Whew! The Mother’s Day rush is over, and I have a couple of minutes to actually get stuff done!

Clean up my house (you can’t even imagine how bad it is…)

Organize my workspace

BLOG!!

Yes, this blog has been poorly neglected, but I consider that a good thing. Business was busy since Christmas, so I will gladly accept that reason for not blogging.

So I’m back here and today I want to know from you – what do YOU want to see on this blog?

When I started this blog, it was an extension of my business. But I wanted to share more than just the latest beads and charms in my shop. So I started posting some business tips and personal stories. I even posted some healthy living ideas (which I now blog about on yet ANOTHER blog of mine.)

I like writing about all that stuff, but I also like having readers! So I really want to know – what do you want?

What do you want to read about here on My Charming Life?

Home business / entrepreneurial tips and tricks?

Personal stories about being a mompreneur?

Tell me what you’d like to see! If you have specific questions you’d like answered, I can do that too!

Okay,  go to the comments now and tell me what you want!

The post What do YOU want? appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Well hello!

Did you miss me?

I’ve been gone a while, I know. Life’s been busy, what can I say? Unfortunately, my little blog’s been neglected. I missed you all so much!

And so, as a mea culpa, I’m here to announce an exciting new adventure for me, plus a fun new giveaway for you!

Part of the reason why I’ve been so busy is because this January I opened a brand new shop on Etsy:

Jessie Girl Jewelry is a shop devoted to creating personalized jewelry in sterling silver. Based on the success of my personalized charms, I decided to branch out and open a shop where I could offer a full range of jewelry items, all hand stamped and made just for you!

My little shop is just getting started, so I don’t have that many items – yet. I plan on offering a variety of specially made personalized jewelry – necklaces, rings, and even a collection for younger girls!

And if you have any ideas of what you’d like to see, you can always let me know. I’d love to hear what you’re looking for!

The post Personalized Jewelry by Jessie Girl Jewelry appeared first on My Charming Life!.

It’s been a crazy, crushing few months around here.

- Two weeks before Hurricane Sandy, black bears broke into my porch giving my girls nightmares for weeks.

- A week before the hurricane, a flying squirrel wound up in my BEDROOM. While I was sleeping in there. Hijinks ensued.

- A day before the hurricane, my washing machine hose broke and created a waterfall in my living room.

- Insert Hurricane Here!

After getting back home and taking weeks to get to a somewhat normal routine, the holiday season crashed into our lives, and while it is great that I was busy filling orders, it is stressful and throws my whole family’s routine out of whack.

And then Newtown happened.

I was like almost every Mom I know on that day. I cried and grieved for those babies and their families. I continued to cry for days afterward, and once the tears stopped I still thought of them every single day. I cannot shake the feelings of grief and slight panic I feel.

Having two children so close in age to the ones that lost their lives makes what happened that much more disturbing (my daughters are 6 and 5 years old).

As I wrapped my children’s presents and listened to Christmas music this past week, my thoughts would drift to the moms of Newtown, now faced with the gifts they had bought for their babies. What would they do with them? How could they continue with Christmas for their other children? How are they even getting through each day? I prayed (and continued to pray) for them.

So now Christmas has past. My kids had a ball, which mended my heart a bit, seeing them so happy. I take comfort in their hugs and their chatter as they tell me about their dolls and Legos and other playthings that they were excited to receive.

I continue to thank God that my children are with me, because we all learned on December 14th that life has a way of changing in a second. Each moment is a blessing, and as we close in on a new year, I vow to be more “in” those moments.

My business Christmas rush has died down, and I’m happy to say that this was my best month of sales ever! I’m also busy planning a new adventure, breaking out into a new niche of jewelry and a new brand! I’ll have more on that in a few weeks.

I won’t ever forget what happened in Newtown CT on December 14th. I will carry my own hope with me as we move forward. I will remember those families and will use that awful event as a reminder that our children truly are gifts, and that they should never be taken for granted.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, whichever one you celebrated, and that you are anticipating the New Year with hope and optimism.

The post Back To {A New} Normal appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Christmas Cash Giveaway Event

Hosted by Mom Powered Media

Please take a moment to visit our sponsor: Emperola.com!

Emperola.com was founded in summer 2012 in order to provide visitors with daily updated list of contests, giveaways, sweepstakes and deals. Enter your email here for a chance to win $500 in cash. If you host any kind of giveaway or contest feel free to submit your contest at Emperola for free.

Finally a special thank you to our lovely co-hosts whom without them great things would not be possible: Penny Auctions Canada, Bay Area Mommy, My Charming Life, Counting To Ten, Mommy’s Fabulous Finds, BlogShopWin.com, Frugal Mom Eh!, The Crazy Nuts Mom, The Deal Fanatic, Frantic Mommy, Giveaway Bandit and My Vegan Gluten-Free Life!

