Here's To All That Didn't Get Done In 2018

My mom made a gingerbread house with us every year that I can remember growing up. It’s a tradition I’ve carried over into my little family’s holiday celebrations. This year, however, it just didn’t happen. I kept meaning to mix up the dough and cut out pieces to create a miniature model of our new house, complete with blue frosting for our pretty blue roof. But… Life.

I’m 8 months pregnant, we’re getting ready to publish a book and launch a podcast series while also trying to design three websites, start a home business, work two part-time jobs, keep up with full-time Church work, and maintain our regular homeschooling life. There were a lot of things we enjoyed as a family over Christmas break. Making a gingerbread house from scratch was not one of them.

We DID decorate a gingerbread house. It was one of those store bought kits that my mom mailed to us. The kind that comes with the cookies already baked and ready to puzzle into place. It was fun! It was cute! But it was really eating at me that it wasn’t the way I’ve always done things. It bugged me even more that it was on my list of things to do and I didn’t get it done.

I’ve always been big on traditions. When I was a kid, it wasn’t Christmas unless Mom made her signature White Hot Chocolate recipe while we decorated the tree. Everything had to be just so or it wasn’t worth doing. As a mom of six, I’m learning to let go of my picture-perfect idea of how things are “supposed” to go and just enjoy the moments as they come.

Did my kids notice that we didn’t make the dough from scratch? No. Did they notice that the commercial frosting was full of corn syrup and tasted ten years old? Nope. Did they complain about the lack of effort that went into building the house or that it was too “easy”? Um… No.

They had a blast sticking candy to the sides and getting their hands gooey with frosting. They can’t wait to smash and eat it tonight at our New Year’s Eve party. To them, the house is as real as any other we’ve made. Thankfully, my unmet expectations didn't ruin it for them.

So, I’m letting go of the fact that this is the first year of my life that I can remember ever not making a gingerbread house from scratch. I’m also letting go of the fact that we are way behind in my son’s reading program. And that we didn’t get to go camping this year. And that I didn’t finish my 2018 New Year’s Resolution – or even get close to finishing! I’m letting go of aaallll the bazillion things that didn’t get done this year, and heading into 2019 with much fewer expectations.

I’m refocusing on the important things and realizing that I don’t have to complicate life by trying to make it “just so.” Life can really be much more simple than that. After all, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

So, here’s to all that didn’t get done in 2018. And to all that probably won’t get done in 2019, let’s go ahead and acknowledge you, too. This was still a good year. Next year is still going to be a good year, even without all you little unfulfilled expectations. Some of you were things that should have been done. Some were things I’m glad didn’t end up getting done. But none of you have any impact on whether our next year is going to be full of love and kindness and justice and GOD. So, here’s a moment of silence in remembrance of all you little things that didn’t get done:

Now… Buh-Bye!

I hope all my mommy friends are headed into 2019 without the guilt of the undone, too. This next year is not defined by the last. All you did in 2018 to love you kids, bless your family, and serve God has not gone unnoticed by Him. It was work well done. Don’t throw the beauty away because it didn’t look exactly like you wanted. Dust off the unfinished and start fresh.

Happy New Year, friends!

My Review of Rev.com and How You Can Earn Money from Home

My husband is a full-time preacher in Wisconsin. Half of our support comes from the wonderful congregation where he ministers, and the other half comes from outside support and secular jobs. Joshua drives a school bus during the week, and in between that he picks up any odd job he finds. Money is always tight, but any time we find ourselves short on funds, God provides exactly what we need.

We had four medical emergencies this year (thankfully none of them ended up being too serious), and for the first time we actually found ourselves in debt for more than just the house. In an effort to get back on top of our finances, we’ve been on the lookout for jobs Josh can work from home that won’t take too much time away from his ministry or from our family – something flexible that doesn’t require a degree (neither of us have one).

A friend recently told me about www.rev.com, a freelance company that hires you to transcribe audio clips. We applied and started working for them last week. So far, it’s been working out pretty well! It’s frustrating work at times, but it’s legitimate pay and you are free to put in as many or as few hours as you want.

To apply, go to https://www.rev.com/freelancers/transcription and sign up. You will then be asked to take a grammar test and a transcription test. The grammar test is super simple. I’m no master of the English language. Punctuation and modifiers and all… I never paid much attention to the rules. But the test they give you is really simple and you should pass with no problem. The audio test was pretty easy overall, but there are some parts that are hard to understand. We actually did have to retake the tests because we failed that part the first time. If you fail the tests, you can reapply in 45 days.

How do you get started?

