hey everyone,
so I just started decorating cakes three months ago...never taken a class or anything but I got involved pretty quickly. I've recently started taking real orders from people. The seem to love cake balls/truffles. But I'm feeling Overwhelmed!! I have a big Cat in the Hat cake due Sunday. I have to do Eight Dozen cake truffles for next week, plus a dozen fancy cupcakes...oh, and I got an order for a couple dozen Whoopie Pies (my friend loves mine LOL)....and we are having Thanksgiving at my house and I REALLY WANT TO MAKE THE TURKEY CAKE!!! 
I guess I shouldn't complain for getting paid, but I'm so stressed!! Anyone else in this boat?!??
Oh, and did I mention I have two young kids who I am with all day, and then work 6 pm to 11 pm, at my real job?!??
Wow!! That's a lot to take on! All I can say is good luck and prioritize!!
I've already booked up from the week of Thanksgiving till Christmas. I have 4 small children and sometimes it gets crazy. I have one clinging to my leg as I type. Try not to stress yourself out, even though I do all the time. I don't know when I will get Christmas shopping done! Good Luck!!!
Momof4, I don't envy you!! 
It would be one thing if these million cake truffles were all the same flavor, but people order like a dozen or two dozen, of course all different! I think I can do those a few days ahead though...don't you think??
Doesn't it stink when you can't even do the fun stuff you want to do for your own family?? I mean, I love making cakes and I probably won't have time to make that turkey cake for my family for Thanksgiving!!
I'm with you. I made cake truffles almost a week ago, and we are still eating them. I think you would be fine making them a few days ahead. Make a list of everything you need to get done and when. I am going to start baking this week for the cakes that have to go out next week. Yes, I bake and freeze the layers. Make BC 10 lbs. at the time becase I hate to make it and store it in the fridge until I need it. That way I can just concentrate on the decorating aspect. I often tell my DH, I need to hire someone just to bake and make BC! DH has got pretty good at making BC and coloring it for me.
Kate-
I've been in that boat. As much as I love cakes, I did have to reprioritize and limit my schedule as it got way out of hand. Is your household dependant on your cake income? If not, please consider limiting yourself to what work you can do in an acceptable amount of 'you-hobby' hours. What would you do if your husband left to play golf as many hours away from the family as you spend on cakes? I'm still doing my cakes, but I've limited myself down to an acceptable amount of hours for me to do what I enjoy. After all, my cakes are a paid hobby (which I really really love, and get enormous gratification from doing them), but no hobby should keep me up all night long and keep me from being there for my children. If anything ever happened to me, my husband and children will miss me a lot more than my customers. Just a thought!
I'm with you my cake decorating is a paid hobby. But it took awhile and over booking myself to discover that I wanted it to remain a paid hobby. Now I keep a calendar on my desk and make sure I don't over book myself so I can give each order the time it deserves and still have time for myself and my family. It does seem that it is either feast or famine the orders either come in all at once or none at all really strange. I have had to remind myself a few times do not overbook but I know that sometimes it is hard to say no.
Good luck at learning where your boundries are I know that it is a challange.
Kathy
I have had to turn away orders this month. There are a LOT of birthdays in November! I try to limit my orders to 3 per weekend and will take one on Thursday and/or Friday. It isn't fun when you are so stressed out. I wasn't enjoying it when I was overbooking. Enjoy it!
Thanks, everyone, for your advice!! It's hard, because I'm just starting out, so I'd hate to say no, but you are right...there's only so much I can physically do. My family doesn't rely on this income...good thing, because I'm not making much, after all the equipment and ingredients I have to buy!! but I like it, so I guess that's all that matters.
I also have so many orders for cake truffles. You guys have helped me so much in the past. But I have more questions: how far advance do you make your truffles and when do you dip them? 
And what do you use to dip them in? I usually use candy melts, which is fine, and then I tried to freeze them all done, when they came out they cracked and sweated.
Someone at work mentioned milk choc. chips, I tried that and it sweat a little, but it's a tiny bit sticky, not smooth like the candy melts.
I have 40 orders (not counting my other cakes) and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this.
Anyone out there have experience with this? Sorry this is so long, but I'm kind of getting stressed - I've never had this response before!
Thanks so much, everyone.
Phyllis
I'm with you! I work full time; have a son (that plays sports), two dogs, cat, horse, gecko (you get the picture). I've been making 3 cakes per weekend somehow. I'm having a hard time saying "No". I'm waiting now to hear about a whimsical cake for December and I won't even have a kitchen at that time! Our kitchen is finally starting to come out this weekend - my husband's been waiting for me to finish my existing orders before tearing out our wall oven. Of course his friend called last night and asked if I could make one more cake for him for Sunday before we start ripping an tearing! We have Thanksgiving at our house every year for 30+ people - except for this year and it's tearing me up that I won't be able to take a dessert to my SIL's house when we go this year!
Anyhow - I think there are a lot of us in this boat. I do enjoy when I'm baking and decorating though.
Debbie
I know how everyone feels. I work full time in an accounting office(very boring), I have two teenage children at home who likes to go everyone where to meet their friends, plus a husband. So far I have six cakes and three pies for November 23rd. Don't ask me where the pies came in at because I just can't answer it. So I had to regroup last night and I told myself its ok to say NO.
Phyllis - I make the ball part and freeze well in advance of when I need them...then just take them out and dip in candy melts when I need them. I plan on dipping all of mine for next week on Friday, then putting them in the fridge for a few days. They will sweat a little bit, from the cake ball thawing out if you had them frozen, but that will go away if you let them sit for a bit. HTH
Glad I am not alone on this one!
You said this is not a major income contributor for your family so just keep in mind, you do this for fun. When it stops being fun, what's the point?
And thanks for the ideas on the cake balls!
it sounds like everyone is on the same boat here. i have 5 kids, class 3 days a week for my pastry certificate, work in a bakery 4 days a week, then stayed up last night til 4am for a 100 cookie order. you hate to say no because that might be the order that brings in good business, but like someone said earlier...my family would miss me more that my customers. i guess it's just trying to find a happy medium somewhere in the pile(behind the laundry)
Thanks, Kate -
That's the exact information I was hoping for! I'll be doing the same thing.
Who would have thought that trying to use up a few scraps would have turned into dozens and dozens of them needed at almost the same time!
It's amazing how I'm not sick of eating them yet either.
Thanks again.
Phyllis
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