Irony ~ My Car Accident, My Handbook & A "VERY Stunned" EMT!

Today I had the unfortunate experience of being in a car accident. Defintely not what I needed as I was beginning a day full of children's activities, work commitments and christmas plans. It is amazing how something that interrupts all that we thought was important can immediately put life into perspective for us.

The accident happened while I was sitting at a traffic light. The driver behind me thought the light was green (even though I was stopped) and hit me at approx 30 mph. I am so thankful that my children were not in the car & my Honda Odyssey did a decent job holding its own & protecting me to the best of its ability.

I ended up needed medical care and emergency services (fire, police & ambulance) were on the scene pretty quickly. When the police officer approached my side door to begin asking me the standard litany of emergency related questions (insurance, where you hurt, what are you allergic to, what is your name, address, height, weight, birthday etc.) I quickly told him that I had a "handbook with fish on it (my paper choice) in the glove compartment and it had everything he wanted to know about me in it."

I was in shock from my injuries and thanks to my "dork book" (like my sweet husband calls it) the EMT's & police officers were armed with all of my emergency contacts, my emergency room of choice, auto insurance information, medical insurance information, medical history & allergies and much more!

When I was placed into the ambulance I made sure the EMT had my handbook with him. (I didn't even think to ask him where my wallet was ... it ranked way down the food chain in importance to me at the time). I knew I was facing an entire day in the ER and that I would need help with my children for the rest of the day. My contacts & family information was critical (all was in my handbook) and my phone was lost at the scene of the accident.

When my husband met me at the hospital (thanks to my handbook) he had the ability to call all 3 schools, a list of babysitters to help with the kids, neighbors to walk the dog, & my insurance agent. When the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th nurses all had shift changes during my stay and needed to ask the same health questions over again, he directed them to my handbook so I could rest!

Needless to say, it was definitely not a fun afternoon, but all was so much easier with my information all in one place! (even the EMT wanted one :-))

Happy holidays!

Thankfulness ~ A Lesson From Mom

We all have those days (I've wrote about them before) where life as a busy mom of 3 (& now the crazy dog) can just seem over the top exhausting! Well, yesterday was one of those days that was not only exhausting, it was loud, messy & chaotic ... & my own mother came to the rescue!

On a day when I would normally have been too busy to notice, I stopped in my tracks to pay particular attention to what an amazing mom she was to come and help me for 3 days.

A gift of love, and act of kindness & grace she dropped what she was doing in her own life to come and dedicate 100% of her time and attention to mine.

She took on my messes as if they were her own, she stepped in to help with the "micro details" of my mommy life that had crept up on me as I met a client deadline the night before.

She seamlessly finished the laundry, made dinner for the children, walked the dog (in the rain), hung up clothes, took out the trash cans and cleaned up the kitchen.

She said good night to me like she always did when I was a little girl and I stopped to notice what an amazing woman she is. I felt five ~ safe & warm in her care ~ but looked in the mirror & reality set in. We are both older (much older) and the years ahead of us that we have to spend together are narrowing.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all that I have & all that I have had the opportunity to learn, love and cherish through the example of my wonderful mother.

May you take the time this Thanksgiving to notice ~ and thank ~ those you love & cherish.

I love you, mom.
L

Purple Martin & Co. "Holiday Gift Pick!" ~ Recycled Glass Vases From Organica Deluxe!

An online (& Charlotte, NC) find ~ ORGANICA DELUXE (as seen in magazines!) has taken organic style to a whole new level! www.organicadeluxe.com

I just LOVE it when I can accessorize my office space with something "practical" AND "beautiful" ... having it be an "organic" product takes it into the next stratosphere for me!

My next holiday gift pick is a collection of 100% recycled glass vases. They are not only gorgeous (especially when the light shines through them), but they are also very practical for holding small desktop items that are generally stored in much less attractive ways.

I use mine (see photo) to store colored pencils, thumbtacks, paper clips, and binder clips! I LOVE how they look on my desk and am even more impressed with the fact that they are "recycled" and good for our earth.

These vases make GREAT gifts for the holidays and at $12 apiece they are a big bang for your dollar! They come in 5 different colors ~ Red, Green, Orange, Blue & Pink ~ and 2 sizes - tall bud vase and short wider necked vase. For the holiday season the Red & Green colored vases will be a BIG hit!

Another creative use for these great "green gifts" is to give them as teacher presents!

I have come up with the following GREAT gift ideas (please copy them if you like!)

1. Fill one short vase for the art teacher with an assortment of paint brushes & tie with a handwritten note from my child

2. Fill one tall vase with #2 pencils for the "math teacher" and tie with a poem written by my child (she LOVES math)

3. Fill one tall or short vase with binder clips for the school secretary

4. Fill one with colored pencils & tie with a bow & special note

5. Fill one with a couple of inexpensive thumb drives for the computer lab teacher (she is sure to love this one!)

6. Fill a red or green one with your favorite holiday candy (candy canes, M&M's Hershey's kisses) & garnish with a pretty bow!

The best part about all of these ideas it that the vase will double as an actual "vase" when your child brings you teacher a small bunch of flowers from the yard throughout the year.

The note I created for my vases to give as gifts reads:
"This beautiful bottle is made of 100% recycled glass & has many wonderful uses.

Sit it upon your desk as a pretty way to organize small items such as paperclips, thumbtacks, binder clips or pencils.

It also doubles as a beautiful vase for each time I bring you a flower to school for the great job you do teaching me each day.

Or you can take it home & use it as a dispenser for olive oil, balsamic vinegar or dish soap as a pretty accent to your countertop.

Thank you for being a special teacher to me ~ Love, E"

Isn't this the best gift that keeps on giving?

Pretty, Practical, Thoughtful & Good for the Earth! What could be better?!

Order online at www.organicadeluxe.com OR if you live in Charlotte, shop at the Poole Shop where Organica Deluxe has set up a "pop up shop" for the holidays!

Ready for a "Practical Holiday Season?" Join us for our Holiday Event on December 1st!

I'm definitely ready for a practical Holiday Season! One where I give gifts that have a purpose, serve a need, or fill a void that someone would not want to purchase for themselves. One that does NOT add to the clutter or increase the noise factor of my already crazy home of 5 (plus the dog).

In celebration of a "Simpler Holiday Season" The Purple Martin & Co is partnering with Simplicity (the PREMIER home organizing business in Charlotte) and Simplify (a home organization products business) to help you have a "practical & simple holiday."

Come Join us on December 1st for our first "Shop & Learn Event!"
Date: December 1st
Time: 7:00pm
Place: 3513 Keithcastle Court 28210

Carson Tate, owner of Simplicity will present her strategies for having a simple & practical holiday!

Laurie Martin, owner of Simplify will present her favorite storage solutions for taming all of those precious holiday decorations & memories.

Lori Martin, owner of The Purple Martin & Co, will present her favorite ways to keep your "information" organized for the holiday seson (meals, event planning, shopping & more!).

Come and share drinks and appetizers with these 3 fantastic women and take home a few "free tips!" on how to make your holiday "simpler."

We will have giveaways from our favorite local businesses who also offer products that simplify our life!

Simplify, Simplicity & The Purple Martin & Co. Products & gift cards will be available for purchase (free giftwrap available).

