Big Government Survival Kit

I found this through a link on face book and just had to share it. Funny stuff for sure. Please note these are their pictures and you can click on either one to get a link to the Big Government Survival Kit site to purchase one of your very own!

Too Good NOT to share!

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that Congress members could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States".

Each person contact a minimum of twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise. Then in three days, all people in The United States of America will have the Message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

A Few Oldies and One New...?

Well I am happy to announce that beginning in February I will be bringing back my old weekly posts. Tuesday will again be the day for the Children's Book Review, Thursday will see a comeback of the Super Hero Set, "The Green Girls - Saving the Planet One Lightbulb at a Time" and Saturday I will again be offering a Weekly Recipe. These are all the "weeklies" I used to do that were quite popular and running two businesses got in the way of them. Since I am no longer going to keep up Mommy's Little Helper in full force, I expect to have the time to devote to these favorite posts.
And as for something new, I am so very excited to announce that I am now listed with some of the finest Children's Shops on Dashin Fashion. Please take a minute and check out that site, they have MANY wonderful children's shops in addition to mine. I'm listed under the handmade tab, but there are so many wonderful places to look on this site. Also, look around the globe and see what other countries are offering in the way of Children's Products. As I've said before be darned the CPSIA I am continuing my business as planned, I WILL NOT let that law scare me out of business!

Blogging on 1000Markets

Well my 1000Markets shop has a blog as well so I will be doing occasional duplicates when the need arises... and it has arisen. I wanted to share this with all my viewers so I am putting a copy of the post from the 1000Markets Blog here as well. Thanks and enjoy.

OK, well this shop is coming together slower than expected, but it IS coming together. The challanges I've faced are those listed above.

Time, yes time. No its not an excuse, but its all I've got at the moment. Running 5 e-stores, working part time, being a wife and mother and I've just not been able to devote the time to setting up this shop as I'd hoped. That being said, I am still setting up slowly and doing it that way because I want this venue to be fabulous and it will be when I'm done.

CPSIA, yes anyone who is familiar with this issue is aware that we who create products for children have been painfully aware of the "impending doom" that this law will bring. Not so, says I. I am going to move forward cautiously all the while keeping in line with the guidelines that have been set forth to date. I can assure all my current and potential customers one thing for sure, whatever the CPSC decides to set forth in restrictions are for our children's best interest and as such will be adhered to by Maddie & ME with the utmost attention. (ie. I'll follow the rules and all products will be properly labeled).

Production, well with this new year I've decided to make some changes to the way I've done things both in the local boutiques that I work with and on the internet venues. The way this should work is that in every internet venue I'll have the same items offered, the same lead times and occasionally each venue will get a one of a kind special listing that the others don't have just to keep it fresh. I've also been working on producing as much spring stock as possible for my local boutiques to have in February. In the past I've offered a more one of a kind style and came up against a road block of someone always wanting whatever it was I'd produced in a different size. That doesn't bode well with one of a kind work so now I am offering fewer styles in multiple sizes, we'll see how that plays out locally as well as here on the internet venues.

And finally, for those of you who know me you know that I also have Mommy's Little Helper, Bath & Body for the Soul and have announced that I will be closing that shop and moving a select few of the most popular items over to Maddie & ME. That will also happen here on 1000Markets, so please keep your eyes out for some new items in the bath & body collection COMING SOON!

Uh OH! Is the Government Going to Regulate Me Right Out of Business?

I am now more afraid than ever. First I heard of this FDA Globalization Act of 2008 and possibly implementing a large yearly registration fee and mounds of paperwork for all bath and beauty manufacturers. Now the "Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act" looks to regulate me right out of the Children's Clothing business. The following quote is take from the Handmade Toy Alliance

"For small American, Canadian, and European toy makers, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.

• A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
• A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
• A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
• And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust: Toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered."

Does the government really need to regulate what we are making right here in America when the problem products were mostly imports from Asia (mostly China)? Is the American government really that interested in putting me and thousands like me out of business only then have to pay welfare or some other government support program in order to supplement the income I am bringing into my household?

So what now? Medical expenses are almost 100% unreasonable, Health Insurance is almost completely unattainable, Prescription Medication is out of reach for many American's, food prices went up as a result of fuel cost increase - except fuel is now less than $1.50 a gal. here so when will they lower the food prices? NOW they are going to impose such expensive testing procedures and regulate all children's toys and clothing! How much will that increase the cost from the manufacturer (even if its not me) so that our children won't have clothes or toys?

And on that subject... are they going to send some sort of government official to confiscate all the toys and clothes that are in my child's possession? You know, the ones that were produced before this law? How will they deal with the resale shops, free-cycle, the toy swaps that so many parents are involved in, what about garage sales - lots of people sell toys, clothes and children's items right out of their own home... HOW DARE THEY BREAK THE LAW? (said with much sarcasm).

All we can do is spread the word, contact our government officials and express our outrage at this absolutely ridiculous waste of government time and money. There just HAS to be a better way to protect our children without implementing such a blanket law that makes absolutely no sense for the small businesses making Handmade, American Made products. Please, all my readers PLEASE take a few minutes and help us out!