Inspired by my children - again!

So, a month or so ago, I did a craft fair that offered to give $10 off the entry fee if I had a game for children in my shop. So, I took a couple of Zadyballs that didn't turn out exactly perfect and instead of filling them with my normal polyfil, I filled them with beans and turned them into bean bags. They got quite a bit of play at the craft fair, and I even used them as "cannons" for Zander's birthday party. But, I never thought that I would actually do anything else with them...

Until today...





















Zander started throwing them around with his dad. He is four, and has pretty much always been good at throwing a ball, but not so good at catching one. But, using the Zady bean bag, it was much easier for him to catch! The strings made something extra for him to grab on to, and since they are a bit heavier than a normal Zadyball, it is easier to throw and catch. Watching him play with it made me think.... hmm.... maybe ZadyBEAN for bigger kids? The idea needs a little fleshing out, I think, but it could work!

Little Chefs

I had the best time today letting my kids "help" make dinner! They really got into it and we all had so much fun!
The recipe that we did is one of our family favorites. It is super easy to make, and everyone likes it. And in our house, that's REALLY saying something!!

Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
1 can cooked chicken OR 2 chicken breasts boiled and cut into pieces
1 head fresh broccoli, boiled and cut into pieces
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place chicken and broccoli in a lightly greased 8X8 inch baking dish. In a medium saucepan combine cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour soup mixture over chicken/broccoli mixture and top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Number Of Servings:4-6

Preparation Time:15 min prep, 20 min cook

My tips: Instead of boiling the broccoli, I put it in a microwave safe dish and zap it for about 1 minute. I then use the same dish to mix the sauce and microwave it for about 45 seconds. Saves a lot of time, and less dishes need to be washed!

The Start of Something NEW!

So, I'm in the process of creating something new...

A PERSON!!


That's right! Baby #3 is expected to arrive in January 2009!

So, since I never really documented my other pregnancies, that is what this might start turning into. My life as a pregnant, mother of two, trying to run a business.

So far, I haven't really been sick. Just TIRED. All the time. My kids are so sick of me, and tired of sitting at home. I need to figure out other things to do with them while I lie on the couch. Is that possible?

One of my favorite websites lately is www.babycenter.com. I joined it when I was first expecting my son, nearly 5 years ago. But I hadn't really gotten super involved with it. So, this time, I'm trying to really network with other expecting mommies. It's fun!

Four is Fun!

My son had his 4th birthday party on Saturday. We had LOTS of fun! The kids walked the plank, shot cannons, and went on a treasure hunt. What more do you need for a super duper piratey good time?

My little pirates


Walk the plank


Pirate Cake (made by ME!)



My mom sent the BEST gift! She made a SUPER fun detective kit for him, including the trenchcoat and hat. I guess that's where I get my creativity from!

Your Rebate Check

I got the following in an email from a friend of mine:

How to use Your IRS Rebate check;

As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said

each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the

economy.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will

go to China . If we spend it on gasoline it will go to

the Arabs . If we purchase a computer it will go to

India . If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will

go to Mexico , Honduras , and Guatemala . If we

purchase a good car it will go to Japan . If we

purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of

it will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America . The only

way to keep that money here at home is to spend it at

yard sales, since those are the only businesses still

in the USA

I'm not sure if all of it is true. And, I have nothing against other countries. But, SOMETHING needs to happen to stimulate the US economy. So, rather than buying at yard sales, get something truly unique and wonderfully handmade buy shopping on ETSY!

Here's some place that you can start:
I just got the most incredible little outfit for my son, Zander. He is turning 4 next week and is having a pirate birthday party, so this was perfect! I've long admired the work of Darcy of ChewChewsCloset, and I was thrilled with this purchase!



