Compliment me MoM!

I can't believe I haven't written in a couple of months.  My life has been crazy, you know just quitting my business and doing my business full time, getting an antique booth, having a garden, setting up every Friday at the Farmers Market, completing 15-20 custom painted signs every week and taking care of a house and two little girls...plus my 32 year old baby (my husband).  So with our schedule there just hasn't been much time to sit down for 5 minutes, much less write a blog.  BUT something happened the other day and I HAVE to write about this as it really touched my heart on many levels.

I had the honor to judge two rodeo queen contest this past week.  As I was interviewing these cute little cowgirls I always end my interview with, "Okay this is your time to shine, tell me why I should choose you to be rodeo princess, what makes you the best candidate?"  It was at this moment I questioned, what are we teaching our children? What has society as a whole taught our little girls?
I interviewed three princesses (all under the age of 10) and they weren't able to tell me one good thing about themselves.  They shrugged their shoulders, one little girl had tears in her eyes.  I sat there, almost had tears in my eyes....thinking WOW.  I tried to help them by telling them how pretty they were and how they had a love for horses etc.  What made them so nervous that they couldn't come up with one positive trait about themselves?

As I was driving home from judging I couldn't help but wonder, "What will my 5  year old beautiful daughter say when I ask her?"  As I got home I sat outside with my cup of coffee and miss Riley comes outside and sits down beside me, I look at her and tell her, "You are so beautiful."  She smiles and says, "I know mom you tell me that all the time."  I look at her little freckles, her button nose, her dark brown eyes, blondish long hair and looked her right in the eyes and said to her, "I really mean it Riley, you are so beautiful, don't you ever forget that."  I then ask her the dreaded question (what have I been teaching her?)  "Riley can you tell me three great things about yourself?"  She sits there for a short minute and says, "I am beautiful, I am cute and I am funny. Mommy there are three good things about you too.  You are nice, sweet...well most of the time and you are a hard worker."  I had a slight smile on my face and said, "Thank you baby."

I just wanted to share this as we are so busy with our day to day life, please remember to tell your kids HOW and WHAT makes them unique and special.  Which brings me to my soap box of Hollywood, it is essential for our little girls and boys too but especially little girls to know what actual BEAUTY is.  Not only is beauty on the outside it is on the inside too.  Attitude is true beauty to me, I love it when a woman is confident.  Confidence is contagious and is a beautiful thing....have confidence and teach confidence to your children.  Yes I know there is a fine line between being cocky and confident....find the line. I want my girls to capitalize on their talents and know they are beautiful on the inside and outside. 

I am going to start complimenting my kids everyday....How about you?  How do you compliment, how do you teach confidence?  Leave me a comment :) 

My beautiful Riley Mae

CRAFT SHOW TIPS FROM A SIGN MAKER

 

 

CRAFT SHOW TIPS FROM A SIGN MAKER

(Cole Camp Craft Show Spring 2014)

 

There are many preparations when preparing for a craft show.  I thought I would share some of my experiences and tips I have found to be helpful and MAYBE you can use some of these tips to ensure you have a successful day as we have had!

 

ASK QUESTIONS  

  When applying for a show there are certain questions I always have....since our craft is large wood signs, I have to have ample amount of time to set up.  My favorite shows are when they allow you to set up the night before.  I don't know why, but I feel relaxed after my display is up, I get a good nights sleep and can finish decorating a couple hours before the show starts.  I have only done one show that did not allow us to set the night before and I swore I would never do it again.  I was rushed, my booth didn't flow well and it wasn't a good show....all of those put together made me wish I hadn't gone through all the work!  So that is always my first question,

CAN I SET UP THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HOW MUCH TIME TOTAL DO I HAVE TO SET UP MY BOOTH?

 

GAME PLAN

 GO in with a plan.  I always have an IDEA of how I think it should lay out.  I would love to be able to be typing that I have the time to set up my display before I go but that never happens, although a good idea...for many of us busy crafting moms we don't have the time to do this.  So just get organized in your head of how you want your booth to lay out.

 

ORGANIZE YOURSELF AND BOOTH

 Organizing, Organize, Organizing, Organize...did I mention organize?

Set up your totes the way you want to unload them.  I have crates and plastic tubs that I carry my signs into the show.  I bring everything in at one time.  I pack my signs by size, it makes it easy when going to display..."Oh I need a 24" x 12" sign here" and I know where to go to get it.

 

(extra tip: I like to keep product around my check out station, People have to come to you, so make them see your product...I always keep a little shelf sitter or candles etc on the counter (an item that is $2-$3.....I replaced this little welcome sign 5 times at this particular show.... it put another $10 in my pocket!)

 

 ORGANIZE YOUR CHECK OUT STATION

Here is a list that I make sure I never leave home without! (Remember I have a sign booth that is large so some of what is on my list deals with hanging)

make sure you have.... Change in a money bag, Pens, Business Cards, Scissors, extra price tags, "S" hooks for hanging, wire (you just never know if you will have to secure something) a hammer, nails (also for hanging), masking tape (you just never know), I keep all of this by my check out station at all times.  PRICE ALL OF YOUR ITEMS BEFORE YOU GET THERE!!

Other things to remember to bring:

tables, chairs, cloth to cover tables-Not necessary but creates more of a flow through your booth AND drap the cloth to the floor so you can put extra product or your tubs you brought product in with will fit under your tables perfectly!!

 

NON-COMMITMENT SPACE

Do what????? you might say.....I always make sure to display pieces on the outside of my booth.  For some reason walking into a booth can be intimidating to some people or they feel obligated to buy if they step into your "zone"  I know I always feel a little awkward if I go into a

 booth but don't buy anything. 

 

I find setting a narrow table with product displayed and signs hanging allows people to shop without being committed to you....then if they like what they see they may just come on into the booth and you may have another customer at your organized check out stand.  I always try to put a few of my best sellers in front FOR ATTENTION GRABBERS! 

 

(My "Non-Commitment Space)

Extra Tip:  Continue to fill these spaces once product sells, grab items that are high or really low IN YOUR BOOTH and put them out front as you continue to sell) 

IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE FROM THIS BLOG...DO THIS....I PROMISE PUTTING PRODUCT OUT FRONT WILL PAY OFF!

 

WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER

 This was the 2nd show I have put signs in my display pieces....create crates or whatever you like to display your items on during your show....allow it to carry your product as well.....makes for easy set up and take down.

 

(This is a crate all the product is sitting on and around....put some cloth on top of it and you have a primitive piece that also carries product....I was able to fit 40 of my smaller signs in one!!!)

 

TELL YOUR STORY

Now I don't know about you BUT I hate a pushy sales person and one you feel like you can't get away from.....make people ask you.  I put a picture up of my girls on one of product tables....this is how RiOak got it's name....people ask and then I tell.  I never push product upon them unless they are asking questions.  A simple hi how are you today works great!  Of course you can tell people a little about your things like "Oh yes I love this piece it is one of my best sellers, as well as this sign here.  Are you looking for anything in particular?  If your interested we do custom work as well, take one of my business cards and look us up or give us a call.

