Homemade "lunchable" from a canning jar !!

Sunday, 17 July 2016 - about 6pm my time

I think it was yesterday that I was checking on a link in one of the team posts at Etsy.  It promised a lot of ideas for recycling projects.  When I got there, I discovered the ideas were on 34 of those flip-though-the-advertisements photo presentations, so I declined to "read" it. 

I did happen to notice a story photo at the top of the page, however.  It showed a canning jar that someone made into their own "lunchable" container.  I loved the idea and shared its discovery back at the team where I found the original link.  It was my follow-up contribution to the thread process.  :-)  I wanted to share it with a larger audience (possibly  :-), so I am letting you know about it.

This is not something I would use in lunches for kids because it is glass.  Adults who take their own lunches to school or work should be careful enough to avoid breaking the jars, or be better at cleaning the mess up afterwards if they do.

You can follow the link below to the actual article page, or you can go to the main magazine page here. There is a photo at the top as of today.  If you follow the article link below, there is even a video to watch several ways you can use this as a food carrier, including meat/cheese/crackers, cereal/milk, yogurt/berries, chips/dip, and something else...

The idea is simple. 

1. You take a small canning jar (the small, square-ish, about 4 or 8 ounce size, wide-mouth jar is used in the example) and fill it with one part of the meal items -- usually the wet part, main part. 
2. Put the metal jar lid on. 
3. Then you reuse a small plastic container from lunchbox fruit portions to hold the dry item (crackers, chips, cereal, etc.), inverting it onto the top of the metal lid. 
4. Once you add the jar ring, you have a secure food storage "device" that could fit in your purse or backpack if you need it to. 

Snacks on the bus are nice.  Maybe all the freeway commuters need snacks for the traffic jams.  I just don't think glass and kids go together well.  I hope that adults will be careful enough to keep it from breaking.

I suppose a plastic freezer canning jar might work even better... but make sure it doesn't leak if you try the milk or yogurt suggestions.  I think they have a different type of seal.

Enjoy creating your own special uses for the two part food choices you eat.

Deb

http://work2gather.etsy.com
http://facebook.com/Art.Crafts.Recycling
http://crafts-explored.blogspot.com



http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/news/a39404/school-lunch-idea-diy-lunchables/

Business Tip :: Insurance and Home Inventories

12 July 2016

I have been exploring home ownership and related subjects, including insurance, lately.  I am searching for a "final resting place" for my senior years.  I have moved too much in my life, been homeless too many times, and renting doesn't allow me to shelter my children when they need it.  I am praying to buy a small but decent house in the Eugene OR area so I can continue my business pursuits as long as possible.  Trying to figure out the minimum costs involved, I have been exploring a lot of information sites, including searches for insurance details for a home and a business.

I somehow found a link to www.iii.org over the weekend.  It is an organization website with tons of links to text and video information on different topics about insurance.  The full name of the organization is Insurance Information Institute (III).  I don't know who they represent, who they might be affiliated with, or any of their background details, I just followed a search link to their site.  If you need that information, you will need to explore their affiliations yourself.

I had also been looking at Home Inventory options online.  Several names came up in the search process for that topic, and it turned out that one of the names is associated with III --  www.KnowYourStuff.org.  I explored that website and decided to sign up and see how it worked.  So far, so good.

I was planning to create another Excel file to start listing my possession and figure out how much I have and maybe what I paid for it... so kind of record for when I decide about an insurance policy.  When I discovered there are free programs to access online, I thought that might be a good way to get it done.  I liked the Institute so much, I thought their inventory program might be the best place to start exploring.

So far I only had time to enter a bunch of categories for my records, and one item to see how it would look in a printout.  The categories for this home inventory program are "rooms" -- but I just made some of them into possession "rooms" like craft supplies and stamp collections.  I wasn't able to get the list of categories/rooms to print, but the one item I entered printed, so I will use that as a guide sheet and try to figure out a list of my rooms for this inventory record.

