I Have Been Blessedly Busy!

So I've noticed that I haven't put a post up for a month now! WOW and Oops! I would like to introduce a few of my newest items; Bibs for boys and girls with some super cute bug bibs!

Gift sets available for boy and girl or gender neutral and although not pictured baby bonnets are available! Please take a minute and check out the newest items at the etsy shop (coming soon to Hyena Cart, 1000Markets and Artfire)

It is Official

Yes, Mommy's Little Helper is getting rather empty. I am planning on closing up shop and transferring some of the most popular items over to 1MaddieAndMe.etsy.com. I have labored over this decision and in the end it is what I have to do for my family and to keep my sanity. Running two shops last year taught me many things and ultimately it taught me that I over extended. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or bulk orders before I close up for good. Thank you and remember that I am still here with the children's clothing.

Where is "Maddie & ME" going now?

Pack up the kids, the pets and the clothes Maddie & ME, Children's Handcrafted Couture is expanding on to some new venues!

Maddie & ME is setting up on 1000Markets and Artfire! Both are slated to open January 1, 2009 in conjunction with the revamping of the Maddie & ME on Etsy and Hyena Cart. Please keep your eyes peeled for all the great and wonderful changes that we are undergoing.

Oh, and a side note... Mommy's Little Helper was just featured on the Front Page of etsy! Love that Cleopatra's Milk Bath!

Maddie & ME to under go some changes

Regardless of the impending government regulations that could restrict my ability to make and sell children's clothing I am going to go ahead with the planned changes for Maddie & ME, Children's Handcrafted Couture.

I started Maddie & ME locally and off line in August of 2007. Sales were good and people seemed to like my one of a kind way of doing things here in the area. I originally started with the idea of making items for child and mother in coordinating styles and fabrics, hence the name Maddie & ME. Then I realized that was NOT feesable since it would be near impossible to guess what size the mother and what size the daughter might possibly be so although I will still make the sets on custom order request its not something I list and sell regularly. So then I opened the etsy site trying to keep with the idea of one of a kind. Maddie & ME just celebrated our first year on etsy Dec. 10, 2008. Its been a wild and wonderful year and through the process I've learned a lot.

I've decided to clean out my shop and revamp it. The reason for this is because what I seem to come across is almost every item I make I hear "Love it, but can you make it in ___ size?" This means that my one of a kind items, though useful in our small town where shopping is limited is NOT the way to go on etsy. What I plan to do is to offer several (I'm thinking 7) different styles and with those styles fabric selections. Instead of getting small quantities of fabric and making one of a kind items I plan to order larger quantities of fabric and make items to order. The quality and attention to detail will remain the same. The availability for custom sizing will also remain a constant in my shop as will custom orders for the hard to fit child.

I also feel that by making these changes I will be able to devote more time to my family and duties as a mother and wife (in addition to being an employee to my own mother and business owner of two businesses myself). I just feel like I've been spinning my wheels making all these items that everyone seems to want in a different size so I am emptying out my shop of ALL stock items and am selling at 25% off and also willing to take trade from other sellers.

For the next 4 hours I am offering a super special sale in Maddie & ME, Children's Handcrafted Couture! Free Shipping on all Stock items and I've just decided if you purchase any dress, set or vest between 11:00am and 3:00 pm est you'll get an additional 10% off (AND FREE SHIPPING).

Check out all the adorable girls holiday outfits at Maddie & ME!

Black Friday Sale

I am having a sale in both my shops on both Etsy and Hyena Cart starting "Black Friday" and lasting through midnight "Cyber Monday." In both locations Mommy's Little Helper will have BUY 2 GET THE 3RD HALF OFF and Maddie & ME will have FREE SHIPPING FOR STOCK ITEMS.

Please note that Maddie & ME is no longer taking custom orders until after the holidays.

IF YOU ARE HAVING SALES IN YOUR SHOPS, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND A LINK SO MY MOST WONDERFUL AND FAITHFUL READERS KNOW!

