OMG! Am I crazy?

This few weeks has been ridiculous--so ridiculous I can't even sum it up in words but I'll try.

The cookie business is slow but steady and at this point, I like that. With 3 kids (2 of them being a toddler and an infant) I find myself going stir crazy at least 3 times a day. The funny thing is, I run a business out of my home so when the phone rings and the kids are acting up--of course you know that's ALL the time--I have to take the phone into another room, shut and lock the door and answer in my professional tone, "Thank you for calling The Cookie Mill. How can I help you?"

In the meantime, I just hope my 6yr (soon to be 7 this month) and my 2 year old aren't beating the living crap outta each other while my 9 mo old is playing with electric outlets that I would swear I plugged up. (There's always that one in the corner!)

Anyway, the madness seems to be paying off. Last week I got a feature article in The Tribune, which is a daily local newspapers here. I hadn't expected a FULL page but there it was and I couldn't have been prouder.

So for now, I suppose I'll keep this up. Regardless of the chaos, it feels nice to have my own money up in here:)

Signed,

Wimpy Mom

Finally, some good news!

Writing for me has been all but pushed to the side for a minute--although, today I received a rejection on a query I had sent back in early March. (Are you kidding me?) But The Cookie Mill has been plenty busy. Last week I had record orders and before you get too excited, I need to clarify I've only been open for business for 3 weeks. The ad placed in the local newspaper definitely helped.

Then last week I get an e-mail from an editor from a local taste section in The Tribune, a local newspaper, saying they were impressed with my site and asked for an interview. Needless to say, things may be picking up. Then this week, things died down again but that's the usual case for people coming off of the weekend. Tomorrow will hopefully be better. If not, then last week was a fluke that I very much enjoyed. (At least until the sugar cookie incident.)

Here are just a few treats I did from last week and even had repeat customers. Yippeee!!!!!!

Mini cheesecakes w/a creamy chocolate drizzle

Double stuffed chocolate brownies

The "Do not touch" sign was for hubby

Signed,

Wimpy Mom

Can hectic ever be a good thing?

For me, the answer is absolutely. This past week my business officially opened with an ad in a local newspaper. We received several calls asking price and quite a few orders, some of which I screwed up and had to do over. (Don't ask).

I thought this would be a fun thing to do with my kids but thus far the only thing I'm doing with them is chasing them and their toys out of the kitchen. (Question, why do they always leave their sharpest toys on the floor when you're walking around barefoot?)

Yesterday I delivered my biggest order ever (4 dz mini-cheesecakes). It was for a shower so I hope this generates more sales. All in all, I gotta say I LOVE doing this. I love piling into the car with my family to make a delivery. I love the way Savannah tells me she wants to wear The Cookie Mill T-shirt when I make my deliveries. I love it when she asks if we have any orders. (I hate telling her "no".)



So this week I introduced another cookie--The Peanut Butter Delight. Haven't sold any yet but I'm offering them as an add on to orders of over $15 or more. I'll let you know how it goes.

Peanut Butter Delight

Gotta go. I've been more than 10 minutes in another room and the kids are suspiciously quiet.

Signed,

Wimpy Mom

Explaining death to a child

Wow! This has not come up before and unfortunately, there is no template that explains exactly what you should say when your six year old asks, "what does dead mean?"


As we all know--or at least anyone with ears--Michael Jackson died on June 25th 2009. As our entire family is enjoying his videos that are being played all day on several music stations, in mid-dance my daughter reads the scrolls at the bottom of the screen and asks, "what do they mean when it says Michael Jackson is dead?"


All dancing stops.


Honestly, I'm not one to sugar coat things like telling her that the stork brings babies. HOWEVER, I do let her know how things SHOULD BE but not necessarily done. For instance, telling her that a man and a woman copulate and then the woman becomes impregnanted, carrying the baby for 9 mos until that excruciating moment when the baby is ready to burst through her privates just doesn't sound very appealing.


Instead I tell her, "a man and woman meet, date for awhile and then the man proposes (or the woman) and they get married. Then comes the babies.


That's it. Period! I'm sure she'll ask more later but for now, that'll do.


So when it comes to death, I tell her exactly what I believe. Although we on earth will miss them, the person going to heaven is excited to meet The Lord and that they will never again have anymore pain on this earth and that one day we'll join them and have that same joy they are now experiencing. In fact, Michael Jackson is with grandma, having a wonderful time.


It's worked only because I say it with such conviction because I truly believe that's our ultimate goal while on this earth.


RIP Michael Jackson. Time to introduce a new generation to a very talented man.

Signed,


Wimpy Mom

The Cookie Mill is now open for business!!

Yes, folks. I have been busy working on my website, which coincidentally is http://www.thecookiemill.com/ . I have also been trying new delicious desserts that I feel confident enough to offer to the masses...for a price.



This week has been crazy hectic but it's done. I have gotten a few orders and just delivered one today. Another one will be delivered Saturday and the one from today may have another order for me tomorrow for Saturday. (Didja get all of that?)



Although I still love writing, the best part about this is that I can bake while still being with my family instead of locked away in a room, staring at a computer screen while trying to get my writing mojo back. (And it's been gone for quite some time now.) Rather than getting frustrated because my plot is scattered all over the place, I now only have to deal with greedy little kiddies trying to stick their greedy little fingers into the mixing bowl---and I love it!



The best thing about this new venture is that when the family came with me to deliver the order, I saw the pride in my daughter's eyes. She now walks around taking pretend orders and I can't help but beam when she asks if I would like 1 dozen or 2?



Here's my first delivery and boy am I proud of it................

2 dozen traditional chocolate chip cookies along with 2 dozen choc. chip white brownies with a gooey milk chocolate drizzle.

Signed,

Wimpy Mom

Holy cow I'm tired

It's been one of those weeks, folks. My 7 month old, who HAD been sleeping through the night, decides to start teething. You know what that means....

bye, bye sleep.

I wake up every morning feeling as though I had just gone to bed an hour before. BUT even with the fatigue, I have...

A. Been working out

B. Getting together last minute things for the cookies

C. Booked a place for pops' birthday party next year

And here's the big one......

I HAVE OFFICIALLY ORDERED THE WEBPAGE FOR (wait for it....)

THECOOKIEMILL.COM.

Yup, just did it today and here are some of the featured goodies.

Hope you like.

Signed,

Wimpymom

The quiet before the storm

Or at least the somewhat quiet. This past week has been hectic with the kids going into overdrive with the whining and the never-ending laundry that just keeps reappearing out of nowhere.

Those things I'm used to.

But couple that with trying to get a website up, researching marketing, planning a birthday party for my dad and trying last minute recipes for the officially cookie business, which is supposed to happen sometime this month and you have a recipe for disaster.

(Get it, recipe? Maybe that's why I gave writing a break.)

So, that said, I took some time and hung out with kids. Yesterday my daughter and I had Girl's Day Out and saw a movie and had lunch. By the time we got home, dude was furiously rubbing his temples, ignoring a crying baby, a hungry toddler and an Elmo tape shouting in the background.

I suppose I should feel sorry for him but I deal with that mess everyday. It's his turn. Hmmph! (He's a great sport, though.)

Cards should be in on Friday, website should be up soon and I should be in business within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'm gonna enjoy the kids as much as possible.

Signed,

Wimpy Mom

Having fun in the pool