One lucky reader will receive $500 {winner’s choice of Visa Gift Card, Paypal Cash or Amazon Gift Card}!

Just think – $500 right after Christmas! Takes the sting off of all the gifts you just bought, doesn’t it? Maybe you could even buy some gifts for yourself that Santa “forgot” to get you!   Or donate part of it to a local charity…what an amazing holiday gift to give to someone in need.

Giveaway ends December 26th at 11:59pm, open to worldwide, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. My Charming Life is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

The post Christmas Cash Giveaway – Win $500 appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Hi guys!

I don’t do this often so I hope you don’t mind…but I wanted to share my Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale that’s going on in my store!

You don’t need to fight the crazies cramming in the doors of the mall at midnight – shop in your pajamas and score some great deals on Pandora style bracelets, hand stamped charms, and sterling silver charm beads.

Okay, commercial’s over – I now return you to your regularly written blog.

The post Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale! appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Hurricane Sandy took two weeks from our lives. 11 days without power and water. We had to leave our home, live out of suitcases and watch our neighborhoods try to recover from the devastation.

While it wasn’t easy, my family and I were incredibly lucky.

Our house was not damaged.
We did not lose any loved ones.
We had a place to go (eventually) that had heat and water.

We lost power on Monday, October 29th at 7:30PM. Since we have a well, that meant we also had no running water. Luckily, we have a generator, so around 10PM that night my husband went out to hook it up.

We stood outside our door and listened as the storm tore through our yard. It was pitch black, and the sound was incredible – like a freight train was going by the house. It was relentless.

Sleep did not come easily that night.

The next morning, as the winds died down, we ventured outside to survey any damage. There were several trees down in our backyard, but they are away from the house, and only fell on each other.

Other houses in my town were not so lucky.

In the days that followed, the fight for gas became our focus. It took my husband 45 minutes to find a way out of town (it normally takes less than 10 minutes), since most of the major roads were littered with power lines and gigantic trees.

He waited on line for hours to get a few gallons of gas, and we realized we would have to ration our generator use.

My kids were strong and just tried to keep themselves busy. We played with PlayDoh, organized their closet, and hooked up the TV to the generator so they could watch some movies.

Thankfully, my mother called on Wednesday night to tell us she had power! So Thursday we packed up what felt like our whole lives, and made the trip to Staten Island.

Now, if you’ve watched the news you might have heard that Staten Island was severely hit by Hurricane Sandy. Just blocks from my parents’ home the Island was submerged in sea water, homes drifted out to sea, boats deposited on the roads, and people lost their lives.

Going out there was humbling. My husband and I took supplies to a relief center and watched dozens of people scrambling to provide food, warm clothes, diapers and more for the people trapped in the destroyed areas that were “beach front” property just days before.

We went back home a week after the storm to check on the property. Thankfully our home was okay, albeit cold – it was only 40 degrees inside. We turned off the water, gathered a few more belongings, and once again left our home behind.

We were not encouraged by what we saw in town. Power lines still lying across the roads, trees still laying on top of homes, over 500 people living in the makeshift shelter at the local high school.

At about day 9  my patience began to wear thin. My kids were bored, and we were cooped up. But again, I kept reminding myself that it could have been much, much worse.

I was able to move my entire business out of the house, but trying to pack my orders on my lap was tricky! I am so behind on posting new items, beads and charms I had planned to have ready before Thanksgiving. But I was thrilled that I was able to continue doing business “on location”…look for a post on things I did that helped me keep my business going!

On day 11, we had decided to move our caravan to my in-laws’ house. My husband was planning on having to commute to work, and their house was closer. I honestly did not want to go. We were already displaced, but at least we had settled in a bit at my parents’ place. Plus, it was comforting to be with my parents; mommy always makes things better! But, I knew my husband was comforted by being with his parents, so off we went.

After we unpacked (again), I checked in on Facebook to see if any news about our neighborhood was posted.

***Let me just say that Facebook turned into a lifeline for us during this time. I followed our local police department and Channel 12 news, and watched my friends’ status updates to find out what was happening in my town. Yes, I was a bit obsessed with checking Facebook during that time, but it made me feel connected.***

At about 5PM, a friend that lives two blocks away posted that she had power! So, I tried dialing our home number – something I had done about 5 times a day since we left home. If the power was out, it would go straight to voice mail; if power was on, the phone would ring.

So, I dialed and…it rang! I practically jumped through the roof! I was yelling and running through my in-laws’ house, then I called my parents up and yelled some more!

