Lip Scrub Made in your Kitchen

This lip scrub is super easy to make from the products in your very own kitchen! All you need is a teaspoon or less of brown sugar (makes for a better exfoliant then white sugar), olive oil and honey. Locally harvested honey is the best for you to aid in fighting off allergies!

Keep your lips smooth and beautiful this fall and winter season by taking 3 minutes to scrub your lips! 

The "New" Etsy

For a long time, Etsy has stood by its "Buy Handmade" motto with the exception of Vintage and Supplies categories. I have been selling on Etsy for about 6 months and have enjoyed my time. I am at 12 sales and each week there has been more and more sales. During this time I had set up a Handmade Artist Forum, Lilyshop and The Craft Star shops and had only 1 sales between the 3 of them. So those I decided that the fees are not worth it for right now. Though, I am starting to change my mind after reading how Etsy has gone "big business". I loved how Etsy was so focused on the handmade artist and keeping the site loyal to those artists. Now anyone is going to be able to sell on Etsy just like Ebay!  I know that business want to grow and Etsy is a business but at what cost is it worth opening up a unique website to the whole world to sell what they want. I love Etsy and will be keeping my Etsy shop open but I am seriously considering opening up another shop somewhere else and focusing my attention on that shop. Any thoughts on the "new" Etsy?

My Great Etsy Shop Debate

Are to many items in an Etsy Shop to much? That is my great debate with my shop right now. I have the one shop that has everything from my all natural body products, upcycled aprons and bags, vintage books, supplies that I have been given but will never use and now add in all my crocket/knit winter items.... wow that is a lot. Before I add in all the winter warmth items, I am at over 300 for sale items and that isn't all of the aprons and bags! So my am in the thought process of creating a 2nd shop for vintage/supplies and maybe the upcycled items to help cut down on the high numbers in one shop. I get tons of views everyday but I am thinking they are overwhelmed by the large amount of items to sort through that they buy from another shop. Any thoughts from other shop owners?

*click the picture to check out my shop 

Kid's Chore Flower with Removable Petals

Chore Flower

This cute flower came home to me from Lily's class on Friday as a Mother's Day gift but I thought this would be a cute idea for preschooler/grade school kids to use as a chore chart! The flower was made from a paper plate, paper, crayons and a stapler. For Mother's Day, each petal was a chore or something cute like sing mommy a song and give mommy a kiss. I want to have Lily make these each week as a way to get her to do her chores every week. We have removed 2 of the petals and she was so excited each time and keeps asking to do more! What a great motivation for kids and a way to keep them creative!

removable petals

 Now in class, the chores were printed off the computer and glued onto the petals but I think as a way to save paper, I will be just writing the chores on each petal. My second suggestion/edit to the flower is that instead of using a stapler to attach the petals, I will be using tape as a safety issue. Lily is my daughter which means she gets hurt just sitting still so exposing her to staples is the introduction to cuts on her fingers and her no longer liking the chore flower.

The back of the plate

Supplies:

Paper Plate

Paper to make petals

Tape to attach the petals

Crayons

Directions:

1. Cut out the flower petals and write the chores on the petals.

2. Have your child color the plate center and petals.

3. Tape the petals onto the plate.

4. Hang somewhere accessible for your child.

Enjoy the responsibility your are giving your child!