If you like this post and want to see more toddler activities please visit my blog, Tutus and Tea Parties. You can also follow me on: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest.
Showing posts with label Etsykids Team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etsykids Team. Show all posts
Sensory Activity:: Jello Sensory Play
Posted Saturday, June 23, 2012
If there is one thing Bug loves most it is sensory play! She used to be funny about it when she was little, but now she dives right in to whatever I may throw in her table. The other day I was roaming around Walmart and I saw some boxes of Jello and thought...hmm, that would be fun to play in...so I grabbed about 4 boxes. I followed the instructions on the box and let it cool in the fridge. {I put a little aside for a snack too} After nap time was over the Jello was ready to play in! I dumped it into Bug's water table {which I use as a sensory table as well} and she went to town.
She must have played in it for about an hour. It was all melted and sticky by the time she was done with squishing and squashing it. It was a little messy to clean up, but I just dumped what I could into the garbage and hosed the table off.
It's always nice to expose the kiddos to different consistencies. We talked about the Jello and it's stickiness and the sound it makes when you squish it. Keep the conversation flowing and your kiddo will get a whole lot out of this easy & fun activity.
If you like this post and want to see more toddler activities please visit my blog, Tutus and Tea Parties. You can also follow me on: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest.
If you like this post and want to see more toddler activities please visit my blog, Tutus and Tea Parties. You can also follow me on: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest.
Happy Father's Day
Posted Sunday, June 17, 2012
Daddy's use to be little once too! Here are some fun finds for the future daddy's in your life.
Urban Farming: Involving the Children
Posted Saturday, June 16, 2012
The kids and I set about creating a tiered herb garden yesterday afternoon. This project was inspired by one in the book The Ultimate Step-by-Step Kid's First Gardening Book. The book is fabulous and brimming with wonderful, kid friendly gardening ideas.
This project is perfect for kids of all ages. I had an 8 year old, 5 year old, and 4 year old helping, plus a 2 year old watching on. We modified the plans a bit to accomidate our meager budget! Instead of pretty terra cotta pots of varying sizes, I found some plastic and metal pots in the dollar bins at Target (small, medium, and large. Make sure they'll nest). They aren't as pretty, but they'll serve our purpose well. I am also banking on the herbs growing large and hiding the pots a bit.
First things first, make sure you have the right tools gathered. We had our three nesting pots, a bag of soil, a trowel, some seeds, and a few small herbs. We chose basil, thyme, lemon balm, chamomile, and curly parsley. There is a bit room for more, but that's what we had. Steer clear of mint, as it grows rampant and will take over your pots! Have fun choosing your favorite herbs or try new varieties. There are so many to choose from.
We filled in a bit more and then set the smallest pot into the middle one and filled in around it. We planted a few more herbs in our middle pot.
Try this project with your own little ones! Keep it in a sunny place and let them water it each day. Very soon, their own herbs will be gracing the kitchen!
We would LOVE to have you join in the conversation with comments or links to your own adventures in Urban Farming!
This project is perfect for kids of all ages. I had an 8 year old, 5 year old, and 4 year old helping, plus a 2 year old watching on. We modified the plans a bit to accomidate our meager budget! Instead of pretty terra cotta pots of varying sizes, I found some plastic and metal pots in the dollar bins at Target (small, medium, and large. Make sure they'll nest). They aren't as pretty, but they'll serve our purpose well. I am also banking on the herbs growing large and hiding the pots a bit.
First things first, make sure you have the right tools gathered. We had our three nesting pots, a bag of soil, a trowel, some seeds, and a few small herbs. We chose basil, thyme, lemon balm, chamomile, and curly parsley. There is a bit room for more, but that's what we had. Steer clear of mint, as it grows rampant and will take over your pots! Have fun choosing your favorite herbs or try new varieties. There are so many to choose from.
After we gathered our tools, we set the medium sized pot inside the largest pot and filled in all around with potting soil. We had a few herbs that were already a bit large, but mostly we had seeds (trying to be economical!!). We planted a couple types of seeds and a couple larger plants in this bottom tier.
