Sprinkled oatmeal!

A fun family tradition we have started is to get holiday colored sprinkles for the kids' morning breakfast. Right now it's Halloween time! The kids love putting sprinkles in their plain oatmeal, and I love that it winds up being less sugar than the pre-flavored packets. Those have between 9-18g of sugar (remember, 1 tsp = 4g)! So even though they are liberally shaking out some sprinkles, I know it's less than 2 teaspoons, and I like that! I also put some brown sugar into an old sprinkle container so they can use that for flavor, and we don't have to worry about double dipping spoons into the sugar container when they are on their 2nd (and sometimes 3rd) bowls!

Ideally, we'd be flavoring oatmeal with fresh fruit...but for now, I'll settle for less sugar :)

Do you have any fun holiday breakfast traditions or healthy shortcuts?

Going outside your comfort zone

One of my frequent customers requested a custom order that at first scared me off a bit; it seemed too complicated. But after a little more discussion and thought, I decided I could make something I'd be proud of - and decided to step out of my comfort zone a little. Here is the result - gnome and toadstool longies!

It took a little more work, but it felt good to let my creativity shine. Plus, I was able to work with one of my best customers and get her something she truly wanted - and that feels good! Now, I can't say I can ever create these again - they are truly one of a kind! Each piece was cut free-hand.

Sometimes it's good to think outside the box you create for yourself. This summer I also set a goal to be able to run a 5K - and started the Couch to 5K training program (Yes, I truly was a couch potato...and I'm going into week 5 already and can run for 5 minutes!) Is there something you've tried recently that you were hesitant at first, but once you did it, you were happy? Please share!

Ironing board covers add some pizzazz!

Well, maybe I'm new...but I just discovered patterned ironing board covers! I've spent the past 1/2 hour browsing Etsy to find the one that's just right for me. I've been wanting to add some *spunk* to my laundry room (it's very small, so not many options), and not sure what to do. I have my boring silver padded ironing board hung on the wall. Well, no more!!!! (You can see the extent of my laundry room decor on my post here.)

It's true, it's really not a major breakthrough, but what a fun way to add a little something to a space! I had no idea people were even making these until I saw a patterned cover on a blog about laundry room organization, and started searching.

Here's one I'm eyeing from Compelled To Craft:

You can find lots more by doing a search on Etsy.
Once I get my new cover and some other things settled, I'll post an "after" picture!

Plan for waste-free lunches this school year!

Have you ever sat in the lunchroom during your child's lunch break at school? Whether preschool or elementary school, I have really noticed the "convenience" packaging offered by food manufacturers is a big hit with busy families. Individually bagged snacks, pre-packaged apple slices, juice boxes, water bottles....And then there's the ziploc baggies for everything else in between. Yes, those products make lunch-packing a bit quicker in the morning, but the waste that's generated in just one lunch is incredible!

There are MANY cute, colorful, cool options (or more sophisticated for older kids) available to have a completely waste free lunch. For us, it doesn't take too much time to put some chips in a container, grapes in a reusable bag, and wrap up a sandwich in a wrap-n-mat. My kids love having their own lunch packaging, and it has always come home (which is pretty impressive for a 6 and 4 year old).
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Check out reuseit.com for some great tips on packing a waste-free lunch.   Also, there are many great Etsy sellers who sell reusable items. Here's a list of lunch items from Team EcoEtsy.  Also search for things like: cloth napkins, reusable snack bag, lunch kit, etc.  There are also many options if you are trying to avoid all plastics (even BPA free ones). (Try to stay away from things lined with PUL that would go next to food - they have not been tested for food safety, though a lot of sellers use them for their waterproof nature.)

Here's another idea: You can get pre-made name labels from places like Mabel's Labels or Name Bubbles which work great to identify snap top containers, sandwich wraps, reusable snack bags, thermoses, and drink containers.This ensures your investment doesn't get stuck in the lost and found bin! (See examples on my son's water bottle and wrap-n-mat above)

Here's to a great school year; and healthy, waste-free lunches!

