New craft business

Well, I have recently decided to open an etsy.com shop and start blogging in an effort to earn some extra money and be at home with my four year old and be available for school events for my seven year old.  It is an interesting journey to do both of these and do them well.  I've been reading blogs for years and somehow many bloggers make it look so easy.  And Etsy - I've been an Etsy addict for years and never realized how much really goes into getting started.  I officially opened my Etsy shop today and find it necessary to blog about it even if no one reads it.  Here is my first item for sale:

I have made a few of these for other people but never any for my daughter and her Julie doll and her recent addition a Sophia doll.  Sophia's matches Julie's with the exception of the applique. Sophia is so excited about finally having personalized blankets for her dolls.  And, I love making these.

In addition to personalized blankets for dolls, I will also be making 18" doll furniture.  I made a bunk bed for a close friend of mine.  It was a learning experience to say the least but I'm excited to get going and getting the first one out of the way is liberating. 

So now I have gotten my etsy.com shop open and have made a few blog posts the rest is all downhill, right?  Not!  I've got quite a learning curve ahead which gives me an up close and personal picture of the big hill ahead of me. I'm blessed with drive and determination and know I can make this work.

I look forward to an exciting 2013!

God bless,
Jennifer

30 days gluten free for Sophie

My seven year old has had episodes of  sudden hysterical crying out of control without the ability to stop.  A few years ago, one of my dearest friends and I realized if we gave her food she would "magically" turn into her normal loving and happy self.  Which led me to think she is probably hypoglycemic.  Maybe that is the case, however, lately she has been complaining about her stomach hurting and feeling like she is going to throw up after she eats.  And, it is almost every time.  Thank goodness for the increased awareness of gluten intolerance and celiac disease.  There is a wealth of knowledge and shared experiences all of over the web. I looked around and found some several blogs and websites with helpful information and recipes.  Here are the top 3 resources I am starting with:

SuperKids Nutrition
This particular article from SuperKids Nutrition talks about wheat intolerance/allergy vs. celiac disease and varying degrees of symptoms.

Gluten Free Girl
I happened on her blog a few years ago when I was researching gluten intolerance for my mom's pizza restaurant.  We have a handful of customers who bring us their own pizza crusts and we top them and serve them with the rest of the pizzas so the gluten intolerant person can still enjoy family and pizza.  Granted it is no where near as good as fresh homemade traditional pizza and it is not without cross contamination, it is what their body can tolerate. What blows me away about the crusts they bring is the price they have to pay. It's roughly $8 for a 12" crust.  I have looked into carrying them at the restaurant but it seems to be cost prohibitive.  When will gluten free items be cost effective?

What I really like about Shauna James (aka Gluten Free Girl) is she lays it out that celiac disease has over 300 different symptoms with everyone suffering different subset of symptoms.  She also offers a ton of delicious recipe options many perfect for kids who will still crave the cookies, crackers, pizza, nuggets, etc. She gives me hope that I can make the next 30 days easier and delicious for Soph.

The Whole Gang
Finding this site was like hitting the jackpot!  Back in early 2011 she hosted 30 days to Easy Gluten Free showing 30 different ways to eat gluten free in fun, easy, delicious, as expensive or inexpensive as you would like.

An easy approach would be to take Soph to the doctor and have tests run.  If you knew my daughter you would know this is by far not the easiest approach.   With that in mind, I find no harm in giving 30 days gluten free a chance to see if that solves her belly aches, nausea and mood problems.  So, this is where I am going to start. I have a lot of reading to do and a lot of change coming.

I am anxious to see what changes happen.

Jen