We then filled the top pot with soil and planted a lovely bit of curly parsley to crown our herb garden.
This fun project was quick and easy! It was perfect for including all of the children and gave them a real sense of ownership in our garden.
We would LOVE to have you join in the conversation with comments or links to your own adventures in Urban Farming!
Science Experiment: Dyed Flowers
Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012
From Michelle of himamma.
Science … we love it. Many times when we have gone past the flower area at the grocery store we smell the sweet scent of fresh roses and dainty daisies ... the girls have been fascinated with the flowers that are in an array of colors that are dyed but yet they know that they are not naturally that color … and have wondered “how do they do that?”
Well, we made it our science experiment last week! So now they have a much better understanding and can visualize how the flower petals changed colors.
Steve Spangler Science shares a great tutorial on dying flowers, in addition to other experiments he has done…but most importantly the details and why they work make sense on his website that kids understand.
Our science experiment was over a course of several days. We started out using some older daisies that we had purchased later the week before. We recut the bottom of the flower stems and placed them in the colored water glasses. The older flowers did not dye as well as we had hoped, but we knew that might be the case going into the experiment. A few days later we purchased new flowers and this time they did much better and the color was obvious.
One question the girls had asked was how soon do you think we will see the color in the petals? Within two hours, it was amazing to see the colors showing in the white petals. By dinner time, the flowers were fully dyed and in a brilliant shades of yellow, blue, red and green.
We even wondered if certain colors would dye the petals quicker than others. It seemed to us that the blue and the green food coloring dyed the white petals the quickest. I know in the printing world, that when you print with blue ink, it takes longer to dry than any other color just due to the pigment. I know it doesn't relate to the experiment but it is an interesting fact that makes you wonder about inks in general.
Do you have a favorite science experiment book/curriculum that you use? Please feel free to comment below or send us an email. We are always enjoying and reading science books and would like to share with other families in the journey of learning.
In addition to the Steve's website we also enjoy the following:
- The Magic School Bus series. We will reserve DVDs and library books from our library and/or watch the various topics that we are studying via YouTube. Last year, I purchased The Magic School Bus Science Experiment books that take each of the episodes and relate it to an experiment/participate in an observation. On the MSB website they also have a Parent/Teacher section that is very helpful. Ms Frizzle and the gang are always a hit with the girls. I must admit...I love the series too.
- I recently have exchanged emails with a mom I met through a workboxes group. Via our email workboxes group, Colleen shared that she has written several books, with one particularly focused towards science. Colleen has a blog called Raising Lifelong Learners as well as her writing website called Colleen Kessler. I strongly suggest you visit her blogs to learn more.
Book Nook:: Summer Reading Programs
Posted Monday, June 04, 2012
As a little kid my mother took us to the library every week. It was a staple in her daily routine (one of her many techniques for maintaining sanity) and was a place we loved to go!
Last week was our first week of summer, and the kids and I made the first of our weekly trips to the the public library. We came home with a stack of books for each member of the family:
The 6th grader is loving the series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott, the 5th grader is blazing through all the Harry Potter books, the 3rd grader is captivated by Percy Jackson and just started Rick Riordan's 2nd series, Hero's of Olympus, the Kindergartner picked up a stack of Star Wars graphic novels and beginning readers, and the preschooler and I had great fun picking out great story and picture books.
We also got everyone in the family (even mom an dad) signed up for the public library's summer reading program.
Summer reading programs are all around ... each with their own set of rules and incentives for finishing the program. In most cases you read a certain number of books or minutes within a time frame set up by the sponsoring organization and when you turn in your log they will give you incentives/prizes/discounts for turning in your completed reading log.
Summer reading programs help encourage children to continue reading throughout the summer to help prevent regression in the progress they've made in the classroom. They also provide added benefits for those kids who love to read, and needed incentives to those whose first instinct isn't to pick up a book.
