Intro thread

[Mamaste]

Well, I think everyone's expecting diapering WAHMs in here. I'm not, but I *am* a WAHM ... I'll start ~

I'm a WAHM writer/editor and website admin, with a nine-year-old and a two-year-old. I've done everything from flex/full-time/telecommuting to straight SAHM with children. I must say, I am *not* happy as a "real" working mom. The occasional project brings in nice financial padding, though. The website work (attachment parenting site for my local area) is what's really important to me. It's unpaid, of course, and something I do in little dribbles every day, inch by inch -- but I'm passionate about it, a lifesaver in helping me keep my sanity and personal perspective! ag

I tried keeping some after-schoolers last year for extra money, and that wasn't my thing at all and it was horridly disruptive to the family schedule. Now I only take projects that I can handle during naptimes and after bedtime. Not a lot of money, but much happier mama. : ... Oh, and I don't solicit work anymore. I just do the occasional job that rolls across my plate through referrals. I also edit for DH, who's also a writer. I have less control of my time on his projects because he is often on tight deadlines, but I love the collaborative effort.

It's only recently that I "realized" that I'm a WAHM of sorts again, rather than strictly a SAHM. I guess I still maintain a SAHM self-identity, since I work so little and uncompromisingly make it bend around my family life.

... Looking forward to chatting with everyone!

[Sandra Dee]

Mamaste- it is about time I asked this - what is your name???????
:LOL

I am Sandi - I am a freelance writer who has been officially out of work for three years! LOL! I haven't had much motivation lately. :

So - I'm thinking of starting a WAHMBiz. I have a product in development and am getting testers out by next weekend - there - I've just set a goal! LOL

Anyway - I didn't mean to hijack your thread - just replying and saying hi!!

[HeatherSanders]

Thanks Mamaste. This is a WAHM forum - so yes, we'll have Diaper WAHMs, but we are hoping to draw all WAHM members not just our Diapering mommas! I'm glad you posted.

This is a great idea - introductions.

Okay, I'll bite.

Heather here . . . started my business in 2000 in TX and now moved to GA. I would consider myself a WAHM as PB is basically a full-time job and I just do it from home in the midst of my kiddos (which is a struggle at times and I look forward to seeing how everyone here does it).

PB used to be in our dining room in lieu of your regular table and chairs or china cabinet. :LOL We got tired of never being able to walk away from it - file cabinets, boxes, bins, desk, computer . . . and then the day we nearly packed up Sheriff Woody to ship to Paris (as in the box was taped up and ready to go before Meredith shared with me what was 'in' it), we decided the biz needed its own 'home.'

We now have an office in the back of the house with a door we can CLOSE! :LOL

Boy have I learned nearly everything by having to do it twice over, but hey . . . at least I learned. A bit green behind the ears, this business started when my husband was living away from us for about 7 months (military). I couldn't sleep at night without him, so I stayed up in the wee hours researching and writing about cloth. One night on the phone he encouraged me to put it on a site or make money by selling articles. Decided I'd put it on the site.

The rest is History.

WAHM businesses are definitely a labor of love - the balance is soooo hard to draw. I am soo excited about this board and hearing everyone else's experiences.

[grisandole]

Hi all! I'm Kristi, mom to two ds's ages 10 and 1. edited out store name per board guidelines I bought it from it's previous owners last September, thinking I'd just change a few things, personlize it a bit, and then it would be easy........lol, of course that didn't happen! : I'm never satisfied, so I changed the site alot, added and took away products, and expanded the line of natural, handmade creams and lotions (through much trial and error at home). It is definitely a labor of love. I do make the creams and salves, but everthing else I retail.

My real passion is writing, and I have another site in the works (when I have spare time, lol) that will be devoted to writings and ramblings about natural/ap parenting. I want it to be a place that moms can go for information and commiseration.

So, that's me.

~Kristi

[momto11]

Hi, I'm Dina, and just recently found the mothering forums when it was posted on another group that I belong too. So, jumping right in, I have been a diaper making wahm for a little over 2-1/2 years. Before this I had a craft business (not online) where I cut out and painted decorative woodcrafts.

