Exciting new venture and blood pressure medicine?

I have some pretty exciting news.

I've been asked to collaborate on a subscription box!

I would love to say she found me because of my Etsy shop, or maybe even my facebook page, but that's not the case :)

I posted on my neighborhood facebook groups page, that I was trying to raise $120 for a surprise gift for my son, and that I could offer seamstress or embroidery services if anyone needed anything. This one lady messaged me and asked about making little bags and pin cushions for her subscription boxes.

I was ecstatic that anyone even answered it at all.

I am trying to get tickets to take my son to a YouTuber event in August. There are only 84 out of 100 left. He will be able to meet most of his favorite music and gaming content creators. I was crushed when I saw that there were only 100 tickets available for the event, and even more devastated when I realized I was going to need $120 to purchase 2 tickets because he's only going to be 17 on the date of the event, so I can't send him by himself, still being a minor.

I know some of you may be saying, oh that's just silly, it's not worth that much money to meet youtube people...I'm sure it may not be to a lot of people. But it is to us. I know it would be an amazing memory for my son to have. I'm a big believer in giving my kids memories over things. I would much rather spend money doing something with them, than buying another video game.

So, this lady messaged me, asked me about bags and pin cushions, both are items I'm very competent at making, and also said she could really use me in just about any of her boxes, if I would be willing to help her out.

She is a small business, and only curates from other local small businesses as well. I love that. She has shut down sign ups because she wasn't able to do anymore by herself, so she has a waiting list of people that want these boxes. I am so excited to be contributing to something like this.

Other than this news, I've been working on a test pattern for Annelaine Patterns, I have started a new cross stitch project, and I've been doing transcribing in between.

The Mr. likes his new job, looks like it will be much better than the last one. I got to go in for the first day of orientation, and the HR and management people are amazing, the workers are so welcoming. It was great to hear from people that have been working there for over 20 years that they are still happy and think it is a great company to work for.

I have also been given blood pressure medicine, because my blood pressure hasn't gone back down since having my baby last June. I am not sure how I feel about this yet...I think I just feel old, haha. I have maintenance medicine...the pharmacy called me to get all of my "maintenance medicines" on the same schedule to make pick ups more convenient. I need medicine to maintain myself? Yeah, I definitely feel a little old now :D 

I hope anyone who stops by to read this, is doing well, feeling positive and moving along one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. I am so thankful for all who stop by and read. I hope you know it isn't always going to be as hard as it may be today.

Until next time, keep breathing, keep going, I will be :)

Like I needed one more thing to do with all the time I don't have...

With all the financial challenges, and with my Mr. getting ready to be taking a considerable pay cut, again...I've been trying to make the most of what little time I can find to do things, and do things that are helpful and productive, and possibly will bring in a little extra money.

While, looking through patterns online for something new to put up in the shop, I came across an ad for a transcription company. I have training in medical transcription, and I love to just sit and type, so I looked into it, although, I was of course a little apprehensive, as I usually am when something looks like I may enjoy it and it could be profitable :)

After some research, I decided it could work, I can surely find a few minutes to sit and listen and type, right? Yea yea I can.

I filled out the application, took the test and waited...unexpectedly very anxiously, like I was 16 again hoping that the manager at Friendly's would think I was good enough to be a hostess or server. It was weird.

I passed, and went on to the site, and started doing some little jobs that are available to all the new people, and went through them easily, and got perfect scores, and received an email saying I could access the next tier of jobs, because my work was so accurate and proper. I admittedly was way more excited than I should've been..I took a screenshot of the email, and immediately sent it to my Mr. and said "look, I'm so amazing I get to do the harder jobs!" It was a weird thing to see myself say..but I'll take any little accomplishment these days.

Mostly, I'm still sewing, but this is a nice little way to have a little money pop in on Mondays.

I am actually, working on a test pattern right now as well, for Annelaine Patterns. It's a super cute little dress. I think it's adorable, and it happens to be one of the easiest dresses I've ever made. Well, this particular style is, there is a scallop hem option that is worrying me a bit, so I didn't choose to do that one, I get crazy OCD with hems, and I feel like that would just have been too much for me to deal with, especially on a test. I made the long sleeve option, and it is adorable. I will also add, that if you don't have a serger, and you make clothing, you should seriously consider getting a serger if it is in your budget. I found mine for about $80 on a local facebook marketplace, and have really barely used it to it's full potential I'm sure, but for my bags and clothing...I am just not sure why I didn't try harder to get one sooner. It makes hemming so easy for me, and I love how the inside seams look now on the kids pajama pants and the shirts and dresses for my daughter. Definitely worth the $80.

Well, I think that's all my exciting news for now...I'm going to go get started sewing up some new bags, and hopefully I'll have more to write about soon :)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you are all well and happy. Remember, to love your people, check in with those you might have lost touch with, remember everyone needs someone to check in and remind them they are important and loved.