Here are just a few of the summer reading programs you might consider taking advantage of in addition to doing your local public library's summer reading program.
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| My siblings and I outside the public library, circa 1983. |
Last week was our first week of summer, and the kids and I made the first of our weekly trips to the the public library. We came home with a stack of books for each member of the family:
The 6th grader is loving the series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott, the 5th grader is blazing through all the Harry Potter books, the 3rd grader is captivated by Percy Jackson and just started Rick Riordan's 2nd series, Hero's of Olympus, the Kindergartner picked up a stack of Star Wars graphic novels and beginning readers, and the preschooler and I had great fun picking out great story and picture books.
We also got everyone in the family (even mom an dad) signed up for the public library's summer reading program.
Summer reading programs are all around ... each with their own set of rules and incentives for finishing the program. In most cases you read a certain number of books or minutes within a time frame set up by the sponsoring organization and when you turn in your log they will give you incentives/prizes/discounts for turning in your completed reading log.
Summer reading programs help encourage children to continue reading throughout the summer to help prevent regression in the progress they've made in the classroom. They also provide added benefits for those kids who love to read, and needed incentives to those whose first instinct isn't to pick up a book.
Here are just a few of the summer reading programs you might consider taking advantage of in addition to doing your local public library's summer reading program.
- Half Price Books, Feed Your Brain.
- Barnes & Noble, Imagination Destination.
- Scholastic Summer Challenge.
- Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge.
- Chuck E. Cheese, Reading Log.
- PBS Kids and iVillage team up for Summer Reading Sweepstakes.
We want to know what books your children are reading, and let us know of other great national summer reading programs we should .
How to Travel with Kids ... and avoid yelling
Posted Saturday, June 02, 2012
From Emily of BusyChickadee.
My family lives a little over 4 hours away and I like to go visit about every other month. I recently decided to go and visit for almost a week. My husband couldn't take that much time off … so we left him at home.
That meant I needed to plan well to avoid…yelling! Grouchy mommies don’t make the best drivers, right? If I have happy kids I have a happy mommy.
Here are 8 tips and tricks I used to have a happy family drive:
1. PACK a LUNCH
2. HAVE a CONTAINER FULL of TOYS and BOOKS
4. GO RUN!!
5. PACK SNACKS
6. MUSIC
7. DVD PLAYER
My family lives a little over 4 hours away and I like to go visit about every other month. I recently decided to go and visit for almost a week. My husband couldn't take that much time off … so we left him at home.
That meant I needed to plan well to avoid…yelling! Grouchy mommies don’t make the best drivers, right? If I have happy kids I have a happy mommy.
Here are 8 tips and tricks I used to have a happy family drive:
1. PACK a LUNCH
I decided to pack a lunch to avoid having to get fast food, and to avoid having to PAY for fast food! That adds up quickly. I packed peanut butter sandwiches (no cooler needed), apples, and water bottles. Packed in individual lunch sacks, means everyone has their own trash sack and trash stays where it should and not strewn across the floor of my car.
2. HAVE a CONTAINER FULL of TOYS and BOOKS
I always pack a crate of some kind with small toys and lots of books. Yes, they will end up all over your vehicle because they will drop them after they grow tired of them! I figure this is a mess well worth keeping them occupied. Also, I make sure the container is close to the older ones so they can hand them out to the younger ones. When I was the only older one, I kept it close to me so that I could keep handing them back.
3. The POTTY - NEVER LEAVE HOME without IT!
3. The POTTY - NEVER LEAVE HOME without IT!
When my kids are potty training, I never travel without it. It makes it much easier to attend to “MOMMY, I have to go…NOW!” It is also easier when your kids don’t like public bathrooms. I stop the van and put the potty chair in the middle of the van. I let the child go and then I dump it outside when it is just pee. (Animals do it, right??) I bring along grocery sacks and dump it in there if it is…more substantial! (heehee) Then I throw it in the nearest trash. I wipe it out with wipes when they are done.
