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!

Training Evangelistic Kids Tip #4: Don't Interrupt!

My main focus as a mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. In turn, I want them to lead hearts around them to Christ. This year my husband and I determined to emphasize the importance of personal evangelism in our home. Our highest goal as parents is to train our children in the ways of the Lord and equip them to teach others the Gospel. In this series of Training Evangelistic Kids we’ll share some ideas we’ve used to begin raising children who are comfortable sharing their faith. We certainly aren’t experts in this area. We’re learning as we go, and we’d love to hear your ideas as well!

T.E.K. Tip #4: Don't Interrupt!

I’m not big on the whole “children are to be seen and not heard” thing. Our dinner table is loud with crazy laughter and fun. Our kids participate in adult conversations, especially on biblical topics. But there is a time and place when children need to learn to be quiet. One way to train your children to be evangelistically minded is to teach them the importance of not interrupting a Bible study.

The Family Business: Working WITH Your Kids

One of the best parts about running a home business is that you get to work around your family. But HOW do you accomplish business tasks when you are surrounded by littles?

Work in Your “Off” Hours

Your primary role as mother is to bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). That means you need to be available to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. If you are always distracted working on business projects, your children are going to perceive that you have put making money above them. Your children are your mission field. Don’t let your home business take you away from the reason you are a stay-at-home mom to begin with.

That said, there are times when your children don’t need you. One strategy for making your business work around your children is to find snippets of time when they are naturally occupied elsewhere. Nap time, early morning, or after curfew hours work great for many SAHMs. Waiting for kids while they are in music lessons or sports practice is another opportunity for work (just be sure you aren’t missing those golden moments of watching your children succeed in their lessons!). It’s also perfectly acceptable to set aside “me time” during the day – a set period of time when the children know that you are going to work on your business and they need to play happily. As long as it is understood that this is a specific, limited amount of time it’s not bad for your kids to learn that you need thirty minutes to yourself now and then.

Some of your most productive hours for your business are going to be when your children otherwise naturally occupied. This way, they aren’t missing you and you’re not missing opportunities to nurture them. But SAHMs don’t always get “off” hours. My oldest boys have outgrown their naps, so afternoons can be busy around here. Not to mention, in the baby season you are dead tired and getting up “just a little earlier” or staying up “just a little later” is not an option. Your family needs you to get adequate rest, not drain yourself trying to grow your business.

So what option do you have when you NEVER get kid-free time?

Work WITH Your Kids

One of my favorite things about my business is that it gives me a chance to work with my children. I try to involve them in as many aspects as I can. Rather than getting frustrated because they want to ask a million questions about what I’m doing, I use it as an opportunity to help them learn skills and develop their own talents.

My primary business is supporting SAHMs with small businesses. This means I do a lot of advertising, which requires getting to know my clients and their products. I especially enjoy the interviews I conduct with potential clients, and my older boys (5 yrs and 6 yrs) love to help me come up with questions to ask. Just this morning they sat on my lap and together we came up with a list of questions people might have about my client’s business. When you read author or business owner interviews on this blog, many of the questions you see were produced by my boys. Kids come up with great questions I never would have thought to ask!

I also play around with other money-making ventures and try to include my kids. I’ve recently begun delving into the world of photography. My little ones actually make great assistants (as long as I use them one at a time J). They grab props, adjust lighting, and make posing suggestions. We’ve discovered that my 6 yr old has a great eye for editing photos, so I ask him what he thinks needs to be adjusted on a particular image. Not only does he help me out, he’s developing his own skills to use later in life.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still more difficult and more time consuming to work with children on business projects. But a slow process is so much better than neglecting them. Your product may not lend itself well toward involving your kids, especially if they are very young. Even so, there is usually some part of the production line that kids can help with, even if it’s just making a color suggestion. Kids make great salesmen, too, especially at craft shows! Show your kids how you make your product, let them help you with marketing, and celebrate when you succeed together.

Remind Your Children of Your Purpose

When working on business ventures with your kids, be purposeful. Use your time to help them develop skills, talk to them about why you are running this business, and teach them that using their talents to make money is great but using their talents in service to the Kingdom is even better!

Model a servant heart in your business. Show your kids how you use your business not only to make money but also to serve God. That could be in the form of donating your product or profit to someone in need, talking to clients about the Gospel, or using your skills to help other people. There are so many ways you can include your kids in service through your business. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Keep your focus where it should be and teach your children to do the same.

Kids are fun co-workers. Embrace the loud, crazy, and messy. You’ll treasure the memories you make while working together on your family business!

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The Best Way to Save on Essential Oils!

Home Business Deals!

I'm super excited about our home business highlights this week because this is when you get to hear about some really great deals! All of the moms we've introduced so far each have a final word to share about their business, along with special offers for YOU!

The Best Way to Save on Essential Oils

Essential oils are an amazing part of God's creation. They have so many uses from supporting your body's systems, to flavoring foods, to safely cleaning your home without chemicals. I use EOs a lot around this time of year when we're trying to support our immunity and keep our family healthy. I also use EOs in my homemade laundry detergent, and diffuse sunshiny scents on gloomy days to brighten the mood around here. We love EOs in our home and I hope you're looking into how they can benefit your family, too!

