We've Declared a Snow Day! ... Now What?

Remember 8 months ago how I passionately pledged that I would be more vigilant in maintaining the frequency of my helpful blog posts? No? *Whew* See what I reeeeeeally meant was that I would brainstorm imaginary blog topics as I lounged around the shop eating Christmas butter cookies long before the holiday season even began.
In a nutshell, I survived my first winter season as a shopkeep!!! I am now enjoying a much more leisurely pace (can it get more leisurely than stuffing my face with butter cookies?) as I gear up for the spring retail season. Keep your eyes peeled for French-inspired "brocante" additions, newly curated cottage decor and a whole new gaggle of handcrafted goods from mama artisans this Spring!
In even more exciting news, my fiance and I are officially gettin' hitched in a private ceremony in the mountains in September, followed by a dream-come-true honeymoon in Iceland and France. And while I'll likely spend my remaining years on earth paying off the cost of all the suitcases crammed full of French antiques that I plan on dragging back to the US, it'll be totally worth it to see the excitement on your faces when you see our shelves lined with baskets of savon de Marseilles, French enamelware, Parisian linens and my tears.
While I fritter away my days dreaming of spring in the countryside and summer in the south of France, I'm realistically brought back to earth to this Ice Age we are going through. Seriously though, the other day my pants froze to my body. Literally froze to my lower half.
Between the tundra outside and the flu epidemic inside, we've pretty much been housebound since Christmas, and we have the family bickering and stir-crazy four year old to prove it! In early December, we made the decision to reduce the shop hours and home-school our son until he starts preschool in the fall. This has been the most rewarding endeavor imaginable, and while I know homeschooling isn't for every kiddo, it has given "R" the confidence, comfort and one-on-one lessons that he's needed to define the perfect style of learning for him.
With a strategic spin on a standard curriculum, I've also woven in Montessori elements fostering personal independence, life skills and artistic development. A typical morning includes food preparation, daily teamwork (laundry, dishes, sweeping, taking care of the animals), hands on learning activities, sensory play, workbook exercises, crafts and memory games. Once a week we even go on a field trip (like the time that I told him That Fish Place was the aquarium...it was such a fun and *free* excursion on a small scale, and he got to learn about all the fish and mammals living there).
No matter where your little one goes to school, I wanted to share some of the fun and enriching activities we've worked on over the weeks because I'm sure we all need some inspiration and ideas for getting through this cold front with the kids!

Our all-time favorite activity this winter was making "snow" and candy cane playdough. "Snow" is easy as 1-2-3...take 3 cups baking soda and 1/2 c conditioner and mix it in a large bin or tupperware container until it's fluffy. You can add sugar cubes and little construction toys and reseal the bin with a lid for safekeeping. Plus, the conditioner will make your kitchen smell amaaaazing!
Candy cane playdough is made with 1 c flour, 1/4 c salt, 3 tbs fractioned coconut oil, 3 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 c boiling water, red food coloring, 2 drops peppermint essential oil and 3 drops bergamot essential oil. Mix until cool, then knead until smooth. It can be stored in a resealable tupperware container as well and smells just like a candy cane. Be sure to go easy with the essential oils since it's a kid-friendly activity!



Some of the best things about the holiday season are all the sugary pies, cakes and cookies! Sometimes it's hard to detox as soon as the New Year comes knocking, so I like to add apples or applesauce, grated carrots, honey or agave and raisins to my favorite quickbread recipe in lieu of all that sugar. This can be a great activity for kids to cut the apples (with supervision), measure the ingredients, count the raisins and eat *I mean, pour* the batter using a ladle or measuring cup. Plus, it fits in that whole "life skills" hooplah.

Another valuable and sustainable life skill to teach your kids about is recycling. Not only is it an environmentally friendly habit to have, but it is a fun and free sorting activity too! You can use actual bins or stop by the Dollar Tree and pick up this activity set that comes with stickers of all the things we can recycle. This activity covers plastics, aluminum, compost and paper/cardboard.


Keeping with the spirit of caring for our earth, we also try to make a feeder every week. As much as I love making the little cookie cutter bird seed ornaments (and not just because they remind me of cookies), those can get a little crazy for a four year old to attempt, so we just save biodegradable toilet paper rolls, slather them with peanut butter or honey, and roll them in bird seed. You can also look on Pinterest to find ways to use plastic bottles as bird seed feeders and hummingbird feeders. Take pictures of the nibbling birds that visit and identify them in bird books.

Got a bunch of leftover sugar cubes from your fake snow activity? Grab an empty egg carton and write numbers 1-12 on the bottoms, then have your little one use large plastic tweezers or tongs to drop sugar cubes in the cardboard wells. This encourages dexterity and exercises the sorting-counting part of the brain! Then you can recycle the egg carton in your recycling exercise. No sugar cubes? No problem! Use cotton balls, pom poms, dried noodles, etc.!




Now this is my favorite exercise because it is challenging and uses both flashcards and letter magnets to identify letters, numbers and objects. And it introduces simple spelling to younger kids and helps older kids practice their harder spelling as well. You can get basic flashcards at the Dollar Tree that cover shapes, colors and objects. Lay three out at a time and when your little one completes each level, they move to a level of three harder words. At four years old, my guy's attention span lasted for one level of three words, which is to be expected but I can see this being an activity that never runs out of creative possibilities. Using the number magnets would be a perfect way to teach mathematics.

