Very Quick Update

I now have an Etsy shop!!!! Come browse my whopping 7 items at McCrenshaw's Newest Knits when you have time. I'm working very hard to get more items finished, photographed, described, and listed. My goal is to have a full page of items listed on my shop's homepage by the end of next week. I just need more hours in a day and faster fingers! Anyway, I'm very excited about some of the ideas I have for items, so check back for new listings every few days.


I promise that blog posts will be coming back this week.I'm giving my oldest his first real job: as a typist. The idea is I will speak my posts into the voice recorder of my MP3 player and, when he gets home from school, he will type what I've said. Later that night, I'll simply edit and add photos! I'm not sure how well this will work, so we're going to do a trial run of 2 weeks. I am trying to make this as close to a real job as possible for him to give him a taste of what will be expected of him in his future jobs. Also, I'll be able to write him a nice letter of recommendation when the time comes for him to get a real job.

I'm just wondering how much to pay him, what kind of hours to set, etc. It's not like we're rolling in the dough, so the paying thing is going to be tough. I'm trying to think of what I could use to barter with him. He asked if I could make some Amigurumi for him to sell to friends at school and at the trading card shop where he hangs out. Maybe I could make those in exchange for blog posts and he can sell them for whatever he wants? Is that legal? Any other ideas?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

AWOL?

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing much at all lately. I finally have my shop up on Etsy, now I'm working hard to get some items made, photographed, and descriptions written. I should be up and running by next Wednesday. That's may goal, anyway. February 29th, Leap Day, is our anniversary. I figured I'd like to make that my shop's Grand Opening day, too.

Here We Go... Again!

I am so sorry that I've been AWOL for so long. Things have been pretty bad around here, but I'm working hard to set things straight. Please don't take the following as a bunch of whining. I'm trying to figure out the best way to lay it out for you so you can understand without sounding as if it's the end of the world. It's not.But I want to be honest about this stuff, too. Just know that, while these things weigh on me every day, I won't let the bad dominate the good. Sometimes just acting cheerful can help bring up your spirits to where you're no longer acting.

Small Business Saturday is HERE!

Here it is, Small Business Saturday! I'm not really sure it's as big as many make it out to be, but give it time - new ideas always take a while to really take effect. So, for my part in this new movement, I'm doing two things: First, I'm urging you to hit the small, non-corporation businesses this year to shop for gifts and services. Next, I'd like to share with you some of the small online businesses I've had the pleasure of doing business with. I've checked for discounts and deals on each site - some had them, some didn't. Don't assume that there won't be any sales, etc. if I haven't listed them. I'm sure that many are probably waiting for Cyber Monday (and a few I came across had Black Friday-only deals.)

I can update this list, so if you know of a great small business please let me know. I'll need the name of the company, the URL, and a description of what they sell. And if they have any sales going on, let me know - what the sale is, when it ends, and if there's a discount code I'll need that, too! If your shop is listed and I haven't represented your discount properly (or completely missed one!) let me know ASAP. The fastest way to get my attention is via the Contact Me page.


Kids 

ElJay Plushie Hand-cut original appliqué cloth baby books, original soft fleece baby rattles and stuffed animals.

 Laugh Rabbit Jr.  Hand-sewn children’s items. From pillowcases to tooth fairy pillows to baby blankets and toys.

 Olive and Ollie  Modern quilts, chenille bibs, handmade appliqué tees, chenille blankets, lounge sets and pants, dresses, custom birthday shirts, custom birthday lounge sets.

 Beanie Designs  Handmade baby and children’s hats Always free shipping to US. Facebook fans get 10% off (look for code in the “About” section on FB sidebar)

 Freckles Crafts  Freckles Craft Kits offer convenient, safe, educational and fun craft projects for children ages three and older. Each craft kit contains everything you need to create a cute, fun, gift quality craft with your child and includes simple detailed instructions. With a wide range of materials to make paper crafts, wood crafts, and beaded crafts, Freckles Craft Kits can offer something for everyone's interest and ability. Free shipping on orders over $25 with code SANTA

Memorable Children’s Books and Gifts  You can receive a discount of 10-15% on the items listed on the page that I have linked to. Additionally, you will get a free place mat of your choice with every order! Sale ends 11/26. Also, look for Cyber Monday deals!

