Things I'm Loving: Guilty Pleasures

I was partaking in one of my guilty pleasures and thought it would be fun to share a few of late favs and see what little things warm your cockles as well.

• Saying the phrase "warm my cockles". It's like "warms my heart" right? but better. And my husband and sister hate it :)
• MacDonald's Chicken MacNugget Happy Meals. Yup I said it. I love those salty fries, that delicious nugget and my diet coke with lemon. I tell them I want it fresh and that I'll wait extra time. I drive through then read my current book whilst eating it in the parking lot.
• Checking books off on my goodreads account. It satisfies my natural love of list and goal making and marking things off.
• My newish purse. I put my MIL on alert for a sale on this baby and once it FINALLY happened she called me up with a coupon, and I also had a gift card from some returned Christmas presents and voila the bag I've been pining after for 1$ yup you read that right.
• Downton Abbey. No spoilers though since I've been watching the disc old school through Netflix so I'm a whole season behind.

So what things have you been loving lately? No really I want to know.

What's for Dinner: Week 117

(Teriyaki Salmon and Butternut Squash Ravioli)

Nothing to report on the food front. Hope you're all having a good weekend. Let me know if you've come across any tasty recipes.

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Shrimp and Grits and asparagus (I will do this this week really!)	Grains and nuts: granola bars Veggies: Spinach, Asparagus, Peas Fish: Tilapia
Monday	Pesto Pasta with Kielbasi, Peas and asparagus
Tuesday	Lemon Tilapia, Wilted Spinach and Cous Cous
Wednesday	Swedish Meatballs, mashed potatoes and Peas
Thursday	Coconut Beef Stew
Friday	Eat Out
Saturday	Chili and Cornbread

Guest Posting: Brassy Apple Bling It

Have you guys been loving all the creative jewelery tutorials during Brassy Apple's Bling It Series? Well today it's my turn. I'm sharing my tutorial on how to make fun charms with wood pieces, fabric, book pages, or pretty much any other details  you may like. Hop on over to check it out.

If you're visiting from Brassy Apple, welcome. I hope that you'll have a little look around. If you need a place to stop here are some of my recent favorites.

• I've been doing a series on tips for opening and running and Etsy shop that people have seemed to enjoy. I've shared my personal story, tips for juggling kids and work and more.
• If you've never had a skor cake before and like me have an inkling for chocolate you might want to check out this recipe. I'm hoping I'll get around to making another one myself this weekend.
• And if you're a Hunger Games fan make sure to check out my Mockingjay shirt tutorial and meet me and some blogger friends here for a Hunger Games blog party starting on March 5th until the Movie premiere. So excited!
• Finally I'd love to see what you've been up to. Please add any of your creations, fashions, diy, recipes, or tips at my current What We Wore and Made Party here.

Recipe: Katniss Lamb and Dried Plum Stew for the Slow Cooker

My friends and I are having a Hunger Games Hype party in a couple weeks to geek out and get excited about the movie so I've started to test out recipes inspired by the book. We knew we needed to have the Lamb and Dried Plum Stew that Katniss gushes over so I set to work. Now I'm not a big stew person mostly because I think you tasted one you've tasted them all. Stews are usually just kind of there for me. That being said I actually really liked this one the musicmaker really really liked this one he had 3 servings haha. I did a adapted Fictional Food's recipe which was adapted from Julia Child.

Ingredients

• 1 lbs stew beef (I used beef since I've got a number of party goers that do not like Lamb plus I didn't feel like hunting around for lamb)
• 1 tsp oil

• 1 TBS brown sugar
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 1/2 C water
• handful of baby carrots (I used 8)
• 1 potato peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cube beef bullion

•  1/4 C water
• 1 heaping TBS flour
• 10 prunes
• 1-2 sprigs rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

What To Do

1. Brown beef in oil on the stove (just to get color on the outside). Put in the crock pot.
2. Add carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes to the crock pot. Sprinkle brown sugar on top.
3. Add 1 1/2 C water to the pot you browned the beef in. Heat and add bullion. Scrap browned bits left from browning the meat. Turn off heat.
4. Add tomato paste and stir. Pour into the crock pot.
5. Cook on high for 3-5 hours (I did about 5 hours total). The last hour or two mix the flour with 1/4 C water and stir into the cooking mixture also add the prunes and rosemary.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste (I just added a tiny bit of salt)
7. Serve over wild rice. Makes about 4 average servings.

