Most anyone that knows me even a little bit knows that I LOVE to cook. People often wonder why I chose to make soap and bath products for a living when they know how much I love to cook (and feed others).
Before I started Posh Brats, I was having a heck of a time finding work in the UK. For a short time I worked for my husband's law firm but I quickly saw that it wasn't going to work. I was too new in the country and he was too intense for me. We fought constantly and frankly...I hated the work!
So I went back home and made extra money the best way I knew how..... Ebay and baking! I would comb thrift stores, charity sales, estate sales, car boots...just about anywhere I could find vintage clothing. Then I would bring them home, mend what needed mending...clean, press, measure, photograph and then write beautiful descriptions and list them on Ebay.
I wasn't going to get rich off it but it gave me money that was mine......Mad Money my grandmother used to call it. Just doing that made me an extra £200-£300 per week on things that probably cost me £50.00.
To do my share of household contribution....I baked. All week long I'd bake all manner of goodies... cookies, cakes, bars, candy, bread....you name it. On the weekends I'd pack up the car, load up some folding tables with pretty tablecloths and baskets and sell my wares at church sales, flea markets and craft fairs. I developed a following and pretty soon people wanted things made for private functions. I was exhausted but it was a pretty tidy income AND I got to stay home with my then 3 year old son.
What I learned pretty quickly was once I was doing it full-time a business I didn't enjoy it as much. Perhaps if I had an actual place I could GO to do my baking there would have been more of a separation of work and home. Having the two combined just started to stress me out. The house was too small for industrial sized sacks of ingredients, everything felt cluttered and manic. NOT a good combination for someone like me.
I don't do well with clutter. I like my surroundings to be pristine and sparkling and I'm very houseproud. I was stressed out, depressed, anxiety-ridden and just plain fed up!!!
So what did I do about all this stress? I started a sideline of bath products to "relax" me........well we all know what happened eventually.
Posh Brats was born..........
And I learned my lesson about keeping home and work separate. Even if you have a workshop within your home; you NEED a place where you can close the door and step back into your real life.
Baking has again become my hobby and stress-relief.
I dust it off occasionally for special private clients and every Christmas I bake for a different charity, sell the goodies and donate the monies made.
Baking is relaxing for several reasons. There is the aromatherapy: Anytime you combine ingredients such as vanilla extract, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate and so forth.
Your house is sure to fill with a scent that reminds you of childhood, holidays, loving grandmothers, and other pleasantly nostalgic associations.
Also, baking keeps your hands busy, making it nearly impossible to multitask. With your fingers covered in gooey dough, running to the computer to check your e-mail is pretty much out of the question. When you are up to your elbows in batter and chocolate, you are much more inclined to let phone calls roll over into voice mail.
Simplify.....let every aspect of your life have it's own place and you will find so much peace within that.
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