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Change is inevitable in life and can be hard, wonderful, or both.  Last fall, my oldest child started college and my youngest started kindergarten.  Talk about change in the family!  (I found it easier to send my last child to kindergarten, than my first to college). 

That first Spring, in 1997, my husband gave me $1000 to mail out letters with price lists to 1000 area Childcare providers, and Back 2 Basics 4 Kids was born. I also began to attend Childcare Conferences as a vendor and workshop presenter and this avenue has been a great way to meet customers face to face and share ideas back and forth. In the spring of 1999 I was able to get 5000 copies of my first catalog printed. What a great experience to mail and hand out a catalog that had pictures of my products and a picture of my younger daughter gracing the front cover.

The changes in the business in the last few years have been even more dramatic.  Summer of 2003 brought a new name, a new logo, a new web site, and a new building.  Many of you may remember purchasing art and craft supplies from Back to Basics.  Now, you will have even more kid’s learning tools to choose from at Back 2 Basics 4 Kids.  Along with the name change came a professionally designed logo (see above).  We have also made extensive changes to the web site, both adding new products and information, and switching to a better shopping cart system to make it easier for you to shop 24 hours a day.  Finally the biggest change has been the new building.  With so many new products and increasing the volume of inventory, the business was bursting the seams of the basement and what started as a simple “replacing a storage shed” project became the new home for a beautiful store and warehouse/garage for Back 2 Basics 4 Kids.  If you are ever in the Fosston Minnesota or Bagley Minnesota area, call 218-668-2884 to make an appointment to browse in the new store. 

My third catalog is the 2004-2005 catalog and was ready to go out to customers in November of 2004.  If you would like a copy of this catalog email me at jberntson@back2basics4kids.com  with your name and address and I would be happy to send you a free copy. 

On an even more personal note, over the last 2-3 years I have lost and kept off about 70 pounds.  I have also chosen to eliminate several outside activities (including teaching College Biology and being a Township clerk).  Now I can focus on the things that are of the greatest importance to me: my family, my personal health goals, and my business, Back 2 Basics 4 Kids.

There is always a certain philosophy or mission statement behind every business and my dear friend Jody was able to put it into words for me with the statement that my products all fit with "Learning by Doing". Whether kids are creating great works of art with tempera paints and chubby brushes, coming up with new designs for the Perler Fuse beads, or putting Squashblox Building Cushions together in a new and creative way, they are using their minds, hands, and bodies to learn, create, and have fun. Because I have added so many new products over the last year, I realize that no longer do my products all fit under the umbrella of "Art and Craft Supplies", but now would be better termed "Kids Learning Supplies". I am proud to say that I have found products such as the wood puzzles and the train sets, that though look and function as traditional toys, also encourage early literacy because of their inclusion of letters and words within the toy itself.

Find more information about the workshops that I am available to present or what conferences I will be set-up as a vendor. Even if you are not going to be attending a particular conference, you may still be able to purchase supplies at the conference by stopping by during the hours that I am set up, or call 1-800-367-0537 to place an order that you can pick up at the conference.

What changes are you making in your life, work or business?  Do you need new ideas for your kids, grandkids, or students?  Back 2 Basics 4 Kids still has many of the tried and true products that kids love, including tempera paint, finger paint, Perler Fuse beads, stringing beads, and magnets, but now we have added Squashblox Construction Cushions, wooden puzzles, train sets, and many kids science “tools”.  Drop me an email at jberntson@back2basics4kids.com and tell me about the changes you have made in your life.