Friendly Update from thestepcardcollection.com

The 4th of July holiday is over and for us at thestepcardcollection; things are settling. We’ve been winding down from our trip to NY and we’re now contacting card reps, some of whom we met at the National Stationery Show. The printed card part of this business is more grueling and demanding than we would have predicted, but we’re still trying to get the word out about stepfamily greeting cards. Carmen and I hope that you had a nice (albeit brief) respite from work for Independence Day. Some of you have asked about my not writing a blog for a couple of weeks, and I am now committed to being more consistent. I’d also love to hear from you about topics of interest. Let’s keep a dialog going.

Dr. Rick

National Stationery Show - Final Installment

Well, we’re back! We had a great time in New York, and more importantly, got great feedback about our printed card line. We learned a lot about the greeting card industry and met many other card creators and manufacturers with companies about the same size as ours. Of course, nobody else is producing cards for stepfamilies, so we feel we’re on the cutting edge of this slice of the population. We had little time to explore the City, but after the Show ended we did spend an extra day to visit Chinatown, Little Italy, and Central Park (Tavern on the Green will never be the same). All in all, it was an educational and fun experience. To enjoy the pictures, click here.

Dr. Rick

New York...here we come!

NEW YORK: HERE WE COME!!
We’re down to five days before we leave Miami for the National Stationery Show in New York. Our booth components and printed cards are already on the way and will hopefully be there waiting for us in our booth when we arrive (good luck to that!). Carmen (both wife and stepdaughter), Jeff, and I have worked tirelessly to put the booth together. I must say, it looks pretty impressive. My sister, Hildy, did an unbelievably professional job putting together sample books for the booth and an incredible poster display for our submission into the new company best product contest. For those interested we presented stepcard # 1 (you can look it up at the Online Store). We’re very excited and hope to get some retail stores interested in the card line. New York, being such a huge stage, will give us a great opportunity to educate the public and let them know that greeting cards for stepfamily members are out there. We’ll also tout our FREE e-card website. We’ll be sure to take lots of pictures, which we’ll post when we return. Wish us luck. P.S., we got some press on Sunday in the Washington Post. It’s in an article by the reporter, Theola Labbe-Debose. You can find it here!

thestepcardcollection is a website revolving around families and their issues. Lately I’ve been thinking and talking a lot about my family in Cuba. Everyone I come across is talking about the change in the US policy regarding travel to Cuba. Because I’m a Cuban born American Citizen they think I have the answers. There are many here that think a trip to Cuba is putting money in the hands of that government, there are also many that have always felt that keeping Cuban born Americans that have immigrated to the US over the past 50 years from being able to visit their loved ones in their homeland punishes the families in both countries rather than the Cuban government, in truth it is a bit of both. Though I’ve been here most of my life I still have close family in Cuba that I haven’t seen in over 40 years and barely know. I’ve always wanted to visit but fear of the Cuban government and what could happen to me there has kept me from going. It may be time, what do you think?

MOTHER’S DAY FOR STEPMOMS

As we approach Mother’s Day (May 10th this year) we reflect on what a special person exists in all our lives. Regardless of time or geography, we celebrate the relationship we have with our Mom, even if she’s no longer with us physically. For those of us in stepfamilies, we get to celebrate the relationship with our stepmom, too. Although this relationship may be very different than the one with our biological Mother, it is oftentimes an important one as well. Let’s face it, some of us have developed great relationships with our stepparents over the years, although I’m not naïve enough to think that that’s always the case. The role a stepparent plays is often a difficult one. They almost never take the place of a biological parent, but fill a void left by a divorce or a death. Let me know how you celebrate Mother’s Day. What kind of relationship have you developed with your Stepmother over the years? Can you celebrate Mother’s Day for your Mom and your Stepmom? On May 10th let’s celebrate Mother’s Day for all Mothers!

Dr. Rick

Visit us in Booth 1351!

Stepfamilies in Australia

Stepfamilies today are becoming a prominent part of Australian family life. It is currently estimated that one in five Australian families is a stepfamily. All families need information, education and support. While resources for biological families are available in the community, services often fail to address the unique differences associated with stepfamilies. Stepfamilies Australia is a partnership between the Stepfamily Associations of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, formed in July 2007.

Stepfamilies Australia works as a catalyst, adding value to the family relationships sector. The innovative work of its members takes a lead to break through myths and sends a message to the community that stepfamilies are complex and hard work, but also achievable, with support.

For more information, news and tips please visit the Stepfamilies Australia website!