Once you are accepted, you are given several training clips to transcribe. These are short clips (usually 3-5 minutes) that focus on different aspects of transcribing such as how to label speakers, what to do with poor audio quality, and shortcuts you can take while typing. Most of these were clear and easy to transcribe, but the difficulty increases the further you get into the training. Those clips are graded, and you are paid regardless of the grade you receive.

At this point you are considered a “Rookie.” After the training videos, you are given a selection of shorter clips to practice your new skills. You still receive grades and feedback on these clips, but these are the real jobs.

Once you complete 60 minutes of transcription you then become a “Revver.” As a Revver you have access to better-paying jobs and the ability to claim jobs of any length. You’ll continue to receive grades and feedback on your work.

After completing 1200 transcription minutes (and a couple of other requirements), you can become a “Revver+” As a Revver+ you gain early access to newly posted jobs and the opportunity to become a grader. You still have to maintain accuracy metrics or you will drop back down to Revver status. If your metrics drop too low you will be “fired” and your account will be closed.

How much does it pay?

As a Rookie I think we made like $0.30 per audio minute transcribed. It doesn't take long to become a Revver, at which point the pay rate increases 25% and you can make up to $1/minute. That is paid based on the audio length, though, not the actual time you put into transcribing. A minute of audio may take ten minutes to actually transcribe depending on audio quality, the speaker’s accent, etc. Sometimes you have to rewind and listen several times before you can catch what is being said, and that decreases your time/profit ratio.

The pay is not fantastic. How much you can make very much depends on your skill level and the quality of the projects you accept. But it’s flexible work, and it’s something. Most of the audio we’ve accepted so far pays about $0.60/minute. The higher paid jobs are claimed very quickly and so far we’ve rarely been able to grab anything over $0.80/minute. Receiving payment is painless. We are paid via PayPal every Monday like clockwork.

I average about 20 minutes of work for every 5 minutes of audio, or about $8-10 an hour. I type fast, but Joshua hears the audio better than I do, so when he’s not here I have to rewind a lot which makes the work painfully slow.

How does it work?

You are given a list of potential jobs to choose from. You get details on each clip like how much it pays, how soon it is due, how many speakers are involved, etc. You can preview before you claim to make sure it’s something you want to accept. You also have one hour after accepting the job to unclaim and pass it on to someone else without it counting against you.

Reasons you might unclaim the job include poor audio quality, not enough time to finish before the deadline, technical difficulties, or any other personal reasons. We’ve accepted several jobs that we’ve had to unclaim because the audio started out fine but got too hard to understand in the middle, or because the content became objectionable.

No special equipment is required, but headphones are highly recommended. All you really need is your computer and internet access. Then you just start listening to the audio clips and type what you hear. Some projects ask for verbatim transcriptions where you have to include everything exactly as you hear it (ex: [Laughter], “Um, uh, ah…”), but most let you omit filler words and interjections such as “Yeah.”

I will say that most of the audio is hard to understand. Some is impossible. The good projects are claimed very quickly, so we’ve learned to preview about five seconds of audio and then claim it before someone else does. Then, once it’s “ours” we listen to more and unclaim if it’s not something we can complete.

Is it worth it?

That depends on how much you enjoy the work and how desperate you are for income, haha. Personally, I love typing and have always enjoyed transcribing audio, so I find it relaxing. Joshua, on the other hand, gets a headache from it. I do it for fun in my free time; he does it to provide for us.

Together we made $61.46 in our training week for transcribing 141 minutes of audio. Our second week was much more profitable, earning us $127.87 for 178 audio minutes. I really don't know how much time we put into it because it varies so much every day, but I'd say probably an average of 2 hours a day. It does go faster as we get better, and it’s something we can both do as we have time. 

I like that I can get up early before the kids are awake, work on a 20 minute audio clip, and make $10-$15. Joshua usually works on his projects after the kids go to bed. On the more difficult audio, we listen together to help each other figure out what is being said, which we’ve enjoyed. It kind of makes it a game that way – a competition to see who can figure it out first, haha.

It can be very frustrating at times. It can take a while to find a clip you can understand, and sometimes a project you think is great will end up being a dud. You’ll be going along fine and then the audio will suddenly get super fuzzy for no apparent reason. Or, you’ll invest a lot of time and get halfway through the transcription only for the speaker to start throwing in curses that force you to unclaim the project. That’s maddening. You do get to learn about some pretty interesting (if random) topics, though!