We stayed that night just because driving at dark was still treacherous, but the next day we packed up the family once again, and headed home.

All the way there, I thanked God that we had a home to go to. The terrible stories that came out of that storm will haunt me forever. Stories of a mother whose children were ripped from her arms by the storm surge; my brother’s friend who died while saving the rest of his family. The baby in my own town who was sleeping in her crib when a tree fell on her house and through her room…and she crawled away unharmed.

Since we’ve been back, I’ve been playing catch-up. Going through the mail, washing clothes and putting them all away, cleaning up the debris around the yard, and just getting back to life. It’s good to be back!

These events are a strong reminder to count our blessings. They help us remember that we all need each other – neighbor helped neighbor, family helped family, friend helped friend.

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, I have so much to be thankful for, and I have a renewed spirit and purpose to try to celebrate each day as it comes, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

How about you? Were you affected by Hurricane Sandy? What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

The post Hurricane Sandy – My Story appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Welcome to the next addition of Mompreneur Monday!

Tangela Walker-Craft: Mompreneur, Owner of Simply Necessary, Inc.

Tangela is a homeschooling mom of Emari, her 10 year old daughter. She is also the president of Simply Necessary, Inc. and the creator of the GoPillow!.

Tangela says:

I breastfed my daughter for 2 full years.  As a result I invented and patented the BEST multipurpose breastfeeding/travel product that a mom or caregiver could ever have.  I started Simply Necessary, Incorporated to market and sell the GoPillow! in 2005.  The GoPillow! became fully patented on November 7, 2006.

 

I asked Tangela how she came up with the idea for her business:

My daughter was born in the summer time with a head full of black silky hair. Each time I would breastfeed her, the back of her neck along the hairline would perspire and my arm would be damp. I decided that I needed an arm cover of some kind – not just for breastfeeding, but for cradling my baby. I told my husband about an idea that I had. He and I began playing around with various versions of an arm pillow. The original intent of the pillow was for cradling babies for breast or bottle feedings. I knew it would be an excellent travel pillow.

The idea for adding the privacy blanket to the GoPillow! came later. It was added after I was caught in a crowded area during a rainstorm at Disney World in Orlando, FL. My stroller and nursing blanket were in another part of the park.  My husband gave me the shirt that he was wearing so that I could nurse my daughter because I was very modest. Everyone around us just giggled or smiled knowingly as my shirtless husband stood there while I used his shirt as a “breastfeeding blanket”.

It was then that we realized that a built-in privacy blanket or cover would separate our pillow from any other nursing pillow on the market. The built-in blanket turned the pillow into a multi-purpose wonder! TheGoPillow! solved several problems that mothers often run into when away from home with a baby or toddler. I started Simply Necessary, Incorporated to market and sell the GoPillow! The pillows are now professionally manufactured and packaged.

A typical day consists of getting up and dressed.  My daughter and I have breakfast.  I go over her school assignments with her.  She works on her school work while I check email and conduct business via my computer.  I try to make any necessary phone calls while she works.  We use the afternoon to get GoPillows sent out and run errands.  My daughter attends a dance class, has P.E. with a group of home school children, takes piano lessons, and attends an Art class at her zoned school once a week.   She and I both have learned to be very flexible with our schedule.

I would tell them to do their homework.  They should know their product or service better than anyone else.  They should be familiar with their competition and know why their product or service is better than anyone else’s.  Consulting others that are already in business is a good idea.  They can learn from others that are already doing well.

The post Mompreneur Monday – Tangela Walker-Craft appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Welcome to the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop hosted by Mom to Bed by 8 and Life With Two Boys!

Along with all of the individual prizes we also have TONS of awesome Grand Prizes for everyone on your list including Baby, Kids (boys and girls), Teens, and Adults. The Grand Prizes include a Babyhome Emotion Stroller, Little Tikes Classic Castle, Pillow Pets Dream Lites, Pillow Racers, Furby, $50 The Children’s Place Gift Card, Nokia Lumia 900, and a Keurig Elite Brewing System!

MY HAPPY HOLIDAYS GIVEAWAY

Enter here to win a sterling silver European Bead Bracelet and FIVE charm beads! You will win this bracelet (an $80 value!), in the size that you need:

Enter here, then keep reading!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okay, now go on to the other blogs listed here and enter their giveaways, too! Good luck!

The post Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop – Win A European Bead Bracelet CLOSED appeared first on My Charming Life!.

I don’t want to scare you too much, but…

The. Holidays. Are. Coming.

I know, I know – it’s too fast, too soon, I’m NOT READY, WHAAAAAAAAAAA!

