New Work Schedule and Thoughts For The Future

I've noticed that my current working schedule is doing anything but working for me! Well I shouldn't say "schedule", haphazard work here and there and maybe squeeze in a meal and spend five minutes with my family is more like it! So I sat down last night and etched out something of a proper agenda that even allows for some time off! Can it really happen? I've grown tired of working seven days a week and feeling exhausted because I cannot put the jewelry down! Dishes are piling up, the cats are starving, and Kaylie has been watching waaay too much Dora.  I'm sure there are lots of other crafters out there that deal with this very situation! There has to be some kind of magical balance between working at home and family duties as well. Considering I do all my work in my home things tend to get very muddy vs. the simplicity of working 9-5 at some typical day job.

So here we go, a general possibly workable schedule for Mon-Fri:

8am-9:30am          breakfast/get ready/daily housework
9:30am-11:30am   Kaylie breakfast and get ready/Kaylie and Mommy time
11:30am-12:30pm Kaylie's snack/computer work or post office/quick errands
12:30pm-1pm        lunch (and not a working lunch)
1pm                       Kaylie's nap time or play in her room till she's tired
1pm-2:30pm          photograph new items/edit/computer work if not finished
2:30pm-5:30pm     jewelry making/designing (Kaylie wakes up sometime but plays in her room)

My work day ends at 5:30 so I'm not scrambling anymore to make dinner!  If I have new items to list and promote, I will continue to do so at around 7pm since that seems to be a good time to list.

Kaylie getting Zoe ready
for supper!

I think I can do it! Thankfully two days a week my mom takes Kaylie so I have the entire uninterrupted day to myself, these can be "catch up" days where my morning Kaylie time can be for finishing stuff from the days before. And for the weekends, NO WORK. Well ok, I'll be realistic, if I'm not otherwise doing something else and Kaylie is napping then I may allow myself a few hours of work for sake of not being bored, heehee. I'm so thankful that my daughter is such a trooper and plays well on her own without completely driving me mad or this would never work out!  The hardest part will be the 8am thing.  I'm so not a morning person, and Kaylie sleeps till 9:30 (I'm spoiled I know) usually so there was never any reason to convince myself to get up before 9.  For the sake of having clean dishes and a clean house though it must end!  I guess all in all we'll see how it goes!

Purple Orchid
Mixed Media
Copyright of Heather Everson

For future thoughts, there are a few things I'd like to start doing soon if possible.  I'd love to start doing some soldering, I have a few ideas that use it so it'd be wonderful if I could learn some basics to accomplish it!  I've hunted around on Amazon.com for a book or two to get me started and will order one once I've ruled the others in my wishlist out.  I know the start up for that isn't too hefty either, and I actually already have a butane torch since my husband has all sorts of things like that that he never uses but HAD to have!  I'd also like to get metal stamping on my list of jewelry skills.  There's so much you can do with it!  I think I may have to wait till after a jewelry party for that one since there's some start up costs to cover that I don't quite want to spend right now.  Lastly, I'd like to start selling mini original paintings and mixed media pieces on my Etsy store.  I miss painting and if I make minis which seem to be rather popular and are more affordable for my customers.  I was thinking sizes like 3"x3" or 4"x4" and little landscape sizes too.  Little paintings look so pretty on a shelf or hung together as a series with other larger pictures, art or decor.  I have a few around my own home and I love them so why not dust off the old paintbrush and sell some too?  Then I have an excuse to make a ton of mixed media flower portraits!