Not long after joining Instagram last fall, I kept seeing cute leather moccasins popping up in @brimfulshop newsfeed. Now I've always been a big fan of soft-sole shoes, so my interested in this beautiful footwear was piqued!

After checking out the Freshly Picked website and reading a little more about Susan Peterson and how she started her business, I was very impressed. But the price tag of $60/pair was a little more than I'm used to paying for shoes for my toddler, so I didn't purchase any. But, the buzz on Instagram continued and the positive reviews of other customers kept rolling in, so on Black Friday, I bought two pairs for my daughter. 

Five minutes after removing the moccs from the box, I became forever smitten with these amazing little shoes. The leather is higher quality than any other soft sole shoes I've purchased, the color is vibrant, and I LOVE that they are free of gender-specific designs. 

Now four months later, my daughter wears her silver moccs every day...and often will refuse to take them off at bedtime! She loves them as much as I love having her wear them (score!). To the playground, along the sidewalk, or just running errands around town, I have not found a setting where the moccs aren't suitable. I've also been pleased how well the moccasins have worn over time. The stitching and elastic around the ankle has stayed perfectly strong and the leather has stayed bright and soft (with normal wear around the toe area from busy toddler activity of course). 

 

Susan and her FP team have kindly offered up a pair of moccasins for us to give away! On Monday (3/17), we are celebrating Brimful being open for six months and will be running the giveaway via our Instagram account. Along with the moccs, we'll be including a few treats from the shop too...yay!

 

 

The picture below is of my mother with a stuffed dog. She received it for Christmas, oh some 50 years ago! A few months ago, my aunt (the other little girl in the photo) passed the dog down to me. It has to be the sweetest little stuffed poodle I have ever seen...and so well made too!

For so many reason, I'm thrilled and deeply touched to have this stuffed toy and picture of my mother, who passed away seven years ago. 

Holding on to things for the sake of a memory wasn't my thing - until a few years back. Maybe it was the baby effect, or tragedies of life that knock us off track and give new understanding. Whatever it was - I now want to hang on to and treasure everything. It still feels unfamiliar to tuck away simple items of sentimental value (like an outgrown newborn onesie), but it also feels so, so right.

One of the reasons Annie and I will always seek out high-quality toys for the shop is because of longevity. We cherish the toys that have been passed down to us and we want to offer toys that with good care, can be passed down in your family.

Here’s to well crafted toys that can be enjoyed...forever!

xoxo - Kari  

 

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