Christmas is upon us......I am not sure how this happens so quickly every year!  Once again, I am asking the boys what gifts they would like for Christmas.  One of them knows exactly what he wants + the other one is still thinking!

They get 3.  

Yes.....3 gifts under the tree. 

Plus stockings, but I didn't do stocking stuffers until the past couple years. 

Please don't think my kids are deprived of anything. They are not!  Please don't assume I am cheap. I am not + the husband will agree. 

When I was newly married, we were with friends, they are "one step ahead" of us in parents.  Their children were school age when I had none.  It was the Christmas season and the wife and I were chatting and she said that her kids get 3 gifts.  Her simple statement behind it was, "That's what they Wise Men brought to Jesus!"  They don't assume they are getting everything they circle in the catalog or see on TV.  They think really hard about what they want + make sure that they really want it!  

That simple statement stuck with me!  

It stuck with me so much that we are approaching our 16th year of this tradition!  For Zak's 1st Christmas, Dec 1999, we lived with Rich's parents while we built our home.  Zak was 2 months old.  I'll admit, it was VERY easy to buy only 3 gifts.  We were limited on space + he was fresh from the womb! 

The boys are 16 + 13 this year, and you can bet they are thinking long and hard on what they want.  Do they complain? No they don't.  They have never spent Christmas morning with another family + seen their overflowing tree of gifts, so maybe they just think that is the allowed limit!  

I will admit, I am so glad we started this tradition 16 years ago......because their 3 gifts are more expensive than what they use to be.  And that's okay.  It's what they really, really, really want!  

Oh and you may be wondering about the big man in the red suit.  He was never the hero on Christmas morning.  He usually brought a board game or a movie for the two of them to share.  They also found out early that he wasn't real! 

The Essential Oil Case has been a huge hit for well over a year. I've made over 400.....myself. I'm always trying to keep fabric choices fresh, so fabrics are always limited due to limited supply purchase.

This week I made a smaller size. It holds 4 oils. It's perfect for a few oils for baby, toddler or Mom. Along with holding 4 of your favorite essential oils, there's room for cotton etc.

Hop, skip or jump over to the shop for pricing and fabric choices!

January was a great month for lil' alice Etsy shop!  Let me very clear....it's was the best January that lil' alice has every had since 2010 on Etsy!  The first month of the new year is usually slow for many handmade shops and handmade lovers usually embrace the lull in activity.  I know  I have in years past.  

But this January started off with a wholesale order.....(did you know lil' alice takes wholesale order?)!  Once that order was processed and paid for, I had already reached my best January!  As the month went on, the orders came in.  On the last day of the month, I received another wholesale order from a repeat customer!  

What did I do to make January 2015 the best January?  

Here are a few things I did......
1. I wrote a pitch
2. Introduced a new item
3. Continue branding + keeping things fresh

First, I hopped on my Google Doc account and wrote a personal, yet prewritten pitch about my most popular product. 

 I contacted popular blogs that use oils and might be interested in my product and copied my pitch to them.  

Guess what? Every single one responded!  


Sitting in the sewing room isn't what it's all about.  It doesn't sell itself.  It takes a little PR + since I don't have a PR department.....it's all me.  

I set aside time during the day, an hour or so, and get to work networking with others online.  

The next thing I did to make January a successful month, I introduced a new product. 

The next item on my list was to introduce a new product, I had to invest in a new embroidery machine for the shop....plus all the supplies!  It was a Cyber Monday flash deal on Amazon!  

It's been a lot of fun teaching myself how to run the machine.  I have had a lot of successful items that just melt my heart, but I have also had a few "Oops!" along the way!  

The last thing is to keep things fresh but to carry the brand of lil' alice similar in my packaging and shipping.  Having a shop, I am always buying supplies.  I am always buying poly bags, tissue paper, stickers, business cards etc.  I get very bored with the same look and I look forward to creating new business cards as they begin to run low. I wrap my products in tissue paper and close it with a sticker.  I also put a sticker on the poly mailers so then everyone from the lady at the post office who weighs the package to the mail man/woman who delivers it sees the shop name. This time around I ran out of stickers, address labels and business cards.  I took advantage of sales on Shutterfly for the stickers and *FREE* thank you cards + I bought the business cards from Vistaprint! Keeping colors + pictures the same carry the brand cohesive!

