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!

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!

FREE Ornament from Clayful Memories - Special Offer!

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!


First up is PJ Charnock with Clayful Memories. Check out THIS post to learn about PJ's beautiful custom ceramics! Last week in her interview PJ shared how she started Clayful Memories and gave us wise advice about balancing a home business with being a stay-at-home mom. Today PJ has a special offer for readers of this blog!

Talking Business with Heather Russell of Young Living

Today I am joined by stay-at-home mom Heather Russell, an essential oils distributor working with Young Living. Heather is going to share a little bit about essential oils and how they can support your family's health and wellness.

Good morning, Heather! I’m so glad you’ve joined us today on the Beautiful Chaos blog. I’m excited to share your product with my readers because I know from personal experience how beneficial essential oils are to my family’s wellbeing, especially this time of year with the flu season looming.

Heather with her five cuties

1. To get started, tell us a little about your background and your sweet family.

I’m wife to an amazing man who works hard to preach the Gospel, and mom to five extremely energetic kids under the age of nine. My husband and I met somewhat later in life than it seems most people do, and have definitely dealt with several challenges in our marriage all at once that most people seem to spread out over a lifetime. In ten years we have had five children, struggled with losing a parent to Alzheimer's disease, handled the challenges of responsibility for ailing grandparents and ultimately their end of life arrangements, personal illness that hindered ability to work and led to serious financial difficulties, and the near loss of a child at birth. But we've also experienced many blessings that others never have the chance to receive: the kindness of loving friends who never let us go without or expected anything in return, knowledge about health and wellness in all areas that came directly from our own struggles and desperate search for answers, greater empathy for those in pain, gratitude for the small things, a deeper faith, and a strong family unit. We spend our time now just trying to share our blessings with those still caught in struggles of all kinds.

2. What led you to discovering the benefits of essential oils?

When I began having children I began to question the status quo health advice more and more. There are so many things with safety warnings and I wanted nothing more than the health and safety of my babies. I also found myself being more and more sensitive to chemicals during pregnancy, to the point that my husband had to do most of the housework because I couldn't handle the cleaning products. A friend hosted an informal class at my house during a gathering we were already having, and gave me a bottle of Thieves or lavender, I don't remember which now. I was skeptical, but I took it and also bought a bottle of lavender. I started using the two as my friend suggested and was completely floored. My husband was a much harder sell, but we did our research and began using more and more oils, and the effects were undeniable.

3. What sets Young Living apart from other companies in the industry?

Young Living never compromises quality for the bottom line. We don't just assume that a supplier is above board; every detail of every source of every product is stringently vetted. We are committed to growing as many of our own ingredients as possible, and until we can grow something ourselves we hold suppliers to higher standards than any regulatory system in the world. Nothing sold by Young Living is created in a laboratory, and nothing that wasn't created by God touches our plants. Fields are weeded by hand, essential oils and herbal waters are used to control pests, etc. At the same time, the consumer is not just a number; we are just as much a part of the company as the owners and ranking officials, and are treated as such.

4. How has being a Young Living distributor benefited your family?

Since we started using Young Living wellness products in conjunction with good eating habits, we are rarely sick. Even when we do come down with something our immune systems are so strong that we don't stay down long. The rare occasions when one of us has needed a doctor have been emergency situations only. The research we have done learning about how essential oils work with the body has given us so much confidence when it comes to maintaining our health, and really increased our faith in God as Designer and Provider. Because my husband is a preacher and I am a stay-at-home mom, financial peace in our old age is a real worry, but building a home business with Young Living gives us a way to provide for ourselves in our old age.

5. What are your favorite essential oils and why?

Everyone asks this question and I can never answer it! There are so many that I love that it is hard to choose. There are a few that we use on a daily basis, though. I keep a huge stash of Thieves, Peppermint, and Lavender because we use those for so many different situations. I was just telling someone the other day that lavender is the first oil my babies learn to ask for by name. It is right up there with mommy kisses for their peace and comfort!

