If you’ve followed my blog for some time you know that I am not always consistent with my blog posts. When I retired almost three years ago from being a full time elementary school teacher, I thought that I would have oodles of time to do EVERYTHING, including posting to my blog seven days a week!  What was I thinking???!!!!  If anything, life has become even busier!! Three months after retiring, my first grandchild, Audrey, was born.  And in a few short weeks, my grandson will be born!!!! As with any major life changes (in my case, retiring and grandchildren), you have to figure out your new direction in life.  You have to find balance and decide what’s most important to you.

I love being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.  I love seeing the excitement when my stamping friends come over and we create.   I love when those same friends text or email me cards/projects that they’ve made with their SU! products.  I love sharing on my blog and especially love when my blog followers reach out and tell me that they love something they’ve seen on my blog or that they’ve recreated one of my projects.

I also LOVE spending time with my family.  Being retired has allowed me the freedom to spend more time with family and that has been absolutely wonderful! Trying to find the balance between spending time with my loved ones and my Stampin’ Up! business has been tricky.  Both are important to me but as I am sure you would agree, family is always at the top of the list.

I would love to be in my craft room daily but at this point in my life, it doesn’t always happen.  When I babysit my two year old granddaughter, I am bone tired at the end of the day.  Now I know why you have children when you are young!  Ha ha!  I wouldn’t give up spending time with Audrey for anything.

I recently heard a successful blogger mention how important it is to post to your blog consistently.  Okay, this isn’t new information to me. But, then she said, it can be as often as you want, as long as it IS consistent.  The light bulb went off.  I thought about it and tried to think what I could do consistently and the schedule below was born!  I am sure there will be weeks when I can share more, but I will consistently post on the days noted below.  This will give me the flexibility I need to juggle my crazy life these days!!

Monday – post a card/project

Tuesday – post the Weekly Deals any other important info

Thursday – post a card/project

Saturday – post a card/project

For several years now I’ve also had some ideas for offering an online stamp club. I’ll be able to work on this idea with my new schedule in place!

Thanks so much for reading this far!   Since I’ve spoken so much about my family, I’d like to end this post with pictures of my loved ones.  I’ll be back later with the Weekly Deals!

Audrey

My oldest daughter, Jenny

My youngest daughter, Erin, and my grandson (she is also Audrey’s mom)

My husband, Mark – our 35th anniversary is coming up in August!

My sister, Lisa, Mom and I

My son-in-law, Tyler, and Audrey

Jenny and my mother-in-law, Pat

Lisa and my brother-in-law, Dan