We hope you will join us for this fun event!

Deck Your Halls With Organization & Style

The Holidays are here and can be overwhelming before “decking of the halls” even officially begins! One of the most stressful parts of the holiday season is the additional amount of “information” we are responsible for on top of our daily routine.

We pile additional shopping lists, decorating ideas, holiday card lists, gift ideas, additional meal preparation, party planning, event hosting, travel arrangements, preparation for house guests and much more on top of our daily work-life balance. All of this can feel like piling another “full time job” on top of our existing “full time job” and we simply don’t have the additional hours in the day to keep up.

Keeping track of all of this additional information in an organized manner is THE KEY to maintaining a sense of “peace and calm” in this season of “hustle and bustle.” One way to keep all of this extra information pulled together is in a “Holiday Planning Handbook.”

The Purple Martin & Co., founded by Lori Martin, has created a holiday planning handbook to meet all of your holiday “information management” needs. These handbooks can be customized to meet your specific planning needs or you can pick from a menu of “common holiday planning tabs” to include in your planner. These handbooks are decorated with gorgeous specialty paper and personalized with a name or monogram of your choice. To tame all of that holiday planning “paper” the handbooks include multiple types of pockets, sheet protectors & photo pages to keep your information & ideas contained.

After all, it is impossible to stay on budget or keep track of what we have already done in our holiday planning, let alone remember whom we have already purchased gifts for, if we don’t keep our holiday information organized.

A plan of action before each holiday season does take some effort, but organizing your “plans & ideas” in a “Holiday Planning Handbook” will have the payoff of a much smoother season, a well balanced budget and the ability to know where you left off for next year!

What’s in Lori’s personal “Holiday Planning Handbook?” ~ (Yours can be customized to meet your specific planning needs) …

• A family needs assessment
• A detailed budget (groceries, family gifts, teacher gifts, neighbors & friends)
• A detailed gift list (I shop for impact, think local & stay In budget)
• Meal plans for family gatherings are established weeks ahead of time to give myself time to shop the sales (& clip those coupons)
• A pre-planned grocery list
• Contacts for my holiday card list
• Magazine clippings for gift & decorating ideas
• A record of all receipts to accurately track against my budget. Receipts are also important for exchanges, broken items, missing parts, etc.
• A gift log so I can avoid repeats next year & add to collections I have started for my children & godchildren
• A section for Christmas morning to store user manuals for the “new gifts & toys”
• Packing lists for holiday travel
• I also savor the memories by keeping one holiday card I have sent throughout the years plus one photo of the children with Santa and store it in my binder to cherish for years to come.

Holiday Planning Handbooks start at $40. For your “Holiday Planning Handbook” contact Lori Martin with The Purple Martin & Co. at (704) 724-9108 or thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net.

Holiday Gift Pick #2 ~ Stylish Semikolon Magazine File

My 2nd Gift Pick for this holiday season is the super cool SemiKolon magazine file!

Very stylish, practical & perfect for housing your "family handbook" or other "mommy papers" these magazine files come in a variety of colors and make a fantastic gift! They even have a spot for you to label the contents (personalize them with your giftee's monogram for that special touch)

Shop at papertwist.com or swing by their Charlotte store behind SouthPark Mall. Sasha & Laura are the store owners and are fabulous to work with!

I purchased 2 from these wonderful ladies and intended to give them as gifts .... I couldn't part with them so I'm headed back to buy more. Mine are currently housing my "take out menu handbook" & "holiday handbook!" I keep them beside my pc so these items are close at hand.

A Purple Martin "Holiday Pick" ~ # 1 Semikolon Letter Tray

So, what is on my "list to give" this holiday season? Item number one is incredibly practical, yet SO stylish. Who wouldn't want a stylish way to tame their mommy paper! When my children's bookbags are emptied at the end of each school day, my kids know that the contents of their folders need to be placed in their individual letter trays. I also have one for my "mommy mail" until I have a chance to sort through it at the end of the day.

Before us moms have a chance to sort through all of our paper (the chaos of dinner, bath & bedtime always comes first), it needs a resting place until we can sort through it and put it away in its proper place.

My mommy paper paper temporairly resides in these adorable letter trays from Semikolon! They are very resasonably priced ( < $15) and can be found at
www.shoppapertwist.com. I have 3 ~ lime, pink & orange .... a splash of color on my desk makes paperwork SO much more fun!

Mom Tip ~ What to Do with the Kid's "Fall Artwork?"

Mom Tip ~ No idea what to do with all of the "fall art" making its way home from school? I like to laminate the "fall art" by using placemat sized laminating sheets. We are sure to laminate a piece of "art" from each child and they get to use them at the dinner table! My kids get a kick out of that! They also make great (and economical!) gifts for grandparents!

Another favorite solution is to actually WEAR the "colored macaroni necklace!" I paired mine with a white t-shirt & a pair of stylish jeans! Wear with some fun flats to dress it up a bit. My kids are SUPER proud & when I wore mine today I got so many compliments! Just be sure to store it in a cardboard jewelery box ~ they are fragile.

Also, Happy Fall!

I'm "Micro" He's "Macro" & then there's the "Dog" ....

I just had an enlightening conversation with my husband, Andy. After 15 years together (5 dating & 10 married) we have finally come to the conclusion that I focus on the "MICRO" details of our family while he is responsible for the "MACRO" details .... the bigger picture. Perhaps wer're a bit slow on the take ... you may have figured this out years earlier than us in your relationship.

What was enlightening about this mundane fact is that we finally concluded that NEITHER of our roles is more important than the other and BOTH are INCREDIBLY stressful.

I would describe myself as the "Chief Operating Officer" of the household ~ the one responsible for the details ... all things mundane yet CRITICAL of the bottom line. We can't function without the details. Kids have to make it to school on time ... social structures for my 3rd grade daughter are AS important (if not more so) to her as her grades are .... my 5 year old must learn to read in this critical time period of elementary school .... AND my 2 year old needs to feel secure in her routine of having MILK while we rock at night WITH 5 different stuffed animals in our rocking chair before bed.

In harmonic contrast, my husband has always been the "Chief Executive Officer" .... the one with the mainstream "job" .... responsible for the "MAJOR" decisions that impact the BIG picture of our household, retirement, savings, overall livelihood! VERY BIG & HEAVY stuff!

What was SO amazing about our conclusion tonight is that there really is NO meshing of the 2 roles. For YEARS we have been trying to have each other understand the importance of our reason for BEING .... almost like our sense of "purpose" depended on it ....

I wanted him to understand HOW important it is for my daughter to have GOOD friends, to have a self esteem, to know that her opinion matters .... while he wanted me to understand that interest on a credit card is worse than charging the item for "convenience" in the first place. We're BOTH right ... there is NO winner ... just a lot of co-parenting & shared responsibility going on.

I'm SO thankful that we both care so passionately about our precious family to argue about the MICRO and the MACRO. At the end of our conversation we came out respecting our roles and appreciating the heavy responsibilities we each bear .... and appreciative that we are able to have confidence that we are each treasuring our responsibilities (whether mundane like my daily carpool gig ~ or globally important like my husband's job).