I came into the diaper making biz when I had my 11th baby. We were trying to cut down on expenses during a layoff for my dh, and so I decided to cloth diaper. I was trying to look up diaper services online, and came across the whole new world of fitted cloth diapers. I have been sewing since I was 13, so decided that I could sew them for my baby for little or no cost, using old flannel sheets, towels, and tshirts. After I perfected my pattern, I decided to try to auction a few "homemade" diapers, and my business was "born"! Dh says, yeah, we really have saved money (snicker snicker) Look how much you spend on fabric now! Okay, and so now I have a serious fabric addiction which was really brought on by my diapermaking biz

[LaLa]

Mamaste,
You are so right about needing the wahm aspect to keep sanity and perspective!
LOL
That is why I started sb a few years back. I needed something to challange my brain a bit, set goals, keep my social interaction with adults going on etc.

IT was a mommy life saver.

I was so happy being a stay at home mom, but I needed a little something more in terms of mental stimulation and that was just the thing to fill in the gap without taking away too much time from my family.

How do I manage to not take away too much time? Well that is an other thread all together!

welcome mamas!
I'm so glad to see the wahm forum up and running

[mommytomy4kids]

I am Sherry

And need to go back and retrieve my intro to MDC diapering forum. LOL

OK here it is edited:
My name is Sherry and I have 4 children. We homeschool or should say unschool. My kids though usually pick out some books to do year round. We live in the Shenandoah Valley of the Blue Ridge mountains of VA. My oldest son is almost 13 EEK! and my youngest son is 4 (B-Day is in Dec.) Then we have the girl sandwhich filling. They are 9 and 7. Would have more but had a hysterectomy (not by choice) in March.

We love to be outside. We are into camping and gardening and finding creepy crawly things (my 9yo GIRL's passion). I am a knitter, sewer, and reader ) I am working on hooked rug (not latch hook) and some penny rugs now too. I am an avid Mothering Mag reader.

I created edited out store name per board guidelines 4 years ago and sold it to my parents 2 years ago. They are sole owners. This way my mom could quit her full time job. My dad does the computer work and snaps all her stuff (she has arthritis and can't do the snap press) and she cuts and sews. It is cool to see them into this.

I then opened edited out store name per board guidelines and we would probably still be called that except I let my darn .com expire and it was snatched up. But our new name kinda matched better anyway. Which came to me in a dream (just like edited out store name per board guidelines did).
edited out store name per board guidelines is growing to the point I need to make some business altering decisions soon. I was so worried when I was laid up from March-June that I would never be able to get it back but I have with ALOT of work. With all our medical bills it is what is feeding our family.

I always smile when I see a new WAHM. Especially in the diapering world because I think sometimes they don't realize how much it takes away from your family and while it is immensly rewarding it is also extremely tiresome work. There are times I want to throw my diaper making towel back into the ring but then I remember how much I missed with my children. Now they are a big part of my business. I am working on knitted diapering projects though

I think this will be a great forum for WAHMs to get ideas and chat amoungst ourselves.

Oh My it is almost 7:00 and I need to get 4 sleeping babies ready to go to the morning church service. Be Back Later

Sherry

[maddysmommy]

Hi!
I'm Leah, mom to Madeleine (10/8/01) I'm the owner/maker of edited out store name per board guidelines . I'm a potter and writer by trade (I did freelance art writing and magazine editing before Maddy was born) and when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to work outside the home, dh said - why don't we just buy a kiln and a wheel and you can make stuff? He makes everything sound so easy! I'm still just starting really and my hardest thing is marketing - mainly because I'm so shy about calling and shleping myself to shops and gallerys. I do have a site that my dh designs but I haven't advertised it much.

T Has there been any talk of something like the Daily Diaper for non-diapering wahms?

Cheers,

Leah

[Erin Pavlina]

I'm so glad to see this forum! I love connecting with other WAHMs.