Don't be the person no one can get away from!!!!!!  We all know the type.

 (An 8 x 10 framed picture that has been photo shopped with both of my girls names on it and our business name along with a post card that tells our story) Had several people ask about our name and it is so easy to point to the picture and explain.)

 

CREATE FLOW

You want to have product EVERYWHERE IN YOUR BOOTH----High, low, middle.  You want to pull people's eyes everywhere.  I always use the same color pallet on my signs so it is easy to decorate. And creates good flow. You want to make it easy for people to stand in your booth and move around, keep things around the edges so your customers can get in and get out!

 

( There are 7 people in my little 8x16 foot booth but everyone was still able to look around and not bump into each other)

 

extra tip: I carry small items (candle rings, candles, smell goods, a few baskets etc....it makes my booth look like a little store) It also is good for those that might not have much money but want to feel like they got something....I keep stalk of $1, $2, and $3 dollar items placed throughout my booth.  Has been a great seller for us. 

 

 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST.....NETWORK AND APPERANCE

Keep several business cards with you, talk to people, enjoy the show.  Have fun and look the part.  I made these little aprons that have my business name on it, this way when I am walking around people know who I am.  Visit with other vendors and see what other shows have been good for them.  I always try to buy from one or two vendors every show.  First I like to support local and Second it helps create other customers for you! 

Smile your there to make money.....and for me, live my dream! 

(Finishing touches....very happy that it is all done and ready for customers!! Have fun!!!!!!)

 

(My Riley--The "Ri" of RiOak)  She come to help mom take down the booth.....last tip, have a good set up and take down crew, sure does help and make for a smooth show.  We are blessed to have a supportive family.

 

I usually try not to post long BLOGS but I had so many ideas and tips, sorry this got a little windy.  I hope you enjoyed.  Until next time...Happy Creating and many smiles from RiOak to you!

 

Just Another Day in the life of RiOak

 

 

 

What is love? What is Marriage? A child's Opinion

I am sitting at the table painting as usually and I have my little helper, Riley.  We are talking about whatever the 5 year old thinks is important at the time and Riley says "I am going to marry Tommy, I am in LOVE with him."  I respond, "Really?  Riley tell me what is LOVE?"  Riley explained to me, "LOVE is really being in LOVE with someone."  So then I asked her, "Well what is marriage?" My five year old at this point literally sits there for a minute thinking. She then stated, "It is teamwork, it is hugging and kissing, marriage is working together." 

At this point I stop painting, I am sitting there staring at my child in disbelief.  My next thought was, we are doing something right.  Marriage is team work, Marriage is hugging and kissing, Marriage is working together.  Our children mimic and see more than we know.  My marriage is one of the most important treasures in my life, I love my husband.  Clint and I do work together, we are a great team, and we work at this everyday.  I didn't realize this is what our girls see in their everyday life.  I never really put much thought into it.   I had an overwhelming feeling of  comfort that came over me,  "Teamwork" is how my girls see how a marriage should be. 

In writing this blog topic today I was looking up divorce statistics, do you know that 50% of marriages will end in Divorce?  This is a sad statistic, the question is when did divorce become acceptable? I do believe there are certain marriages that are not meant to be and certain marriages that are toxic for everyone involved and there is no alternative but did you know that lack of communication is the number one reason people get divorced? Second reason for divorce is finances, obviously followed by abuse, affairs etc.  But what happened to the teamwork?  Marriage is not easy, you must work together and work at your marriage every day. It is too easy to say, "I'm done, I want out."  I can't imagine my life without my husband, my best friend, my team mate and I feel a marriage is something worth fighting and working for.

(My marriage advice:  Never forget....marry your best friend and keep your spouse as your best friend, have fun AND keep flirting)

How is your marriage? More importantly how do your kids perceive your marriage?  We learn by example, show your kids how things should be, not just tell them! 

Life WITHOUT Television



Our LIFE without T.V.

I blogged here about a month ago about making time for family and making Sunday nights our Movie Night...WELL we took this a step further.  I did the unthinkable I canceled our dish television three weeks ago.  This makes our movie night that much sweeter!  I have never known life without T.V.  so much so (sorry mom and dad, I am going to tell on you) my parents leave the T.V. on while they are gone for the dog...yes you read that right, the T.V. was on at my house 24/7 as I was growing up.  So when I say I have never known life without T.V. that is just what I mean!  With that being said you all know too well about our busy life.  We just don't watch that much T.V.  so being thrifty I thought, we are paying for $90 a month for Riley (my five year old)  to come home and watch the DVR of full house episodes over and over again.  This was ridiculous, so I called and canceled our subscription. 

Although I never watch T.V. I missed it the first two days, you know that feeling you get when you can no longer have something? AND now you want it more than ever? This feeling was short lived and by day three I was over my with drawl symptoms!

NOW HERE IS THE NEAT PART.  I hate to admit this about myself but YES I was one of those mom's when I came home from work Riley would ask, "Can I watch Full House?"  I would say, "Yes that will be good."  She would go down and watch T.V and play in the family room until dinner was ready.  I HAD TO CHANGE THIS, I WANT MY KIDS TO BE ACTIVE, I WANT MY KIDS TO PLAY, I WANT MY KIDS TO EXPERIENCE LIFE, NOT WATCH IT!  I have seen a whole new kid in the last three weeks.  The first few days was rough on Riley too.  BUT we have enjoyed playing cards together, playing blocks,,,,did you know sneaking on mom and dad's bed and jumping little sister around is about the best fun you can have, well Riley sure thinks so.  I have seen a happier child and more active child.  It has been amazing.  We still have our DVD player and thanks to the grandparents we about have a movie gallery so yes for bed time she can watch a short movie BUT no longer are we coming in and watching T.V.  we are living life WITHOUT the daily routine of T.V. 

Different strokes for different folks I know.  I use to be addicted to the reality shows and ARMY WIVES, I LOVED T.V.  but let me tell you, this might be one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  Not to mention we will be saving a little over $1,000 a year...WOW another perk!

 It was windy and cold this past weekend, I told Riley to bundle up and go outside and play.  She agreed, there was no sneering, no whinning, no saying, "No I just want to watch T.V"  she actually put on her boots and coat with hat and spent a lot of time outside. 

I have had people tell me, "Your Family time is important don't get so busy making a living you forget to live."  I agree with this on a certain level.  I know I discuss our daily schedules and although busy, GUESS WHAT?  Most of this time is with my girls.  They are sitting at the table talking to me or playing around me while I paint, they paint with me, or they are in bed before I even start.  Today when I got home we played. I don't mean I sat there and watched them, I played.  Kids don't care if your having fun or not, they are having fun because you are actively doing something with them.  We collected trash out of the yard (yea like I thought this was fun,,,,but we were on a treasure hunt) we got out the side walk chalk and made hearts and bear paws....rooooarrrr!  Then came inside for left overs because it was already seven by the time we got done from our adventures!  Then as we are getting ready for bed I told Riley, "Let's play CraZy Eights"  We played a few games and laughed and talked about the day.  While I am writing this blog,  she is in her quiet time of watching a movie but I spent three quality hours with my girls today. The amount of TIME isn't that important in my book, it's quality.  If you come home cook dinner, run here, run there, then settle down to watch T.V. read a book,  or sit on the computer for 2 hours, how much quality time have you spent with your kids?