It underscores the even more important role of our family handbook. He has the safety of knowing that the "road map" of the mundane responsibilities that I take such pride in are documented in a place that he can reference in a pinch.

He has safety in knowing that I am "all over" the Halloween party I am in charge of tomorrow for the kindergarten class .... but that he could figure it out if he had to. Likewise, if I had to understand in a split second the financial web he is in charge of for our family's future, I do know who to call and how to be on top of the "macro plan" in a New York Minute.

That leads us to the DOG ... our CRAZY, precious new family mascot "Hemingway" ~ he is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who has us all wrapped around his 4 little paws. He has thrown us for a loop ~ both "MICRO" speaking & "MACRO" speaking. He was expensive (i.e. NOT in the financial plan) .... purchased to appease my 8 year old (who we promised at age ONE that we would buy her a dog by the time she was 7 .... what were we thinking???) So ironically enough HE IS the common denominator tying this all together .... he is the "wrench in the works" that makes us laugh and cry each time we realize that adding him to our family was a CRAZY decision we made together ....

Our dog ... the crazy decision that Andy & I BOTH made from a MACRO and MICRO perspective together .... a common denominator we can both agree was fatally flawed but pricelessly adorable and equally loved. How funny that a four legged friend can come to symbolize something so "micro" and "macro" to a marriage 15 years in the making .....

All the best to you and yours!
Lori

Customized Family Handbook ~ Budget Friendly in Time for the Holidays!

We are excited to officially launch the "budget friendly" customized family handbook line! This fashionable and VERY customized family handbook takes the most common five tabs that mom's need in a pinch and puts them in a fashion binder designed by Carolina Pad & Co.

The five tabs that are most common amongst moms are as follows:
Emergency Information
Medical Contacts
School Contacts
Family Contacts (neighbors, babysitters, in town & out of town family)
General Family Routine

These 1 inch fashion binders are very popular and the cost is much more budget friendly at $70.00.

This makes a GREAT Holiday Gift and if you don't have time to obtain the information needed for the handbook, we can wrap up the "shell" (binder, tabs, monogram pouch etc.,) and include the $70 gift card towards personalizing the entire binder for your loved one or friend.

A sample photo is attached.

Setting "Great" (age appropriate) Expectations

I learned a wonderful lesson from a client today. Setting expectations from the outset is VERY important ... even critical. Delays happen ... life gets in the way of meeting deadlines... but setting expectations from the very beginning allows everyone to plan accordingly and hence, avoid frustration.

The same can be said for parenting our children. Setting expectations at the BEGINNING of the school year (or even just the beginning of the DAY) is the BEST way to ensure everyone understands the household rules & responsibilities.

Last night an amazing 3rd grade teacher at my daughter's school said that she is teaching our children to "begin with the end in mind." She wants them to begin their work, begin their day, begin their friendships, begin their family relationships, begin all things with the END result in mind. WOW! I was blown away with her wisdom! If we all lived our lives this way, world peace would be within reach!

Well, at the end of today I would have settled for peace in my own home. Unfortunately, chaos ensued in my house today! The volume at our home was at its worst from 4pm to 8pm. You probably know this time of day well .... when the kids are tired, mom is tired, everyone is hungry, and frustrated ... just to name a few. All of the children need their own down time but end up competing for your attention while you struggle to fix dinner.

At 4pm today the volume at our home was SO loud that I am surprised my neighbors didn't call to find out what all of the screaming was about! In case any of my wonderful neighbors are reading this, the volume can be summed up as follows .... Molly grabbed a toy from Charlie, who grabbed it back, who then in turn ran away from Molly .... who then ran through the house screaming bloody murder trying to get it back .... then the puppy (who was supposed to be on a walk with Emma who did not follow through with her responsibility) joined the chaos by chasing them both all over the house and ended up having an accident in Charlie's room ... Charlie then began to scream again because of the mess on his carpet .... ughhhh.

Needless to say, the start to our school year has been rough and tonight I have decided to adopt the lessons learned from both my client and our 3rd grade teacher .... 1. "Set Expectations" .... and 2. "Begin With The End In Mind."

Tonight the family rules will be unearthed from our family handbook and posted on our fridge as a reminder of our "expectations." I will probably take the time to laminate them and post them in other places around the house. Our rules are pretty basic, but a refresher is definitely needed to "re-set those expectations."

(rules directly from the Martin Family Handbook)
1. Treat Others As You Want to Be Treated
* No Hitting, No Grabbing, No Kicking
* Use Kind Words
* Use your words when your feelings are hurt, not your actions
* ALWAYS tell the truth, even when you think it will get you into trouble

2. Treat Our Possessions with Respect* Do not jump or climb on furniture
* Clean up when you are through playing

3. Have Fun
* Families are special, enjoy your time with each other
* Laugh Every Day
* Encourage Each Other and Celebrate the Good Times

My children will wake up with a visual reminder of our family rules & expectations. Their day will begin anew as we start with "a peaceful end in mind." Then tomorrow we will review them after a peaceful family dinner (that I prepare in advance while the baby is sleeping). My promise to myself .... to wake up tomorrow morning with the "the end of a peaceful day" in mind.

I’ll let you know how it goes .... All the best!
Lori Martin

An Act of Grace ~ I Didn't Deserve

Ok - so this isn't really a tip for today .... just a reminder of what a complete wreck I can make of other people's schedules when I make a mistake ... this just totally bums me out.

I am the one with the "data organizing business" .... I have my "desk reference family handbook" .... my "on the go family handbook" with the "color coded calendar" and a Blackberry!

I (of all people) should have my routine down to scientific perfection .... I should never be late to an appointment ... mess up a carpool (I am the queen of carpool emergency cards) ... miss a meeting ... forget to return a phone call ... pay a bill late .... or forget anything off of my grocery list.

Unfortunately, today .... was just one of those days I wished I had "woken up in Australia." Have you ever read the children's book "Alexander & The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day." Where after a bad day he tells his mom that he wished he could move to Australia to escape bad days? Her reply ... "some days are like that ... even in Australia."

So here were my gaff's in order .... they all add up to a pretty big mess:

1. I got the time wrong on my girls' doctor appointments today. I originally thought they were for 9am then checked my calendar yesterday and realized I had written them down for 2pm. When I showed up at 2pm today they told me the appointment was for 11am all along .... SERIOUSLY .... what is wrong with me? How did I manage to get ONE appointment wrong 3 times!!

2. I had managed to think through the morning carpool routine enough in advance to know that I needed to find a ride to school for my daughter (I had told the original carpool that we wouldn't need a ride because I thought my daughter was going to the doctor instead - back when I thought the appt was at 9~~!

3. I didn't think through the afternoon carpool implications of a 2pm doctor's appointment until after I walked the dog today at 11am (yes - that is the original time I was SUPPOSED to be at the pediatrician)! I realized (only 4 hours before school let out) that I would either have to ask another mom to switch days with me OR not tell anyone and still drive carpool (even though my own child wasn't participating) and have the kids be home a little later than usual. My thoughtlesness (or just lack of thought ... I wasn't trying to be rude but it WAS rude nonetheless) caused a big interruption in her day.

4. After wrecking my schedule, my girls' 'schedule, my carpool mom's schedule AND the pediatrician's schedule I was definitely wishing for Australia!

