February 10, 2012
Many of you know, or should know, I'm the mom of five...yes, five babies...so who'da thunk after that many kids...one could forget the basics? Ten years later...and it's slowly coming back to me.
1. Babies need tummy time....don't hold them 24/7 they will demand that and then you have a crying mess
2. Babies need to eat on a some what regular schedule...or they get cranky...and you again have a crying mess
3. Babies really don't like clothing
4. Babies like to be talked to
5. Babies eat, poop, cry and sleep a lot
Review #5...babies eat (check) poop (check) cry (double check) sleep....that's what we forgot!
Before our lovely new Big Bob addition arrived (who we now call Mr. Bamboo) Ashley and I talked a lot about what we could and couldn't expect with having an infant at the store full time. I was firm with certain things but was excited to have the little guy come on board. (Actually, I think I was more excited I was getting to keep Ashley...that I made myself love Mr. Bamboo). We discussed all of the above and we pretty much agreed on everything. Built the little guy a cozy comfy nursery here so he could have his home away from home. All seemed great....until three day ago when all Mr. Bamboo wanted to do was cry or be held.
After lots of talking it was discovered that we were following everything we agreed on. He was doing tummy time, he was swinging in his swing, he was laying on the floor....he was definitely eating and pooping. BUT....he wasn't sleeping. Yep, Ashley and I were doing such a great job teaching him to play, play, play...we forgot to put him down for structured naps. This explains the "collic" evenings she was having and the last few days of crying mess. It was confirmed we had made a mess of his napping when Meme told us...he's so tired on the weekends...well, of course, Meme...he's up partying with his carpet girls all week long. Poor boy is exhausted...
So for the past two days...we've fed the little guy "lunch" and put him down in his crib...in his cozy comfy nursery...and guess what....no more crying. Can you believe that? You put a tiny baby down for a good afternoon nap...and magically he become a happy baby again. Lesson learned!!!
In Big Bob's Flooring News....we've hired a new gal...love her! For now we will start her slow, helping in the front office, meeting and greeting our customers and teach her all the fun stuff about flooring. We've also hired a new warehouse man...he's soooooo perfect! Imagine a young kid who knows how to work AND actually does a good job! With the addition of these two we are excited to take more work off our shoulders so we have more time for...YOU! What our facebook....
www.facebook.com/bigbobsfloors for new displays we are bringing in and a few new lines. Also, check out our customer reviews....our list of happy campers is growing!
Wow, it's 8pm...time flies when you're having fun. I better publish this and head home....ttyl:)
January 27, 2012
So this week we celebrated my 39th birthday and Ashley anniversary. While this sounds great and could be lots of fun...actually...selfishly it wasn't! It meant less time with Ashley and hardly any Big Bob time. Both of these things make for a happy, healthy Big Bob Herself. Hoping all returns to normal next week!
I was fortunate enough to spend the early part of this week at our annual floorcovering show in Las Vegas. Don't get excited...I HATE Vegas. It smells, the people are rude, it's loud and vertigo doesn't like it either...14 stories up and moving walk ways everywhere. However, the flooring show was interesting and I'm excited about the two new product lines we will be carrying in the next few weeks.
Vernon House, woven carpets...this line will allow us to start making custom area rugs with prints. We've had lots of request for this over the past few years but due to space, it just wasn't something we could get into. This line will carry everything from oriental looks to very contemporary designs. Our customers will be able to order it wall to wall or in various bound sizes. As always, the price is going to be very Big Bobish. (yeah, I made that word up...cute hey?)
Joy Carpets, a full line of commercial and residential carpets. This line too, carries lots of area rugs...some beautiful children's rugs (babies and big kids) and educational. We've had lots of request for the road rugs...where little boys like to drive their race cars? And ABC rugs for pre-schools. It also carries a whole host of fun rugs for movie rooms, under pool tables, outside beach rugs. Oh, and it also carries a running line of carpet tiles, so you can now re-do your play area all by yourself...carpet tiles are perfect DIY projects.