I would highly recommend trying this Life WITHOUT Television, especially if you have kids.  No I don't feel T.V. is the devil, I don't feel like T.V. is to blame for all the bad in the world but what I do know is I have spent countless hours watching T.V. in my life. I can't help but think just how much I could have gotten done without it!  Please share your questions or comments! 

Just another day in the life of RiOak!

Marketing your Small Business, "Don't hate Wal-Mart....."

I would like to start this blog off by saying I am in no means an expert on anything when it comes to business,,,,there has been many trial and errors a long our way but I thought I would share a few tips that have been very beneficial to our small home based business.

Vinyl Lettering, an affordable way to advertise your business!

 

 

This is new for us, but I do believe this is one of the best advertisements you can have.  Everywhere you go you are marketing.....getting your name out in the public is vital to having a successful business.  So how do you do this?  I have found Facebook to be a GREAT way to get your name out there!  We run giveaways and have had a great success.  We have over 2,000 likes now, I never dreamed our little home based business would have this many likes (the town we live in only has 1,023 population!) Do I push it, YES sometimes I do.  Are we BUSY yes we are BUT it is because I stay consistent in posting and getting our name out there.  Don't feel as if you are going to bother people, they have hit like because they like your page.  Facebook has changed their policy with how many of your fans get to see your post (it's not very many)  So more than likely not even a fourth of your fans will see your post,,,,,so post away!  It's the only way for your fans to see what you have!

 

(1900 like giveaway done at RiOak)

Tip: Make your giveaways good this way people will share, the more people who share the more people see your post!

 

Tell PEOPLE!!  Do you know everywhere I go I leave a business card?  I love those places (farm stores, restaurants etc.) that have those bulletin boards by the bathrooms....you know the ones I am talking about?  I leave them everywhere!  On a number of occasions when I am in the check out line and buying supplies (paint, brushes, fabric and so on, AND so on)  more times than I can count I have had cashiers ask about what project I am doing.  Here is what I say...Marketing one on one,,,,short and sweet.  "Oh I am sign painter, I paint custom wood signs for people, are you on facebook?"  If they say yes, I hand them a business card and tell them, "Here check us out sometime, I have a variety of projects I have done for people."  If they say no, I still hand them a business card and say, "Our pictures of most of work is on facebook BUT if you need any type of custom gift for a wedding or baby shower we enjoy creating and even do free consultations."  Then I smile load my cart and walk off.  People don't care to hear about every detail, (I was a marketing director for a very short time...BUT what I learned was you have about 30 seconds to impress someone, if you don't capture them in the first 15 seconds you have lost them...make every second count).

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE.....the customer is always right!  Keep your customer's informed.  I have to admit with everything I have going on I sometimes don't communicate the best, but I strive to make happy customers, THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT IS WORD OF MOUTH!  I had a customer call me and order a sign because someone had brought one of my signs into WalMart and they had seen it.....asked for the business card on the sign and then she called me...WOW there's those business cards again. 

 

MAKE A GOOD PRODUCT.  This will help the word of mouth.  People are willing to pay for good craftsmanship, AMERICAN made products.  Famous words of my husband, "If your going to do it, do it right."  We have improved our signs and improved our signs.  We always are looking for more ways to make a better quality sign and a sign that will last a lifetime (or at least as long as the person wants it in their home).  I love the words from customers, "It's better than I could have imagined."  I know when I have heard this statement it was a job well done.

 

 

It seems pretty simple....maybe easier said than done.

1. Let people know about you.

2. Social Media is great -Facebook, Pinterest, AND blogging.  GET OUT THERE

3. Great customer service.

4. A great product.

 

If you can do all four of these I believe you will have a successful business.  Keep in mind if you don't someone else will.  This is by no way the "Correct Formula" or everything it takes to have a great business but this is what has helped us so far.

 

 I think it is great to help promote other small home businesses but let's face it business is competitive and really it is cut throat.  You know why?  Money is involved.  I mean I seriously doubt K-Mart and Wal Mart share their ideas or "know how" with one another.  I realize this is on a big scale but I think we can learn from it.  I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite speakers, Dave Ramsey, "Don't hate Wal-Mart, Learn from them, they are marketing geniuses."  

 

 

Hope you all enjoyed some sunshine as me and my family did today, the Vitamin D was much needed!

Journey of RiOak- Part 2

So we had a name, RiOak Western Design.  We honestly had no idea what our goals were or what we were doing...BUT we knew we had a work ethic, the willingness to learn and an eye for decorating and colors.  We started going to craft shows and meeting people.  My mom went with me (craft shows just aren't Clint's thing) it was so much fun decorating my booth and seeing people actually come in and buy what I was making, my pride and heart swelled with excitement.  


During Thanksgiving of 2012 my husband's cousin said, "Ashley we should start a business page for you."  I said, "Sure that would be great."  It was at this moment looking back our business was about to take on a whole new level that we never would have thought was possible.  I posted a few signs I had left over from the craft shows as well as some wreaths and odd and ends....they sold....hmmmm "This could be neat."  It was in March someone messaged me to do a wedding sign...."You want me to custom paint a sign for you?"  I was so nervous....Remember I never saw myself as artistic.  I couldn't believe someone actually had contacted me to hand paint a sign....It was March 18th of 2013 my life changed as I knew it, I painted it, posted it and two more orders came in.  Then I did my brother and sister in law's wedding in April.  A few more orders came, then I had 10 orders on the books.  I was so nervous when I started.  All the thoughts run through your head, "Am I good enough?"  "What happens if they don't like it?"   

                                                   (First Custom Order every completed)
Well the answer....have I improved---YES, Have I learned----YES, do I know how to fully run my business with no problems and know how to do everything....NO--BUT we are on a great, great, great journey.

We started being 2 weeks out, then three....then we decided if we were going to continue to grow our business we had to move... our house had no storage and we just couldn't breathe with all of my signs EVERYWHERE, so September 2013 we moved to our new home,  it has so much potential to house RiOak.  We are very excited about redoing the sign shop, it is 3,000 square feet...ahhhhh (it is in pretty rough shape but definite  potential---With a large office space,,,,maybe this will be my store front one day!

Our family has been a huge help in our Business, at least once a month my in laws take the girls for a day or two.  My parents have helped with the craft shows, paint, come over and cook for us while we work and or take the girls for a few hours.  This business has many factors that play into this to make it successful.