I hope you like it. Oh also my good friend Heidi who comments here regularly has finally released her much anticipated Hunger Games (and Harry Potter) paper dolls. They are so so awesome. Check them out here. I have my own set and love them!

Awesome right? Wouldn't this make such cool gift for any Hunger Games fan? PS I got my tickets for the movie yesterday did you?

Link Party: What We Wore and Made Wednesdays #15

Dress and leggins -Forever 21
Hoodie -Old Navy

shoes - Costco
Potter Necklace - Bookish Charm

Jeans and booties- Forever 21

Top - Mervyns

Cardigan - Charlotte Russe

Divergent Neckalce - PrettyLittleCharmsUK on Etsy

Pants - Old Navy
Top - Forever 21

Shoes - Dollhouse
Divergent "Four" necklace - PrettyLittleCharmsUK on Etsy

Your turn, let me see your favorite fashion, crafty, helpful, or delicious posts. 

Fine Print: 

Please be a follower

I'd love you to add my button anywhere on your blog (I'm not picky) 

Link as many as you want and I don't mind if they are older posts
No more reminder emails. Hopefully the button or following will help you remember about the party.

Please Note: I will not be sending reminder emails about the party any longer. Hopefully having my button, following, subscribing or something else can serve as your reminder.

Tutorial: Pouch Sling Baby Carrier

I'm not shy about my love for baby carriers as evidenced here, here, and here. They are just fantastic for people with little ones to keep close while also giving you the freedom to get things done. I've spent many hours with my niece in a pouch sling working, sewing, shopping and more. My friends and I had our monthly craft day this past weekend and I helped two of them make their own slings. I figured I should share the how to's with you all since they are so easy, cheap and of course useful (plus that way next time I want to make someone one it's all written up and I don't have to think as hard haha).

What You Need

• 2 pieces of woven (non-stretchy) fabric 56 x 22(ish) inches (for people who wear size small to medium shirts)

If you buy two yards of each fabric or you'll have enough to make two carriers. Or if you want the outside and inside to be the same two yards of one fabric will do. Or you can do what my friends did and pick up 2 one yard pieces of two different fabrics then cut the fabric in half and sew the ends together to get the length. I always do it 56 by half the width of my fabric and since I like to use quilting cottons that usually is 56 x 22 inches (you want the width be between 20 and 22 inches).

This measurement should work for those of you who normally wear a small or medium size shirt. My friends and I are different heights and sizes but all wear shirts that are small or medium and the 56 inches worked for all three of us. If you want to customize the sling to yourself check out this tutorial. It will tell you have to measure yourself to get the right proportions.

What To Do

1. Get your 2 pieces ready. Cut to size/sew if necessary.
2. With right sides together sew the both long edges of your fabric together.
3. Right side out and iron. 
4. Fold in half lengthwise then in half again widthwise and cut a curve in your sling as shown above. It should be from the folded edge to about 2 inches in on the open edge.
5. Unfold and then refold width wise.
6. Sew the curved edge to make a tube. 
7. Then make a french seam by folding the fabric back on itself, sewing so the raw edge of the original seam is enclosed. You will be left with a flap. If you are unfamiliar with french seams this post might help you picture what I mean.
8. Sew the flap down. 

You can use this type of sling with a cradle carry for little babies but I am a fan of it for kiddos that have neck control and like sitting up in a hip carry position.  There are other ways to use them just search with the term pouch sling on Youtube or the web and you should find a bunch of instructions. I like the modmumslings ones on Youtube.

What's for Dinner: Week 116

 (First (lame) attempt at writing with white chocolate)

I'm trilled to report that my Hunger Games stew turned out yummy. The music maker had 3 helpings. And I actually liked it. Usually I think all stews are pretty much the same eh kind of food, but this was kind of yummy so yeah for an experiment turning out right. I'll post the recipe soon. I also tried my hand at writing on cookies as you can see above a la Martha Stewart,  that was a little less successful. I had my sister pick up a tiny cake decorating tip for me though I tried the rolled up wax paper method for these and it was just not cutting it. But I'll keep working at it.

