Six months....six whole months...that's half of a year!  How is it possible that it has ALREADY been half a year since we had Wyatt???  That's a long time in real life, but in mommy life I feel like I blinked and my itty bitty newborn has developed into a little man!  So there will be no more blinking over here!  Just kidding...but seriously...how?!  

Many of you have been able to see Wyatt when doing pickups or popping into an open day, but in case you haven't, or if it's been awhile, I thought now would be the time to do an update and look back at the first six months of running a business with a baby.

 Looking back at those first few weeks and months I'm still not sure how I did it.  I filled orders two days after coming home from the hospital!  Ok...I do know how I did it...an amazing husband who came to the bakery with me so I wouldn't have be separated from my newborn.  There was a few times when I ended up going into the bakery in the middle of the night while he was sleeping so I could finish some things up and not miss bedtime or him waking up in the morning (oddly enough it was for two very large orders involving cows, but for two separate company's/farms).

When my husband went back to work my mom took over coming to the bakery with me and Wyatt when I was going to have long baking days.  If I had a lot of orders to fill and it was going to be a long day, my mom would come along so she could help out with Wyatt so I could continue with my order filling instead of pausing.  For this I will be forever grateful!  I didn't have to be away from Wyatt for hours on end and I still got to fill orders.  Now I still get the help of my mom a day or two a week at home while I go in and bake.  I try to pick those "helps days" based on the amount of orders I have, and I try not be gone for more than six hours.  

Go ahead a call me crazy...I get it, people go to work every day all day and have to leave their babies, but it's my personal choice not to...and if I and lucky enough to have to then why would I? I'm sure at some point I'll feel comfortable to be gone longer (and not feel like my heart is being ripped out)...but I don't yet, so I won't.  I have done some serious reorganization of my bakery in order to make a dedicated space for Wyatt to make being a mom and business owner as easy as possible.  

No matter how busy things get, I have made a promise to myself and Wyatt that I will snuggle up with him at least once a day during one of his naps.  Some days this is really challenging and will become more so as he naps less and wedding season starts, but for now I will do my absolute best to keep this a constant in our lives.  I don't care if it's only 10 minutes....I will enjoy every last minute.  

One of my biggest challenges has been keeping up with inquiries.  After having my phone wake up Wyatt during a cuddle session one too many times, I keep it on silent the majority of the time.  A lot of the time I cannot answer the calls, emails, messages, or texts immediately like I use to.  I do my best to send a quick note to people saying I see your message, call, etc. and let them know I will respond as soon as I can.  Now that Wyatt is aware of things around him I try really hard not to constantly have my phone in his face or be working away responding to people with him watching me.  This makes getting back to people even more challenging; so please hang in there with me! I will get back to you; I just don't want my son seeing me on my phone constantly or have it in his face 24/7.   

Every moment seems so precious, as many of you know.  I am the queen of saying yes to people, and I have really tried to go out of my way to continuously accommodate and take on extra for customers when I can, but I refuse to put my son on the back burner.  I want those special moments, craft making, snuggles, and playing-the things that will forever stay in my mind.

 But that also doesn't mean I am putting my business or customers on the back burner!  I hope I am satisfying you guys as well and fulfilling all your baking wants and needs! I have been lucky enough thus far to manage/balance the best of both worlds (being a mom and business owner), and I hope you guys can see this and have been happy with how I have managed the two.  I have gone back to open days, and have only turned down really last minute orders or limited orders when a weekend is super packed (something I did even before baby).  Thank you all so much for your continued support and orders!  I hope to see you all at the Valentine's Day open day!  Now please excuse me while I go shed some tears over this milestone!

  I'm clearly in a very giveaway type mood lately.  The mixer giveaway is going on....the open day giveaway...and now this photo contest!  So let me tell you how it will work!  

I LOVE seeing your photos of Steph's Sweet Treats goodies and events so send them my way!  I will add each photo to an album on my Facebook page and send you a direct link to your photo.  I will take a week to collect photos.  Once I have all the submissions, you will have a week to get your friends, family, etc to go "like" your photo.  The photo with the most likes at the end of a week will win a free 8" specialty pre-design cake along with a Steph's Sweet Treats cup and can koozie!  