We've received lots of positive feedback on our silly little website...so we've expanded it to add a few more things you might like. Our biggest, most excited page will be this one:) JUST KIDDING! Well, it is new and you will be getting the biggest laugh reading this...the most exciting is we've gotten Little Insignificant Bob to agree to write a weekly bloggish thing for us. Because of his advanced age...he likes to call them articles while Grasshopper and I like to call it blogging...so shhhh just don't tell him:) AND hopefully, as you read this...you can look at the top of the page and see a button (on the top left hand side) that says "PHOTOS" This is our new photo album of all our work. We've really grown in the last few years...and want to brag a bit! If you don't see the button, that means you read this really shortly after I posted and check back soon:)
My writing MOJO is really lagging today...so rather than bore you to death...I'll say good night and hope to catch up with you soon!
PS...Baby Brandon is really a cutie-patootie...so you must come see him. He smiles and almost laughs now:)
November 28, 2011
I feel like I've survived the LONGEST six weeks of my life...Grasshopper has FINALLY returned. Well, almost...we are doing a short week to get her back into the swing of things and then next week Baby Brandon will be joining us. Funny, the whole time she was gone, I missed her like crazy...but secretly it was great because I got to keep everything locked in my brain and I didn't have to write anything down:) I got to rely on me brain...and me brain is good to me. BUT all good things must come to an end...so this past weekend I did what any good procrastinator would do...I put all the important stuff to paper and made it look really good for Ashley's return. Little did I know, she didn't plan on breaking me in slowly...she wasn't here two hours and already asking me the who, what, when and where's of what I did. Sometimes I think she forgets who I am...I am BIG BOB HERSELF for crying out loud...HERSELF...not Big Bob and Ashley!! Ok, that sounded really good for a second or two...to know us..is to know Ashley is the power and brains...without her, this company would still be draggin along...sad but true. Behind every good sales person...is an exceptional organizer and calmer.
That being said...we are in line to make 2012 our best year yet! We've got our Mojo headed in the same direction. We are spending the rest of 2011 thanking our existing customers, preparing for new ones and laying out a plan to make 2012 our year. We've spent a lot of time evaluating what we've learned over the past few years, figuring out how to avoid making those same mistakes and how to improve upon things we feel we are doing right. Our biggest thing is we want to spend even more time with our customers. We both realize, as working mommies, home owners and do it allers (yeah, you like that word...well, I just made it up)...that making even a $500 purchase is a huge deal to us. Therefore, our goal is to be sure that even our customers who have one room are making the best choice for their room, their budget and their style. Part of that is staying with our policy of not lending our samples...but making sure we are always available to bring the samples to you. This helps both you and I...we can bring more samples and be sure we've covered all your bases and we can be on hand to help you talk yourself through why you like something or don't like something. Knowing we will always be honest...even if it means we dont' have exactly what you need on hand. We aren't afraid to make several trips...having you happy means more to us then closing a sale first time in and risking you not like the final project:) Our second goal is to help our installer, Red, hire and train a new installer to do business exactly how we like it done. Red has been an incredible asset to our company and we are so please with the feedback from his work. He's manage to cover all our work for the last year w/ only minor blips in scheduling issues...therefore, we'd love to see him bring on an extra set of hands that he can train in the Big Bob way of installing. So, if you know anyone who loves people, kids, dogs, cats...can help cute little old ladies w/out complaining and understand the importance of our military wives needing extra help...please send them our way!
And...not to cut this cute love fest short...but I promised my own family I make more time for them...so at 8:13pm...I'm past my working time...so I must close this up! I appreciate you checking in on us...stop in and meet baby Brandon next week...he's making his first official appearance Monday, Dec 5th. He's not old enough to sign autographs...so Im sure there won't be a long line to meet this cutie patootie:) Not sure when I'll check in on this again...could be the end of January...but leave us a note...let us what you thought of our service. Without you...we'd be nothing!
Always your fan,
Big Bob Herself