Halloween 2009

For the past few days, Evan has been telling people who ask him what he's going to be for Halloween that he's going to be "a cat - meow!" I was really surprised but happy that he came up with this idea all on his own (and clearly understands dressing up for Halloween.) Last night, I thought I'd better rise to the crafty challenge or I was going to have an unpleasant situation on Halloween when it was time to get in costume. Fortunately, I had black cotton fabric in my stash. Pants, top, hat with stuffed ears and felt stuffed tail (with a Velcro belt) made in less than a day. The baseball hat took a while to warm up to, but eventually he realized that in order to get candy, he would have to wear the hat. Victory!

He's got the "Trick or Treat," "Thank you," "Next house!" down cold.

Showing off his loot.

Chef Evan, Halloween 2009

I finished Evan's chef costume for Halloween. I think he actually might wear the top and the french fry pants since he's starting to understand that kids dress up on Halloween. I have been reiterating to him that in order to get candy like the other kids, you have to wear THIS costume and carry a little wooden spoon and maybe a little strainer basket for your candy. He wouldn't let the puffy chef hat come within a foot of him, so it's probably safe to say he won't wear it on Halloween. Too bad, because it's mighty cute. I might embroider "Chef Evan" on his top so people know what he's supposed to be, since without the signature hat he kind of looks like an elevator operator or busboy.

Any ideas in the comments for making his costume more "chef-like," without the puffy hat?

Three

Happy Birthday, Evan! xoxo Momma

Making & Pricing Handmade Goods for Craft Fairs

When I lived in Los Angeles (before Evan,) I did about 4 craft fairs a year. I haven't done one for several years because of Evan's health situation, but now that I have some time to craft (er, thanks, recession?) I plan on selling at one fair this holiday season as of right now, on November 14 at a neighbor's church holiday bazaar. Over the years, I've learned a lot about how to choose and craft for a successful sale, and I'm happy to share my knowledge in the hopes that it will help someone.

Choosing a Craft Fair
If you would like to do a craft fair or church holiday bazaar there are several factors in deciding whether it's worth doing. It's important to weigh your personal motivation for participating in a craft fair. Are you more concerned with the crafting/enjoyment aspect or whether it will make money? If profit is the primary goal, following are some important things to consider before you sign up to do a craft fair. (You can ask the organizers if this information isn't provided in the vendor materials.)

• What's the location? Is it a well-known venue? How's the traffic there? And parking?
• What's the fee? If they charge a booth or table fee, that should be factored in to your prices as well as your time sitting at the table working the show.
  
• What is the expected attendance? Shows that are annual well-known shows are the best.
  
• How many vendors and what kinds of items are they selling? They should be items similar in style and price to yours. Your items should fit in.
  
• What's the promotion? How are the organizers getting buyers to the event?
  

What to Make & Sell?

I try to make a variety of items that fit well together, in a similar theme and style. Ideally, you want someone to look at your table as they walk by and have it make sense instantly, drawing them in to stop and look at what you are selling. Small things always do well for me.

Pricing

I get asked often, how I price my wares? This is a tricky question to answer and there are so many influences affecting pricing. Most people come to craft fairs wanting to buy and support the artists, but especially in this economy, are on a budget.

There is a lot of competition for consumer dollars out there I think this is partly the Culture of Cheap in which we live, where junk turns precious as soon as it is put on clearance for a dollar. It has made shoppers entirely too price sensitive, so that some people walk in to a craft fair expecting prices for handcrafted items to be on par with those made in factories in China. It's also eBay's fault, for creating a marketplace where it's all about getting something for the lowest price.

Another factor, driven by the artist, is self-esteem. Why is it that so many craftspeople, particularly women, undervalue their time? As someone who sells partially for a living on etsy and is constantly undercut by people who are hobbyists and have someone bankroll their crafting, or who don't have enough confidence to price fairly...I hope you decide to please pay yourself fairly. Here is one formula I follow.

I add up these two amounts:
Hours to make item times my hourly rate (at least minimum wage)

AND

Cost of materials to make the item. Include estimated costs for all fractional components as well, such as thread. Unless you received these components for free, they need to be included.