I have already shared my discovery of III and KnowYourStuff.org with one of my Etsy teams and my family group at Facebook, but I wanted to share to option here.  It seems like a wonderful way to keep track of my crafting supplies, their costs, what I have and what happens to it, how much I get if I sell it, etc.  I think I am going to use it to record all the crafts I make and sell just to have a record of them, too... especially my collectible collections.  I just don't know if I will start a separate file for those, or just a separate room in this one.

I hope to share this option more as I learn the process myself.  If you already use an online inventory program for your own records, share that below, in the comments section.  It will be great to find out what other crafters are doing with these issues.

Until next time,
Deb   <3

Friday, 6 MAY 2016 :: Checking in and catching up with everything

My, it has been a long time... I am sorry.  I have been trying to decide what to focus on, how to organize my time, and decide what is important for the future.  I am beginning to see the light at the end of the long dark tunnel, but it will still take some time to build it all up.

My current focus is trying to get more things listed at my Etsy shop, and also to increase my efforts at eBay and fiverr.  I found a way to upload my photos, so the creation process is where I am at.  Keeping up with the day-to-day duties seems to sap my time, so I am working out a way to do more.

I will be focusing on small artworks and will be trying to create other kinds of products I have been developing.  Photos will be posted here as I get them processed for listings. 

Workspace issues are still with me, but I am working on that problem, too.

I hope to visit with you soon, and bring good news (with photos!) ...   :-)

Friday, 26 FEB 2016 :: Questions Entrepreneurs need to answer.

I came across a list of questions in one of my emailed newsletters from the US government and decided it would be good to share them with you.  It's called  "20 Questions to Answer Before Starting a Business." ( https://www.sba.gov/content/entrepreneurship-you )  

I am going to see if I can answer them about my goals for Working Together AND my goals for my art and crafts.  It will help me see what else I need to learn.


  1  Why am I starting a business?

• To try to save as many Christians as I possibly can, especially those who will still be alive as persecutions rise and the Antichrist comes into power.
• To supplement my feeble Social Security Retirement income (less than $400/month), which is always in jeopardy from government budgets and fiscal collapse.

  2  What kind of business do I want?

• A Christian business-ministry hybrid... a business that can be protected from the enemies of GOD, Christ, and the Bible... a business that can continue until it is no longer needed.  A resource connection point where Christians can turn for help, a place to protect Christians from the values of the unsaved, a refuge from the difficult environments that will develop as sin increases and righteousness decreases, and a place to guard against as much persecution violence against Christians as possible.  Working Together is a business focused on providing ministry services with a membership format.  Some of those services are food, shelter, financial supports, medical options, fellowship, and other day-to-day needs for individuals, families, and seniors.
• Something I can do part-time, as I am able to, and sold online.  Starting with Christmas collectibles, I want to create both unique and manufactured sales options.

  3  Who is my ideal customer?

• Every Christian.
• People who like original art, Christmas ornaments, various crafts, and other things I will design and create myself.

  4  What products or services will my business provide?

• Information, networking, material supports, political advocacy, education, and more.
• Christmas ornaments, jewelry, booklets and paper products, original artwork, food options, and more. 

You get the idea... now you can answer these questions for your business concept.

  5  Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed to get my business started?
  6  What differentiates my business idea and the products or services I will provide from others in the market?
  7  Where will my business be located?
  8  How many employees will I need?
  9  What types of suppliers do I need?
10  How much money do I need to get started?
11  Will I need to get a loan? 
12  How soon will it take before my products or services are available?
13  How long do I have until I start making a profit?
14  Who is my competition?
15  How will I price my product compared to my competition?
16  How will I set up the legal structure of my business?
17  What taxes do I need to pay?
18  What kind of insurance do I need?
19  How will I manage my business?
20  How will I advertise my business?

Thursday, 25 FEB 2016 :: Reposted from Facebook Etsy page

Thursday, 25 FEB 2016

It has been one of those early days... up (finally) about 3 or 3:30 am to use my time better, and ending up on the computer because it seems like a quiet activity. 
 

I eventually looked at ETSY teams to find an "art" team to follow more closely and discovered I am already part of some Christian teams with artists !! Duh! Now I have to decide which one to follow as a digest in my emails...

