Introducing Roxanne, the Messy Play Van!

This year has thrown us all for a loop, to put it nicely. It seems like every time we adjust to the "new normal," something else comes along to throw us off our track. We keep pushing forward, and I'm hopeful that eventually life will return to something steady and "normal" again.

The Backstory - CA Wildfires

For me, the August CZU wildfires that hit my community hard have changed my life in ways I never would have expected. My house was spared, incredibly, but most around us were not, including everything uphill from us. That places our home in a really dangerous spot as we head into the winter rainy season. There's a high chance that with heavy rains (which are very normal for us), the hillside above us will slide. To keep us safe, the county will be issuing evacuation orders during most rain storms this winter. The tricky thing with mudslides and debris flows is they happen incredibly quickly, and the best way to stay safe is to evacuate early with any chance of rain. Sounds easy with a work-from-home, product-based business, right?

Messy Play Kits is hitting the Road

So, my husband and I came up with an alternative plan. We've been mulling this over for a while now and working out the details. We've decided to buy a Sprinter Van for my business, and haul my inventory out of harm's way for the winter season. We plan to live with family out of state for all or most of the winter, and since my husband is working remotely due to COVID anyway, it's a great opportunity to travel safely and spend more time with family. It seems like a win-win.

What does this mean for Messy Play Kits?

Not much will be changing!!!! The great thing about a van is it can hold a LOT of inventory! However, I do need to streamline my manufacturing process and be able to use the limited space as efficiently as possible. So that means that after this holiday season, I will be discontinuing all of my smaller products ("Messy Play Singles") until further notice. I also will no longer be offering wholesale orders for stores, as that requires having duplicate labels and keeping a lot more stock on hand.

Monthly subscriptions will continue to be the best way to get new activities regularly delivered to you. I'll keep offering both Messy Play Kit and Sensory Bin monthly subscriptions, which can be purchased as gifts also. I currently sell individual Kits and Bins on the website as well, but that may change as I figure out what space the van actually holds. 

So, the main point here is that Messy Play monthly subscriptions will be the one thing I know I'll always have available next year, but the other products might not be available for long. Make sure you grab those stocking stuffers NOW and use those holiday coupon codes to get the best savings, before these products are gone!  

 Our Plans for Roxanne

Want to follow along with the van build? We have some really fun design plans, and hope to get working on parts of the build soon! I'll be posting on Instagram about it, so that's the best place to find updates and follow along! 

Here is an idea of what I have planned for the exterior!