Slowing Down at Home and in Business

Slowing down means loving more of these moments

January moved fast in our house.

The kind of fast where the days are full and meaningful, but you don’t quite feel your feet on the ground until it’s over. By the time February arrived, we could feel it, not burnout exactly, just a quiet knowing that it was time to soften the pace.

So, we’re slowing down at home.

Not by doing nothing. Not by pulling away from responsibilities. But by creating space… space to be present, space to enjoy the life we’re building instead of constantly managing it.

At home, this looks like fewer rushed mornings and more gentle starts. Meals that don’t need to impress anyone. Letting the day unfold instead of filling every pocket of time. Staying a little longer on the floor with the baby. Letting naps be naps, not windows to cram everything else in.

We’re learning that home doesn’t need to always be optimized. It needs to be lived in.

At the same time, we’re slowing down in our work — not by stepping back from it, but by getting more intentional within it.

Emerald City Tallow is still very much alive and growing. The work doesn’t stop. Orders still go out. Batches still get made. Emails still get written. But the way we approach the work is shifting.

Slowing down in business, for us, means tightening our systems so they can run more automatically. It means putting in the effort upfront so that the rest of the week doesn’t feel reactive. When systems are steady, life gets to breathe.

One of the ways we do this is by batching.

Every Tuesday, I set aside time with a dear friend — usually with my baby alongside me, often during nap time — to plan and prepare. This is where content gets mapped, emails are outlined, research and development happens, and ideas are given space to land.

It’s not rushed. It’s not chaotic. It’s intentional.

That one pocket of focused work allows the rest of the week to feel slower, softer, and more present. Instead of constantly switching gears, we create from a grounded place and then step back into family life without the mental clutter of unfinished tasks.

This rhythm has been especially important with a baby.

Babies don’t care about deadlines or productivity. They move at their own pace, and in many ways, they invite us to do the same. Building a business alongside motherhood has taught me that slowing down doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means designing systems that support real life.

Slower days aren’t accidental. They’re planned for.

They’re created by saying no to overcomplication, by choosing simplicity, by honoring the seasons we’re in. When the work is organized and intentional, the rest of life doesn’t have to feel rushed or fragmented.

February is about reinforcing those rhythms.

It’s about choosing presence over pressure. Trusting that steady, thoughtful work is enough. And remembering that the purpose of building a business isn’t to consume our lives; it’s to support them.

This is what slowing down looks like for us right now.
At home. In business. Together.

Thanks for listening,

Emily <3