The Entrepreneurial Mom

This isn’t the blog that I had planned to write this week, but after last night’s experience, I knew I wanted to write this blog to encourage all entrepreneurial or “work at home” moms, like me!

This…is my office. A corner office with a window, how fancy!
We do the best with the space we have, but this is the only and the best space for me and my computer. We don’t have a spare room, and as a mom, I often need to be central and ‘in the mix’ of everything even when I am working. On those crazy, busy days, it is a dream of mine to have an office with *gasp* four walls and a door! I have a conference call? Swoosh, the door closes and it is….quiet. Ahhhh. A space with no kids’ toys, with bookshelves, a desk, a comfy chair, a kettle and a mini fridge…what a dream that would be!

Or, let me dream even further…how about an office totally separate from the house? Oh my….don’t let me dream that dream!

However, that dream is not a reality, so last night, I was doing a Customer Appreciation Online Party (on Facebook) to launch our brand new catalogue, and I was doing it right from my couch.

My husband is my #1 supporter and cheerleader in my business. But…the man has insomnia. So, even when he sometimes wants to be there and take care of the kids and do exactly what I need him to do for my business, he just plain needs to sleep. Last night was one of those nights.

And summer, blessed summer, I love you in so many ways…but summer can really mess up a kid’s sleep schedule sometimes! My toddler had slept in late (until 4:30 p.m.), plus there was a storm brewing, so he was very excited about that / he had lots of good excuses why he couldn’t fall asleep.

My newborn is normally a sleeping angel. She does so well with sleep and usually quite regimented…except for last night. She decided to nap until 7 p.m., and my online party started at 7:30…great. I was set-up for an interesting night! When things got started at 7:30, my newborn was still in her high chair eating and my toddler *was* in bed. We shall see how long that lasts!

The beauty with online parties is that no one can see you and the crazy mess going on around you! Online parties are also just plain fun – people are asking questions and commenting like crazy, trying to win specials, earn points for the draw, and just having fun! The only thing missing, of course, is having tea together!

I always have the majority of my posts or ideas planned out, and the majority of my posts already written, and the pictures/videos ready to be cued up. That way, I can concentrate on the flow of the party and commenting and answering questions! This normally would work quite smoothly, and while it is very exciting and busy, the party goes by quickly and you are left with a great night behind you, sales, new customers, and feeling quite relaxed and happy with your business!

From 7:30-8:30, it was a whirlwind of CRAZY. The craziest night we have had in awhile. The storm was brewing, my toddler was restless, my newborn was up way too late and I was on edge. Working at home is so incredibly rewarding, but it also presents a lot of challenges. You have your night set-up how you want it, and then one thing happens – like a late bedtime, or a sleeping husband or mom not eating supper yet – and you start to wish you worked outside the house. In my case last night,  it was ALL the things.

My son was in and out of bed must have been five times…going to the bathroom, changing his pajamas, just being restless and being woken up by the storm. At one point, just after 8:00, he just joined me in the living room because he needed help with his pajamas but I couldn’t run up the stairs and help him right then.

It was about at this time that my newborn was finished eating and was now crawling the living room like a crazy little girl. Her favourite things right now are trying to climb the stairs, walking along the couch to try and get my computer, and generally just being fast all the time.

Right in the middle of my wonderful, exciting online party with some of the best customers you could ask for…my toddler interrupts my thoughts (again!) and asks, “Mom, why do you have those strings hanging down?” I was distracted with the party and just gave a “Huh?” and kept going. He walks over to touch the “strings” and immediately runs over, holding his finger, crying about being hurt. What???

Yep…wax. I hadn’t been paying attention (obviously!) and my candle has gotten too low, spill over…and over…and over…and all down the wall.

So now, right in the middle of one of the best online parties I have ever had…wax down my wall. I would have left it alone, except my newborn thought it might be a good idea to eat it. Of course.

So now, I am running back and forth from the wall to the computer, trying to keep up with posts and keep her away from the wax. I am frantically ripping the wax off the wall, moving her away, computer, moving her away again, wax…you get the picture.

I think all is settled and I sit back down at the computer and ask my toddler to “PLEASE, OH PLEASE…stop asking so many questions and just put your pants on!” (Yeah, moms say weird things.)

I look over and my newborn is back at the stairs (again) and I get up to go grab her when she slips a bit, scares herself and starts crying like crazy. I am holding her, comforting her…and typing with one hand. I decide to change her, on the couch right beside me and my party of course, and my toddler is still running around the room and quite out-of-character for him just not listening very well. I ask him to slow down, calm down and, you guessed it, put his pants on! He is running back across the room to get his pants on and he slips and falls and starts crying like crazy (hello, overtired!).

My hubby comes down and saves the day. Love that guy.

My hubby gets my son to bed, I get our newborn a bottle and up to bed and back to finish the party. Whew, what a night.

Being a stay-at-home mom is not easy. You never get a break from those crazy days. Being a work-at-home mom is not easy either. You get breaks from the crazy, but then have to work-at-home during the crazy.

However, I am telling you – if you ever get an opportunity to work from home, do it!! Having income + a flexible schedule + spending time with my kids + training, incentives and recognition = an amazing life!

It isn’t easy being a mom who, instead of taking maternity leave, works the whole year. I don’t even know for sure that I can just stay home because of trouble with my hubby’s job and our financial life. However, as soon as I am able, working only from home will be something I enjoy every day for the rest of my life!

Ps. If you have never seen how an online tea party can work, you really should check it out here! They can be so much fun!