9 Albums I Love Right Now!

Brooke makes fun of me because I can't do anything without having music on.  I am constantly walking around the house with my iPhone playing music in my pocket.  It's the way I time how long things take.  When I have to empty the litter box I will say to myself, "It's just one songs worth of work."  For dishes I will say to myself, "I'll be done before the album is finished."  It also helps me stay focused while I work, write or do anything on a computer. 

Because of my music obsession I am constantly searching through iTunes trying to find new bands, albums and musicians.  I thought I would share some of my findings lately.  Some of these albums are newer and some are older.  It' just what I have been really into lately!

Here are 9 albums that I love right now with links to iTunes and my favorite track from each album (in no particular order).

  1.  Brand New by Ben Rector // Favorite Track - The Men That Drive Me Places
  2. Just Kids by Mat Kearney // Favorite Track - Heartbeat
  3. One Wild Life : Soul by Gungor // Favorite Track - One Wild Life
  4. Feeling Electric by Parade of Lights // Favorite Track - Undefeatable
  5. Black Bear (Hushed) by Andrew Belle // Favorite Track - Sister
  6. Kids These Days by Judah & the Lion // Favorite Track - Somewhere In-Between
  7. In Your Dreams EP by machineheart // Favorite Track - Circles
  8. Sunlight by Jon Foreman // Favorite Track - All of God's Children
  9. Carry the Ghost by Noah Gundersen // Favorite Track - Slow Dancer

Fantasy Football Challenge To All Husbands!

Fantasy Football Challenge For All Husbands!

I am throwing down an epic fantasy football challenge for all husbands out there!

Posted by T.J. Mousetis on Wednesday, September 2, 2015

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5 Things I (Try To) Do Every Day.

A few months ago, I found myself in a little bit of a funk.  I was a little sluggish physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Much like The Emperor, I needed to get my groove back, so I decided that I would try and focus on what really matters to me.  It took me a little while to figure out what exactly this newfound effort would look like, but I ended up landing on five things. These are five things that I try to do every single day now.  Somedays I can do all five, sometimes I hit four, occasionally I will only do one or two.  Since I've established the routine and mental checklist of hitting these five points, I can say that my life is better, more full and less sluggish than it has ever been.

1. Spend any amount of time with God.  

I used to think that in order to be a "good Christian" I had to wake up early every morning and spend hours reading, and understand everything in the Bible.  Well it turns out that when I wake up I barely understand how to put one foot in front of the other to make it to the bathroom, much less understand the deep things of God.  So, I would end up feeling really guilty about not spending time with God in the morning and often felt like if I missed the "morning shift" then I couldn't do it later.  That's just crazy! It all counts and it's all important. Sometimes I wake up and feel awesome and read my Bible first thing.  Sometimes I wake up late or wake up with a non-functioning brain and read my Bible while I eat lunch or when I get home, or right before I go to bed or sometimes a combination of them all.  I think there is this false idea out there that if you don't read your bible first thing, you know, outside in a dewy field with a leather-bound journal, while birds swirl overhead, you are failing as a Christian.  That is crap!  Sometimes I get to spend 40 minutes reading and praying and sometimes its just 40 seconds.  Either way, I know it matters to God because when anyone spends anytime with me it matters to me! So, spend any amount of time you can with Him every single day.

2. Do one kind thing for someone.

This simple idea has made my already awesome marriage even more awesome. Mostly because the one kind thing I try to do every day is usually for my wife Brooke and it is usually doing the dishes.  I turn on one of my favorite albums or podcasts and spend 10-30 minutes washing dishes. It's that easy.  I try to listen to a sermon if I can so that I am both spending time with God and doing a kind thing for someone.  That's 2 out of 5 things and I haven't even left the kitchen!  Boomtown! Awesome sauce!  Life is rad!  So seriously, just try to do one kind thing a day for someone.  I guarantee you will start feeling better about yourself, about that someone and about your relationship with them.

3. Shut of the screen and use my eyeballs to watch a moment.

Have you noticed that at concerts or fireworks, or anything cool for that matter, that most people are watching their 4-inch phone screen instead of just watching what is happening?  Now I love taking photos of Brooke, June and all sorts of awesome things, but I find myself taking too many or focusing too much on getting the right photo/video to remember something by instead of just using my eyeballs and brain to remember something.  I have especially tried to follow this practice when interacting with my daughter, June.  Why am I watching her through a screen instead of just watching her?  Why would I want her to see a screen in front of my face instead of being able to see my actual face?  At least once a day, when I find myself getting sucked into my phone instead of what is actually happening, I try to remind myself to STEP AWAY FROM THE SCREEN and use my eyeballs.

