Where are we now?

So, I thought I'd check in again on my New Year, Attempt to Try List. If I don't check in often, I'll certainly forget. What type of progress have I made? Let's recount the past month since making this list...

1 - Blog more. Check! I've definitely been blogging more. Personally and professionally. Not only have I been blogging on this site, but I've also added Esty Addicts to the list. I hope I can keep up the blogging as it's a nice way to release and focus.

2 - Be organized. Okay, I've fallen on this one a little. My work area is a disaster and my paperwork is stuffed in a drawer. My idea of organized wasn't just having it all in one place, it involved a beautiful filing system as well. But I do need to give myself a little credit... having it all in one place is much better than the previous all-house-scatter. I also need to get organized so I can do out taxes. Okay, I'm mentally bumping this up to the top of my list. Get organized!

3 - Be everywhere. This one isn't going so well either. I really need to get my application together for the Fremont Fair. I'm hoping to do this one with LASDesigns... but I need photos and I don't have them yet. If I get into a pinch, I'll send photos from my first craft show and hope for the best.

Aside from really wanting to do that show, I also have the EtsyRAIN in Edmonds show in May and I'm still waiting to hear about a Renton show in April. Oh, and the Mill Creek show in July (I think it's in July). So, I'm getting there... this is just a slow process.

4 - Wholesale. I jumped in with both feet and I'm still tredding water. I completed the first part of the order and I'm now working on the second part. I think I'll be happy the first year with one wholesale account. Again, small steps are good.

5 - Balance my time. I'm not sure if I'm balancing very well. I have been making more of an effort to be with the kids during the day and working at night... but I'm really not sure how successful I am. Here's my normal day;

7:00-8:00ish ~Wake up and spend half an hour checking email, boards, etsyshop and sewing a little if I have time. I do this first thing in the morning while my husband is still home, so I feel less guilty.

9:00-10:30ish (they are marathon eaters) ~Feed the kids, feed myself (I sometimes will not feed myself and opt to take the time to sew a little), and play until lunch time.

Noonish ~ Feed the kids, if it's a school day, I drive my son and his friend to school and the next two to three hours are either spent running errands or entertaining my daughter. Occasionally I get the rare instance where she falls asleep for more than half an hour and I will knit or crochet during this time.

3:30 - 5:00ish ~ Early evening, is our tv time because I'm tired and the kids are crazy with energy. It's my only sanity. So, we are normally upstairs, I'm on the computer working - listing in the store, editing photos, etc. My son is playing on my laptop next to me and my daughter is reading in her reading corner or watching Curious George or Clifford.

6:30 - 7:30ish ~ Most often, I wait for my husband to come home before starting dinner. While he works on dinner, I get sewing time in. Normally I sew up until dinner is ready... half hour to an hour.

8:00ish ~ After dinner, everyone retreats upstairs for bedtime. My wonderful husband takes over and does the kid's bedtime (he's a saint). I often lay in bed and work on the laptop or crochet and knit. It isn't often that I'm able to sew at this time of night. On the rare occassion that I'm still able to move at this time, I'll try to cut things out for the next days sewing. This is rare though.

That's my balance. It's working for me right now and I'm getting what I need to get done, done. So I shouldn't complain. But talk to my kids, and they might complain.

But, all in all, after a month... I am happy with my progress. I figure I have a whole year to make these changes. Rome wasn't built in a day, right!