So in a nut shell this is RiOak and we are still on our journey---We LOVE our family, we LOVE our time together and We LOVE running this business.  It is exciting to have a blog to document our journey as we proceed.

Future BLOGS:  Craft Show List and Tips, Patience, Who is the Woman behind RiOak,
Counselor Ashley, Grudges and Anger, Politics....should I? (that might not be a good one)

Which one should I do next??  Comment and let me know!

The Journey of RiOak-Part 1

Part 1-Our story!
Our story is not elaborate, it is not dreamy, it is not a fairy tale.  No one inspired us, it was something, it was a simple Welcome sign that I have had hanging in my house for several years. 

(Not the best picture but here it is!)

I was 7 months pregnant and hormonal, wanting to feel useful (I guess I figured growing a human just wasn't enough).  I told my husband as I was looking at the sign, "I am going to make wood signs like that."  He smiled, nodded his head and said, "I will cut you some wood."  That was beginning of of my idea.  I started out doing stick lettering, I thought they looked great, looking back......Oh MY, they were horrible!!!  But I was so proud of myself, I have one of my very first sign I did I will post that sometime!  It was not good, not good at all....BUT beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! 

As I was talking to my mom (I talk to my mom daily, she is my best friend :) I was telling her about my business idea ( I say Idea because honestly nothing about this at this point was planned) she said, "Well I think you would enjoy it, what are you going to call your business?"  I have always loved the idea of "Ashberry" so I told her I was leaning towards that....she said, "You know what would really be unique, different and neat? RiOak....for Riley and Oaklee......" My eyes lit up and that day sitting at my kitchen table, it was remarkable.....My business had a name, RiOak Western Design.
 Stay tuned for Party 2, I will write it Friday Night! (If you read this, leave me a comment about your business names, or a the neatest business name you have heard)

Run YOUR Business, Don't let YOUR business run you!

We have made a decision as a couple for our business.  We have decided to close shop for the months of April and May.  We will not be doing any custom work during these two months.  We have a very busy March and beginning of April ahead of us with custom work.  We know this is peak season for Mother's Day and Weddings so have no fear we will have already made products for you to be able to get for your loved ones.....and of course if you need a special sign for a wedding please contact us. But we are going to get caught up on all of orders through March and work on some projects that we just haven't had time to do.  This will also allow us to get completely caught up and decrease waiting time once you order a sign,,,,right now it is at 7 weeks and this is not acceptable to us.  I was reading quotes the other day and I found one that said, "Run your Business, Don't let your business run you."  This really made me think and for several months now our business has been running us!  It's time to make a change....

Let me explain why.....
Clint and I continue to work full time, I work 40 hours a week and Clint puts in a minimum of 45 and usually closer to 50-60 hours a week.  So yes with the two little girls we are BUSY as it is.  BUT then we have our home based business.  Let me tell you how my day goes!

5:30 Alarm goes off....ahhh are you kidding me? Hit snooze, 1 to 3 times!
5:45 At least up by now, check my facebook business page to ensure no orders have come in over night.
6:00 Shower and COFFEE!
6:15 Have told Clint at least two times to get up.
6:30 I am usually dressed and ready for the day now time for the kiddos.
7:00 We are out of the door ready for our day, take the girls to daycare and preschool (I won't go into detail about preschool but let's just say I work some 9 hour days to make up for the time I have to go and pick her up)
8:00-4:30 Work
5:00 Have picked up the girls and are usually headed home (unless it is one of my longer days)
5:30 Check Facebook to talk with customers about any orders
6:00 Supper is being cooked, a load of laundry is on and two little girls are running around like two little mad women! Fun time for mommy and girls for a little while!
6:30 Clint is usually home by now and we all eat together....ANOTHER POT OF COFFEE IS MAKING WHILE WE ARE EATING!
7:00-7:30 Bath time (Clint's job) Cleaning Kitchen (my job)
8:00 I start in on Painting or whatever needs to be done for the business.
8:30 BREAK---bed time story
8:45 Back to the business
10:00 At least paint or work until 10:30, sometimes this goes on until 11-12:30 at night.

THIS IS MY DAY, every day.  I work a minimum of 10 hours a day on the weekends, cutting sanding, prepping boards and completing signs, marketing, packaging, planning, designing, making up stencils, deliveries  etc.  It is a time consuming business! AND WE LOVE IT.  We average 30-40 custom signs a month just from evenings and weekends!!!!

So as you can see we are BUSY!!    In the last year and a half we have only taken three weeks off from our business (two weeks while we were moving and then a week after our rush of Christmas orders).  I am not telling you this to make excuses, have you feel sorry for us...BECAUSE this is our choice and we honestly love what we do.  Anyone who knows me and my husband would tell you we don't do anything we don't want to do.  We dream of having a full time business one day and expanding but for now we are happy with how we are growing and excited about what the future holds.

We have several projects we will be working on these two months.   We have several "To Do's" on our list for the business and our home.  We will be working on some tutorials, furniture, new blog design, logo, advertising, better tax system, landscaping, our sign shop HAS TO BE ORGANIZED and the list goes on.  AND we will have new product posted that will be available to buy as well as a craft show or two we have been invited to this spring and summer! Thank you for being on our journey! 

Another Day in the Life of RiOak

Remember why you started!!!!

When we first started RiOak we had no idea our business would grow so fast.  We have had ups and downs but never the less our business continues to grow everyday.  I can't help but wonder where it will be in five years from now.  I was talking to my husband last night about our business and we laughed.  We have signs all over our basement drying and lining our walls and I told him, "Remember when we first started I said, I just want to make enough money to cover two weeks of daycare?"  This was my goal.  My goal has obviously changed since then but I have to remember I started this with a small goal of just having a little extra money in our pockets. 

 

(This is where it all started, cluttered in a 1,000 square foot home, on a little 4 ft table and my Kitchen table, signs lined everywhere among the toys, against the furniture, EVERYWHERE)

 

You see I am a VERY competitive person.  I grew up in a very competitive household.  I was a barrel racer for years and of course you go to the rodeo to win.  In being competitive you also have to learn to be a gracious loser,,, I became good at this as well!!  BUT it is my opinion if you are going to do something then strive to be the best, not like the rest.   With this being said with my competitive nature I feel like I have to keep up, continue to create and basically wear myself so thin that I FORGET WHY I STARTED this business.  I did this for my family not to compete with ANYONE.  Before I entered into this competitive business I had no Idea there were so many business doing the exact same thing I am doing.  Also many businesses I was connected with are no longer in business.  I can't help but wonder why?  Sometimes it was due to stress, family and other times it was burnout.  Many new businesses have started as well, so I have learned some will come and some will go.  I can't worry about what others are doing, I can only worry about what I am doing. Do you know I work only from Facebook and referrals?  I have not ventured into many other markets, BUT we are in a few stores now. 