Overall, I think Rev is going to work out well for us. When we decided to start looking for work-from-home jobs we knew we would need internet, which is adding $45 a month to our already strained budget. We’re committed to doing enough Rev projects to at least make the internet pay for itself, and it looks like that’s not going to be a problem at all. What we make on top of that will most likely go toward things that aren't in our regular budget like eye exams and ambulance rides.

So far Rev has been a real blessing and we are thankful to Shawna for sharing the info with us! Maybe it's something that will work for you, too!

Have you worked with Rev? What's been your experience?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas with Norwex!

Last week I introduced you to a few of my favorite things - Norwex cleaning supplies! They have some really great deals going on today, so I want to let you in on what you can get when you make your order through Kylie Johnson. Check out her page kyliejohnson.norwex.biz to see all of the spectacular products Norwex has available.

But first, why do I use Norwex anyway? Because Norwex microfiber cloths remove up to 99% of bacteria WITHOUT using harmful chemicals found in most household cleaners. All I need is a cloth and water, and even my littles can safely clean!

Norwex saves money because we're not constantly restocking on papers towels and cleaning supplies. No worrying about getting to the store before we run out of all-purpose cleaner. We just grab a cloth and go.

It's also fast, which is a huge deal for moms. Being able to wipe a surface and get on with my day rather than round up several cleaning products is a time-saver. It's good for the environment, too!

The biggest thing to me is that I'm super sensitive to smells and chemicals. So, being able to pass on those perfume-laden cleaning products that give me a migraine and make me sick to my stomach is a win! I like how absorbent the cloths are, especially the dust mit which actually traps dust instead of sending it flying all over the room. Less dust and grime floating in the air means fewer allergy problems for me.

You'll want to check out these sales on Kylie's site because they're only available until NOON TODAY (Dec 20)! Once you start using Norwex you'll be hooked. Whether you're new to Norwex or whether you are a Norwex fan already, these sales are a great way to expand your collection and make your home safer and healthier!

Save 30% on deals like the Face Freshness package which includes the body cloths and the Silver Care Toothbrush. The toothbrush eliminates 99.9% of bacteria found on your toothbrush, and comes with a replaceable head - definitely something I've had my eye on!

30% off the Small Wonders package means you get a lint mit that is great for removing hair and fibers, plus Wrinkle Release Spray, the Air Freshener Bag, and the Microfiber Variety Pack.

You can also get 30% off the Kitchen Package which comes with three kitchen cloths and two kitchen towels (my personal favorite). There are several other great deals on that page, so be sure to check that out before noon today.

If you want to start smaller, I highly recommend trying out their basic EnviroCloth. This is the cloth that almost everyone starts out their Norwex collection with. It's got the BacLock antibacterial microsilver technology and works for almost anything you need to clean!

Another great starter item is the Window Cloth, or the Dryer Balls. Who hasn't wanted to try dryer balls? The Norwex dryer balls are an all natural fabric softener made of 100% wool that helps your laundry dry faster and with less static.

There are so many great Norwex options for replacing those nasty household cleaners with safe, green alternatives. I want to try them all! What's on your wish list?

[Disclaimer: This post is part of a series that received compensation. All opinions expressed are my own]

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business you'd like to see featured on the Beautiful Chaos blog? Send me an email at servingfromhome@gmail.com!

Chores for Littles - Plus a free worksheet from Education.com!

Having a large family is a lot of work. I don’t even really consider our family to be that big yet, but currently we have 21 mouths to feed in a day (7 people x 3 meals), 14 shoes to find when it’s time to go, 140 nails to clip, 1-2 daily baskets of laundry to wash and fold, and at least 14 diapers/pull-ups to change every day (and that’s about to increase by a LOT with Baby due in February).

Not so very long ago we were exhausted just trying to care for the basic needs of 5 very young children. To give you an idea of how well I was keeping up, after a visit one day a friend commented that the state of my house inspired her to go home and clean her own LOL! It was bad. As soon as I got one room clean I turned around to find the babies had destroyed another. It felt like shoveling the sidewalk in the middle of a blizzard – futile and pretty ridiculous to even attempt.

Over the last few months, things have gotten MUCH easier. The older the kids get the more they are able to help. There are still lots of times when I feel like I’m in that blizzard shoveling snow again, but we have a pretty good routine down these days and most of the time it feels like we’re at least treading water.

This Is Adoption, Too

I'm ready to talk about adoption.

I haven't shared much about our journey since bringing Little Miss home a year and a half ago. We've been too deep in the trenches. Too mentally exhausted. Too afraid of sharing too much.

I haven't shared what it's like because, other than fellow adoptive parents, there are few people who understand. The times when I've tried to explain I've been met with blank stares or a lot of, "You're making too big a deal out of this." So, I talk to my small circle of support, and I get advice from counselors, and I pray without ceasing, and I eat a lot of chocolate.

