Can it really have been a year since Kari and I (and our hoard of children) were together?! I am home in Portland, OR this month...and Kari and I have wasted no time in hanging out. We happily mix our wonderful friendship with Brimful business talk and tasks. Since I don't get the pleasure of being around our products, you can imagine how happy I've been "playing" and photographing our toy inventory.

It's a blessed thing to get along so well with one's business partner...and have six little children that love being around each other too. If you are a Portland area reader or will be visiting Portland with kids in tow, here are a few favorite places Kari and I like to take our families:

1) Powell's Books Store - As the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world, it's truly a treasure trove for book lovers young and old.

2) New Seasons - We love this local grocery store's fresh food buffet...it's perfect for lunch with kids.

3) Cannon Beach - While not always sunny and warm, this beach town has incredible ocean scenery, a cute downtown, and the best taffy shop.

4) Bi-Zi Farms - A great little farm stand with freshly picked berries that are washed and ready to buy.

5) Jameson Square - The tidal pool/fountain is gentle yet fun for school age kids and toddlers...and the water is treated, which of course every mother appreciates!

Hope wherever you are reading from, you have a wonderful summer weekend ahead of you!

xoxo,
Annie

 

P.S. The felt dress-up crowns that Sander and Mei-Mei are wearing in the photos above are available here.

 

I'm thankful for each one of our customers. It's always exciting to ship out orders of our well-crafted, fun products...and then later, hear back how well received they were!

Less than a year ago I wasn't sure how I would manage running a business. Eight months before launching Brimful, my family began our homeschooling adventure. I knew it was insane to homeschool and start a business. Friends and family told me I was insane!  How in the world would our family manage? I'm still learning to manage and adjust, but so far it's been very rewarding. This is what I have discovered: 
 

1) Drop the superwoman ideal. I have no doubt she's out there, but I'm not her.

2) My husband is golden. He was the one who encouraged me to embrace this opportunity. Having his support in school and work means we work together to make sure our family stays balanced in all our undertakings. 

3) Having a kick-ass business partner is the way to go. I can imagine running a business by myself, it isn't pretty! 

4) Homeschool hours are holy. Prior to launching Brimful I marked in red set weekday school hours. During this time I'm unavailable to work and only focus on the children and school. (I do cheat now and then to take a peek at texts/emails rolling in or to fulfill an order during break time). The boundary between school and work has given me peace. I'm giving my best to my children. When school is finished I can focus on business tasks with a good conscience. 

5) Night owls can't rise early. The weekends (not week nights!) are made for starting/completing larger projects - use them wisely! 

I might take multiple breaks during a photo shoot to let a certain little one take their own pictures, give my opinion on a new rainbow-loom design, and remove lego parts from mentioned photo shoot. But that's ok. :)

As we near 6 months in business, Annie and I continue to be excited about what's ahead. Did you know that Brimful just went international? We now ship to all European countries as well as Canada and Mexico. We are grateful and thrilled by each new customer that comes our way and supports the shop. Thank you.

xoxo,
Kari

 

 

Since the first time we learned about Mixmates from the creative folks at Caravan Shoppe, we've been looking forward to carrying their new blocks at Brimful! After a shipping delay that pushed delivery into the new year, it was with excitement I received our shipment of blocks last week. 

Sadly, because the quality of the blocks doesn't meet the high standards we've set here at Brimful, Annie and I have decided to not carry Mixmates.

There's no denying the design is pleasing and unique -we love it! But there are some improvements that need to be made. We hope these changes will take place and look forward to carrying Mixmates at that time. We're sorry to disappoint those of you who were planning to purchase these blocks at Brimful. 

We do have another shipment of wooden toys coming to the shop soon, so stay tuned!

xoxo,
Kari