 Gummy Lump  Melissa & Doug, ALEX, and many other toys at great discounts! 40% ALL Toys sale!!! Everything in store marked down until Tuesday.

Frozen Creek Woodworks Quality handcrafted wood toys, home decor, and bookmarks made with reclaimed, repurposed and other woods that might otherwise be discarded. Prices reflect mark-downs for holidays.

Home 

4th Street Candle Co.  Handmade dye-free soy candles  (The scents are wonderful and last!)

8daysOfTreasures  Moss Terrariums, Nature Photography, Wall Decor, Vintage items, Jewelry Through Dec. 6, the code: BLACKFRIDAY will get 25% off  at checkout.

Amore Vivo  Unique Gifts, Speciality Florals, Peacock Feather Wreaths, Wine Ark, Cork Wall Art, Upcycled Cork Decor, Heart Wreaths, Summer Wreaths, Fall Autumn Wreaths, Handmade Heart Wreaths, Silk Everlasting Rose Arrangements, Home Decor, Italian and Wine Art and Wine Gifts for the Wine Lover,Wine Bottle Toppers and More! Looking to send Flowers? Make them last all year with realistic silk arrangements, I can ship right to your recipients door! *Also - Fresh Michigan Evergreen Centerpieces available for the holidays!*

Camp Honeybelle  Mid-century mod design, campy 1950's housewives, kitschy kitchens, atomic decor, retro school supplies, old books, vintage clothing. If someone on your list likes vintage, you've got to check out this shop!

The Peaceful Housewife  Safe, natural handmade cleaning products, bar soaps, and candles. 35% off all Peaceful Housewife products (all prices reflect discount – no code needed!)


For Her

MelJoy Creations  Hand-woven beaded jewelry at very affordable prices. You can request custom orders, but you may be pushing it if you wait too long! You can get a huge 25% discount with the code: SBS25 Today only!

 Party in My Pants  Mama cloth! If you’ve never tried cloth, you can request a free sample – just pay shipping! I held onto my free sample for months before I finally had the guts to try it out. I'm in love! (If anyone wants to send me a Christmas gift, this is it! LOL)

Cynical Redhead Creations  Handmade jewelry and accessories. For sales, coupon codes, etc. become a FB fan http://www.facebook.com/CynicalRedheadCreations

 Khara Ledonne  Amazingly small paintings inside lockets – unique! She will do custom orders, so make sure to get in touch ASAP if you have something special in mind.


Paper Goods/Cards

 Scrapin’ Sara’s Gifts  Great handmade greeting cards, gift tags, and gifts. Sara ALWAYS includes free surprises with every order, which amazes me since her prices are already so low! Get 20% off through the month of December with the code: THANKYOU

Budugalee Cards  Vintage handmade cards. You won’t find anything like these anywhere else! Cards are made with vintage photographs that have been altered – with colors, sparkles, even random objects. You’ll find cards from hilarious to serious. And, if you can’t find it – just ask! Custom orders are a specialty!

Now that's I've got my list together, I just know that I'm missing some shops. It's now 3:42am and I'm done thinking for the day (night? morning?) PLEASE don't hesitate to let me know about any sales, discounts, or great affordable small businesses that I should be sharing here! I will try my best to update this list (or maybe even write another post or two) throughout the day on...

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY!

Who's the Lucky WINNER?

I loved reading all of your ideas for cards and I know that Bernie is itching to get her hands on the list. You all had some great ones. I just know that I didn't do Budugalee Cards justice in my review/giveaway post. And I can't tell you just how lucky the winner of this giveaway is! If you need a special card for someone, keep Budugalee Cards in mind. And don't forget that Small Business Saturday is this week, it would be a great time to visit her shop! (Thanks for sponsoring the giveaway, Bernie!)

So, here's the lucky reader:

Congrats to Wendy!!!

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways, too. They're listed at the top of the page. AND, I'll have quite a few more added to the list soon.

WINNER of $25 ElJay Plushie GC!

This is a GREAT prize! The stuffed animals that Leah makes are cute, soft, and lovable. Our Hippie has been loved on (and thrown around by both my boys) since we received him earlier this year and all of his seams are perfectly intact!