Don't have a photo with your Steph's Sweet Treats goodies yet?  Here are some ideas of what you can do to qualify:
Photos of/with:
-Your Steph's Sweet Treats cake, cupcakes, cookies, etc. (you, your children, or guests, can also be in the photo!)
-You at an event that has Steph's Sweet Treats goodies (ex.  photo from a wedding where you are eating a Steph's Sweet Treats cupcake, snapping a photo of a display containing Steph's Sweet Treats goodies, etc)
-Decorating cookies from a Steph's Sweet Treats cookie kit
-Your visit to an open day
-Wearing your Steph's Sweet Treats shirt
-Spotting the Steph's Sweet Treats vehicle and snapping a picture of yourself or kids with it
-Smash cake session with a Steph's Sweet Treats cake
-Birthday person posing with their Steph's Sweet Treats cake/cupcakes
-Cutting into/eating your Steph's Sweet Treats gender reveal cake/cupcakes
-Pretty much anything Steph's Sweet Treats related!

Need some examples?  Visit the Steph's Sweet Treats customer experiences photo album below: 

https://www.facebook.com/stephsweetreatsDodgeville/photos/?tab=album&album_id=266425793536702

Thanks for another week of orders!  Send me your photos now!!  (You have until Saturday November 12 to send photos)

If you remember last year around this time I did a big KitchenAid mixer giveaway/raffle....well guess what???  I have decided to make this a yearly giveaway! It was so popular and who doesn't want to win a mixer AND help a good cause?

How does it work?  All you have to do is buy a ticket/tickets to be entered to win-  I draw the winner on my business anniversary (December 31st)  How does it help a good cause?  Once ticket sales reach the cost of the prize, all remaining funds get donated to the Iowa County Humane Society.  Oddly enough, last year's winner adopted a cat from ICHS the day they picked up their mixer!  How cool is that?!  

I will be doing a regular open day in November (date to be announced) so you will be able to purchase your tickets at that time if you wish.  You can also contact me to stop in at another time or mail money and have me enter your name/tickets into the drawing.  The photo from above is of last year's basket, but this year's will essentially be the same.  I will be raffling off a white mixer, measuring cups, utensils, pot holder, birthday candles, and Steph's Sweet Treats can koozie!  Get your tickets now!

Thanks for another week of orders and being patient with my limited ability to take calls at the moment (no cell reception for a bit over here!),

I'm sure you've all seen memes before.  If you aren't sure, you probably have.  They are the little pictures all over social media with sayings on them, and they are usually funny.  There is a series of them that I have come across called "caker problems."  Since it's easy to become frustrated or irritated, I try to laugh things off instead.  Seeing these baking memes is a great reminder that I am not the only one feeling or experiencing some of these business things...so it makes laughing it off a lot easier.  So I thought I would share some of them with you since I find them highly relatable!  

This group of memes all have the same theme and I love them all because it is such a common issue for small business owners...money!  I have done a blog post in the past talking about how the cost of a product is sooo much more than the butter, sugar, and flour that goes into it...so I'll try not to turn this into a rant.  

Problem #7 is so true when it comes to doing a cake you've never done before.  I love, love, love getting the chances to do new designs or something more elaborate that I normally don't get the chance to do....but they do come at a price (to me).  Doing something you've never done before always takes longer, can take more supplies, may even require more than one shot at doing part of it...which means you don't make money on it.  But some of the best experiences and cakes do come from these situations.  

Problem #26- Ahhh yes.....if I got paid for every inquiry, question, quote, time I spent figuring things out I would have a lot more money right now!  But the truth of the matter is, not every quote leads to an order, and sometimes I have to put a lot of time and effort into orders before the orders ever get placed (if they get placed).  But again, most of the time it is completely worth it.  For the times it's not....well, I guess I just have to laugh, right?  (Sometimes a little frustrated UGH! is called for)  I put a lot of time and effort into making sure I give the customer what they are looking for and I hope everyone can see that.

Problem #11-This is kind of the same thing as the others.  There's a lot that goes into running a business-it's not just throwing ingredients into a bowl and abracadabra a cake and profits pop out.  

Problem #17-  Always a bummer!  I'll get an order that is super exciting or sounds extra fun to create...only to get the bomb dropped on me that I can't possibly do the order for the amount of money the person wants to spend.  I am not a big box store and cannot survive as a business if I try competing with their prices.  I just can't do it; sorry!

  Problem #14 Oh I love this one so much!  I try my very best to fit in last minute orders, but it's not always possible and is becoming more difficult as time goes on...especially if I want to keep my sanity.  It is especially not possible when the last minute order is for a tiered cake.  Tiered cakes take a lot more time and material than a regular cake.  People may think....well it's just three cakes put together, what's the big deal?  Wrong!  Tiered cakes take a lot longer due to structure, assembly, and decorating.  And one thing customers often don't know about (cake or tiered cake-applies to both) is that a cake needs to rest.  I can't just bake a cake and frost it in an hour.  There are many hours in between the baking and decorating that need to take place to ensure proper settling.