(My Very FIRST craft show,,,,lol this was a learning experience)

The first year I started this I decided I was going to do shows.  Well I have become so busy with custom work I don't have time to do shows.  I love doing them but why lug all of my product around when I can promote and sell from the comforts of my own home??  I have participated in some really good shows and really bad shows.  I have chose for now to only do a couple a year.  I do enjoy the atmosphere of the shows.  It is neat seeing people come into your booth and buy the things you have created!  I get a high from this, but I also enjoy creating one of kind custom orders that our customers come to us with.  Maybe one day I will have time to both. 

(My craft booth a year later....I learned a lot in a years time....this booth was really pretty this year)

I have become so busy I now have a month waiting list.  I feared this at first.  Many businesses promote and brag about how fast they can pump out product.  This is great for them, but we take our time in creating.  We make sure each sign has our undivided attention.  You cannot create a handmade product that is quality in a matter of minutes, at least not what we do.  We get our material from the local lumber yard.  We cut, sand, detail, make hand made stencils to the customers liking and hand paint our signs.  Each sign has a protective coat, a hanger and our stamp on the back.  Sometimes this can take hours.  When you get a sign from RiOak know that it has been created with two little girls running around laughing (or screaming), music is playing, a pot of coffee is ALWAYS on, a couple has talked over your sign, and discussed your sign at least 10 times.  We take pride in what we do and take pride in providing a good quality product for you, your sign can already tell some stories by the time it leaves our home and goes to yours!

We are venturing into furniture making soon.  If anyone knows my husband, he will not do anything unless it is done right.  I make fun of him and tell him he is going to have to pump out product a little quicker than a table or a bed every three months....lol.  He just smiles and says, "Well it will be done right when I get done with it."  Of course with this comes all of the tools.  We have spent countless hours on ebay, taking a road trip to Kansas and shopping around for the "RIGHT" tools we need.  We should be having a biscuit joiner join our family of tools tomorrow!!  Clint will biscuit joint all of our tables.  This will create a more sturdy table that our customers will be able to use for many years and hopefully pass down to their kids. 

We don't just create things to pump out product as quickly as we can to try to compete with other businesses....we are remembering why we got started!  We want to build our company, make it grow, and have a great reputation with our customers.  I am proud to say we have several repeat customers.  This is the best compliment we receive on a monthly basis. 

(Here is the kitchen table!  This was taken in our old house, but eat and paint from this table nightly)

 

During one of my bridal showers the game was to write down a piece of advice for the bride. I think the best piece of advice I received was from my sister in law..."Always remember why you got married."  I have taken this to heart and can apply this theme to many different aspects in life.  So whatever your doing now whether it be getting married, starting a business...or being in business for years, a career or school....REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED!  Hopefully the passion will come back to you.  I wish everyone of my readers the passion to continue on your journey and never forget why you started.

Another day in the LIFE of RiOak!

Take the Time and ENJOY the little Moments

 

(Riley and Me...getting some hugs and loves in)

 

As most of you know we are very busy.  We both work full time, run a home sign business and have two little girls.  We get very little sleep and take very little time to enjoy the "little moments" life has to offer.  This past weekend I took some time to enjoy those little moments, I thought I would share my little moment day and give you some pointers or ideas of how you too can enjoy these little moment, or maybe you are and just haven't noted it!

Started off by cleaning, although not a favorite moment there is nothing like walking through your house and everything is in it's place and ahhhhh that feels so nice (it's not quite there but getting closer!) 

Riley and I took some time to create designs on her tablet.  She loves graphic design apps so we created a WHOLE bunch,,,,now was this fun for me?  Not really but the look on her face when I told her to come and sit on my lap and said, "Can I play" was priceless.  This was a "little moment" that she enjoyed and because she enjoyed, so did I.  I know I need to work on this but please remember to take the time to play with your kids, it's not your enjoyment that matters its the little moments and benefits your kids receive just by getting to be with you!!  It does make a difference.

After leftovers for lunch we headed outside, I mean 50 degree weather in January must be enjoyed as  reality was this week,,,,eeekkkk 5degree mornings!  Did I want to stand there and put Oaklee up on the slide 20 times over and over again, not really, but the smiles on their faces made that "Little moment" worth it plus it gave my arms a work out.

 

My husband was sick and had been all weekend, so I made a big fresh pitcher of sweet tea.  After he got up from his nap I fixed him a big glass of tea and we sat outside and watched the girls.  It was nice just to sit beside each other and enjoy the fresh air.

We sat down for dinner, chocolate shakes and a good movie.  Do you know with all of our hectic life this is one thing that I demand of all of us (yes even the 18 month old) we sit down to dinner every night at our table (no gadgets, not radio, no T.V---just each other)  We say our prayer which is usually led by Riley,

"Tic Toc goes the clock, now it's time to pray.  We fold our hands and bow our head and thank the lord for daily bread."  This is her favorite prayer....isn't it sweet?

We talk about the best and worst things that happened and how this made us feel.  We do this every night.  It is a time I get to actually listen to my 5 year old, I mean I really listen.  I know how busy life can get but please remember their little voices do need to be heard.  I work on this every day, It is easier to say, "In just a minute, hold on, I can't right now."  I caught myself doing this one day, finally I turned around and said Riley what do you need?"  She said, "Mom, I love you."  Wow, okay so now I feel completely like a jerk.  "I love you too."

We have made a deal starting this week.  We realize plans will come up BUT we have decided on Sunday evenings we will do some sort of fun snack and have Movie Night. We watched Homeward Bound, ( I will keep you updated on how our movie nights are going)  We cuddled up with blankets and loved and snuggled with each other this past Sunday.  Me and my girls all piled on the couch....smelling their fresh clean hair, hearing the giggles....it's these "little moments" that add up to be our lives.  These are memories we are creating with our children, so make them good and look forward to all the "little moments" in your life.

I need to take note and cherish every day I have with these priceless children.  I am one of the most influential people that will impact them.  They will have my attitude, my outlook and my skills.  So what do I want to teach my girls....ENJOY the little moments of life, have fun, be happy and LOVE life and your family...

A Day in the LIFE of RiOak

SMALL TOWN LIVING-PRICELESS

Some people may say no thank you, to living in a small town but I say YES please!  I love living in Cole Camp, MO.  I moved to Cole Camp when I was 4 years old.  I went to Cole Camp school K-12 (yes it is one school).  Cole Camp is dear to my heart as I drive through our four way stop in town sometimes I just think to myself....I love this place.  As my whole family knows I just love the life of being a small town gal.  Yes it has it's downs such as gossip....wow!  But in general life is great in the good ol' town of CC.

