The Early Bird Gets the Preschool Spot

Yesterday I did the nuttiest thing I've done as a parent, to-date: I got up at 4am to line up for one of the 8 available spots at a popular, local preschool.  Yep, the alarm went off at 4:00, I threw on sweats, grabbed some coffee, and drove to the Y.  Amazingly, there were already a couple of people there when I arrived at 4:45! 

This is the kind of thing I used to roll my eyes about, and swear I'd never get caught up in when I was a parent.  To be clear, I didn't do it because I think going to this preschool program as a 2 year old will ensure my daughter has the pick of the Ivy League schools in the future.  She's an only child and just starting to interact with other kids, so I think the socialization will be good for her.  I also like the idea of her getting used to listening to other authority figures and to a more structured environment.  But I understand that preschool for 2 year olds is essentially organized play.

There are only a handful of programs for 2 year olds in our area, and the program at the Y is a favorite.  This is in part because the program has a good reputation, but also because current students get priority registration for the 3 year old program next year.  (I learned from some of the other parents lined up yesterday morning that there were even fewer spots available in the 3 year old program.)  Thus the insanity surrounding registration for the 2 year old program.

Anyway, after waiting outside for 15 minutes, signing in, and waiting for registration to begin 3.5 hours later, I got a spot for my daughter.  As a bonus, two of our friends got spots in the same class, which will be fun for both my daughter and me.  After all, the classes are only 2 hours, so I have a feeling I'll be spending some of them hanging out at a nearby coffee shop with other parents.  :)

Barefoot Books Winter Sale: The Home Stretch

Barefoot Books has been having a winter sale for the past month, and it ends tomorrow at 11:59pm.  Without exaggeration - I counted! - more than 100 products are discounted up to 60%.  I placed a big order last week, as I see the sale as a great opportunity to stock up for business, (giveaways, donations, product reviews), as well as personal, (birthday, new baby, Easter, etc. gifts), purposes.

One of my good friends used the sale to purchase party favors for her son's upcoming third birthday party.  She had the great idea - which I'll be borrowing in the future - of giving Barefoot Books activity books as party favors, instead of the usual candy and throwaway plastic toys.  Six of the seven activity books are part of the winter sale, so the timing was perfect!  Like this idea?  Here are the options:





All are available on the sale page.  The regular prices for these books are $5.99 and $6.99, and the sale prices are $2.99 and $3.99.

Take two

Prior to my daughter's arrival, I never bought or sold anything at a consignment store.  Truth be told, I was a little weirded out by the thought of wearing clothes that a stranger had previously owned and worn.  Soon after my daughter outgrew the clothes people gave us as shower and new baby gifts, though, I decided to give it a try.  And now that I know how quickly babies and young children outgrow their clothing, I have fully embraced consignment.  I've made purchases at the Katrina Trask Consignment Sale, the Albany Pass it On Sale, and the Kids' Exchange Consignment Sale, as well as at Trendy Tots, CuddleBugs, and Pixie's Closet.  Getting new or barely worn brand-name clothing at a deep discount has become a bit of an addiction for me.  Still, I had never really considered adult clothing consignment. 

Having had a baby 15 months ago, my body is different from the way it was pre-baby.  I wasn't exactly a hard-body to start out, and I actually weigh less now than I did when I got pregnant, but things just aren't the same.  As a result, I have a good number of items of clothing that no longer fit me the way they used to.  I tried to sell them at a garage sale a few months ago, but only a few things were purchased.  I've thought about putting them up up Ebay, but the photographing, describing, and listing required feels like a lot of work.  Then, while researching new outlets for my children's consignment-shopping addiction, I discovered that there are actually several consignment stores that sell women's clothing in our area.  After conducting online research and scoping out all of their locations, I decided to try selling some things at New 2 You Fine Consignment Boutique.  I called to schedule a drop-off appointment, did some laundry, and gathered the items I thought would sell.  Almost everything I brought was accepted; a few things were rejected because they were cold-weather clothing, which the stores all seem to be moving out these days.  (Who can even think about capris and tank tops with yet another 2-4 inches of snow forecast for tonight??)  I have no idea how many things will sell, nor how much they'll go for, but I'm really excited to find out!