Another one of my favorites is...."I just need something small...like three tiers"  or "I want something like this three tiered cake....it's a small party; only need to feed 24 people."   A three tiered cake is by no means small...it is a full blown wedding cake.  In fact, it's the biggest cake size I do.  I hardly ever have people wanting wedding cakes anymore, (almost all cupcake weddings) so I don't invest in everything it takes to do larger than three tiers (more pans, supports, boxes, etc).    So being that a three tiered cake is essentially a wedding cake... you are for sure going to feed more than 24 people...which means you have to pay to feed more than 24 people.  Thankfully, I do have a solution for the people who want the look of big cake with a smaller serving size (and price).  Fake cake!  Fake cakes are actually very fun and can add some wow to a party (or wedding) without the cost.  I can make some (or all) of a cake out of styrofoam tiers and either do one tier to serve guests, cut for a wedding, and/or feed guests with the cheaper option (cupcakes).

Problem #32- Not much to say about this one besides....ugh!!! Yes!!  It never fails.  This always happens to me on my open days.  I'll be in the back, exhausted from the open day cupcakes, filling the weekend orders and I'll get to finishing the last order.....and run out of frosting.  So then the process starts all over again...make frosting...do dishes...finish order.  So frustrating when you are on a decorating roll or have had a long day and are oh so close to finishing!

Problem #20-  This one is very hard for me.  Of course it would be nice to give everyone discounts, but I just can't.  If I gave all family members, friends, and acquaintances discounts, Steph's Sweet Treats would go under in a hurry.  I'm sorry, but unless you are my immediate family (mom, dad, in-laws, godson) I have to charge you like every other customer.  If this offends you, or makes you mad, then please do not ever feel obligated to order from me just because you know me or because you are a family member.  Expecting a discount is not a way to get on my good side.  At the same time, if I am invited to a baby shower or something, I am more than happy to make my gift be the dessert (within reason).  And I will ALWAYS have my nieces, nephews, and godson's birthday presents include cake/cupcakes.  This is something I love doing and has become special to me.  But again, just because they are family does not mean I expect them to ask me to bake something (I promise not to be offended if I don't get asked!) -just like I wouldn't want someone to expect a discount out of me. 

Problem #46-  Bummer!  This seems to happen when I am the most excited about something...or just completed a cake I've never done before and are so excited about the turnout you can barely contain yourself.  Since I am excited, I want the customer to jump up and down just like I am....but instead their reaction is "thanks" or "looks good."  Sure sometimes this is over an email or text so they could truly be more excited and it's just not translating through the message...but still...such a bummer! I like when I get the ALL CAPS and exclamation marks...or literal jumping up and down and clapping is good too! 

I hope these made you giggle!  It's good to relate to situations and know you are not alone.  I'm sure there are similar situation that apply to every occupations.  Some specific ones I know there are for sure memes for include: teacher, nurse, and stay-at-home moms.  If you are one of these and want to release your frustrations or get a good giggle, Google them!

​Thanks for another week of orders!!

Last bump update!  I can't believe the time is here (well....almost- the two week countdown starts Sunday).  Now that my pregnancy is nearing the end, I wanted to post a little about how baking in the third trimester was for me, what will happen now, and what will happen after baby.

Baking in the third trimester wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Sure....bending over is getting to be quite the challenge (trying to remember to squat instead) and sometimes when you drop something you really contemplate whether or not it's worth picking up.  I did develop carpal tunnel syndrome due to pregnancy which has made things a bit painful and difficult, but knowing that it will eventually go away has made me just push through it.  Overall, I've been very lucky to have good energy and been able to power through the last few months while still filling orders.

Don't get me wrong....by back and feet will ache like no other after a long day, but I have been able to get through it.  I was worried about the last open day because they really wipe me out.  It takes long hours to get everything ready and the day of I'm up at 3am filling the weekend orders (and I had A LOT of them this time), while my husband gets everything organized and out for the customers.  I reduced the amount of cupcakes I did, and thankfully my husband has gotten so good at running the front that I was able to focus on getting weekend orders done most of the day and only jump out front when a line built up.

