Featured Seller: Allison from Pooch Swagger

For all you pet lovers, this is the shop for you! Allison from Pooch Swagger makes cute and fashionable ID tags for your furry friends. Makes me wish I had a pet.

Allison started the business in September out of the simple need for tags for her two small dogs. She says, "The tags are made out of a durable pendant and filled with hard resin so they will last a long time. We have 45 different designs, and any of them can come in square or circle. You also get to pick from 4 different metal colors. These tags are great for any size pet and make great gifts for the animal lovers in your life."

These are very affordable Christmas gifts and great stocking stuffers!

Check out Pooch Swagger for more adorable designs.

Old MacDonald Had a Ranch

Yesterday afternoon we went to MacDonald Ranch in North Scottsdale for some harvest fun. First we went to the petting zoo, which Caden loved. There were goats, bunnies, miniature horses, chickens, peacocks, pigs, and a ram. Caden approached one sitting goat and got gently butted away. It was so funny to see his startled face!

The goat to the right is the one that butted him.

Next were the Western games. Caden enjoyed the bean bag toss.

Then it was off the to the gold mines. Caden didn't want to leave! He loves playing in the dirt.

We went through the hay maze then took a hay ride to and from the pumpkin patch. We didn't get a pumpkin though because they were all rotting.

Caden trying to get to Daddy.

After the hay ride, Caden was ready to ride the horses. When we first entered he refused, but now he was excited. He did so well! He wasn't scared at all. He sat up tall, waved and yelled "Bye, Mama!" over and over, and kissed the horse's nose afterward.

We walked around the fake old town and ended the trip with some ice cream. We had a great time!

100 SALES!

Today I got my 100th sale on Etsy! I am so excited!

In reality, that's not accurate. Etsy calculates sales on listings sold, meaning if one person bought 3 items, it's counted as 3 sales. So I really have had only 77 orders. But if you list an item and say you have more than 1 available and someone buys 3, it's counted as 1 sale. So I've really sold 105 items.

Whatever. I'm still happy!

Family Update

Just some news on our family:

Caden is learning his ABCs. We sing the song a million times a day. It's cute to hear him sing. Recently he's started singing along to the Primary songs sometimes. The first time he did I was shocked. Although he couldn't say all the words, he knew the song's tune perfectly. I guess he really has been listening. It made me glad I exposed him to them all these years.

Caden's weirdness continues to amuse me. A few days ago he asked to eat uncooked rotini pasta and enjoyed it.

He also loves the shower. He asked to join us Saturday and Sunday and thought it was so fun to play under the water. But when I gave him a shower by himself last night he didn't like it as much. His sleep is improving. He goes to sleep by himself for nap time. We're still working on bedtime.

 

We got a new TV on Thursday! We've been looking for months. Years, really, but more for real lately since we actually had money for it. We found a 40-inch Samsung LED at Walmart for $498. It was the best deal we'd seen and exactly what we wanted.

 

 

I'm expanding my shop and one sale away from 100. Justin has one test left before getting his PGA Class A and degree and has gotten many new students (golf lessons). And my Grandma turns 80 today!

Justin Gangnam Style

At Lindsey's wedding I was introduced to the "Gangnam Style" song and dance. I showed it to Justin and he decided to be Psy (the singer) for Halloween. We went to a community Halloween party yesterday and Justin was a hit! At least a dozen people asked to take a picture with him. I admit I was a little jealous. Not wanting to be candy corn witch for the fourth year in a row and not wanting to spend any money, I just used stuff from my closet. But my costume wasn't complete (no ears or tail and I forgot to paint my nose black) so I looked more like a mime than a zebra. Caden was the cutest Elmo there ever was. My favorite costume I saw was a toddler in a handmade Dobby outfit--so adorable!

Caden loved the bounce house, police car, fire truck, and his balloon. Justin loved the free fry bread and all the attention. I recognized Kirsten's (my sister-in-law's) cousin, who was dressed as Katniss from The Hunger Games. We had a fun night.

Justin loved the bounce house too!

In the police car. My camera died so no fire truck photo.

A "Witch" Come True

Last year I made a Halloween wish list, and these witch-shoe candle holders were on it. By the time I tried getting them, they were all sold out.

When we moved a few months ago, the post office included some coupons in our change of address confirmation letter. One of them was 20-percent off at Pier 1, where the shoes are sold. I ran straight there and bought them last month. An employee said to me when I walked determinedly to the Halloween section, "Looks like you're on a mission!" I told her I was getting them now before they sold out! Here are they are on my shelf with other autumn decor.

The table runner and leaf bowl I got at the thrift store years ago. The pumpkins and pine cones my mother got for me on clearance. The votive candle is from Party City clearance. The fabric leaves are from a giveaway I won. The white candle holder is from the BYU Bookstore. And the Halloween subway art you can get for free here.

Featured Seller: Paige from Smooshie Farms

I have always loved stuffed animals and the like, so I am very happy to share with you these darling monsters from Smooshie Farms. This little guy is my favorite!

 

Here's Paige's story behind the fun creatures:

The monsters started with a simple, octopus-eqsue looking thing all in one color. I thought he was really cute, so I made a few more. Before I knew it, I had so many ideas my hands couldn't keep up. Now I crochet monsters daily to keep up with orders from friends and family. I thought, "Hey, everyone else seems to find some joy in these little guys, maybe Etsy will, too."

If you haven't yet, please "like" the Facebook page! I started the page mainly so that those who adopt a monster of their very own can post photos of them traveling with their new companions. I would love to see where they all make it in the world!

Check out Smooshie Farms for more crocheted cuties (some of my favorites are the ones already sold)! The prices are very reasonable too!