My New Adventure

Forever ago, I teased that I was starting a new endeavor. Well, I started a craft business. Two weekends ago (yes, in the midst of our move), Maddie and I ran our first booth at a craft fair.

My mother had a wonderful idea for little entrepreneur Maddie. All summer, she and Maddie harvested lavender from her garden, dried and plucked it. Then she and Maddie prepared some sachets and a little display so that Maddie could sell scoops of lavender for a quarter each.

When I was a little kid, my mom had a similar idea for me. She was starting a cake decorating business and set up a cake stand on our front lawn. My brother and I were allowed to sell lemonade and keep the proceeds. But we sold our lemonade out before she could even get the cake out to the stand.

Well, needless to say, that's what happened with Maddie and her lavender. Before she even got dropped off to work the sale, I sold seven of lavender scoops. By the day's end, she had made enough money to buy a cute little puppy marionette at the fair.

As for me, I got a few bites despite it being a very small audience but I also got my feet wet. And with that my Heart Felt Crafts business was born.

The Gift of Time

For the past couple of years, Rob and I have tried to give each other at least one gift that is more meaning than money. Though we still give each other gifts, it's something a little more personal and well, meaningful. Last year, we gave each other 20 coupons that ranged from little chores around the house to special "get-out-of-jail-free" cards. This year, I saw this idea and was inspired -- until I started trying to put together ideas and babysitters, and then I though, eh -- next year.


Originally posted at FindJoyInTheJourney.

But I did take a hint from this idea and came up with a different possibility. Rob and I are giving each other a calendar with 1 sticker each per month. That sticker is for our own personal day off.

Since Rob usually works 6 days a week and Maddie requires some attention here and there, one of my big complaints since becoming a mom is the lack of a day off. Rob of course takes that one day a week as an excuse to crash and is always hesitant to do anything that day as it's his day off.

To combat the problem, Rob and I are making a list of three things that constitute a day off. Mine are: 1 hour home by myself, a nap, and being able to cook or grocery shop alone. Each month, I'm going to put my day off sticker on one day, when Rob is off too and he has to give me my three day-off requirements, and vice versa obviously. We'll try to work in a few date nights too;)