Yesterday was a day.  I go to work to find out one of my co-worker's house has burnt down and she has nothing left, I mean nothing.  I spent all morning going through clothes for her and trying to gather what we could for her.  As I go to pick up my daughter from pre school I am telling one of the teachers about this tragic event.  Now the lady I am speaking to about this also works part time where I work (she also is the mom of my childhood baby sitter-see small town living--connections every turn you take).  She agrees she wants to do something and agreed to go to the store and buy over the counter medications to put in our laundry basket of goodies we were putting together. So I take my daughter back to daycare and head to Dollar General to get items for my coworker and I see a wreck.  I pull into Dollar General, wave at my childhood babysitter as she pulled into the parking lot.  She waves back then I see her running down the road.  IT JUST HIT ME, AHHHH THATS MY OTHER COWORKER THAT WAS IN THE WRECK.  So I go running down the road as well.   Here she was doing a good deed for someone and gets her car totaled.  Some days,,,,wow some days! By the time I got back to work with everything I felt like I needed a drink or high blood pressure medication and it was only 12:00!

The great part about living in a small town.  The highway patrol who was called on scene was a child hood friend of mine.  His dad and my dad have worked together for over 20 years.  The CC chief of police was there, his kids and I went to school together.  The ambulance workers, fire trucks etc....I knew everyone.  Then a fund was already started where I work, clothes were being donated etc.  All of this in just 4 hours.  In a time of need you can count on a small town to pull through.

Then tonight I received a message from my aunt requesting a sign to be donated for a young gentleman who works for my uncle.  He has had several health issues and has a young family.  My answer to her was "Count us In." He has a very hefty hospital bill and the small town neighboring mine is pulling together to do a silent auction to donate money to him and his family.  It never fails when times get tough it sure is nice to live in a town of people who really do care.

Follow us on Pinterest, I have created a whole board to small town living.  I have heard people say, "There's nothing to do in a small town."  This is not true.  There is always stuff to do.  I remember growing up, playing at the pool, riding bikes all around town, hanging out with my friends, knowing everyone who walked down the street or at the grocery store....there is always someone to talk to (or about...lol).  Gravel roads have solved a lot of problems and made many memories.  Creeks have served as a great place to play, muddy trails have seen many laughs and good times on four wheelers.  Endless open fields served the perfect place to ride my barrel horses, they heard many problems that come with being a teenager (oh I also use to sing to them like I was Reba or Martina...they never complained they just kept walking). The woods have served as a great place to build bon fires and talk.  As I have gotten older I love being outside and our neighbor is 1/2 mile away because our driveway is 1/2 mile long.  We love being able to sit outside in the summer and the only sounds we hear are coyotes.  It's nice to have quiet and living in the country and from a small town quiet is exactly what you get.  In a small town when you hear a siren you wonder, "Who,"  it's not a background noise for us.  Of course within a matter of 24 hours you can have all of the information about what had happened maybe even with a few extra details...:) Although we still have a noon whistle everyday!
I am excited about raising my girls in the town my husband and I grew up in.  They will go to the same school we went to and even have some of the same teachers who taught us.  I am proud to call Cole Camp my forever home.  AND yes for those of you who don't know me, I did live in a city when I went to college.  It wasn't huge but over 100,000.  I will never forget walking into my first college class and the room had 458 students in it.  I know I looked like a deer in a head light as the room was filled with as many people as half of my town I grew up in.  I enjoyed living there but I was never "at home" there.  I would go to the grocery store and I never ran into anyone I ever knew, I would walk down the street and NOPE no one I even recognized.  It just wasn't for me. 
After my experience I have learned living in a small town although not for everyone is PRICELESS TO ME.

Are you blankety, blank, blank- kidding me?

As I sit down to write this evening, it's been one of those days where I have had to really "count my blessings."  I have tried to go back to my last post and count my blessings, but it's been hard today.  Let me walk you through my last two days.

Yesterday I woke up with a migraine at 3:30 in the morning, my throat was raw and my nose was stuffy.  I took some medicine and tried to go back to bed but my head felt as if it was going to pop off.  I called into work at 5:30 in the morning, stayed up so my kids could sleep in a little bit, got them dressed and took them to daycare (because you know the hubby had to sleep in as late as possible and he would be late if he took them).  A mom's job is never done.  I came back home and laid on the couch for a while feeling non human, my hair all over my head, coffee brewing and thinking, am I going to live?  As a wife and a mother I have this overwhelming feeling of guilt if I am at home and not working.  I feel like I have to do something, I can't relax.  Why is that?  I should not feel guilt, but I do.  I managed to get myself off of the couch, fix a cup of coffee and put on a load of clothes, fold two loads that were on the couch and put them away.  Laid back down, got up unloaded and reloaded the dish washer, laid back down.  Posted on facebook for RiOak and made a promotion and watched my likes go up...laid back down, got up swept and did another load of laundry.  Finally I ate around 1:00 and laid back down.  Then I got up and finally made my bed for the day and cleaned our bathroom.  You see how the day went?  I had a sign delivery at 5:00 so I thought I needed to make myself a little presentable, got dressed, sprayed my hair and left to do the delivery.  Stopped by the store and then picked the girls up from daycare.  Came home only to YES you guessed, cook dinner.  Dinner and then painting was it in order.  Hit the hay about 10:00 which is rare for me.  You see as a mom you are NEVER done!  No matter how bad you feel there is ALWAYS laundry and food to be fixed for everyone, I know, I know, ENJOY IT WHY YOU CAN. I feel blessed was not the feeling I was having but yes I know I am , I am blessed, enjoy this....I kept telling myself this.

