This is what you do when you have no more orders!

I run a crochet business.  That means I make money when I have crochet orders.  But what happens during slow seasons when I have no orders?

Creations!!  That's what happens.  Let's face it.  I am only one person and I can't crochet 24 hours a day.  When I have a lot of orders coming in, I can't create or try new things.  Call me the random crocheter, but I crochet whatever people ask me for.  If I'm busy with orders, I don't get a chance to try new things.  There is a sort of relief when there is a little lull in orders.  Don't get me wrong!  I want and LOVE orders.  I will work my butt off to seek them out.  But the lull...it's like dawn on the farm.  All is quiet and my brain is firing all it's happy synapses!

What do I do with all the time?  I spend a lot of time looking through patterns which I save for this lull that happens once in a while and I finally get the chance to try all the stuff  that I, at one time many moons ago, thought would be amazing!  How could I tell until I tried it?

I know it sounds counter-productive, but really, I enjoy the chance to test.  Some day I might even try my hand at writing up one of the patterns I try to create.  There are so many ways to crochet and so many concepts to try that I have new ideas flowing though my head all the time!

If I had all day, every day, to just work on crochet...well...

It's a process!

How do you prep a family of 5 for a sixteen day road trip?

This is the week!  We are preparing for the big Rise n Shine road trip.

We are prepping for packing.  I mean, a family of 5 and really, I am packing for 4 of us!  First up, going through dressers and closets because, let's be honest, we live in Florida.  We see warm clothes about one month of the year.  And that being said, I have no clue what is stuffed inside my kids' closets.  I'm calling in reinforcements...Mom to the rescue!

Now, considering I am a crocheter, you know I am planning to pack my yarn.  So that needs some careful consideration as well.  I can't just bring yarn without a plan of what I will be using it for.  I am finishing the last of my orders as we speak and then I can dive back into the stash of patterns I have kept for the day when I was all caught up!  Today may possibly be that day!

We are also planning our trip around homeschooling.  This means planning the schoolwork that everyone will be working on.  I have given the elder 2 a travel journal in which they will be journaling our adventures and putting maps and brochures in.  It doesn't hurt that we have gel pens!  Who doesn't love a good gel pen?  We also utilized out AAA membership for trip tics and  maps.  When you couple trip tics and maps with highlighters and sharpie markers, it makes for some fun games and research while driving!

Not sure how this is all going to fit in the car just yet, but I suppose that is another blog all on its own!

What are some tips you have for travel to multiple states,multiple houses, and long days in the car?  I am curious what everyone else does!