Here was the end result .... a COMPLETELY unexpected and UNDESERVED act of amazing grace and kindness!!!

When my pediatrician (Dr. P!) heard from her nurse that I had arrived (3 hours late .... ) she came BACK to work (she was already in her car leaving the parking lot!) to see my girls. I am still bowled over by her graciousness for my tardiness. She was NOT short with me, not the slightest bit put out .... no huffs ... no, "please remember to be on time next time" .... no smirks ... NO lessons at all! She was JUST as gracious and kind AND amazing as she always is! WOW!!!

I had a friend in college who taught me a good lesson one time .... she said "when you are late to an appointment or meeting you unconsciously tell the other person that YOUR time is more valuable than theirs." She is SO right. Today I unconsciously told everyone that my time was more important than theirs .... Except for Dr. P whose act of undeserved graciousness dismissed my gaff and said "i forgive you" through her act of kindness.

The lesson ~ I need to be more gracious & forgiving to those who make mistakes that disrupt MY schedule! I have received the lesson today that a bit of undeserving grace goes a LONG way! I can't wait to pay it forward TENFOLD!!!

Go ahead, wreck my day .... I've got grace to freely give!

Thanks Dr. P!

Mommy Tip of the day ~ When your routine doesn't work ... let things go!

I was the kid in school who had to be involved in EVERYTHING. Clubs, Music, Equestrian activieies & the occasional game of tennis tended to drive my schedule into the ground most days. Somehow in high school, I even managed to hold down a part time job at a dry cleaners! I actually WASHED the shirts! There are not many memories I can recall where I was not scheduled to do something.

I can remember walking home from school (we did that back then) in the 2nd grade and telling my friend (who asked me to come over to play) that I couldn't play because I had an activity every day of the week. I honestly do not know how my mother did it! My father traveled EVERY day of the week and I was the oldest child of 3! How did she get us everywhere, still manage to put dinner on the table AND maintain her sanity? I am so grateful for all of the experiences I had as a child! Thanks Mom ... you're the best!!

I just can't seem to pull it all off nearly as gracefully as her .... So ~ this fall I have had a "watershed" moment and made a big lifestyle change for my kids (and me!). Not everyone will agree with me, but I wrote down my personal priorities and decided this new idea was best for my ENTIRE family.

We are giving up afterschool activities for the ENTIRE fall. The only activity will be brownies for my eight year old who has a passion for earning her adorable badges! The bonus is that the troop leaders are great AND we have a fabulous carpool!

I know this sounds radical .... even CRAZY! What mom would deny her kids the activity of organized soccer in the fall, or flute lessons, or art class! These are important, even required for college admittance these days ... aren't they?

Well, when it came down to it, my kids just wanted to be kids for a few more weeks while we transition into school. When asked what they want to participate in this fall, my question was met with grimaces and a few "forced" answers.

As a result, I have officially decided to trade in Junior Soccer for Family Game Night! We are taking a break from the "required" events of sports, piano practice, & swim lessons I would have normally signed everone up for this fall! Instead, we are having "old fashoned play time" after school and "family game night" after I put the my 2 year old to bed. We are having a blast!

Today, for example, my kids ran in from school and begged to play in the sprinkler! Of COURSE I said yes! I got to cook dinner in peace (didn't have to run around town in the car during rush hour) AND they had some amazing fun together! (RARE ... and treasured fun!)

Whether or not your family needs a break from the "required" (or seemingly so) events of fall activities, I HIGHLY recommend a family game night! Our NEW favorite game is Gobblet (see picture)! It is like tic tac toe ... only your pieces can actually gobble one another! My 8 year old and I had a blast playing this tonight and we both had a hard time putting it down! After I put the younger two children to bed, I snuck into her room for a face off ... (I let her win) but it was SO much fun!

I will trade this activity with driving around Charlotte in rush hour for a soccer pick up ANY day of the week!

PLEASE do not get me wroing ... I LOVE activities ... ESPECIALLY soccer! Our family, just needed a new adjustment to school and decided to trade fall activities for family time together. It has ended up not only being TONS of fun, but also economical! My husband gave me bonus points for keeping the activity budget more in the "black!"

My bit of advice for you today ... don't be afraid to challenge the status quo! If your schedule is maddening, even just slightly annoying .... let things go! Simplify your schedule and simplify your life.

If you live in Charlotte, and need new family game ideas, check out the game selection at Toys & Co. in Cotswold! That is where we found Gobblet and today they had all games 20% off!!

All the best to a happy start to your school year!!!

Got Carpool? You NEED Carpool Cards! What Are They? Read Below .....

As quirky as it is, my odd talent of "data organization" does come in handy if you happen to be in one of my MANY carpools! This year I am in 4 different carpools with lots of children I barely know. As a helpful (hopefully not pushy) gesture to ALL of the moms in my multiple carpools, I have put together Carpool Cards (laminated on very cool decorative paper) for EACH respective carpool.

What Are Carpool Cards?
These cards contain ALL critical information for each child in the carpool.

Child's Name & Age
Address
Allergies
Car Seat Requirements
Car Sickness Susceptibility
Teacher's Name / Grade
Mom's Cell Phone
Home Phone
Dad's Cell Phone
Dad's Work Phone
Emergency Contact Name & Number

Why is this important?
1. Your child's safety is paramount! These cards help avoid any miscommunication by ensuring everyone has each other's important emergency information.
2. Not every mom takes the time to program important numbers into her phone.
3. You can't take for granted that moms will remember if your child has a food allergy.
4. If your child is required to ride in a booster seat, it helps to also put that in writing so each mom in the carpool will remember.
5. I have (on more that one occasion) not been able to find a child I was supposed to pick up from school. I immediately turn to my carpool card and start dialing ALL of that child;s emergency numbers until I can get a "live person" on the phone to tell me if that child was either not at school, or had other plans today.
6. One one occasion I was unable to locate my OWN child. She arrived home 45 minutes late! It turns out the mom who drove that day took the kids for ice cream and forgot to call. No big deal ... I just called everyone on the card until I found out where they were :-)

No Time To Make Your Own?
No problem! I would be GLAD to make carpool cards for YOUR carpool! You can email thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net. I will coordinate ALL of the information from everyone in your carpool. Assemble the cards and laminate them on decorative paper of your choice.

Setup fee is $15.00 Each Card is $3.50.

100+ Facebook Fans = A BIG Reason to Celebrate With a GREAT Giveaway!

The Prize?
ALL of the Carolina Pad & Co's products I have used creatively in my blogs (one of each product), ONE EXTRA Large Monogrammed L.L. Bean Bag in your choice of color PLUS a $75.00 gift card towards a Customized Family Handbook or Purple Martin & Co. product of YOUR Choosing (including the beach house handbook & bridal organization handbook)!

How to Register?
Comment on my fan page about at least one of the following:
1. Why you would like a Customized Family Handbook
Don't know the benefits? Check out www.thepurplemartinandco.blogspot.com and see "My Story"

2. Your Favorite Purple Martin & Co. Blog
Can't remember? Check out www.thepurplemartinandco.blogspot.com

3. Your Favorite Mommy Data Tip or Solution!!
Can't remember? Check out our fan page on facebook!

4. Current Customer? What you LOVE about your Customzied Family Handbook!

You will Receive 1 Entry for EACH Comment you post on the public facebook fan page for "The Purple Martin & Co" between NOW and AUGUST 15th at 5pm EST. Not a fan, be sure to join - it is SUPER easy - you can search for The Purple Martin & Co in facebook then click become a fan!