Buck up, ladies. You can do this. And I have an awesome suggestion for very special, yet “hard to shop for” people on your list. Give them a gift that is unique and personalized – Alphabet Photography.

I was lucky enough to receive my own personalized artwork, and it is stunning. I really love it (that’s why I’m sharing it with you!) Look at the beautiful artwork you receive when you order your personalized print:

The piece instantly transformed a little space I had next to my fireplace. I hung it up as soon as the post man dropped it off, and I love how it looks in my dining room. The frame is gorgeous, and compliments the sepia tones of the photography. It has a warm, rich look that honestly could have fit in with the decor in any of my rooms.

At first glance, it looks like just a collection of photos. My husband did a double-take as he realized it actually spelled out our last name! I love that – it has created a conversation with every person who has come into my home.

It is super simple to create your framed artwork on the Alphabet Photography website. You can choose from several different pictures for each letter. Jennifer Blakeley, the founder and artist, spent two years traveling around North America to create her collection of images that look like letters. I chose the Statue of Liberty as the “L” in our last name because my hubby and I met while we both were living in NYC.

I know, melts your heart, doesn’t it?

Once you order, the piece is assembled, hand signed and dated by the artist. The wrapping and shipping components were so well done, too. You can tell they are very careful to ensure your piece gets to you in, well, one piece!

Take a look at this video to go behind the scenes on how Alphabet Photography is made:

I think anyone who received Alphabet Photography as a gift would be absolutely thrilled!

The perfect customized gift that includes photographs from all over the world, this is the original Alphabet Photography. Celebrity owners include: Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate, Tyra Banks, Ryan Seacrest, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, John Schneider, Nelly Furtado, and many more!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Alphabet Photography. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Alphabet Photography Review appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Hellllloooo! I know I’ve been MIA for a while – we just got our power back on Friday! I’ll have more info about my Hurricane Sandy adventures tomorrow, but for now I’m happy to introduce you to another awesome Mompreneur!

Natalie Sanders: Mompreneur, and creator of Peek Away

Natalie is a mom of two boys, ages 7 and 4, and is the creator / owner of not one but TWO businesses – Peek Away and Pediatric Development Center of Monterey Bay.

 We are the makers of the 4-In-1 Essentials Nursing Pillow Kit. It’s an amazing product my husband and I invented. This is an ergonomically designed travel nursing pillow that can be disguised as a purse. 

The strap is removable for the ability to go around mom’s waist to hold in place when she’s nursing. The inside unfolds outward into a diaper changing pad with a built-in removable wipe case. The change pad has additional pockets to stow a baby’s change of clothes, diapers & mom’s essentials, such as car keys, etc. The product also comes with a matching nursing cover.

We started working on the design in 2008 & launched the product in Fall 2010.

 

My 2nd business I’ve had for 3 years. I have a child development center where we offer pediatric occupational therapy to special needs kids, individual tutoring, and Little One’s Classes.

I asked Natalie how she came up with the ideas for her business:

 Peek Away was invented due to a need during one of our most trying times. It’s hard to talk about without getting teary eyed!

We lost our coffeehouse after investing most of our assets into it & decided to move back closer to family. We put the house on the market & I took a county job in my hometown where my grandma lived. We moved into her small house waiting for our house to sell.

It didn’t sell for a year & in the meantime my 2nd son was born. We were traveling back & forth to our house every weekend which was a 3hr drive.

I wanted to prolong breastfeeding & had a hard time nursing on the road comfortably, whether I was parked in a car or sitting at a restaurant. I wanted my nursing pillow, but in our small car & when staying with my grandma it was too big to bring & that’s when I created a travel pillow. All the other cool features just came out of it!

 

Here’s a typical day in the life of this mompreneur:

At 8:15 I drop the kids off to school & go to work! My lunch hour is spent returning phone calls, emails, responding to social media & scheduling patients. Usually I’m home around 7-7:30 & I eat my left over dinner that my wonderful husband has for me while my kids hang out at the table telling me about their day.

After dinner I help the kids with bath time, story time, homework, etc. & tuck them into bed around 8:30-9:00. Then I finish responding to any emails & help my husband with Peek Away stuff. Usually I’m in bed by 11pm.

 

 

What does this mompreneur find to be the most difficult part of being a business owner?

 The most difficult part is the added responsibility. It’s mandated that you respond and do everything you can to keep up with the business end, but at the same time I feel like my family gets short changed, because I’m not doing enough for them. Even half my weekends get consumed with work.

But Natalie also shared the best part of being a mompreneur:

 The best thing is the avenues it takes me to! My brain is constantly stimulated by growth. There’s always a new plan, vision or new people I’m meeting that inspire me to continue my mission, which is providing a product and service that promotes healthy development for children.

