August Goals

Good morning from sunny Richmond! I made it through a crazy wedding weekend! Celebrations! And in the midst of all the craziness it turned August. Can you believe it? August is a little bit slower wedding wise which I'm thankful for because September is going to be a whirlwind. I'll be traveling to Maine towards the end of the month for The Working Retreat, walking quite a few brides through their venues for their September weddings, and FINALLY announcing TWO HUGE things! Gahh! 

It's monthly goal time though! I love this part of the month. The very beginning. Blank slate. It feels good! I only have 1 goal this month and it's a personal one. One Sweet Day in May is growing wonderfully and this has honestly been the most wonderful year being married to Chris. Everything is the best it's ever been, but it's time to...

Take care of ME

This month my goal is to kick start my healthy lifestyle back into gear. As being recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, Pre-diabetes, and PCOS, it's so important for me to do all I can to get my body where it needs to be for me and a cute little baby Schmidt when the time is right. While these new diagnoses are something I will have to deal with, I can make sure I am doing my part. These conditions have unfortunately been a huge part in me gaining 30 pounds in 10 months and it's time to fight back hard core. 

I've taken barre classes for just over a year and a half at a nearby barre studio and honestly I never really stuck to a routine with it. I would do it for a month taking a few classes a week, but then we'd go out of town and I'd fall off the wagon. Then my favorite barre instructor left and isn't currently teaching so the past few months have been barre-less for this girl. Until last week when I signed up for a month of Pure Barre. Pure Barre was my first barre class I ever took, but they didn't have one here in Richmond at the time. Flash forward and today will be my 6th Pure Barre class in a row and I am obsessed. Yes, that's all it's taken.  It's full of super model and ballerina look alikes and then there's me, but I LOVE IT. I've always been a huge advocate of barre, but this is the first time I've felt like this about it. So with that here are my mini goals for my month of kick starting taking care of me.

Attend Pure Barre 5 times a week

1 hour of cardio 5 times a week

Only eat out 2 a week max

Track Weight Watchers points every day

Drink more water

No more eating in the car (Those Dunkin Donuts drive-thrus always get me) 

There, 6 mini goals for my big goal. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it!

My hope is by the end of the year to have my body back and as ready as it can be for perhaps a little one. This year has been just wonderful being the two of us and I'm not quite ready to add to our little family quite yet, but I'm getting there. No rushing just future thoughts that make my heart happy. 

Bye for now sweet friends! 

Love,

Michelle xoxo

July Goals and a HUGE announcement

So June kinda flew by huh? I know I've said it a dozen times, but June was wonderful! It was more of a down month for me and I was able to focus a lot on where I want One Sweet Day in May to go. I put some June goals up a month ago and I stuck to pretty much all of them. Super proud of myself actually. There are a few exceptions...the gallery walls did not get done, but the frames are ready to go! Progress...The One Sweet Day in May newsletter is still in the works because some exciting things have been happening that have to wait to be announced and what better way than with a newsletter?! So I wanted to wait a little longer on that and it officially launches August 3rd! It's going to be bursting at the seams with upcoming adventures and behind the scenes sneaks! 

Photo by Andrea Pesce

July Business Goals

I have a few business goals this month. Continue to blog, book 2 more 2016 brides, send out all client and vendor gifts. There is one HUGE goal however and I'm not going to lie, it makes me a little nervous. One Sweet Day in May has just been me so far. I'm proud that every aspect of this business has been created by yours truly. This moment has come way faster than I ever imagined, but it makes me grateful. OSDIM has grown in leaps and bounds in both small and big ways. I've been told by many industry friends that what has been working and what is presently working will change and friends, it has. So I'm happy to announce that my July goal is to create a One Sweet Day in May team. I am officially looking to bring on 2-4 interns for the Fall wedding season. Fall is jam packed with floral filled weddings and having a small yet mighty team will help me keep balance and allow my business to keep growing whilst in the midst of the busiest season to date. I am also looking to hire a part-time office assistant every other week for about 5 hours a week! I'm so excited! 

