Christmas In July!

The holidays are closer than you think. What better way to jump start your shopping season than browsing the many shops on Etsy.

You can save big on just about anything you could possibly think of... all handmade, of course.

From now until July 31, 2009 my everything in my shop is 15% off!! In addition to saving 15% on everything you purchase from me, if you spend $50.00 or more, you will receive free shipping!!

I've listed several new things today with a whole list of items still to be listed. So, check back often.

If there is something that I don't create, you can always search other shops. To find shops that are having their own Christmas in July sale, search "Christmas in July" or "CIJ". With the abundant amount of hand crafted items, you're sure to find something that you or someone on your gift list just can't live without.

Happy Shopping!!

Etsy Sale Prep & Jury Duty

As a citizen of this great nation, my civic duty was put to the test in the form of jury duty. I received my little yellow notice card last week. This was my first jury duty selection and of all the times to get called in for jury duty, it had to be this week.

I don't necessarily mind jury duty but when I have a never ending to do list and huge upcoming sale to prepare for, needless to say, I was not thrilled about this. I held out hope to the last minute that the case I was called for would be cancelled/postponed. Unfortunately, my wish was not granted and I had to report to the court house at 8:45 a.m.

As I sat there in the juror room waiting to be called into the courtroom for questioning, my entire focus was on the things that I need to get done. Once inside the courtroom, I still had an extremely hard time focusing on the issue at hand. Once the waiting, questioning, and more waiting were over, I was finally excused as I was not the right juror for this case. I raced to my car and hopped in... I didn't care if it was a million degrees in my car that I inconveniently parked right in the sun, I was on my way home to start my to-do list for the day. After the 10 minute drive home, I arrived at exactly 11:59 a.m.

I immediately began work on the upcoming Etsy "Christmas in July" Sale. For those that have not seen the abundant amount of other blog posts, forum announcements, etc.; the "Christmas in July" sale is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) semi-organized sale on Etsy. The official dates of the sale are July 8th through July 23rd. However, some sellers are running sales for the whole month of July or other selected dates and some have chosen not to participate at all. I, myself, will hold my shop sale from July 10th through July 31st. These sales include a certain percentage off, free shipping, and more. My shop is offering 15% off the entire stock and custom orders, plus free shipping on purchases of $50.00 or more!!

While the sale is called "Christmas in July" it is not only sales on Christmas themed items or just for Christmas shopping. So whatever your religion or holiday (or lack thereof) you're sure to find great deals for all occasions or just a little something special for yourself. ;)

Visit my shop, visit Etsy, and save big. Search "ChristmasinJuly" or "CIJ" to find items that are on sale and participating shops.

Happy Shopping!!

Crazy, Hectic Summer Schedule and Long To-Do Lists

I don't know about the rest of you wahms, business owners, crafters, etc. but summer time is the hardest time of year for me to stay on schedule. I imagine it's because during the summer months our schedule becomes almost non-existent.

During the months of August through May, our schedule is pretty consistent with the exception of December... with all of the Holiday madness that lasts the whole month. While I do homeschool my children, we do not stick to a super strict schedule but we try to have a simple routine that can be easily adjusted for unexpected happenstances (sick days, doctor/dentist visits, emergency grocery shopping, etc.).

However, and for whatever reason, the closer it gets to June the more hectic our schedule gets and by July, I can't even remember what day it is. I'm not sure the exact reason but I have narrowed it down to a few possibilities:

1. We don't homeschool during the summer. Although it's been discussed for next summer, this summer is still homeschool free. Without our homeschool balance, it throws everything out of whack.

2. The heat makes us all crazy. Today we may be lounging around under the ac out of fear of melting in the Missouri Heat but tomorrow we may spontaneously pack our bags and head out for a mini-vacation or a day of outdoor activities... melting is worth the risk to have fun in the sun.

3. Simply excuse... our spontaneous, summer attitudes makes it down right impossible to schedule anything and stick with a plan.

So here it is, the third of July. Our schedule is out the window, my to-do list is getting longer, and I'm blogging... and latter I'll be griping about how there is just not enough hours in the day.

Here are just a few items on my to-do list:

1. Gear up for Etsy's "Christmas in July Sale" which I really want to participate in and it starts JULY 8TH!! :0

2. Make candles. This one is always on my to-do list... it never gets marked as completed. (No complaints here). I currently have a large custom label order to fill, a consignment order to fill, and random candles I want to make for the above mentioned sale. I also have other items I want to create for the sale but I'm not going to list them all out because this post is already well on it's way to being a novella.

3. Paint. UGH! More painting. We are trying to get ready to put our current house on the market. We've long since outgrown this cute little home and have our eye on a home that has just begun construction. Because, I like color in my life, just about every room in our house has to be painted to appeal to a wider range of buyers (not everyone wants a red kitchen or a lime green kid's room courtesy of my daughter). In addition to all the painting, there are a few minor things that need to be repaired before listing... hey, we live here and we are a tad bit crazy, remember. For instance, the busted piece of siding that came about when my husband made a dry ice bomb from a plastic soda bottle... long story. Or the small hole in my son's room that became a bigger hole when our dog decided the wall made for a tasty snack. Our first deadline was June 1st, then the deadline moved to yesterday, and now I have made a new deadline of July 12th. Keeping my fingers crossed.

4. Last major to-do... Laundry. Another big "UGH!" This is another item that never gets marked off the list. How is it possible that I can be down to the last load of laundry and all of a sudden the clothes baskets are full again?! Really, how many towels do you need for one shower?! Seriously, you kids pulled all of those clothes out from under your bed?! Oh wait, some came from the bottom of your closet and you don't know if they're clean or dirty and you'd rather be safe than sorry?! Oh, good grief.

So these are a few things I will be working on today, tomorrow, Sunday, and probably well into next week with no schedule, no real plan, and a lot of pressure.

And in case your curious, my kids' to-do lists have just one thing on them... Stay out of mom's way!

What's on your to-do list? How does your summer schedule (or lack thereof) differ from your "regular" schedule? Anybody else just want to call it day and head out for a drink?... It's 5 o'clock somewhere. Surely, I'm not alone here. Let me know that you're in the same boat... misery loves company.