This sum equals your cost of goods, but not your selling price. You should raise this amount ideally by double, which is full retail price and, ideally, the amount at which you should price the item at the craft fair.

If this price you calculate seems unreasonable to you, or a quick survey of the competition (I look on etsy.com and artfire.com) and asking your friends if they would pay that amount results in a resounding "no!" then it may not be worth your time to make and sell the item in that competitive field. Of course, you can choose to discount the price a little, but please, do not drop it below the cost of goods and lose money just because you are afraid people won't pay the price. You will be surprised what they will pay (within reason of course.) But shoot for the high end.

One way to present attractive and competitive pricing is to offer discounts for volume purchases. For example, I charge $1 each for my bottle cap magnets, but I offer 6 for $5, which encourages more money coming in and more items going out the door.

As for what has sold well for me, small gift items priced mostly under $15 have been my most successful sellers. Often, I sell hundreds of my lowest priced items (ornaments and magnets,) making up in dollar volume for any higher-priced items.

Wishing you luck in your crafty endeavors!

It's Pneumonia

...and influenza. At least now I know why I've felt so crappy and been unable to shake this rattling cough for 2 weeks! A chest x-ray confirmed it's a "walking" case, but not to be taken lightly, nonetheless. At least it's not the swine flu. I'm on a heavy dose of antibiotics and those oh-so-fun-pills-of-insomnia, prednisone. I've been staying inside, resting, hydrating and losing IQ points with bad daytime TV (at least I'm being productive with my knitting!)

The more exciting news is that Evan turns 3 on Tuesday! Due to my illness, we pushed Evan's birthday party to next Saturday afternoon, on Halloween, which actually works out better since it's a Halloween-themed party, anyway. Almost everyone can still come, and the kids will go trick-or-treating afterward.

We're having an old-school-style birthday party at our house, mostly attended by kids in the neighborhood. Costumes, crafts, a Halloween egg hunt (little plastic pumpkins filled with fish crackers,) some sandwiches in cookie-cutter Halloween shapes, juice boxes, and per the cake-averse birthday boy's request: a "big cookie" and "white" ice cream. I'm baking the big cookie on a pizza pan, just using the recipe for standard chocolate chip cookies on the back of the bag of mini chips.

The main event of the party will be a craft activity. I thought it would be fun to have them decorate little treat bags. Unable to find non-plastic little bags for the kids to decorate for less than $3, I made some myself from felt.



Just 9" squares of black felt with handles, they were easy to make and the edges can be left raw on felt. I cut and sewed on each bag front an orange blank pumpkin applique. I cut out a bunch of black felt eyes, noses and mouths so the kids can make their own jack o' lantern. I bought some pre-cut, adhesive felt letters and shapes as well. Total cost: $15 for 12 bags and a few fun hours on the sewing machine. They are much cuter than anything I saw at any store, and the kids will have a good time decorating!

A few extras for the party include little non-candy favors go in the bags on the way out: mini crayons, Halloween stickers, blow up beach ball (I don't know what it is about those but kids love them!) and bubbles. Simple decorations are plain black and orange tableware, carved pumpkins, a few fake spiderwebs hanging from the chandelier and doorways. Total cost for the party will still be under $100; less than the cost to rent a bounce house!

Comments

In the comments, I welcome supportive and opposing points of view, as long as the delivery is respectful, mature, productive, articulate and substantiated. Posting sources or links to reputable sources helps convince others of challenging opinions. Popular or unpopular, opinions may inspire responses by me or others.

Blatant advertisements, incoherent ramblings, mean-spirited, excessively emotional or dramatic, taunting or otherwise unproductive comments are not welcome and will be deleted at my discretion. To be blunt: this is my blog, not a taxpayer-supported venue, public forum or message board. I run it how I want.

To end on a positive note: I've been writing this blog for almost 5 years (on 10/24) and I'm continually amazed that 95% of the comments posted here are so great. Even if a comment is not supportive of my opinion, actions or point of view, most often it is presented in a manner that inspires me to learn and grow from your knowledge. I want to thank you for your wealth of knowledge and involvement in my life. Most of all, thanks for reading!