GEARING UP FOR NEW YORK-installment #2

Just eight weeks away, we’re getting really excited about the National Stationery Show (May 17-20). We’re in the process of figuring out how to design our booth so we can best show off our card line. This show is the Super Bowl of card shows, and we need to introduce the public to stepcards. We’ve booked a hotel so we can walk back and forth to the venue. We’ve been told that the four day Show is intense and not to expect to do anything else in New York until the Show is over. We’ll be thrilled if we can get a Card Rep to carry our line and also if we can talk to Retailers who might put our cards in their stores. We know we need a “grass roots” effort to get our cards out there, and we’re in it for the long haul. We’ll keep you posted. To all our subscribers and supporters, thanks for your help.

Carmen & Dr. Rick

Check us out on YouTube!

Lasting Friendships

This weekend we had a barbeque with some of my long time friends. We brought together a group of friends that haven’t seen each other in 15-20years. Though I’ve seen some of them off and on we haven’t stayed connected the way we should have, Rick hadn’t even met some. When you do something like this memories fly back into your mind making you feel almost like a teenager again and taking you back to another life. Alina, the redhead was my best friend growing up, we met in first grade. We just reconnected after a 15 year separation and it’s like we never were apart. As always we have promised to stay in touch and I think this time we will, we are all mature enough to realize how quickly time flies and how important true friends, old and new, are to our lives.

Carmen

Friendship - the hard times....

Friendship – the hard times

Sometimes friendship can be hard. Right now one of my best friends is going through treatment for cancer. Six months of treatments every other Monday…we go, we sit, I work, I read or just kill time while mostly she sleeps (thankfully). But this is what friendship is all about, not just the good times and God knows we’ve had lots of those, but the bad times too. She needs me, I’m there, just as she would be (or has been) for me…boyfriends, marriages, divorces, parties, vacations, work outs sickness, death we’ve done it all and will do this…whatever it takes…we’re friends...best friends.

New York, New York!!!

This is the first installment of our journey to the New York Stationery Show which is from May 17-20 at the Javits Center. We’re preparing to display our Collection of printed cards to sell to retailers and to get a Card Representative to sell our line. We’re excited about being in New York, but we probably won’t be able to see much except for the Show. Planning and designing our booth is going to be a mission. We all have varying ideas, most good (Carmen and Jeff) and some bad (mine). Although Jeff wants a life-sized cutout of me. No way, I say!!! I’ll keep you updated about our progress and we’ll have plenty of pictures from the design stage through the actual Show. We’re hoping to get the message out that stepfamily greeting cards really exist, but if you’re reading this, you already know that. More to come.

Dr. Rick

What's Your View of The World?

What’s Your View Of The World?
Two people are in a relationship and are smart enough to recognize that getting along and moving ahead involves acknowledgement and compromise. The basis of compromise and resolving disagreements comes from the understanding that two people can look at the same picture and see different things. Both views are correct because that’s your view of the world. Let’s face it, we live our lives by the way we see, hear, and feel the world around us. Each of our perspectives is 100% correct, regardless of what is factually real. There are no absolutes! If we will all be tolerant of other people’s opinions and perceptions, things would run alot smoother.
Dr. Rick

Stepfamilies & the Holiday's

Well the holidays are upon us again. I can’t believe 2008 is almost over. This time of year is especially hectic in our house. We celebrate Christmas and Chanukah (Hey! the more food, the better). My stepkids are both adults so they make their own choices about where to go; or in the case of my stepson, he might not be here for Christmas morning at all, much to our disappointment. We’re probably a lot like many families that have blended religions, personalities, politics, backgrounds, traditions, and a host of other differences to hopefully, come up with a better, more rounded end product. I’m extremely happy that Carmen and my stepchildren have made a special effort to learn about my religion and traditions, as I have made an effort to understand their cultural and familial values. Let’s face it, all in all, we’re pretty much alike as we strive to make our lives full and happy. We overcome and work out minor struggles and conflicts as a part of living and growing together. For the most part, life is good. Now, if we could only settle UM vs. FSU. That really gives us fits!!!

What's your favorite family tradition?

Dr. Rick

Holiday's, Stepfamily Relationships and the Ex-es!

At this time of year I am most thankful for the good health of my family and friends and the strong relationships we have. The relationships that come with step or blended families can be very complex. Getting along with new inlaws, etc. is the easy part, the tough part is getting along with the ex-es.

