Be yourself. Love yourself. Take care of each other.

Hello, world! Shelly here! Time for another edition of Take Care, a weekly-ish bit of tips and updates to help you be yourself, love yourself, and take care of each other (and yourself!) I’m Shelly of Geek Out of Water.

TGIF! Final exams have started at JMU where I teach, and we are heading into the final week of the academic year! That means... my summertime all-in with GOOW is soon to come! What does that mean? I'll be putting the finishing touches on my summer product launch, getting a bunch of stuff filmed for YouTube, and of course, some relaxation! In this edition of Take Care:

• A BOGO sale this weekend to celebrate all the moms!
• Graphic tees moved to Etsy
• I got a new camera! What videos should I make?
• Am I opening a retail store?!

Happy Mother's Day BOGO Sale!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there! I don't have kids myself, but of course I'm a cat mom. 😺😺😺 Not the same, I know - but here's to everyone that loves fiercely and puts caring for others (humans and creatures!) at the top of your list. And that means self-care, too!

Celebrate with these giftable lotions: use code YAYMOM at checkout on shopgoow.com for Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off on all Body Butters, Magnesium Lotions, Glow & Go or White Birch Hand & Body Lotions, and Tattoo Balm (mix and match!)

Graphic tees moved to Etsy

I've decided to move my custom-designed graphic t-shirts to Etsy. They were already on Etsy, but having them in two places didn't make a lot of sense, and they don't fit well with the skin care shop. My tie-dyes are still on my GOOW shop, but those may eventually move to Etsy as well. So if you'd like to keep up with my new t-shirt designs, follow my Etsy shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/geekoutofwater/

I got a new camera!

As you may or may not know, when I embarked upon Vlogsmas on YouTube last December, it was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to see if I liked making (and editing) vlog-style content on a regular basis, and I wanted to see if you all were interested in seeing that kind of content from me. I also wanted to see if the Sony vlog camera I bought a few years ago would suit my purposes. While I will never be a Casey-Neistat-level vlogger (and I can't see myself ever getting rid of my sit-down reviews!), the response from everyone was overwhelmingly positive, and I really enjoyed sharing different sides of my days with you. And I realized that I really don't like vlogging with that camera (though I do have other uses planned for it).

So I did some research on the most popular vlog cameras, and the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 looked like the best one for my purposes. I should've bought it in December when I first considered it, but I wasn't yet sure I wanted to vlog regularly. Well, it went up in price $100 since Christmas due to the new tariffs on imported electronics, so I decided now or never! I ordered it on April 11, and it had an estimated April 30 delivery date. Well, good thing I ordered when I did, because right after that, the price shot up another $180! Then my order was delayed, and I feared I wouldn't get it because as soon as that second price jump hit, DJI completely sold out of them with no estimated restock date. The camera finally arrived May 7 and it is now sitting on my desk as I stare at it, terrified of all the new ideas I have to come up with to film. 🎥 🤣

So... what kinds of vlogs would you like to see? Behind-the-scenes formulating stuff? Packing orders and product stuff? Day-in-the-life stuff? I have a vision of walking around my neighborhood park talking about skin care ingredients, rather than always doing the talking-head videos at my vanity. I also have another idea of what I will vlog..... ⬇️

Am I opening a retail shop?!

Well... I'm trying to! 🤞 If you've watched any of my formulating videos, you have seen that I currently formulate in a tiny "lab" space set up in my laundry room. (Shout out to my mom who deals with me taking over the house with my business little by little!) I've outgrown that space and since my mom drew the line at me taking over the guest bedroom and installing a sink and lab tables in there (was worth a try!), I need a bigger space if I want to grow GOOW into a full-time business (and that is THE DREAM, so...).

I've looked at a few properties to lease, but the hard part is that at the going rates around here, I can only afford a small unit, 1,000 square feet or less - and there aren't many of those here, let alone available ones. Sadly the few I've looked at either got leased before I could get in the game, or have unresponsive landlords that apparently aren't interested in filling their empty spaces. But I am not giving up and my goal is to get into a place this summer while I'm off work.

The dream is to have a place where I have a small retail storefront plus my formulation lab and packing/shipping space in the back. This will also give me space to set up proper filming gear to make better formulation videos.

So if this comes to fruition, I will vlog the whole experience! I am manifesting it HARD, and I believe my dedication to this dream will pay off. I've wanted to have my own shop of some kind since I was a little kid, and I'm determined to make it happen! Now is the time... MY TIME!

And JUST as I typed that, my realtor messaged and said a spot that I'm super-interested in is available and we're going to go see it next week! Eeeeeeeeeeek! The possibilities make my heart jump with joy!

With that, I will leave you to your weekend celebrations! Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks and remember: be yourself. Love yourself. Take care of each other,

💜 Shelly

Find me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goow

Shop my handmade skin care: https://shopgoow.com