Mission Accomplished

I think the Christmas rush has passed. I've been hesitant to say so, but I think it's over. It's funny, I spent so much time this year thinking about and preparing for the Christmas rush, and here it is, over already. I want to say thank you so much to everyone who purchased items from me, either through Etsy, at a craft fair, or direct from my studio. Your support means so much to me. Being an artist is never easy financially, but with the economy so rocky, I didn't know what to expect this year. But thanks to all of you, I've had the best Christmas season since I started my business. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I have to say, I think my Holiday Stress Reduction Plan (or Project Anti-Freakout) worked pretty well. The first week of December was rough because I had two craft fairs in addition to the increased Etsy traffic, but other than that, the season went pretty well. (I would say the season started right after Halloween and lasted through the first nine days of December.) Limiting shipping to three days a week was key, because I could fill all the orders that were in at any given time, and then not think about it again for a day or two. Last year, I was shipping nearly every day and that was a big source of stress.

Having set up the designated shipping space in my closet also helped a ton. Having all of my shipping supplies in one place, close at hand, made packing go much so faster and easier. And it was great to close it all away when I was done for the day. I also did not spend a single second standing in line in the post office, thanks to PayPal Multi-Order Shipping and Endicia for Mac. This contributed greatly to my well-being!

I think it's nice that the hectic holiday season for my business is pretty much over by December 10th. That gives me nearly two weeks to enjoy Christmas for what it is, in the present moment. Now that the rush is past, I can bake Christmas cookies and watch Christmas movies. I can wrap presents and plan for the Christmas Eve party I'm having at my house. I can enjoy my Christmas tree, the real evergreen wreath on my front door, and a blazing fire in the fireplace. It's like the real Christmas season is finally here!