Winner will be announced on August 16th. You do NOT need to be a Charlotte Resident to win! This contest is open to ALL Purple Martin & Co. current and FUTURE fans (through Aug. 15th!)

All the Best!
Lori Martin

What's In Your Pool / Beach Bag?

As the summer comes to an end, I FINALLY discovered the best solution to getting my kids (all 3) and all their gear to the pool / beach in an organized manner! If only I had more time to use it.

The Problem?
~ Getting 3 kids to the pool PLUS all their stuff in an organized manner is REALLY tough.

~ How do I prevent myself from having to DIG to the bottom of my pool bag for the sunscreen, goggles, and all the other small items? I really don't like bags with lots of pockets because I forget WHICH pocket I put the small stuff in ~ I prefer one BIG wide-mouthed bag (with a zipper top).

~ How do I keep my dry items separate from the items that will inevitably become wet & sandy?

The Solution?
~ Three of my FAVORITE products pulled together to create one perfect solution!

The Products?
1. The L.L.Bean Beach Tote With Long Handles


2. 3 Plastic Beach Totes (I bought mine at Michael's Craft Store)

3. 3 Zippered Pencil Pouches (Carolina Pad Kendall Collection ~ I bought mine at Wal-Mart) Who knew an office supply product could be SO stylish and versatile?

How To?

1. Insert the 3 Plastic Beach totes inside the L.L.Bean Beach Tote. They serve as plastic dividers (with handles for portability!) to separate your items.

I put pool toys in one tote, dry items (towels, change of clothes, dry swim diapers) in another tote, and sunscreen & shower items in another tote.

Dry Items Stay Dry, The Plastic Totes keep my L.L.Bean Bag Dry, Items are easily identified and best of all NO Digging to the bottom of the bag.

2. I put travel sized shower items (shampoo, shower gel, small shower body puff) in the 3 zippered pencil pouches. The kids each take their own zippered pouch with shower supplies into the pool shower to rise off after swimming.

3. The L.L. Bean Tote serves as the best wide-mouthed bag to carry it all with ease!

Now if only I had thought of this great idea at the beginning of the summer! Here's to next season!

"Taming That Toddler" ~ Should Be An Olympic Sport!

Molly stringing beads & buttons on pipe cleaners at Reed Gold Mine!


My "Molly Martin BUSY BAG" & Contents

Hello Purple Martin Moms!

I just overheard my 8 year old say to my husband .... "WHAT if Molly had a TWIN?" Then she shuddered ... "that would be AWFUL." Well, even though Molly (aka the Mo-Nado) has set records in our family-of-5 for being the most difficult toddler ... EVER ... at least she provides us with lots of humor and some interesting fodder for my blog. That being said, today was just one of those "Molly Days" again where she screamed, yelled, and wore on all of our patience.

Yesterday, however, I took my kids on a field trip to the Reed Gold Mine in Midland, NC. We went with some friends with the intention of touring an underground gold mine (a historic landmark) and then panning for some gold ourselves.

I had wanted to leave Molly with a sitter, but my friends said we could make it work. My friends were amazing AND I was prepared! I knew I was NOT going to take Molly on the tour of the Gold Mine once the guide said ... "I hope we ALL behave in the mine! Remember, we will be 30 FEET underground and MUST not touch anything .... EVEN the rocks on the ground are OFF LIMITS."

Well ... since Molly likes to do snow angels in the MUD, I figured the experience of "behaving" in the Gold Mine (30 feet underground) was better left to her older siblings (ages 5 & 8).

Instead, Molly & I took a little hike around the property and settled on a bench where I took out my NEW Molly "BUSY BAG!" It was a HUGE hit!

Here were the contents:
* One sandwich sized Tupperware filled with stray lego pieces for her to build with
* One small (retractable) measuring tape (we even measured the circumference of a tree)
* One roll of stickers from the Dollar Tree (cost $1.00)
* One small "Gladware" bucket containing random beads & buttons
* Misc. brightly colored pipe cleaners from old craft kits (which we used to string the beads & buttons - great for fine motor skills!)
* A plastic wallet sized folder that I used to hide misc. pictures I cut out of magazines in the different pockets (pictures of flowers, birds, dogs, etc)
* A few stray toys I found in our junk drawer
* One "super cute" zipper pencil pouch I found at Wal-Mart (Carolina Pad & Paper Co) that I put crayons into with a few tiny note pads for coloring - the pencil pouch keeps crayon marks OFF of the other items & I stashed it in my purse for our lunch outing!

I zipped ALL of these surprise treasures in a collapsible lunch tote that I bought at the Dollar Tree for $1.00. She had fun opening & closing it as a stand alone activity!

Total Cost ~ $4.50 (lunch tote & stickers from The Dollar Tree + Carolina Pad Pencil Pouch from Wal-Mart)

One would think I had enough "stash" to keep her busy for HOURS ~ an entire plane ride perhaps ~ but in reality, my busy toddler was able to be entertained for exactly 45 minutes. A near record in her book!

I felt like I had won a "gold medal" when my task of "taming my toddler" outlasted my five year old's attention span of panning for gold!

Instead of the medal, I'll settle for the satisfaction of knowing we weren't ASKED TO LEAVE the Gold Mine (unlike our last excursion experience).

The Sad Sate of My Glove Compartment....a coming to terms, & a cute solution!

Ok moms, so the last time I left you I was telling you about my horrific drive home from Atlanta where my toddler (who turned 2 today) screamed 3 out of the 4 hours it took us to get home. It was awful. Well, somehow during a moment of peace, my 5 year old son (who has a fascination with the police and constantly reminds me NOT to speed ~ how kind of him!) asked me what would happen if we DID get pulled over. I told him the police would not be happy with me for breaking the speed limit and that he would ask me for my drivers license and registration card. He seemed happy enough with my response.

When we got home (and one HUGE headache later from said screaming toddler) I peeked in my glove box to make sure that my registration was in fact IN the car where I thought it was ~ I wouldn't want to be misleading my 5 year old that I was always following the traffic rules & regulations!

After digging and digging and MORE digging .... then uncovering an old candy wrapper, some crunched up oil change receipts and some other junk .... I finally DID happen upon my registration card (as I had suspected). It just started to bother me that it took me 10 minutes to find it when the glove compartment is only 12 inches wide by at most 8 inches deep! It was indeed a DISASTER.

It wasn't a value statement or a general sense of me "not caring" it was just someplace I rarely open unless I have to .... and when I do open it, I am generally in a HUGE hurry and just throw what I was looking for back in it haphazardly.

I wanted to give myself a fun reason to organize my small glove compartment disaster & I happened upon it in the least likely of all places .... the Target office supply aisle! I found this really fun, bright & colorful vinyl 13 pocket expanding file folder. I had used a more sturdy (cardboard) version to help my daughter organize her artwork a week or so ago. I had a feeling that this slimmer and more flexible version just MAY fit in my glove compartment to help me organize my chaos.

