December Business Challenge Update

How easy it is to get side-tracked from work when my office is the dining room table; school, family (including the fur babies), errands, and now the holidays all are vying for attention and time.  So, how am I doing with the business challenge?  Actually, I'd like to think I'm doing pretty well.  I've done some online reading on SEO, marketing, pricing, and time-management; I've looked for possible venues where I could consign my wares; and I'm developing a business plan so that I can move ahead with clearly defined goals and a plan of how to get there.  Of course I'm still making and selling items and passing out business cards along the way...and always promoting and sharing.

Eureka Internet Guides on Etsy

So here are some helpful and informative tidbits I came across in my online travels that I thought I'd share with you.

First up...Stitchlabs  For a very reasonable fee ($12 a month for a sole proprietor) Stitchlabs gives you a place to keep track of all your inventory, sales, invoices and separates sales from Etsy, trunk shows, and consignments.  Very nice.

Second...Business Exchange Business Week's Business Exchange has a category for social media marketing filled with great information and advice.

Third...Designing an MBA Love this blog. Filled with so much for Etsy sellers; videos, tutorials, links, ebooks, workshops, personal consulting, AND when you subscribe to this blog you get a FREE ebook, "The Best of Crafting an MBA."

And. last on the list today...10 Real Tips For Successfully Selling On Etsy from one of my favorite blogs, Handmadeology.  This blog post is chock full of awesome links and advice for turning a love for crafting into a successful Etsy business venture. Definitely one to be bookmarked.

I hope you find these links as helpful to you as I did.  Please let me know hwat you think of this blog and the links I found. I'd love to hear from you.

Getting Back On Track

There's no denying it...I have neglected my blog.  I used to love writing when I was in high school, but now the words don't come as easily.  Perhaps now with the internet I know that anyone and everyone will be able to see what I write, and that makes me a tad bit self-conscious.  Who am I ? What do I have to share?  Will anyone even want to read this blog?

Well, if I keep thinking about my shortcomings and my lack of computer knowledge, I never will succeed at blogging or becoming a successful entrepreneur.  I am smart enough to know it is up to me to get my name and product out there, so today is as good as any day to get back in the ring, because, afterall, I don't want to admit I have failed if I in fact haven't given it my all.

So why blog today?  I have been inspired.  A high school friend of mine, Kim Adamof, created an event that really spoke to me; Take The December Challenge and Stay Focused on Your Business.  I'm up for the challenge.  Maybe this is just what I need to really think about TheGoodOleDays as a legitimate business venture.  The challenge is this: "Every single day of the month you must do some thing to promote your business or do something that will make you successful in 2012. Make your To-Do list based on your business’ lead generation."  There is plenty that I need to do and joining this group is a good way for me to hold myself accountable.

So, now I have something to blog about, at least for the month of December.  Baby steps.  This is just what I need to get myself going and motivated.  Thank you, Kim.

Day 1
I listed two new items in my shop and promoted them on my facebook fanpage and in my etsy teams, I updated my google+ account, and I wrote this blog.  Here are my two new shop listings:

You can find these and my other ornaments in my etsy shop.

Preparing For The Call

It's been a little while since I posted.  I've been so busy helping my son with homeschooling, working on my shop, and now I'm doing P90X and counting calories for the first time.  It's all very time consuming.  I've been thinking about what I should write here.  I could write about my son's first major school project (writing about and creating a scale model of his imaginary country), my incredible shopping excursions at WalMart and Jo-Anns and the awesome deals I found (like McCall's patterns for $.99, or saving $126 on sale items, or planning on adding new items to my line-up), or I could write about my journey with the 90 day workout.

But, no.  This one is as personal as a blog could get.  So, let me set the scene a bit.  I am the product of a teen-age romance.  My mother, after raising me for one year, decided it was too much for her to handle, and planned on giving me up for adoption.  However at this point I was already a member of the family, and so my grandmother, who had raised five of her own children, chose to take on the responsibility of one more.  Of course, I never knew any of this until I was older.  To me she'll always be my mother.