I did find a new craft site online, through linking from here to there. I think it is based in Europe because I kept getting shops in that area while I was there (just a short time). It's called "folksy.com" and is similar and different than Etsy. It was kind of nice to compare the two websites. It was also nice to think about expanding (eventually) to another crafting site.
 

I had some problems with the "art" category, though. In this category you end up being violated by nudes and other topics you don't want to see. I have been trying to figure out how to get away from this, but haven't found a way... other than starting your own site that has that limited out. Maybe someday....
 

I was inspired by the ACEO's I found... and discovered a new art category called small art... I will have to find that acronym again. It was for art that is limited to 4 x 6 inches. :-) I like that. I plan to make art that fits a standard mat and frame, and that is one of those standard sizes. I joined the Facebook group for that so I should be able to find it again. :-)
 

I also discovered an embroidered felt ACEO on Folksy. It was nice. I think display has to be the key to selling these creations... so maybe each item needs to be framed and ready to hang on the wall... which would cost more, but be a better product. I guess online selling is like a gallery... the art has to be ready to display, a finished product. The buyer doesn't want to go through all that trouble, they just want to buy the art and hang it in their home or office. Now to figure out pricing..........
 

Well, this turned into a blog entry, so I will re-post it on my crafts-explored.blogspot.com site. That works for me !! :- )

 

Sunday, 21 FEB 2016 :: Etsy Updates ! Selling strategies for online shops! and GOALS!!

I am trying to make Sunday the day that I do my planning for the next week, the day I enter all the details on my developing GOAL pages, and I realized that Sunday would be a good day to update my shop announcement, too... so I did that today.  What happens next Sunday will depend on if I read my notes and to-do lists.  :-)

I have been trying to create a set of pages that will help me to keep track of my different activities, shops, and goals.  It has been a long ongoing process.  Some of the discoveries have been great, but I am still challenged to get it all to "work together"  (like my main business for GOD and the Body of Christ :: http://work2gather.us ).  

I think I will end up with a single page for each website, and a separate budget record for myself and Working Together.  Recently I remembered that there are "stats" (statistics) available at the websites I am trying to sell at, so I am not trying to decide which ones to include in my process. 

Keywords are probably going to be the main statistic I look at first... then I look at where the traffic to my shop comes from.  Both are still new efforts for me, and I have a lot to learn about using them for making decisions. 

Advertising options are also becoming important as I am working on a budget for marketing.  I have been exploring the "boost" buttons at Facebook and Twitter Ads and other opportunities that might be available to me.

I have been scaling back my ongoing activities to make more time for creating and listing my crafts.  I have supplies, and ideas, and lots of pricing details to work on.  When I look for similar sellers, for advice, for help with these decisions, I have been trying to find them at the sites I sell with. I especially think that teams are the most important resource for me, but it is hard to find one that offers what I am looking for.  I am praying for guidance to find the best choices for me.

I belong to 23 teams at Etsy, so far.  I am now following closely only three.  I am part of these teams to keep connected with the sellers that matter to me.  Most are Christian teams, some are secular and are affiliated with the things I want to sell :: food, digital products, and other things.  When I post new listings, I have been looking for the best threads at these teams to share in, and then the next time I post, I go to my own forum threads page and use it to post the next listing.  This saves me time, but every so often I have to go back to each team and check on the threads available --  to make sure I still have the best threads to post in.

At a personal level, I have created two forum threads in Chit Chat...so I can share things that are important to me and discover who in Etsy is antagonistic to Christians.  It amazes me what happens as I go about my personal activities just to earn my own income.  I have started to post these entries with my Facebook pages as well.  I am trying to decide if I should post them in one or more of my blogs.  This is my outreach, my effort to network and find people that matter to me and my life and work.  Eventually, I want to start a team for Christians at Etsy.

There is still a lot to learn, and every day I look for more things to help me support myself into my senior years.  It is slowly beginning to form a process, an ongoing way to do all that has to be done, and to show me what can be let go, what needs to have more attention, and where it can lead.

I hope you are learning all the details you need to know to achieve your goals.

Friday, 12 FEB 2016 :: Teaching your kids about money

I recently ordered one of the Dave Ramsey's kits for teaching your children about handling money.  I wanted to read the instruction book and decide if I should keep it as a reference, give it as a gift, or donate it to the local women and children's mission... for reading by the residents.  I want to share my exploration with you.

