Donkeys, Dirty Socks and Change

That's me on the donkey. Behind me are Grandma Carroll and my mom, pregnant with my little brother. Looks like a pretty idyllic family photo, right?

If you said, "Yes," you'd be correct. But you'd never guess that my wonderful father had just recently been killed  in a car accident at the ripe old age of 26.

That's right, in spite of losing a father, husband, and a son, here we Carroll women are dealing with the radical change we've just had thrust into our lives, TOGETHER.

That's my dad in high school kicking back with the dirtiest socks Grandma had ever seen. She was mortified that he would wear such filthy things, but you can tell he couldn't care less. It's a shame he was taken from us so early, but we grew together and supported each other through the transition, like we always have when faced with big life changes. That's how my family is, and it's helped me tremendously in growing my business.

  In order to grow, you have to experience change. In can be intentional, or it can be accidental, but change will always happen. I've found the best way to deal with change positively is having family, friends, or a team around you to support you.

  They are people who love you and believe in you. They are the ones who lend a hand when they see you stumble. They pick you up and remind you of the greatness that lies ahead if you can muster the strength to keep moving forward and don't quit. They are the ones who make change bearable, and even welcome, because it means you're becoming a better, stronger, kinder person.

  So rather than fear change, gather a supportive group of people around you and invite change. It can be scary as hell, fun, challenging, rewarding, hard as shit, and scary as hell  (yes, I listed it twice because it can be THAT scary!). But ask any great person what made them that way, and they'll tell you of the big changes in their lives, not the times when everything was steady and safe.

  Now, I have a really big, scary (at least for me) announcement to make: my website is LIVE! I finally did it, with a lot of help from my team. It's www.SweaterBoxConfections.com, and you can now order your favorite treats online. Ain't technology great?! Go check it out, place an order, and get deliciousness in the mail.

  (Whew! Ok, that wasn't so bad. I think I'll live. Now, on to the next change...)

Enjoy (Ir)responsibly!

 Chris Carroll

  Father's Day Special!

 Hope you didn't forget Father's Day coming up soon! Even though my dad isn't with us anymore, I always remember him at this time of year. His birthday was June 17th, which will be two days after Father's Day.

  I talked earlier about change and having your team of supporters with you. Well, if your dad is one of your biggest supporters, then I encourage you to show him how much you appreciate him with an order of Sweater Box Confections! It might just be the best Father's Day gift he's ever received.

  If you go to www.SweaterBoxConfections.com and place an order of $30 or more (before shipping), I'll include two free coconut macaroons, one plain and one key lime with your order. Live locally? You can save on shipping by picking up your order at our Secret Kitchen Lair (not so secretly located with Zen Pops at MP 4.5 on the big road or as the post office would call it, 3712 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk, NC)!

Because we should not limit celebrating our dads, moms, aunts, uncles, ourselves, grasshoppers, trees, you get the idea, to just one day I'm offering this special for all of June!

 (WARNING: Giving your dad Sweater Box Confections may cause you to be envied and called a brown-noser by siblings, smothered in love by your father, and scorned by your mom for not being as thoughtful in May. BEWARE!)