In our case I think we do better than most. Rick’s ex is in another state so we have little contact but mine lives a couple of miles away and has always been very involved in the kids lives so we see him quite a bit. Though it’s not always been easy we decided long ago it’s best for everyone if we would get along. Though we’ve been divorced for some time we are still friends (here we are dancing together at my 50th birthday party last month). We still consider each other family, divorcing someone doesn’t take them or their family out of your life, especially when there are children involved so you have to make the best of it. For us it has been the best way, the family just gets bigger.

I hope many of you have similar relationships, it is certainly better than the alternative.

Carmen

Success and Courage

OK so enough about failure let’s talk about success or courage:
As I have said i am very involved in issues concerning women and women’s rights. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting with an international delegation of women from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Morocco and the UAE. These women are just beginning the fight for women’s rights in their countries. I was so impressed with their courage and determination in these countries where women are still seen and not heard. They have a long road ahead but are determined to have a better place in their society for themselves and their daughters.
We learned during our discussion that though we may be a bit ahead of them in this regard (not nearly enough) the issues and concerns we face as women are not so different regardless of where you live.
Through the wonders of technology we are keeping in touch through Facebook. I am honored to have met them, wish them the best of luck and send them my support.
Carmen

The Elections are finally over!

Regardless of how you voted in these elections or how you feel about the outcome I bet you are glad it’s over! I am very politically active, very involved in women’s issues and very passionate and vocal about my opinions in these areas…much more than my other half--Dr. Rick. (The picture above is from the Miami County Commission for Women.)

This year in particular the election cycle has been hard. My family has been divided on the candidates and some of the issues as have some of my friends so this has put an unusual amount of stress on many of our relationships. Dealing with these issues is hard for all of us but in the case of step families where we combine families that may not have the same opinions on political issues it can be a real challenge. It takes a lot of patience, communication, compromise and love to work through it all but with a little effort it can be done. Luckily for our stepfamily we share similar views on most things in our little unit (or at least I think we do) but the extended family is a different story and it’s been tough…I for one am glad that this election is over, we’ve survived it and now we can all move forward.
I hope this change is a positive one and that our country and families will be unified under this new leadership. Step or not it is family that is most important, it’s time to get over our differences and look forward to better times and a brighter future!

How did this election impact your life?

Have a great day,

Carmen (aka the better half)

No Brandy Bunch!

NO BRADY BUNCH.

I was watching one of the YouTube feeds that comes up periodically right here on the Step-Forum. It was Ron Deal from http://www.successfulstepfamilies.com/ talking about how the “Brady Bunch lied,” meaning life in a stepfamily isn’t always smooth and cozy. It’s true, the Brady Bunch had their share of mishaps and misadventures, but come on, sometimes our house can be a real battleground. I think he is just trying to paint a true picture. In the long run Ron’s point, however, is that all of us in our stepfamilies do a lot of stuff right.

We need to build on the good things—the foundation of love and caring that is mostly there, but sometimes hidden by real life problems and conflicts that can be resolved if we use what works and not what we know doesn’t. I’m guessing that there’s an inherent good in most of us and that leads to a pretty good first STEP in making our families better and happier.

Dr. Rick

THE ELECTION!

THE ELECTION.
What brings a family closer together or drives them further apart than politics?

I try not to bring the subject up in my family for fear of offending someone or worse, opening the door for them to offend me! The current Presidential election is one of the most important elections in our country’s history. We are at a social, financial, and moral crossroad.Whomever you choose to lead our nation, be sure that he (and in the future, she) does it surrounded by hand-picked intelligent, motivated, hopefully objective people, chosen for their expertise and leadership qualities.

Let’s face it, we all have an opinion, and thankfully in the United States, a voice to express our thoughts and feelings. Use it responsibly, and may the best candidate win leading us back on a positive track.

Dr. Rick

Perceptions, Opinions & Election 2008

Perceptions
It’s sometimes hard for me to understand that I can see something so clearly from my perspective and the person I am talking to sees a completely different picture. I don’t mean a slight difference, but polar opposites. I know it’s important for us to allow for other opinions and perceptions, but it’s curious at times. I guess that appears more obvious every 4 years around this time when the Presidential election nears. I respect people’s right to their opinion and choices, and they should respect mine.

One of the advantages of living in the United States is that we are encouraged to have passionate feelings and the ability to express those feelings through our voting privilege. I encourage everyone to educate themselves about the issues, ask questions to clarify your thoughts, and vote for the person who best suits your needs and the needs of your family (or stepfamily). I guess this advice holds true not only for electing public officials, but for enhancing your life in general. Our opinions and feelings really do matter.
Dr. Rick