Spotlight on Mom: Hilary Chandler of kidecals, Waterproof Labels

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views shared are mine and mine alone.

One thing that I seemed to lose when I had my two daughters is my ability to stay organized.  Before the girls, people used to comment on how organized I was.  But, on any given day, I am lucky if I remember where I put the car keys or hid one of the kids toys I took away from them.  Call it Mommy Brain or lack of sleep, but it gets frustrating when you really need something, but can't find it.  How about you?  How are your organizational skills since you welcomed your children?  I find myself in a hide and seek game with myself at times. :-)

Just the other day, I wanted to try out a new recipe, and knew that I had ingredients for the recipe in the pantry.  But, as soon as I opened the pantry door, I thought I was peering into someone else's pantry. Gone was my tidy, oh so organized pantry, where pastas, sauces and rice were on one shelf, baking supplies on the next, canned goods organized by expiration date on another.  Instead, I was looking at jumbled up shelves.  I thought to myself, "Good luck at finding the chocolate chips and brown sugar." :-)

Then, for the next 2 hours, I did a major cleaning/organizing overhaul.  Thankfully the girls were sleeping, as they would have been pulling things from the shelf or reorganizing things for me.  I ended up doing something that I never do, and that was label the shelves.  I thought, this pantry didn't get disorganized by itself.  Nor, did I want to point fingers at my husband, who has recently tried helping by putting away pantry groceries.  I thought that by labeling shelves, everyone in the house would know where certain items go, and when it comes to needing something, you just had to look at the labels.  Easy, huh?  Well, by the time I was done and took a step back, I was amazed at not only how much food we had, that I was not aware of, but also, how organized the shelves were.  Now, I wouldn't have a problem finding what I need.  And, if my husband asks for something, like he did the other day, I can tell him to look in the pantry under XYZ label.  :-)

What got me thinking about labeling my pantry shelves?  With two young girls, I find myself labeling all their toys, sippy cups, bottles, clothing, etc., as you never know when you may find a mix-up at a playgroup or meetup, or lose something at the park or store.  If their names are on an item, it is easier to pick out say a sippy cup out of 4 that are the same.  But, no ordinary paper label will work, as they will start to wear and fall off after usually a single wash.  And, depending on the pen or marker you use to write a name or date on a label, this, too, will fade, deeming the label useless.  So, I took to the Internet to find waterproof labels, and this is when I stumbled upon this week's second Spotlight Mom, Hilary Chandler.  Hilary began her business 8 years ago, and now sells a wide assortment of waterproof labels that can be used to label many things -- from labeling your child's stuff, to labeling things in the pantry, etc., kidecals has you covered.  

When shopping the kidecals website, you find the following waterproof labels, for all your labeling and organizing needs, for every member of the family:

Personalized Kids Name Labels

Fun Mustache Stickers

Chalkboard Labels

 

Daycare Labels

 

Personalized clothing labels

 

Camp Labels

What I love most about kidecals after having tried them out myself is how durable they are.  I put these waterproof labels to the test by washing and soaking in the sink, running them through the dishwasher, and even applied them to the girls' clothes and washed and dried them.  With every test I did, they came out looking brand new -- without any wear or tear.  And, the writing stayed intact.  Amazing! Worried that these labels will ruin surfaces in your house?  Don't -- as they will not.  Once you remove them, you will never know there was a label there. :-)

While I have only been using the samples sent from Hilary to label my daughter's toys, clothes, books/DVD's, and sippy cups, I can now see the many uses for these waterproof labels, and will definitely be picking up more. :-)  

So, take back your sanity like I did, and start labeling stuff in your house with kidecals waterproof labels today.  And, just for Inspired by Savannah readers, make sure you use coupon code "blog10" to save 10% off your total order at kidecals -- www.kidecals.com.

Want a chance to win a $21 credits to kidecals, which you use to get an "everyday" set of labels FREE?  Then, head back here on Friday, when I will be starting the kidecals giveaway. :-) But, in the meantime, please enjoy my Spotlight Mom interview with Hilary Chandler of kidecals.



Name: Hilary Chandler
Company Name/Product/Service: kidecals
Company Location: Boulder, CO
Company Website: www.kidecals.com
Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/kidecals
Twitter Handle: @kidecals
Age of Company: 8 yrs. old
Favorite Inspirational Quotes: "This too shall pass" gets me through tough times while reminding myself not to take the present for granted
Favorite Book: I love to read so I have a lot of favorite books in different genres. I loved A Prayer for Owen Meany , The Unbearable Lightness of Being , The Great Gatsby, All the Harry Potter books, all the Hunger Games books I could go on and on!


Tell us a little bit about yourself.  How many children do you have?  What are their ages? Your hobbies? Etc.

I have two boys, 10 and 7 this summer. I live in the mountains but am really a beach bum. I love to ski, hike, and dance. 

Briefly explain your business.  How did it come about?

I started my business when I knew I wanted to paint a mural in my son's room but wanted to be able to change it as he grew. I had a dream about peeling and sticking murals to my walls, so I woke up and started researching how to do that. That was before the wall decal boom. I started with a line of hand painted wall decals and then grew my business into waterproof name labels as I saw a need to label and organize our lives as our family grew.

What is a typical work day like?

Wake up, get the kids ready for school, go to the gym if I am feeling motivated, then hit the laptop. I have a lot of emails to answer, and then I work on designs, product development, 
social media, etc.

What has been a struggle while starting up your company?

Finding the right people to work with, especially in the E-commerce world. Finding the right developer and the right SEO person is crucial. 

What did you do in your past work life?

I was a decorative painter and a teacher.

What have been some of your major successes?

My biggest success is having a happy marriage (most of the time), having two healthy boys, and having meaningful relationships with my friends and family.

What have been some of your major challenges?

Making the choice to live far from family. Starting and maintaining my own business. Living and working with my spouse. Conquering fear and self doubt.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?

This too shall pass :) 

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?

Still looking for it! I am not always good at it. We tend to not overbook our kids so we don't feel like we are running around too much. Since we work from home we can sneak in emails and computer work while the kids are home. We try to utilize our time when they are at school wisely and, since I am a night owl, later at night after they are in bed. 

What is next for your business?

 We have a lot of fun new products in the works (all decal related). Things that make the every day a little more bright and fun. We like to create high quality, design driven products that solve everyday problems or make ordinary objects extraordinary! Stay tuned!

Do you have any advice for other mom entrepreneurs that are starting out and struggling, or are on the fence about starting a business?

It is A LOT of work but being able to be my own boss and working from home and be around my kids has been wonderful. Pick your team wisely, do a lot of research before you start, ask for advice, and ask for help!

Disclosure:  I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views shared are mine and mine alone.