etsy lately

As most of you know, Jared started an Etsy shop almost two and a half years ago. Jared has a seriously creative mind. In our house, he always picks out all the paint. Not only is he a good judge of color (Him: Is it more of a purple-grey or a blue-grey?  Me: Wait, what? Grey is grey! Right?), he can envision what things will look like before he ever makes the first cut for his latest project. So his Etsy shop was opened at my request so that our house wouldn't be completely cluttered by all the things he was tinkering around making in our garage.

It was a slow start. 
Which was to be expected. And which was actually a good thing. 
It took quite a while to learn the ropes of it all, especially how to tag listings so they can be found by searching customers and discovering the secret to mailing items so you don't lose your ass in shipping costs.

For a long while we were super excited to get one order a month. 
Seriously. 
And months where he got two or three, we were ecstatic about it. Last year around this time we saw huge growth in his sales as people started to shop for the Christmas season. Usually there is a pretty large drop off in sales after the holiday season is over, but for some reason this year that didn't really happen. Thanks to more learning (and lots of research on Jared's part), sales have continued to grow. 

It's been exciting - it's a little rush to know people (strangers!) love and want to buy something you're hand-making - but it is also a little overwhelming. We've both had to gradually change our mindsets. Before when getting only an order or two a month, Jared could easily complete the order before ever receiving another. His goal was to be complete before moving on to the next item. But last month, he had at least one order every single day. 
Say what??! 
We were so not prepared for that. 
And this month has proved to be more of the same.

Now it's not possible to make it down to zero pending orders. He works a full-time job after all. So there is always this "I have 12 orders to get out" mentality hanging over his head - and mine too. I'm definitely a person who never procrastinates. So knowing there are plenty of orders still needing to be completed, and then hearing the little cash register sound go off on Jared's phone signifying a new order, it kinda makes my inner organization queen cringe. 
But it's a good problem to have, as long as Jared can keep up.

Organization is key, and it proves difficult when you are running a small business out of 20 extra square feet in your garage.

Speaking of the little space Jared works out of, here are some photos I snapped the other day of him in action.

More information learned along the way: proper personal equipment is a must. Jared has been wearing the ear protection since the beginning (because he likes his tunes and NPR) but the mask was a recent purchase. Turns out he was coughing a ton from all the sawdust he was inhaling. And purchases like a new sander that is hooked up to a system that collects all the dust is a big plus too - it's annoying to have to clean an inch of dust off your bike daily. 

It's definitely a family affair. 
Truthfully Jared does probably 90% of the work involved, but I do my part in correspondence with customers during the day while he sleeps and packing up and mailing items to be shipped.
Oh, and keeping the kids out of his hair while he is working can prove to a full-time job also. 

Fairly often Graham will collect his tools and head outside to do some "workshoppin'" with his dad. The scrap pile can get pretty large so there is always some wood for him to cut, hammer, or screw.

Bailey and Avery also like to help out when they can.
Bailey actually does helpful things like learning how to apply paste wax to completed wood projects. 
Avery does things more along the lines of playing the keyboard in the basement and singing nonsensical songs loudly while we package. Very loud is her speciality.
So see? they're both helping in their own way. 

And we all have to put up with random stops for boxes, whether they fit in the vehicle or not.

If you're interested in seeing more items that Jared is currently creating, make sure to follow him on instagram @brandnewtome or check out his Etsy site.

October 8th

Jared turned a whopping 31 years old yesterday.

We all know it's downhill after 21, but the kids and I (with some help from Fe) still tried to make the day a little bit more special.

When it comes to any celebration in this family, food is the main event. We all love food.

This year Jared broke what is clearly the most important tradition - having cake for your birthday - and requested peanut butter chocolate dessert. 

I had my doubts. 

But I made it. And it was easy. Like did it in a half an hour and never had to turn on the oven easy.

It's not the most presentable thing you've ever eaten - although those classy as hell candles really take it up a notch - but believe me when I say it is delicious. 

I bolded and italicized the word "delicious", it is that good. 

Like I said, I had reservations. But it was amazing.

And because I know there are some fellow chocolate/peanut butter combo lovers out there like me (hello, to my Reese's holiday devotees!), I am linking this ridiculously easy recipe.

Taste of Home - Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert

You're welcome.

We had a meal, complete with fancy platters and bowls that we received for our wedding and hardly ever use. And we ate said meal with mandatory party hats on our heads because that is how crazy we roll around here.

Happy Birthday Jared! 

I hope we made you feel special for the day.