NEW SERVICE OFFERED!

I am now offering Gift Wrapping and Drop Ship Service in both Maddie & ME and Mommy's Little Helper on both etsy and Hyena Cart. Here is a description of what I will do for you, my wonderful customer, to make your holiday's easier even if just by a bit!

I will gift wrap any purchase and ship it to the desired recipient for a small packaging fee. This is a standard service that I offer that I am upgrading for the Holiday Season.

Although I prefer kraft paper with beautiful ribbon I will also offer a small selection of gift wrap (photos of selection to be added). I will be using hand tied wire ribbon bows tied by me (as taught by my mother, and her by her mother) in either red, green, white or light blue as you select. Additionally I will even hand write a gift tag with any small (10 words or less) note for no extra charge.

I will be sure that all prices are removed off of all tags and corresponding paperwork. Attached I've shown pictures of the packaging styles I will use to gift wrap your very special Mommy's Little Helper gift or Maddie & ME dress / set for your very special Princess.

This package will be enclosed in a box or shipping envelope as required for shipping and I can and will even write "Do Not Open Until Christmas (or ____ day of Hanukkah)" on the outside if requested. This is a new offering for me and I'd love to accommodate my customers as much as possible. Please feel free to contact me with any requests and I'll do my best to fulfill them.

** Please note that for each gift wrap / drop ship even if going to the same location a separate listing must be purchased.

I've Been Featured!

Maddie & ME has been featured on the America's Handmade Homefront site. Please take a moment and read the lovely interview that was put together by our wonderful and fearless leader, Emily of EllaBearBowtique. Thanks!

Hand & Body Cream Release

The newest product to be unveiled by Mommy's Little Helper will be released for purchase on Hyena Cart at NOON today, November 10th, 2008! Mommy's Little Helper will also release the same product for purchase on etsy later the same day. Please come to Hyena Cart to get the first available as it is first come first served. Once the first batch is sold out it will be about 5 days before the second release.

HAVE YOU ENTERED?

My friend, Smokey Mountain Scents is having a featured seller and give away on her blog! Since I'm not currently
giving anything away I thought I'd promote hers.

Go check it out at Smokey Mountain Scents and enter to win!
And since you're on my site looking I thought I'd show you a few
of my favorite items that "Smokey" makes.
Links provided, just click on the pictures!

Hope you've enjoyed this little interlude. Since I haven't anything else worked up to blog about at this time it seemed reasonable to promote her work. After all she IS a friend.

HAND & BODY CREAM

"Intensive Therapy, Hardcore Moisture"

ALL NATURAL!

I don't need to say too much about how fabulous this new product is; I'll let my product testers tell you in their own words.

ArmyWifeWYO says: The hand cream was great it soaked right into my hands which is great for me, as it is so dry here in Wyoming. After about a hour I didn't have to reapply like I do other lotions which is great! I also like the fact that you didn't have to use very much to rub all over onto my hands! As for anything I don't like? ... nothing, this lotion is great!! And the best lotion I have had in a long time to help my rough dry hands!

TannerCustomCraft says: The healing hand and body lotion felt so good and creamy putting it on and smelled so refreshingly minty. It even reminded me of Doublemint gum!

TulipTreeBaby says: This has a very nice scent and is very moisturizing. My only complaint is that it has a slight greasy feel on my ultra dry finger tips. I am not sure how to accurately describe why this is, I think I would just like it a bit smoother. But it goes on much better after a shower or washing hands. It definitely makes a great night cream. I think I am going to try using the rest of it up by using it more frequently. I think part of my problem is washing my hands too many times during the day and not always putting lotion back on, because I haven't found a lotion yet that ever really heals the deep cracks. Based on that I would say that my review of your lotion is not as accurate as it could be. Other than that, I am really liking the lotion more and more as I use it. The smell is so refreshing and feels good on my upper hands and arms.