4. Be all in!

What is the point of doing something if you aren't going to be all in?  Whether it's designing t-shirts, taking a photo or playing Madden, I desire to be all in.  If I am committing to watching TV on the couch then I am really committing.  My shoes are off, my feet are up and a cool, refreshing beverage is within arms reach.  If I am cleaning my house then I have sneakers on, good music playing and all the necessary cleaning supplies.  If I am typing a blog, like the one I am working on now, I have my notes out, all other internet tabs closed and usually an iced coffee nearby.  I think doing anything with an all in mentality will make you appreciate everything more.  By going all in on the smaller things - like work, dishes or cleaning - you will start to train yourself to be all in on the big things - like loving your spouse, raising your kids and honoring God. 

5. Exercise and eat healthy!

I find that when I feel better about myself physically, I feel better about myself emotionally and spiritually too.  When June was about two months old I noticed that my body had developed some "bonus" features around my mid-section.  It's frustrating when you don't feel the way you want to physically. (And I know full well that sometimes it's not totally in our control.)  But more times than not, I'd say it is.  We can choose what food goes in.  I find that when I think a little more about those choices I feel better in every way.  I also find that when I work out, whether it's a long walk, short run or a random p90x DVD, I look better, feel better, sleep better and live better.  I know this body is temporary and I will get a new one when I walk from this life to the next... but, I also know that this body is a gift from a loving Creator and I want to treat it as well as I can, showing my thanks for such a gift.


I hope you didn't just skim through and read whatever is in bold, but actually read why I try to do these five things every day.  I think it's a pretty good list and I would recommend that you try it for even just a few days in a row and see how you feel on the other end. I bet it'll be better.

Pin this photo to remind yourself of the 5 things you should try to do every day!

Pin this photo to remind yourself of the 5 things you should try to do every day!

Be Irreplaceable.

I think the best advice I can give to anyone at a job, whether working for me or not, is this:

BE THE PERSON WHO IS IRREPLACEABLE.

ir·re·place·a·ble ˌi(r)rəˈplāsəb(ə)l / adjective

  1. impossible to replace.

Synonyms: invaluable, priceless, unrepeatable, one-of-a-kind, incomparable, unparalleled;

That is the ultimate job security.

But instead, we have a workforce of phone checking, unobservant dumb-dumbs who are blown away and shocked when they are laid off, let go or fired.

So, here 5 ways you can stop being a dummy at work and start being IRREPLACEABLE. 

1. GET OFF YOUR PHONE.  How is this not the most obvious thing at work?  Does your boss pay you to text, double tap instagrams or send 500 snapchats?  No. So why would you think for a second that is okay?  And why are you shocked when you get in trouble for such a thing?  Seriously, just get off your phone.  Check it before work, on your break and when you get home.  It's that easy.

2. BE MORE OBSERVANT.  I find myself absolutely amazed at how unobservant some people can be. I will see people stand beside a piece of trash, for example, look at it, all while waiting to be assigned a task, and never pick it up.  When asked why they didn't pick up the trash they will say, "It's not in my job description", or "I didn't know you wanted me to", or "I didn't know where the trash can is."  FIND THE TRASH CAN!  If you are more observant at work guess who is going to notice? Your Boss. Because most people in charge, aka your Boss, are observant.  That's how they ended up being in charge.  They saw jobs that needed to be done and did them.  If you want to get promoted at work just try being more observant.

3. ASK QUESTIONS. I have found that people would rather act like they know what they are doing and do it poorly than admit they don't know what they are doing and ask a question.  How backwards is that?  Just ask a question if you are confused.  People would rather have a few questions and something done right, compared to no questions and something done wrong.

4. DON'T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS. One of the silliest statements in our society is there is "no such thing as a dumb question." Hang out with high schoolers long enough and you will find that statement debunked within minutes.  There are dumb questions, so try not to fill empty space with them. If you have a question think to yourself, "Do I actually know the answer to this?"  Take a breathe and think about that.  If you do, don't ask.  If you don't then it's probably a legitimate question and you should ask.

5. GO THE EXTRA MILE...OR EVEN MILLIMETER.  I have seen employees and co-workers, working for myself or other companies, who are so concerned with "getting what they deserve" that they end up never going a single step extra for their job.  One time I was at a grocery store and the self check out was having a total meltdown.  I made eye contact with an employee, who was already walking toward me, and asked for help.  This employee said "I will be with you in one second" and then slowly, slushing their feet, walked all the way to the other end of the store to clock in - clearly not in any rush to clock in quickly due to some sort of rule or anything. Then, they turned around, walked back, typed in their code on my screen and sent me on my way.  Do you think they could have helped me without being clocked in?  Do you think those two seconds would have gone a long way for customer service?  And do you think if a boss saw his or her employee put a customer in front of themselves that it would have gone a long way come raise or bonus time?  Bosses and managers totally notice things like that. (And if they don't, they probably won't be your boss for very long. Cause their boss will notice. Again, the observant people thing..) They notice if you stay a little late just to finish a task or if you showed up early to get ahead of work.  They notice the extra.  Why would you expect a bonus if you never do any bonus work? Good question, right? And it's certainly not a dumb one.

If you want to remember this post, you can pin this graphic!


Work Hard!

Work hard!

Posted by T.J. Mousetis on Wednesday, August 26, 2015

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Where do I order things from?