Here are some resources Natalie has found helpful:

My biggest resource is learning what not to do through the failure of our previous business.  I also value talking with my other entrepreneurial friends. I read blogs, reach out to bigger companies, watch Shark Tank, but I’d love to find a personal mentor that I can trust that knows the “in’s and out’s of the business”.

And finally, Natalie’s advice for anyone who’s thinking of becoming a Mompreneur:

If you are thinking about becoming one, be logical in recognizing the sacrifice in time and money that it takes!

The post Mompreneur Mondays: Meet Natalie Sanders appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Christmas Cash Giveaway Event

Hosted by Mom Powered Media

Please take a moment to visit our sponsor: Emperola.com!

Emperola.com was founded in summer 2012 in order to provide visitors with daily updated lists of contests, giveaways, sweepstakes and deals. Enter your email here for a chance to win $500 in cash. If you host any kind of giveaway or contest feel free to submit your contest at Emperola for free.

Stop by and say congrats to Mom to Bed by 8 who is celebrating their 3rd annual gift guide!

Finally a special thank you to our lovely co-hosts – without them great things would not be possible: Bay Area Mommy, Coupon Gator, Frugal Mom Eh!, An Ordinary Housewife, Spend With Pennies, To Sew With Love, Funny Postpartum Lady, Giveaway Bandit, Stay a Stay at Home Mom, Confessions of a Messy Mama, CountingToTen, The Dragyn’s Lair, Lovingly Mama and Saving My Family Money!

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash during this time of year? I know especially after the mess of Hurricane Sandy (and yes, I still have no power or running water), $500 could go a loooong way.

One lucky reader will receive $500 {winner’s choice of Visa Gift Card, Paypal Cash or Amazon Gift Card}!

Giveaway ends December 5th at 11:59pm, open to worldwide, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. My Charming Life! is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Christmas Cash Giveaway – Win $500 appeared first on My Charming Life!.

It’s been a day and a half since the power and water went out.

Luckily we have a generator so we can hook up a space heater and use the coffee machine.

And my house is intact, even as many trees fell all around us.

So we are okay!

I will do a proper post once things are back to normal.

I hope you are all doing ok too.

The post Powerless appeared first on My Charming Life!.

I’m a big fan of Paper Coterie, even before I became an affiliate for their site. They have great products and their prices are very good. Right now they have a pretty sweet deal going on that I had to share with you guys.  I know it’s a bit early to be thinking HOLIDAYS (ack), but . . . if you plan to purchase your cards on line this year, you might want to check this out!

Use this sale to get cards that go beyond the shiny photo paper cards that we all usually send. This year you can get unique holiday cards on line that will stand out in your loved one’s mail.

The generous Paper Coterie peeps sent me some free cards to check out – look at how gorgeous they are:

These are their new cards, that allow you to create a picture that your friends and family can keep after the holidays are over. Order these cards on line, and you’ll get two pieces – the picture with your message, and the die-cut sleeve to put it in.

You can even put a message on the back!

The paper is thick and slightly textured, giving these cards a deluxe look and feel. I would suggest choosing a picture with a lot of light, as the color tends to darken since the paper is uncoated.

Check out all of Paper Coterie’s Holiday Cards on line here.

*Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Paper Coterie, and received product for free. I also receive a small compensation for any sales made through this post. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

The post Deluxe Holiday Cards On Line appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Hi gang! I’m super excited to present my new feature on the blog – MOMPRENEUR MONDAYS!

I am interviewing mompreneurs and presenting their stories here for you. It’s a chance for you to see what other moms are doing out there, and it gives them a bit of buzz for their business. Win, win – right?

If you would like to be featured here, fill out this form and we’ll talk.

Now, on to our very first Mompreneur Monday!

Jeanne Medina, Mompreneur  and independent distributor of Boresha International’s Health and Wellness products

Jeanne Medina is a mom of two, a 12 year old boy and 8 year old girl. In 2011 she started her business as an independent distributor of Boresha International’s Health and Wellness products.

She was a customer of Boresha’s Fat Burning Coffee and Fat Burning Peach Mango Teas, after her Uncle sent her the products. Jeanne watched as NINE members of her family each lost 20 – 40 pounds each using the products!

My Uncle, Mother, and Aunt, have all been taken off diabetes medications. After having such great results, and with everyone asking how we lost all that weight,  I decided to become a distributor and help more people discover these healthy, life changing products.