But I'm ready to more openly share what adoption looks like in real life. Not to scare you, but to give you an honest look at both the good and the bad.

Adoption is beautiful, and terrifying, and exciting, and depressing. It is fighting to bring home a baby you've never met but whom you already love like your own. And it's getting her home only to realize that while you DO love her just as much as you love your bio kids, you also love her... differently.

Adoption is a joyful journey. There is so much to celebrate in the little victories of each day. So much love to go around. So much happiness to go along with adding another child to the home. But it's also living in a state of high alert 24/7 waiting for the next shoe to drop. That is your new normal and you learn to thrive within the catastrophes. 

Adoption is waiting out the storms. It's seeing the stress in your bio kids' eyes from listening to the screams and watching the rebellion. It's seeing behavior in your youngest that you know with 100% certainty he would never have attempted had it not been for his adopted sibling, and it's fighting resentment that she has, to an extent, stolen the innocence of her baby brother.

Adoption is spending six hours engaged in a battle over a "simple" thing like your child refusing to pick up the spoon she dropped on the floor just because you told her to. It's knowing that at times your little girl would literally rather die than submit to your authority. It's dealing with compulsive lying on an hourly basis. And it's finally, after months of struggling, finding strength in the tiniest little breakthrough.

Adoption is constantly being questioned about your parenting tactics. It's being told that she doesn't understand what you're telling her to do by people she has so thoroughly convinced that "she's still learning English" and that you are being too hard on her. It's being told that she is so sweet, so compliant, and so friendly that she can't possibly have any degree of RAD. Because they don't understand that the triangulation and manipulation are so subtle that most of the time her parents are the only ones who can see it, even when it happens right in front of other people (which, by the way, makes you as a mom feel crazy and mean and full of self-doubt). But no, she's too sweet to have RAD. They would know.

Adoption is being judged by other people for insisting that she obey fully and completely and exactly, because they don't see how she tries to maintain control by only obeying to a certain degree. To them it is "close enough." They don't understand that if you don't insist on "exactly" rather than "close" when you know what she's capable of, then she will see her parents as weak and untrustworthy and incapable of taking care of her.

Adoption is having to teach a child that it's not okay to pinch herself. It's holding a raging little girl while she hits and growls at you. It's being asked if she always smiles so much and answering honestly that she does, but being inwardly heartbroken because you know that half of the smiles are fake.

Adoption is knowing that everything you researched, all the training you received, and all the advice other adoptive parents gave you pre-adoption is true. It's also accepting that knowing it and living it are two very different things. You were prepared as much as possible for how hard it was going to be. But that doesn't make it any less hard.

Adoption is always being asked how she's doing, how she's adjusting, how she's succeeding, but rarely being asked how you're feeling, how you're adapting, or what you need.

Adoption is such a perfect picture of God's love for us, in more ways than I could possibly understand before we began this adventure. Parenting a child who fights you tooth and nail, who resists your love, and who wants to go back to what she knows as safe even if it was miserable... It gives you such a clear picture of how God must feel when we pull away from Him and long to go back into the darkness from which He drew us. Adoption is redemption, and it is so worth it. But it isn't Anne of Green Gables.

I feel like we received some of the best training an adoptive parent can get. We had three years of gathering resources, and hearing stories, and being taught by the experts. But still, nothing prepares you for that moment when you look at the child you brought into your home and you think, what have we done?

I've shared the milestones and happy moments. The shiny new wheelchair, the first steps, the funny sayings, and the heart-melting pictures. But now I'm ready to share the rest of the story. Not because I want anyone to feel sorry for us or in any way think less of my daughter. I'm not sharing to scare people away from adoption but because I want MORE people to adopt - with their eyes wide open.

This is adoption. This is real life. And this is where we need more people willing to step in. We need more people willing to adopt kids from hard places and love them through their darkest, scariest moments. And we need more people to come alongside adoptive families with understanding, supporting them without question. Without judgment. Without doubt.

So many people want to love on our little girl, and we are so grateful and blessed by that. But if you can hear this in the way it is intended: She doesn't need you, because she has us. 

But we need you.

Oh, so desperately, we need your love and your understanding, and your help. We need you to let us share what the last year has really been like. We need you to tell us that you know it's hard even if you don't know exactly what it's like, and that it's okay that we don't always get it right. And we need you to send us lots and lots of chocolate.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Praise be to the Father who adopted us out of darkness and into His light. He has carried us through, and we will continue to hold to His promises.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Norwex + Savings!