Back up at 6:30am to start on laundry and the girls woke up to move their mountains at about 6:45.  Okay so I still don't feel the best but I am determined today has to be a more productive day.  I started painting on a sign, then breakfast, then clean up breakfast, then more painting.  I get everyone dressed for the day and hubby heads out to the shop.  Now the oldest is old enough to go out there with him but here I am with a sign to complete and an 18 month old....this is a task in itself.  Little miss Oaklee is into everything and her favorite is toilet paper at the moment.  I put one coat on all my letters and then go to find her.  She is sitting in my bathroom with toilet paper everywhere.  I clean it up, take her out of the bathroom, shut the door, first mess to clean up for the day.
Continue to paint on my sign as my oldest, Riley comes in (only 30 minutes after she went outside) and is hungry...because she didn't feel like eating when we had fixed pancakes for breakfast.  Sooooo up again to fix a little snack.  She loved it so much she wanted more than what I had fixed the first time, sooooo you guessed it, up again to fix more.  I told her to go and play and then I put Oaklee down for her nap.  Hubby is still out in the barn....although I am so thankful he is a hard worker,  there are times like this that I think hmmmm it would be so nice to be the man in this relationship.  I mean think about it, he left out of the house at 10:00 in the morning and has done nothing with the girls except change one diaper and put plates on the table for breakfast.  Okay Ashley don't be bitter, don't be bitter, I repeat don't be bitter.  I go back to painting for the 2nd coat of paint on my wording.  Get up unload the dish washer and reload...dishes are never done either!  Go back to the sign for the third coat then pick up the house a little.  By now it's about noon and Oaklee is back up.  Even after I have picked up the house, there are still toys scattered.  I asked Riley to pick up and she asked if she did, could we put a puzzle together...sure!  During this time, I hear the 10 syllable word, "Mooooommmmmm,"  I go to find Riley and she has dropped my eye shadow and tried to clean it up, my grout is now blue in our master bathroom...just another mess, Mess 2 cleaned up for the day.  By this point I feel like we all need some fresh air and it is 1:00.  I get the girls bundled up and we go out to the barn to find hubby cutting on boards...but what do I see only three things...WHAT????  He explains he has taken a whole stack of pallets apart as well.  Ohhh I said, just wondering as I have painted and taken care of the girls for the last three hours and still have to finish the sign and go to the store for our family Christmas tomorrow.  He just looks at me with that blank look that every husband has and goes back to cutting wood.  I leave with the girls and head back up to the house.  As Riley stomps through every single mud puddle she can find....yep a mess... I just let her do it because she thought it was a blast, I will just clean it up, what's another mess at this point? Hubby comes in shortly and opens up the puzzle for only ME to do with Riley.  I lay down on the floor and put together a floor puzzle while he relaxes on the couch and plays on his phone,,,,don't be bitter Ashley, don't be bitter...lol  Floor puzzle was complete and gorgeous I might add.  I then go back to painting.  Sign completed, or so I thought.
Riley has made 1,001 request and had at least 1 million questions to be answered today...at one point Riley even tells my hubby, moms can do everything!  I poured myself another cup of coffee and cheers it to myself!  Hubby goes back out to the barn.  No problem...I got it!!  My mom and dad come by for a little while to see the girls.  My mom says, "What happened to Oaklee's face?"  I said "Well that doesn't sound good and I have no idea."  My mom brings Oaklee down and she has blue marker all over her face....great, just another mess! Mess three (as I made riley take her boots off and we didn't have a mess, only if your counting).
I took my sign out to rough it up, put stain on it and a protective coat.  Hubby comes in and as Oaklee is fussing he scoops her up and takes her for up for another nap.  My mom and I ran to the grocery store.  He stays inside to hold the fort down!  Sure why not at this point, one kid is out at the barn with the horses and the other is taking a nap...just relax Clint, just relax buddy.  I came back from the store and we put away the groceries.  I ask for him to get me a pallet sign so I can start on it tonight, so he does do that for me.
Mom and dad sit down to play a game with Riley and I go to get my sign to take a picture and post it...no sooner did I post it a fan messages me and told me a word was misspelled....oh no!!!  Sure enough I look over and there it was the dreaded misspelled word!  This does happen, not often thank goodness, why didn't I catch that I have only painted that word 4 times today....ahhhhh.  Mommy is about to go nuts at this point.  I am having  a very difficult time finding positive right now as I can only focus on how much time it is going to take me to fix it.  My mom and dad leave and Riley wants me to sit down to play her game with her....dinner is cooking on the stove, Oaklee is screaming up stair...Hold on Riley, I will here in a minute.  "Mom will you play with me."  "Hold on Ri, I will here in a minute."  "Hey mom will you play with me..."  (Breathe Ashley, don't yell, just breathe) with a big breath and exhale, "Riley I told you I would play, let me get Oaklee's diaper changed, stir the taco meat AND then yes I will play.
Three games played and back to dinner I go....to only hear as I am putting the enchiladas together, the 10 syllable word, "Moooommmmmmmmm"  "Yes Riley,"  "I need you."  I leave the kitchen and asked where she was at, "I'm in the bathroom."  I think to myself, this is not going to be good as we have already cleaned up three messes in here already....I walk around the corner and there is the fourth BIG mess of the day.  There stood my 5 year old with poop on her hand, on my wall and all down her leg.  She has this look of panic on her face.  Breathe Ashley, Breathe.  "Riley what happened and why is there poop all over my wall?"  She said, I didn't do it.  "Oh really did the poop just jump from your butt?" I asked in the most calm mommy voice I had at the moment.  This is where the blankety, blank, blank comes in I am saying all kinds of things in my head right now!!  But trying to be patient.  I told her it was an accident but next time it happened to please call me before it got to this point....mess 4 cleaned up...back to dinner (of course after thoroughly cleaning my hands and I told her to go and wash hers after I had already wiped her down) It is a miracle at this point I haven't burnt dinner.  I am finishing dinner and she comes down with her big brown eyes and huge smile and says, "I washed my hands here smell them."  I couldn't hold it in at this point, "Riley I am not going to smell your hands after you just had poop all over them, I am cooking dinner."  She gets tears in her eyes and said,  "I washed them like you told me to."  I gently explained I appreciated her listening, there was no need to cry, I was not being mean but I am not smelling her hand"  Is this too harsh?  I just couldn't do it!  At this point Oaklee is hungry and is pulling my shirt everywhere I am sure I looked like a hula dancer gone bad by the way she was pulling me back and forth, back and forth at the stove.  She is whining, I HATE whining.  I get her some cheese for a snack, she still is whining.  At this point I am whinny too!  Clint FINALLY comes in and has two pallet boards.  I look at him and say, "Mommy is about done for the day."  I think he knew, as he went in and got plates out and checked on the dinner.  He pours me a glass of wine and I just sit on the couch.  We all ate dinner and now here I am. 

I know every woman has a day, or maybe you feel everyday is like this for you.  I wrote this to hopefully let you know, YOU ARE NOT A LONE IN FEELING LIKE YOU COULD JUST GO BLANKETY BLANK, BLANK ON ANYONE WHO MIGHT CROSS YOUR PATH ON ANY CERTAIN DAYS! 
I was very proud of myself as I have only raised my voice one time today!  My glass of wine is completed a fresh cup of coffee is in order and I think I have fixed the sign!!  Getting ready to post here in a little bit.

Hope you have had a little better day than mine but if not, I feel for you.  Just take a breath and drowned out all the noise for at least 10 minutes!! 
It has been just another day at RiOak!

Here is super easy Recipe for the Enchiladas I made tonight-Great for us busy mom's who have to clean up poop right in the middle of cooking, this recipe is bomb proof I tell ya!!

2 lbs of hamburger
1 package of taco seasoning
1 block of cream cheese
2 cans of enchilada sauce
1 bag of sharp cheddar cheese
6 large tortilla shells

Cook hamburger until complete, sprinkle with taco seasoning and then drain.
Mix enchilada mix with cream cheese, pour into cooked hamburger

In 9 x13 pan-Spray with non stick spray then you are going to layer
Rip up your tortilla shells (3 of them) in the bottom, put layer of meat and sauce mix, then layer with 1/2 bag of cheese, Repeat again.
Bake in oven at 350 for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted

I bought some new salsa (lime and garlic...very good), put that on top, with refried beans and sour cream.

You could make this more diet friendly by using ground turkey, low fat cream cheese and sour cream and 1/2 bag of fat free cheese.

Hopefully I will be better tomorrow counting my blessings, but for today I just say....Blankety, Blank Blank and goodnight!

Count Your Blessings

Hello out there, hope you are having a great week so far.  We are starting to unthaw here in Missouri as we hit 35 degrees today!  It's hard to do wood working for our little business with no heat in our shop yet so we have been using up the boards we had on hand for our painting the last three days. 