Congratulations to Crystal!!!

Thank you to Leah, owner of ElJay Plushie, for sponsoring this generous giveaway.


***Don't forget to enter my other giveaways (listed at the top)! Or, if you have a few minutes, go on over to the Green Parenting Giveaway Linky to see what everyone else is giving away!

WINNER Home Made with Love Stacked Hair Bow

Thank you to everyone who entered the Custom Stacked Hair Bow giveaway - I had 184 entries! I hope that, after visiting Jamie's Etsy shop, Home Made with Love, you have found some great gifts for loved ones who love pretty hair baubles. You cannot find these in stores - not the low prices, high quality, attention to detail, and ability to customize just by asking!

Congrats to the winner!

Connie G.

I'll be emailing Connie later today and she'll have 48 hours (from the time of my email) to contact me or I will choose a new winner.

 

Small Business Saturday - Say Goodbye to Black Friday!

If you read most of my blog posts, you know that I really believe in buying from small businesses over large stores. It helps the local economy (it doesn't matter which local economy to me) and supports those brave enough to start their own business.

So, on Black Friday, I'll be snug in my bed, belly full of pumpkin pie, while others are freezing their butts of outside of WalMart just waiting to get inside to buy a PS3 for $49 (if you read the fine print in the ad, you'll know there are only three available at that price per store.) Nope, I'm saving up my money to head downtown. I'll be stopping at the farmer's market to browse the local crafters' items. I'll head to our little bookstore to see if they have any used books that someone on my list might be interested in. When I get home, I'll warm up with a mug of hot spiced cider. I'll put my virtual pennies from PayPal into my imaginary purse and check out some of my favorite online businesses, mainly on Etsy. (Psst... I'm working on compiling a list of my favorite small online business that I've had the pleasure to find over the past year. Here's to hoping I get it done and posted before Nov. 26 - Small Business Saturday!)

If you're interested in learning more about Small Business Saturday, you can check it out HERE. You can also pledge to shop small business on Saturday, November 26, HERE. Oh, and there's a Facebook Page, too!

*Just so you know, I'm not getting anything for telling you about this - I just think it's important. You should also know that American Express is the main sponsor of Small Business Saturday. Also, I found out about this cool campaign through Vocalpoint - I'm a member.

Quick Update...

Where am I? 

Well, I had a lot of writing lined up for the last two days, but something amazing happened: The weather was nice! Yesterday and today, the temperatures hit the mid-60's. I was certain that the weather was just going to get colder, wetter, and windier for the rest of the month, so I had plans to hunker down inside, writing and baking, and doing some fun Thanksgiving projects with the kids. Instead, we've been hanging out outside.

Yesterday was spent exploring the river shore. Since many of the wildflowers and weeds dies off from the frosts we've had, we can now walk around near the river without being hampered by all of the flora. Little Guy was amazed with all of the different ways that plants regenerate. We found milkweed "floaties", burrs of all shapes and sizes, and "beans" with seeds inside. Since he is very good at plant-identification, he was able to understand which plant each type of seed comes from. For instance, the Queen Anne's Lace has little seeds that hang onto your pants for a ride to their new home. While we were checking out the seeds, we made sure to bring some home to make seed bombs for Christmas gifts to give to those who live locally (you don't want to go sending them across the country and introducing a new species to an area - it may become one of those things that takes over native species and kills them off!)

We also explored the woods behind our home. Just like nearly every other kid, Little Guy loved finding himself knee-deep in leaves! We created a very big pile of leaves and he got to play "hide & seek" in the pile. He just loves hiding and having us scratch our heads and ask each other where he went. My oldest even got in on the fun and taught Little Guy how to throw the leaves into the air and watch them float down all around him.

Today, we already headed for a nice walk to the store. It's very windy, moist, and warm out. Later, we'll be heading out to the garden to get it ready for winter and collect some herb seeds. I also need to cut all of my herbs back. I've already lost all of my basil thanks to procrastination. I need to get to the parsley (I use it for everything!), oregano, thyme, sage, and lavender before a hard frost settles in. Looks like today's the day! I also need to cut down the marigolds and grab the seeds for gifts and next year's garden. Then we need to collect leaves and cover the mint and strawberries. Last year, I took the time to add a 2"-3" layer of leaves under a few inches of soil throughout the garden. I don't know if it helped, or not, but it did attract a huge number of earthworms. If there's time, I'll do that again today.

