Etsy....Jack and Norah

I've been so extremely busy lately working on our new online boutique, Jack & Norah. I'm really trying to make sure that all of our pictures are perfect and that our descriptions are enough. Matt's been so awesome about all of the crazyness. I can't ever fall asleep because I have so many ideas in my head about products and ways to market them. When I took the boys to Sozo yesterday I had 2 compliments on my hairpiece and handed out business cards to each of them. I'm going to start wearing my stuff all the time so that I can do that more. Haley made me some cards yesterday before we left just in case that happened. It was so nice of her to do that for me! All of the kids are taking a nap right now thank goodness...it was an insane morning. None of them wanted to listen or cooperate with anything that was going on. Tomorrow Haliam leave for Chicago with the kids so I'll only have 2 Thurs and Fri...nice break.

I really need to get models for my items. I think I'm going to ask Haley if she will along with the kids. I wish I had a really good camera for it. One day. I'm working really hard right now to advertise and market all of our products from our Etsy site, to facebook and twitter...we'll see. I even started a blog. I just have to work on it a lot more. I wish I could take a class about blogging to get better at this. I'm having so much fun making everything, now we just need it to sell...like really "need" it to. Our apartment is covered in products and supplies and just crafts everywhere.

We will definitely be going to the Fremont Market this Sunday and are hoping to make a lot of money there. Hopefully to knock down our debt a bunch. If we can just use all the money from the markets to get rid of our rediculous and never ending debt (well not so bad..but for US it's bad), we will be a lot happier and stress free! I need to start making more products and I need a logo so that I can hire another Etsian to make me some fabric tags, cut-out product tags and some business cards.

*sigh*...it's fall.

I am really loving the weather we have been having lately. Fall is definitely my favorite season and here, it is perfect. It's not to cold and still sunny (knock on wood...I know that won't last). The weekends have been so much fun lately, I love being outside and having to wear a scarf and hat...especially when I've made them myself. Yesterday I baked 12 dozen cookies... you may ask, why on earth would I bake that many cookies for just Matt & I? Matt doesn't like chocolate chip cookies and I love them. So I made a batch of chocolate chip and a batch of butterscotch. It was so much fun to bake all night and now, we have cookies to last us a while! I was pumped to make them because I bought an electric mixer! Not the kitchenaide one I'm dying to have, just a hand held one, but at least it got the job done.
I found another item that I love making to add to my etsy. Baby onsies. I had paint patterns onto them and they are turning out absolutely adorable. I'm really excited about them and hoping that they sell. So far I have only sold 2 things and it's almost been 2 months now that I've had this site. It's a bit frustrating, but I just have to find my nitch and find what sells.
Matt and I are going to pick pumpkins today and I'm really excited about it! We were planning on doing it when we lived in FL, but we never had the money to do it at the time, so now...we're actually going to go. There's a pumpkin patch right by our house and it looks like a lot of fun. We have had some busy weekends and are going to continue having busy weekends all through the fall. This month we have 2 parties to go to and lots of appointments (dr., dentist, vet, etc). Matt's calling this month operation get better...financially and health wise. So far so good. I put away $100 of my paycheck this week to go towards winter quarter of school and it felt really good. One step closer to actually getting to go! I can't wait!
I'm going to save as much money as I possibly can because the more I save the more classes I can take. I'm won't have in-state tuition so it's a lot more for winter quarter. I'd like to be able to take 2 classes, I want to have a head start on this. I just can't wait to graduate!
I'm thinking that in April when my nanny contract is up that I'm not going to be able to sign on for another. The boys are going to be starting school, Isaiah might even in the spring. So it just won't be enough money with the kids in school and me in school as well. I'm going to try to get either another nanny job here that pays higher or a job working in a daycare or preschool setting. I'd love to work for either a montessori or autism center....
Alright, well time to get ready for the day.
Happy Fall!

Double Stuffed Chicken Parmesan in Chelsea's Kitchen...Episode 1

Tonight I made my first "real" meal. I found a recipe in the October issue of Everyday Rachael Ray for Double Stuffed Chicken Breast. I always feel like I can't cook and then came to realize...I've never tried. I have made family recipes, made things up....I can also make a mean box of Kraft Macarroni & Cheese, but tonight it's safe to say that I can cook!! This was a terribly messy to make recipe, and I loved every second of it! Stuffing the cheese/noodle mixture under the chicken skin was so much fun! (Be gentle and after stuffing fold skin over and wrap tight)

Things that I changed were that instead of using breasts I used thighs...but only because we got 12 chicken thighs for $5.00 on sale tonight. Instead of baking for 50 minutes, I did for 60 minutes...(I'm a spaz about eating undercooked food...sick!) We used organic cheeses and marinara sauce from Trader Joes. I also didn't put parsley on top at the end, I felt there was enough inside.