I just did my last wedding before baby last weekend-which is so strange to think about!  Weddings start up again for me August 20th so things will be getting very crazy around here soon.  Which brings me to "time off."  I've been getting a lot of questions about how much time I will taking off and when I will be taking orders (understandably so).  And my answer is....I don't have an answer!  

I don't have a scheduled leave.  I currently still have orders coming in up until my due date-all these people are aware that if I go to the hospital their orders won't get filled.  After I get home from the hospital, my plan is to take in inquiries and fill them based on how I feel.  So I'm basically taking it day by day and order by order.  If someone needs something and I am feeling up to it and have the availability, I'll fill the order!   If I'm having a rough couple of days and don't feel up to it, then I will pass.  Obviously I have the weddings to do regardless...I'm just going to "buck up" for those....so depending on when I go into labor and all of that, it will really depend on when I go back into things full boar.  So I am telling people to not be afraid to ask; I will fill whatever orders I can!

Now I'm sure a lot of you are thinking "girl...you don't know what's about to hit you...your crazy if you think you can deal with a newborn and bake/run this business right away."  I've gotten a lot of blank stares and somewhat sarcastic "good lucks" from people when I try to explain my plan to people.  But guess what?  Steph's Sweet Treats is my business....I'm the ONLY baker (and yes I like it this way and plan on keeping it this way).  If I don't continue to fill orders-people will go elsewhere.  I know it happens.  But the more I turn away, the more potential customers and returning customers I could lose.  And it's not free to run a bakery!  I still have upkeep to pay for, bills to pay...not to mention my own livelihood to account for.

I don't think it's going to be a cake walk (no pun intended); and I never said it would be easy; I know I will be exhausted and it will be harder than I can ever imagine....but it's my business and my family and it's how I want to do things.  I hope everyone can respect that.  Thankfully, I will have help with the baby and I can hopefully work my schedule around the baby and the baking.  And don't you worry, I will take in every second I get with my baby-so please don't think I will be pushing aside my child for my business, because that is NOT what I am saying.

It will be a learning curve, but I am up for the challenge.  Opening a small local business as a female in my early 20's wasn't easy and still isn't easy.  Maybe I just like a good challenge?  Or maybe I'm insane...either way, I'm up for it and will face this head on and keep up my confidence in myself, even if others think I"m crazy for it.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and this business.  A crazy whirlwind of excitement (and exhaustion) is about to blow through and I can't wait!  Thank you for another week of orders!  

This blog post has little to nothing to do with the bakery, but does deal with my life so I hope you still enjoy it!  As most of you know by now, I'm nine months pregnant and ready to pop (due August 7).  Time has flown these last few months....now when someone asks me when I'm due their reaction is usually "Oh!  So any day now?!"  Which I know and get, but also sets me into panic mode....like there's more things I need to get done before then.  In reality, I'm pretty set, packed, and all that, but there's nothing like labor dreams and strangers reactions and questions to get me panicking that I'm forgetting to do something!

  
One thing I have been doing for the past month, and wanted to share with others, is stocking my freezer with meals!  When my sister-in-laws had babies I brought them a weeks worth of freezer meals as a gift to them and hopefully as a way to relieve them of one more task in their day.  I think giving freezer meals to friends, family, and co-workers when they are expecting is an amazing gift and one that isn't often thought of.  So I made sure to do it for myself....because I didn't just want a few meals....I wanted a fully loaded freezer (my husband can eat a lot!....which you probably can't tell by looking at him! But he's not very handy in the kitchen.)

Why do I need so many meals??  Well I may be a tad of an over planner...but also because I don't have an actual "time off" date for post baby.  If someone contacts me for an order and I feel up to filling it, I want to be able to fill it.  So not having to worry about grocery shopping and figuring out meals opens up more time and energy to fill orders!  Plus, my grocery bills will be a little lower since I have some meals already covered.  What's not to love about that?

Below is a compiled list of what I have in my stand up freezer and how I froze/changed them to make them freezable.  If you have friends, family, co-workers, are expecting yourself, or just want to stock your freezer for some busy weeks in the future, check them out! It can be intimidating to think of filling your freezer with meals.  I like to cook, but most people dread the thought of just making supper.  So break it up.  If the meals were going to be going in the crockpot (didn't need any cooking ahead of time)  I would throw a few of them together on a Sunday.  If they were full meals that were done up until the point of going in the oven, or fully done, I would schedule them to be a supper one night...and then just double the recipe and freeze half/one.  (This is how I did the majority of the meals).  Each meals has a sticker on top saying what is is, how to finish it...in case my husband has to attempt to do it....and when it was made.  

