I know I sound like a really old lady, but wow, have the past few months gone my fast!

I think there's a patio set somewhere under there...

Winter tends to be a slower season, and this year was no different. It has never been a favourite season of mine, so I've always looked for ways to escape. That goal has been much easier to achieve in recent years. Homeschooling our kids gave us a unique opportunity to road-schooling in Florida for a few weeks each year - while it wasn't a true "leave it all behind" vacation and we still had to cope with the every day hustle and bustle, it was nice to take a break from snowy, cold Ottawa.

Moving the kids back to in-person school did mean no trips south, and so began the quest to pass the long (or rather short) Canadian winter days. Here is what I what I've been up do:

Soap Making

Administrative Tasks

After a couple cancellations, I did not have any markets to attend during the winter months, but there was still lots to do. Annual inventory - the process of measuring the amount (and value) of ingredients and finished products for taxes - took most of the time throughout January. Even though it is a tedious task, it was a welcome break after another busy holiday season. This is also the time of year to review my bookkeeping, which is a challenge I'm slowly but surely getting better at, and get ready to file taxes. This is NOT the reason I wanted to move from a soap making hobby to a soap making business, but having a record keeping system that I use throughout the year definitely helps reduce the pain.

Trying New Ideas

A new filming set up in my very crowded workspace

With the administrative work completed, it was time to start making more soap! Recording the making of all the things was a challenge last year. I was feeling like it added to the complexity of the actual making part of the job, and in that chaos, I find it even more difficult to justify the value. Plus, the extra equipment, like lights and tripods, are not only annoying to work around while I'm making products, but also take up a considerable amount of the space available in an already cramped workshop. So we spent some time trying to figure out possible ways to streamline the process. I had purchased new mounting hardware to get equipment off the floor and hang it from the ceiling instead, which has definitely helped a lot. it's still a work in progress, and filming during making is still a challenge, but I'll take whatever progress I can get.

Time to Get Restocked!

Making lots of products when I'm not selling many still feels unnerving with a pinch of terror. My own confidence grows with each year, but with rising prices, and the chaotic world in which we live, it still feels uneasy at times. I am pleased with how much soap I did have ready for my first event of the year. There was still a bit of a scramble at the end, but I've learned that I need the last minute pressure to really get motivated, and I'm trying to be OK with that.

Goals for 2025 Market Season

Better Time Management

I would like to be more aware of the hours I put in and how I spend my time. This means planning out my days while the kids are still in school, so I can (hopefully) have more time available for them once they are out for summer.

A More Balance Approach for Markets

I'm experimenting with boxes for my soaps, in the hopes of streamlining the packaging process

I have missed going to markets during the winter, but they are so much work week after week during the rest of the year. To keep my endurance up, I was grateful to have a spot indoors at the Metcalfe Farmers Market each Saturday, so I can save the work of setting up tent and tables every week.I have limited the number of markets I will attend on Sundays. It was a difficult decision, because at this point in my journey, attending markets has been the most effective way to grow my business. But by the end of the season last year, having two events each weekend, week after week, was having a toll on my family as well as myself. My goal this season is to not only make the most of the markets I do attend, but also make the most of the days I'm not there. Whether we're out doing something fun and exciting, or home catching up on chores, I hope I will see it as a valuable use of my time, to keep the FOMO gremlins away.

Growth Potential

My little business is still little, but my goal is to learn as much as I can to help it grow. I have loved the many opportunities to learn new skills, like how to use an airbrush to paint bath bombs, or how to create herbal infusions to naturally colour soap. But, of course, the skills to turn a hobby into a business do not stop with the actual making of your products. Whether it is bookkeeping, photo and video production, or SEO and wholesale marketing, I still have a lot to learn, and I'm excited to start putting some of what I have learned already into action. More on this throughout the coming months.

And Everything Else

She's a freaking natural (and that's me in the red jacket, still standing!)

• In a quest to find something enjoyable to do in the cold, I went downhill skiing! I
   had tried once before a decade ago, and it was terrifying and I swore that I would never going to do again. After watching many hours of Youtube videos, I gathered the courage to give it another attempt, and we all had a fantastic time (still a little bit terrifying though)
• After almost a decade neglect, it was finally time to repaint the house! I'm hopeful that this will mean the end of marker scribbles on the walls, but I'm not sure how realistic that goal actually is
• I brought a sourdough starter, and it is actually still alive, despite my neglect. Now that the snow has melted and the temperatures begin to warm, I'm loving the fact that I can add this to my pizza dough for the most epic of wood-fired pizzas in the backyard