Check out Darcy's shop for more beautifully made children's clothing:

Stressed Out - In a good way

I am in the process of getting ready for a HUGE baby expo that is taking place in Houston, Texas in a few weeks. I'm trying to get TONS of Zadyballs made to send, and it's taking it's toll.
And, in the process, I've had a few requests recently for wholesale and consignment, so I have to figure in time to work on those too.
Needless to say, I have NOT been getting much sleep lately as when the kids are awake they don't want Mommy to be sitting at the sewing machine all day.
I'm trying really hard to find a balance between family and my business. Some days are better than others.
I just have to keep reminding myself that the KIDS are what is most important. The rest will take care of itself.

What I've Learned From Craft Fairs

Yesterday I attended my third craft fair.
Each of the three have been completely different, and I've learned different things from each of them.
Fair #1 - Hissyfits Children's Clothing Store
Cost to participate: $0
Time spent at fair - about 4 hours
Results - Sold 5 ZadyMinis, 2 ZadyBalls - $68
I also got to meet some fantastic Etsy members and network with them.

What I learned:

• ALWAYS bring shade if the fair is outdoors!
• Inexpensive items tend to sell better than more expensive items. I didn't have enough of the inexpensive items.
• Location is everything. While I didn't do super well, not nearly as well as I'd hoped for, I did better than some of the other vendors. I think this happened because we were at a children's shop, and so people were naturally more interested in children's items.

Fair #2 - 7th Avenue Street Fair
Cost to participate: $75 (I paid half)
Time spent at fair - about 9 hours
Results - Sold 11 ZadyMinis - $88
I did hand out several cards and talked with lots of people.

What I learned:

• Sharing is not always a good thing. Because of the cost of this fair, I chose to share the space with a friend. While this may work for some people, I don't think that it worked for me. I felt like we were actually in competition with each other, not helping each other. Some people were confused by it as well.
• Know what kind of crowd to expect. Bigger is not always better. I had huge expectations for this one. I was told that they expected 10,000 people, and that's probably about accurate. BUT, even with that many people, many of whom stopped and talked with me, very few were willing to buy my items. I think this happened for a couple of reasons:
• There were SO many shops to choose from. There was literally 1/2 a mile of shops. With that many choices, and only limited funds, shoppers can't possibly spend money everywhere.
• The crowd was not necessarily the "right" market for me. Very few people had kids, especially young babies. I should have guessed at this when I was filling out the form. "Children's" items was not one of the choices for types of shop. I had to select "other".
• Candy is a good way to bring people over, but make sure it is age appropriate! You'd think this one would be a no-brainer. I had read on the Etsy forums that having a bowl of candy at your shop is a good way to draw a crowd. This actually worked, although a little too well. Most of the people that grabbed some candy were actually teenagers, and not exactly who would be interested in my product. Also, the candy I had was hard candy (the cheep stuff) and a little boy (staceyrebecca's son - how embarrassing!) almost choked on one! So, I'm not going to use that anymore!
  

Fair #3 - Villa de Paz Spring Carnival
Cost to participate: $15
Time spent at fair - about 4 hours
Results - Sold 6 ZadyMinis, 1 ZadyBall, 1 Zadybug - $83

This one was the most interesting. I actually went into it with VERY low expectations. After I registered, I heard from a few people that this one last year was a total bust. So, I figured I'd go since I had already signed up, but I wasn't really expecting much. And rightfully so. There were MAYBE 100 people, if you count all the kids. But, of the people that talked to me, probably half of them bought something!

What I learned

• You never know what's going to happen. Had I decided not to go, I never would have gotten the sales that I did.
  
• The type of crowd is everything. There must have been the right type of people there. It was a very family orientated event, so maybe that is why I did so well.
• Watch what you say to other vendors - always stay positive! There was another seller there, selling non-handmade goods, who spent the entire time COMPLAINING about everything! From her job, to her house, her kids, and family. I was so tired of it by the end and determined that I would never buy from someone that negative!

This is a continual learning process, and I of course an no expert. I have another fair this coming week, and I'm sure I have plenty more from it.
Biggest lesson learned:
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN