out how to apply Seth Godin’s viral marketing concepts to it. While the site is doing well it is not as viral as we would like it. We will give $25,000 to the person who gives us an idea we believe will make it viral.

I don’t think that this angry mom side is the ad campaign that Franklin Goose was hoping for when they started the promotion, but I think they have only themselves to blame. Viral they wanted, and viral they’re getting!
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They got the value to their website, but what about the reviewers who did the work?
Now, I’m not being compensated in the way that they agreed to compensate me for my time and effort, and I’m angry about it! They got reviews, advertising and thousands of backlinks in exchange for store credits, and when it became overwhelming to them, they simply stopped paying. Knowing more now about search engine optimization and how Google loves those backlinks, this may just be the most valuable thing they received from the many reviewers who shared the promotion in e-mail, on blogs and message boards, through Facebook and Twitter. The number of backlinks is one indication of the popularity or importance of that website or page. (Thank you, Wikilinks.) Franklin Goose rode those backlinks to the first page of Google, an enviable spot for a very young company, and then backed out of the agreement that they made to get there after receiving the benefit.
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“But it’s a freebie. You didn’t lose anything.”
I posted this in the comments (#12) but wanted it to be in the main section for those who don’t read the comments. In response to “It’s a freebie, you didn’t lose anything”

Let’s say you were contracted by a magazine to write short articles for $5 per article. You wrote a number of thoughtful, well written articles. (Not “looks good” but actual pros and cons of the topic, suggestions for alternatives, different ways to use a product, etc.) You’re asked to wait until the magazine is a bit more established before being paid, and agree to wait 6 months in exchange for higher pay. You agree, although you could have taken the money, because you want the magazine to be successful and you can wait a few months.

In the meantime, you shared with your community that your articles were there, boosted the name recognition and reputation of the magazine, and otherwise increase their readership during that time. The magazine decides, after a year of putting you off, that it won’t pay you according to the initial agreement, even though they’ve benefited from your articles for the length of that year. It has gotten the value of your work, but it hasn’t followed through on its side of the deal.

It’s not a freebie. It’s a payment for services rendered. They agreed to pay me $5 for a review. I did my part, writing reviews of only products I’d used – and having nannied for several natural-leaning families and cloth diapered two babies, I’d tried many of their products. They didn’t follow through on their end – paying me, in the form of store credit, according the the rules that they put in place.

Communication? What’s that?
In addition to being angry about losing the credits they agreed to give in exchange for free advertising and reviews, I’m also really, really disappointed in the way this has been handled and the complete lack of communication and customer service from this small business. I’ve e-mailed repeatedly and have had no response at all until the mass e-mail they sent yesterday. I have been unable to find a phone number on their website, and the physical location will not answer questions about online issues. I posted on their Facebook wall, only to have my post deleted. All of my correspondence has been polite and professional. I’m not alone; many other reviewers are reporting that their comments on Facebook are quickly deleted, e-mails ignored, and phone calls go unanswered.
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Still Other Issues With the Goose
Others placed orders that took months to fill, and one mom posted that shortly after the promotion ended, she placed an for newborn clothes that never arrived. Instead, she got an e-mail a few months later telling her they cancelled the order because newborn clothes wouldn’t fit a baby anymore after the delay. (How did they know she wasn’t still pregnant, or ordering to have baby gifts on hand?) Now those credits are gone.
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Some people have had credits removed from returned items purchased with their own money, Franklin Goose effectively stealing their money.
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Still others have reported that they ordered products both with credit and money, and only the amount of product covered by the money was sent. Then the credit and the record of the order disappeared. At least work-at-home-mom was not paid for orders they were selling of her products.
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I’m Not The Only Angry Mom
I’m not the only angry mom. The mom-message boards are lit up about this and several Facebook groups have sprung up, including The Other Side of Franklin Goose and Boycott Franklin Goose. They’e got a number of complaints on Reseller Ratings, and their BBB rating has plummeted to an F. There are murmurs about taking the complaint to local news “consumer watchdogs”, the state consumer complaint board, attorney general, and at least one mom is contacting suppliers and urging them to stop selling through Franklin Goose. There is even talk of suing for fraud.
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Heather Long is using Gripe to spread the word.