Allison

Sick Soup

I've had this cold/flu/bronchitis for nearly 2 weeks and I need to get better by the weekend for Evan's 3rd birthday party. So, today I'm taking a sick day. Before I settled in front of some bad daytime TV with my knitting, I made some soup with a bunch of stuff I had in the fridge.

Vegetable Soup

Makes about 6 mugs of soup

Vegetarian

5 - 8 cups of water or amount needed to get soup as you like it

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup brown rice, washed

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp onion powder

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2-3 Tbsp miso paste (I like red miso - I get this at Whole Foods)

1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4-5 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced (you can also use a can of diced tomatoes with liquid)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
Optional Vegetables: I used 1/2 zucchini, diced and 1/2 cup leftover green beans. Add other veggies you have on hand that hold up well in soup such as peas, corn, or peppers.

1. Combine water, rice, oregano, basil, garlic, onion powder and butter in soup pot and bring to a boil.
2. In the meantime, prepare and chop vegetables. Add to soup broth once it begins to boil.
3. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables and rice are soft.
4. Shortly before serving, add miso and stir until dissolved. (Thanks for the suggestion about adding the miso at the end, Denise from Japan!)

50 Ways to Save Money Right Now, or 50 Ways to Improve Your Home Economic Budeting Strategy

A few years ago when I started this frugal living journey out of necessity, being frugal was not as cool as it is now. The recession has brought frugality into the forefront. In addition, with the whole ecological movement, I think it's more in vogue to use less and think about the impact on the earth before buying or consuming.

For my family, it's a strategy, supported by individual actions that go towards achieving larger goals. Striving to consume less, having a smaller footprint on the earth, living in a more modest home, driving one car (although we will soon have to change that, unfortunately) and prioritizing our discretionary income are tactics we employ to be more self-sufficient and less dependent on needing a high income to pay our basic bills.

Here is a collection, or some "strategy tactics" of 50 money-saving tips I've been working on for a few months that help us achieve these goals. Hope these help someone out there!