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Thai Feast w/out of town company	Grains and nuts: granola bars Veggies: Spinach, Salad, Fish: Salmon
Monday	Chicken Artichoke Sausage with Grilled Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday	Shrimp and Grits still haven't gotten to this!
Wednesday	Meatball Sandwiches
Thursday	Teriyaki Salmon and Ravioli with Butternut Squash Sauce
Friday	Eat Out
Saturday	no idea got any for me?

Ready to Ship verse Made to Order

  (some of Lindsey's newest items from The Pleated Poppy)

There are two, well I guess three approaches to selling stuff. You can do ready to ship, made to order or some combination of the two. I find that many people when starting out only think of ready to ship or made to order. That is they wonder how on earth they are going to restock when things sell (ready to ship focused) or how they will ever keep up with orders while juggling the demands of their family (made to order).

Both approaches have their pros and cons. I primarily do made to order, it has worked well for me. I understand that it's a very personal decision that depends on so many factors so I decided to recruit Lindsey of the lovely Pleated Poppy blog and shop who primarily sells ready to ship so that those of you who are thinking through this can get a bit more of a balanced perspective.

What draws us to one or the other
Lindsey (ready to ship) - I began my shop with a mix of ready to ship items and then people started asking for custom orders.  Because that meant more customers, I said yes and started on custom orders.  Then I was going crazy with completing my orders before anything else, like taking care of my kids.  I realized that for me, as a mom with kids at home, it is more important for me to prioritize my time with them and put business second.  So when I do have a spare minute to work on products, I will.  But its only when I can and want to and not when I have to.

Me (made to order) - I started off listing items that I had made for friends so I had photos and explained that I could make a variety of sizes. In the beginning I even showed pictures of fabric swatches saying I could make the same design in various fabrics. This worked well for me. I have tried to sell ready to ship items and they just sat around. I sold most eventually (but over a year or more for some). Now I don't do the fabric swatch, if I have a new product or fabric I either make one up and list the sample as ready to ship or use it for a gift to friends and family. Still to this day my ready to ship items move painfully slow. Even though I think I know what sizes sell somehow I always pick the opposite sizes of what people want of those exact fabrics. So making things to order works better for me. Also I'm the kind of person that needs deadlines. It's really hard for me to be motivated to make things with no goal or time frame. I don't leave things to the last minute but I do work better when I'm a little busy.

(some goodies from my shop Rae Gun)

The benefits as we see it 
Lindsey (ready to ship)  much less stress!  I only sell what I've made, so if I want to take a vacation, I just make a bunch of items, list them and leave.  I also have much less emails than when I was taking custom orders.  I also get to make what I want.  I don't have to wait for a customer to tell me what they want.

Me (made to order) less wasted time and product sitting around. I can appeal to more people with more sizes without having to put unnecessary work in first. I get paid before I invest the time so I know my time is covered. I give myself a very lenient turnaround time. I don't have to worry as much about reading potential customers' minds of what they will like and in what sizes.

The harder part
Lindsey (ready to ship)  not everything sells as quickly as I would like them to.  You definitely have more money invested ahead of time when you have an inventory of products.

Me (made to order)  You have to stay on top of how fast/how much you're selling. Most of us will have limited resources both from the point of labor (how much time we can invest) and from the point of materials. You need to make sure you have enough supplies for what you sell. Please don't sell items if you don't have everything to make it on hand because stores stop carrying things, products that were staples at your local craft store go on back order and then you'll be stuck explaining to an angry customer why you took the order in the first place. Also if there is a rush that I don't notice it can easily become overwhelming. But having had that experience I know how much I can handle so if things start getting backed up I can just stop relisting the items that sell (this slows the movement of orders). If I really need things to slow down I can simply put the shop in vacation mode or edit the listings to increase the turnaround times. Not all customers want to wait for their items to be made but in my experience 80% of the people who want things faster are willing to pay a rush fee.