 

I am a big fan of the products we're introducing today! As I've become increasingly aware of the damage caused by common household cleaners, I've chunked the mainstream methods in search of products that are safe for my family. I learned about Norwex last year, and since then it has been what I use for 90% of my cleaning. 

My friend Kylie Johnson, who also works with Usborne Books & More, is a Norwex consultant. She has been kind enough to share some information about Norwex and how you can get the most out of your order this month.


What is Norwex?

Norwex is a line of cleaning products designed to replace the chemical laden solutions that flood our homes. The company was started in 1994 by a Norwegian man who encouraged a "Cleaning without Chemicals" approach. He advocated using microfiber cloths and water to clean and protect our environment. 

The company quickly grew, and in 2007 they introduced the microfiber + microsilver technology known as BacLock. With proven success, the company expanded worldwide and has become a household name. Norwex is so well-known because it works so well!


What's special about Norwex?

The Norwex cloth:

• Removes up to 99% of bacteria from a surface when following proper use and care
• Contains BacLock® an antibacterial agent for self-cleansing purposes only
• Helps eliminate the need for paper towels and chemical laden cleaners
• Significantly reduces the use of costly cleaning products
• Ultra-thick and absorbent to pick-up and hold more dust, dirt and debris than other cleaning cloths
• Holds several times its weight in water
• Made of more than 10 million feet of microfiber for more effective cleaning power

Microfiber cloths pick up dust and germs so well that you can even clean toilets with just the cloth and water! What's special about many of the Norwex products is that they contain microsilver, a natural agent which makes the cloth self-cleaning and helps prevent mold and odor from growing. That may sound crazy, but I am a true believer for reasons I will explain in just a moment.

What products does Norwex offer?

Norwex has every sort of cleaning cloth you could possibly need. My personal collection includes several EnviroCloths, a dust mit, a couple of window cloths, kitchen towels, netted dishcloths, body cloths, and the Spirisponge.

They also offer personal care items, products for your pets, and all kinds of things for kids. Their kids' line is full of fun colors and smaller sizes, like the little dust mit. They are the perfect size for even my three year old's little hands to use.

I have my eye on several of their products, including their renowned mop! With tile flooring in the majority of our home, I can't wait to try out their Superior Mop System.

What else is neat about Norwex?

One of the things I love about Norwex is that, because there are no chemicals involved, I can send my kids to clean without any worry of them hurting themselves. My five and six year old boys love to use the EnviroCloths to clean the bathroom. They get to play with water, and I get a sparkling clean tub!

What's my favorite product? The kitchen towel, hands down! That towel is what really made me a believer in Norwex products, and the reason is kind of embarrassing...

With a family of 7, we have to change out our bathroom hand towels every other day or so. They tend to stay damp because someone is constantly going potty and washing/drying their hands. That makes me super happy, don't get me wrong, but the damp hand towels quickly start to smell and breed bacteria.

One day I ran out of clean hand towels, so I grabbed the Norwex kitchen towel to stick in the bathroom. What initially struck me about it was how well it dries your hands. It's thin, but it is just as (or more) absorbent than regular hand towels. The second thing I noticed was how quickly the towel itself dried. Again, being thin helps with that. The third thing I didn't notice until two weeks later... 

It doesn't stink! The BacLock microsilver technology really does help it self-clean and prevent that smelly bacteria from growing - so well that it was TWO WEEKS before I realized it had been awhile since I changed out the towel. That's two weeks of being used multiple times a day by 7 people IN THE BATHROOM! It still didn't stink, but I figured it was time to clean the bathroom and give the towel a good rinsing anyway. The only thing that made me sad at that point was that I didn't have a second kitchen towel to swap it out with. That has since changed!

Where can I learn more?

To get more information and check out their complete line of products, go to kyliejohnson.norwex.biz. There you can learn more about why Norwex works so well and decide which cloth you want to order to start your collection. There are a lot of great sales this month, which you can see by clicking any of the pictures in this post. And there's still time to order me something for Christmas. Just sayin' ;-)

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business you'd like to see featured on the Beautiful Chaos blog? Send me an email at servingfromhome@gmail.com!

30% Off at The Pearly Peacock MODEST Clothing Store!

Listen up, friends! Emily Hayes from The Pearly Peacock is back with us one more time to let you know about the fantastic sale she’s running right now in her MODEST clothing store!

If you missed the previous posts, Emily is a stay-at-home mom and owner of the online boutique The Pearly Peacock. Frustrated by the lack of modest yet fashionable options out there, Emily began her quest to provide women with cute coverage at a reasonable price. As she told us in her interview, Emily has now been in business for five years and has been a much-appreciated resource for women who seek modest apparel.