My name is Erin, I'm the Editor of edited out store name per board guidelines magazine and the author of a book, edited out store name per board guidelines . I have a 3.5 year old daughter, and I'm 37 weeks pregnant with number 2, a boy!

I started as a WAHM in 1997 with a web consulting business that really took off. Suddenly I was making a lot of money doing something I really enjoyed. In 1999 I realized I could make a website for my real passion, raising vegan children. So edited out store name per board guidelines was born, and my daughter was born shortly after.

It's taken 4 years of really hard work to get edited out store name per board guidelines to the point of profitability. I now have 5, soon to be 6, wonderful women working for me, which has allowed me to work ON the business more instead of IN the business. It's also allowed me to segue into the marketing and promotion of my book which takes a ton of time!

I still do web consulting for several clients whom I've had for years, and I take on new clients whose work I really believe in. I keep my rates really low because I enjoy helping people with their sites and my clients usually don't have a lot of money.

Anyway, I just love talking business and marketing strategies with other WAHMs. We're a rare breed! I don't think people realize how hard it is to care for a child and build a business too so I'm looking forward to sharing parenting strategies as well as business strategies!

[LaLa]

Erin is also one of the Mothering Experts linked from the homepage!

Check it out!

[ctdoula]

Hi! I'm Amy, mama to Olivia & co-owner of edited out store name per board guidelines . Before becoming a WAHM, I coordinated a program to reduce Infant Mortality in our state capitol.

I entered this business almost a year ago, when everyone went nutty for the diapers I made for dd. My mom previously had a little dress company called "First Dress" and a line called "edited out store name per board guidelines " (clothing for preemies), hense our name. My mom & I do all the sewing, marketing, etc., while my sister keeps the books (i.e. yells at us when the cc bill comes in & we've bought more fabric :LOL).

My little girl is 13mo, so needless to say, I don't get much work done when she's awake. We're hoping for another one as soon as I can get this baby off the boobie long enough for af to return . I think trying to balance being a mom & sewing all the time is the hardest part of being a wahm. So much time & work goes into every product! I definatly neglect our house (aka tornado zone) because every chance I get, I'm sewing.

In addition to being a diaper wahm, I'm also a Lamaze instructor, and teach childbirth classes several evenings a week at a local hospital!

I'm excited to meet y'all!!
Amy

[PatchyMama]

hey working mamas!

I'm tiffany.... mama to kyla lennon (just over 2 ) . I started off this business before i was a mom as Puddingirl Patchwork wayyyyy back in summer of 1999 :LOL . It morphed into what it is now in Oct 2000 .... tho still was just part time for me and only patchwork clothing at that time ( i actually worked out of the home as well then). Kyla was born In May of 2001 and I decided it was time to take it full time... what a wild ride, LOL. I have grown it to include diapers along with baby clothes that will be coming out slowly soon, lol. Not to mention a top secret project that is currently in testing

Anyway doing this full time has been the best experience.... I just wish i had a door to shut, LOL! Currently my whole house is this business.....I sew in the dining room... all 3 of my machines set up on the dining room table with shelves and stuff set up next to it.... I guess its really a sewing room now. All my other supplies (essentials like wool, sherpa, hemp, etc) are kept in the office along with dh's computer and my snaps and patterns. Cutting table is in the living room along with the lap top... Corduroy is stored in the garage and calicos and knit fabrics have taken over kyla's closet :LOL

[JoAida]

Hi WAHM's. It's so great to see this board, and it couldn't have come at a better time for me.

I'm getting geared up to start my own WAHMbiz. I'm looking to get into natural parenting/living products, especially those in the realm of cloth diapering and breastfeeding. I want to be online and also do home demonstration parties (like tupperware) and craft shows. There isn't even a store that sells good breastpumps in my area, so there is definately a need unmet here.

YAY for the new board...

