• Cart
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Ina
    • Journals
    • Hurley House
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Cart
  • Events
  • Hospitality
    • Cooking
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Celebrate
    • Basics
  • Lovely Living
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Hurley House
    • Ina
    • Journals
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • Learn
  • Blog
  • About
  • Events
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

  • Hospitality
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Cooking
    • Basics
    • Celebrate
  • Lovely Living
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Beauty
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Events
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • About

Why Mondays Are A Big Deal

October 5, 2017 · In: Chronicles, Hurley House

The moment I hit “post” on Instagram, I felt my stomach drop.  There was no turning back.  It was officially happening.  We were going to be open on Mondays, and I wondered if I should find a paper bag to breathe into.

Up to this point, every new venture, every big idea, every area of growth at Hurley House has brought with it a surge of excitement and giddy anticipation on my part.  And while the decision to be open on Mondays has brought with it a calm reassurance of knowing that this is the next right thing to do, I also felt a nervousness on the surface at the reality of the change.  

Maybe you are thinking, “Come on.  It’s one day.  What’s the big deal?”

Imagine if you found out that your children would have to start going to school on Sundays.  There would be a shift in how you think and prepare for your week.  You would suddenly need to have clean uniforms and packed lunches ready a day earlier, make changes in wake-up times and bedtimes, plus consider and plan for things like carpool, homework, and after school activities. None of these things are new (you’re already doing them), but now you have to begin doing them on a different day.  That’s a little how being open on Mondays feels to me.

Mondays are a big deal because up to this point, our entire operation has centered around the fact that Monday was a work day but not a retail sales day.  From the inception of Hurley House, my intention was to never be open on Mondays.  It was sort of a pillar of my plan.  An ideal I held fiercely to, confident it would never change.  

I loved hunkering down and working at my computer all day on Monday, not a stitch of makeup on my face and not a caring even a little bit about what I was wearing.  I loved keeping the lights off in the store and knowing I could spread papers and projects out on the tables if I needed to.  I loved walking out of the store on Saturdays, not really worrying about the condition of the store because, you know, I would have time to take care of it on Monday.  

But then something happened that I didn’t love.  I started having to say no.  No, I’m sorry, we can’t have a birthday cake for your daughter on Monday.  No, I’m sorry, you can’t pick up your meal on Monday.  No, I’m sorry, you can’t have a party here on Monday.  No, I’m sorry, you cant come in, even though you see us in here working on Monday.  No.  No.  No.

It was time to reconsider my pillars, my ideals, my non-negotiables.   Maybe it was time to figure out a way to stop saying no, and start saying yes.  With that thought in mind, we began to figure out how to make it work.

In order to be open on Mondays, we had to change everything (and I mean everything) about how we work.  We had to consider big decisions like when we have our weekly staff meeting and when we get the store ready for the coming week, to small decisions like when we brew tea and when we restock the beverage station.  

Figuring all of this out was not a small task.  It took weeks of brainstorming and plenty of charts sketched out on pieces of parchment paper (my favorite place to plan), to figure out a solution that wouldn’t compromise the quality of our product.  But we did it.  We changed when we order groceries, how we store ingredients, when we prep food, when we assemble meals, and even how we staff our kitchen.  We faced the challenge, and I like to think we won.

So why do it?  Why even bother with all of the fuss?  Because you are a big deal to us.

The real reason Mondays are a big deal is because, most exciting of all, we now get to say, “Yes!” to you.  

We get to say yes to your request for birthday cakes and boxed lunches for Monday events.  

We get to say yes to providing dinner for your family on Monday nights.  

We get to say yes to all of you who have pulled up to the store with your children on a Monday afternoon after school, gotten out of the car with expectant looks on your faces, and then tragically been turned away by the locked door.   Now you can come in!

Being open on Mondays is a big deal for all of us, no matter how you slice it, and we can’t wait to see you on Mondays!!!

 

By: Katherine Sasser · In: Chronicles, Hurley House

you’ll also love

Table Talk, 01.19.19
Table Talk, 06.23.18
Journal No. 8

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mohammad says

    December 3, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Hi, very nice website, cheers!

    Need cheap hosting for just $10/year? Or VPS, where plans starts with $6/Mo?

    Check here: reliable-webhosting.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

Launching Lunch at Hurley House!

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured Posts

Winter Cookbook Club: Week 2

Winter Cookbook Club: Week One

Ritual Recipes

Latest on Instagram

katherinesasser

katherinesasser


I celebrated my birthday with a cocktail party, an
I celebrated my birthday with a cocktail party, and it was one of the best (and easiest) events I have had the pleasure of hosting.​​​​​​​​​
The evening was beautiful, the friends amazing, the drinks incredible, and the secret to all the fun was a twist on traditional hosting rolls.

All the details are on the blog!

