June Monthly Q+A post
Hi, friends! Coming at you with a fun new blog series! I wanted to answer some of your questions :) I hope this is fun for you to read and if you have any follow up questions, just leave them in the comments! I can’t wait to chat!! Here a few questions I received via Instagram and my Facebook Group (I didn’t have a chance to get to all the questions asked, so if yours didn’t get answered, just ask again next month or wait for me to answer in the next post!!)
Do you do a daily devotional, if so what?
Yes! I try to wake up around 5:45am everyday and I read New Morning Mercies. I love that it is quick but it’s also deep and gets my day started on the right foot!
How did you like the Blue Lizard sunscreen on vacation?
LOVED it! We used it in Hawaii and it was fabulous. It went on easy, didn’t have a bad residue, and it didn’t stain clothes. It’s also a non-toxic brand and recommended by dermatologists. What I really loved and thought was super cool was that the bottle turned blue when it was in harmful UV light. So, you always know when you need to apply sunscreen!
How did you decide to hire someone for your business?
After I found out I was pregnant with Knox, I knew I wanted to have some help when I was in the newborn haze. I didn’t plan a full maternity leave, but I did plan to work less. I had zero idea what it would be like to have a newborn and I needed some support staff. I first hired Caitlyn to do a lot of scheduling for the blog (I was blogging twice a week then), emails, and other marketing. She does a range of tasks for me and it’s SO helpful to have one more set of eyes and hands for the business. The next hire I made was what I thought was going to be a part-time babysitter. The shop quickly boomed and I was staying up until 10pm to get orders packaged. I realized that maybe my sitter could help with orders instead of watching Knox, so I could be with Knox! This quickly shifted to her coming to my house 3 times a week to package orders. In both circumstances, hiring someone came from a place of needing help with tasks that took up a lot of time but was not required to be done by me. I wanted to free up my time to do things that can ONLY be done by me. So that I can do my job really well and keep the creative juices flowing.
You’ve been to Hawaii and Italy with a young child, how did you handle the travel but also the days with a little one?
I actually wrote two blog posts (here and here) about our trip to Italy! We try to not stress too much about travel with a toddler, do our best to schedule it around naptime and bring lots of snacks! When we went to Italy, Knox was only 10 months old, still taking multiple naps (we would just put him in the Ergo), and not walking. So it made it a little easier! For Hawaii, the flight was only 5 hours so it was incredibly doable. He slept for half of the flight there and back! We try to be pretty flexible when we travel and do some naps in the car or in a pack and play--just planning around what type of activities we want to do. When we were in Hawaii we did a lot of beach days because that’s what we like to do (not a lot of touristy stuff) and it’s easy with kids! With a toddler in tow, you just have to have lower expectations for what you can do, go with the flow more, move at a slower pace, and enjoy the small things. Which is what vacation is really about, right??
What pushed you to take your business idea and actually implement it?
A couple years ago I wrote a few blog posts about my business journey! You can read Part One, Part Two, and Part Three! But to fill in a few blanks: I never had a full blown plan for what I wanted my business to look like! I actually had a completely different plan than what I am doing right now. I have always been a fan of taking risks and going for it, so I just started. And along the way, I have just adapted and changed as things come and go. And I also felt like God was calling me to start the business, so I went for it! If you’re wanting to start a business...JUST START. Things truly start to fall into place as you move forward. The worst thing you can do is wait for the perfect time!
What is your "ideal" day including mixing business with motherhood?
This is such a great question! Currently, I have 2-3 days a week where I have work hours set aside where Knox is with my mom. I love those days to get a lot done, but I end up missing Knox! So, my ideal day would be if Knox slept until 8am (unlikely!) and I would be able to work for a couple hours before he woke up! And then we’d play, go for a walk, have a play date, and whatever else we feel like! I’d then work during naptime and when he woke up, we’d wait for Joel to get home and then hang out and do dinner. It’s a simple day and routine, but it’s the perfect mix for me! However, I have to say that this is only ideal because I have two other days where I have way more dedicated work time. It’s a give and take sort of thing! :)
What’s your favorite Bible Verse?
Philippians 4:4-9:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
What are your top 5 must-haves for a newborn? 6-12 months?
Oh gosh, there’s so much! I’ll link my must-haves blog post for new moms here! But here’s a quick list for 6-12 months:
A good high chair (you’ll start introducing solids)
Choomee for pouches
Interactive books: we love these ones
Bouncer: this is quite ugly but it helped so much when I needed to cook dinner but he was an on-the-go babe!
Where is your favorite date night?
We love to go to happy hour and get drinks and a few appetizers to split, come home after Knox is already in bed and rent a movie! Simple, but it gives us time to connect and then relax! :)
What are your top tips for starting your own business?
There are SO many things. And I have so many blog posts about this. I recommend writing a mission statement for your business, setting clear goals, taking risks, and being consistent. Business aren’t built overnight and those businesses that you think have “made it” are just results of people working really, really hard to chase their dreams. In this blog post, I did a round up of all my best blog posts about business resources, so just head there and then read away! There’s a lot there!