Emily pours her heart and soul into finding the perfect piece to add to your wardrobe. From tops, to dresses, to vests, and even down to skirt extenders, Emily has got you covered ;-) I love how careful she is in choosing her inventory, and I know from personal experience that she is easy to work with and pays attention to detail.

I’ve been lurking around her store for awhile now. I had seen people talk about The Pearly Peacock on Facebook but I wasn’t in need of clothes, so I filed The Pearly Peacock away for future needs. My sister requested clothes for Christmas this year, and I knew exactly where I was going to buy them!

Don't you love the skirt extender! So pretty!

I spotted a piece I knew she would love but her size was out of stock, so I sent Emily a quick message. She immediately responded by saying that she would try to get it restocked in the size I needed. I jumped on her site this week and there it was! PLUS, this month Emily is offering 30% Off Everything! Whoop whoop! Just enter the code: DECEMBER30 at checkout. I can’t wait to hear how my little sis likes her gift!

UPDATE: My sister LOVES her purple Cassie Sweatshirt!

This is what some of Emily’s other customers have to say about The Pearly Peacock:

“Most of my favorite clothes come from The Pearly Peacock. Comfortable, modest, flattering, and cute (in no particular order) are the four words that immediately come to mind when I try to describe the clothing. Everything I buy from The Pearly Peacock quickly becomes a wardrobe staple, and lasts forever because the quality is top-notch. I'm constantly telling people about the company because people often want to know where I find the dresses and tops and skirt extenders that I wear. Emily is a wonderful business owner and a wonderful person. She and her team are helpful and kind and never pushy with their customers. I've never once been unsatisfied with the service or with the clothing. I will always love shopping at The Pearly Peacock.”

-Hannah Colley Giselbach

“The Pearly Peacock is one of my favorite places to shop. Emily is so easy to deal with and she does a great job finding really cute and trendy clothes! The clothes are great for church and work. I always get compliments when I wear something from her store!”

-Brenda Veale

“I have been a customer of The Pearly Peacock for years and have a closet full to prove it! I love the styles of her clothing and the quality items at a reasonable price. Emily responds quickly to my orders -- I get them within a few days! I hope to order from her for years to come.”

-Susan Smith

Check out The Pearly Peacock on Facebook at www.facebook/thepearlypeacock, or order through the website at www.thepearlypeacock.com. And don’t forget to enter your DECEMBER30 coupon code!

Thank you, Emily, for providing this service of offering modest, trendy clothes. You are a blessing!

[This post is part of a series that received compensation, but the opinions I expressed are my own]

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business you'd like to see featured here on the Beautiful Chaos blog? Send me a message at servingfromhome@gmail.com!

The Day We Had a Family Celebration Over $0.80

We believe in celebrating the small things in life.

Like when Baby threw away his diaper for the first time.

Or how Big Brother read the word “famine” on his first try.

Or the day we made our first $0.80 on our family’s new e-commerce website.

Today was that day. A day of family celebration!

We launched our brand new online marketplace www.sharketmarket.com on Black Friday. Our whole family has been working on this project for quite some time and we are thrilled to see it leave the ground! Sharket Market is an online multi-vendor marketplace designed to support home businesses – particularly those within certain categories such as:

•           Members of the Church of Christ
•           Missionaries/Preachers
•           Adoptive Parents
•           Widows
•           Stay-at-Home Moms
•           Young Entrepreneurs

Customers who want to support a specific type of vendor can shop by vendor category, or they can simply browse the “Products” page and know that every purchase they make goes toward supporting home businesses. The name “Sharket Market” came from the idea of a marketplace that shares support – thus “Shar[e]ket Market” (But yes, it’s pronounced “SHARKet Market,” and our mascot is a quirky shark the kids named Joe).

The idea for Sharket Market came about three years ago when I started the Facebook group “From Heart and Home.” I thought it would be neat to eventually create an e-commerce site where people could intentionally buy from and support stay-at-home moms. Then we thought, why not expand that vision? Why not create a website that would also make it easy for members of the Church to buy from brothers and sisters in Christ? Then we expanded further with a desire to help adoptive families bring their little ones home, so we created a way for vendors in that category to receive 100% commission on their products. From there, Sharket Market kept growing.

Now you can register as a vendor for free, add unlimited products to your store with no expirations, and receive 95% commission. The 5% commission that we receive supports our family as we strive to minister in the domestic mission field of Wisconsin. The only other cost is the PayPal transaction and processing fee of 2.9% + $0.55 per sale. There are NO others fees involved in becoming a vendor or selling on Sharket Market.