I took this picture of a sewing machine that I bought along with 16 others that are the same from a school auction.  I love the pic, it defines lil' alice + I was able to use it on my new stickers, thank you cards, business cards + address labels so it all flows seamlessly.  And it's fresh + new! 

What are you doing to be successful?  Leave a note in the comments.  

The most popular item for 2014 was The Essential Oil Zip Pouch!  I roughly counted + came up with 367 (April 2014-December 2014)!  Whoa!  That's a lot!  

And January isn't starting off too bad either!  I just shipped 20 to Florida this afternoon!  

This little bag has been a huge hit + I am blown away.  It wasn't my idea.  See, a lady came up to me after service in March or April + she told me that she had some oils and she needed something to keep them in + then she pulled out the humbled ziplock baggie.  Yeah, we can do cute.  So I told her I would figure something out and bring it back the following week. 

I had already nailed making zip pouches in all different sizes.  This would just need a little altering.  Oh + I had a spool of elastic for baby crib sheets + I could use that to hold the oils + I had a piece of laminated cotton that I could use for the outer fabric, this was waterproof + would give extra security to the buyer.....and so the thought process began.  After two attempts I had come up with a design.  

You just never know where an idea (either yours or someone else's that they share with you) will take you!  But there's a risk + you have to be willing to jump in the deep in.  

Being a part of the handmade community is something special + something that is built over time.  One creative gal connecting with another creative gal, one social connection at a time.  Usually, these relationships are not built in real life but instead through social sites such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram + Pinterest.

One of the creative gals that I have connected with is Lindsay of Pen & Paint.   I believe I follow Lindsay on every site possible.  Why?  Not because I am a stalker, but because she is always showing behind the scene pics that makes my mouth water.  She shows pics of her drawings, as she is drawing them with a caption about what is inspiring her to draw in that moment!  And she draws/paints sewing machines (SWOON!)

Here are my two latest prints from Lindsay!   Thank you so much for the prints Lindsay, I love them! 

I love this quote!  It's simple but so powerful in a house where we choose to speak kindly to one another.  Some days human natures will get the best of us + something not so kind will over flow from our most powerful muscle in our body, the tongue. 

This sits in our living room as a simple reminder that our words matter + they hold weight.  

Choose Joy!  This has been my inner dialogue for several years now.  When I am doing something, I choose to do it with joy!  If I have said "Yes" to something, I better do it with joy or else I should have said "No"

I say this to my family when complaining begins + there is something else they would rather be doing.  

Lindsay's work is beautiful + it's perfection at it's finest.  You will not find a flaw in her drawings ever!  Here are her links so you can join her + see her behind the scenes creativeness.  

Connect with Lindsay:
Blog
Etsy
Facebook

Are a consumer or a producer?  You could be both if you are in the handmade marketplace at any level.  Or you could just be a consumer and you only purchase products and services.  

Either way, I am going to cover why it's good to give a review and why it's good to receive reviews and a few ways that I have found to be helpful.  

First, I am a consumer.  I shop. A lot.  I shop on Amazon for groceries, yes, that's true.  I shop for sales online at my favorite stores, once I know my size for their clothing.  And we stay at hotels.  I also leave reviews.  The top reason I leave a review is because they have asked.  I get an email in my box asking me how my product & how my transaction went.  It has to be easy for me & I have to be reminded.  So a few simple clicks on my part, leave my review, click publish & they have a new review.  

I believe that it's important to leave facts about a product or service.  Adding emotions is okay but leaving facts is a plus.  For example, at a recent hotel stay, their coffee was terrible.  It was old peoples coffee.  Amongst the positive things that I enjoyed about my stay at their hotel, I also made note that their coffee bar, or lack there of, needed some attention.  Most people don't like powdered creamer.  Just sayin' folks!  

Leaving a review for Amazon is much different than leaving a review for a handmade shop from Etsy.  There's a lot of people involved in an Amazon transaction & it's not an emotional transaction either.  Leaving a review for an Etsy shop is going to be ready by the person that thought up the product, shopped for the supplies, carefully created the product, packaged the product, took it to the post office and sent you a notice that it was on it's way.  One. Person. Did. That. For. You!  

