One of the biggest hurdles I have encountered in growing my business is trying to combat procrastination. I admit it, I'm a big procrastinator. I have read that the only way to fight procrastination is the infamous Nike motto "Just do it."

I agree with what I have read, that the biggest reason I procrastinate is because I think the task at hand is going to be hard. Usually, once I start I do find that it isn't nearly as difficult as I had made it seem in my head. And in most cases, once I get started I get lost in the enjoyment of what I'm doing, it's just getting started that is the hardest part.

What do you do to avoid procrastinating?

When I first started decorating cookies, let's face it, I sucked! I think back to some of those first experiments in the kitchen...baked too long, so they were hard, the icing too runny so it slid over the edges and onto the counter...and my kids will tell you, they didn't even taste good!

I started looking on the internet for information on how to perfect the art. What I found is most people wanted me to pay them for what they knew. At that time I didn't have the money or the desire to give up my money for information.

I did eventually find wonderful giving women that were more than happy to share what they knew and I want to be like that...isn't it said, what you give away will come back to you tenfold? So, I plan to share here what I have learned from having my little cookie business. Oh, my joke about my cookie business... so, I started my cookie business because I wanted to make a little extra money doing what made me happy...be careful what you wish for, because all I make is a little extra money.

A little about me. I have a full-time job working for a medical transcription service. I get to work from home and raise my children. Three years ago I started my cookie business. It has grown each year. My goal is to get it to where I spend more time baking and decorating that I do working!

Join me as a chronical the day in a life of a busy woman...mother, wife, employee, cookie decorator. I will share what I know and hopefully learn some too!

On Tuesday December 1, 2009, Riley turned 8 months old. Neva also had a date with a judge to receive a decision on who would be granted custodial rights. We are so excited to announce that the judge confirmed custody was already Neva's. With a written judgement from the court Neva no longer has to worry about Riley's father taking the baby without permission or keeping him against her will. The court required a planned visitation agreement be set for that day.

Things have settled down now that there are no doubts who has custody and what the visitation schedule is. Neva would not have had such a stress-free successful day without the wonderful help of the many kind people that extended monetary assistance, legal guidance and paralegal services. Our thanks go out to all of you!

This is Neva and her 7-month-old son Riley. Riley's father has decided that he wants custody and wants to move out of state with Riley. We aren't having any of that!

We have taken up Neva's cause to help her raise $2500 for the retainer for a family law lawyer. We have a donation button up on our site if you would like to help us raise this retainer fee. Also, all profit from all orders until that goal is reached, will go to Neva's retainer fee fund.

Please help us spread the word! www.sugarbeez.com/cookiesforacause

We make gingerbread cookies for the holidays...this year we will be holding gingerbread workshops in Chicago to teach all the tricks of gingerbread house construction. We are working out the details this week and hope to have all the information available by the end of the week. Date, time, place and cost to be announced! Are you as excited as we are?!

How many of my fellow Chicagoans joined me on Tuesday night at the Oprah Kickoff Party? 20,000, that's how many! We partied on the Mag Mile with the Black Eyed Peas and Oprah!








The best part for me was learning the dance to participate in the Worlds Biggest Flash Mob! My favorite flash mob video is the "Sound of Music" train station video --> (clicky here). The same choreographer for that video created a dance to the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feelin" and we spent about 4 hours learning and practicing that dance.



The really cool part of it was that Oprah had no clue we were going to do this. Watch here. Did you find me?! He he, right, like you could find one person in that mob! These two characters were with me! The one on the left is my sister Tai-Lynne, the other is my daughter Neva! Say hi girls!





Oh, and the Mayor and his wife...they looked like they had a great time too!



And we can't forget the BEPs! Rascal Flatts (Hi Joe Don, remember when we sang in your tour bus in Milwaukee?), James Taylor and freaky Chris Angel! Oh, and the beautiful and talented Jennifer Hudson!






Dane Cook? Any one? Any one? No? Oh well, we sure thought it was hilarious!



I don't know, maybe I don't get out enough, but I sure had a great time, dancing, meeting people and just enjoying the freak show parade around me...okay, maybe they thought I was the freak show...but, we had fun!

Like I mentioned in my last post I have an irrational desire to become a cake artist; do I have the skill...dunno, but I think where there is will to learn there is the ability to gain the skills...that's what I'm telling myself!

I had been putting myself out there to every cake decorator I knew that I was willing to take a free position in trade for learning, since I really cannot afford to go to culinary school, and guess what?! Someone took me up on my offer. I was so excited I could barely contain myself! I met with her today, a sort of get-to-know-me session. I really felt we have a lot in common and I hope that she felt that I really am committed to learning and the opportunity.

In a short time today I learned quite a bit...but the real test will be if I can meet her expectations...yeah, I'm worried! I can decorate a cookie, and I have iced cakes before...hopefully my current skills will be a good enough base to build on...we will find out...stay tuned!