SMOX says: The lotion- LOVE it! You may want to let people know that it takes a little while for your skin to soak it all in... took about 5 minutes for me... but once it did... i was amazed. I have extremely dry skin, especially my hands. I often suffer from cracked knuckles and cuticles which is extremely painful, and even more difficult to combat! Within 5 minutes of using Mommy's Little Helper's Healing Hand and Body Cream my hands were supple and soft. I used it a couple times each day for the next couple days and saw marked improvement in my skin, even after washing a whole sink full of dishes! I may never go back to store brand lotion ever again!

GingerlyDressed says: Lovely hand cream! I love the scent, it's not too overpowering, yet lingers in a subtle way. A little greasy when first applied, but you'll notice you don't need to re-apply lots of times throughout the day. The oils settle in to give you a nice soft, moisturized feeling all day. And, even better, when we purchase we are supporting a military family, and a hard-working mother! That is worth the purchase in itself!

EllaBearBowtique says: A little bit of this goes such a long way! I truly love the smell and it keeps my hands super soft and moisturized for so long. Not only is it great on hands that are dried out but feet and heels as well. I started using it on my feet as soon as the weather turned colder and it has worked wonders for me.

Ali of Designs Etcetera says: I have used this for some time now. Sometimes once a day, sometimes twice a day. I like the way it makes my hands feel, smooth and silky. It is a little greasy at first but if you rub it in a bit more it will not be greasy for long. It also leaves a nice shine on my hands. I will definitely continue to use this through the winter.

I was asked by a friend HomemadeZen about it spoiling. Here is our discussion:
"Mommy, nice new item! Just wondering, does the cream spoil easily since it is all natural? Creams in an open jar usually goes bad pretty quickly in my experience (starting to smell funky)."
My response:
"Zen, I've kept my personal stash in an open ramekin for the past month and had no issues as of yet. I don't know how long it might take to spoil, but being left in the bathroom for a month with the steam, etc and it's still just as good as day one."

The container pictured is a 2 oz. and will be sold for $5 plus shipping. Each container will be labeled with the Mommy's Little Helper label as well as the basic product description. All of the hand creams are sealed with an inner seal for your protection as well as shrink wrapped.

Basic Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Bees Wax, Almond Oil, Spearmint and Lavender Essential Oils.

This product is set for release in my shops on both etsy and Hyena Cart on November 10th. I will take pre-orders (which is helpful to know how much product to make and have ready to ship on the release date). Please contact me at Mommy's Little Helper to place a pre-order.

Please note that these responses have only been edited for grammar and spelling, not content!

Scrumptious Saturday, revisited!

OK, so I know its been a while since I've done a Scrumptious Saturday Recipe post. Its not that I've stopped cooking, I have even been taking pictures once in a while as I make a meal. I just haven't taken the time to post any in a while. Here is one that is super easy and can be mixed up in so many different ways. Without further ado:

Tortilla Soup with Home Made Tortilla Chips.

Fist you'll need this Bear Creek brand Tortilla Soup mix. They have so many wonderful different soups, I recommend trying a few different ones. This is definitely one of our favorites. I added a can of diced tomatoes with chili's, some plain corn and I made up a batch of taco seasoning meant for ground beef. I added 2 large cans of chicken to that and let it simmer for a bit to soak up the seasoning. So, simply follow the directions on the soup bag which is to boil 8 cups of water and add the soup mix. I add the tomatoes and corn as soon as I add the mix, but let the chicken simmer a bit while the soup thickens up.

To make the handmade tortilla chips the directions are on the soup package (I never said this was an original recipe). Just cut the tortillas into strips and drop them into a pan where you've heated about 1/2" deep of oil. Cook them ( I like to flip them personally) and then drain. I normally use a paper towel but found that we were out of them so I simply put a pie cooling rack on a plate and the oils just dripped down to the plate. I think this was better since it wasn't sitting in its own oil AND I didn't have to waste paper towels.

