The to-do list

Apparently I will do anything to get out of paid-writing-work today. Instead why don't I come here and waste time updating my to-do list?

Still need to:

*Test wicks with my jars

-I found a base wick size for my jars. Will need to wick up/down based on different fragrance oils and how they perform.

*Purchase insurance (ouch)

-Where's my magical money?!

*Break down total cost of candles and set a price for when I start selling them

-Done

*Obtain a county business license

-Waiting on $$

*Start building Instagram and Facebook following

-Does updating my icon count?

*Look for craft fairs for later summer/early fall

-In progress. Hard to narrow them down when I don't know the opening date.

*Finalize my logo/branding. Make sure it complies with Fair Packaging & Labeling Act

-Done! I even made it through "people-ing" by setting up a yellowpages account so I won't have to include my home address on labels.

*Decide if I am printing labels myself (& if so, decide on label paper supplier and purchase laser printer)

-Done! I decided to print myself (one less thing to depend on a 3rd party for during rush seasons like Christmas shopping season). Also found the holy grail of label paper-a weatherproof paper for Inkjets that actually works! I already have an HP subscription for unlimited ink thanks to the last Etsy venture, so that's one less additional expense to worry about.

*Continue narrowing down fragrance oils with cohesive themes so it's not overwhelming to a customer

-In progress. I found some goooood ones. Hoping my herb garden blend smells good in wax!

*Purchase/make table covers, displays, canopy weights and signage for craft fairs

-In progress. I've narrowed down where I'm purchasing things from. Just once again waiting for the magical money tree to shake some funds down.

P&W

Side effects of having a one track mind: wanting to start something right away. I've been slowly working my way towards opening my next craft venture. It's been painfully slow (4 months in actively planning so far) and I keep thinking of all the stuff left to do before I can open. Much of the wait is money-based since I'm paying for things as I go vs. opening a loan or putting things on credit. I thought it might help to jot down a list to keep track of things.

So far, I have:
*Researched (still in progress, probably always will be!)
*Formed a wax melt testing group
*Tested fragrance oils (still in progress, although I have narrowed down several must-have's)
*Picked out 2 specific waxes for tarts & candles
*Picked out candle jars/supplier
*Picked out wax melt containers/supplier
*Picked out scent shot containers/supplier
*Purchased a low-budget version of a wax melter (no more double boiler, yay!)
*Started a testing notebook so I can log info
*Called the county zoning office and verified I'm allowed to run my business from home
*Formed an LLC
*Procured an EIN
*Purchased/registered a domain name (currently redirects to Etsy, might move over to Wix if I get a big enough customer base. I've heard too many horror stories of Etsy randomly closing down shops)
*Played around with logos (need to finalize one)
*Broke down total cost of wax melts and set a price for when I start selling them
*Chose an insurance carrier (still have to sign up $$$$)
*Rearranged the house, combining the nerd room with the master bedroom so I can use our 3rd bedroom as an office/studio/production area (good god, my muscles still hurt)

Still need to:
*Test wicks with my jars
*Purchase insurance (ouch)
*Break down total cost of candles and set a price for when I start selling them
*Obtain a county business license
*Start building Instagram and Facebook following
*Look for craft fairs for later summer/early fall
*Finalize my logo/branding. Make sure it complies with Fair Packaging & Labeling Act
*Decide if I am printing labels myself (& if so, decide on label paper supplier and purchase laser printer)
*Continue narrowing down fragrance oils with cohesive themes so it's not overwhelming to a customer
*Purchase/make table covers, displays, canopy weights and signage for craft fairs

There is probably more that I'm forgetting. The goal is to open by late summer, but know something might come up to delay it. Until then I'll keep working my way down the list.

2018

Life has changed so much over the last year. We took Cooper to the park last weekend and I was  awestruck by how different things were than the last time we took him to that particular park. He used to just run back and forth, not interact with any of the kids, and struggle to climb the equipment. This time he played chase with a group of kids (my heart seriously melted when they asked his name and he went "I'm Cooper! I'm 5!")  and he climbed things that he wouldn't have even tried a year ago. I'm not sure how much of the change is because of school and social skills group, how much of it is just the fact that he's older, or what, but I had all of the feels last Sunday. I am so happy for him.

Job front: it's safe to say it's different than it was a year ago. I'm no longer constantly ill (yay!) which leads me to believe I had an allergy to something in the building where I was working. The guy behind me was also sick frequently, so I wonder if there was something in the air duct over us? Regardless, not having 3+ weeks of bronchitis every few weeks has been wonderful. Exercising the creative part of my brain on a consistent basis has also been wonderful. There are definitely struggles still. Watching the ebb and flow and unexplained dips and spikes in sales. The mental game of writing-trying to find ways to push past the life stress that creeps up and not let it impact my daily word count. Making sure Greg and I maintain a healthy relationship after going from barely seeing each other to being around each other much more frequently. It's different, but I am so much happier and have so much more energy in this role. 

The biggest reward has been on the parenting front. I actually have the energy (probably thanks to not being sick!) to do activities and feel like a much more active participant. Cooper has really gravitated towards me since I'm actually around more, and I can tell that the bond is stronger for him than it was before. I'm immensely grateful for the opportunity to be around more. There is a lot of uncertainty when you're your own boss, but it is worth it.

On another note, it turns out that working from home has NOT actually handed me the energy to keep an immaculate house like I thought it would. ;) Progress not perfection, right?