Sunday, August 29, 2010

Nursing Cover

I did it! I made my very first nursing cover. I know it has nothing to do with soap or skin care, but I'm just so excited! I got the pattern from Prudent Baby, which is a blog I just adore. I decided to give it a try.

It was not going well because my sewing machine used to belong to my mother and I think it is the one she learned to sew on. The tension controls are not quite what they used to be and a straight stitch does not work out like it should. So, I borrowed a friend's machine and was able to finish my project. It took me about an hour to complete, but it was my first one and I kept going back to the blog to check the instructions. I imagine if I make another, it will be much quicker.

I did tweak the measurements a little. I made it a plus-size cover since I'm a plus-size girl. I added two inches to the width and the boning for the peek-a-boo. I didn't change the length because I'm not extra tall and I left the straps the same length. I'm actually thinking that I'm going to shorten the straps anyway, especially the side with the d-rings. I would prefer to have those on the side for quick adjustments instead of the back of my neck. Which makes this pattern so great, it is really easy to adjust. Plus, the ladies at Prudent Baby take great pictures of everything they do, so no matter what you can easily follow along!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Percentages

The other day I went with a friend to the store. I'll leave the name out, but they have a dollar section when you walk in. My friend is a kindergarten teacher and is constantly looking for little things to go in her treasure box at school. Well, the store was having a 75% off sale on some of the $1 items. Whole packs of Sponge Bob frisbees and Dora pencils for a quarter! Awesome. So, she stocked up.

We get to the checkout and when the cashier rings the first thing up it comes up as $.50. So, my friend points out that the sign said 75% off, not 50% off. I know some of you would think "Seriously, it is just a quarter." BUT, as I said, she is a teacher and she STOCKED up on treasure box items. The cashier looks blankly at my friend for a moment and then turns to the guy behind her and ask "What is 75% off a dollar?" He looks at her for a second like he really can't believe she's asking that and then glances at us like it might be a trick question before answering her.

So, now she starts trying to figure out what percentage to take off of $.50 to make it equal $.25. She tries 10%. So, now we are at $.45. Way to go! Another lady comes over to help our cashier and I say to them "It is half of 50 cents." They look at me and then the cash register and decide to void the transaction and try again. Now, when it rings up as $.50 they try taking off 25%. This comes out to $.37. I repeat "It is half." They ignore me and one says "Well, why didn't that work?" I repeat "Because it should be half not 25% off." They look at me and back at the screen. Finally the lady behind us says "You need to take 50% off of $.50 to equal $.25." They listened to her. So, my conclusion is that they weren't really ignoring me, so much as they didn't know what percentage half was.

They finally got it to work out and my friend saved quite a bit of money and was quite patient about the whole thing. Although, I think that was more because she was trying desperately not to laugh more than because she was actually being patient. As we were walking out to the car my friend made a comment about how she can understand people's frustration over education. However, I honestly do not think that at any point you could blame that woman's teachers. You cannot make it through 13 years of math and not ever pick up the smallest hint of simple percentages. It wasn't like it was 35% off $13.47. It was 75% off $1. Since teachers usually use $1 to or 100 to teach percentages, you should at least be able to break that up into quarters. You have to work hard to completely miss that or to forget it after you leave school.

I'm just saying, don't blame the teacher if you don't know what kind of work the student was putting in. 'Cause education is a two-way street.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Oppose Safe Cosmetics Act 2010

I've been gathering all my information and planning to write a great post on why everyone from business owners to consumers should oppose SCA 2010. Then it occurred to me that there are many others writing on the same topic and probably doing it much better than I could. So, instead of redoing what others have done, I'm just going to link to their posts. I hope you will help us spread the word about the potential damage this legislation will do.

The first post, "The New Consumer Business Owner," was written by Donna Maria Coles Johnson of the Indie Business Network. She is a leader for small (truly small) business owners and works tirelessly as an advocate and mentor to help people survive in business. She discusses how past legislation has hurt other small businesses and the potential harm for the cosmetic industry.

The second, "5 Ways The "Safe Cosmetics Act" Will Harm Consumers," focuses on the effect on consumers and not businesses. This one comes from the Personal Care, Truth or Scare blog that I really appreciate for their reliance on scientific facts and not on poor science and scare tactics. It includes what several links to other posts written on the subject and links to how you can get involved to help stop this legislation.

It is important for everyone to understand that the legislation will not only cause many small businesses to close down, it will also have far reaching consequences for larger businesses and consumers. 

Monday, August 9, 2010

Vacation!

I decided that I needed to take a vacation and while I wasn't gone the whole time, I still took the time for myself. It was much needed for certain. I have been so worried about finding a job (which I haven't), getting everything ready for the baby's arrival (which I did), and trying to work on new stuff for my business that I decided I needed a break. Too much stress and worry is just not good for us!

I started my own vacation when I left for Lubbock to see my family and I just ended it yesterday. For the most part I avoided the computer and all of the things that I feel I just HAVE to get done on it. I did the things I wanted and needed to get done and I took the chance to play with new products and new recipes. I'm still working out the kinks on my liquid soap, which I'm having a good time doing, despite the many accidents I've had. I have finished my first Lil Honu products, I have a powder, balm, and lotion ready to go. I'm hoping to get a massage/bath oil and soap done soon. I have for the most part finished the nursery. There are a few things I'd like to get, mainly shelves, but the critical part is done. I hope to get some pictures up soon because it is SO cute, but that is one last thing to worry about.

As far as a job goes, I have decided that if I can't find a job teaching, which is looking very unlikely at this point, I am not going to worry about it until after I give birth and am recovered and cleared to work. At that point, I can either sub or look for a job anywhere I can find one. It may not be the ideal solution, but I can't let the stress of not having a job continue to eat at me. One way or another, everything will be ok.

Now, with all of those (and a few others I kept to myself) issues behind me, I'm back from vacation and ready to continue working on my business, which includes my blog and my facebook. Not to mention, I've got a few ideas for some upcoming holidays and events!