6. This time of year, lots of people struggle with staying healthy, both mentally and physically. What oils would you recommend to:

Support a healthy immune system

Thieves and Frankincense are at the top of my list here.

Uplift and encourage

My personal favorites are citrus oils; they are just so happy! I like to mix them up with heavier scents, too, to create diffuser blends that suit my mood.

Capture the scents of the season

Think pumpkin pie and you know my favorite holiday scents! Clove, cinnamon, orange, any evergreen oils - mix and match to your heart's content! If you like a more savory holiday experience, sage, thyme, and rosemary make great additions to diffuser blends.

Calm children

I have had really great success with Peace and Calming, Lemon, and Valor.

Ease tension

Peppermint and wintergreen are really good for tense muscles at the end of a long day. There are also blends like Deep Relief and M-Grain that drive deep down into muscle tissue and relax areas that are difficult to address.

7. What products does Young Living offer besides essential oils?

Supplements for every body system as well as general supplements; over the counter items approved for minor complaints; household cleaners; personal care products for men, women, and children; healthy snack items; Einkorn flour and products containing it; recipe books, kitchen items, and accessories designed for oily applications; diffusers; makeup; baby products; I’m sure there is something I’m forgetting. I spend about a third of my household budget (groceries, household, and personal care) through Young Living.

8. What’s your best advice for someone just entering the oily world? Where should they start?

Get a starter kit. The premium kit costs right at half value and includes a diffuser and oils for every application. It comes with basic information about the oils included and how to use them, so you don't have to start with guesswork. Plus, once you've bought a kit, you are a wholesale customer instead of retail, which means you save 24% off everything you order after that and have access to monthly promotions and a special rewards program, even a shipping subscription that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

9. As a distributor for Young Living, what kind of support do you personally give the members of your downline?

I actually don't like to think of our team as upline or downline. We're all in this together to hopefully help each other. When you join my team you will get a welcome email from me with my personal contact information and suggestions for further resources, including my own social media groups that I use for education. I also send out a monthly newsletter. I try to stay in contact with my team at least monthly, but I am a busy mom so I don't always keep up as well as I’d like. I’m available by text, email, or social media to answer questions or share my experience. I am not able to travel much right now with small children at home, but I’m available for long distance meetings through the internet, just contact me to set up a time. My main concern is to help you, so let me know whatever you need and I'll do my best to make it happen.

10. Where can my readers get more information and/or place an order?

The Young Living website has basic information about every product we sell, as well as a link to create your customer account. To purchase your kit head over to www.youngliving.com, select the menu option to become a member, and follow the instructions on the link. If you choose to join my team, enter my member number in the sponsor field (that number is 1381837). You can also check out www.seedtoseal.com for more information about the company and our vision. You can look up my public Facebook group, Living Naturally, or my Instagram page @wordworkerlivingnaturally, for regular posts about Young Living products.

Thanks, Heather! I’m so grateful you’ve taken the time to share the wonders of essential oils with us today. They are a blessing to my family, and I know they can be a blessing to my readers!

To read more about Heather's work with Young Living click HERE!

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

Are you a stay-at-home mom with a home business? Contact me at servingfromhome@gmail.com to have your product featured on the Beautiful Chaos blog!

Home Business Series: Young Living Essential Oils

This week we’re introducing businesses owned by stay-at-home moms. Today’s special business is run by Heather Russell, a fellow preacher's wife and distributor for Young Living Essential Oils.

[Disclosure: This post received compensation, but all views expressed are my own.]

I know from personal experience the countless benefits essential oils offer and I’m excited to share them with you today! I was introduced to oils four years ago when I came down with shingles. Girl, that was the most painful experience ever – worse than giving birth! It hurt to even feel the air around me touch my skin.

Someone recommended EOs and I was willing to try anything. The first drop of oil brought immediate relief. Supported by frankincense and Young Living’s Valor blend, I saw light at the end of an excruciatingly painful tunnel. The oils eased my muscles, gave my body a break so my immune system could focus on healing, and supported restorative sleep. I got my life back, and I’m sold!