Stock up on "freezer ware" before starting.  I got foil pans and lids in a larger quantity from Sams and used freezer friendly tupperware and bags for the rest.

What I stocked my freezer with:

Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers- These can certainly be assembled up until the point of baking, or even fully cooked (thaw and heat to eat), but of course when I made them for supper and went to freeze the extras....I ran out of pie crust.  So in my freezer I just have the filling waiting to be put in pie dough and baked.

Taco Chicken Enchiladas-  I like to have something "tacoey" -not a word, I know- almost every week so this is a great addition to my freezer meals.  I assembled the dish in a foil pan with a lid, wrapped it in plastic and topped with a foil lid.  All that has to be done is to finish the baking process.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Soup-  This is one of my husbands favorites!  I fully made this soup and all that has to be done is for it to thaw and be reheated.  We eat with Fritos on top....so good!

Cheesy Crockpot Tortellini-  For this one I just froze the meat portion.  To finish it up all I need to do is add tortellini (which cooks in only 3 minutes) and cheese once the meat thaws!

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole-  This recipe was already in "freezer form" so all I did was follow the instructions on the website.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tacos-  I know...another taco based dish...told you I liked them!  I also add taco seasoning to this recipe.  All I did was throw all of this in a freezer bag (uncooked).  When I want the meal I can either thaw it or just pry it out of the bag frozen and plop it into the slow cooker.

Crockpot Minestrone Soup-  Another one of my husband's favorites.  Just like with the other soup, I fully made the soup so all that has to be done is to thaw and reheat....well..and add spinach in my case....I forgot to buy it when I made this meals, so I'll need to add it when I reheat the soup.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa Chicken-  This website link doesn't seem to be working right now, but it's not too complicated.  It's pretty much (all tossed in a freezer bag)..chicken breasts, black beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning.  Then when you go to eat it, cook it in the slow cooker and make tacos....yes...tacos again!

Eggrolls- I like to throw a lot of things into eggrolls and bake them.  It's healthier and they are cheap! For these ones I skip the shrimp and teriyaki (not my thing) and just do seasoned pork, coleslaw mix, and cheese...and bake them for 10-15 minutes instead of frying.  I assembled these and they are just waiting to be cooked.  Other things I like to put in eggrolls: taco seasoned beef or chicken (go figure!); ground beef, bacon, and cheese-or make cheese sauce for dipping; chicken, onions and green peppers; ground beef, green peppers, onion, and mushrooms, with cheese or white cheese dipping sauce; scrambled eggs and sausage, or make sausage and gravy dipping sauce.  I may add some of these versions to my freezer if I get time...or if I can find space in the freezer....

Cowboy Casserole (aka tater tot casserole)-  My version of this is a little different (I use cream of mushroom soup, condensed cheese soup, and combine corn and green beans).   I made this, again in a foil pan, up until the point of baking.  So it's ready to be thawed and baked or baked, for longer, from the frozen state.

Ham and Cheese Tortellini- I fully made this dish; all that needs to be done is thaw it, heat it, and top with cheese.

Slow Cooker Cheesy BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwiches-  again..this website is down at the moment...but I just threw chicken breasts, crumbled cooked bacon, and BBQ sauce in a freezer bag.  To eat: cook in slow cooker and shred for sandwiches; top with cheese (and more bacon if you want)

Pizza Casserole- If you have a big family or just like leftovers, this recipe is for you!  It makes a lot of food!  I made this dish up until the point of baking (in a foil pan).  It just needs to be topped with cheese and baked off.  It's also great because you can customize the "pizza toppings" to whatever you or your family likes.

Breakfast Corn Dogs-  Warning...this one takes awhile!  We LOVE these..I make the for supper (with scrambled eggs), not breakfast...but they take some time to make.  So I made a huge double batch one night (one to eat, one to freeze) and stood over the stove frying corn dogs for what felt like hours....but they are so worth it!  I fully made and froze them; just need to be reheated.

Cream of Mushroom Soup-  This isn't a meal, but an ingredient.  I made a couple of batches of both cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup.  I hate, hate, hate using pre-made condensed soups...but they sure are quick, easy, and in a lot of recipes! It literally only takes minutes to make them from scratch...but who wants to add that one more step to a recipe when they are trying to get dinner on the table at the end of the day??  So make them ahead of time-cheap, easy, and way better for you.

Ground Beef Pot Pie- Like chicken pot pie, but with beef.  I made this recipe up until the point of baking, wrapped it all up and froze it so it just has to be baked off.

