All Orders Have Been Fulfilled

Hey there everyone! Erica here with our FINAL Kickstarter update 🥺

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I drove to Chicago to meet up with Aireen and her family so we could focus on fulfilling orders. (BTW if you need a great audiobook, I highly recommend Project Hail Mary, especially in anticipation of the movie adaptation coming out next Spring. It's definitely nerd approved!) The first night was spent signing books and making a plan for day two aka our get-everything-done-while-we-can day.

Get-everything-done-while-we-can day started with a drive into the city where we met up with our photographer, Michelle Cox Vergara, at the venue known as a Bangtel. (Think Airbnb for influencers or bachelorette parties.) Every room was vibrantly decorated with colors that matched our brand perfectly! 100% our vibe.

I just want to point out this is the second time Aireen has secured a location that also happens to be at the tippy top of a three-story complex, with no elevators in sight. Good thing the decor was perfect and the boxes weren't too heavy to carry upstairs. ...And that we had our very willing husbands to assist!

(Note from Aireen: Haha, you're right, Erica! I suppose we'll see if the trend continues for future photo shoots! 😝)

Michelle did a fabulous job directing, posing, and guiding us through the photoshoot to capture headshots, flat lays, and product images and silly candids. After Michelle left, it was time to pack orders. I focused on apparel while Aireen and the husbands focused on single book orders. We were so close to finishing but eventually ran out of time. Honestly, I think we were ok with it because we were exhausted and hungry, giving us the perfect excuse to walk around Wicker Park and grab a pizza.

Just as the sun started to set, we left downtown Chicago and went back to finish packing orders. We spent the rest of the night talking and hanging out until my husband and I decided we needed to call it a day so we could rest up before driving home. (Sometimes it's really dumb being a responsible adult.)

While the trip was productive, I truly enjoyed our time together - something we don't often have since we live in different states. Virtual meetings are great for a lot of things, but nothing beats working in-person with someone you trust wholeheartedly.

As of this week, our very last reward has shipped, which means we've officially come to the end of our Kickstarter campaign. It feels almost impossible to find the right words to share in an effort to reflect on what this campaign meant to us.

It was difficult. While Aireen and I had both backed plenty of campaigns in the past, we did not understand how much effort went into creating a Kickstarter campaign - from prepping our pre-launch page to building our subscriber list. Once we did launch, we felt like we were marketing it nonstop to ensure we met our funding goals. Of course all of these steps were beneficial, but we underestimated what the amount of effort that the campaign required.

It was suspenseful. We were fairly confident our campaign would make it, but there were also a lot of unknowns that kept us skeptical. I refreshed our campaign landing page no less than once five minutes every day until we hit our goal on day three. My husband and I would yell across the house at each other, "Another backer!" every so often, and Aireen and I were texting nonstop to share in the excitement. Once the campaign was 100% funded, at least I slowed down to refreshing the page hourly. 😂

It was gratifying. Aireen and I started working on this project together in Fall of 2023 when I, on a whim, decided to infodump my book idea at the end of another meeting together. Back then, our story was only a concept. Now, it's real book that parents are reading to their kids before bed time. We made it happen thanks to your support here on Kickstarter.

We've set up our website so you can pre-order our book online, as well as purchase apparel. In addition to books and merch, you can also purchase a Classroom Sponsorship if you'd love to see a book go to a teacher! We've been growing our teacher waitlist, so there is no shortage of educators who are ready to receive a copy.

Maybe the most exciting news of all is that we have a delivery date! We're expecting to receive our final - very large - shipment of books on December 9! (I've been working hard on making enough space for several pallets in my office ever since we returned from Chicago.) As soon as these books are delivered, we can ship current pre-orders.

Once we have books on hand, we'll be sending one to the Library of Congress with hope they'll accept it. We've already completed the necessary paperwork, now they just need a hardcopy for final approval. *Fingers crossed!*

I have a Stories and STEM event coming up on Monday, December 22 at Tiny Play Cafe in Columbia, MO. I'll be hosting hands-on science experiments alongside usual play times, with book readings in between! This event is 100% free (other than a paid play reservation). You can learn more about the event on our website.

Aireen is also planning an author reading at a local bookstore called The Jolly Giraffe near Chicago coming up in January 2026! Stay tuned for the date and time. 

Since Kickstarter has proven to be a positive community of support, we'll continue posting periodic updates to this campaign. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't solicit you to follow us on social media 😏 You even have three options to choose from: Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok.

(This update is starting to feel similar to when I'm trying to put my youngest to bed and she has "just one more thing" to tell me...)

Thank you again for any and all support you've provided to us at any point in our Nerdy and Girly journey. Of course we're not done, but we recognize we would not be here without you 🫶

Yours digitally,
Erica

And in Nerdy & Girly power,
Aireen