It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

"Mama, stop SINGING! You are not a RADIO.  We need a RADIO because that is where the GOOD music comes from." - Anjali George

Several weeks back, we shuttered Snapgifts.com.  Which explains the lack of shilling, as of late.  Relieved much?

With a serial entrepreneur such as my husband, there are always Irons in the Fire.  Iron A, Snapgifts, was actually going well.  Business was steady, we had a system down for it. Meanwhile, Iron B was also glowing red and Iron C just needed more coal to the fire.

Quite simply, we were at a point with Snapgifts where we could not handle more growth - we were at capacity.  We were on the verge of getting overwhelmed and there was no way we could have handled the holiday rush - not without extra investment money to hire seasonal help.  Couple this with endless fraud attempts and we had to make the difficult decision to concentrate on Irons B and C.   The fraud attempts were particularly frustrating and we are very, very grateful for my background.  Since I had worked with fraud in some past positions, we were able to nip quite a load of it in the bud.  And yes, I have a post percolating on how you, as a consumer, can prevent credit card fraud (Hint: credit cards don't really care about preventing credit card fraud as much as the fancy commercials claim.  Why?  Because they pass the buck to the merchant, which works out quite profitably for the credit card company.  Nice how that works, eh?)

So, Manoj has been working full-time on Iron B since early June.  This requires him to leave the house and that has been an interesting adjustment for everyone involved.  Oh sure, I have complained about him being a WAHD, but in reality, I have lost my co-parent.  And now, I have to feed my children and change diapers again (previously, my primary duties were Entertainment and Clothing).  The kids have never really known a time when Manoj was not here most of the time - Arun has done fine with it, Anjali cried for him at first, but that is tapering off a bit now.  And both kids are skinny as matchsticks now.  (Note to Self: FEED THE CHILDREN.)

Overall, Manoj has been circumspect about this Conclusion.  In the post-mortems we have done, we are perfectly okay with what happened and how we went about the business. The ultimate business idea/endgoal was rock solid (and actually, Target and Starbucks have announced plans to do the very same thing - gift cards via your smartphone are coming, folks.  And I can report personally that having a gift card on your phone is incredibly convenient.)   Anyway! We did the very best that we could, but in the end, we did not get investment money.  Quite simply, it was time to close shop and stoke the other fires.

It was easier for Manoj to move on, because he is still working, only in a different capacity.  The adjustment for me was a little more disjointed.  One day I was working, the next day I was not.

And the freedom I felt was palpable.

I decided to celebrate by taking the kids to a berry farm, then to a puppet show.  It was a perfect day, a delicious way to put our life back on track.  I am quite happy staying home full-time and for the first time in a long time, I feel right, I am aligned.

Nevertheless, the last year has taught me that I will need to work outside of the home.  Eventually.  Someday. For now, my days are quite full in the home - Team Chaos currently figures largely, but soon enough, they will move on with their own activities, their own friends, their own lives.  It is up to me to determine my next path, lest I find myself a cautionary tale akin to Mrs. Bridge. 

And yes, I am acutely aware as to how incredibly fortunate I am to have such freedoms.  It is certainly not something that I take for granted.

Rest in peace, Snapgifts.  Thank you for giving me perspective.