So once the soup has thickened add the chicken / taco seasoning and stir it well. Serve it with you choice of additions. We used sour cream and lots of shredded cheese, but guacamole is a good choice too. Enjoy!

Twitter?

OK, I'm officially signed up with Twitter. I'm still figuring this out so if anyone has any advice please leave it in the comments. You can find me on Twitter at 1MaddieAndMommy (same as here). And a couple pictures for good measure...

In the sunflowers before the Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Costumes. She was a cowgirl and her best friend was a horse. Totally unplanned too!

WOW! I've Been Featured Again!

Can you believe it? I have been featured again. This time on Lucky Girl Trading Company - Make Every Day Your Lucky Day!
She has done a fabulous feature on my 2 in 1 loofah and my Cinnamon - Irish Oatmeal Soap.

She has also put my We 3 Kings Plus on her wish list so if any of you are wondering what to get her for a gift, it seems that would be a good choice. Also if you read her feature and the comments you'll find a promo code in there to get a discount in Mommy's Little Helper.

Thanks to all my loyal readers and customers,
"Mommy" of Mommy's Little Helper

I've Been Featured!

I've been featured on
America's Handmade Homefront!

Please take a minute to read the wonderful interview that the host has put together, it looks really nice!
As for the product release, it will be around noon today in both etsy and Hyena Cart. Thanks to all my faithful customers! Today only use Promo Code RD1010 to get 10% off your purchase of Mommy's Little Helper After Shave Tonic.

Product Release!

Anticipated Release Date: 10/24/08
According to the poll I put up; you, my faithful customers and viewers, wanted to see the Lip Balm first, then the After Shave and finally the massage oils. Since the Lip Balms have been listed in my shops on both etsy and on Hyena Cart we have the After Shave Tonic coming up next!

I've shown the loofah soap with it because for best results one should always exfoliate the skin before shaving. The After Shave Tonic is available in 2 oz spritz bottles. After years of trial and error I've decided that the spritz is the best way to apply this After Shave Tonic. It takes about 3 - 4 spritzes per leg for a woman and for the man less. This is one of the products that the old expression "a little bit goes a long way" really hold true. It is available in small quantities since it takes over 2 weeks to produce 16 fluid ounces and THAT is part of why it works so well. I can't speed the process up or change the ratio. If its unavailable when you're looking for some, contact me and I'll let you know when the next batch will be ready.

I sent out some samples to some of my friends and got some fabulous and honest feedback. Here is what they had to say:
TulipTreeBaby: I really love how this has made my skin well-moisturized and bump-free. It is easy to apply and it has a lighter, cleaner feel than using an actual lotion after shaving. My only wish would be to have it in a pure lavender scent because the sage is a bit strong for my "morning nose." It is not an unpleasant scent, but I just have a very sensitive nose. I still like it well enough that I would probably just avoid using it in the morning and enjoy it any other time.

ME: This is a product I've used for over 5 years, so it was really a no brainer that I want to share it with you. What I like most is that although it isn't flowery smelling it also doesn't smell like that blue stuff that my husband used to use. It is truly gender neutral and when I have it in the house my husband would much rather use my version than the commercially produced one.
** I'm waiting on two other's to send in their feedback. I will update the information as I receive it.

GRAND OPENING OF AMERICA'S HANDMADE HOMEFRONT

America's Handmade Homefront is a "Congo" of shops on Hyena Cart! We are having our grand opening today at 3:00 pm. Many of the shops will have SSC's or Special Stocking Codes which can be found in our respective etsy shops and redeemed in the Hyena Cart "Congo." Please take some time and check out Maddie & ME as there are some dresses listed in AHH that are not available elsewhere, and Mommy's Little Helper who has more bulk listings available on AHH. Also, please take some time and visit our website, America's Handmade Homefront and be sure to mark us as a favorite! You can click on any of the links embedded in this message OR simply click on Betsy Ross on the top left corner of my blog!

Come see us and wish us luck!