One of those moments

I recently had one of those moments.  You know the ones where you laugh at life and wonder how you got where you are at that certain moment.  

There I was in Augusta, Maine at the back bay of our printer who had just finished a custom order where our new art pads and crayons had to be shrink wrapped as a bundle.  I was in between two large freight trucks in my minivan and could not stop thinking about the farmers markets in California from where we came.  I felt encouraged, and hopeful for a busy Holiday season and first quarter of 2013.  You need these moments when you run your own business to remind you to keep going.  Maybe one day those trucks will say eco-kids and they will be leaving from our distribution center.  

You have to imagine it for it to become reality...right?  

Build a Block set

It is part of life sometimes to feel disconnected.  

Life sometimes feels rudimentary. Something happens like Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast and the people on the West Coast are reading about it on there home page.  It happens to all of us when something tragic occurs thousands of miles away.  For me personally,  it's times like this that connect us most.  Flights are cancelled around the country affecting busy schedules and lives.  We start to read the stories of the aftermath and the people who were hit the hardest.  The pictures start to amaze us, like the shark swimming around the yard in New Jersey and stories of perseverance start to emerge.  I think of the hospitals that got evacuated, I think of the staff and nurses that worked so hard to make sure that other peoples family's were safe.  My thoughts are with the people who lost a loved one. I also hope that those without electricity and food will soon get relief. 

On the business side of Hurricane Sandy, an entire country is affected.  Businesses are closed or running on a skeleton staff,  orders are lost or delayed and guaranteed deliveries have no guarantee anymore.  Anyone who works with, or relies on,  manufacturing that comes out of the hardest hit areas finds themselves making adjustments to keep there businesses moving forward.  Here at eco-kids this is the case.  The company that was helping manufacture our bio degradable marker casings is based in Long Island and they have been dramatically affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Our hope to have the new eco-markers in stores by the holiday season will not be met.  With this news adjustments and tough choices have been made.  The company that produces our eco-markers is assessing the extent of the damage to their factory and we wish them luck.  For us, we are postponing a great new product that represents hundreds of man hours.  For them, they may lose a business that represents millions of dollars in property, production, employment, and livelihood.

So as our connection to Hurricane Sandy leads us to postpone the release of our eco-markers, we are now focusing on getting our stores the new eco-build a block set.  Another product we are proud of here at eco-kids!  A 100% recycled cardboard build a block set that inspires imagination and creativity.  

Life has to move forward and you have to land from the bumps in the road and be open to the path that is in front of you.