Kids are kind of like puppies…they like to run! When we do stop to go to the bathroom and there is open space, I yell, “Go RUN!!” I like to let them get out some of that energy. Sometimes I even chase them around or walk the stairs in the area around them to get out energy of my own. This helps us get back into the van with less tears.
I make sure to fill up a bag with snacks. You never know what is going to be that one thing that keeps everyone together. I like to pack things that can’t get too squashed into the carpet. I bring things like: pretzels, popcorn, Goldfish, dry cereal and maybe fruit snacks. I bring bowls or cups to put the snacks in to make it easier to hand them back. A friend of mine packs them in little baggies and I think that is a great idea too.
Bring along the children’s music. This can sometimes bring someone back from the brink of a meltdown. If you don’t have some, just start singing together. Songs like “Wheels on the Bus” and “5 Little Monkeys” are great ways to pass the time.
We finally broke down and bought the DVD player for the van. I was one of those people who said, “But I didn’t have one when I was little.” That lady left one day when I realized it would just make long trips easier. If you haven't broken down and done it yet because you don't travel as much as we do, see if you can borrow one from a friend if you have a long ride coming up this summer. They really do make it easier.
8. GAMES
8. GAMES
As I was driving today and thinking about what I would write for this post, I thought about some things I would have done differently. I think next time I will make sure to pack some travel games like tic, tac, toe and car bingo. The board game isle has travel games you can purchase and small electronic handheld games like battleship, 20Q or yahtzee that are inexpensive and great fun. You can also look around pinterest and blogs for games you can make or print yourself.
Find Emily online at Facebook and Twitter, by visiting her blog - Raising Busy Chickadees and her Etsy Shop - Busy Chickadees:
June 2012 EtsyKids Team Desktop Background
Posted Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Here is the desktop calendar for June 2012! This month the theme was red,
white and blue!! Getting ready for July 4th celebrations!! You can see a treasury
of all these items here and here.
Featured shops: MyLittlePixies, sweetsmilesbaby, KPCreations, jennifernoeldesigns, ABabyNotion, roseprintsonline, thebitsybeau, LiliBugBoutique, LadyBeez, yourblissfulday, allthingsforbaby, melondot, TheRoyalDetails, BabyAccessories, tootoocute4you, tinystitches, VibrantTrains, ChewChewsCloset, Avabowtiquee, ApplesauceCrafts
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| 1024 x 768 |
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| 1280 x 800 |
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| 1920 x 1080 |
Sensory Activity:: Body Painting
Posted Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What do you say when your child wants to use their body to paint? YES!
I taped 4 pieces of paper together, set out some finger paint and brushes, took her clothes off and let her go to town. She had a blast!
{Just be ready for bath time right after...it gets pretty messy.}
Where the Wild Things Are
Posted Wednesday, May 09, 2012
In honor of beloved children's book author, Maurice Sendak, who passed away yesterday at the age of 83, we pay tribute with a selection of items that remind us of one of his most beloved stories ... 'Where the Wild Things Are.'
Book Nook: The Three Questions
Posted Monday, May 07, 2012
From Cherice of InnerPiecesGallery.
Jon J. Muth’s picture book for children is aptly titled. The three questions introduced in The Three Questions might at first seem a little odd, especially to today’s modern child. The questions themselves have a slightly unnatural rhythm to them which makes them difficult to imagine ever speaking out loud. This strange rhythm makes much more sense once we realize the questions originate from Leo Tolstoy’s short story titled (Hmm, can you guess it?) The Three Questions.
Muth’s book expresses his own passion for Tolstoy while beautifully sharing the author’s study of Zen in a way that children can understand.
Muth’s watercolors add a peaceful beauty to every page. Most importantly, the engaging images lead us at last to the ANSWERS of these meaningful three questions. No spoiler alert here. You’ll have to read this delightful story to learn the answers for yourself.
Parents, don’t miss the author’s note at the end of the book. It offers even more insight into the inspiration behind this empowering book for children.