Death and taxes (thankfully, just the taxes part)

I started my Barefoot Books business last October, just in time to cash in on the holiday season.  There definitely was some cashing in, but there were also a lot of expenses.  I think I only bought the barest of necessities to start-up, but even they added up to nearly a thousand dollars.  I needed inventory, a table, display materials, contact labels, paper, ink cartridges, clipboards, etc.  I did NOT purchase many things I wanted, like a nice tablecloth, return address labels, eco-friendly mailers, and countless other questionably-necessary items.  (In case your reading this, dear husband!)

Anyway, I recently learned that there is an upside to operating at a loss in the beginning: it's tax deductible!  I spoke to our accountant this morning, and the list of things I can deduct is pretty impressive.  I think I'm most excited about deducting a portion of our internet service, and mileage to and from events and book deliveries.  It's become a bit of a game for me to uncover every possible business tax deduction I can.  (Dear husband, you'd be proud!)

Giving back

One of the things I love about Barefoot Books is their commitment to community and giving back.  Ambassadors are encouraged to do fundraisers for schools and nonprofits in our communities.  Like many aspects of our Barefoot Books businesses, they're flexible and can take many forms - book fairs, cash-and-carry tables, online sales, etc.  These can be a great opportunity to introduce more people to Barefoot Books, while contributing to causes in our communities.

With this in mind, I've added a new feature to my Barefoot Books business: the nonprofit/cause of the month.  Starting this month, I'll designate a nonprofit/cause of the month, and donate 20% of that month's online sales to it.  The first recipient is Friends of Hannah Hughes.  Hannah Hughes is a local seven year old girl who's being treated for leukemia.  In the coming months she'll receive a bone marrow transplant from her younger sister, and her family will join her in Boston for several months during her treatment.  I don't know the Hughes family, but I can imagine the stress they must be feeling at this time.  There's a very well-organized effort to raise funds for them, and I'm happy to be a small part of it.

Love to connect!!

I often forget how great it feels to meet people and connect with them - both personally and professionally.  I had a great experience this afternoon, which was satisfying on both levels. 

I attended a focus group, held by a woman who's opening a store for unique, modern products for babies and young children in our area.  I believe I learned about her store, Binx, through a friend's FB page.  I contacted her about ways we might be able to collaborate, met with her, and learned about the focus group.  I was so impressed by her set-up, materials, and potential products at the focus group!  Binx is going to be a great addition to our area.

Perhaps more than sharing thoughts and learning about this new business, I loved chatting with women I already knew, and meeting others.  Many were small business owners and parents, providing lots to connect about.  I also got a couple of ideas for ways to market my Barefoot Books business.  What a great way to start a new week!

It's been a while...

So I started this blog right after I became a Barefoot Books Ambassador in early October.  I intended to use it to blog about my experiences selling Barefoot Books, but quickly realized I was too busy figuring out my Barefoot Books business to blog about it, too. 

I've now been selling Barefoot Books for almost four months, and I LOVE it!  I also feel a lot more knowledgeable and comfortable with it.  In addition to having the opportunity to do something entrepreneurial and creative, I've really enjoyed learning about websites, events, resources, etc., for parents and children, especially in my area.  Prior to my daughter's arrival 15 months ago, this was a world I knew nothing about, and frankly wasn't very interested in.  It's amazing how life changes...

A few weeks ago I learned about the Saratoga Springs Area Preschool Fair, which took place at the library Saratoga.  Representatives from about 15 area preschools were there, and my initial reaction was to try to use it market my Barefoot Books business.  I contacted an organizer and was told that it would be too distracting for me to sell books there, even as a fundraiser for the library or one of the schools.

After thinking about it a bit, I realized I should actually attend as a parent, since my daughter will be two in the fall.  (I was very surprised when I first learned that there are preschool programs for two year olds, but now I appreciate the benefits and will likely send my daughter to one.)  The fair was extremely busy and a little overwhelming, but I'm so glad I went.  I identified three programs that will accept my daughter next September  - even though she won't be two when the school year starts - including one I hadn't heard about previously.   I also learned that programs tend to fill up in the next month or two, so I'd better get going!  (Oh, and I also picked up a directory of the local preschools to use for a Barefoot Books direct mailing. )