Over the years we have spent a lot of time at walk in love. searching for well designed wholesale products and good sources for those products.  I'd like to help save you some time and share some of my favorite suppliers for different products we order.  I also share a few ideas on how you could incorporate some of these products into your company.

A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

1. Printing T-Shirts / / THREADBIRD

I could go on and on about Threadbird.  They are the best of the best.  They provide excellent printing, awesome customer service and after a while they will even let you stay at their house when you go on vacation (Thanks Scott!)  A top notch company with a top notch team.  I cannot recommend them enough.  If you need t-shirts printed go with Threadbird!

Ideas for T-shirts:

Photographers - Give a shirt to every client.  We use to give Brooke Courtney Photography clients shirts that said "Brooke Shot Me"

Subscription Companies - Give a shirt to anyone who signs up for a year subscription.  My mother -in-law just started doing this with her company Yoga Bird.  The amazing non profit Men of Iron also does it when anyone signs up for one of their donation campaigns.

Any  other company - Give away shirts to your best customers.  Everyone loves SOFT t-shirts so reward good customers with them!


A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

2. Buttons // PUREBUTTONS

Buttons are such an easy way for customers to buy into your brand.  They are cheap, convenient and anyone can use them (except babies...please don't give a button to a baby).  Purebuttons does all of our buttons and they do a great job.  Easy to order and super quick turnaround.  They also have things like keychains, coasters and magnets.

Ideas for Buttons:

Wedding DJ - I always thought it would be awesome if a wedding DJ had a bowl of buttons at a wedding with phrases like "I love the bride", "The bride is a total babe", "The groom is hot." or maybe even cheesy photos of the bride and grooms face.  I bet by the end of the night everyone would be wearing a button which would add energy and fun to the party.  You put your website on the inside edge of the button and every guest just willingly took a business card!

E-Commerce Business - Add buttons to your store but also throw them in with the occasional package.  Everyone loves getting free things and buttons are a cheap way to do that.

Any business - Give away buttons!  They are cheap, easy to ship and everyone loves winning things.  Use snarky or funny statements.  People will love them.  Use your social media to give them away.  I always recommend giving away things in pairs so someone can win it for them and for a friend.


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3. Stickers // STANDOUT STICKERS + GOT PRINT

We have two sticker providers for two different types of stickers.  For die-cut stickers like the walk in love. one above we go with Standout Stickers.  They are really easy to work with, have great turn arounds and are very helpful.  We use Gotprint for square or rectangle stickers.  They aren't as high of a quality of Standout but the price is great.  We like to keep the price point of a sticker around $1 and that's much easier with Gotprints pricing for rectangle and square stickers.  If you want die cut, which are way cooler go with Standout for sure!

Ideas for stickers

Any company - Good for giveaways and freebies.


A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

4. Temporary Tattoos // TATTOO SALES 

Who doesn't love a temporary tattoo?  We use Tattoo Sales for all our temporary tattoos.  We try to throw a free one in with every order.  It's a great little add on and people love to post them on Instagram which is huge for our brand!

Ideas for Tattoos:

Companies at Festivals - Whenever we do a multiple day festival we give away a new free temporary tattoo every day while supplies last.  That means that people come back to our booth every day to get the tattoo of the day.  The more people come back the more chance we have to sell something to them

Any company - Good for giveaways and freebies.


A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

5. Postcards + other printed material // GOTPRINT 

Gotprint does more than stickers.  In fact they do almost any type of printing and do a great job at all of it!  We have printed business cards, postcards, stickers, window clings, posters and banners with them.  We loved all of it.  They are cheaper than other printing companies out there and do better work!  Win Win!

E-commerce business - You should have a postcard or business card in with every order.  We like to put one of our designs on one side so if people want to hang it as art they can.  Don't make them too informational.  Use it as a potential freebie like art and for the love DON'T PUT A DORKY QR CODE ON IT!

Ideas for postcards:

Any company - Even though we live in a digital world it's always good to have a few printed items so people can touch and feel something.


A photo posted by walk in love. (@walkinlove) on

6. Shipping Supplies // ULINE 

Uline has anything and everything you'll need to ship and if you order before 5pm you'll get your order the next day.  That is service!  We use them for all our packaging materials.  Every now and then we use their gold glamour mailers to spice up our shipping.

Ideas for shipping:

Any company that ships anything - Your packaging will usually be the first hands on interaction a customer has.  Make sure it's consistent and not crappy.  We don't have custom packaging but we make sure the label is on straight and the packaging is clean and simple.

BONUS // ONLINE STORE PROVIDER // SHOPIFY

We run the walk in love. e-commerce store through Shopify.  They are the best of the best when it comes to e-commerce.  They are such a great platform for selling products!  So easy to use, easy to update and easy to add new features.  You will be able to instantly make a professional website for your product in minutes!  Sign up here - SHOPIFY SIGN UP


Well, that's it.  I hope it helps.  If you have any great companies you use let me know in the comments because I would love to check them out! Thanks!