Work Life Balance

Last fall was the busiest my little business has been since I started it 4 years ago.  I was thrilled that the orders were pouring in and that people were loving the items I was making.  I was riding the wave when it all came crashing down, the kids got sick, I got sick, orders were piling up, emails asking when items would be completed were popping up in my inbox, I was staying up later and later each night, not eating right, I even lost 10 lbs somewhere along the way (total bonus by the way).  All of a sudden it became not as much fun and much more stressful!!  Don't get me wrong I am not one to complain about the success, I am very grateful for all that I have been blessed with... but I did learn something.  I am still in control of this business.  I vowed to myself and my family that I would not let this consume my life.  When I was working in the corporate world I was able to work the "work life balance" much better because there was a physical separation (and an hours drive home to decompress), but when I am working right here at home in what used to be my living room it can be hard to step away from the computer and sewing machine and take some me time.  

So this year I have made some changes and I thought I would share since I know some of my blog followers are also faced with these same challenges.  

I am trying to book some blocks of time to work on orders, some time to create new products, some time to make items for the shows and sales that are coming up this spring.  I am also booking time for myself, making plans to spend time with my family and friends.  I find if you schedule the time it is more likely to happen. In January we took some family time and went to Great Wolf Lodge, we had a great time, here is a pic.

 

I am also learning to say no, which is very hard when you want to please everyone.  I have accepted the fact that I can't sew everything that my clients may need because it takes time to research a pattern or make a pattern, then it takes time to work on a new item that you have never sewn before. I like to sew a prototype before I attempt the finished product to make sure that the quality and design is sufficient.  All of these things take time and sometimes it is just not possible.

I have also had to pick and choose the shows and sales that I would like to attend this year and I have scaled this back to focus on specific products at each show.  I am now offering over 50 products and it is just not possible to bring every product to every show  in multiple quantities.  I am happy to be a part of the Nurtured baby show in April this year and I will have lots of pre-made items geared for Moms and babies!  In May I will be attending the 3rd Bella Noche event and I will be bringing items for Mother's Day gifts as well as handbags, wallets, coin purses and the ever popular key fobs!!  Just for fun, here is a pic of the new handbag style I will have at Bella Noche:

I have also learned that some things can not be changed, at the moment I am completing orders 2 to 3 weeks after payment has been made.  I know personally when I order something I want to receive it asap and I hate to wait.  I really stress about this timeframe and would like to get the wait period time down, but I have to tell myself that "it is what it is".  I can only work as fast as I can without compromising the quality of my items.  So I need to accept the fact that my Clients will have to wait for their items and most are happy to do so.

All that being said, I would love to hear from other work at home moms with a busy business and how they handle these challenges and what they do to maintain a work life balance.

Big Travel Giveaway

If you are anything like me, you might be getting kind of antsy this time of year.  Winter is quite long where we live and we spend most of the winter months buried in snow.  Usually mid January I start thinking about vacationing somewhere hot!!  My new travel items have been a result of all this vacation thinking!!  I have come up with some items that are practical and will help you to stay organized in style!!

Luggage tags are a great way to identify your luggage while at the airport.  No more searching through the loads of black luggage for your bag, you will be able to spot it right away with these stylish and functional tags.  They fit a standard size business card for id purposes. They are available in lots of fabrics, great for kids and adults!!  The luggage tags can be purchased alone or in a gift set paired up with passport covers and a paperclip bookmark.  The travel gift set would make a great bridal party gift or wedding shower gift for the honeymoon!!

Many of you have been asking for a way to take your jewelry with you while travelling.  So I did some research and made up this little pouch!!  The jewelry pouch has 5 divided areas to keep your necklaces from tangling together with your other jewelry.  They have a drawstring closure to keep all items inside.  These are also available in many many different fabrics (fabric is my other passion!). 

Ok enough about me and my items, I have been networking with some Awesome women in business recently and we have arranged a little giveaway for you to get you through the winter blahs and to help you travel in style!!

Up for grabs is the following prize valued at over $250.00!!

From Christine Taylor Designs you can win this passport cover, luggage tags (2), a paperclip bookmark and the new jewelry pouch!

Heaven Scent Natural Products have donated some great items from their relief line, you can win the bug spray, the bug bite and the after sun relief.  They also included their new travel kit which contains travel size shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, and healing balm.  Heaven Scent products are all natural and they work wonders!!  We use the healing balm daily in our home and in the summer months when we camp, the bug bite is a lifesaver for the kids!

Now, what's a jewelry pouch without some jewelry?  Melissa at Brag About It has kindly offered a hand stamped necklace.  These necklaces are a great way to take a little piece of home with you when travelling as they are personalized with initials and birthstones.  I ordered a family necklace from Melissa as a present for my Mother in Law's birthday, it was top quality and very beautiful!!

So now you have all of these great travel goodies.... you need somewhere to go!!  My friend Nicole Mullins from Sell Off Vacations is giving away a $100.00 travel voucher for the lucky winner!!  As an added bonus, if a trip is booked through her you get an additional $50.00 per couple off the price of your vacation!!  If you are interested in booking a vacation this year you can email Nicole or call her at the Brampton office of sell off vacations (905-846-4622).