Sloppy Joe Meatball Subs- For this recipe I used pre-made meatballs, but homemade sloppy joe sauce.  I just mixed everything together and froze the meatballs in the sauce so I just have to reheat them and assemble into subs.  I also froze my sloppy joe meat.  (So my version of sloppy joe sauce with ground beef-froze and ready to be thawed and heated up for sandwiches)

Chili and Rice Casserole-  This recipe was set up as a freezer meal already, so I just made and froze it as is.

Buttermilk Pancakes-  This isn't the recipes I use for pancakes (mine is in my head) but I made a triple batch of pancakes, cooled them, wrapped them in three's, and froze them.  I love pancakes and I guess I eat them three at a time according to how I packed them....so they are ready to be thawed and heated!

Chili-  Also not my recipe (again mine is in my head), but everyone has their version of chili; just make it and freeze it in freezer tupperware or a freezer bag so it can be thawed and heated.

Meatloaf-  Once again, not my recipe (in my head), but just use this recipe or whatever your version of meatloaf is.  Mix it up, put it in tinfoil loaves, wrap it up and freeze it for cooking.  You could also bake it off ahead of time.

Pork and Onion Hand Pies-  These too could be done with different meats.  I made them up until the point of baking, but they could be finished so they just need to be heated.

Other recipes that aren't currently in my freezer, but  are on my list for this week or this weekend: 

Tater Tot Taco Bake-  A taco version of tater tot casserole....so good! Make up until baking, freeze-then thaw to cook and top with whatever you like (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc).

BBQ Chicken Chili-  In addition to taco stuff, I also love BBQ.  I am tossing these ingredients into a freezer bag so be finished in the slow cooker.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup-  this one is pretty much finished when you assemble it, just needs to "develop flavor" in the slow cooker.  So I will put it all into a freezer bag to be slowed cooked at a later date.  

Pot Roast-  This goes against my dislike for prepackaged items, but it is really the best pot roast ever....so it's worth it.  I'm just tossing everything in a freezer bag again for it to be tossed in the slow cooker later.  

So that's what is in my freezer for after baby!  Plus whatever else I can fit in before then! I hope you can find the recipes useful in your life as well.  Thanks for another week of orders!!

You may or may not know this about me, but in the case that you don't...I'll fill you in!  My main degree is in communication technologies (journalism).  For awhile I wrote for the local newspaper and wrote mostly opinion pieces.  If you ever read them, you may know I spoke my mind and didn't hold back.  Hmm....kind of like I do on here right!?

Sure this is a business blog...but it's still a blog. So I like to switch things up sometimes! I think writing about various topics also helps my customers get to know me a bit. Which is why I decided to do a bit of an opinion style post this week.  

I think it's pretty fair (and obvious) that there is a major difference in working style and ethic starting in my generation and going down (or younger).  Or maybe you'd prefer if I say there's major entitlement issues in the younger generations?  Mine included. Now I'm no researcher or expert here, but I can't help but think that part of the problem is that the younger generation no longer has working as a priority.

Whether it's their own choosing, or their parents'....working just doesn't seem like a priority.  Yet everyone still wants money and objects.  So how does that work?  Everyone just wants things handed to them or expects things to come easily.  I have worked ever since I was 13.  I started out working for my parents and have added and subtracted jobs as the years go on...usually holding down more than one job at a time.  And I still do!  Granted, I'm hardly ever at my parents' company anymore, but I do what I can while still making my own business my priority.  (Running your business can feel like 4 jobs!)

Don't get me wrong....when all my friends were at the beach and I was going to work in the factory I wasn't always thrilled about it.  I even threw some bratty teenage fits about it.  But instead of just letting me do what I wanted all the time, my parents put me to work in order to get things I wanted.  If I worked a certain amount I would get a day to go to the beach with friends or a trip to the store to spend my paycheck.  But I had to earn it.  

Now, I couldn't be more grateful to my parents for doing this.  They have a work ethic most people could only dream of having, and I hope others can see their ways rubbed off on me.  I will never forget the way it felt to buy my very first ipod (the ones that were like big bricks) with my paycheck.  I don't use it anymore, but I can't make myself get rid of it because of that memory.  Or the time I was determined to finish packing a certain amount of product and wouldn't stop until I had finished and my mom took me to the bookstore in Madison (big treat for me) to get books with my paycheck.  Gifts might be nice, but knowing you earned something is the greatest feeling.  I think getting to learn that feeling at a young age is a huge part of developing the way a person thinks, acts, and works as they grow up.

