Sock Monkey Name Generator

Find your sock monkey name!!!

Have fun & let us know what your sock monkey name is in the comment section below :)

Enter to win our Facebook Contest HERE. The contest starts today April 19 2013 and ends Monday, April 22, 2013 at 7:00 am.

Make sure to visit us this weekend at the Petawawa Showcase!!!

Socky Sunday ~ Rockford Red Heels

We are starting a new feature here at Jumping on the Bed - Socky Sunday!!!

For the first of these posts we are featuring the original sock that inspired the creation of the sock monkey ~ the Original Rockford Red Heel Socks. When you think of a traditional sock monkey this is exactly what you imagine.

These types of toys were influenced by the Victorian Era's craze for stuffed animals & the interest in exotic animals from Africa. Wool socks of this type were first manufactured starting in 1890 by the Nelson Knitting Company in Rockford, Illinois. It wasn't until around 1932 that they began to include the trademark red heel. The Great Depression was what caused people to repurpose worn out socks into these children's toys.

  I love working with these socks. I had a request recently to make a reproduction of a favorite childhood sock monkey for an adult. She had a sock monkey made from the traditional brown colour like the  one pictured at left. I had to use the pattern that was included on the sock packaging in order to make the hat also. The customer was so happy! She had one just like it when she was approximately 6 years old & it had gotten lost. I LOVE MAKING MONKEYS!!!

                                                                       Today the Fox River Mills Company owns the patent on the original Rockford Red Heeled Socks & is keeping the tradition of sock monkeys alive & well. They make these fabulous socks in grey, pink & blue also. Their website includes other fun monkey style socks, sock monkey kits & even John Deere licensed socks (as well as many other high quality socks). Anything purchased from their website is totally worth the cost of shipping it from the United States.

There is just something so fun about making this type of sock monkey. Whether it is giving an adult a long, lost friend or introducing a child to a brand new life-long friend there is the feeling that you are connecting with past generations and making a toy that someone will love for a very long time :)

We Were Blue...Were You?

Each April 2, Autism Speaks celebrates Light It Up Blue along with the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to Light It Up Blue.

My personal favorite is seeing some of our beautiful Canadian landmarks lit up in this way.
 

While this blog post is not part of our featured Community Charity Champions we do still feel that much more awareness needs to be raised on this topic.
 

Chances are you know someone who has autism or someone with a child who has autism as approximately 1 in 95 children are born with some form of this neurological disorder.
 

Personally I have had the privilege to meet 3 amazing kids with autism ~  both through personal acquaintances and co-workers. Lighting it up Blue isn't doesn't only support people with autism, but also the families and workers who support and care for them.

 

Sock Monkey Mamas lent it's own support by creating a special sock monkey just for the occasion. Just as other causes have a special ribbon that represent them the autism ribbon is very unique. It features brightly coloured puzzle pieces ~ which is just what our sock monkey looks like :)

 

We names our monkey "Blue" to honour this special day (which coincidentally is also the birthday of our Monkey Mama Linda!!!). Blue went to live with a very special little guy who has autism. We are really looking forward to pictures of them together!

 

For anyone interested in getting a glimpse of what it is like for a person with autism you should watch the movie Temple Grandin starring Claire Danes (one of my favorite actresses). This movie was recommended to me by the head of the local autism chapter and is truly inspiring. Here is one of my favorite Temple quotes:

 

 

“The worst thing you can do is nothing.

 

(re: teaching children with autism)”  

― Temple Grandin

E.B. is Pro S.M.

 

 

I LOVE long weekends with my kids! This past weekend was extra special as Easter is one of the holidays we like to make extra special for the children...not to mention it was Miss Baby's FIRST Easter!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Since 2006 I have been doing a special Easter hunt with the kids where they each receive a special stuffie (usually of the long-eared persuasion), but these critters must be found using clues in the form of photographs. Each photo shows the bunny hiding somewhere in the house so the kids have to travel from location to location finding subsequent clues hidden with candies and other treats until they find their furry friends and the hunt is over.







This year the Easter Bunny seemed to have caught Sock Monkey Fever too ~ We are CONTAGIOUS PEOPLE!!! In each of the photos all that was visible in each pictorial hint was the location and a pair of ears...the identity of the beloved bunnies remained a mystery...then it turned out they weren't bunnies at all ~ but masquerading monkeys!

Turns out even the baskets this year were sock monkey inspired. We had a fabulous time searching & seeking out the new additions to the sock jungle. I love how they all have the traditional look with the bright & funky colours :) We also had a great time dressing up Miss Brynn as my own personal cutie bunny <3<3<3