Please take a moment to visit the websites and facebook pages of these great women in business and show your support for their wonderful products and contributions. 

Now you might be wondering how you enter this great contest!! All you have to do is email me at travel@christinetaylordesigns.com and tell me what your favorite travel destination is.

The contest will begin now and end on Monday January 24th at midnight.  The winner will be announced on Tuesday, January 25th on my blog and via the winners email.  The winner must contact me within a week to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

There will be an early bird draw on Wednesday January 19th, the winners name will be re-entered for the grand prize draw.  The early bird prize is pictured below and includes the Heaven Scent travel kit and 2 luggage tags from Christine Taylor Designs.  Be sure to get those entries in early for your chance to win.

New Year... New Name!

Happy New Year everyone!!  We are one week into 2011 and I already know its going to be a great year for Christine Taylor Designs!!  That's right I said Christine Taylor DESIGNS!!  I started this business 4 years ago as Christine Taylor QUILTS and have since changed the name.  

rag quilt

When I started this business I was making and selling only rag quilts.  I loved making them and loved hearing about the joy they brought to the little ones I was making them for.  When I was young we had a quilt that was at my Grandparents cottage, it was an old patchwork style quilt that we would lay on, play on and sleep with.  It always stayed at the cottage and it was for everyone in the family to use  I can still remember this quilt many many years later and its a treasured heirloom in our family.  I was inspired by this quilt to make one of my own, I started giving quilts as gifts, mostly for my friends who were having babies.  They loved them and often suggested that I sell them.  Being a stay at home mom with my first child, I found I had some time on my hands (babies sleep a lot!!) I thought I would give it a try.  The first quilt I made I sold on eBay and it started a bidding war!  I was thrilled.  That was when Christine Taylor Quilts was born!!  For many more years I made and sold over 100 quilts in all different sizes to Clients all over North America.  I loved my little business and it kept me busy! 

Hooded Towel



In 2009 I started to branch out with some other products, I experimented with patterns for things like crayon rolls, pencil crayon rolls, and purse organizers.  These items were big sellers around the holidays.  I had a great feeling about 2010 and all the possibilities that it held for me and my little business.  In April I introduced one of my best selling and most popular products, hooded towels.  These towels have been gifted for birthdays, showers and Christmas and have helped raise money for a wonderful charity, the Ronald McDonald House Hamilton.  I quickly found my business growing from a part time commitment to a full time commitment.  Luckily my Son started school in September which freed up some more time for the holiday rush, and rush it was, it was so wonderful seeing former Clients return with orders for the holidays.  I introduced many more products for the holidays, items such as mitten clips, coin purses, gadget cases, key fobs and makeup bag sets were a huge hit at the craft sales and shows I attended this past fall.  These shows allowed me to meet some of my wonderful and supportive Clients face to face which was so rewarding.

mitten clips

paperclip bookmark



camera strap cover

Now that 2011 is officially here I find myself reflecting on what a wonderful year 2010 was and wondering if 2011 will bring the same good fortune.  I have already introduced some great products like camera strap covers, note totes, the travel set, paperclip bookmarks and pacifier clips.  I have officially changed the business name to Christine Taylor Designs in all correspondence and marketing materials.  I have a brand new professionally designed logo and I am exploring some great new advertising opportunities. I have so many new ideas swirling around in my head for the upcoming shows and sales I will be attending this year.  2011 feels like it will be as good as or better than 2010 and I feel as if my hard work is finally paying off!! 

 

pacifier clip





I am so grateful to have the support of my family and the kind words of new clients and repeat customers to help me along the way.  I often try to give back by offering giveaways and deals on my facebook fan page and website.  Currently we have a contest on the go until January 15th, if you email contest@christinetaylordesigns.com you have the chance to win a note tote and a matching key fob.  You must be a member of the facebook page to win and their is an additional draw if we reach 1000 fan page members by the deadline!! 

The new year is a time to reflect on the year that has past and the potential for the coming year and I think that I have done that in this posting (sorry if I have bored any of you).  One of the big questions come January is what are your resolutions are for the new year, I usually don't make resolutions since I find people just break them mid January anyways, but I do have some goals for 2011, so here goes (please note this is so you can hold me to these), ok here goes:

• blog more (yes I jumped off the blogging bandwagon when things got busy).
• set goals and stick to them (setting goals.... check...)
• don't be afraid to face new challenges (those of you who know the obstacles I faced last fall trying to find the perfect pattern for an apron can take comfort in the fact that I will persevere).
• focus on designing new and unique products with a purpose (I consider being pretty a purpose just so you know).
• Focus on "doing my thing and doing it the best that I can 'cause that's all I can do".
• Attend more shows and sales and network with other great businesses and clients.
• Offer lots of contests and giveaways because people love free stuff (who's with me???)
• Figure out exactly how to use twitter (really people... I have no clue). 
• Use my business and products to give back to those who need a little help (check out the story on my website regarding giving back).
• Finally (for now), remember work life balance, the kids are only little once.

Wishing all of you health, happiness and success for 2011!