1. Unplug appliances when you're finished using them and shut off power strips. Saves unnecessary power drain.
2. Get rid of your home phone and just use a cell phone, saving . (You can still have the home phone just for 911 if you want - contact your phone company for details.)
3. Use Skype.com to video conference with close friends and family (or even for business calls) over the internet. It's free and very easy to set up on your computer. We set up a web cam and Evan visits with his grandparents, who are thousands of miles away, at least a few times a week.
4. Put a rubber band around the soap pump handle so we're only using half a pump. Less waste, fewer chemicals enter the waterways, less soap to buy.
5. Put bricks or an empty container filled with rocks in the toilet tank to use less water when flushing.
6. Save the misprinted or used paper from your printer. Flip over the sheets to the blank side, cut them up and clip them together with a binder clip - instant free memo pad!
7. Pay your bills online for free, instead of writing checks and mailing bills via the USPS.
8. Go back to your natural hair color or dye your hair yourself.
9. Simplify your skin care regimen; the industry preys on insecurity to sell products. Use up what you have before buying any new beauty products. Throw out old products and makeup.
10. Do your own pedicures for 3 months. Evaluate at the end of the trial if you really need to spend $20+ each month on this service or if you can cut back or eliminate the service entirely. If you go back, you still will have saved $60+.
11. Cut down on the waste and expense of paper goods by using rags, sponges and cloth napkins.
12. If you sew, no need to buy new cloth napkins at the store; stained or holey tablecloths can be cut up and hemmed into 16" square cloth napkins. Once they're really in bad shape, I use them for rags. Saves many trees and lots of $.
13. Cook from scratch. It tastes better, costs less and is healthier for everyone.
14. Strive to cut the food budget by $10-25 each month until the new, low budget level is comfortable. The gradual drop makes it less shocking at shopping time. (I cut our budget from $625 a month to $400-475 a month, saving an estimated $5,000 over the 3 years I've been food budgeting!)
15. Menu plan and prepare a shopping list just for this menu, trying to use things you have on hand. Only buy what is needed to make the menu for the week. Do not stray from the list.
16. Grocery shop once a week, or once a week per store, putting a limit on the number of stores at which you shop. Quick trips just to get forgotten ingredients or staples almost always amount to more impulse purchases. These add up and usually result in breaking the budget.
17. If you regularly stalk the circulars and drive around to half a dozen stores to stockpile food and household goods, please stop, take an inventory of what you have now and put a hold on buying any more - even if it's "near free" with double coupons, etc. I realize it's hard to resist these deals but this kind of shopping is as wasteful, needless and unhealthy as over-spending on expensive items. If there is too much of something in the stockpile, give to shelters, food banks. No one family needs 16 tubes of toothpaste, 8 bottles of shampoo and 47 cans of kidney beans. More on this later.
18. I use circular specials and coupons sparingly and only when I something is on my list already. I reference my list and find coupons or specials on the front page of the circular only (these are the loss leaders and the best deals in the store) to match what's on my list. Buying something just because we have a coupon is what the marketers are hoping we'll do and can be a budget breaker.
19. Eliminate pre-cut vegetables, bagged salads, prepared foods and frozen dinners from your shopping list, buying whole vegetables and fruits. Spend a hour that evening washing chopping, bagging and freezing things like carrots, broccoli and cauliflower to make meal prep time quicker each night.
20. Become a vegetarian. Or, commit to 2 meatless dinners per week, replacing the protein with tofu, eggs or beans. It's tastier and easier than you think, very healthy and saves a ton of money. If you need ideas for recipes, view all my vegetarian recipes posted in this blog here.
21. Buy staples like oats, dried legumes and grains from the bulk bins (Whole Foods or your local organic co-op.) If you can find them, spices, coffee, tea and flours are often cheaper in bulk as well. (Try San Francisco Herb Co for spices and teas.)
22. Cook dinner in a slow cooker at least once a week. Saves time and electricity. Also, there are bound to be leftovers good for at least a couple of lunches and/or another dinner that week!
23. Have breakfast for dinner, in your pj's. Eggs and toast or pancakes with fruit are cheap n' easy and the kids will think it's hilarious.
24. Cook double the amount needed and freeze half for later.
25. When produce becomes cheap in the summer, I buy in bulk at the peak of season and spend a few hours (preferably the day I shop) washing, trimming, blanching and freezing.
26. Plant a vegetable and/or herb garden in whatever space you have.
27. Replace traditional light bulbs with CFLs.
28. Turn out the lights when exiting the room.
29. Get a programmable thermostat for central air/heat. Turn it up a few degrees in the summer and down a few in the winter.
30. Don't drop in shops just to kill time, browse or get inspiration. This trip will most likely result in a purchase. Remove recreational shopping from your list of hobbies.
31. Instead of hiring someone to do it for you, estimate the cost to do simple home repairs, cleaning, mowing the lawn, gardening yourself. Or, trade skills with a friend or neighbor - babysitting for hemming a bunch of pants, for example.
32. Get the book at the library before buying it. Unload books you have on amazon.com or trade them at paperbackswap.com.
33. Downgrade (or cancel) the fancy cable or satellite TV subscription.
34. Downgrade Netflix to 1 movie at a time and unlimited online movies with the cheaper $8.99/month membership. If you want more movies, try the library for cheap or free rentals.
35. Hook up the computer to your TV. Watch everything online at hulu.com, and watch instant movies at Netflix. After a few weeks you won't even miss HBO. (Really!)
36. Learn to cook, garden, paint, scrapbook, sew, knit and/or crochet. Wonderfully soul-fulfilling, productive hobbies and cheaper than eating out dinner, a movie and a babysitter.
37. Pledge to your family a handmade holiday (either make yourself or buy handmade from others. Ideas follow.)
38. Host a White Elephant re-gifted gift exchange with family members. We did this a couple of years ago at Jeff's aunt and uncle's house and it was really fun and we got some great stuff! The way we set it up is that the item could be regifted or a used but still good item like a book, audio book, CD or DVD.
39. Bake it yourself. Baked goods make wonderful holiday gifts.
40. Give gifts that give all year long. Last year I gave my Dad "bread of the month club" where I baked a different flavor bread and delivered it to him every month. At Christmas I presented him with a menu and schedule of the breads. It has been such a hit, I might have to do it again this year. This monthly club gift works for anything the recipient loves: wine, beer, lip balm, cookies, pies, bread, muffins, coffee, plants. Make, grow or buy it yourself and hand deliver it. You give a gift that keeps on giving and a promise of getting together at least once a month.
41. Gifts of time have no or low out of pocket costs: babysitting, cleaning, weeding or lawn mowing, treating them to coffee out once a month, etc.
42. Limit or eliminate going to movies in theaters. If you do go, buy tickets at discount in bulk through group buying or corporate discounts. Never buy food or drink at the movies. Bring your own.
43. Bring your lunch to work. Even a few days a week can save hundreds or thousands of dollars per year.
44. Go cold turkey and don't eat out at all for a month. See how much money you save. After this month, prepare a dining-out budget and stick to it. Even with the budget, you'll save so much money because the spending is budgeted for and planned.
45. Brew your own coffee instead of buying out on the road. Instead of single serve bottled water, use a Klean Kanteen or other BPA free bottle to tote around water.
46. If you're out of something (e.g. salad dressing, BBQ sauce, pancake mix, etc.) check online to see if you can make it or a suitable substitute with things you have on hand.
47. Stop drinking soda and limit juices to a special treat only. Water down juices for kids, gradually adding more water. Soon the little ones won't notice the difference.
48. Make your own popcorn on the stove instead of bagged microwave popcorn. In addition to being cheaper, the popcorn you're eating will have fewer chemicals and produce almost no waste. To make on the stove, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels and some salt in a pan on high stove. I have a Whirley Pop and love it, but a regular old pot and lid works well, too!
49. Pick the one local attraction or museum you enjoy most and buy a membership with guest privileges. Plan with another family who has a membership to another venue with guest privileges and plan outings together at the two venues. Become regulars!
50. Before making any purchase over a specific threshold (for me it's $40), sleep on it and see if you still want it as badly in the morning. Chances are, the allure will have faded.

