Lots to Blog About

This post was written a while ago. I decided that it is time for me to publish it.

News, news, and more news!

I just want to thank everyone for putting up with us only being open on Saturdays. This is truly allowing me to do some soul searching and to do the things I need to do to get to where I need to be on a personal level.

DETERGENT UPDATE!
Since finding a good detergent with which to wash your diapers is so important, I make it my personal little mission to stop at new grocery stores once in a while when I'm out and about running errands, and I like to check out the laundry aisle to see what is available. This last week, I went to the Kroger store at 544 & Los Rios in Plano, TX, and I found PLANET ULTRA and SPORT-WASH, both of which seem to be ok for cloth diapering. I havn't personally tried the Sport-Wash, and since water is different in each locale, it may not matter if it works here in Garland, TX, but Planet Ultra is a good one around here! If you're not from around here, then check out your local grocery store and share with other cloth diaper-ers what you've been able to find. It is really nice if there is a local source for detergent, as it is very heavy, and therefore expensive to ship!

Lastly, but not leastly.....
It is taking everything I have to write this. I am so incredibly sad to have to make this announcement, but unfortunately, I am going to have to close my brick & mortar shop and focus more on online sales. No one could ever possibly understand what has gone into making this decision for us. I don't feel like I should have to explain why I'm going to do this, but just know that it really truthfully has NOTHING to do with a lack of interest in diapers - because that is just simply not the case. In fact, it is just the opposite. If you have been (or known someone who has been) a small-business owner, you'll know that when you work for yourself, things are a lot different than when you work for others. We've never had a problem making our sales goals, we've never been worried about "not making it" - but what I thought would work for my family just didn't work for my family. Many of you have met my beautiful daughter, and know that she is just a joy in my life. And I am a huge workaholic. But I've gotten to a point where there is so much to do at the store that I can't take care of her and be HER MOM and still do everything I need to do at the store. I am, quite honestly, feeling like I've put her on the back burner - and that's not fair to her. The stress that I've been under for the last couple of months was mostly due to the fact that I could not afford to put my daughter in daycare so that I could run the store, and because I did not WANT to put my daughter in daycare so that I could run the store. And yes, there have been a couple of other bumps in the road that added to my stress, but this is the bulk of it. I've been suffering from a vast depression because of this, and I feel like I am finally coming out of the fog and realizing what has to be done, for the GOOD OF MY FAMILY.

So what have I learned from this experience? Lots.
Hard work doesn't equal success. You can't really get ahead unless you have money floating around. What I mean is, if I had already been a stay-at-home mom with nothing to do and plenty of money from my dear husband's job, then I could open a huge store. But I don't. I've also learned about PR. I am very sad to know that when I see a new product or service on the news, it's not because the media thought they were newsworthy - it's because their PR firm got them on the news. I had no idea. I guess money really does make the world go 'round. Secondly, you can't trust anyone in business. Period.

I have also learned a lot about myself. I know that my workaholism is something I need to work on. I have been working on learning how to balance my stress load and how to balance my home life and my work. Being a "new" mom (having a child under the age of two) is hard enough to adjust to, but having a new business AND being a new mom is even harder. Because your life changes so much when you have a child. Not in the beginning necessarily, but over time, gradually, so that it sneaks up on you (ha! :))

Lastly, I've learned that there are a LOT of really wonderful people in this world that I can call friends - that I can truly count on, and that I am proud to know.

We'll still be around online. We are doing this for our family - not because we don't think there is a need for cloth diapers. I'm sure someone will recognize the need and bring a local solution to Dallas in the near future!