I didn't learn a lot about handling money while I was growing up.  As a parent with 2 or 3 children, living on Welfare and food stamps forced me to learn a lot of things on my own.  It has caused me to search for ways to do even better, and to find resources to share with others so they won't have to suffer as much.  One of the newest money guides I have heard about is Dave Ramsey and the Financial Peace University program.  It is often presented to church groups and is based on separating your income into spending categories.  Carli Fiorini mentioned as "zero budget" in one of the Republican debates.  The Ramsey program is based on a zero budget, where every dollar is committed to something and has to be spent on that thing... you can't "borrow" from Peter to pay Paul in a zero budget, you do without until you have another paycheck to distribute to your envelope budget.

Dave Ramsey isn't the first to teach about money using the "envelope" system, but he has been the Christian financial guru for several years now.  In secular circles, Suze Orman is a teacher of all things financial.  These are just a two names you might recognize... I am sure there are others, and someone new is rising to the top as we speak.  It seems each generation has to find their own mentors, for everything.

Someday I might order the adult version, but it is in the $100+ range, depending on whether there is a sale, if you are in a group and get a discount, or some other variable.  I did notice that a lot of the Ramsey program options are heading toward internet access and repeat payments for ongoing access, like the rest of internet providers.  You can find out more information about the adult money system at  http://daveramsey.com  or  http://stewardship.com  and other links from these two sites.  YouTube has videos to watch under the search term "Dave Ramsey" and possibly "Financial Peace University."

This blog is about kids...kids and money.

One thing I liked about the Parent's Guide in the Junior edition was the "Ages and Stages" sections.  These appeared in several of the topic areas ::  Working, Spending, Saving, Giving.  Ages and Stages sections had short descriptions of what different aged children could reasonably be expected to do for chores and other related topics.  The Parent's Guide focused on ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-13.  (In other materials related to the Junior Financial Peace program, available online at http://smartmoneysmartkids.com, I noticed the age ranges were 3-5, 6-13, and 14+)

One of the great ideas in the kit, for me, was the clear plastic zippered bags that looked like pencil cases you would buy in school supplies, but were the size of paper money. They were labeled with the three main spending categories for kids : GIVE, SAVE, SPEND.  Dave Ramsey feels the clear bags are good for kids to see their money "grow" as they save it.  I think it might be better not to see the actual money and be tempted or get robbed.  :-)  You and your child will have to decide which is the better option for your child.

The Parent's Guide didn't mention whether the clear "envelopes" are hidden or regulated by the parent in any way to keep temptation from becoming too much for the child to deal with.  I suppose it is part of the learning process to let the child suffer through NOT spending.  And the age of the child might make a difference in that decision, too. 

It was interesting to see the recommendation that a child in the 3-5 year range be given their payment for finishing one of their "chores" as soon as it is completed, while the older age groups moved up to a weekly and possibly monthly time frame.  (I don't remember clearly if there was a monthly payment structure, but there was a weekly.)  The size of the chore was also part of the payment size, with little ones gaining 50 cents for a chore so there could be more of them, and older children increasing the size of their responsibility with their age.  I had the thought that three envelopes might do better with three quarters as the payment... or three dimes.... or three nickels.

Saving money is the main cause for me... how to save, how to teach saving, how much to save, how to make it to the saving goal... the list can be long.  In my general quest for budgeting success, I have worked on a percentage basis, mostly because of the tithe percentage.  It seems the best idea.  How much to save changes according to the person you are following. 

Because the tithe is ten percent, it seemed logical to save ten percent... and some advisors recommend this amount.  Others add another ten percent to savings as a separate fund for retirement.  Whatever you decide, the remainder is what you live on.   Your children will be doing the same thing.  GIVING, which is the tithe. SAVING, which is for various things, like an emergency fund for their special needs during the year. And SPENDING, which is also a varied category depending on the age of the child.

One effect of bringing your children into the Dave Ramsey process is that the whole family is achieving their goals together, and kids begin to understand why parents can't buy them something every time they go to the store together.  That would be nice.