Are you a Dead Peasant?

Jeff and I saw Capitalism: a Love Story last night. Because seeing a film in the theater is a true luxury, Jeff and I go to see maybe one or two movies a year, and usually among them is a Michael Moore movie. I really enjoy his films because they make me think and feel, plus I learn something, even if I don't agree with every point of view he presents. One thing about him is that he's always prepared for challenges to facts presented in his films, so he diligently backs them up on his website.

Capitalism: a Love Story did not disappoint; in fact I felt it was one of his best works to date. This one was not as over-the-top antics as the others, which I felt complemented the subject matter of the film. I walked out of the theater with what I call that "post Michael Moore movie feeling:" enlightened, inspired, angry, annoyed, sad, energized and hopeless all at once. I am so sad at what has happened to our culture and values. (What ever happened to FDR's Second Bill of Rights, anyway?) I feel I am fighting capitalism every day in the goal of a return of democracy. The stories in this film were amazing: people losing their homes and then being paid $1000 to clean up the property for the bank, pilots taking on second jobs because they are on food stamps, the evil and greed of Wall Street and the banks. It's unpleasant, but I believe important to investigate.

One of the most memorable topics of this film included stories about "dead peasant" or "janitors" insurance policies (called COLI: Corporate-Owned Life Insurance.) This is a sick practice where corporations (usually large ones) purchase life insurance policies on millions of front line employees, almost always without their knowledge. If an employee dies, the company collects on the policies, even if the employee no longer works for the company. It gives the phrase "worked to death" a whole new meaning.

The film chronicled the stories of two families who were left in financial stress with medical bills and funeral costs, while the companies for whom their deceased beloveds worked collected millions of dollars. One woman was a former cake decorator at Wal-Mart, the other subject was a man who worked at a bank and died from cancer.

While I've never heard of this practice before, apparently it's been in the news for years. Companies who participate in this morbid and unforgivable practice are Disney (for whom I worked for nearly 5 years and of which I am a stock holder,) Wal-Mart, AT&T, Dow Chemical, Nestle USA, Procter & Gamble, Panera Bread and many others who are likely offenders. The companies justify this by saying they are just insuring assets; if this is the case, then why are former employees still insured and why would they collect from the death of an employee who no longer was "an asset?" This makes my stomach turn.

