Well, guys, I have big news.

I started Blackberry Babe in 2014. At first, it was just a hobby. Then, it grew into a little business. And it grew, and it grew. I got to work with incredible brands like Honeysuckle White, Burgers’ Smokehouse, and Veetee Rice.

I got to spread the work about Harvesters good work and help them fund-raise over $2,000. I got to go see food production in action, from corn to turkey farms, to chicken farms, to a dairy farm. I took a pro cooking course for several months to improve my skills. And I loved every single second.

Meanwhile, I still had a day job, and a family to spend time with. The day job also started to get more time consuming once I began to manage the small recycling company I work for. It was hard not to put everything into my job, because we did worthy work.

I’m so proud of what our team accomplished, including recycling 175 million bottles in 2018 and being recognized as a Top 10 Business in Kansas City by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in 2019. 

I know my life looks great from the outside. I know it seems like I have my stuff together. I was born with an incredible amount of energy that I can put forth, so even when I’m struggling, I get things done. 

But, it’s never super apparent that I’m struggling because nothing gets dropped except my own happiness.

I hate to admit defeat, but it was too much to manage a company, a side business, provide my family the time and attention they needed and take care of my health, too. 

I tend to only admit my suffering and failures to a small group of people. My health tanked in 2018 and it delivered me a clear sign; you need to slow down; you can’t do everything. I blogged about it, and I received so many messages in return. 

It helped so much to know that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t the only one who had pushed it too hard, who had effectively reached the end of their rope and broke down. Thanks for being there for me during that time, for reaching out and reassuring me. 

Hitting the end of my rope forced me to really think about what I wanted my days and weeks to look like. And what my priorities are. My job was demanding and often left me drained at the end of the day. To lighten my load, I neglected Blackberry Babe for a while. But, it didn’t help. I grew even more frustrated because…

I love this blog. I love cooking, sharing recipes, and interacting with you all.

I had an offer to sell it (yes, you can sell blogs!) this spring and I turned it down. The idea of giving this blog up was almost offensive. The thought of someone else running it and me walking away upset me greatly.

I took that as a sign. My husband was already supportive of me making a change, and running Blackberry Babe full-time. I just wasn’t there yet. In his words, “What’s taken you so long?”

God bless patient men. 

So, this August is a month of big changes for our family. My son, Eli, will start Kindergarten.

And I will start working on Blackberry Babe full time.

I will be able to meet Eli at the bus stop at the end of the day, and spend my days growing this passion project of mine. 

This is a dream, realized. I can’t thank you enough for your support.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.