♥

camping

And by "camping" I mean a weekend spent in the camping grey area: somewhere between a plain ol' tent and a tricked-out camper with a big screen TV and fully-stocked wine fridge.

We spent two days at Pine Lake State Park, an area with a lake next to the Iowa River about 90 miles from home. We rented a cabin for two nights and brought the tent along too. The cabins were originally built in the 1930s and renovated in the 1990s to include a small bedroom and updated conveniences - ya know, like a microwave and shower. 
So we were able to cook meals and shower three very dirty children at the end of each day. 
The large living room had a table where we played games and two futons that folded down for the kids (and Tucker) to sleep on. 

It was secluded. You couldn't drive any vehicle up to the cabins as they were tucked in a hillside near the river. There were paved and unpaved trails around the area, some leading up into the hills, which our kids particularly loved.
"Daddy, I love going on adventures."

Tent sleeping was also popular.
Psssst! for all you blog readers who've never met my children, please feel free to guess which one is the sassy one. You won't be wrong.

$1.25 giant bottle of bubbles for the win!

No camping adventure is complete without s'mores.

Their first introduction to the low-budget game that is Pooh-sticks.
Do other people call it Pooh sticks or did we watch too many episodes about that stuffed bear as kids?

Heeeeeyyyy!

Tucker loved sleeping with the kids, something we haven't let him do at home. But it was so sweet watching him curl up beside them, I might have to start giving him free-range of the house at night.

We were packing up and getting ready to leave Sunday morning when Jared voiced a surreal thought: he figures we have maybe 8 more years of this kind of stuff before Bailey starts to think it's boring. Hanging out with her parents will be something to endure instead of something to enjoy.

I pointed out to him that he loved camping as a kid and still loved camping with his family even when we were dating. And that even as a senior in high school, I would stay in some weekends just to hang out with my family. 
As long as your family is fun - or at least funny - you're still going to want to hang out with them, right?
At least occasionally?
There's no guarantee I guess. 
In the meantime we'll have to keep working at establishing traditions and making memories. 

My hope is that someday our kids look back, tell stories, and share laughs about our adventures. And misadventures. Some of my fondest and funniest childhood summertime memories involve hilariously horrible hotels, broken down station wagons, and ridiculously low-budget family "vacations" to Minnesota. 
God love him, but my dad was bordering on Clark Griswold on a few occasions. 

I refuse to worry about how lame my kids are going to find me once they reach teen-land. (Or before.)
And all that matters right now is that they love their daddy and his love of an "adventure."

Easter Day

Look at me - getting a post out on the same day it happened! Write it down, people!
Truth be told I have nothing else to do while Jared dozes away on the couch before work, but I'm still giving myself the credit since I am currently chicken-pecking out these words.

I digress.

Easter.

family photo

 so random, but I love it

most pictures looked a little something like this

Weiss family great-grandkids posing with their found loot

And on a non-Easter side note, today marks 10 years together for Jared and me. 

A whole freaking decade. 

That's crazy, right? 

But then again, as I have been reminded of plenty this weekend, I am old.

(Try telling high school kids that only a few people had cell phones when you were their age and that texting wasn't even a thing until college. I swear they look at you like you're a martian.)

2005 doesn't seem all that long ago.

But then again, I'm getting up there in years...   ;)

Happy Easter!

Puerto Vallarta

We've been back home from vacation for about a week. And I swear that's almost how long it's taken to get everyone back on schedule. Today Graham finally napped without screaming in protest for 10 minutes first. Major progress.

But let's get back to the subject at hand. 
We spent 6 glorious days away from home in the land of Mexico, specifically at the Hyatt Ziva in Puerto Vallarta. 

We left home on Sunday afternoon and spent the night at Catrina's, getting up at 3 AM to make it to the airport for our 6 AM flight Monday morning. 

Believe me, a long-awaited vacation is the only time I'm this happy at 4 AM.

We arrived at our resort in Puerto Vallarta at 2 PM local time, and in typical style began drinking and eating immediately. Once our room was ready, we wasted no time throwing on our suits and flagging down a waiter to place a drink order.

While Jared frequently stuck with beer, I made it a goal of sorts to try as many different drinks as possible. There was no shortage of new drink options.

We sat pool side or on the beach for hours each and every day. 

The service was amazing and our drinks were never empty. We took in the scenery and the sun's rays. I read an entire book from start to finish (The Girl on the Train - great beach read) and enjoyed the silence. Jared frequently checked out the activities, playing darts and even singing karaoke (a Spanish song no less! Loco Por Ti - check it out, my husband's crazy) one night after consuming a few margaritas for courage. 