We work with just about every type of vendor. We accept all kinds of products from handmade items, to virtual services, to downloadables, to stuff you just have sitting around your house that you’re ready to part ways with. And for those working with direct sales or network marketing companies that don’t allow sales on third-party sites, we have a way to list your company too! You can become a vendor and purchase an affiliate link that will show up just like other products, except that when a customer clicks “add to cart” they will be redirected to your company’s ordering page. For more information, go to www.sharketmarket.com/product/affiliate-link.

There is space for everyone on Sharket Market. If you don’t fall into one of our specific categories, we’re still here to support you! You can register to become a vendor and simply mark your products as “General Home Business.” If you’re not sure if your product would work on the site, just shoot us an email at mama.llama@sharketmarket.com!

One of our most recent changes is the addition of the “Young Entrepreneur” category. It’s so hard for young people with entrepreneurial spirits to find a place to market their work. Now kids and teens can become vendors too! All they need is their parents’ permission and a parent’s PayPal account.

We’ve been working hard as a family over the last few months to launch Sharket Market. There have been long nights, frustrating days, and so. many. bugs to kill. We finally got the site running smooth enough to begin registering vendors on Black Friday and made our first profit that day by selling an affiliate link.

But TODAY we made our very first commission!

Today we all did a happy dance and celebrated with chocolate because we made our very first $0.80 commission on Sharket Market! That means our site is REALLY WORKING the way its supposed to - and that's worth a family celebration! Woohooo!

Congratulations to the Blue Jay Boutique on being our first vendor to sell a product through SharketMarket.com! Go to www.sharketmarket.com/store/bluejay to see their wide selection of quality candles, including holiday scents to bring you Christmas cheer!

Want to know more about Sharket Market? Head over to www.sharketmarket.com/faqs to find the answers to our most frequently asked questions. Then check out the rest of the site! If you want to become a vendor go to www.sharketmarket.com/vendor-registration to start setting up your shop. Or, browse our products and share with your friends!

Share Support. Surf the Market.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Talking Business with Emily Hayes, Owner of the Modest Clothing Store "The Pearly Peacock"

It's Small Business Saturday, and today we're talking with the owner of one of my favorite online stores! In this post, we introduced The Pearly Peacock, which sells trendy yet modest clothes. Today Emily is going to tell us the backstory behind how her business began.

1. Tell us about yourself, Emily!

My name is Emily Hayes. I'm a follower of Jesus, wife to a wonderful husband named Chris, and homeschooling mom to Maddox (6) and Anzley (1). I am also a 2007 graduate of Freed-Hardeman University.

2. What is "The Pearly Peacock"?

The Pearly Peacock is an online store that specializes in finding modest but fashionable clothing.

3. What led you to opening up shop?

Not long after I had my first child, I was upset because I couldn't find anything to wear. Everything seemed very immodest or not age appropriate. My sweet husband said, "You should open up a store for modest, fashionable clothing." After much talk and prayer we decided that would be a great thing to do.

4. How long have you been in business?

Five Years.

5. What's your favorite part of owning a home business?

Staying home with my children while helping women feel confident in their clothing choices.

6. Between being a wife and mother, how do you find time for The Pearly Peacock?

Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, but with the help of my husband and friends who work with me, things get done. Most of my work is done when my children are sleeping and late at night when we are watching TV.

7. How do you stock your inventory? Do you find modest pieces at several different stores, have one supplier, or sew the items yourself?

I spend hours upon hours looking for articles of clothing that are modest or can be made modest. I buy things from all over the country, so I don't use just one supplier.

8. What sizes do you carry?

We carry sizes S-3XL. Sometimes we will even have a few Junior sizes.

9. What's your price range?

We try to keep our prices very reasonable. Right now we have items ranging from $14-$54.

10. Where can my readers see your items and place an order?

www.thepearlypeacock.com or www.facebook.com/thepearlypeacock

I hope you've enjoyed learning about The Pearly Peacock. I definitely intend to place an order and I hope you do, too! Enter the code BLACKFRIDAY20 at checkout for 20% off!

Thanks for joining us, Emily! Keep up the good work!

[Disclosure: This post is part of a series that received compensation, but the opinions I expressed are my own]

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business you'd like to see featured on the Beautiful Chaos blog? Send me an email at servingfromhome@gmail.com!