Jennifer Harbin is also using Gripe.

Knit One, Live Two posts Franklin Goose- unethical, deceptive, dishonest

Life: Full of Unexpected Happiness posts Franklin Goose… over their heads?

Luxury Living, Frugal Style posts Franklin Goose Taking Store Credits Away and Canceling Orders

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First Day of Spring: Plan Your Garden!

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If you remember, Little Guy and I went and dug around in the dirt last week, preparing for this year's garden. Now, I'm in no way a green thumb. I love growing things and reaping the rewards of my labor, but my experience is nil. Last year, I had a real garden for the first time in my life. Until then, I had always grown one or two tomato plants in pots on the patio. I live in an apartment, so having a place to garden really wasn't an option. That is, until my sweet husband talked the landlord into letting us till up a section of his yard last year!

I was so excited that I bought a bunch of seeds and just started planting them like crazy. A month later, I learned the value of actually planning a garden. I had Sunflowers blocking sun and rain from tomatoes, Morning Glories had climbed my bean poles and choked the poor little bean plants out. I threw herbs here and there, not even considering how much light they needed, how tall or wide they were going to grow, or whether they would make good companion plants for the vegetables I had sown right next to them. My marigolds choked out my marjoram, basil, and oregano... It was a mess! I think I ended up with a few tomatoes, radishes, and a million sunflower seeds for all of my work!

This was just the very corner of my garden. It was pretty to look at, but ineffective for growing food!

 This year, it's going to be different. First of all, I will be gardening with my little guy. I want to grow things that will be easy so he can see things grow. I want to plant things that he likes to eat and that he can pick right off of the plant and munch on whenever we go out to pull weeds and water. I need a plan!

I am so happy that groOrganic offered to let me try out their Garden Planner! It's this great online program that allows you to drag and drop a ton of different vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs into your garden before you even break ground. I love how you just click on the name of a plant and you get all the details you could ever need - where to plant, how much sun, how big they get, if they need a lot of water... The planner also is set to limit the number of plants you drop into your garden based on how much room they need, so no more overcrowding for me!

 The very first thing they do when you sign up is figure out where you live. You put in your address and they pin-point you on a map to figure out your exact climate. This is really important for me. I live very near Lake Erie and my weather is always different from areas just five miles away. After setting your dates for planting (they tell you when to start seeds indoors and when it's safe to start them outside), the site will email you with reminders of when to plant and what to plant. Thank goodness! I was so screwed up last year that I has stuff struggling to grow. I put my cucumbers in in June - NOT something you're supposed to do! Ever hear the saying, "Cool as a cucumber?" It's not because you keep them in the fridge, it's because they HATE hot weather! (And mine hated me, too!)

groOrganic really wants to help you succeed - they have video tutorials that describe how to use the garden planner, help you plan next year's garden so you can rotate your crops, and help you with succession planting. You can even print out your plans, notes, etc. so you don't have to work from memory. And if you get mud smeared on your plan, just throw it into the compost bin and print out another!

They also sell organic gardening, landscaping, beekeeping, and poultry-raising products!

The company offers two levels of membership which offer unlimited access to the Garden Planner for a year:

(From the groOrganic Site)

The Premium Harvest Membership ($99/yr.) includes:
1. Access to our groOrganic Garden Planner while an Association Member. This online Garden Planner helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot. With the groOrganic Garden Planner it is easy to draw out your garden plan and decide how best to plant it. The groOrganic Garden Planner software shows how much space plants require and how to group them for maximum success, removing the need to look up planting distances and crop families. Growing advice is just one click away as you select the plants that you wish to include, enabling you to solve problems and maximize your harvest from the space you have.
2. New and renewing Members receive 12 packets of groOrganic's Non-GMO Seeds with their annual membership card.
3. A groOrganic Gardening Instruction Manual full of useful information about growing your garden will be mailed to you as well!
4. You will receive Members Only online discounts and gifts.

