Perhaps a little empathy is in order.

"The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate."
- Douglas Englebart

"I have learned that there is a certain character to be built from embarrassing yourself endlessly.  If you can sit happily with embarrassment there's not much else that can get to you."
- Christian Bale

"Keep moving people....there's nothing to see here...."
- Grandma Bean

I've been reading a lot in the paper these days about the Mayor of Toronto and certain videos and pictures that are surfacing and it made me think three things:

1.)    Here's a man in serious need of help and I hope he gets it.
2.)    He needs to get new friends.
3.).   I'm glad there was no such thing as cell phone cameras back in the day when I was doing embarrassing things.

I have made a list of a few things that I'm glad were not caught on camera:

The time I lost my temper and threw a set of keys across the room, leaving a key-shaped impression in my kitchen wall.

The time I lost my temper and slammed open the bedroom door leaving a door-knob shaped impression in the bedroom wall.  (Anyone see a pattern here?)

The time I tucked an umbrella under my right arm, then glanced to my right and glimpsed the umbrella shape, thought someone was standing next to me, fell over backwards and left a Carole-shaped impression in the hallway wall.

The time I got very drunk at a party when I was young (but old enough to know better) and threw up behind the Juniper bush in my friends back-yard.

The time I accidentally hopped into the wrong car when I was waiting to be picked up, latched the seat belt and sat ready to be transported and didn't clue in until I heard, "Um.....excuse me Ma'am" from the complete stranger sitting in the drivers seat.

The time I was in labor with my first child and things weren't progressing after 12 hours of exhausting contractions and the doctor came in at midnight and told me if I hadn't delivered by morning they would consider a C-Section and I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled his face down to mine and and yelled, "I'LL BE DEAD BY MORNING!!!"

The time I got sick at work and almost passed out after standing too long doing a procedure and my friends rushed me into the trauma room and yelled for the ER doctor and he came running over and started to examine me and I let out a flatus the size of a small child in front of everyone.

So I guess what I'm saying is, we are all just a cell phone camera click away from total and complete embarrassment.  Perhaps a little empathy is in order.

xoxo,

 

Celebrating Kindness

Happy World Kindness Day CiCi girls & mama's!

Kindness is a funny thing. Think about it! The last time someone did something kind for you, it most likely changed your whole day for the better. Even the smallest gestures of kindness can make a huge difference on the way you make someone else feel. A smile, a hug, or even, a compliment! And there is no denying how great you feel when you do something kind for someone else.

In honour of World Kindness Day, we're celebrating those random acts of thoughtfulness that make our world a better place with an awesome giveaway!

We want to hear from YOU! Tell us your stories of something kind you did for a BFF or something that she did for you, and both of you will be entered to WIN 3 CiCi Bean pieces EACH from our With All My Heart collection (view the online CiCi Bean With All My Heart collection catalogue here).

To enter:
Head over to the CiCi Bean blog and post your caption in the comments section of the blog post. One entry per person.

Contest Details:
Contest closes Monday, November 18th, 2013 at 10pm PST.  Our lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced on our blog Friday, November 19th. Contest is not open to Peekaboo Beans Play Stylists.

We can't wait to hear your kindness stories! Good luck!

Giving the gift of PLAY!

We want ALL children to have the right to PLAY! 

So this holiday season we are gearing up and offering you 2 of our best sellers in purple and green (our signature PB colours!) and giving the gift of PLAY to those children who need it the most. 

From now until December 9th purchase either the On the Go Hoodie in Emerald at a discounted rate of $40 (regular $50) or the I Heart Play Hoodie in Purple at a discounted rate of $45 (regular $56) and we will donate $5 from each of these fabulous styles to our friends and partners in play... Playground Builders! 

Together with your help, we can give the gift of PLAY!

To purchase contact your local Peekaboo Beans Play Stylist or shop On-Vine at www.peekaboobeans.com. 

How bad can it be?

"I believe everyone should have a broad picture of how the Universe operates and our place in it.  It is a basic human desire. And it also puts our worries into perspective."

- Stephen Hawking

"A brain hemorrhage puts it all in a deeper perspective.  I'm one of the guys hit by lightning.  I see the big picture.  Everything is in perspective now.  Let's just say I'm the kind of guy who knows how to enjoy the moment."

- Bret Michaels

"Call the Police.......someone ate my chocolate!!"