We met quite a few people on our second day in Puerto Vallarta. It was overcast and rainy all day, so Jared and I took ourselves (and our cocktails) to the adults-only hot tub. We ended up socializing and drinking for 4 1/2 hours, having a lot of laughs and meeting some fun people. Jared was feeling no pain pretty quickly - partly because it was St. Patrick's Day and also because our hot tub mates had previously tipped the pool waiter quite handsomely. We wanted for nothing that day. Except maybe some sun.

The resort itself was newly remodeled, reopening just this past December. It was beautiful. Each and every detail was clearly thought out. Even the walkways through the resort were picture worthy.

The beach was clean and the views were spectacular. 

Our room was great. We were on the highest floor (other than the penthouse) and one whole wall was floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors facing the beach. Each room had an ocean view and this was ours.

We fell asleep each and every night with the door open and the sound of the crashing surf lulling us to sleep.

We stayed at the resort most of the time, but we hit up downtown one morning to see what it was all about and purchase souvenirs. It was a scenic cobblestone boardwalk with stores and restaurants flanking the other side.

The food at the resort was phenomenal. The buffet was actually delicious (which I think is probably a high achievement for an all-inclusive) and we loved eating breakfast there. Can't beat a delicious omelet and fresh baked croissants! 

Out of the four restaurants at the resort, we had two favorites and divided our evening meals between them.

And then on our last night, we didn't want to chose between the two. 

So we didn't. 

We ate first at the Asian restaurant and afterward went straight to the steakhouse. And while part of me is ashamed to admit this, another part of me (aka: the fatty part) says it with pride - we then went to our room and ordered room service. 

Yep. 

We ordered a pizza and dessert. 

And we ate all that food, people!

I have zero vacation shame, it's fine. 

And I can proudly say I didn't even gain weight on vacation. It's a miracle.

Thank God for the amazing resort gym because I didn't hold back on anything I wanted to eat or drink the entire time we were on vacation.

We had an amazing time. This was our first vacation alone in 6 years. And if I'm honest, it took awhile getting used to it being just us. But it was needed and well worth saving up for. We were able to reconnect as a couple - no kids, no jobs, no responsibilities. 

But when it was time to come home, we were ready. We had three little people pretty excited to see us again. And even more excited to see what we brought home for them. 

Maracas for the win every time.

** A big internet shout-out to my parents for watching our kids for most of the week and to Justy and her boyfriend Zac for staying at the house for a day or two with the kids. We greatly appreciate all your help!

a little Etsy love

Most of you know that my husband has his own Etsy shop named Brand New To Me. He is always trolling the internet to find new ideas and inspiration and regularly raids a family member's old barn for wood. It gives him a chance to escape the house and be creative, plus he has a built-in excuse to wander around Menard's for a "deal" or two.

So with little to no shame I am going to showcase a couple of his new creations.

rustic pallet and barn wood shelf

source: Rustic/Reclaimed/Pallet Barn Wood shelf

wooden serving tray

Source: wood serving tray/ottoman tray in robin's egg blue

shabby chic beach crate shelves

source: shabby chic beach-crate wall shelf

He is mid-project on creating at least one or two other new items. After months of pretty slow business, July proved to be busy with many custom orders and more currently in the works. Soon he will start building up a supply of Christmas items, because if this holiday season is anything like last year, he will need a surplus of stocking holders. (He literally took our own personal one of the wall and sold it to someone else while he made another because he was taken by surprise with how many sold.)

And as always his shop button is on the right-hand side of my page. 
And any local Iowa peeps can hit him up for a deal; without Etsy's cut and shipping costs, he has a little more wiggle room in the price. 

Happy Father's Day

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, but especially to the most important man in our house.

You were there to hear their very first cries, scooping them up and posing for pictures with that awestruck look on your face. You learned how to feed Bailey, how to swaddle, how to position them so they could comfortably rest their tiny cheeks on your chest and fall asleep. You changed diapers, warmed bottles, found the Boppy that was always disappearing, and looked past my never-ending parade of nursing tanks.

You're the most important man in their lives. 
Splashing in the pool.
Bedtime stories.
Movies with popcorn.
Planting flowers.
Bike rides.
Homemade fudgesicles.
Under-dunks on the swings.
Cooking in the kitchen.
Holidays.
All typical moments in a kid's life, 
made special because of you.

We're still learning every day how to raise these three crazy kids.

And while lots of days I feel like I'm not getting it right, it always helps to know we are in this parenting thing together.

Happy Father's Day to my husband.

Thank you, Jared, for all you do each and every day. 

The four of us love you so very much.