In THIS post we introduced stay-at-home mom Heather Russell and her home business as a Young Living Essential Oils distributor. In Heather's interview she told us how Young Living has blessed her family and shared some tips on jumping into the oily world. Today Heather's sharing about how to earn FREE products when you sign up for Young Living's Essential Rewards!

Getting Started:
For those interested in practical applications for essential oils, Young Living offers starter kits focused on supplementation, household products, and even makeup! To get started, go to www.youngliving.com. Choose the kit that is the right fit for you and sign up with Heather's sponsor number: 1381837. 

So many start kit options!

Essential Rewards Program:
When you are signing up, be sure to set up your Essential Rewards account. This is the BEST way to save on essential oils with Young Living. ER helps you stay committed to your wellness plan by offering:

• Free promotional wellness items starting at 100pv/month
• Accountability with the 50pv minimum and set shipping date
• Completely customizable orders every month
• Reward points applicable toward most Young Living products

With your Essential Rewards orders you will earn points you can redeem for FREE products. Heather sent me the picture below as an example of the possibilities. She ordered the items on the right, and earned Lavender Vitality, Valor, Lava Derm Spray, Aroma Life, and Geranium all for FREE!

Heather got all the great products on the left FREE with her purchase of the products on the right! That's a lot of free oils!

If you really want to see the benefits of essential oils, purchase a kit and commit to three months of usage of kit items. If you're not seeing results, just discontinue ER. Personally, I saw the difference EOs made in our home right away, and I think you're going to be pretty impressed, too. Especially with the Ningxia Red! That's good stuff!

If you have any questions, contact Heather at wordworkerrussell@gmail.com. If you're ready to sign up click here and don't forget to enter Heather's sponsor number: 1381837.

Thanks for joining the discussion about home businesses, Heather!

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

Training Evangelistic Kids #3: A Purposeful Halloween

Our Halloween Treats

My main focus as a mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. In turn, I want them to lead hearts around them to Christ. This year my husband and I determined to emphasize the importance of personal evangelism in our home. Our highest goal as parents is to train our children in the ways of the Lord and equip them to teach others the Gospel. In this series of Training Evangelistic Kids we’ll share some ideas we’ve used to begin raising children who are comfortable sharing their faith. We certainly aren’t experts in this area. We’re learning as we go, and we’d love to hear your ideas as well!

T.E.K. Tip #3: A Purposeful Halloween

Monkey2 dressed up as a Christian Soldier

One of the things we try to emphasize to our kids is the abundance of opportunities for evangelism. There are so many ways to turn ordinary moments into efforts to reach people with the Gospel. It's all about making Jesus the center of everything we do and inviting others to see the difference He has made in our lives.

Opportunities for evangelism can often be created by putting a slight spin on how you usually do things. We're not huge fans of Halloween. But when we lived in Michigan there was a wonderful Bible class teacher where we worshiped who put together a dress-up party around October 31st. She told us that she used to boycott Halloween, but then she realized she could use it for good by turning it into an opportunity for a VBS-like event. 

Our friend invites kids to come to the church building all dressed up in their fun costumes, and then she teaches Bible lessons (like The Valley of Dry Bones), drills them on Bible facts, plays Bible-based games, and lets them get sick on candy in a fun, safe environment. Her thought was, "Most kids are going to participate in Halloween anyway, so why not use it for a purpose?"

That's largely how personal evangelism works - by taking whatever you can and making it purposeful. Obviously, you can only take this concept so far. There are certain things that you simply can't participate in as a Christian; sometimes there just isn't a good way to spin it. I don't think Halloween is one of those things. Though I don't like the witches and gore that surround the day, I do not think it's wrong to dress up and go Trick or Treating. Thanks to Pam's example, I see lots of ways this holiday can be used for good.


What other day do you have people coming up to your door and asking you to give them something? They're practically begging you to give them a tract and tell them about Jesus! Okay, okay, they're really looking for candy, but there are so many creative things you can pass out that might plant a seed - Bible stickers, candy with Bible verses printed on the wrappers, little Bible activity booklets... Any little thing that lets people know you are a Christian is valuable (just make sure it's something kids would actually consider a treat). At the very least, your little neighbors will know that you believe in God, and you never know where that could lead.

Monkey4 and Monkey5 maning the treat table

This year we decided somewhat last minute to pass out hot chocolate and our kiddie business cards. We hadn't really planned to do anything because Halloween was on a Wednesday and we knew that by the time we got home from Bible class most of the Trick or Treaters would be finished up. But, since this is our first year in our new neighborhood, we decided to at least try to use it as a chance to meet our neighbors and let them know that we are Christians.

Though we didn't have many people come down our street by that time of night, our kids had a blast dressing up, eating pizza, drinking hot chocolate, and doing our family devotional under the stars. We made sweet memories with our kids and, most importantly, we worked together to try to reach others for Christ.

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). Teach your kids to use every opportunity to reach others for Christ, even when it's Halloween season.

P.S. Another idea I've heard for using Halloween for good is to do reverse Trick or Treating at a nursing home. Dress your kids up and go to a nursing home to pass out candy. The residents will love you for it!

Got a tip for teaching kids to be evangelistically minded? Leave a comment!