- Grandma Bean

As I came home from shopping the other day, my hubby greeted me with the words, "I have bad news."  "Oh my gosh, what happened," I asked, alarmed. "The toilet in the ensuite has a leak," he told me.  Well apparently we have very different ideas on what constitutes "bad news".  Bad news to me is your Grandma died or the dog is sick or your hubby found that Mars Bar you have been hiding in the back of the cupboard, and ate it.  It got me thinking about what we consider bad news. 

Coming from my Nursing background, I have a very clear idea of what is and is not bad news. The worst thing I ever had to deal with in my Nursing career was when a beautiful young man from a loving family made a very foolish decision to try to smuggle a very small amount of cocaine into the country after traveling.  He swallowed a condom filled with cocaine, the condom broke open as his plane landed and he ended up in my ICU on a ventilator.  He lived three days but never regained consciousness.  The hardest call I ever had to make was to his family when they finally left to get a little rest and I had to tell them he was not doing well and to come back quickly.  So to me, bad news is certainly not "the toilet is leaking." 

Here are some definitions to keep in mind:

Catastrophe:  A sudden unexpected event that causes great damage or suffering; a final decisive event, usually with a disastrous end.

Syn: Disaster, calamity, accident, cataclysm.

Inconvenience:  Trouble or difficulty disrupting personal requirements or comfort; cause trouble or discomfort to.

Syn. Trouble, bother, nuisance, discomfort.

Broadly speaking, everything is relative.  We all have bad days when things seem way worse than they actually are.  But these are a few things to keep in mind for anyone who thinks a leaking toilet is bad news.  Perspective is everything.  You will never ever hear me uttering the words "bad news" or "bad luck," over anything that is a minor inconvenience.  As long as my family is well, everything else is gravy.  In the meantime, if you need me, I will be at the store.  Apparently we are out of Mars Bars.

xoxo, 

Caption This... and WIN!

Contest Time!! We want you to CAPTION THIS Peekaboo Beans playful photo. 

What do you think these playful Beans are talking about? 

Share with us your caption and be entered to WIN $75 in Peekaboo Beans Play Money

towards any pieces of your choice from our FUNdamentals collection.  

Tiny Print: 

To enter, post your caption in the comments section of this blog post. One entry per person. Contest closes Thursday, November 7th, 2013 at 10pm PST.  Our lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced in our BeansTalk Newsletter on Friday, November 8th.

Contest is not open to Peekaboo Beans Play Stylists. 

Dealing with the sensitive Bean.

Today we share with you a testimonial we received from a formerly frustrated and heartbroken Mama. We have heard quite a few similar stories about PB customers with Beans who spent everyday uncomfortable in their own skin due to hypersensitivity and who have now overcome those tactile sensitivity issues with the help of our quality clothing. 

We love hearing these inspiring stories of how Peekaboo Beans is helping Beans everywhere! Feel free to always share your stories with us because we LOVE to hear from all of you! Check out the testimonial below from the mother of a previously uncomfortable Bean. Can you relate?.. 

When I imagined having a little girl I thought about how fun it would be to dress her up in cute clothing. I mean, what little girl shouldn't be allowed to wear a frilly top and a cute pair of jeans?! Mine. 

Ever since my daughter was old enough to communicate I have spent countless hours straightening seams, lining up socks, tearing out tags, and ripping off buttons all in an effort to ease her discomfort. We realized that she suffers from hypersensitivity or tactile defensiveness, which makes her everyday life uncomfortable. Just the act of getting dressed for school in the morning took up to an hour and always included lots of tears and frustration from both of us.

Recently, we replaced all of her clothes with Peekaboo Beans and now she knows that everything in her closet is comfortable and getting dressed is a lot less stressful for both of us. Now the only struggle we have in the morning is how to get our underwear to be comfortable. But, as soon as Peekaboo Beans makes underwear…   

- submitted to Peekaboo Beans by a now happy Mama Bean! 

Shop our FUNdamentals collection On-Vine at Peekaboo Beans HERE

Playful Halloween countdown crafting

The official Halloween count down is on for our Beans! If your little ones at home have been counting down the "sleeps" until the trick or treating arrives then I'm sure you know how much excitement there is in the air as each sleep passes. In order to get through the countdown until Halloween night finally arrives, we have compiled our favourite Halloween crafts that you and your Beans can create for some playful moments while the anticipation lingers. 

Find all the links to these original craft ideas on the Peekaboo Beans Halloween Pinterest Board HERE

And from the Peekaboo Beans vault... here is a cute little coloring page for you!

Download your printable Halloween Lilah Bean coloring page HERE