Single Working Womens Week – SWWAN

Just heard about some folks who run a natural clothing store that pays fair wages, teaches women to sew, and uses only organic cotton to make simple, high-quality, timelessly styled dresses, capes, ponches, and more. We hope you’ll soon be able to purchase some their clothing here in our SWWAN store, but meanwhile, read about esperanzathreads.com Organic Clothing and Eco-Goods (esperanza means hope):

Everyone wants to know why organic cotton is so important to us. The reason lies in the fact that conventional cotton is the second most heavily sprayed crop in the world [coffee is the first]. Typically, on an average size T-shirt, between a quarter to a half pound of pesticides are sprayed. …A major principle that guides us is the belief that all workers should be paid fairly. To this end we strive to pay fair wages and to teach and guide low-income individuals who wish to provide for their basic needs and the needs of their families.” (more here)

Drive-Cleaning is one of our first registered SWWAN vendors. Thanks to Mike Bleier, founder and president, who spent enough years of his own trying to get to the dry cleaners when he needed to, Chicago residents can now get their dry cleaning and laundry picked up and delivered for no extra charge.

And that’s really great. But listen to this: Drive Cleaning will also fix your clothes and replace buttons for you! Now how’s that for a service that SWWANs can use?

In business since 2004, Drive Cleaning offers personalized service by phone or you can place your request for pickup through their website. You can arrange your first pickup and give them a key to your outside door. They’ll provide a big bag to put your stuff in; then they hang your clothes on a door hook they provide you.

Mike sees a rosy future for his concept. He says in 6 months or so they plan to start picking up and repairing shoes and handbags! Too cool. He also says he thinks this is going to be a perfect business for franchising–all it takes is some brains, a van, the Drive Cleaning plan, and a lot of elbow grease.

Mike is offering SWWAN members 20% off on their first order! Thanks, Mike.

Birthdays can be some of the best days of our lives–or the crappiest. That’s as true for everybody as it is for us Single Working Women.

They say at least one of the decades of your life will make you feel bad–but which decade will give you the most grief is totally individual. I remember my sister remarking that 30 was a bad one for her. Some find 50 devastating (trust me, you’ll get past that…” ). I think how you react to your birthday any year depends in part on what’s going on in your life at the time. Like:

• Did you just become a single mom? In my experience, that event is usually mixed with two profound emotions–joy that you’ve made the right decision, and terror about how you’re ever going to do this! You don’t have time to feel too bad; you’re just too busy.
• Did you just move to a new city that year? Again, equally mixed emotions.
• Did something in your work life change–you got a big promotion/raise, that boss you couldn’t stand finally left? Great stuff, new challenges, or maybe sad because something else didn’t happen. Who knows what works on us at these times.
• You started your own business that year–ditto the emotions of becoming a single mom. Heaven knows if you do both in the same year, you’re automatically eligible to apply for SWWAN of the year! More here.

So if you’re a Leo and you’re having a birthday around now, here’s to a good one!

Weight. What a pain. But it’s all in your perspective, right?

A fellow SWWAN (a very attractive size 8) was groaning to me today about having to listen to her size-4, 97-pound, 5-foot-9 friend complain about being fat. “It’s ridiculous,” she said. “All I can dream about is Ho-Hos, and she’s talking about going on a diet.”

Oh, man. Filed the official application for trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. These days you can file it yourself–if you’ve got the patience to read all the directions and the courage to plunk down your money when you don’t know if you did it right. You can do it yourself right here. Lots of good help, but not for the faint of heart.

Here’s our new now-officially-able-to-be-labeled “TM” logo.

If you haven’t heard about our official holiday, you will soon. The book hasn’t been published yet, but boy, are we looking forward to it! Chase’s Calendar of Events is the place where all official holidays are recognized and published. Lots of reporters and TV people use that book to find interesting stories to tell.

And we’re going to give them a whole lot to tell! Stay tuned…

Hey, I’m a single working woman–how about you? Who else do you know?

Stay tuned for some great news!