5. AND you will benefit from Online Consulting and FREE online review of your Garden Plan by a Certified groOrganic Gardener!

GREAT FOR SCHOOLS DEDICATED TO THE ONGOING EDUCATION OF THEIR STUDENTS BY WAY OF A groORGANIC GARDEN.

The Seedling Membership ($39/yr.) includes :

groOrganic Garden Planner

You will receive access to our  groOrganic Garden Planner while a Seedling Association Member. This online Garden Planner helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot. With the groOrganic Garden Planner it is easy to draw out your garden plan and decide how best to plant it. The groOrganic Garden Planner software shows how much space plants require and how to group them for maximum success, removing the need to look up planting distances and crop families. Growing advice is just one click away as you select the plants that you wish to include, enabling you to solve problems and maximize your harvest from the space you have.

If you're planning a garden this year, I strongly urge you to go check out groOrganic's Garden Planner. Whether you're an old hand at gardening or a newbie, this planner will simplify your life. No more drawing out plans, trying to figure out when to plant each thing, how much sun it all needs, and whether you can harvest ans plant something new before autumn. 

For more information email info@groOrganic.com or call 888-9-groOrganic (888-947-6674) or visit their site at groOrganic.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

"...Because I Was BORED."

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About a year ago, I bought my oldest son a new pair of winter boots. They were expensive but, since he walks nearly a mile each way between school and home, I figured he needed the good ones. A week after I got these boots, he came home from school and I noticed that the water-proof rubber in the toes of the boots had disappeared, leaving only cloth. I asked my son what had happened, anger boiling up inside me at the company for making crappy boots and charging me an arm and a leg for them. My dear, sweet boy looked up at me with his big hazel eyes and said, "I peeled it off in Algebra class today." Yeah, my next question was inevitable: "WHY?!" With the same adorable face, he tells me, "Because I was bored." And that was just the tip of the iceberg. "Because I was bored" was only just beginning. It's in full swing now.

New "Teen Attitude" face. (Isn't it cute?!)

"Why did I just see you throw your empty yogurt container on the ground, a mere 10 feet away from the trash can?"
"Because I was bored."

"Why did you, a 13 year-old, take a toddler's Matchbox car away from him and cause this tantrum of epic proportions when there are 100 more of the damned cars laying right there?!" (Yelling at the top of my lungs over a 2 year old's scrams and howls.)
"Because I was bored."

"I saw you walking home from school today. You were walking down the middle of the street. It's a busy street! Why didn't you use the sidewalk?"
"Because I was..."

Well, you get the idea. This is the new answer to everything. I don't remember using a phrase like that to get to my parents' last nerve. I remember "Talk to the hand, " and "Whatever..." (I think that one's still around, though fading fast.) I was so glad that I didn't have a teenager around back then! Now that I think about it, though, I'm wondering if I wouldn't rather hear one of those.

I've been trying to get that phrase out of my son's vocabulary, at least while he's around me, to no avail. Every time I hear "because I was bored," I find something new and non-boring for him to do. Things like cleaning every scrap of trash from our yard and the park, too. And playing with his little brother for two hours while I clean the kitchen and make dinner. After the walking in the street incident, either I or my husband walked him to and from school for two weeks. We made sure to wear the most embarrassing outfits, too! And finally, he wore those boots until he grew out of them. The kid is STILL telling me he did it because he was bored!

This kid doesn't get a chance to be bored around me anymore. I've found chores for him to do when he's acting bored (you know, the huge sigh and staring at the wall when you walk past their room?) He's slowly finding things to do - he'd rather read than shovel snow! But he's still coming back at me with that answer whenever he gets caught doing something that he knows he's not allowed or supposed to be doing. Is this a new thing in our community, or are other parents experiencing this, too? If you are going through it, what are you doing about it?