It has been a hard year for our sustainable children’s clothing business. It has been for most businesses. There is now another lockdown happening and I can’t help but wonder what 2021 will have in store for us. My mum and I have been so determined to keep our business going through all the ups and downs. With 2020 drawing to a close I have decided to focus on some positives throughtout the year:
Baby Ember Entered The World
In March, when we had our first lockdown, I was 7 weeks pregnant. I hadn’t told anyone yet and it broke my heart to have to announce my pregnancy to my family through video chat. I had Ember in October and Willow, her big sister, is obsessed with her. Ember arrived at the best time for Willow – she hasn’t had much interaction with other children this year which is so sad because she is a social butterfly. It has been lovely to watch them grow into best friends.
Changing Our Sustainable Business
This year has been an emotional rollercoaster. My thoughts and feelings have been all other the place (possibly due to hormones) and it has been tough to focus. My mum has been a rock through this and has continued sewing our sustainable clothing while I have been working on our social media. I admit that I am more creative than computer savvy, yet I am learning and trying to allow my artistic flair to come to the fore. I have started to make more Tik Tok videos which show our business. Believe it or not, I love making these videos and I hope they will be a big part of next year. I have found so many sustainable clothing businesses on there, which are a great inspiration.
Support
Over the last few months our social media pages have become an amazing community. If I am having a low day I will post something conversational and so many people will chat with me. That has been wonderful as an opportunity to socialise. Although I love being with my girls it can be difficult when the days all feel the same. While we have been unable to attend events this year we are lucky that so many amazing people have been using our website to buy from us.
Planning
This year has given us time to make new products. Usually we are busy with markets and making products each week to sell at the weekend. This has been the year we have made our On The Grow Short Rompers and our Shorts, which have been talking about making for such a long time. My mum and I have lots of plans for next year; if we are at events or fully online, 2021 will be an amazing year! I bought myself a gorgeous leopard print planner to help me stay organised.
Self Care
This year has taught me that self care is so important. I have been in the house since March with a baby and wild toddler while all I wanted to do was take them to classes and socialise. It has been tough and my mental health has suffered – I know I don’t look after myself properly. Since having Ember I make sure to drink plenty of water. If I have time in the evening I put on a face mask or have a bath. I also like to go for walks – having a dog gives a good incentive to get out of the house, although trying to find Willow’s wellies then getting them on her can take a bit of time. Something I will be dropping next year is mum guilt. This won’t be easy; I believe that many mothers experience this. I keep saying to myself that if the girls go to bed happy then I should be happy as well.
We hope everyone reading this has a lovely hogmanay and we wish everyone an amazing 2021. A big thank you to everyone who has bought from us and supported our small, family business.