You can check out her family’s before and after pictures here: http://myshrinkingfamily.blogspot.com/

Jeanne has been able to integrate her business with her busy family life. Her typical day includes a morning of getting ready then walking her daughter to school. This busy mom homeschools her son, so after checking in on the computer and making sure he’s ready, she’s off taking him to lessons and running errands.

Most of Jeanne’s work time happens at night. She gives “Tasting Parties” at night and on weekends. Late in the evening she’s up filling orders and setting up parties for clients. She credits her husband for his help in watching the kids while she’s out working.

What’s the most difficult part of being a Mompreneur for Jeanne? Getting her kids used to the idea that she’s not always immediately available.

They were used to me being able to answer any question or help them with things anytime they asked. Now, they have had to learn to wait, until I’m done on the computer and not to make too much noise if I’m on a call.

And the best part of being a Mompreneur? Being able to make her own schedule. She also loves that she’s building her own dream now, instead of being a “cog in someone else’s machine”.

When I asked Jeanne what resources have helped her run her business, she mentioned that reading has helped her a lot. She also listens to conference calls with leaders in her business, and uses various Facebook groups to keep in touch.

Here are Jeanne’s tips for other women who want to become a Mompreneur:

I think the most important advice I would give a new mompreneur, would be to prioritize your interaction with others. Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with positive people who are uplifting to your spirits. Look at the areas you are weakest, and hire or recruit people with those skills, who can further your business, or teach you what you need to know.  Look at how your spend your time, and start letting go of time suckers that don’t serve your ultimate goals.

 You can check out Jeanne’s business here, and be sure to check out her Facebook page, too!

The post Mompreneur Mondays: Introducing Jeanne Medina appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Ah, customer complaints. The thorn in many a mompreneur’s side. Since starting my jewelry business 3 years ago, I’ve had my share of unhappy customers. I’m happy to say that customer complaints are not something I deal with on a regular basis, but it’s happened enough times now that I think I can offer some help in this area.

I have to say, I still get a bit woozy when I hear from an unhappy customer. I take customer complaints seriously – but I try very hard not to take them personally. This can be hard to do, especially because I’m a “people pleaser”, and because this is my business and I’m doing everything myself, there’s no one else to blame for the mistakes.

Handling Customer Complaints

Here’s my policy for handling unhappy customers: I will doing everything I can to make it right.

If the Post Office lost their package, I will send them a new one at my expense.

If their bead breaks, I will replace it or give them a refund up to 90 days after purchase. After 90 days, they get a store credit.

If I mixed up their order in some way, I will send them a free bead, or a credit for my store – something to show that I care.

I treat my customers the way I would want to be treated.

I say I’m sorry, and I tell them how important it is to me that they are happy with their purchase.

And it works! I have turned irate customers into my biggest fans. I’ve gotten some nasty emails, let me tell you! Since my items are given as gifts a lot, I’ve had a few people contact me when their charm has broken  or hasn’t arrived on time, and they are ready for a fight!

But I don’t give it to them. I understand why they’re upset, and I do everything in my power to make it right.

By the end of the discussion, they’re usually apologizing to me!

I don’t argue, I don’t charge them for sending a new charm, I don’t bicker if they’re not happy.

I just treat them with kindness and respect.

But I Didn’t Do It!

Oh man, how many times did you say that as a kid? “I didn’t do it!” Unfortunately, that doesn’t fly in the world of business.

I could argue with them:

“Did you wear it in the shower? Well – of course it’s going to break, it’s enamel!  I can’t give you a refund if you wore it in the shower.”

“It’s not my fault the post office lost your package!”

But instead, I just do what I can to make them happy.

So I send them another bead – what’s the harm? Yes, it’s an expense, but to me it’s worth it for having repaired that relationship with the customer.

Now, I’m not saying that we should be a door mat. The customer is not always right. BUT…

You need to be careful when dealing with customer complaints. In this age of social media, a bad scene can soon be broadcast to the world. And for a small business like mine, that equals DEATH.

So to me, I would rather send a new bead instead of worrying that someone is going to trash my brand all over Twitter.

Customer complaints happen, but you can use them as an opportunity to turn an angry buyer into your biggest fan!

Tell me, what do you think about my policy with customer complaints? Have you had experience with angry or upset customers? How do you handle them?

The post Customer Complaints: Its Not Personal appeared first on My Charming Life!.

I’m very lucky.

When faced with the possibility of having to go back to work, I somehow managed to start a business that is successful enough to allow me to stay home with my kids. It’s pretty incredible when I really think about it!

My first year was so scary. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I made a lot of mistakes, but I loved it, every minute of it.

Then things got busier, my inventory grew, and Christmas time was crazy busy! A good thing, of course, but I felt the pressure.