I have had a couple customers of mine contact me about an issue with the product they received from me.  One in particular sent a picture and said that there was a jam.  In the picture, it was a few threads that needed to be trimmed from the back stitch.  I emailed her back that she just needed to snip them.  She was relieved and so was I.  I also thanked her for contacting me privately so I could guide her and let her know that her product was okay and that it in fact wasn't flawed & it wouldn't unravel at the seam.  I was thankful that she didn't leave a nasty review saying how terribly made the product was and that it was jammed, but instead we came to a solution through messaging each other and the picture she sent me.  

Next, I am an Etsy shop owner in the handmade marketplace.  I am always learning.  I read non stop about how to improve and grow my business.  My latest endeavor is focusing on how to get reviews.    I can wish & hope that they will just do it on their own.  But remember, I have to be reminded to leave a review, I am sure I am not the only one that needs a reminder or an incentive.  I took action on how to get more reviews & it's working.  

On my Etsy site, when an item is purchased the customer gets a Thank You note with a link to my lil' alice FB page to connect with me there.  The consumer receives another note after I have stopped at the post office to ship them their package.  In that note, I ask them to write a review once they receive their product.  Once a receive a review from them, I write them a personal note saying thanks for the review along with a coupon code off of their next lil' alice purchase!  

Simply ask for a review, then when they respond to your request, give them an incentive to come back. 

We are all consumers.  We are often thrilled with our purchases, but sometimes, there's disappointment too.  We are so quick to leave negative feedback and we forget to let them know that we fell in love with our other purchases.  Good or bad, leave a review.  An honest one. You never know, you might get a coupon code for your next purchase!

April was an amazing month for lil' alice. At the end if March I made a Essential Oil Zip Pouch for someone who wanted something cute to carry her oils in as opposed to the plastic sandwich bag.



This was actually an easy adjustment to the essential zippered pouches that I already make and can make in my sleep.



Today is the first day that I have been caught up on orders for these! It's been a constant flow of orders thru Etsy.

I have +60 of these darlings all over the United States, a few to Canada, and one to Singapore.  I am blown away from all the orders + the repeat customers too! 

What makes this Essential Oil Zip Pouch such a hit?

• it's laminated, which makes it waterproof and easy to wipe.
• elastic is sewn onto the lining making 8 spots available for the oils to be held into place!
• it has boxed corners, which allows it to stand on it's own.
• it's sturdy, not floppy or flimsy!
• the prints are fun!

What else can these be used for? Since there's elastic on the inside to hold the oils, it could also be used to hold lipsticks and nail polishes too.



Head over to the lil' alice Etsy Shop and see the new fabrics that were just listed, because the previous prints are nearly sold out (like the yellow chevron).

About 5 weeks ago I went on a "No Poo" adventure. That simply means I'm not using shampoo + conditioner to wash my hair.

What am I using, you ask?

Baking soda mixed with water and Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water. I'm not sure of the portions but it's working.

Here is what I have noticed.

-My hair is fuller. Like shampoo commercial fuller. I have really thick hair and this just enhances it.

-I loose less hair. I'm not sure why but I'm not pulling out handfuls. I have a comb in the shows and I run a comb thru it and it's visibly less.

-My hair felt dryer during the first 2 weeks or so. I almost gave up. But on the 14th day it felt better. It was the first day I actually liked it. I don't have oily hair at all so this is expected.

-Before I washed my hair every other day, I'm going 4 days now and it still feels great. I don't feel homeless.

Next, my nails. I use to paint my long nails when I was younger. Like, before I was married, before I did dishes, scrub sinks, toilets + before kids.

"Back then" my nails were always nicely painted. I was drawn towards reds and browns. They never chipped. They lasted forever. And my nails were always a long length and all the same size.

I'm a bit picky. I don't want chipped nails. With my hands always being in water my nails would chip the next day and I would be taking it off. A waste of time to me. Oh and the drying time with the littles, impossible.

A couple years ago I did a set if gel/shellac nails. They were okay but a bit of an expense. About 5 weeks ago I tried it again and I liked them. Had them done again and I loved them even more. The polish didn't chip and my nails didn't break. SOLD.

I graduated from cosmetology school the same year I graduated from high school. It was a vocational option. Through the years I've kept my license up.

I've been tossing around the idea of buying everything and doing it myself. I'm about a 25 minute drive to a nail salon, then if I have to wait it's more of my time. Plus the cost of having them done.

