A Mother’s Job

Messy Kids

                                                                                                                                   

Motherhood and parenting definitely comes with some positives and negatives. I love when you see a job posting for the position of Mother. It may read something like this:

Title: Mother

Description:

  • Long term, energetic team players needed, for challenging permanent work in a busy and often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
  • Successful candidates are given a few hours sleep per night for the first few years increasing to more as you remain in the position. Even during sleeping time, successful candidates should be able to wake up and resume normal duty at a seconds notice.
  • There are ‘bathroom breaks’ permitted but these will be accompanied by small people. Be prepared to answer any questions they may ask while doing this task.

Responsibilities:

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs something. Must be willing to bite your tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a lion and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small toy repair and stubborn zippers. Must maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have the ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the building.

Compensation:

None! You pay! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when clients they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. The strangest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

Benefits:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life. There is one day per year allocated for you (it is marked in the calendar as Mother’s Day)

Needless to say being a mom is really hard and so is running your own business. I am very proud to be a mother and business owner. I have even more pride in the fact that Julie’ Beet supports other women entrepreneurs who are also mothers. 

Chantal Coady founded Rococo Chocolates well before she had children. Now she is the proud mother of two and is still running a very successful chocolate company.

Lucy Benjamin started Lucy’s  Granola due to the overwhelming response to her granola at her daughter’s bake sale.  Lucy is the proud mother of three and makes way more granola compared with the back to school days.

Stefanie, from Due Celucci is the proud mother of two sons and one dog.  She makes her sauces to taste like home-made so the only work you have to do is opening the jar and cooking the pasta.

Daniela, from Farmhouse Lab, also had two children. According to Daniela, her children are excellent taste testers.  We have them to thank for all of the delicious dressings

Leah, from Semolina Artisanal Pasta, is also a mother of 2.  She loves to bring her children with her when she is out ‘working’. Leah is `a renaissance woman often switching gears from mom to pasta maker in an instant.

 

I want to wish all of the mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.  Take some time for yourself today… fingers crossed the children will agree with that plan too!

Happy Friday

Julie

Lessons from a Mom

This Sunday marks my fifth Mother’s Day as a mom and my first as a mother of three boys!  While most of my days are filled playing trains, running around and cleaning up messes I couldn’t be happier with my sons.  One of our favorite activities is reading books.  I feel like I have learned a lot from the books we read (beyond the names of the entire set of Thomas and his friends) and I’d like to share some of the lessons with you.

  1. You need help from your friends In The Little Blue Truck, the big, mean dump truck gets stuck in the mud.  With the help of Little Blue and Little Blue’s friends they are able to get the dump truck out of the mud.  As a working mother of three I know I cannot do it all on my own and my friends are always there when I need them.
  2. Team work is important In Mighty, Mighty Construction Site the trucks realize they all have to work together to get the job done. While I always new it was important to work as a team, I’ve found this is a lesson I apply at work and home.  At Julie’s Beet we collaborate on ideas for the site and marketplace and work together to get our many thoughts out to you. At home, I work with my husband to make sure we provide the best environment for our children.
  3. You must work hard and be patient to get recognized. In The Little Red Caboose, the caboose is sad because he always comes last and no one is excited to see him.  Then one day the train starts slipping down the mountain and the caboose saves the day by putting his breaks on.  After that the caboose gets all of the cheers and waves.  In life (personal & professional) nothing comes easy. I’ve learned that a lot of hard work pays off.  This is especially important as Julie’s Beet enters our fourth year.  We’re going to keep at it to make our marketplace the best around and cannot wait for more recognition from others.

I have grand plans to plant a garden this Mother’s Day.  We’ll see if the weather cooperates and the boys do too. I’ll have a great Mother’s Day as long as I am with my three boys… I know we’ll get to read at least one story!

Happy Friday,

Julie

Mother’s Day Round Up 2018

This year we decided to think outside of the (Gift)box for Mother’s Day and ask some of our artisans(who are also moms) what they would want for Mother’s Day this year.  While each of these women deserves to be pampered everyday for all their hard work in the kitchen and at home, they all seemed surprised that anyone would ask them what they want.  We’re so glad we did because their responses allowed us to put together this amazing list of gifts for moms that love to cook, hike, eat and just relax.

 Hedley & Bennett Ms. Marlin Chef Coat :  This Chef’s coat is designed specifically for women, has the look and feel of a traditional chef’s coat but is designed with a cleaner cut to highlight a woman’s curves.  Perfect for a day in the pasta kitchen according to Leah from Semolina Artisanal Pasta but also great for the home chef.

Darn Tough Micro Crew Hiking Socks: These hiking socks are made in Vermont but perfect for where ever your feet take you.  These socks are comfortable, durable and perfect for those days out in mountains or the urban jungle.

Chelsea Miller Chef’s Knife –These knives are for someone who takes their knife work very seriously.  Hand Made by Chelsea Miller, herself, each knife is a one-of-a-kind.  The perfect gift for your one-of-a-kind-mom who likes to cook.  To be honest, these knives are so amazing you could consider each one a work of art.

Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour – Lucy of Lucy’s Granola made it clear that she would love a home-cooked meal on Mother’s Day but not something ordinary.  She loves this cookbook and would eat anything from it.  Apparently, it is pretty difficult to get Ethnic Ingredients up in Maine so she would also love some of the special ingredients needed to cook from this book. Persiana is full of recipes from the Middle East bringing a lot of flavor to your table.

Stasher Bags –These bags are perfect for snacks and lunch on the go while also taking care of the environment.  In half gallon, sandwich and snack sizes these bags are perfect for mother’s and their children and they aren’t just for holding food. Cook in quantity and freeze portions to make packing lunch easy and feel good about reusing the bag.  Stasher bags are also great for carrying make up and small toy parts.

Plants – Whether you choose something with a flower or not, plants definitely make moms smile.  This Herb Garden Kit from The Tasteful Garden is perfect for the mom who likes to grow and also cook.  I’m secretly hoping I’ll find this waiting for me on Mother’s Day.

Maia Moda Breastfeeding Top –Give a pregnant or breastfeeding mom a wardrobe update that is beautiful yet still functional.  For those days when you want to upgrade your look to something a little closer to your pre-mommy style, the ladies over at Maia Moda have you covered (literally). This dual purpose maternity and breastfeeding top has it all from style to versatility and is even machine washable.    Not to mention the entire line is made in the USA.

Pair any one of these gifts with one of our gift sets and your Mother will feel like a queen for the day! I hope my family reads this list so I get something amazing.

Happy Friday,

Julie