Let's play a round of Top Three Bar Cart Favorites
Let's play a round of Top Three Bar Cart Favorites.  I'll go first.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Gray Whale Gin because it's delicious, and I love how the turquoise bottle stands out among the other bottles.  So cute.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Empress Gin because it's purple and beautiful and is the gin for people who think they don't like gin.  Trust me.  It's a winner, and makes a wonderful gift.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Perrier-Jouet champagne in the small bottle because it's my favorite champagne and reminds me to celebrate often..​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
What's on your bar cart?  What's your favorite bottle and why?  Any cute cocktail accessories I need to know about?

A small shift in your mindset can make all the dif
A small shift in your mindset can make all the difference.

My Week Two review of the Winter Cookbook Club is
My Week Two review of the Winter Cookbook Club is on the blog, and I am happy to report I am loving each of the recipes so much!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
This week, we made Simple Black Bean Chili, and in all honestly I did not believe excellent chili could exists sans meat.  I'm so happy to report this recipe is worth adding to your line-up, and brings the additional benefits of being inexpensive, easy, and nutritious.  It's magic in a bowl!

I love Valentine's Day, and am not ashamed to say
I love Valentine's Day, and am not ashamed to say I like it more than other major gift-giving holidays.  The pink, the red, the hearts...it's just the best.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog, a round up of the cutest gifts for the cutest holiday!

Hosting dinner for my work team is a high value fo
Hosting dinner for my work team is a high value for me. Sure, we spend huge chunks of time together during the day, but there is something special about gathering for a meal away from work and purely enjoying each other’s company.

Last night we enjoyed a cozy meal, sat at a table lit by candlelight, laughed until our sides ached, and left with full hearts. What an honor to to work alongside such magnificent friends.


Load More...



Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Hi, I'm Katherine

Hi, I'm Katherine
hello!

I share lifestyle content through the lens of hospitality. If you are interested in learning about the beauty that creating space can bring, you've come to the right place!

Read More

Connect

Recent Posts

Game Day Gear

Birthday Cocktail Party

Archives

Follow Along

@katherinesasser

I celebrated my birthday with a cocktail party, an I celebrated my birthday with a cocktail party, and it was one of the best (and easiest) events I have had the pleasure of hosting.​​​​​​​​​
The evening was beautiful, the friends amazing, the drinks incredible, and the secret to all the fun was a twist on traditional hosting rolls.

All the details are on the blog!
Let's play a round of Top Three Bar Cart Favorites Let's play a round of Top Three Bar Cart Favorites.  I'll go first.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Gray Whale Gin because it's delicious, and I love how the turquoise bottle stands out among the other bottles.  So cute.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Empress Gin because it's purple and beautiful and is the gin for people who think they don't like gin.  Trust me.  It's a winner, and makes a wonderful gift.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Perrier-Jouet champagne in the small bottle because it's my favorite champagne and reminds me to celebrate often..​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
What's on your bar cart?  What's your favorite bottle and why?  Any cute cocktail accessories I need to know about?
A small shift in your mindset can make all the dif A small shift in your mindset can make all the difference.
My Week Two review of the Winter Cookbook Club is My Week Two review of the Winter Cookbook Club is on the blog, and I am happy to report I am loving each of the recipes so much!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
This week, we made Simple Black Bean Chili, and in all honestly I did not believe excellent chili could exists sans meat.  I'm so happy to report this recipe is worth adding to your line-up, and brings the additional benefits of being inexpensive, easy, and nutritious.  It's magic in a bowl!
I love Valentine's Day, and am not ashamed to say I love Valentine's Day, and am not ashamed to say I like it more than other major gift-giving holidays.  The pink, the red, the hearts...it's just the best.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog, a round up of the cutest gifts for the cutest holiday!
Hosting dinner for my work team is a high value fo Hosting dinner for my work team is a high value for me. Sure, we spend huge chunks of time together during the day, but there is something special about gathering for a meal away from work and purely enjoying each other’s company.

Last night we enjoyed a cozy meal, sat at a table lit by candlelight, laughed until our sides ached, and left with full hearts. What an honor to to work alongside such magnificent friends.
Feeling blah about winter vegetables? Liven up yo Feeling blah about winter vegetables?  Liven up your plate with carrots and parsnips, roasted perfectly, seasoned expertly, shriveled and sweet. ​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog a simple recipe that tackles all the details, making you a side dish queen!
Last week held a lot of life for me. I hosted tw Last week held a lot of life for me. 

I hosted two new in-person events full of delightful details and thoughtful touch points, hired two long-time friends who are now working with me as a part of my creative team, and celebrated two birthdays. Wowser!

On this Monday morning, I am filled with joy and gratitude for the work I get to do, for the people I am privileged to work with, and for you, the reason I get to continue writing and sharing. 

Thank you for reading, attending, supporting, and connecting with me. You give my work meaning, and I hope we get to know each other even more in the coming year. 💗

Copyright © 2023 ·