Feeling very proud right now!
Tune in next week to see what's cookin' in Chelsea's kitchen!

PS. Matt LOVED it and has enough for 2 days leftover lunches : )

we're taking our time and having fun!

We had a busy Friday and Saturday. Matt's grandma came from California to visit and I was glad to finally meet her. Last night after work, Matt and I went over to Chris & Megan's with the rest of his family and we all had dinner together and talked a lot. It was fun! Then today, Matt and I woke up way too early for a Saturday morning (6:00) and got ready right away so we could take our car in to get the brakes checked and fixed...buuuut, when we got there they told us they couldn't look at our brakes until we got all 4 of our tires changed. That stinks, but we do need new tires, sooo we are going to get both the tires changed and hopefully (if it doesn't cost a fortune) the brakes fixed too. I'm hoping it's just the brake pads, but I'm afraid because of us having to wait now, that they're just going to get worse.......... So...after getting our brakes "checked" we went to Matt's parents house and I helped Marie make a delicious breakfast. I then went to the craft store to stock up on stuff to do while they watched the Cal game...then football all day and a yummy yummy dinner!

We were supposed to be going to the market in the morning tomorrow. I thought I was ready...all day. Then, we got home late and I realized we had a lot of missing pieces. No change & more importantly not enough sleep to be waking up at 5:30 on a Sunday. Lame I know. Must be thinking, "figures they arent' doing what they said..." But, we are now enjoying our Saturday night together instead of me going to bed right away and being stressed out. It's our new way of thinking....taaaaking our time on things! We like it better this way.

Matt said he's not worried about us having all of these "products" right now and waiting until April to sell them all at the Issaquah market. We may be "losing" money from them now, but if we start only spending about $5-$10 a week on the stuff we'll be fine. BECAUSE, Megan had a good point tonight at dinner...even if they don't sell at a profitable price, we can always sell them for what they cost and break even.

Matt and I have some exciting plans for October. Lots that we want to do together! Next weekend we're going to Issaquah's Salmon Days with the family and that's going to be SO much fun. We've only heard good things about it. We really want to go camping and to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth. We also will have a family Halloween party to go to. This will be a fun month!

Announcements & such...

A lot has changed since the last time I wrote a blog...and that wasn't too long ago. First of all, I've been having a great week at work. Charlie and Ave are both in school now and it makes my mornings go by so much faster than before. Only 2 kids until lunch and then they go to sleep and I just have 1 until 3:10....then 4 , but just for a bit. Not so bad. My pay is dropping, which sucks...but that is what's lead to this decision. (Well this, and many other reasons as well)

Matt and I have decided to postpone our wedding until June of 2011. We don't even have a date yet...we should probably get on that. It's nice because now instead of having these next 9 months be crazy and stressful, we just have time to get out of debt...go to school and then focus on the wedding. We are going to start making small payments here and there on the wedding just to make sure we aren't left in this same situation next year. Nothing is changing. Not our florist, photographer, location..anything. I talked to our florist today because we have already sent out the deposit, and they were totally fine with keeping the deposit and using it for our later date. Matt and I feel 100% comfortable with this decision and are feeling a huge weight off our shoulders because of it. Now time to re-focus on our debts...which are almost gone and to get Matt into school. Matt going to school is priority #1. I want to go back in the spring...I hope I can. I'm thinking I'm going to do what I've said since 3rd grade and be a teacher. That will be my back up plan in case I can't or don't like being a stay at home mom 24/7 when we someday have a family together.

Other big news is that my parents are moving. Crazyiness. Just to Erin, but still crazy. I grew up in that house so it's a little sad for me. I won't get to have closure with leaving my "home" but hopefully that will be okay. Maybe the new owners will let me lol...that would be wierd though. I don't know.

Other than that, life's good. I'm meeting Matt's grandma this weekend and hopefully getting to go to the market to start selling everything that I've made. We could use it right now. Our brakes are bad on our car and we need all new tires...yuck. This damn car lol. One thing after another right now.