It Did! I was able to label the tabs as follows:
* Registration & Insurance
* Owners Manual
* Service History & Receipts
* Wheel Lock & Tire Warranty
* & First Aid Stuff ... I stuck some bandaids, Neo-to-Go (neosporin spray) and some tylenol in there .... just so I am BETTER PREPARED for that next AWFUL road trip :-)

Back to School Special!

The Purple Martin & Co. is offering a back to school savings of 10% + one free month of updates to your family handbook through August 30th!
Become a fan of our facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Charlotte-NC/The-Purple-Martin-Co/106671367396?ref=nf

AND register to follow our blog! You will receive 10% off of any handbook product / service rendered through August 30th PLUS one additional month of free updates (the standard package comes with 3 months of free updates)!

There is no better time than now to organize your family's critical inforamtion. Give us a call (704) 724-9108 (or email thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net).... we are here to help & simplify the back to school process!

Favorite Way To Fix the Travel DVD Dilemma!

Ok Moms ~ New "Stylish" way to fix the DVD Travel Dilemma! Favorite Product ~ Carolina Pad & Paper Co's JACKIE Laptop Case and Whimsical Flower Binder! (www.jackiemcfee.com) See photos (and read further) to check out a fabulous way to travel with your kids' DVD player AND their DVD's in one super cool case / binder any girl (young, tween AND teen) would be excited to carry around!

The Problem? How many of you are tired of asking your kids to bring their favorite DVDs in the car for a road trip only to find AFTER you are on the road that half of the cases they brought didn't contain an actual DVD? The problem is that the way DVD cases are designed, we have to actually OPEN the case to see if our kids put the DVD back where it beloged after the last time we viewed it. With my kids, the chances of this happening are slim to never.

Our other travel DVD issue is that our family has an 8 year old, 5 year old, & a toddler. My 8 year old can not be subjected to toddler appropriate shows for an 8 hour road trip to grandma's. The only solution was to lend her my portable DVD player to use in the back seat so she can watch "Mary Kate & Ashley" instead of our beloved purple dinosaur friend.

The Solution? A fashionable way for my 8 year old to travel with BOTH her favorite DVD's and the DVD player in ONE portable solution!

How'd We Do It?
1. Purchased the JACKIE (www.jackiemcfee.com) Laptop Case (with handles AND a detachable shoulder strap) at Wal-Mart for $19.99 + tax. (you can also shop Caroina Pad online at www.carolinapad.com where they currently have FREE shipping on orders of $30 or more!)

2. Purchased the JACKIE Accessories case in coordinating pattern to keep the cords contained in the laptop case (optional as the case does have a pocket for the laptop case & a separate section where you can store the cords.)

3. Purchased the Whimsical Flower 3 ring binder in matching color scheme for $4 at Wal-Mart.

4. Purchased Office Max Brand 3-hole punched clear CD / DVD sleeves.

5. Had my daughter select her favorite DVD's that she wants to keep for "travel" purposes and she put them in the sleeves.

6. Put DVD Cord, DVD Player, & New DVD Binder in the laptop case for easy travel!

The Result?
A Fabulous Way to have DVD's ready for "on the go!"
No more headache when it comes to "missing" DVDs because we have eliminated the DVD cases - less bulk too!
No more "where's my DVD cord!" when we arrive at Grandma's!
Less headache ~ Easier Travel ~ Economical Solution!

The "Bedtime Boogie" .... Seriously???

Mommy "Data" Tip of the day ~ Be Sure to Document your "Bedtime Routine."

The Bedtime Boogie...Seriously?! Ok ~ It may not seem like a normal bedtime routine, but it happens to work for my 2 year old ... the "Mo-Nado... aka ... Molly Tornado."

To get her ready for bed, we turn on the music and have a little "bogie time" in our PJs before bed (see photo). My babysitters used to hink I was crazy .... who in their right mind would get a toddler "all excited" and "revved up" right before putting them to bed? It just happens to work, I would tell them .... and when I would get home and they had tried it for themselves, they definitely agreed! "Molly LOVES her bedtime boogie routine," they would say.

Why am I sharing this random piece of wisdom with you? Because it is so very important to document your children's bedtime routine for your sitters, caregivers, and even the occasionally forgetful husband. Children need and expect their same routine each and every night ... no matter how silly it is to the outside observer.

The Purple Martin & Co. has a wonderful way to document your nightly routine that makes putting your children to bed seamless and easy for any caregiver!

Let's face it, if we can't be there in person .... we want our kids to feel secure in the routine that we have so carefully laid out for them.

If we can help you by putting together a customized family handbook (including your nightly routine), please give us a call. We would love to help! (704) 724-9108 OR email: thepurplemartin@bellsouth.n et.

The Elegantly Stylish, Organized Bride

We are excited to launch our 2nd NEW Product!




Our Customized Bridal Organization Handbook!

This new product is perfect for helping Brides through the exciting process of planning the wedding of their dreams!

With an index that is completely customized to her wedding style (see photos) & paper you select just for her (or she selects herself), she can't help but be stylishly "on task" every step of the way.

Price ~ $65.00 Plus Shipping & Handling

Sample Photo Shown includes the following:Customized, Monogrammed Cover, Spine & Back
High Quality 3 Ring Binder in coordinating Lime
Customized Index (laminated for durability)
Customized, Monogrammed zipper pouch for storing pens, business cards etc.
20 Customized Tabs labeled to suit her wedding plan
25 Plastic Sheet Protectors for storing (and protecting) ideas, magazine clippings, brochures etc.
Plastic Photo Sheet Protectors for holding up to 12 4x6 Photographs

My New Favorite Organizing Find! The 19-Pocket Expanding File by Carolina Pad. Yesterday, during my crazy Wal-Mart run (see previous note for a big laugh) we were dashing down the school supply aisle and came across this extremely practical and stylish product! (see photo album for additional product views).

Our Problem?
Too many pieces of "special artwork" and writings from the 1st and 2nd Grade. We needed to make room for special art & papers for the upcoming 3rd grade year.

The Solution?
I put my rising 3rd grader in charge of deciding "trash from treasure" (with some basic guidelines to follow). I let her use my label maker and the new (super cool ~ in her words) expanding file folder she picked out at Wal-Mart. She had a blast separating her special artwork from random doodles that she said could now make their way to the trash can.

She labeled the expanding files as follows:
1. 2nd Grade Books That I Wrote
2. 2nd Grade School art
3. 2nd Grade School Journals (she loves to write)
4. My Art (as in random stuff she still can't part with)
5. Spanish
6. 3rd Grade!

We still have 13 files to fill! I love this product for function, practicality and style!

Mom Tips
* Involve your kids in separating their artwork & special papers. You will have as much fun looking at their past years' accomplishments as they do. It is a great rainy day summer activity!

* Use an expanding file folder with plenty of file space to make room for next years' art & special papers. We had to fold some of our artwork to have it fit in the files. We didn't mind because if it is too special to "fold" we generally have it framed and hang it on the wall.

Product We Liked
We purchased the Hot Chocolate 19-Pocket Expanding File from Wal-Mart for $14.99 (plus tax).

