Can I be honest for a minute? When I first found out we were having a little boy, I had to mourn the loss of hairbows and headbands for a bit. God willing, I'll have the chance one day to adorn a little (err... big, as the case may be) head with some of the ADORABLE accessories out there for little girls. Today, I'm happy to have Carrie Ann of Little Beauty Bows Shop on Etsy posting about the reality of being a "Mom-treprenuer" and managing little ones and a business out of her home.
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| Why I'm Breaking |
There is no greater blessing in the world than that of being a mother. I wake up every morning so incredibly thankful to spend each day as a stay-at-home mom with my beautiful 17 month old daughter, Caylee. I have always felt like I was put on this earth to be a mommy, and now that sweet Caylee is here with me, I know that is true. My life and world absolutely revolves around her, from picking out her outfits in the morning to tucking her adorable chubby cheeks into her crib at night. Everything I do, I do for Caylee. Even after she is asleep at night I have spent evenings not doing anything for myself, but instead with my hot glue gun and satin making beautiful hair bows to match all of the outfits in Caylee's extensive wardrobe. Not that I mind one bit - Caylee is certainly the princess in our house, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
However, she won't be the ONLY princess in the house for long. Just when our little angel was starting to blossom from a needy infant into a much more independent toddler, my husband and I discovered Baby #2 would be arriving in just 9 short months!! We were beyond thrilled with this second blessing. At the same time, I realized that any few minutes of free time I have after Caylee goes to bed now will quickly be replaced by frequent nursing and cuddling sessions with the new baby. While I am so looking forward to the joy that comes from snuggles and love of a newborn, I know that having two-under-two will eliminate any time I have left to pursue any of my own individual dreams and aspirations aside from being a mommy.
One dream of mine that has always been on my "bucket list" is opening a shop on Etsy to sell hair bows like the ones I make for Caylee. Strangers in the grocery store have always stopped me to remark how adorable her bows are, and my friends and family constantly comment, "Caylee's bows are adorable! Have you thought about selling them?" In the past, I had brushed them off, laughing, "Like I have time to open a hair bow shop with a baby!" But, at the same time, I would smile wistfully, thinking, "But... that is definitely something I would love to do."
And, finally... I did.
With the new baby coming in less than two months, I realized opening an Etsy shop was a "now or never" endeavor. While I still had the time (and energy) to pursue my dream of selling my beautiful bows, on January 24, 2013, the Little Beauty Bows Shop was born.
A few trips to JoAnn Fabric later and with Caylee as my little model, I clipped my precious bow creations in her hair and snapped some pictures. My dear husband, who supports the opening of my shop 100%, has stayed up with me until midnight (a ridiculously late hour for us now) editing pictures, posting listings for bows, figuring out the cost of supplies to make them, and even helping to pick out their fabrics and charms. A few nights after opening, 35 hair bows were listed and 20 sales soon followed. It feels great to be able to pursue a dream of mine and feel the success of customers complimenting their bow purchases.
While I will always be Caylee's mommy first and foremost (and the new baby's too), I feel such a deep satisfaction in myself as an individual in doing something for me. I think that becoming a mom made me feel like I needed to devote 100% of my time, even when she is sleeping, to activities surrounding my daughter and family. While I still spend... probably 95% of the time devoted to family/Caylee activities and chores, that 5% of my day I spend working on hair bows has become such a surprisingly fulfilling time for me. I know my hair bow business may slow down in a couple months with the arrival of baby #2, but I will absolutely renew the stock in my shop when things settle down and I get back those few free minutes at night to myself.
Between diaper changes and feedings, I think that every mom needs to find some time, even if just a short while each day, to devote to her dreams as an individual and not feel guilty about it. With equal importance, this will set a great example to our children about working hard to achieve our own individual goals.
I hope someday when Caylee is a mommy, she follows suit and still pursues her own individual aspirations. And, if she ever has a daughter of her own, my future granddaughter will have the best hair accessories in town!
Beautiful..really beautiful.
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