[IfMamaAintHappy]

Hi, I'm Jeni, and like several other women on this website, I am an independant consultant . [IMG]

We sell cloth diapers and covers, cloth wipes, glad rags, bravado bras, slings, pouches, pregnancy teas, baby massage kits, organic cotton baby and toddler clothes, mommy pampering stuff, wooden toys, all sorts of things. The mom that started it is a homeschooling breastfeeding advocate mom of 6. I am thrilled to work for a company that unasahmedly promotes attachment parenting and products that promote that attachment

[LaLa]

Jeni, do you purchase your items with that company or order as you go?

[jmreinke]

Hi,

I'm Janette, mom to Emma (2) and Alayna (2 months). This year I started my own Stork and Yard Greeting business. My business consists of stork rentals for birth announcements and baby showers, and also surprise yard displays for special occasions. Some of you may have seen these types of surprise displays, such as a yard full of flamingos or cows, etc.

I am having so much fun. I can set my own hours, work when I want to, and even take my kids with me to set up the displays.

Previous to this, I was a site editor for Topeka Kansas at about.com (before they pared down and got rid of a bunch of sites) a regional editor for Kansas City at babyzone.com, and way before all that, I was a Director of Christian Education for several different churches.

I'm so glad this forum is here as I know that I will learn a bunch!

[rubelin]

I am so excited to have this forum

I'm Robin, 32. I live in LosAngeles with my DH, who produces video games, and our sweet DS, who just turned 3.

I worked in the fashion industry pre-baby, as an assistant designer for a couple of children's clothing manufacturers. When I got preggo, I left my job and started doing some free-lance embroidery designing, but got laid off at 5 mo preg. We did EC with DS and, when I couldn't find any undewear to fit him, I started making some pants myself. A few on-line friends asked if I could make some for them, and my biz was born I've been making training pants for ECing families for a little more than 2 years now.

I do a pretty good job of keeping the biz contained to my office/sewing room and one half of the dining room table, but I'm never able to really close the door on it. I didn't know a thing about this WAHM world when I started and wasn't sure if I'd have any customers, but I've been blessed to have found a good niche I'm making some plans for expansion right now and I'm super excited about that, I just wish I could get it done faster.

Hmm, I think that's all. I think this is going to be such a wonderful board

[LizHarrison]

hello
I am Liz ...

I started my little place almost 4 years ago.. with cloth for mom.
After DS #1 I started to make diapers also and I expanded my line.

I homeschool my children, expecting another one, LOL..

I work only at night when my boys are sleeping which makes it hard at times... My dh works nights so sometimes I feel like I am a single mom...


I do have an office it has a BUNCH of fabric in it with my machines, but, I find I do most of my work at my dinning room table. i clear it off for dinner then it all goes back on.. LOL


Liz

[EmmalinesMom]

Hi Ladies!

It's so interesting to read these introductions! Don't know if mine will be so interesting, lol, but here goes!

I'm Jennifer, mama to Emmaline who was born 8-22-01. Before I had her, I was a teacher in a public elementary school here in Atlanta, and I love it. I truly loved teaching, and one day, when all my babes (including those I haven't had yet, lol) are older, I will return to it. But for now, my heart is at home with my daughter :heart

edited out store name per board guidelines was born in July 2002, which means we're a year old now! It's been a fun year, really. Lots of learning, but we're really on top of things now, and the site and customer base is growing well. The "we" is myself and dh, who is wonderful about helping with everything from cutting fabric to site work to going to the PO. (You wouldn't want him sewing things for you though, lol.)

For me (like lots of others, I'm sure) the hardest part is TIME! My main work time is after 9am when Emmaline goes to bed, so it makes for some long nights. Still lots of fun though!

[mamamoo]

I don't know if I fit here, but I will be working mostly in the home soon. I am opening a small natural parenting B&M store within another store hopefully in September. I may eventually do some online stuff, but am not leaning towards that right now. Because it is in another store I will not have to be there much...but do plan on being out of the home on a very part time basis, and I plan to sew my own doublers/wipes, and possibly slings. I look forward to the wisdom the ladies at MDC always bring.