Mamma Said There'd Be Days Like This ....

Hello Purple Martin & Co. Friends!

When I started this page I promised myself I wouldn't go off topic (i.e. blog about anything BUT the business & services I offer). However, today was just one of those days that humbles us as parents. Sharing experiences such as this just makes us more human and hopefully telling you all about it will bring a BIG smile to your faces & remind you that even those who HOPE to be organized still have the most CHAOTIC of days.

Hi-Lights:
* Toddler screamed entire way home from Atlanta to Charlotte yesterday (3 out of 4 hours!)
* I woke Up this morning with POST TRAVEL STRESS headache ... aka Toddler Screaming Syndrome
* Same toddler threw breakfast EVERYWHERE this morning and preferred to eat it OFF the floor despite my attempt to prevent her from doing so ....
* Survived the toddler nap ~ only to fall asleep myself ~ and then awawakened 15 minutes into my own peacefull nap by said SCREAMING toddler
* Took older children (ages 5 & 8) to Dollar Tree ~ only to be kicked OUT by manager because of said toddlers behavior .... the manager even said " you shold be ashamed of yourself .... " ughhhhh I was seriously trying to control her.
* I failed the "SMART mommy" test by forgetting to just GO HOME .... and instead took kids to Wal-Mart after being kicked out of the Dollar Tree because we needed bread, milk & eggs.
* Went hunting for strawberries in Wal Mart while big kids decided that wrestling a watermelon was a better idea!
* Said watermelon ended up "exploding" iin the aisle from a wrestling match between a 5 year old & an 8 year old ... lovely.
* Made BIG kids apologize to the cashier only to have her say how cute they were .... am I awful for secretely wanting her to ask them to pay for the watermelon out of their allowance?

I am exhausted :-) Those of you with kids, hang in there and take heart that these days are hopefully rare and bring us humor instead of angst. They do grow up TOO fast ... as a kind man in the Wal-Mart school supply aisle reminded me.

As Erin, the cashier who showed my big kids such grace in accepting their apolgy today, said .... "Parenting is a full time job, but SO rewarding."

My Charlie (age 5) just begged me to watch a movie with him. I am signing off to watch "Garfield ... again." A great way to end the day :-)

Signing off ... I am so thankful for tomorrow! All the Best .... The Purple Martin & Co. (i.e. Lori, Emma, Charlie & Molly ... aka the "MO-Nado")

Favorite Vendors!

Paper Source is my ABSOLUTE favorite paper resource for The Purple Martin & Co. products. Not only do they offer gorgeous handcrafted paper from exotic destinations such as Japan, India & Europe, but they offer exceptional service!

If you live in Charlotte, NC, be sure to visit Paper Source located in Phillips Place Shopping Center. My clients work with the help of store managers Wendy & Kristine to create the perfect look for their custom handbooks! These ladies are wonderful to work with and can direct you to paper patterns that will work best with your vision for your handbook.



Hats off (literally!) to Queensboro Shirt Company based in Wilmington, NC. Queensboro is our vendor of choice for ALL of The Purple Martin & Co's custom embroidered needs. Responsible for the beautiful hats that we sell to benefit our philanthropy, "The Relatives," Queensboro has HIGH quality products at wonderful prices! In addition to providing us with beautiful hats, The Queensboro Shirt Company graciously offered us preferred customer pricing so that we could increase our donation from each hat sold to "The Relatives." Thank you Queensboro!

Beautiful Vacation Home Handbooks

The Purple Martin & Co. is excited to showcase a new product, beautiful vacation home handbooks! The photo to the left is a recently completed customized handbook for a family vacation home on Bald Head Island.

By working with the client remotely (via email & fax) The Purple Martin & Co. created a completely customized look that would make any vacation homeowner proud to display on a counter top or coffee table.

How does this process work?

The homeowner provided the personal details for the handbook including:
A Welcome Letter to guests
Personal Contact Information
Instructions for opening and closing the home
Instructions for cleaning & utilizing the pool & hot tub
An inventory of personal items (appliances etc.)
A list of island service providers they use (exterminators, HVAC repair, appliance repair, etc.)

The Purple Martin & Co. added other publicly available information to make the vacation home binder truly complete:
EMS Information
Closest Hospital Information
Local Attractions & Places of Interest
Restaurants & Places to Shop
Weather Websites
Ferry Instructions
Conservancy & Club Activities

The selection of beautiful paper adds the perfect finishing touch to this vacation home handbook. This paper was hand selected by the client from my favorite paper company, Paper Source (www.paper-source.com). If you live in Charlotte, NC, you can visit PaperSource in Phillips Place (704.552.2200). Managers Wendy & Kristine are wonderful to work with and work closely with The Purple Martin & Co's clients to help you hand select the paper that best suits your vision for your handbook look!

Contact The Purple Martin & Co. today to customize your family's vacation home handbook!

Phone (704) 442-0862
Email thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net
Fax (704) 973-0879

Charlotte Smarty Pants Features "The Purple Martin & Co."

Charlotte Smarty Pants: 27 hours, 45 minutes and 27 seconds, but who's counting?
By Jen P:

Tomorrow is the day I get to start my mommy detox and get my game on for summer. Thanks to my incredibly supportive hubby, I'm getting 7 days off in a row. I know, it's crazy insane, but it's true! In just 27 short hours, I will be a free woman!

I have been a busy bee trying to get everything just right for when I’m gone. Key to my organization is my brand spankin’ new Purple Martin Handbook by Lori Martin (see photos). You may remember her from our Mother’s Day giveaway. This handbook couldn’t have entered my life at a better time. Lori has this thing for details and data entry and developed this fabulous family handbook system that is perfect for when you go out of town. Or if you have a nanny, or a mother-in-law, or even hubby in my case – basically for anyone who will step in your shoes at a moment’s notice. This customized family handbook, or actually group of handbooks, includes all of your contacts, emergency contacts, your activity calendar with directions from your house to each activity, your carpool schedule (trust me, this is the most impressive part of my book since I’m always juggling at least 3 different carpools on any given day – see for yourself in photo above!), take-out options, shopping recommendations, preferred service providers – you name it, Lori has thought of it and wrapped it all up in a cute monogram and bow! I tested it out last week for a trial run when my sister-in-law was in town and needed ideas for activities with the kids. She just whipped out my family activity section, pulled out the plastic sleeve with directions from my house to the Nature Museum and off she went. It was such a delight not to have to write out directions to that place for the zillionth time! I’m pretty sure Randy will find this handy while I’m away.

To be honest, I think Randy will do great next week. He may even have an unfair advantage so to speak because he’s such a hands-on dad. As soon as he walks in the door every evening, he puts down his briefcase, rolls up his sleeves and digs in with whatever needs to be done. So I apologize in advance to any other dude out there secretly hoping he’ll mess up! Randy will probably do this better than I do! Although, I interviewed my girls in the video below to see what they are expecting – it’s very cute! They think daddy is going to be a mess. I think not.

Stay tuned next Monday, Memorial Day, and I ask you please, please support Randy via the comments section. I can remember my first few blogs where I really put myself out there and I was just waiting for someone to write something! I truly believe he will find blogging a very special form of therapy like I do. It’s the best thing ever, thanks to all of you☺

P.S. I want to give a shout out to American Idol Kris Allen - proud to say I picked him in the early rounds just like David Cook, whew-hoo!!!