Photo By Andrea Pesce

So let's get to the details...

This internship is a unique behind-the-scenes experience. Here you will learn how a floral studio operates, manages work flow, and you will learn techniques through hands on floral design. Positions will assist with all hands on areas of One Sweet Day in May during wedding weeks. 

Internships are on a trial basis. After the Fall season, positions will become paid starting Spring 2016. 

Internship Requirements

No floral experience is necessary, but you must have an interest in the wedding industry and have a desire to learn about floral design. 

You must be hardworking, loyal, and trustworthy.

I would love to find people who are relatively close to the Richmond area for the weekdays when we will be prepping florals and containers. This requires about 10-15 hours on wedding weeks. Schedules will be made a month in advance. Out of town ladies are welcome too for day of setups and installations! 

Must be ok with traveling to and from wedding venues on event days. Most of my weddings are setups only and usually Saturdays mornings through mid-afternoon. Must be ok with possibly using your vehicle for floral transport. You will be paid mileage and gas.

Loving Taylor Swift, Starbucks, laughing, and not taking yourself too seriously is a huge plus. I want this to be an educational yet fun environment. 

To Apply

Please send in your resume, cover letter, your social media links, and a 500 word essay on why you'd be a great addition to the One Sweet Day in May brand. Please send all applications or inquiries to Michelle@Onesweetdayinmay.com by July 31st, 2015

Office Assistant Job 

This is something i've thought long and hard about, but the truth is having an part-time office assistant is needed. I've been consumed with office work recently and quite honestly, it's drowning me and I'm not afraid to say HELP ME! I am looking for someone for about 5-10 hours starting every other week to keep One Sweet Day in May up to date. Again, this is a fun environment and I want to welcome someone into my home and make them feel like family.

Starting pay is $9/hour. 

Requirements

Must have 5-10 hours every other week to dedicate to One Sweet Day in May. Schedule will vary and will be created 1 month in advance. 

Must have computer skills and have adequate knowledge of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Plus. 

Have basic knowledge of Squarespace

Knowledge on how to run a blog

Must have people skills, have a positive attitude, be energetic, and eager to learn about the administrative side of the wedding industry.

Thrives on building relationships with clients as well as other industry vendors. 

Post to all social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus. 

Send and reply to emails when needed

Time management skills

Schedule meetings

Help organize office when needed.

To Apply

Please send your resume, cover letter, social media account links, and a 500 word essay on why you would be a great addition to the One Sweet Day in May brand. Please send all applications or inquiries to Michelle@Onesweetdayinmay.com by July 31st, 2015

Thank you and I can't wait to hear from you!! 

Happy Wednesday and Happy July One Sweet Bloggies!

Love,

Michelle 

Finding that one-on-one time with yourself

Guys, this month has been wonderful. Virginia is so beautiful in the summer and I've had the time to be intentional in my personal life which has been such fun. Chris and I have been cooking together, going to late night movies, random ice cream dates, and we attended the Zac Brown Band concert a few weeks ago. Lots of one-on-one time with my handsome hubs has made my heart happy. I've also had the time to focus on certain areas of One Sweet Day in May which was much needed. 

This month is coming to an end quickly though and July is gearing up to be quite the whirlwind for this florist. Finding me time has been a journey this year. This past Spring I struggled. I didn't work out, I didn't have a schedule, and it hurt me. I was exhausted and it wasn't because I was doing too much, it was because I didn't have a plan. I had no schedule, no idea when things would get done. It was terrible. My word of the year is build. I want to build One Sweet Day in May, I want to build my connections and relationships with other creatives, and I want o build my marriage and my home. So far we are half way through the year and I can say that I have done a great job at "building" everything around me, but it hasn't been easy. 