As a child growing up I feel confident in saying that I had a great mom.  She stayed home with me until I was old enough to go to school.  Almost every meal was home-cooked, with meat, potato, vegetable and desert.  She was always sewing some kind os smocked dress for me or driving me to dancing lessons or teaching Sunday School or being a Girl Scout leader.  When I went to nursery school she became a part-time assistant for the teacher.  She ended up working with small children well into her retirement, becoming a Foster Grandmother and only stopped working last year, at the age of 90.  And throughout her entire life, she has rescued and cared for countless cat, dogs, and small critters.  I wouldn't go so far as to say she's a saint, but to say that she is selfless is absolutely accurate.

She's the one I go to first for advice, whether it's cooking or sewing, and the one I call first with news, both good and bad.  She's the glue that holds our family together.

But with each passing day,  I know there will come the call from my oldest sister either telling me my mom is in the hospital or she's gone.  I thank God for each day and pray I'll get to see her just one more holiday.  Last night I had a dream, which woke me up,  that I was on facebook and I got a message to call one of my other sisters, ASAP.  In the dream my mother was in the hospital and I needed to get there tomorrow.  We left in such a hurry that we didn't even pack extra clothes.  I remember whispering in her ear about Heaven and that God loves her....It took at least a half hour to get back to sleep and all my will-power not to go check my phone to see if I really did get that call.  This was the second time I've had a dream about the call.  The first was one was slightly different, but the effect was the same.

 

She's 91 and it's a blessing she's still here with us, though sometimes she doesn't think so.  Imagine living in a time when the ice man chisled off hunks of ice for children in the summer; or living in a three-story house with your parents, grandparents, and your two old-maid aunts; or remembering what it was like when no one had a car and the family gathered around the only radio in the house for entertainment.  She's seen a lot,  and I'm sure, at times she believes she's seen too much.  When that day comes, will she be ready?  Will I?

Best Ever Yummy and Healthy Bread

I discovered this recipe on Allrecipes.com.  It was originally called "Amish White Bread,"  but  I have changed it up quite a bit, so it's neither Amish nor white bread anymore.  This is by far a favorite of my family.  My son will even eat a sandwhich which an end piece:)  Excellent for sandwhiches, toast, or as is.  This bread is both hearty and fulfilling.

Best Ever Yummy and Healthy Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1/3 and 1/2 of 1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup  flax seed (I grind it myself)
1/4  walnuts (I chop these myself, too)
1/4 sunflower seeds


Directions:
1.  In a large bowl dissolve the sugar in warm water, then add in the yeast.

2.  When the yeast has proofed (you'll know because it has an unpleasant smell and looks foamy), add the salt and the oil.

3.  In a blender, grind the flax see until it is fine powder, then add the walnuts, sunflower seeds, and rolled oats and chop until the you like the consistency of the mixture.  (We like  it coarse.)

4.  Mix in the flour into the liquid a cup at a time.  (I measure out the flour into two separate bowls and then add a little from each until all the flour has been added.  When it get to thick to  stir I mix by hand--my son loves this part.)

5.  After all the flour is all mixed in, add the nut, seed, oat mixture and work it into the dough.

6.  Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.  (I usually knead it until my fingers and arms don't have the strength to go anymore.)

7.  Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a well oiled bowl.  Turn it to make sure the whole surface is oiled.  Then cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it sit for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (or gets a lot bigger).

8.  Punch down the dough.  Knead it again for a few minutes.  Make two loaves and put them into lightly greased loaf pans.  (I like to use butter. )  Cover with the damp cloth again and let them sit until they have risen above the pan.  (The original recipe said 30 minutes, but it's more like an hour for me.)

9.  Lightly brush the top with butter, then bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the house smells like bread.

Please let me know how this turned out for you and what, if any, changes you made to make it yours.

Welcome!

OK.  So I've finally decided to join the blogging world.  I am Lisa, and TheGoodOleDays is my newest venture.  TheGoodOleDays has only been in existence since July.  I started with homemade recycled paper, greeting cards, and cloth napkins.  Last month I added aprons to my inventory, and have plans on adding more.

After joining the etsy community, I added a facebook fanpage, and now I'm doing craft fairs. I'll be at three different shows in the next two months. 

I love the idea of being able to do what I enjoy, to have the ability and time to make recycled paper, and to have the opportunity to stay home with my son and do homeschooling for the first time.  I must give a huge shout out to my biggest supporter, my fiance Harry.  I couldn't do any of this without his love and support.  My life is truly blessed.  Family means everything to me.