How awful to get wrong info, get your hopes all up and then get them dashed like that!! No suggestions, just wanted to send an uber-hug and a pat on the back.

torysgirl-

You may want to consider having a child first, it is a lot more work and worry than those without children assume. Not saying you assume this but it seems like you are trying to take on a lot at once. Once your child is born you may feel differently about placing them in someone else's care. There is always time for cakes later and research has shown that the first three years of life it is important for the child to be with their mother for psychological and developmemental reasons, after that flip a coin for day care or dad to stay home, whatever you decide. Cake does not need you like your child will. And remember children need their parent's time, not things. Just my two cents. I wish you luck, God will help you find the way...

Tiffraine,

If I have a baby, I definitely want to stay home with my child, thus me wanting to work from home. I've always wanted to do cakes, I've just recently wanted to have children. In fact, when DH and I started on the idea of a bakery at home neither of wanted kids. Now we do. But I don't want to only be a stay at home mom. I still want to work at something, somewhere. I find work fulfulling. My husband is dead set against us having a baby and putting it in daycare. At this point, I'd have no other choice if I had a baby b/c I work full time and need my health insurance. With building the bakery at home, by the time it was finished I could get on my husband's insurance, and do cakes on my own time, then have a baby. I'm sure there is much more to being a parent than I know anything about. No one knows until they have their own kid, though I have 3 nephews and neices have babysat and changed many a diaper. But I wasn't planning on doing all of this before June 1 or even by the end of the year. I also definitely don't think cake needs me. But lots of parents work to take care of their kids and this would be my job, just from home, and one I'd happen to love. My parents say thye cried when my ma took me to daycare at 6 weeks and she went back to work. But I have never, ever felt deprived or that I didn't get what I needed from my parents. Nonetheless, I'm very disappointed at this roadblock. Thanks for your well wishes. I am doing a lot of thinking.

HUGGS!!!! Thank goodness it's not after construction. About the Church idea... because Churches are a seperate private group their kitchens do not have to be licenced as long as they are not selling to the public. You can give food away but you can't sell it without being licensed. I just went through this with thinking our Community Club House Kitchen would be an option for me to rent and be legal. Same thing private group and no licensing needed. But one day I declair I will sell cake!!!

But you do need to get a cry out and grieve this thing then move on, GF.

Onward and upward.

k8memphis,

You are right, it could be much worse. I only almost had a house full of equipment. I think Church kitchens are allowed here too, but I don't have a church home w/ a kitchen. The state actually approves the church kitchen, home based commercial kitchen, but its the county I've run into issues with.

Sad smile, thanks for the hug!

The cry will come and then the plan B. I've always had everything in life I've ever wanted, except for happy newlywed weight. I won't stop now!

torysgirl-

I stayed home with my daughter for the first 22 months of her life, then went to work full-time for a year, then cut down to part-time and then my son was born 5 months ago and decided not to go back to work at the end of the 12 week maternity leave. Now two months later I am looking for a part-time job to pay the bills. I worry about when my children are day care, if they're getting enough interaction, safety, etc. that is why I'm hesitant to go back to work though trying to work it around my husband's sched to avoid day care. I'm petrified another toddler will attack my 5 month old when the sitter is not looking or they won't get enough mental stimulation(6 children under five is a lot to take care of. Hopefully my sched and husband's sched will work out as( we don't want to lose our house either and it's nice to socialize with adults, it does also make you appreciate your children more if you don't see them the whole day) It's hard to focus on work if you're worrying about the children though. That's why I think your commercial bakery in the home is a great idea. If you need to hire a sitter they can be in your home possibly while you are working on cakes and you can also get additional personal fulfillment doing something for work that you enjoy.

Have you and your husband thought about buying/renting housing in a town/county near yours that does allow licensed home kitchens/commercial home kitchens? That might be something to look into. It would be more cost effective to find a town within a county that allows you to do a licensed home kitchen and while you're building a name for yourself slowly start construction on a separate commercial home kitchen. Things to think about which it sounds like you're doing a lot of. I noticed you're in Decatur, that is where the company that I worked for (Small Smiles, Children's Dental CLinic) first started and expanded nationwide.

tiffraine,

I thought to myself, "Should we move?" But we have put MAJOR work into our house. It is my baby. At my Daddy's urging, I broke my apt lease and bought it when I was only 19. When I met my husband, we wanted to be together more than how fast the house would sell so he moved to Decatur, we married, he moved in and its been our project since.

I guess we could move, but I don't want to and I don't know if DH would want to. I live on the block w/ my parents. My ma is retiring in 3 months and my daddy next year. I would have help nearly on hand w/ my baby and business and my ma was even excited about a start up doing wedding photography after she retired where we could work together as a team. *sigh*

I started searching just to see how much a commercial piece of property would cost. Some were quite reasonable, but I have to find out what is involved in owning a bakery. For 2 years, my entire thought process, researching, etc has been home based.

I also google searched home based bakeries in GA. There are some. I have called and left messages to speak w/ the owners. I don't know which counties these are in.

I'm sure there is a purpose behind it all. I will find it. I hope you are able to find work that fits your family, life and schedule. I can't have a bakery at home, but may be you can!

I have done baking in my church kitchen. It is quite large and meets all the requirements of the HD. As long as no one is using it for a church function and the building is open anyway, why not? Or - since baking is largely a nighttime affair, perhaps you could share a kitchen with a daytime biz.

Good luck!

i don't understand, is it a zoning issue?....if it was me, and that was it....i'd try to get it changed, if it's God's will...He will help you.

you can do biz as a home baker in tulsa county, if you have a separate kitchen, that has been laid out by health dept regulations....you can't use your family kitchen tho...

Littlecake,

Yes, it is a zoning issue and I have already started the process to see if I can have my property rezoned, though I have been told up front it not very likely that it will be approved.

I'm glad you are going forward till you get the "closed door"....most people are so negative, everyone and their dog will tell you why it's so hard and why you can't do it.

But when you have God helping you, He knows how to get past the roadblocks that stop the other folks....who knows, it might be easy to get it changed...that is just one persons opinion.

"Lord please make the path straight for torysgirl87, if that's the path you would have her take, give her extreme favor with the people who make the decisions" in Jesus name.

He's done so many things for me over the years that seemed hard at the time, this is not a one bit hard for Him, if this is what He wants for you.

if not. there will be another better way, nevr give up.

Amen!

Wow! Thanks so much for your prayers for me!!! How beautiful! I am so thankful for the support I have received here.

I really do believe what you said. If this is for me, God will make a way.