17 Ways Moms Can Earn Money From Home

Our purpose as stay-at-home moms is to be available to care for our families' emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. While we certainly should keep that the main focus, a little work in our free time can bring in some extra income to help meet those needs. Here are 17 ways you can do that from home!

1. Network Marketing/Direct Sales. This is one of the most common ways for SAHMs to earn a little money on the side. There are a horde of companies to look into such as Young Living, Plexus, Thirty-One Bags, Norwex, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay… Each company has its pros and cons so you’ll want to do your research before jumping on any bandwagon.

2. Teach Music Lessons. Teaching music lessons is an ideal way of earning money as a mom. You get to set your own price, your own hours, decide how many students you want to take on and what level you want to teach. I highly recommend that any young lady who plans on becoming a SAHM learn to play an instrument. It is a valuable skill to have if you ever need to earn money on the side.

3. Blog. Start a blog and learn to monetize it. Run ads, write paid-for articles for other blogs, set up affiliate links. If you love to write, starting a blog is a natural way to earn a few extra bucks.

4. Sell Homemade Items. Sites like Etsy make it super simple to sell homemade products. You could make soap, crocheted accessories, wall décor, printables, jewelry, purses… Anything! And, it just so happens that I have inside information on an upcoming Etsy-like site designed specifically to support stay-at-home moms like YOU. So, get those homemade products ready for market!

5. Sew. This falls under the homemade items category, but deserves its own space. If you are a killer seamstress, you can make a killing! People pay high prices for tailored clothes, costumes, and outfits for special occasions (especially for babies). You could also make bags, Bible/book covers, dolls, decoration, or even take on people’s mending piles.

6. Babysit. This usually requires special licensing, but if you love other people’s kids you could look into starting an in-home daycare. In some states you can watch kids from a single family without needing a license, which may be all the income you need.

7. Tutor. If you love to teach, look into web sites that list tutoring opportunities. Also look into teaching with the homeschool organization Classical Conversations.

8. Teach English Online. Speaking of teaching, online English lessons are becoming quite popular. Most companies I’ve seen require a bachelor’s degree (usually in any field) and a highspeed internet connection. I know lots of moms have had great success with VIP Kids.

9. Photography. If you happen to have a decent camera, you can make some decent money. You DON’T have to be a pro. Set a fair price for your skill level and you will find clients. There are always people who want family pictures but who can’t afford the high cost of a professional. These people are usually more than satisfied with amateur work as long as the price is right.

10. Offer a Service. With the rise of the minimalism trend, I’ve noticed fewer people are interested in buying a product that will just sit around their house. But, as society gets busier, more and more people are willing to pay for services such as house cleaning, ironing, cooking, editing, book keeping, website management, secretarial tasks, grocery shopping, pet sitting, gardening, etc. If you have the time and can easily work it into your stay-at-home mom routine, you just might make more money selling a service than selling a product.

11. Create Art. If you are artistic there are lots of different ways you can use your creativity. You can either sell your art or teach art classes. If your art leans more toward graphics design, you can design websites, create fun printables, or make personalized artwork like logos and decals.

12. Cut/Style hair. I know some moms who run salons out of their homes. If you are good with hair (especially little girls’ hair), you can set up shop right in your own home.

13. Become a Post-Partum Doula. This one doesn’t necessarily belong on this list because you can’t do it at home, but it might work for your family, especially if your children are all older. The unpredictable schedule of being a birth doula is difficult, but post-partum doulas are becoming more popular and might be an easier option for some moms. Post-partum doulas are there to help care for families after the birth of a baby. They provide emotional support, breastfeeding assistance, meals, cleaning, care for older siblings, and anything else that a new mom and dad might need. Being a post-partum doula does mean you have to leave your family for a period of time, but you can set your hours (as opposed to a birth doula who shows up whenever baby decides to start coming and stays as long as mom and baby need).

14. Write Homeschool Curriculum. If you see a flaw in some of the curriculum you are using, write your own and sell it! Homeschool moms pay good money for good teaching tools.

15. Plan Events. Event planning is a big thing in some areas. If you can put together an amazing 1^st Birthday Party Package, organize and set up an event, and take care of clean-up afterwards, you can have a lot of fun making some dough! And while we’re talking about dough…

16. Cake/Cookie Decorating. Cakes and cookies sell well for holidays of all kinds. You can often find decorating classes at local craft stores, and once you build your toolbox you are all set to make some lavish cakes and cookies to sell.

17. Transcription. This is one my husband and I intend to look into more. A friend just told me about rev.com where you can pick up freelance transcription jobs. No degree required. It’s tedious work, but it’s legit.

Got another idea of how a mom can earn money from home? Leave a comment!