H is for….

 

 

Falling behind in this very busy time of the year and I realized my “H” as I was stressing that I hadn’t completed my “H”.

Are you ready?? Help… HELP!!! Help is my H.

What a strange little word, that carries so much weight.

“Offer help.”
“Ask for help.”

Simple right?? hmmmm Wait a second. Betting you have already attributed a couple of adjectives to the person speaking those simple statements.

Offering help… Kind, knowledgeable, wise, thoughtful, nice

Ask for help…. overwhelmed, stress, lost, sick

Wow right?! So here is my story, I have found myself, at times, in the need of help for the simple reason that I over extended my offer to help others. That just seems Crazy?  My jobs right now can be summed up in a couple of words:  mom, wife and volunteer, oh yeah and I still make soap too. 🙂  And I would have to say I am most happy when I have the chance to help others, and most stressed when I have to ask for help.  So I am thinking it is just one little word and regardless of if you are the giver or the recipient, it’s all good!

 

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I say G is for….

 

So it is April 1 and I am feeling a little silly. Just read an entire article which got me all bent out of shape, I mean bent, like calling to my hubby half way through, “Oh my goodness you have got to read this, I can’t believe they are doing this.” bent….Then I got to the last line which reminded me that today is April Fool’s Day! Yes, I laughed at myself and it was a good start to the day!

So are you ready for my G?

Three little letters, GAB. It’s a glib word but I feel like it sort of fits me and my story. And Guess what, I am going to tell you why. 🙂

Ok let’s start with the definition:
Gab: verb – to talk a lot in an informal way usually about things that are not important or serious

Now stick with me here, ok? It says “usually about things that are not important” and what I am going to say is that gabbing to me is taking a serious conversation or topic and bring it to an informal level so we can really get to the heart of the matter.
Too much of a stretch?
Nah, I gab with folks all over the country at this point about learning disabilities, state and national awareness campaigns, state level legislation, and things I never thought I would get on the phone and discuss. And not only “discuss” but rattle on and listen in an informal manner and form real connections and relationships.

Maybe because writing does not make my top ten favorite things to do, or because reading an email longer than 4 lines seems overwhelming or maybe just because I like the sound a voice. I don’t know…but I do know I would rather hear it and talk about it.

So here is my final little thought on Gabbing. It’s serious stuff. When you talk to someone about a topic you accomplish a mission, when you gab with someone about stuff you form a relationship.

E and F are for slacker… What?

Ok ok ok. March has been a busy month so far and today was the day I planned to come up for air or maybe a green beer. But guess what??? Northern VA is under a foot of snow and we are again, all five of us enjoying each others company for the day.

Yet I am “determined” to share my E and F. I can not let these letters run away from me, “dyslexic” or not!!! 🙂 So here we go!

Recently, some of you know, I presented at a national conference for Decoding Dyslexia. I prepared 3 presentations, spoke in front of 100+ people and lived to see another day. It was exhilarating, exhausting and fulfilling all at once. (did you catch that “sandwich” approach? two positives around the negative…) Totally out of my comfort zone but so worth every stressful moment.

So my E is exhaustion but qualified by the F of complete fulfillment that comes from giving all you got!!

#tellyourstory2014

ABCs of 2014

Got it? Any questions?
* Start your list of words, A-Z.
* Every two weeks, tweet it, post it, instagram it, or blog it!
Take a picture, write a story or a sentence, make it, bake it, create it!
We don’t care! 🙂
Just share your story.
* Don’t forget your #hashtag, #tellyourstory2014

Looking forward to a great year!
Cheers,
Kristin

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Balance???

Decoding Dyslexia VA

Owning a small business and being a mom are not exclusive, right? We all know that! What do they call that thing we all strive for…? Balance, hmmmm. Well I am thinking it might be over rated. I am remembering as a child standing on the center of the teeter totter, no riders and attempting to get the two side equal. Nearly impossible and everyone else is running around like crazy having a good time.

This is what is going to send my life into the next set of crazy and I can not wait. As a mom of a dyslexic who has been fighting solo for the last 6 years for appropriate programs for my son, I now have a group or maybe a little army of lovely and fired up parents who are ready to see change happen at a state level for their children.

So small business owner, mom, volunteer, balance…. I think I am opting for running around like crazy and having a good time!

Thankful for the Show

Having a go at post number #2. 🙂

I had a vendor show this past weekend, and I have to say they are lots of fun…… lots of prep work but so much fun.
Best part – Seeing all my lovely past customers who came to find me. No, I am serious they were looking for me! They reminded who they were, what they had ordered, and then brought family members and friends over to introduce them. I got to hear how the parties went and how people loved the favors, I was beaming an hour into the show. And thankful to have been part of their celebrations. I even had a dad walk up and say, “Hey, you’re in my bathroom!”

When you have an online business you focus so much on getting your name out, directing traffic, increasing numbers, creating a buzz. Oh my goodness, the list goes on and on. Facebook stats, Twitter feeds, Pinterest pins, Etsy collections, likes, shares, favorites, retweets, views. Is your head spinning yet? Mine is! But really, really it’s the people, online or in person that make your business. And I have some pretty darn cool people who support my business! So I leave this post with a quote.

“I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.”

Beginning again

So I am giving it another go, let’s see if I can give it a more intelligent try. Planning posting and scheduling uploads, I can do this!
If this were my very first post, I would introduce myself, so let’s pretend for a moment that you have never been here, or maybe we don’t really have to pretend that one. 🙂
My name is Kristin Kane, I am a mom of three pretty cool kids, the wife of the best guy I know and I also own and operate a little business named Water Closet Soap.
I hope… no plan to be here more often. My vision right now for this space is to just be me, to chat and write about the crazy fun stuff that goes on with life as a mini business owner.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Kristin