It is my understanding that in 2006, a law was passed that requires companies to inform you if they take out insurance policies on you in which they are the beneficiary. However, I am not able to find documentation on this. Even if it is true, my hunch is that it doesn't impact policies already in place. It leaves me wondering if Disney and other companies for whom I've worked have policies on my head they are waiting to cash out.

So, what can be done about this?

1. Write local elected officials on this matter and let them know I think it's sick and the practice should be abolished.
2. Make a few calls to former employers on this matter to determine if I am named in a COLI policy. (I will post any information on how to remove myself from any open policies they may have on me.)
3. Tell as many people about COLI as possible is a great way to generate awareness of this appalling practice. (Check - posted on blog.)
   
4. If it angers you enough, sell your stock and boycott companies that put COLI policies on their employees. I think it's important to write to them and tell them why you are boycotting them and how much business they can expect to lose from you and all of your family members as a result of the boycott. They need to know why so they can either react or just do nothing; but at least they know why.

Remember to Brush Hair

I've been fighting off some strange cold/cough thing for over a week now and I'm starting to feel somewhat human again, even though I've got the same bronchitis cough I always get every time a cold hits me (not contagious - I have bad lungs.) The people at Ricola will be putting their children through college as a direct result of my many purchases of their products.

So that's where I've been.

I have been finding it hard to meet people who share my interests, and so I have turned to the internet to find like-minded people in my area. Last month, I started a Stitch N Bitch knitting group on ravelry.com. We have a regular crew of 5-8 gals who meet Tuesday evenings at a a coffee place in Havertown. The cool thing is the ages range from 25-70, yet this matters not one bit. There are always things to chat and laugh about.

Tonight, I pinned my hair on top of my head, put on some sweats, stuffed my pockets with Ricola and headed out to knitting. I didn't put on any makeup or run a brush through my hair, because...why? It's just knitting, right?

As I shuffled up to the counter to get some tea, in front of me was a guy I knew in college, who I have not seen in 15 years. He looks exactly the same, so I recognized him immediately. Forgetting the lack of hair brushing and makeup, I said hello and spent a few minutes catching up with him before I realized that I could not have looked worse if I tried; partly the flu but a valiant lack of effort on my part that probably sent the message that I don't care about myself. Who wants to elicit the reaction: "wow, she used to be cute but she's really let herself go?" It's interesting, the messages we send about ourselves with our appearance, either inadvertently or intentionally.

Lesson learned: use the mirror by the front door before leaving. Just because we put others first, does not mean we have to let ourselves go. Moving forward, I will think about how I can move myself up on the priority list so that if I exit the house, at least I look somewhat presentable in public. Even if it is just to head down the street to knitting.

Free Paint from Glidden

A quick post before our block party tomorrow...

Glidden is offering a free paint test drive with a free quart of paint in your choice of color. Fill out a form on their website between now and October 11, mail that in with an old paint can label to receive your free quart of paint.

https://www.glidden.com/index.do

Edited to add: wait for the homepage Flash graphic to load and click to link to the instructions.

A Few Random Things from This Week

I am alive; just busy! I signed up to do a table at a local church craft fair on November 14, so I'm in full-on crafting mode. I'm making crayon rolls, kids' art aprons, chalk cloth place mats, reusable produce bags, mini sweater ornaments and possibly some sewn mini apron ornaments as well.

One night when I couldn't sleep, I went through my personal yarn stash, matching up stash yarn with patterns so projects are now assigned. My queue in ravelry just got a bit longer! Jeff took a photo because he said now he knew where Evan got his "sorting" skills.



I have been looking forward the fall church fair season for months! Today my dad and I went to the St. David's Fair and attended their excellent auction; they have the most beautiful antiques for dirt cheap! We got our mahogany dining room chairs (the ones I recovered) last year for peanuts. Today, I scored this antique small sideboard for our dining room for just $70! Can you even get something like this new for that? A little Old English and it cleaned up beautifully.