I say how a person thinks, acts, and works on purpose.  I'm not saying if you don't work as a kid/teen you are going to be a terrible worker when you grow up.  I'm saying it can shape aspects of how you think and act.  Because believe me, I don't think you have to punch a time clock to be a hard worker.  Stay-at-home parents work very hard!

I hear the argument all the time that "you are only young once"....."you have your whole life to work, enjoy being a kid"....or "you can't have a job and play sports, so play the sports."   Why not?  Like I said...I still got to go to the beach/be a kid.  It just wasn't all day every day.  It was a here and there and I still got to make summer vacation memories.  I was also a cheerleader in high school and still held down several jobs, good grades, and a social life.  Learning a work ethic and appreciation for where money comes from is just as valuable (if not more valuable) than "just being a kid."

Not trying to stir any pots here, just expressing my thoughts on how valuable I think working at a young age can be for kids.  Maybe it's not even an "actual job"... maybe it's helping out parents, grandparents, neighbors, etc.. whatever it is, I think there is deep value in kids doing more than "being a kid." And of course there are always exceptions to the rule; there's always people who didn't work or have responsibilities as kids or teens and turn out to be amazing people, great workers, value work ethic, and not be entitled as adults!

Thanks for another week of orders and thanks for reading my winded opinion piece!

It's been several months since I've done one of these blog posts, so I thought it's about time I do one!  The growth of Steph's Sweet Treats has led to the opportunity to do even more fun and unique orders.  Here's a behind the scenes look at a few recent orders!

I'm known for my cutout sugar cookies (if you haven't tried them, please do!).  But when I opened Steph's Sweet Treats I wasn't going to do the whole decorating of cookies things.  Not sure why, but my cutout cookies have just always been simple....great cookies, great frosting, and that's it.  Nothing fancy; just plain yummy.

However, as the business grew, so did the demand for decorated cookies...so I gave in!  I am not a fan of royal icing; I find that it lacks flavor and is just too hard.  So I came up with an icing alternative for decorated cookies.  It still hardens to the touch like royal icing, but it is not as hard and still has flavor.  Opening the door to decorated cookies has led to some very fun orders, including the one from above!  These cookies were not only extra special because I loved the colors and designs (there was also some with the wedding date on them), but because they were ordered by my best friend for a high school friend/fellow cheerleader.  

Not all of the decorated cookies are iced.  I have done some with the traditional frosting as well.  These don't allow for as much detail and run the risk of smearing/the design getting squished (although I do use layers of wax paper between the cookies to help avoid this).  All of which I let people know when they are deciding between icing and frosting.  I had the pleasure of doing almost 200 cookies for Dean Clinic of Dodgeville for Health Care week.  This happens to be where my doctor is, so it was pretty cool when my doctor told me how they enjoyed my cookies!

 These next two cakes were for the same family and same weekend.  They got to have a double celebration of a birthday and gender reveal!  And did I mention two super fun cakes!?  

They both presented new challenges to me, which I loved.  The customer sent me photos to base the cakes off of and then I had to make them come alive.  The horse silhouettes were the aspect I thought would be the most challenging, but it wasn't!  I was soooo pleased and happy when I tried and was successfully able to paint on buttercream!  I have painted on fondant before, but never buttercream.  It worked and I was so pleased with the end result.  This cake also needed flowers.  Don't get me wrong, I love making fondant flowers, but they can be very timely to make, resulting in more expensive for customers.  So I have a stock of a few different kinds of flowers on hand and they worked perfect to make this cake extra special.

Now I always love a gender reveal cake...so of course I was excited about this one!  I had fun making the fondant aspects of this cake; although I'll admit the boots were probably one of the most difficult things I have had to sculpt.  They may not look difficult, but they were!  

Fun fact:  I have now been able to bake for all three of Cheyenne's birthdays since opening Steph's Sweet Treats! Here are year one and two:
-Farming themed smash cake
-Minnie mouse themed rosette cake (following copyright laws of course!)

Last but not least, I'll give a little information about a tiered cake from last weekend.  I don't get to do a ton of tiered cakes, but they have definitely picked up this year...in fact I had three different tiered cake orders last weekend!!).  This one was a for a surprise 30th party and hunting lover. I gave the customer some design options and we decided on a different look for each tier.  To make things easier, I delivered and set up the cake at the venue before the big surprise.  (If I don't set up, tiered cakes come in VERY large boxes and are very heavy when fully assembled....so people don't always have the space or capability to haul them around).