I made pumpkin seeds and cooked my pumpkin last night. Today, I need to puree and freeze the pumpkin. I'm going to probably spend the evening baking some kind of sweet yummy thing using some of the pumpkin. There are so many amazing recipes out there - I just don't know which to pick... Maybe I'll take a poll of the family and see what they'd like.

Well, that's it! Hopefully, I'll be able to write my Topic 2 post for the Mindful Parenting Collaboration tonight. It's all in my head - I just need to get it straight and type it all out! I've also got a couple of other posts that I need to write before the ideas leave my head and I lose my motivation. Oh, and there will be a few more giveaways posting this week, too!

Oh, and last, but certainly not least, PLEASE take a minute to enter my current giveaways. They are all sponsored by Etsy shops and I'd love for you to show these wonderful artists some love.  All of these giveaways are open to the US and entries are easy to complete with Rafflecopter:

Custom Stacked Hair Bow in Winner's Choice of Colors 11/15

$25 GC to ElJay Plushie (stuffed animals, paintings, dolls, blankets, etc.) 11/17

A Very Special Customized Greeting Card! (11/21)

{NEW} WINNER Announcement - Scrapin' Sara's Gifts Winter-Themed Scrapbook

***My first winner did not get into contact with me within 48 hours after I sent her an email. That means that I needed to pick a second winner, who is named below: 

Thanks to all who entered this giveaway! I have to say that I'm slightly jealous of the winner - that's a great-looking scrapbook.

CONGRATS to Whitney!!!

Don't forget to check out Scrapin' Sara's Gifts for some great cards and other handmade gifts. And remember: She ALWAYS includes extra surprises with every order. I'd like to thank Sara for sponsoring this giveaway - THANKS!

I have more Etsy giveaways listed at the top of this page. Don't forget to enter!

Are You Ready for Another Etsy Giveaway? (11/17) US {ElJay Plushie }

I cannot tell you how happy I was to receive an email from Leah, owner of ElJay Plushie, asking me if I'd be interested in hosting a giveaway. Early this past spring, I won a really cool Stuffed Fleece Hippo and Matching Pillow. "Hippie" has become one of Little Guy's very favorite friends. Hippie has become a great comfort to him since he's decided to fall asleep on his own most nights. And, in addition to being a lovey toy, Hippie also can play rough. He's a very good volleyball and makes a great monster truck obstacle. And, through all of the loving and roughhousing, Hippie is as good as new. His seams are all perfect and he's as soft and squishy as ever!

When I hosted the Etsy giveaways in May as part of my Random Acts of Kindness, I was sure to include ElJay Plushie in the line up. I paid for a really cute rattle set that was in the shop and Leah doubled the prize by adding a really cute stuffed lion that was similar to Hippie (except he was a lion - LOL) You can read more of my review of ElJay Plushie from that giveaway post HERE.

Now, I must admit that is has been a while since I visited Leah's shop. Let me tell you - I was shocked at how much she's expanded over the summer! She has a lot more items for sale now and she's also expanded the types of things she makes. What I tend to think of as her signature Stuffed Animals are still available and there are so many to choose from now! One of the new items I see is the Cloth Baby Books. I absolutely love this kind of books for little ones - they can become familiar with books in infancy, yet all the chewing that inevitable occurs doesn't ruin the book and it can be easily tossed into the washer to get all of that extra teething drool off. Another new item that I really like is the Fleece Dolls. They're soft and simple - perfect for any doll-loving kid. And they're affordable at only $10 each!

Here's where I was surprised the most - ElJay Plushie doesn't just carry plush items anymore. If you love brightly-colored, affordable, original Paintings or expertly Painted Art Dolls, this is the place to stop!




So, how would you like to WIN a $25 GC to ElJay Plushie? You can use it on any item in the shop, or Leah can work with you to create a custom item worth $25 (or more if you'd like to pay the overage.) Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and get your chance to win a great gift for yourself or someone special in your life!
***If the Rafflecopter form is acting funky, please click on the title of this post. It will reload the page so only this giveaway is showing. Somehow, having a few Rafflecopter forms on the same page crosses wires or something!