Find InnerPiecesGallery, online via blog, twitter and Etsy Shop.
Jon J. Muth’s picture book for children is aptly titled. The three questions introduced in The Three Questions might at first seem a little odd, especially to today’s modern child. The questions themselves have a slightly unnatural rhythm to them which makes them difficult to imagine ever speaking out loud. This strange rhythm makes much more sense once we realize the questions originate from Leo Tolstoy’s short story titled (Hmm, can you guess it?) The Three Questions.
Muth’s watercolors add a peaceful beauty to every page. Most importantly, the engaging images lead us at last to the ANSWERS of these meaningful three questions. No spoiler alert here. You’ll have to read this delightful story to learn the answers for yourself.
Parents, don’t miss the author’s note at the end of the book. It offers even more insight into the inspiration behind this empowering book for children.
Find InnerPiecesGallery, online via blog, twitter and Etsy Shop.
InnerPiecesGallery, EtsyKids
Team nor Etsy is affiliated with the books author(s), illustrator(s) or
publisher. This review is provided simply for the joy of sharing good books
and for supporting the work of inspiring authors.
Toddler Sensory Activity: Planting Flowers
Posted Saturday, April 28, 2012
What you need:
- dried black beans {I used 2 bags}
- fake flowers
- small flower pots
- any other gardening tools you have around the house {we used shovels and a small watering can}
- sensory table {If you don't have a sensory table {I don't} then you can use a bowl, Tupperware, one of those disposable lasagna pans {which we used}...pretty much anything your little heart desires. There are also tons of sensory table DIYs around the internet if you are handy enough to make one yourself. We also have a water table that we like to use.}
What to do:
- empty out your beans into the sensory table
- trim flowers so they aren't too large for the kiddos {make sure no metal is sticking out - you may want to tape the bottom just in case}
- have the children "plant" their flowers by filling a planter with beans and sticking in the flower{s}
- we also have a small watering can to pretend to water the flowers
If you like this post and want to see more toddler activities please visit my blog, Tutus and Tea Parties. You can also follow me on: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest.
Mural, Mural on the Wall ...
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2012
From Cindy of CooperCreations.
Here are a few things to think about when deciding on a mural...
When having a mural painted in your child’s room, the first thing you should consider is how long you want to keep the mural. That will help determine your theme. Most people like to paint their nursery theme and then repaint when they transition their child into a big kid bed. If that is the case then your theme can be very specific to your bedding which will give you a very custom feel. A great thing about painting a mural is that it can match your décor exactly. You don’t have to settle for something that is “close enough”. When it comes to nurseries, if you know that you will be repainting in a two or three years then take this time to make the nursery your own sanctuary – heaven knows you will spend a lot of time in there. The nursery stage is a good time to decorate with characters. If you always loved Peter Rabbit as a child now is your chance to paint it before your child has their own likes and dislikes. Some people opt not to paint their nurseries the traditional pink and blue because they know there will be a lot of that stereotypical color down the line. Lavender or lime are fresh alternatives.
If you are on the other side of things and you know that you want your mural to last through a big bed transition or from big kid room to tween-dom, then you want to go with a more general theme. For nurseries, you can not go wrong with flowers for a girl’s room or a nature theme for a boy’s. Be sure to note where in the nursery you may be placing the big kid bed so that you keep the room balanced even after transition. If you don’t plan to re-paint, then stay away from too much of one color or characters that they will outgrow. Some themes that last a long time in older children’s rooms are butterflies, flowers, space and sports. Use a bold accent wall and repaint that one wall every now and again to spruce things up.