 I (like most of us) have a constant list of things to do running through my head. One example that sticks out to me is one night when I was getting my hair done and couldn't relax because I felt guilty that I wasn't getting stuff done. My brain was on and spinning with to do lists. I couldn't wait to get out of there so i could get my phone in my hand to respond to an email, make notes, or add things to my calendar. I was literally sitting in my car in the parking lot outside the salon at 8pm on a Wednesday night working on my phone. I couldn't even relax at a hair appointment. Sigh. Now, sometimes things need to be done and you have no choice but to send a quick email. Sacrifices definitely have to be made in order to be successful. For me, I need structure. I need scheduling tools to help me or I will sit up in my office all day and not take any time for me. I've tried everything and what seems to help me are the following things. July includes some travel so this will have to be adjusted, but progress not perfection, right? 

My Non-Wedding Weekends

Saturdays are reserved for house things. This is the day where I go grocery shopping, clean the floors, dust, vacuum, and do the laundry. I get this all out the way during the day so that Saturday night is a free night and Sunday I can have a clear head. Sundays are my blogging days. I come up with content throughout the week, but Sundays are when I sit down and organize my blogging calendar. I like to block off 11am-1pm and then 5pm-7pm. This way I have a break in the middle of day where I can grab lunch with Chris, head down to the pool for the bit, or take the pups to the dog park. I didn't think I could get the hang of pre blogging, but I must say it seems to be working. Of course, weeks are different and I have to go with the flow. Some Saturdays i have weddings and that means things get shifted around, but I find that as long as I plan and include structure, I'm okay. 

Structured office hours

My ideal week day starts with waking up at 7am, breakfast, getting my work out in, and showering. It sets my whole day up and though I wish sleeping in and eating donuts would start my day off on the right foot sadly it does not. Once I'm ready for the day it's 9:30am. I like to start with answering emails and checking off my top 3 must do's. For me that usually includes placing floral orders, scheduling meetings with brides for venue walk throughs, and working on future projects. Being your own boss means you get to create your own hours which is wonderful and part of the fun is every day is different. I love it. It's so important for me however to make sure my top 3 must do's get completed first thing. Once they are checked off I feel so productive and have the rest of my day. 

Breaks

Why is it that when you work at 9-5 office job you always get a lunch break, but we never seem to give ourselves lunch when we are our own boss? So funny. I don't know about you, but I need me some lunch and I don't mean sitting at my desk eating. I like to come downstairs and sit at the kitchen table. Sometimes I like to grab a bite with Chris when he's at the office. It gives me a much needed break and also keeps me from running downstairs at 3pm and inhaling unhealthy snacks. 

Ending your day and being social media free

This is so important, End your day. Pick a time when are done and stick to it. Leave your phone and computer upstairs or in another room and go enjoy your evening. I have to admit that this is the hardest thing for me. My iPhone is attached to me. I have really bad habit of checking my email every 5 minutes and responding to a text right away. If it's after 6pm however, I remind myself that it's me time now. When you have an actual end of the day it's so much easier to create time for yourself. I did a little experiment for myself last month and it was eye opening. I didn't post on social media for 5 days. Some may laugh, but that is a huge thing for me. I barely even logged into Facebook or Instagram those days and you know what? It felt amazing! I didn't even know where my phone was most of the time. I have also have a really bad habit of keeping my phone next to me when I go to bed which leads me to fall asleep to YouTube videos and looking up random things on Google. Not good. For my social media free days, I left me phone charging downstairs at night. It was amazing. I slept better and felt so much more refreshed the next day. Social media is huge for my business. It's where I make the connections with other creatives and where I ultimately meet my lovely brides. It is such an important asset to my success and is an extension of my brand. It would be silly of me to give it up, but there does come a point where it's too much and it's different with everyone. With some scheduling and planning of your work weeks though, you can cut down on the screen time and say hello to the real world with more ease. It works for me, but it takes a lot of practice and I'm still learning.

Have a wonderful week One Sweet Bloggies! 

Love,

Michelle