Parents are suppose to buy one kit per child because of the envelopes and the chore chart.  I would suggest buying one and deciding if you need to do that.  When I had my kids, living at a welfare and food stamp level, I couldn't seem to find $25 to save each month.  You may be able to create your own accessories for the system.  Chalkboard paint on a wall or the frig can become the chore chart, pencil bags or Kraft mailers can be your envelope system.  It might be worth spending the money to let each child have their own kit.  You can make it a Christmas gift and start the new year with a goal.  Your family will have to decide.

Money is the big deal for all of us, including crafters.  The desire to earn more money may motivate your children to join you in making and selling crafts when they learn the Ramsey program for kids.

Thursday, 4 FEB 2016 :: What to do FIRST !!

I have been reading "success" materials for too many years...and listening to audio presentations... and watching video presentations... etc.  The same themes run through all of them because the same details are needed for achieving your goals.  The presenters are the difference, and the times they are created in.  When I first became aware of this kind of information, I think it was Nightingale-Conant that was the main player (and is still available online  :-).  Then I think I discovered Zig Ziglar (also still available online).  I think Brian Tracy was the last one I knew about (also still available online).  I don't know who the guru is for this generation... it may depend on the topic.  PBS has its own version of guru, Christians have Focus on the Family, Crown Ministries, Dave Ramsey, and others.  You have to listen to the presentations with their theologies in mind, because what we believe affects how we say thing, what we share as truth, and the results we are looking for.

Today I am sharing something by Brian Tracy that I found through a YouTube video review of "Eat That Frog" -- which is a book about ending our procrastinating, I am told.  I was impressed by the reviewers comment that the audio version of this book is a repeat activity... that he wanted to listen to is once a year to see how he evolved in his process and what would rise to the top each year.

The main focus of this book is the A-B-C-D-E method of setting your priorities.  Brian Tracy shared it this way in a printout I have from somewhere...possibly linked to this page ::  http://www.briantracy.com/blog/category/personal-success ).

• A stands for VERY IMPORTANT - something you must do.  There can be serious negative consequences if you don't do it.
• B stands for IMPORTANT - something you should do.  This is not as important as your A tasks.  There are only minor negative consequences if it is not completed.
• C stands for NICE TO DO - but not as important as A and B tasks.  There are no negative consequences for not completing it.
• D stands for DELEGATE - you can assign this task to someone else who can do the job instead of you.
• E stands for ELIMINATE - whenever possible, you should eliminate every single activity you possibly can, to free up your time.

The key to life is how we spend our TIME !!  It is the only resource none of us can increase... we all have the same 24-hours to spend, and how we spend them creates our life.

Another theme of Brian Tracy's writings is the idea of focusing on one thing until it is done, then moving on to the next thing.  I liked the way he put it in this statement ::

Once you can clearly determine the one or two things that you should be doing, above all others, just say no to all diversions and distraction and focus single-mindedly on accomplishing those priorities.

It is really hard for me to not be distracted by all the little things that need to get done...  sometimes just clearing my desk space is required to THINK about getting anything done.  I have this habit of creating "piles" that have to be sorted later, and then I get distracted by the things I am going through in my piles.  :-)  It is a problem I keep hoping a larger living space will solve.

The pages I printed from the internet have 3 ACTION STEPS from Brian Tracy that I wanted to share with you, too.  They might put your efforts into a clearer order.  I hope so.

• First, take the time to be clear about your goals and objectives so that the priorities you set are moving you in the direction of something that is of real value to you.
• Second, remember that what counts is not the amount of time that you put in overall; rather, it's the amount of time that you spend working on high-priority tasks.
• Third, understand that the most important factor in setting priorities is you ability to make wise choices.  You are always free to choose to engage in one activity or another.

Deciding what your goals are helps you to find the way through all your choices.  If FAMILY is your goal, the choices you make will be different than if your goal is MONEY... and there will be limits to some of your choices.

You can't have everything,

decide what matters most to you.