Last year, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were insane. I was up until midnight packing orders. I was making mistakes, mixing up orders and getting calls from customers.

I broke down.

I had a good cry one day, but eventually pulled myself together and got through it. The paycheck at the end of the season was awesome, but man did I work for it!
 

Packing orders.

I love talking with customers, finding beads for them that represent something important in their lives. I love converting an irate customer into a loyal fan because I make right by my mistakes. I love doing marketing, shopping for new items for my store, even prepping my packaging materials.

But the one thing I dislike is packing orders. Which is double bad because I would say I spend 50% of my time packing orders!

I put the bead in a jewelry pouch, I fold up the customer’s packing slip, I stick everything in an envelope, and I close it. That’s it. Nothing strenuous, but nothing exciting, either.

It is the worst part of my business, but a very necessary one. I find my mind wandering as I stuff the envelopes. I even try to read or check my Facebook status! Anything to keep me busy.

But I know that there’s always going to be something that I’m not going to like about owning my own business. If it’s not packing orders, it might be doing payroll, or maybe going to a trade show someday. These not-so-great moments are all part of this adventure.

So I do it, every day, but you can bet when I get big enough for a staff, the first person I’m going to hire is someone to pack. my. orders.

Tell me – what is the worst part of what YOU do?

The post What is the Worst Part of What You Do? appeared first on My Charming Life!.

As a mompreneur, I can say for certain that one of my biggest problems is how to be more productive.

Does this sound familiar?

After dropping the girls off at school and setting up my 2 year old with a snack, I snag 20 minutes to try and get some work done. I have orders to fill, new charm beads to process and list, and emails to answer.

I answer two customer emails, then hop onto Facebook to make sure there are no questions there. I start to browse my newsfeed, checking in on friends and family.

Then I remember that I haven’t checked Twitter for a while, so I pop over there to make sure I don’t have tweets that I need to answer. While checking, I see a post on new postage rates for January, so I click the link and read about that (higher Priority Mail rates, oh joy!).

As I’m reading I realize that this could make a good blog post, so I bring up my WordPress dashboard and jot down a few notes about postage.

And then I feel a tug on my pants – the toddler’s done with his snack and is ready to play.

No orders filled, no beads listed.

This was how my days were going, and I was falling farther and farther behind.

I realized that I needed to come up with a way to be more productive. Checking social media and writing blog posts are important steps in my business marketing, but they can suck the time out of my day.

The One Simple Way To Be More Productive

You don’t need fancy equipment or a degree in SEO. Just a pen and paper.

Make a schedule!

That’s it! It’s so simple, yet it took me a long time to realize I had to do it.

My schedule is in a little notebook, which I actually keep by my bed. I sat down and thought about every day, what I absolutely had to do, and what I wanted to do but maybe couldn’t find the time.

I realized that to be more productive, I had to see my whole day at once. I scheduled everything – from school pick-ups to snacks and naps for my little guy. I scheduled my Zumba time, and even when I showered.

The result of being so anal precise was that I had a time to do everything, but I was also aware of when that time was up.

Do I follow it every day? No, because life happens. One of my girls gets sick, or I’m just wiped out – and the schedule gets a day off. But for most days, I do follow it. I know my schedule well enough now that I just look it over when I wake up in the morning, and I know what I need to do and when.

Here are some tips to be more productive with a schedule:

Use a pen and paper to write it down. Even if you type it up later, the act of writing it out will help imprint it into your brain.

Try to include everything. I know this sounds a little crazy, but writing down everything you do really lets you see the pockets of time you have during your day. It also helps you figure out how to streamline some things you do, so you can make room for other things.

Don’t freak out if you don’t follow it every day. Hey, we moms know that life doesn’t always go the way we want. Be prepared to scrap the schedule some days. It’s not a big deal, just try again tomorrow.

Be flexible. I had about three versions of my schedule before I was comfortable with it. Don’t be afraid to revise as many times as you need to. It has to work for it to be successful. If you schedule 20 minutes to make dinner, but it really takes you 40, then the schedule’s not working – change it!

Do you have any other tips to be more productive in your days? Do you have a schedule that you follow?

The post Be More Productive With One Easy Step appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Okay, my friends. I have been trolling the many, many Pinterest Halloween ideas, picking out the most awesome, spookiest (and easiest) Halloween crafts and treats for you to enjoy.

Don’t be scared! Just click on each item to see the pin. You can also visit my board to see all the Halloween spookiness that I’ve collected so far.

This picture doesn’t link to the same image, unfortunately, but I just love this mantel, especially the witch legs peeking out of the fireplace. I’m thinking this could be recreated – I bet Michaels or AC Moore has some witch legs lying around!