Placement of the mural is also very important. I always tell people to position the bulk of the mural the first place your eye goes to when you walk in the room. This anchors the room and gives you a nice full feeling without painting every wall. Use small coordinating murals to fill space that would be too awkward to place furniture or hanging pictures. For example, paint a baseball bat leaning behind a door or a butterfly above a light switch. Another place that is always a big hit for a mural is above a changing table. Not only are babies fascinated with that area while being changed, but it is also a safer way to decorate than hanging something they can grab. Place your mural at eye level and wrap it around the room if you don’t have a lot of things to hang. This will fill the space for you and will alleviate having to find misc things to hang just because the space is there. On the other hand, if you have a lot of hanging items, then incorporate them into the mural. Paint a frog jumping from picture to picture or a butterfly resting on a frame. Avoid positioning murals at the bottom of your wall in a play room. Most toys get pushed up against the wall which ends up covering your mural. I know a lot of people love picket fences but unfortunately most rooms are not conducive for it. The best place to paint a picket fence mural is to find an awkward place in the room - a wall that cannot be utilized works well. Flower that area up with a little fence and a tall blossoming tree.
A popular alternative to painted murals these days are the vinyl stick ons. These work well in small areas or accents but to get that wow factor, only a mural will do the trick. With a hand painted mural, you can match your décor exactly and target a specific need in the room. The stick ons work well as accents or later additions to a childs room. If your son is into Buzz Lightyear, stick the character on his muraled space wall, then next year when he outgrows Buzz take him off and add a realistic looking astronaut. Just remember, less is best with stick ons.
Whether your budget is $100 or $1000 a mural is always a perfect addition to your child’s room. It is amazing how much life the smallest painting adds to your room.
You can find Cindy and her CooperCreations online at facebook and Etsy:
When having a mural painted in your child’s room, the first thing you should consider is how long you want to keep the mural. That will help determine your theme. Most people like to paint their nursery theme and then repaint when they transition their child into a big kid bed. If that is the case then your theme can be very specific to your bedding which will give you a very custom feel. A great thing about painting a mural is that it can match your décor exactly. You don’t have to settle for something that is “close enough”. When it comes to nurseries, if you know that you will be repainting in a two or three years then take this time to make the nursery your own sanctuary – heaven knows you will spend a lot of time in there. The nursery stage is a good time to decorate with characters. If you always loved Peter Rabbit as a child now is your chance to paint it before your child has their own likes and dislikes. Some people opt not to paint their nurseries the traditional pink and blue because they know there will be a lot of that stereotypical color down the line. Lavender or lime are fresh alternatives.
If you are on the other side of things and you know that you want your mural to last through a big bed transition or from big kid room to tween-dom, then you want to go with a more general theme. For nurseries, you can not go wrong with flowers for a girl’s room or a nature theme for a boy’s. Be sure to note where in the nursery you may be placing the big kid bed so that you keep the room balanced even after transition. If you don’t plan to re-paint, then stay away from too much of one color or characters that they will outgrow. Some themes that last a long time in older children’s rooms are butterflies, flowers, space and sports. Use a bold accent wall and repaint that one wall every now and again to spruce things up.
A popular alternative to painted murals these days are the vinyl stick ons. These work well in small areas or accents but to get that wow factor, only a mural will do the trick. With a hand painted mural, you can match your décor exactly and target a specific need in the room. The stick ons work well as accents or later additions to a childs room. If your son is into Buzz Lightyear, stick the character on his muraled space wall, then next year when he outgrows Buzz take him off and add a realistic looking astronaut. Just remember, less is best with stick ons.
Whether your budget is $100 or $1000 a mural is always a perfect addition to your child’s room. It is amazing how much life the smallest painting adds to your room.
5 Harmful Effects Of Disposable Diapers And Training Pants
Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012
From Anthony and Steph of SuperSkivvies.
Because our company is an eco-friendly and sustainable company we feel that it is necessary to help people make an educated decision when it comes to choosing which products to use for their children. This is for the benefit of you and your child, as well as the environment.
It still amazes us how many people out there give no thought or regard to how the products they use are destroying the very Earth we all call home, even after being educated and shown the truth about harmful products. Unfortunately, a lot of people want to sweep these problems under the rug and forget about them. However, I think we can all agree that we need Earth in order to survive and give future generations the basic necessities of clean air, clean water, and healthy food. Simple right?