Thanks for tuning into another edition of "See how many months of useless information I can cram into one blog post to distract you from the fact that I haven't updated anything since July - Now pass the butter cookies!" I hope everyone is enjoying their 2018, but if you're looking to live on the wild side and break a New Year resolution or two, stay tuned for our Craft Beer & Craft nights coming up at the shop!

Professional Etiquette for Aspiring Innkeepers: My Secret Recipe for Success

Are you an aspiring Innkeeper or just starting out in the business? Here are some of my own personal tips that will set you apart from your competition:

1. As highlighted in my recent post, a small Welcome Basket can go a long way in showing hospitality to your guests! Many guests are paying up to $400 for a night at your Inn, I’m sure it would be nothing to spend a few dollars and a little time to show your appreciation of their patronage.

2. Have a little cove where you can display local pamphlets, maps and coupon books for your guests to rifle through. Make sure that they are categorized by activity, presented professionally and contain current information.

3. Include a well-designed binder/folder full of the quirks/rules of the Inn, local delivery options, TV channel guide, WiFi password, and room service/package options.

4. Designate a preferred window of time for check-ins. Many Inns promise to be on-site between 3 pm and 6 pm, but I find that 3 pm to 8 pm is a more realistic window, especially for Friday evening. Keep an eye out for their arrival so they aren’t standing at the front door wondering if they are at the wrong house. Greet them warmly, shake their hands, call them by their names and congratulate them on their special occasion (this means finding out the reason for their stay when they book their reservation).

5. Provide them with dining out options and offer to make a reservation for them (especially since they will be exhausted from their travels). If they are celebrating a special occasion, jazz up a bottle of Champagne or box of truffles and place them on the bureau in their room. This will show that you are attentive and accommodating.

6. Ask about dietary restrictions/allergies at the time of booking. Many people who are restricted in diet are wary about staying at a B&B due to a reputation for decadent cuisine. Become proficient in gluten-free baking and diabetic needs and advertise this knowledge in your marketing. As far as your non-restricted food? Take the time to bake as much as you can from scratch and decorate it beautifully. People do not spend hundreds of dollars per night to be served muffins from a boxed mix and frozen quiches.

7. Find out their desired breakfast time when you check them in. This way, they won’t have to wait long for a hot breakfast, and you won’t get slammed by the breakfast rush all at once. I've seen people serve breakfasts in courses, but in my professional opinioin, anything more than a "Fruit" course and a "Main" course is anxiety provoking for the guests. Don't make them feel like they have to rush through their courses or sit through a longer breakfast than they anticipated. Plus, less courses, less dishes you have to wash.

8. Offer to put together an itinerary based on the nature of their trip. This way, they won’t be wandering aimlessly around a town, completely unaware of the amazing excursions that exist around them. This is an instance of going above and beyond the call of duty.

9. Leave your attitude at the door! I get it, we all have bad days, especially in the hospitality industry where you are pretty much married to your work. Time and time again, I read reviews about grumpy Innkeepers and it breaks my heart. Hospitality means making people feel comfortable, and you can’t do that with a sour-puss look on your face. If your heart isn’t in the business anymore and all you care about are dollar signs, please sell the business to someone who has the passion needed.

10. Cross-train your employees. I always see Innkeepers bending over backwards to clean 6 or 7 rooms a day, cook breakfast, do check-ins and handle the finances and that will burn you out quickly. Don’t be a control freak. If you hire an assistant Innkeeper or housekeeper, train them in ALL fields of your business instead of limiting them to scrubbing toilets and then complaining that you do too much. Teach them to prepare and plate the breakfasts, interact with guests, handle check-ins, run the gift shop, and reservation bookings. If something happens to you, God forbid, now you know that there is someone trust-worthy that can handle your pride and joy. This does not mean hiring an interim Innkeeper and making them an indentured servant. A good employee doesn’t quit the business, they quit the boss. Be a nurturing and compassionate employer who wants their employees to learn and grow, but also to run their business with professionalism and courtesy.

11. Maximize your Social Media presence. Join Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, everything! Link your blog to all of these and write at minimum one entry a week, which should not only highlight your Inn, but upcoming local attractions, food reviews and decor/style tips.

12. Respond to ALL reviews, not just the bad ones. If you do receive a bad one, DO NOT GET DEFENSIVE. Be apologetic and professional, and always offer a solution or alternative to their complaints to encourage them to give your business a second chance. When you receive a positive review, be gracious and enthusiastic for the guests' return.

13. Hairdryers, ironing boards/irons, and robes go a long way in terms of convenience for your guests. This will also warrant higher ratings from hospitality organizations reviewing your business. Also, consider featuring a gift shop area where guests can buy souvenirs, local products and extra amenities. Designate an actual section of your inn to display instead of strewing your product around the entire inn as "Decorations with Pricetags." Tacky.

14. Consider hosting weddings and events when your business starts to run smoothly. Special events can bring in wonderful revenue, provide stunning professional pictures for your website, and set you in a league apart from the rest. Form business relationships early on with local reputable caterers, cake designers, and party planners and attend workshops centered around event coordinating.

15. Identify your Inn's niche. If you want to market yourselves as culinary gurus, creative decorators, professional soap artisans, dog lovers, whatever you feel passionate about--set yourselves apart from the other run-of-the-mill inns in your area. Keep it simple and master your featured talent. Also, stay up to date with fluctuations and innovations in interior design. Replace sheets and comforters often, freshen up color schemes and revamp furniture when needed.