Monday, September 29, 2008

lima bean kids

I just found out this morning that a customer of mine, who also happens to live just a few towns over, has an Etsy shop with super cute onesies and t-shirts. As soon as I saw them, my first thought was, I have to remember these for birthdays & Christmas gifts, and my next thought was, I have to tell someone about these!

Friday, September 19, 2008

new website

I’m beyond thrilled to announce that my new Sarah & Abraham website is going live today!

I still plan to sell on Etsy, but my hope is that the ordering process will be a lot easier on my website, especially for ordering various quantities of stationery items or adding options like return address stickers or gift wrap. And I’m really excited to be able to offer gift certificates and a wish list feature!

For all of my blog readers I’m offering FREE SHIPPING on any order placed in the next month - just enter code B91908 at checkout (expires 10/20/08). And please feel free to pass this coupon code along to your friends!

I’ve also posted all of my new holiday items on the website - I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions for additional holiday items!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I {heart} organized workspace!

I bought some new shelves and wall files for the workspace area in my office, and it feels like a whole new office! I used to keep all of these supplies in drawers and on the lower shelves of this storage unit, and it makes such a huge difference to have everything in sight and within reach. I can't believe it was only 10 months ago that I moved out of my 3' x 5' "cloffice"!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

a day in the life of a WAHM

A few people have asked me recently how I do it all, and my answer has mostly been, "not very well!" I've made a conscious effort lately to put my family before work, trying not to work in the evenings or much at all on the weekends, and it's been a real struggle to fit in the work that I'd like to get done each day.

I felt like I hardly had any time at all for work today, and I started thinking about everything I did today that women who work outside of the home don't do or have to cram into the evenings & weekends. As I wrote this list I started thinking... this also looks like a list of reasons why my husband doesn't want to work from home!
  1. wake the kids up, make breakfast, help them get ready for school
  2. walk my son to school
  3. order waterproof name labels for the kids' umbrellas & water bottles and sew-in name tags for their coats, gloves, hats, etc.
  4. drive my daughter to preschool
  5. call a landscaping company about moving a lilac bush in our backyard
  6. meet with the brick paver guy to get an estimate for extending our driveway
  7. exchange emails & voice mail messages with the architect, engineer, and general contractor for the new detached garage we're building
  8. walk to my son's school to pick him up, talk with his teacher while he plays with a couple of classmates
  9. drive to my daughter's preschool to pick her up
  10. make lunch
  11. meet with the landscaper and show him the bushes in our yard that need to be moved
  12. shampoo the area rug in the basement that got soaked with rain
  13. change into gym clothes and pack my gym bag
  14. reply to customer emails & fill a couple of orders
  15. take the kids to the post office, library, and Target - shop for Fall clothes & shoes for the kids, look at Halloween costumes, and pick up some groceries while we're there
  16. get so stressed out with their awful behavior at Target that I decide to skip the gym and come home for quiet time instead
  17. clean the house, do dishes, fold laundry, and put away the deliveries that arrived yesterday (envelopes & shipping supplies) while keeping an eye on the kids playing in the backyard
  18. work on my website a little bit and take a shower (finally!) while the kids watch a movie

I'm not complaining... I love my life, I love my family, I love my business, and I'm very fortunate that I get to stay at home with my kids AND do something challenging that I love. I guess I'm just stepping back for a minute, once again, to ponder this concept of "balance" and what shape it's currently taking.