Take a look at some of the information we found about disposable diapers and training pants:
This is obviously not an exhaustive list of harmful effects. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Because our company is an eco-friendly and sustainable company we feel that it is necessary to help people make an educated decision when it comes to choosing which products to use for their children. This is for the benefit of you and your child, as well as the environment.
It still amazes us how many people out there give no thought or regard to how the products they use are destroying the very Earth we all call home, even after being educated and shown the truth about harmful products. Unfortunately, a lot of people want to sweep these problems under the rug and forget about them. However, I think we can all agree that we need Earth in order to survive and give future generations the basic necessities of clean air, clean water, and healthy food. Simple right?
Take a look at some of the information we found about disposable diapers and training pants:
- 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills every year in the U.S. alone, adding 5 million tons of untreated human waste to the soil. And did you know that it is illegal to put human fecal matter in your household garbage? The American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics have advised parents that “fecal material and urine should not be allowed to be co-mingled and disposed of as regular trash. This contaminates ground water and spreads disease.” Yes, you must remove all of the fecal matter from disposables before you throw them out. (Click here for information on disposing of disposable diapers)
- Sodium polyacrylate is a chemical that makes disposable diapers so absorbent that it can absorb up to 100 times its weight in water. However, it can stick to children’s genitals and cause allergic reactions. In the U.S., this chemical was removed from tampons in 1985 when it was linked to toxic shock syndrome. And when this chemical was tested and injected into rats, it caused hemorrhaging, cardiovascular failure, and ultimately death.
- 500 years! This is how long it can take each disposable diaper and training pant to decompose in a landfill. That means that every disposable diaper and training pant ever used in the world is still decomposing in a landfill somewhere. And almost 30 percent of each disposable diaper and training pant consists of non biodegradable products such as absorbent vinyl layers, Velcro, absorbent gelling material, and plastic packaging that will never break down.
- Dioxin is a by product of the paper bleaching process used in the manufacturing of disposable diapers and training pants. It is the most toxic of all the cancer causing chemicals and causes birth defects as well as liver disease in laboratory animals.
- As many as 100 viruses can survive in soiled disposable diapers or training pants for months. This includes the live polio virus and hepatitis excreted by recently vaccinated babies. These viruses constitute a potential hazard to sanitation workers and garbage handlers. No to mention the critters that will crawl into the landfill to find a meal and the birds that will pick through this garbage and fly to who knows where.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list of harmful effects. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Handmade Business 101: Choosing A Price Point For Maximum Profit
Posted Monday, April 16, 2012
If you want to make more money, you might think you should just sell more crafts. And if you had an unlimited amount of crafts to sell and a steady supply of materials at the same cost, you'd be right. But you don't. There are only 24 hours in your day, and a large number of those are spent eating, sleeping, cooking, cleaning, traveling, shopping, and (if your life situation is like mine) wiping noses and behinds. So the amount of product you can make has a maximum. You might think that if you sold that maximum amount of product, you'd make the maximum amount of profit. But you'd likely be wrong. Your profit depends not just on how much you sell, but the price at which you sell.
If you can sell your goods at a higher price, you make more profit per item. And if you can sell all your items at a higher price, then you should do that. But, as my dad always told me, the price of an item is precisely that which the market will bear. If I could get people to buy my baby booties at $100 a pair, I'd be selling them for that much-- but few would be interested at that price.
It's widely known that people generally buy more of stuff when the price is lower, and less of it when the price is higher. But allow me to illustrate how selling more items might actually mean LESS money for you. (I'm going to pick some nice round numbers to make the math easier, so bear with me if they're not 100% realistic costs and prices. We're also going to disregard labor as a cost, just to make it easier to illustrate the point.)
Suppose you make hair bows. The materials for these bows cost you $1.00 per bow. You sell them for $3.00 each. Each hair bow you sell profits you $2, so if you sell 50 of them today you've made a profit of $100.