Such a simple and fun treat for the kids! Bananas dipped into white chocolate = yummy ghosts! The site linked to the pin has a bunch of other fun and spooky snacks.

Of course I had to include something from Etsy! These blown glass pumpkins are so gorgeous. I have a spot on my mantel just waiting to be filled by one…

I’m totally doing this for my kids soon, even if they won’t eat the black olive “spider”.

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I chuckle every time I read this!

Source: minermoments.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

 

So simple, and adorable. I would love to do this with my kids this year.

 

Source: makebakecelebrate.blogspot.nl via Jennifer on Pinterest

 

These chocolate covered pretzels would be a huge hit at my daughters’ school parties this year…they look pretty easy, don’t they?

Don’t forget to check out the other ghoulish goodies I’ve found!

What creepy goodies have you found on Pinterest? Leave me a link with your Pinterest Halloween ideas so I can take a look!

The post Pinterest Halloween Ideas appeared first on My Charming Life!.

Lately I’ve been getting up at the ungodly hour of 5AM, trying to get an extra hour in my day to do some work. So here I am, at 5:30, catching up on emails, posting special offers on my Facebook page. . .

And the birthday wishes start popping up on my Facebook page.

Normally, I would be excited. I would still get that little thrill in my chest because today is MY day.

You see, I’m a “birthday person”. I love birthdays. I always try to make a big deal out of my kids’ birthdays, my husband’s, etc. I get this from my mom, she’s a birthday person, too.

I love to make someone feel special on their day. And I (usually) love my birthday too.

But this year – yeah, not so much.

I hit the big FOUR OH this year, people. And I’m a feelin’ it. Bad.

I’m MID LIFE.

I’ve hit the half-way point.

How the hell did that happen?

I’m happy to say that I don’t feel “40″. Because to me, 40 sounds OLD.

I remember my parents turning 40. And I thought THEY were old! I can just imagine what my kids think of me turning 40. Sheesh.

In my head, I’m still this girl:

18 years old, with 80′s hair and no clue. And acid-washed shorts! Stylish, I know.

Okay, I can honestly say that I do have *somewhat* of a clue now.

But I still feel new, you know what I mean? I don’t feel like I’m half way there – there’s so much to learn, and see, and do . I’m still bumbling around motherhood, and business ownership, marriage, friendships . . .

Shouldn’t I have it together by now? :/

My twenties were fun, I lived in NYC, got a good job, met a good man, and sowed some (very small) oats.

My thirties were awesome! I got married, climbed the corporate ladder, then came down off that ladder to have my kids. I started my business, and gained a confidence that I never had in my life before.

I started to care less about what others thought of me, and cared more about how I thought of myself.

I’m going to miss my 30′s, but as I navel-gaze in this post, I’m starting to get that little tickle in my chest again.

Because if my 20′s and 30′s were that great, then I hope I can assume that my 40′s will be even better, right? Given the general positive trajectory of my life, I hope I can assume that as I crest that “hill” and start to go over it, that the good things will come even quicker than before.

So, bring it on, 40 – I’m ready for you!

But maybe I should tell my kids that they don’t need to announce my new age to everyone they meet today.

I am so looking forward to ice cream cake tonight.

The post On Turning 40 appeared first on My Charming Life!.

One of our favorite Fall traditions is going apple picking with the kids.

It’s a great time for all of us, and this year it was especially nice because it was actually cool outside. The past few years it was like 80 degrees out, and we were sweating! But this year, the cooler temps were wonderful.

We came home with three bags of apples, and while my husband not-so-subtly hinted for an Apple Pie, I was not in the mood to make pie crust and all that.

I found a great recipe for Apple Bread on allrecipes.com, which was a cinch to make, and the girls had a great time helping. It was delicious, too! I made a few adjustments, and the loaf was gone in about 24 hours, so I guess it was good!

Amazing Apple Bread

I changed the original recipe for Apple Bread a bit. I added another apple, changed the sugar to 1/2 regular and 1/2 brown sugar, and changed the cloves to nutmeg. I also added two teaspoons of oil to the batter, but with the third apple, you probably don’t need it . . . this bread was super duper moist. Yup – super DUPER.

Mix the softened butter and sugars together until creamy, then beat in the eggs.

Once you’ve added the dry ingredients, it’s time to add in the apples.

My girls loved this part! They both took turns dumping in the chopped apples, and stirring them into the batter.

Put the mixture into your greased loaf pan, and bake it!

My kids loved this sliced and toasted with a bit of butter, but I preferred it plain – it was so moist it didn’t really need anything!

Enjoy!

The post Apple Bread Recipe – A Taste Of Fall appeared first on My Charming Life!.