Tomorrow's Thursday and this week went by fast so that's good. Hoping for another good day with the kids tomorrow. One of my nanny moms told me I was only a B- nanny today because the playroom was a mess...made me feel a bit bad. She had an "lol" in the text...but it still hurt. Hoping I can ignore that and continue being okay with my 2 hours of commuting to work everyday to be a B- nanny...K, I've vented now lol. Feel better. (I'm a DAMN good nanny! who DOES drive 2 hours to be with 4 children simply because she's grown attached to these damn kids lol and also to that particular mom who even though was 1/2 joking, hurt my feelings today). K..i'm really done now. Will probably talk to her tomorrow about that. I feel like if I'm taking care of the kids and they are clean, safe, well rested and fed as well as learning new things and exercising that I'm doing my job perfectly fine. ...PS I'm potty training Isaiah right now, simply because I decided to take on the extra challenge...and....he's had only 2 accidents with me since last week. That's sounds like an A+ nanny to me lol. I'm proud of him : ) Every time he goes potty both of us feel so accomplished, it's awesome!

Ave in kindergarten, Charlie in preschool, Isaiah potty training...it's great watching them make these milestones....but....at the same time, I had to listen to my little sister read me her first story over the phone today. That's not how I ever pictured that one. REALLY proud of you, Cirramani! And you too Cylie for your cross-country meet today and You too Caleb just for being Amazing! Love you!!!!!!!

things are tight, but...it's worth it!

275 more days until I get to marry the love of my life. The time is just flyin' now...almost too fast. We've been doing a lot of extra babysitting for my nanny families to earn extra money. I'm exhausted from it, but because of that, we have a larger deposit than needed to send to our florist. Finally we are making a payment and getting somewhere. I was getting a little worried. My Norah Riley business hasn't gone anywhere. Still creating tons of new items, and none have sold on my website. It's a little frustrating. I'm really excited though because on Sunday I am setting up a table at the Fremont Farmers Market in Seattle. I'll...We'll, be there from 10-4pm and I'm hoping that we make a lot of sales then. All of that extra money is also going towards our wedding. Today as I was leaving my nanny families house to go to another house to babysit, my nanny mom hollored out the door to me, " your weddings going to be BEAUTIFUL!" I have to keep remembering that all this extra work is going to be worth it when we have chairs for people to sit in during our ceremony and music to dance to at the reception. We are definitely being put to the test during this time to make sure we can get through difficult situations. There are times when I think, maybe we should have waited a little while and set the date out further...but that would just drag all of this out. If we just work hard, save, and do it...we're going to have an amazingly beautiful wedding...and more importantly, an Amazing wedding day together! If I do well at the market this Sunday, we're going to continue to do it every Sunday that we are able to. Same with babysitting...we've babysat 3 nights this week after work. I wanted more than anything to say no and just go home, but just knowing that it is helping us A LOT made it all worth while. .... looking forward to a fun & RELAXING weekend!

update.

It's 10:25pm on a Friday night and I'm sitting in Haley & Liam's kitchen with Matt. We're both on our laptops...we're babysitting but all 5 kids have been asleep for 3 hours now. Easy extra wedding money is the way we look at this. This is the 2nd time we have babysat for them this way. I'm exhausted because I've been here since 8:00am, but it's definitely worth it for us.
I've been getting pretty anxious about Etsy. I've had it up steadily with items for a week now, and with over 400 views of my items, still no sale. Today, during nap time while I was busy entertaining Charlie...we (Haley & I) decided that she needed a cape, so...I made her one. It took me 3 hours because I sewed it by hand, but I did it and it's super cute! So now, we've decided that I'm definitely going to make those for our Etsy! Charlie loves hers, and hers is just made out of old towels lol.
I'm so pumped that it's finally the weekend. I'm not so pumped that it's in the 80's again here and I apartment might as well be a sauna when it gets like this. (Not a fan of hot weather in Washington). I was so pleased with the weather last weekend, low 60's with a breeze & sunny. Perfect fall weather. I wore my fall boots and ran errands while Matt watched football. This weekend will be fairly similar...we'll just be dying of some heat stroke during the day.
Work went well this week because Ave started kindergarten. So now, instead of watching 4 children all day long, I only watch 4 children for an hour and a half a day. This up coming week will be just 3 again and then Charlie starts school half days...it's going to be great!
Wedding planning is still going well. My mom is focusing on making some payments on the location and my dress right now while i'm focusing on paying for the florist. So all is good there. We still have yet to find a photographer (I'm a little picky & have a lower budget) sorry...but we're not paying $3,000 for that! We thought we had a dj, but turned out that he's not going to be what we were looking for...a bit too immature and seemed uninterested...not ok for the guy who will basically host our reception! I hope to find both the photographer and dj this weekend. That's my big goal. Along with working to make a few capes and magic wands...
Matt's job is still going great! He's so happy and that makes me so happy. He's pumped about starting school again as well...
All is good right now.