Wednesday, 3 FEB 2016 :: Photo tips

I was sorting through some of my many "piles" of papers last weekend and came across a page from eBay about creating good photos.  I thought I would share it with you.  It was a PDF I think, and I can't find a web reference on the page, but the title appears to be "Top Tips for Great Photos."  A search at eBay should bring up something...  I hope.  :-)  I seem to have discovered the information on the 5th of November in 2015.

Anyway, here is a list of the points on my reference page.  It is better to see the photos that go with them, but that is beyond my skill at this point in time.


Elements of a great listing photo.

• Use a plain uncluttered backdrop to draw attention to your item.
• Turn off the flash.  Use diffused lighting to prevent shadows and reflections.
• Use a tripod to prevent softness and blur.
• Capture high-resolution pictures.
• Fill the frame with the item.
• Capture all angles, details, and blemishes.
• Show the scale.
• Keep your photos from tinting.
• Capture detailed close-up shots.
• Avoid using props.
• Optimize the quality of cell phone camera photos.
• Use eBay picture hosting to optimize your listing for mobile buyers.

There are differences between selling sites, so it is important to notice that this information is focused toward sellers at eBay, which include used items.  Etsy would have VINTAGE items that might be the same category.  I am referring to the suggestion to capture all the blemishes in your listing photos so as not to deceive the buyer.

I think another important photo tip is the suggestion to show the scale of your item.  As I look at more and more photos while I browse Etsy, I am finding it harder to know the size of an item being offered.  Photos can be enlarged, reduced, and doctored in many ways... for buyers to trust you and buy from you, they need all the little details that matter.  Scale is one of them.  I think jewelry is where I notice this most.  Art could be another product that is easily deceptive.

I think it was this PDF that taught me about turning the flash off.  I tried it and was AMAZED at the difference... and is the reason I had to buy a new camera with that function.

Another tidbit I learned with this resource was the effects of lighting... that different light bulbs cause tints in the photos... yellow and blue tints... and why "natural light" is so important to your photos.  (I am working to find the best place to take photos in my environment.)

I hope this helps you to create better photos for your listing items.  There is so much to learn.  I will try to share my process of learning with you so we can all become great together.  :-)

Thursday, 21 JAN 2016 :: I can't believe it has been so long! Updates today.

Where does the time go!  The holidays took over, New Year goals took over, everything seemed to take over!  :-)  Regular life, huh!  Here is an overview of what I have been doing and what I am planning for 2016...


I have been reorganizing my very small workspace, buying shelves and supplies to get it all worked out.  Soon I will be taking photos to update my Etsy ABOUT page.  I may share them here, or provide you with an easy link to the page. 

I am creating more FACEBOOK Pages for different topics, and have been expanding my TWITTER Lists. I have decided to try moving my "following" sites to Lists on Twitter and see how that works.  Getting the information I want to see first has been my challenge since beginning with social medial.  I am hoping it will help.  I am also sorting through all my sources and reducing them to the most important, planning to go directly to websites of those I don't have links to when I need to.  That also means I am creating contact lists somewhere.  :-)  With millions and millions of websites on the internet, and more being created every day, I am trying to find the ones that are most important to my efforts and activities... and deciding how to be connected to them.  That is part of my goals for 2016.

My ART efforts are ready to begin "hatching" into Etsy listings and other planned products.  Some will be expanded into wholesale items.  I am learning more about wholesale processes through Etsy's email classes and reading blogs about it in other online spaces.


In the middle of this creative change, my blogging efforts are also becoming organized. I am working on topic lists, and planning how to gather details and write about them. I think this year will be better than last year.  I am reading a lot of materials on marketing creative products, too.  Those will also appear as crafts related topics in my blog.  Please remember that I am writing on several blogs to cover different topics I am interested in and want to share information about.  I am not sure how much these efforts will overlap... or be exclusive to individual accounts. 

I shared a "mini-blog" on my Art, Crafts, and Recycling page at Facebook yesterday -- some new information I had learned that day about Twitter posting and retweeting.  You can find the link to my mini-blog on this page, and information about the source of the Twitter tips on the Facebook page.

I will end with that.  I hope to visit with you soon.  I have updated the comment options for this blog.  Leave a few words and let me know what you would like to see on this blog.  Thanks.