Now suppose you raise your price to $5. Your customers are looking at these hair bows and saying "Gee, it's cute, but is it $5 cute?" Some, the ones who think they're so cute they'd have them at just about any price, are plunking down the $5. Some are not. At the $5 price you're only selling 30 of them today instead of 50. "Oh no," you say, "I've driven off nearly half my customers!" But how much PROFIT have you earned? At the $5 price point, your profit on each hair bow is $4 ($5 minus the $1 cost). So your profit from today's sales is $4 times 30 or $120. That's $20 MORE than you earned selling them at a lower price!
Now you're thinking, "Wow, that was cool! Why don't I just raise the price to $20?" So let's try it. You raise the price to $20 and now you have only 3 customers. Each hair bow makes you $19 and so you've profited just $57. You can't keep raising the price forever; at some point your profits will drop off. Somewhere between $5 and $20 is a price that will maximize your profit on these hair bows.
Now if you're into calculus, you can use this information to create a mathematical model and calculate the price you need to charge to get maximum profit. But you don't have to do any advanced math to figure out (more or less) what the price is that will give you maximum profit. Just give it a try! Sell at different price points at similar craft shows (or similar times of year on Etsy). If you notice you make less money at a higher price, go lower. If you notice you make less money at a lower price, go higher. But now you know a business secret: selling more doesn't always make you more money!
Next month we'll discuss how to calculate shipping and handling charges and make them work with Etsy's system.
Tutorial:: Faux Frosted Glass
Posted Friday, April 06, 2012
From Kayce of WorldofWhimm and On a Whimm.
Here's how to do it:
Materials:
- Contact paper (also called shelf paper - I used white)
- Scissors
- Exacto knife
- Cutting Mat
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Clip art, printed and cut around edges (optional)
Step 2: Measure your mirror and cut the contact paper to fit (for the Alice in Wonderland piece, I used two vertical pieces).
Step 3: Turn it over and on the back draw your design (in reverse). I recommend pencil for this step... I used pen so that you could see what I was doing. Either way, it won't show since the back piece of paper will be removed. I also drew my design freehand. If you aren't this confident, you can print some clip art on your printer, cut around the outside of them and trace the silhouette onto the back of the contact paper (I did this for some of the Alice in Wonderland design).
Step 4: Cut out your design. If you have pieces that are islands, be sure to keep track of them when you cut them out, or don't completely cut them out - leaving it attached to the larger piece with a thin strip (see my letter "A" and "R"). I used scissors for the larger parts and an exact knife for the details and inside pieces. I also used a hole punch for the bird eyes.
Step 5: Clean your mirror. Then start on the straight edge of your contact paper, if you have one, and fold it back so that only an inch is exposed. This will make it easier for you to line it up and make sure it's straight before you peel it all off.
Step 6: (I recommend having two people for this step - one to peel, one to smooth) Slowly peel away the back as you press the sticky side of the paper against the mirror, doing your best to push out all bubbles. I found it difficult to get rid of all bubbles - but I didn't have a helper. Beware that if you pull the paper off, do it carefully as it will stretch slightly which will only add to the number of bubbles you have.
Step 7: Clean the mirror one more time if you have fingerprints all over - and your done!
The contact paper comes off fairly easily when you are ready to remove it. I did have to pull it off in several pieces and it left some glue in a few spots. However, the glue washed off easily with a mixture of vinegar, lemon, dish soap and water. I'm sure a glass cleaner would work as well.
Happy Spring!
Kayce can be found online on her blog On a Whimm, facebook, and her Etsy Shop:
The contact paper comes off fairly easily when you are ready to remove it. I did have to pull it off in several pieces and it left some glue in a few spots. However, the glue washed off easily with a mixture of vinegar, lemon, dish soap and water. I'm sure a glass cleaner would work as well.
Happy Spring!
Kayce can be found online on her blog On a Whimm, facebook, and her Etsy Shop:
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