I purchased everything this week. I knew the process just from having then done. But I also watched a few you tube videos for clarity.

Yesterday I did my nails and I'm really happy with the way they turned out. And I know I will be doing this often.

It's been about 5 years since my husband & I took FPU.  At the time we were part of a small group from our church & we did it as one of our studies.  One of the things that stuck with us through that time was 401Dave.

401Dave is the child saves for a car & when he gets his drivers license the parent matches what the child saves dollar for dollar.  Our kids know about the 401Dave plan & at 14 & 11, they know they will be buying their own car & that we will match it.  

My oldest son, Zakkery is 14.  He's nearing the point that he will be starting drivers training soon.  He doesn't show much emotion about it.  When he was younger, he never wanted to drive.  The thought scared him.  Being the oldest, he's my safety child.  But he has always loved cars.  He's my artist, so he draws cars ALL the time.  His dream is to work for GM and draw their prototype cars!  Let's not discuss the recalls on GM cars right now, ok!

As the years have passed, he's okay with learning to drive a car on a road where there are laws.  He does indeed love driving go carts & off road vehicles, which never makes sense to me.  But I digress.  He will be signing up shortly for drivers training because I will not be driving him to college.  That would be weird people!  

Once again, I am raising men!  

How have my kids saved for their future cars?

They are savers.  Whenever they get money for work, allowance (which that word no longer is allowed in our house), birthdays, holidays, etc., they put it in their wallet (which they don't ever carry).  Then I go in and check out how much money they have in there & it's easily over $100.  I then notify the husband that he needs to have the boys make a deposit into their "bank account".  They then add up their money & get the total & it's all done on a piece of paper. 

You see, my husband & I don't spend a $1 here or there.  The dollar store wasn't a reward store for the boys.  We never felt the need to buy the boys something every time we stepped foot into a store.  When we stop to get gas, we just get gas.  We don't run in and grab a box of candy & a drink for everyone.  That innocent spending is mindless & it adds up.  So being that we don't spend our money that way, the boys don't either.  If I am running to the store & they are going with me, they don't say, "Oh wait, I need to grab $5 in case I see something I want!"

That is how my kids have been able to save their money for their future cars!  

**My husband & I are wondering if we will be able to match dollar for dollar because they have some serious cash going on!**

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Etsy

Allowance.  Kids reach a certain age & they request an allowance.  Mine did.  We discussed it & they received it.  There weren't any guidelines on getting it or not getting it.  I guess you could say they got it because they had air in their lungs!  The allowance is coming to a screeching halt! 

You see, allowance means that they are "allowed" a certain amount of money for just living & breathing!  Think about it.  We are guilty of this!  

While eating dinner Friday evening, we broke it to the boys (ages 14 & 11) that allowance will be ending & commission will be taking its place!

With a blank stare from the offsprings,  we shared our exciting news,  and we went on to explain what that means for them financially.  

Their new word for the day was "Commission".  

We explained that they will have "projects" or "jobs" to do either independently or with the help of their sibling or parent.  That "job" will have a dollar amount pinned to it!  

For example, I will have to lay a fresh coat of mulch in my flower beds in a few weeks.  Instead of me doing it by myself, which I would normally do, that will be a "job" & $10 will be tagged to it.  I will assist & work beside them. These jobs will be written on a 3x5 card with the payment written on it.  So they can determine which job to do & which job they would rather pass on!

They will learn quickly that Work = Money & No Work = No Money!  

Let me make it very clear, they will not be getting commission to wash & fold their laundry, empty the dishwasher, clean their bathroom etc.  These are chores that they are required to do because they wear the clothes, they eat and drink from the dishes & they use the bathroom frequently.  Therefore, you dirty it, you clean it!  This has been in place for years & something they already do!

I know it may sound harsh, but their father & I are raising men that will find their passion in life & make money doing it!  They will not be living in my basement at 29, eating my food & not having a job!  

When we teach our kids responsibilities & we teach them that if they work they get paid, we are  instilling in them a drive to work & at the same time we give them dignity! 

Have you ever noticed how a child stands a little taller & they become a little more confident when they take pride in something?  


Keeping these conversations alive in the household reminds them that life isn't free.  I am excited to see the transition, working for commission & not just expecting a hand over for breathing for an entire week!  


Related Posts:
Smart Money Smart Kids

Work = Money 


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