Enter to WIN a Beautiful Hair Bow *Etsy Giveaway!* (11/15) US

It would seem that my giveaways are going to start focusing on handmade businesses! This is great because, as you should know by now, I would love to support anyone who has the guts to venture out there and start a business that allows them to use their creativity. I want so badly to do this myself, but my circumstances just aren't all that conducive to running a business right now - time, reliability, and money seem to be the biggest problems! And, since I cannot go around and support these businesses bu becoming a customer, I think the next best thing is to tell YOU about them. With all of the gift-giving holidays coming up and with how tight money is for most people, I think that sharing these artists' products is a win-win situation. I know that most people in my life appreciate receiving gifts that are one-of-a-kind. I also know that you cannot buy the quality and creative products that are offered in these small online shops at the low prices asked in a large store.

So, here's my next giveaway:

 Home Made With Love is a great little shop owned by Jamie, a college student who is drawn to painting. You can find some of her prints HERE. I love the eclectic subjects of her work. I can really see that she's taking time to explore the possibilities in her art.

Now, in addition to her artistic pieces, Jamie also creates some great hair accessories. Her headbands and bows can be made with your favorite colors so you can get just the look you want. Check out these neat bows that can be made with your favorite team's colors. (I love the bouncy, pom-pom look they have!)

Oh, and look at this Pillowcase Dress that can be found on Home Made With Love's Facebook page. Why is it that, whenever I see these dresses, I want one for myself?

So, how would you like to win something great for yourself or to give as an original gift to a special someone? Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and you'll have a chance to WIN a stacked bow in your choice of colors, similar to the one pictured below:

***If the Rafflecopter form is acting funky, please click on the title of this post. It will reload the page so only this giveaway is showing. Somehow, having a few Rafflecopter forms on the same page crosses wires or something!

Who is the BIG WINNER of the #MadeinMichigan Hop?

OK, you guys are AWESOME!!!There were a total of879 entries, including the extra entries on my review posts. Now, here's how I picked the winner (hope it makes sense!)

I added up all of the extra entries on the review posts, in the order that I posted. There were only 16 entries total. Then, I added the main giveaway entries (863), which brought the total entries to 879.
Here's where it gets a little weird, and I hope I make sense. First, I went to Random.org and plugged in the numbers (1-879). I wanted to see if one of the 16 extra entries won before I went any farther. Well, Random.org chose #759.

Now, I had to figure out what number entry that would be... Hmm. Now, I'm pretty sure I did this right. Instead of sitting here counting each entry (which was my first idea - duh!), I took the winning number and subtracted 16 from it (from the extra entries at the beginning.) Now, stick with me!!! The magic number was 743 - the number I am about to look up on the Rafflecopter entries in the main giveaway post. I sure hope it makes sense. If not, please know that I checked and rechecked and eventually counted all of the entries in a row (took forever with Little Guy saying, "Mama! I three now!" every two minutes!) and the number 743 came up again and again. Next time, I'm figuring out how to do this without the extra entries! So, this is "live" - I'm heading to Rafflecopter to find out who the winner is....

UGH! The person didn't leave a Facebook name... OK, back to Random.org and my screwy math.

And, 86 - 16 (extra entries) = 70...

Gotta love my wonderful control of the mouse on Paint!

Congrats, Lisa!!!

So, there you have it. I'll be emailing Lisa as soon as I get this posted and she'll have 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I'll be back on Saturday to do this ALL OVER AGAIN!

Please don't forget my generous sponsors when your shopping for holiday gifts. These shops have a lot to offer and their prices are very low. Plus, most of them offer discounts and have clearance sections. Here's a run-down of links to my review, once more. Please keep handmade businesses in business! (You'll be helping local economies, supporting artists, buying original gifts for important people, and most of the handmade businesses you come across are MUCH greener than all of those large manufacturers!)

Thank You To My Sponsors!

The Star Box

8daysOfTreasures

Beatifical

Amore Vivo

MelJoy Creations

Michigan Spinning Company

PETfection

4th Street Candle Co.