It's so easy to get wrapped up in life, isn't it?  This hit me today as I was driving to pick up my girls from daycare. This was my thought process as I was driving: I have at least 5 loads of laundry in the hampers, two loads patiently waiting on the couch to be folded or picked out to wear.  I still have my two Christmas tree's up, toys are scattered, my dinning room table is covered with painting supplies....so much so I am going to have to clean it off or eat in the living room tonight.  Which then leads to the ultimate question...what am I going to fix for dinner?  Bills need to be paid, garage needs to be organized.  Taxes...oh taxes for the business needs to be done.  Baths, bedtime stories, will Riley pick out a story that has chapters tonight? Ahh I really don't have time.  Do you see where I am going with this?  I was so wrapped up in what needs to be done and my life being overwhelming I forgot to count my blessings.  Let me try to put a positive spin on this.

Although I have 5 loads of laundry, my family and I still have clean clothes to wear for the week.  If the clothes stay on the couch, I won't have to walk up the stairs 100 times looking for that pair of socks for the girls. The couch is easy access and  a handy clean clothes hamper!  My Christmas trees will still be enjoyed this weekend as we are having one more Christmas at our house with my husband's family , due to our recent loss, it was the first time we could all get back together.  If I don't get my trees down, I can always start a tradition of having the girls make paper hearts and we will use them for Valentines day trees...lol I hope not but a positive way to look at it.  My girls toys are scattered throughout the home.... we have a home to have the toys scattered about.  Our home is warm and cozy tonight and place we can rest. One day my house can be clean but for now we are making memories, about to drive mom crazy memories, but we are making memories.  I am thankful my business is taking off and I have the ability to use my dinning room table as this is where I feel comfortable and can get into my "painting mode".  Dinner, I have food to fill and nourish our bodies.  Bills have to be paid and although this is no fun at least we have jobs and are able to pay our bills each month.  Taxes have to be done, its just a part of life, at least I am alive to do them.  Baths, we all have to have them!  Bedtime stories, this is a way of life for us as we try to read at least 3 to 4 nights a week.  I am thankful my child loves books and wants to spend this time with me.  I have heard over and over again, "Enjoy it while it last."  Sometimes this is hard to imagine missing the hustle and bustle of raising kids but I know the day will come when I will look at a young mother and tell her this very same thing.  My mom always says, "When they are gone and gone for good, it is the loudest sound you will ever hear, nothing, it's quiet."  Although I think to myself this would be wonderful I know how much I also enjoy hearing those little giggles coming from sisters, the word mom in the mornings when Riley and I sneak coffee together and watch a morning cartoon, the sound of my baby saying "Mama" over and over again.  These are blessings I have to count and remember.

You see there is always a way to look at anything in a positive manner.  I struggle with this on a daily basis.  I am trying to become better as most days I am stressed to the max and exhausted from my daily routine BUT I am trying really hard to count my blessings each and every day.  I hope you can take a look at your life and although it is stressful and I am sure exhausting most days, please remember all the positive ways to look at your life and always remember TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

Just another day in the life at RiOak!

Bleaching LIFE

I have never known life without bleach.  My Granny Mae always had a distinct smell on her hands and I LOVED that smell.  As I got older and started cleaning myself, I realized she always smelled like bleach, lol.  Now I have a love hate relationship with bleach as my mother also has always cleaned with bleach (love you mom) but I would go to get my "cool" shirt out of the dryer....and you guessed it there would be a bleach mark on it.  Of course I would say, "Moooommmmm," Every mom knows this tone, the kids can lengthen the word mom to be like a 10 syllable word.  She would just look at me with that mom look (and every mother knows how to give one of these).  Now as I am "Mooooommmmm"  I am following in the footsteps of the amazing women who raised me, my answer for everything....bleach.  I was mopping my floors this morning, with bleach water of course, and thought this would be a great topic for my blog.  I have set out this morning to tell you how great this cheap cleaner is for many uses.  I will tell you a little about how I use bleach and then I did some reading to get more ideas for you.

1. Bleach Toys-Fill sink with warm water add two caps full of bleach to the water (caps make great measuring cups).  Did you know bleach disinfects in 30 seconds...great tip for us busy moms.  Take out and let air dry....simple enough!
2. Bleach fights mildew-Yep use warm water with 4 caps full of bleach and it will get rid of mildew...make sure not to saturate the area with the water but wet the area with the water and bleach combination and work small circles...GONE
3. Clean butcher block-No explanation needed...clean with bleach.
4. Toilet Bowl and Bleach together....not a good Idea....definetly a chemical reaction and this is a whole other story...BUT DON'T DO IT, lol.
5. Clean your laundry basket.....does anyone do this?  Honestly I hardly ever do this, but it makes since as when you put dirty clothes in there are germs in there too!!  I usually only put dirty clothes in ours because once the load is done either we get it out of the dryer to wear or a pile is started on the couch! (My mother in law loves laundry so every time she comes over to our house she probably has a heart attack) I personally would rather clean all the grout in a 5,000 sq foot tiled home with a tooth brush than do LAUNDRY...I hate it.  I guess it's because it is a job that is never done!
6. Now I am no doctor so please consult your physician, BUT a bad cut....put bleach on it, it does burn but no infection....my mom does this all the time, I know this is harsh but it will help with preventing infection, in our circumstances anyway.
7. Bug bites---Bleach bath, fill up tub put a couple of caps of bleach, WaaaLAAA it will dry them chigger bites right up---also might speak with a physician on this.
8.  My youngest daughter suffers with eczema and as I was researching anything to help this poor baby guess what I found?  Yes you guessed it, bleach baths (as described above, just a cap, which really dilutes the bleach but it is enough I guess to do the job....again ask physician before you try this) So I give my girls a bleach bath when skin issues appear, it does work!
9. Want to make your fresh cut flowers last longer.....one quarter tea spoon of bleach per one quart of water (I have never tried this, but I have heard that it works....if you try it let me know!)
10. Remove coffee or tea stains-Soak glasses in water bleach mixture, wipe with soft cloth.
11. As I was looking for alternative ways to use bleach I ran across this one and I thought is was creative and funny...It says to put sand into two bleach bottles and you have homemade dumbbells.
12. Use bleach instead of jet dry, it supposedly cleans glass and china and makes them sparkle.
13. For the kids....after jug of bleach is empty clean thourghly take cap off, cut off bottom and make into a mega phone (probably a good idea for summer time so you can send them outside to shout out at the world instead of your ear!)  This is a cute idea for any container, the kids could decorate it, serves two purposes for keeping their little minds and hands busy.
14. Cut the bottle in half after complete and make a scoop out of it, like for dog food etc.

It is also important to remember never to mix bleach and ammonia together as this creates a very toxic chemical.  Did you know bleach only has a shelf life of about 6 months...I had no idea. 

I know much of this is common since but thought I would share my life experience with BLEACHing  in my life!