Stretchin' and Growin'

Today was Stretch-n-Grow day for me. I coached my class this morning and we had loads of fun! The kids really love it and they are learning their muscles very well. They are also improving their coordination and balance. I feel better after coaching the class. It gives me some much needed exercise, and a totally different environment for 30 minutes of the workday. I just wish more centers would be open to the concept here in our area. I guess that's where marketing and perserverance comes in to play.

The Winter Blahs

Officially, we are only beginning the winter season. Emotionally, I have had enough of this winter stuff and am ready for spring. Glorious spring! Warm air, sunshine, green grass, clothes hanging on the line. Ahhhh. It's amazing how much my spirits are lifted by the onset of spring. I am such a warm weather person.

I would love to take another trip to sunny Florida to visit my close friends, Mary Ann and Tom, in the spring again this year. Alas, it is not likely to happen this year. We are trying to eliminate our consumer debt as soon as possible, therefore many luxuries will have to wait for a year or two. But, in the end, the sacrifices will be well worth the rewards! It will be wonderful and liberating to be free of the bondage of debt. I am more excited about becoming debt-free, than I am willing to indulge myself in spurts of frivolous behavior. After we have paid our debts, the money we spend on recreation will actually be ours to spend, not money we owe others. Then, we will truly have something to celebrate!!

P.S. The Stretch-n-Grow business is for sale if anyone is interested!!

Patience is a virtue

As we work to build our new Stretch-n -Grow business, we find that the old addage is true. Patience is indeed a virtue. We began regular weekly classes last month at our first school, and today we were informed that they will be discontinuing their participation temporarily. As their enrollment has dropped off since the start of school, their revenue has also dropped. They maintain that they love the program, and so do the kids; and they will resume as soon as they build their cashflow back up. It's sad for two reasons: 1. The kids there were just starting to get into the program and follow along well, and 2. That cuts out income for our business.

On the bright side, we will begin classes at a new school next week. This will be a parent paid program, so the money will be a little different. Potentially much better, but the risk of low enrollment is there, too. Which means low income since we will be paid by the parents for each child.

It takes time and money to start a new business. It also takes a bit of determination. I just hope we can keep ourselves optimistic during the slow times.

Stretch-n-Grow!!

As many of you know, my sister, Bobbi, and I now own & operate a business called Stretch-n-Grow. It is a fitness and wellness program for kids, geared mainly toward 3-5 year olds. We have both been working diligently to get it going, and if all goes well our efforts will have paid off soon.

As of last week, one of the daycare centers we are working with may be signing up for 32 classes a month!! Yes, you read that right...32!! That, in addition to the other classes on the books, is a very good thing. It will be physically demanding on the two of us for a while, but well worth it. One of the positive side effects of the job is that we will probably lose all that left over baby fat!! (Always look for the good in things!)