Our Story: Challenges, delays and determination
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that dreams rarely follow a straight line. I’ve always carried this deep desire to create something of my own—to build a business that blends creativity, celebrations, and meaningful memories. But as much as I’ve longed to launch, life has had other plans. This post is a bit of a reflection: the story of our journey so far, the setbacks and pauses, the lessons we’ve gathered along the way, and why we still believe 2025 will be our year.
It all started with a dream…
The idea for this business first took root when we were living abroad.
Planning parties for my own children had shown me how much joy I found in creating experiences, themes, and memories—and I couldn’t help imagining how that might grow into something bigger.
But, I was juggling a full-time job with an on-call roster; my spare time was consumed by scribbled notes, digital notes and big ideas. With no business sense whatsoever, it was time to research. The library became a second home!
But then came a decision we hadn’t foreseen: moving back to the UK, right in the middle of the global pandemic.
The Pandemic Pause
We arrived back in the UK while the world shut down. Lockdowns, restrictions, the uncertainty of daily life—it simply wasn’t the right time to start a business. My time was consumed in restarting life from scratch: finding a home, building routines, reconnecting with family, and making sense of the chaos.
It felt like pressing pause on a dream. Yet, even then, the thoughts and ideas kept coming. I made notes of plans, sketched out logos, brainstormed party themes, and kept reading and learning. The want was always there; it was just in the waiting.
The Reality of Resettling
Resettling in the UK took more than I anticipated in terms of both time and money. I took a part-time job, hoping it would allow me the space to focus on the business alongside earning an income. But the truth was, time just disappeared too easily. Between the demands of everyday life and the never-ending list of responsibilities, I often found myself drained before I even reached the “fun” creative work.
But I had all those plans awaiting to set the foundations.
A First Attempt
In December 2021, I decided to finally make it real. Lucas’s birthday became the launch pad: a Fortnite-themed teepee sleepover, complete with Instagram posts and the beginnings of content creation. I finally felt like we were moving forward.
We created a selection of themed set-ups and marketed those throughout 2022 to little avail.
But life, again, had other plans.
Covid and Long Covid
Mid 2022, I finally got covid, it was the sickest I have ever been - though luckily for me, I was not hospitalised. I didn’t recover quickly. It became Long Covid, taking its toll not just physically but emotionally, too. I lost momentum, I lost motivation. I had to prioritise; I had my day job to manage, family life and of course my health and fitness. I was drained.
But little by little, as my health allowed, I began to rebuild. In July 2023, we relaunched; this time with a focus on weddings and printable designs, kicking off with planning for the wedding of one of my close friends. I leaned into content creation and self-promotion, doing what I could with the energy I had. And for a while, things were moving again.
Another Setback
Then, 2024 brought another round of Covid and more lingering effects. This time, the timing was particularly frustrating - it clashed with a wedding fayre we had planned, something I’d really pinned my hopes on. We went anyway, but I just didn’t have it in me to gain and pursue leads. As recovery dragged on, motivation slipped again. It’s hard to keep pushing when your body needs you to rest.
The ideas and plans sat waiting, reminding me that I wasn’t getting anywhere, what’s the point? It’s clearly not meant to be. But my passion remained so I resolved to give one last push. 2025 is the year!
The Ongoing Struggle
If I’m honest, the hardest part hasn’t just been illness or logistics, it’s been the sheer weight of overwhelm. Life asks us to be so many things at once: a fit, healthy person, a motivated employee, a present parent, a dependable partner, and somewhere in there, a creative entrepreneur with a side hustle. Some days, it feels impossible to be all of that all at once.
I’ve battled with task paralysis, where the list of things to do feels so long that I freeze instead of taking even one step. I’ve wrestled with guilt, feeling like I should be doing more. And I’ve had to face the uncomfortable truth that sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t life or illness, it’s me; my own energy, focus, and mindset.
What Has Helped
Through all of this, I’ve found some fantastic resources that have helped me keep perspective:
Podcasts like Introvertpreneur and Mindset Reset, sharing resources and learning targeted to me.
Blogs and accounts like The Humble Penny that inspire me to think long-term and stay grounded.
Books like Atomic Habits, teaching me that even the tiniest steps add up if you stay consistent.
Communities and mentors like the Financial Joy Academy, which have shown me the importance of community and accountability to remain focused.
These tools haven’t “fixed” everything, but they’ve offered encouragement when I needed it most.
Looking ahead
And now, here we are. It’s late 2025, and I still feel like this is our year, our make-or-break moment. We have launched a website and open our online store. The wish is still there, stronger than ever, and so are the ideas. More than that, though, I’ve grown through the delays. I’ve learned patience. I’ve learned that slow progress is still progress. And I’ve learned that sometimes the most important part of building a business isn’t the glossy “launch,” but the real-life journey that gets you there.
For us, this journey has been longer and harder than I ever expected. But even with every challenge, I wouldn’t change the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Because when we do finally get this business off the ground, I know it will be stronger, more meaningful, and more resilient for everything we’ve worked through to get here.
If you’re reading this and you’ve faced delays and challenges in achieving your own goals or dreams, I want you to know: you’re not alone. Life rarely clears a perfect path for us to follow. Sometimes you’ll have to pause, sometimes you’ll struggle, and sometimes you’ll wonder if you’ll ever get there. But if the dream still burns inside you, it’s worth holding onto.
Here’s to 2025 - the year we finally turn the dream into reality.
*This post is AI supported using ChatGPT for formatting