Until next time, keep going, keep loving, keep breathing..one day at time..I will be too <3

Change is a good thing right? I mean yea...every body loves change...

So if you read my blog back in the beginning, you'll know that this last year has not been the easiest year for us.

My Mr. went from working an awesome job making plenty of money, to a job making less than half of that...

But he was excited. He had been at the old job for 15 years, and had kind of done everything he could except take a supervisor position. However, that would ultimately have lost us money, because he wouldn't get the overtime options being on straight salary. 

This new job was with a brand new plant, the first LG plant in the US. We took a big pay cut, obviously, because the new job paid insurance premiums for the employees, and we figured that was a good deal, even with the hourly pay cut of $6, since we were paying about $800 a month for insurance at the previous job. With the paid insurance, he was promised reviews and raises and possibly bonuses along with other perks.

Well, in the beginning, things were tough because we were only getting the base 40 hrs a week, when we were told he would be getting 50 hours minimum. This made a huge cut immediately from $1000+ a week, to about $600 every other week. How do you budget that kind of change?

So we muddled through, my etsy shop really came into play as a necessity, more than just my side hobby, as every bag ordered would pay the water bill, or buy groceries or gas instead of being a fun bit of pocket money for a nice dinner for me and the Mr.

Then around Thanksgiving/Xmas we had a bit of sadness losing my sister in law. We volunteered to take in her 4 littles until custody got worked out proper. I loved having them here but that was pretty hard on everyone, as of course, no other family members would offer to help us. Not even with gifts for the kids xmas. Our xmas, my kids and the cousins, was saved by The Bloggess. If you haven't read her blog you should totally check it out...she's phenomenal...like an absolute rock star at life.

So, January rolls around, and while the Mr is finally getting about 60 hours a week, making finances slightly less terrible, there is still no plan at work for future pay structures. My Mr. is a Line Lead, and is only making $16 an hour, while other leads in other departments with way less experience are making $20 an hour. But they say it is being worked on..."HR is discussing it"...well, Mr. said he would give them till summer to work it out..he would stay at least 1 year..then if nothing was changing he was looking elsewhere...nothing changed.

He put out his resume, and he got an interview, he killed it in the interview, the position was offered to him on the spot.  He was told to come back in 2 days for orientation. While he was there in orientation, they pulled him out to interview him for a supervisor position. He apparently killed that interview as well, because he had his 2nd interview for supervisor yesterday. They are already seeing the potential in him and his abilities and he hasn't even started working for them! I love that.

My Mr. has more than 15 years manufacturing experience, and is a very intelligent person. He is amazing a problem solving and just plain getting shit done. He's really the complete opposite of me. hahaha  He is a huge asset to this kind of company and LG wasn't willing to offer him what he's worth.

 Although, what I think is really funny, is that since he went to the interview at the new place, his supervisor at LG has been saying "Hey, when can I talk to you about staying?" , or "What is it gonna take for you to stay?". My Mr. has been telling his supervisor, along with anyone else in HR, for the last 6 months at least, that he is only giving them till summer to figure out a plan, that he is not going to stay if they don't work out the pay scale and work up a plan for pay over the next 3 years at least.

The new place mapped out the next 5 years of pay raises plus they offer quarterly bonuses.

So, apparently, enough people are leaving that there are rumors of HR personnel from Korea coming over here to try to work things out so that people will stay and work there. I hope they do make a better plan for the ones who are staying, however, it's just too late for us.

My Mr. will be starting his new job on the 13th. Unfortunately, for about 5 weeks we will be taking another paycut, and he will only be getting 40 hours a week during training, and we are paying for insurance again, soooo that will really be tight for a minute...but we know how long it will be tight, we have a timeline of things getting better. By this time next year, he will be making what he was at his last job. Plus, he will be getting more days off to be with us, because of the shift structure.

I think I will like him being home more...maybe...I know I hate that he has to work 12 hours 6 days a week right now just to get enough paycheck to cover bills/food/gas. I hate that he hates his job and has to be there so much.

SO that's our big change this year. Hopefully with the new position, we will be buying a bigger house by next spring. I am thrilled to be able to think about that again. It really wasn't even a possibility with LG, and that made me sad.

I hope you will follow along, and see how things go. I will be working on lots of projects and hopefully going to lots of vendor events this season..wish me luck :)

Thank you to everyone that stops in to read, I hope you are all doing well, I sincerely appreciate all of you. Remember to give love and hugs to all those around you, remember to check in on those friends and family that  may need a little extra love...I 'll be here sending you love and hugs from my crazy corner of the world...I love all of you <3

Until next time, keep going, keep loving, keep breathing, one breath and one step at time <3