When I got the venue the customers kids were super excited to watch me set up the cake and it was great to see their reactions in person. I hope the birthday boy was excited and surprised by his party and cake!

Thanks for another week of orders everyone!!

Holy moly I feel like time is flying!  How is it that I am almost already to my third trimester?!  I'm at 27 weeks and 3 days and in less than three months our baby will be here.  CRAZY and so exciting!  So how was it baking in the second trimester?

Not bad!  Sure, I get sore a lot faster and bending over to get to my flour and sugar can be hard on the back (which is why I try to remember to tell myself to squat, not bend-I usually remember AFTER my back is already aching), but overall it has been great.  I have been having some crazy busy weekends this past month....so every time I get through one of them I can't believe I was able to do it.  Despite the soreness and being tired, I feel like growing this little baby has given me temporary super human powers.  Last weekend I was able to take on almost 1700 cupcakes, 400 cookies and 5 cakes!    I may still be catching up on sleep from this...but that's besides the point!

The beginning of the second trimester was great for energy, but now that I'm entering the third I'm definitely feel my eyes getting heavy a lot quicker and my body telling me to sit down after what seems like only a few hours.  Even though I've been taking on a lot of orders, I know I will have to cut back in a month or two... and then things will get to the "order at your own risk stage."  By this I mean I will be telling everyone when I get closer to my due date and warning people that while I will certainly fill your order, there is always the chance that it may not get completed if I by chance go into labor.  So in other words...order at your own risk.

So consider yourself warned!  Please, please, please make an effort to place orders with as much notice as possible.  I'm terrible at saying no, but at this point I have to make myself say no because it's not always possible time wise or physically to add last minute things..  

Fun facts:
-The first time my husband got to feel the baby move was on his birthday when I was 20 weeks along....talk about a great birthday present!  He has since been kicked several times...including in the face when he tried putting his ear on my belly...baby doesn't like having things resting on him-that means no using my belly as arm rest for me..unless I want to get hit!
-Latest "craving": this one has been around for awhile now and hasn't really gone away....peanut butter and jelly.  I wouldn't say it's a craving as in "gotta have it"....I just eat it a lot...and I use natural raspberry preserves which make it extra yummy!
-I've become clumsy.  Tipping things over and dropping things is getting old mighty fast!  
- We are putting finishing touches on the nursery and I go in there a lot just to use the rocking chair and read :)

Thanks for another week of orders and for making last week's open day such a success!

I skipped my blog post last week because I had this one coming and it's all I really wanted to post about but I couldn't yet.  My husband and I found out what we were having last Tuesday!  Why couldn't I post about it??  Because I made gender reveal cupcakes for my immediate family and then a gender reveal cake for my dad's side of the family to cut at Easter on Saturday; so of course I couldn't post here before then...plus I had the excuse to make both gender reveal cupcakes AND a cake this way!

It's funny how people base their gender guesses.  I had people dead set that it was a boy and even more that it was a girl...my husband being one on the girl side.  People kept saying that when they were pregnant they "just knew" what it was....well I must have missed that pregnancy tidbit because I did not have a feeling.  When asked, I would say boy because my husband was so sure it was a girl and because I live with three boys already (husband, cat, and dog).  

After 35-45 minutes of poking around with the ultrasound machine....yes we have a very stubborn baby already!  It was time to see if we could take a peek at the gender.  Why did it take so long? Well the little one is very low, head pointing down (looking so uncomfortable) so the ultrasound tech couldn't get a measurement of the back of the head like they needed.  So after lots of turning left, turning right, tilting back, really pressing and digging into the belly.... the head finally turned!  Phew!

Once we had the gender I went back to the bakery (I had made the cupcakes earlier that day and had them all ready to fill with the gender) finished them and started delivering them to immediate family.  And....it's a.......BOY!  My husband was in complete disbelief that he was wrong; he even said he never even considered the fact that it could be a boy because he was so convinced it was a girl!  He's pretty excited to have a future 4-wheeling buddy!

With the immediate family "in the know" I then made a cake for my dad's side for Easter.  I love making gender reveal cakes so it was pretty exciting to make my own.  Cake and video camera in tow....we let my Grandma Carley do the honors of revealing the blue cake inside!  If the day wasn't special enough already, my Grandma Carley sweetened it even more by giving me an apron she got when she was only four years old!  I will cherish it forever! 

​So now you know...it's a boy!  Thanks for another week of orders and I hope you had a great Easter!