Mom's Balancing act

As a stay-at-home mom, working mom, or work-at-home mom, we all know that balancing daily life can get to be a challenge. Sometimes I feel a little bit like this two-headed turtle we recently saw at the Reptile Zoo! Kid's schedules, our schedules, deadlines, goals, house duties, hobbies, relationships...aahhhh! I think one of the biggest challenges is learning how to balance it all and be successful overall. What do you struggle with the most? What's the one thing that you let "slide" (mine is ALWAYS housework)? Does it change from time to time as your focus shifts?

A few months ago I made the decision to cut back on the time I was spending on my business. As it turns out, I really hadn't realized the time it had been monopolizing. Now that it's been awhile, I have had some time to reflect.

I am planning to walk the Susan G Komen 3 day walk for breast cancer next September, so I have been focusing on walking daily. I purchased the fitbit pedometer, and it has really urged me to increase my activity. But did you know, staying home with the kids I average about 3-4 miles of walking a day WITHOUT going for a purposeful walk for exercise?? I always knew I was busy :) Since I've changed focus, I've also lost 5 pounds. Focusing on my health, exercise and reducing stress has really paid off. I'm also more purposeful about the food that I put in my mouth. All of this has helped with the stomach problems I was experiencing as well.

I do miss the satisfaction of the business side of Winkydinks, but I know that it's still there when I'm ready to shift my focus again. Are there things you have been meaning to do but "life" has gotten in the way? Is it time to re-prioritize? Share with us your struggles and successes!

Also, if anyone would like to take on the walking challenge of hitting 10,000 steps a day (which is a fitness goal floating around out there), let's do it! If anyone has or purchases the fitbit, let me know and we can be "friends" to share stats and goals!!

Shop change announcement

You may have noticed all of my "custom" listings have gone missing from my shops. I finally had figured out a great way to have customers get the items they needed in the sizes they wanted by using style numbers and pre-selected color combinations. The popularity of this new listing style has been very strong, and at the same time, overwhelming.

Due to the volume of orders coupled with less available work time (for numerous reasons), it has been stressful to meet the demand for customs. Out of necessity for my work-life balance, I've decided to take the shop in a new direction.

The change: I'll be listing only IN STOCK items, and as always, they will ship next day. I will have several CUSTOM slots available periodically, depending on my availability. Those will be offered through my Hyena Cart shop only, and scheduled ahead of time (so you'll know when they're coming). Each slot will allow up to 4 items to be made for whoever reserves it. Items between my Etsy and Hyena Cart shops can be combined when ordered the same day, and shipping overages will be refunded.

This has been a hard personal choice for me. I truly enjoy making things that meet your specific needs, and I know I can't possibly stock the exact sizes and patterns that you might be looking for at any given time. Customs have been a huge part of my sales, so as a shop owner it is frustrating to need take a step backwards. With upcoming summer vacation now that my kids are school-age, I anticipate having much less available time to get things made. Custom orders require more communication, plus they are time-sensitive (everyone is anxious for fluffy mail!). With this new direction, I will be able to make things on my own schedule, without worry of getting behind on orders - plus be able to make up some new and different things. I will also be able to stock more wool items since I won't be focused on custom fleece.

Thank you all for your business and continued support. I'm very proud to be able to say that Winkydinks started as a "give it a shot" endeavor, and now has grown too big for its britches :)

And the Tax Relief contest winner is....

The winner of the Tax Relief contest is aware - who guessed 376 

Congratulations! The actual number of items sold in 2010 is 387 - good guess! I'm pretty proud of that number - that's an average of more than one item sold per day - not too shabby for a mom who is also running a household, entertaining a 6 and 4 year old, and trying to stay sane at the same time :) Thank you to all of my wonderful customers for keeping me so busy.