Some things you'll want to think about either way: turnaround time, what happens if you get sick, what will you do about vacations, what if you get a ton of orders all at once,  if you want to do ready to ship will you be open to custom orders and if so under what circumstances (for example you might consider it if it's a large order and you have plenty of time to fill it), will they be one of a kind or multiples of a kind, remember that if they are one of a kind you'll need new pictures and descriptions for each which takes more time).

One last tip from me when deciding on your turnaround time set it at 1/3 more of what you most often can handle. For example. my turnaround time is 2-3 weeks before shipping because I can almost always get the orders done in 2 weeks, but people get sick, fun things come up that I want to be apart of and other life things can add delays. Pay attention to if you're constantly pushing the max of your turnaround time you may need to increase it, consider raising your prices or lighten you load (either by taking less orders or getting help).

Hope that's been helpful. As always I know many of you have get tips so please share them in the comments since I'm sure it will be useful for someone. A huge gigantic thanks to Lindsey for sharing her experiences check out her shop here.

Also I'm not sure what other stuff you might want to know if you'd comment about that too that will help me with future posts (what about pricing ideas, pictures, what else?)

What I've Been Reading: The Night Circus, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, and Delirum

I've read a few great books lately. They were so enjoyable that I wanted to share. All of these are pretty easy reads so they are perfect for those of you who might not have a ton of time to read but still enjoy a good book. 

First The Night Circus. I recommend this to everyone. Fantastic characters, great ideas to make you think and a really run story. I really enjoyed it. I'd say it was perfect.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns after Divergent (which I adored). I was blown away by this book. It is fantasy which is hit or miss for me but I loved this. I feel like I'm a better person for having read it and it was wonderfully entertaining. I found the faith of the main character was really encouraging. Another perfect book if you can believe that


Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

I enjoyed Delirium and while I only gave it 3 stars on goodreads I think that there were some fascinating things to think about and I did really really like the characters. It was super interesting thinking about love as a disease. While I didn't click as well with the writing style I will be reading the Pandemonium the sequel.

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love

All blurps are from goodreads.

What have you read lately? Any good ones to recommend? Also if you're on goodreads I'd love to be friends we can become friends through my goodreads widget to the right. It's always fun to see what everyone else is reading.

And for all you Hunger Games fans, I'm putting together a Hunger Games blog party for March and I'm looking for guest bloggers. I'm looking for craft tutorials, recipes, etsy rounds, etc. Basically anything Hungers Game related and awesome. Let me know if you'd be interested in contributing. If you're not quite up to guest blogging but want to participate I will be having a Hunger Games link party so hopefully you'll document any geek out behavior you have between now and when the movie comes out to share :)
 

Link Party: What We Wore and Made Wednesdays #14

Top and Jeans -Forever 21
Headband - ?
Jeans - Forever 21

shoes - Cents of Style 
Necklace -My Grandma's design

Cords - Old Navy

Jem Tee - Thrifted

Cardigan - forever 21

Shoes - Jelly Pop

Ferris Wheel Necklace - Fat Cats on Etsy

Dress and Leggins -Forever 21
Sewing Machine charm - RJ Charms on Etsy

Shoes - Le Sport Sac
Headband - Made It
Cardigan - Charlotte Russe

Recipes: Beginner's Green Smoothies

So I finally took the plunge. After 3 years of thinking I'd like to try this whole green smoothie thing I just did it. Now I am NOT a health nut. I have a policy if I'm going to be eat it, it better be worth the calories. And mind you the "worth" I use is purely a function of taste -not nutritional health. Any ways I've been drawn to these green smoothies since my neighbor first told me about them back when we lived at the condos. I found a couple of combos that I really enjoy (I've been drinking them every morning). I'm someone who has to force herself to eat veggies and would eat bacon and cookies every morning so trust me when I say you can't taste the "green" in these.

Orange Wake Me Up Green Smoothie

• 2 handfuls spinach
• 3-4 slices frozen peaches
• 1/2 C frozen mango
• 1/2 C cantaloupe (optional)
• coconut juice to desired consistency.

Strawberry Orange Breakfast

• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 orange
• orange juice to desired consistency

I put my bag of spinach in the freezer just so it last longer and I think it blends up easier but I did it once with fresh leaves and it was almost the same.

First blend spinach up. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Blend. If you want it thicker add 1-2 cubes of ice. If you want it thinner add more juice. I start with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup juice. I'm weird and don't like drinking thick stuff out of a straw so I prefer it thicker and I eat it with a spoon.  (these make one glass)

If you've been thinking of trying green smoothies I think these are good ones to start with. Also I've got a ninja blender and I absolutely LOVE it. It blends things up like a charm and my favorite part is that it has 3 different sized chambers and the smallest is perfect for 1 smoothie. If you're a green smoothie pro I'd love to hear what some of your favorite combinations are.

Customer Appreciation Pic: Valentine's Baby

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Is it just me or is 2012 speeding along? I got this darling picture in my inbox last week and thought it was so much fun. What a darling set up right? How darling is this sweetheart in my little Classic Ruffler? You guys are all so creative I love seeing all these adorable photo shoots and cutie pies.

I still need to come up with a little something for the musicmaker (we usually do little nick nacks or cards) but I don't know what I'll do this year. I hope the rest of you are set for Valentine's day.

What's for Dinner: Week 115

(Medditeranean Nachos from Cous Cous in Murray Utah)

This week I'm going to attempt to make a version of Lamb and Dried Plum stew over wild rice -but use beef since I'm cheap. You know the meal that Katniss LOVES in the Hunger Games? If you didn't already guess my friends and I will be having a Hunger Games Hype party to prepare for the coming movie. I plan on doing a virtual party here on the good old blog if you would like to be a part of it via guest posts, giveaway or possibly some other means let me other. If you're Hunger Games fans I hope you're ready to geek out with some themed crafts and cooking...in March that is. Hopefully the stew will be good but I'm starting early so I have time to figure it out with out you know having to eat similar stuff too many days in a row.

Day	Main Meal	Goals (Veggies, Whole Grain, Fish)
Sunday	Pigs in a Blanket and Peas with almonds	Grains and nuts: granola bars Veggies: Spinach, Salad, Green Beans Fish: Tilapia
Monday	Left Over Soup and Rolls
Tuesday	Katniss Stew and Wild Rice
Wednesday	Fish Tacos
Thursday	Chicken Artichoke Sausage with Wilted Spinach and Mashed Potatoes
Friday	Eat Out
Saturday	Some Kind of Soup for Hunger Games Craft Day with the Girls

Tutorial: 10 Minute Cowl

I am so in love with my cowl that I made last week. The best part is that it uses a small bit of fabric and is super duper fast to make. I actually whipped one up for a birthday party we decided to go to an hour before we left. I know I'll definitely be making more of these to come.

I love how comfy those basic shirts are but they look so blah but I think a cowl with a fun print is just as just the perfect little pop. Not only is it the solution to boring old solid tops but it's great when I'm just a little cold but a cardigan is a bit too warm. Oh plus it's technically reversible.

What You Need

• 1/4 yard outside fabric
• 1/4 yard inside fabric (I used fleece but I think flannel or just cotton would be great for a lighter one)

What To Do

1. Cut your pieces down to 9 inches by 30 inches
2. With right sides together sew the long sides of the fabric together making a tube.
3. Right side out the tube you have just made and iron.
4. Tuck the edges under of the on end and iron. 
5. Tuck the other side into the ironed end to form the cowl shape. Sew down.

Etsy Tips: Working At Home with Kids AKA Juggling Kids and Etsy

So I know that I said that I have no idea how my Etsy will work when I have kids of my own but that's not really true. I actually have a pretty good idea how I'll do it. While I don't know how every minute of my days will be chopped up since I haven't had kids full time, I do know a few things about how to get things done with kids around. 

There were a few months that I took care of my baby niece while my sister worked. Now my nieces also come over all the time and hang out while I'm working (often while Mom or Grandma are running errands). I've also had a number of friends and helpers who have kids around while we work. All that is to say that I've learned some things about managing kids while getting my work done.

Let me first say, I am exceptionally good at multitasking. I know that's not the case for everyone. If you are someone that really needs to focus on one thing at a time you might do better with working while the kids sleep or look into having someone come to the house to watch the kids for a couple hours a week. I know many fellow shop owners who swear by this approach. But if you want to try to juggle here's a few tips from me and some of my fellow EtsyKids team members.

Set up your work space to work for you

The set up that works for me has me behind an open area where the kids can play. This way I can work while seeing everything that they are doing. I have the stuff they can’t get into out of reach or closed up in boxes and the stuff they can play with easy for them to access. I’ve got tubs of toys in my work room, an exersaucer and many kid movies. Little babies do great in car seats close, new crawlers get a barricade around an approved space (with tubs, boxes, etc.) and older kids have a variety of toys, craft stuff, etc to freely use. And of course there’s TV and movies. The Wiggles and Princess and the Frog are favorites here.

Have a plan, do the thinking while they're asleep

Do your planning and prep stuff while they are asleep. Even though I’m really good at multitasking its hard to think and juggle. Do you’re thinking when it’s quite that way you’ll have your list to consult when there are many competing voices. Bethany of Bethany's 5, mom of 5 (ages 5 to 12) says her schedule is very important. She works weekdays from 7am to 2pm.  Starting her day with emails for her and cartoons for the littles. She makes herself a to do list with timeframes of when to complete things (I do this too).  She leaves a lot of wiggle room to take care of the kids needs while working and if she doesn't meet a goal for the day she understands that the work will still be there for her tomorrow or after the kids are in bed for the night.

Take it outside when you can
You’ll probably be trapped inside a lot but if you do something portable take advantage. After a morning of cartoons and computer work, Bethany takes to the porch with her little ones where they can play and she can crochet. I've done pinning and hand sewing while the girls played in the yard.

Let Them Play with Your Crap

Make sure the stuff they can and cannot play with is clear and in place. It takes too much energy keeping them out of your good stuff and constantly taking things away. If there’s stuff that you use that it’s okay for them to play with let them. They will love it (and that’s less junk to clean up since it’s already out). The nieces particularly like fabric scraps, that cardboard that bolts of fabric are wrapped on, and my ruffles. When they get older give them little jobs to  help (my nieces are just barely able to help sort and cut ruffles and they love it – you know for about 5 minutes). Tiffany of Cupcake Dream gets her little one involved whenever she can. She even lets her hold glue, pull out shapes and draw next to her.

Don’t try to just ignore them and or expect them to do their own thing
While some kids (if you’re lucky) might entertain themselves, my nieces rarely do that. And while they are getting better at that the older they get, if they are around I'm probably interacting with them. While I’m sewing I am always talking to them, telling them their drawings are pretty, giving them suggestions of fun things to do, getting kisses, giving kisses etc.  Making faces at a cranky kids, singing silly songs, and talking to little ones while you're doing other things with your hands really goes a long way. I’m working but I’m also there for them.

Let your work do double duty when it can
Christine of Belly Bear Baby Gear often uses her kids as models. This lets her spend time with them while getting great pictures that do double duty: personal photo albums and etsy shop pics. When the girls were little I made many things for them that ended up in the shop. Now many of my creations, parties, etc. for them double as blog posts.

Be close and give yourself to them

Sometimes kids are just needy. If they need to be held a lot (or most waking hours like my niece did) slings come in mighty handy. Other times you might have to revert to just working with them on your lap. Yes this will probably slow things down but that’s just life and most kiddos probably won’t be this needy all the time. I have worked for many many hours with my niece in a sling or sitting on my lap. Other times you might just need to take a work break to be mommy (or aunty or grandma or whatever) but you are your own boss and you work from home so you can. This is where giving yourself generous turnaround times comes in really handy, a sentiment that Erin of Sweet Child of Mine Kids echos.


I hope this has been helpful I would love you to share your own tips with each other so please by all means comment with tips that you have found helpful. Different things work for different families so it's all about seeing what works for you.

For more of these etsy related posts see my "etsy life" category. And I'd love to hear if you guys have any questions or topics you'd like me to hit on.