8 Year Old's Hat Sales Yield Philanthropic Results!

I am thrilled to report that Emma (my 8 year old) has sold 17 Purple Martin & Co. hats to benefit The Relatives! Thanks to the philanthropic pricing from our vendor, The Queensboro Shirt Company (see http://www.queensboro.com/) of Wilmington, NC, $8.00 of every hat sale (100% of the profit!) goes directly to help homeless, runaway & other youth in crisis.

In total, Emma's first hat sale has yielded more than $130 for The Relatives!

Way to Go Emma!

If you would like to order additional hats from Emma, send us an email at www.thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net.

Cost $15.00
Value: Priceless Donation to Help Youth in Crisis!

Launch Event Introduces Family Handbooks and Raises Awareness for The Relatives

On Wednesday, May 6th, The Purple Martin & Co. officially opened for business with a wonderful launch event hosted at the home of PerMar Olin. Approximately 50 Charlotte area mom's attended the event which showcased the family handbook concept designed by Lori Martin.

In addition to providing hands on samples of different family handbooks currently in use by local moms, Lori introduced her "Families Helping Families" initiative which raises awareness and funding for The Relatives, a local shelter for youth ages 7 to 17 in Mecklenburg County.

Lori's daughter, Emma, sold hats with the Purple Martin & Co. logo (see image for detail) with 100% of the profit going to The Relatives. Within minutes, Emma sold all of the hats available at the party and took orders for additional hats. More than $120 was raised in hat sales alone for The Relatives that evening.

The Relatives and The Purple Martin & Co. would like to recognize The Queensboro Shirt Company (http://www.queensboro.com/) for their support of our local youth shelter with their special pricing on our hats. As a result, $8 per hat sold will go directly to The Relatives (http://www.therelatives.org/).

A special thank you to all of the wonderful women who helped with the launch event.
Hostess: PerMar Olin

Founding Idea Muses: Claire Bowles, Esther Farnham, Cassell FitzHugh, Paige McCloskey, PerMar Olin

Food & Beverages: PerMar Olin, Paige McCloskey, Erin Walker

Logo Design: Helen Butler

The Relatives Development Team: Ann Church, Sharon Bremer, Cassell FitzHugh (& board member)

My Story

For the Love of Family, Paper & All Things Organization!

The photo above is one I treasure. A priceless moment of my family walking together following Easter service this past April. Nobody is looking at the camera and I capture the moment exactly as it happened. No silly grins, no posing, no whining .... just a peaceful walk to the car. I just love moments such as this!

I came to treasure these moments even more (and I promised myself never to take them for granted) after I experienced a medical trauma in 2004. Five days following the birth of my son (now 5), I was sent back to the hospital for nearly a week. I had unknowingly torn a major artery and was in serious condition. Following surgery and a significant transfusion, I was strong enough to return home but still too weak to care for my family.

My well intended care givers (mother, mother in law, husband, babysitters, neighbors) all desperately wanted to help me. I had a 2 year old and she needed constant supervision, a newborn son, and I was silently grieving the traumatic experience I had been through.

I had thought of it all. Emergency numbers were taped to the inside of my pantry, the extra insurance card was tucked away on my memo board, the daycare phone number was taped to the fridge! Wasn't this all someone would need to understand how to help in an emergency? The short answer was, no.

I found out the hard way that this was not a good way to communicate my daily "mom life" to others. I could understand someone needing to ask me about the details, but the big picture of my daily routine was not mapped out anywhere. My husband even had to ask me which day to put the trash out. Not his fault - I just always took care of it.

After recovery, I decided to never put myself in that position again. I started working on my first "Martin Family Handbook." My husband jokingly called it my "dork book," and yes, I had to agree. I became passionate about chronicling my children's schedules, doctors, medical chart numbers, the foods they liked & didn't like, the babysitter contacts, the air conditioner repair man etc.! Every piece of information I used to run my daily "mommy job" was documented. It was essentially a living & breathing document for our family and served as "command central."

Fast forward to today ... I definitely don't live my life anticipating another emergency, but what I have discovered is that having all of this critical information in a single place has been a wonderful blessing to my family. I literally use my handbook every day and I take a smaller version (the "on the go" book) with me everywhere.

Last year, we were on vacation and my 7 year old cut her leg on a sharp shell at the beach. I had packed my handbook in my suitcase. When we went to urgent care, the doctors had ALL of the information they needed (shot records, pediatricians address & phone, insurance information, claims address, even the dentist address). I happened to be traveling with a physician (a dear friend of mine) and she said, "I can not believe you travel with your kids shot records!" The truth of the matter was that I didn't even have to think about it. They were just with me in my "handbook."

I founded The Purple Martin & Co. on the single principle that an organized, regularly updated, family handbook should be a staple in each household. Paper is truly the only shareable resource around. My mother could not reference a blackberry or my computer, she could not interpret which babysitter to call from my address book and she definitely would not know the chart number and my daughters favorite "back-up" pediatrician!

If you have a love of decorative paper, a need for organizing "command central" and a desire to put your family's critical information in a user friendly format (not just for the "one off emergency" but for peace of mind in running your daily routine) please give me a call.

I would love to help!

The Purple Martin Caters to Charlotte, NC Moms

The Purple Martin & Co. is a new "bird" in town catering to the busy information needs of Charlotte, NC moms.

Based on the known fact that mom's keep too much information in their heads and electronic devices, I decided to start a business to help mom's find a better solution to organizing their family data in a shareable format.

The Purple Martin & Co. creates customized family handbooks to meet each mom's unique needs. We capture everything from medical basics, to carpool schedules, to which child prefers to go to bed with the lights on. As mom's we tend to underestimate the amount of knowledge we possess and forget to communicate much of it to husbands, babysitters, mothers in law, etc.

Through an in home consultation, I take the time to fully understand your information needs as a busy mom. After carefully listening to your needs, I will guide you through the different ways we can capture your "life of paper." I will then word process your "mommy data" and put it all in a handbook organized to your specifications.

If you are a busy mom with a dreaded "pile" of family information (think that awful drawer you keep crumpled business cards in, the scribbled family schedule you hand to a babysitter with misinformation on it, the 4 different phone directories you have to reference and can occasionally NOT find) The Purple Martin & Co. can help!

Purple Martin & Co. Hat Sales to Benefit The Relatives

The Purple Martin & Co. is selling white cotton hats with our logo on the front (the bird in the tree) and The Relatives logo on the back (helping hands logo as seen on our blog) .


100% of the profit from hat sales will benefit The Relatives.


For those of you not familiar with The Relatives, it is the only youth shelter in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, NC) for children ages 7-17. The shelter has 9 beds for homeless, runaway, and other youth in crisis.


In today's economic times, non profits in Charlotte are experiencing an increasing need for individual donor support. Those non profits who have traditionally received support from The United Way are experiencing an even more difficult time this year due to a significant decrease in funding.


Please help provide support for The Relatives by purchasing your Purple Martin & Co. hat today.


Cost: $15

How to Order? email thepurplemartin@bellsouth.net

Thanks for your support of The Relatives!