Easy and cheap 3-minute Halloween wreath!

When making crafts, I usually only have 2 criteria: easy and cheap. I don't mind working at it for hours or days at a time, but luckily this one took me all of 3 minutes to make.

The inspiration came from pinterest [as usual]:

Pinterest Link

It's been sitting on Christmas board forever, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. I thought about it again as I was walking through Michael's for some inspiration/instant gratification on Halloween decor. I saw some cute wreaths, but they were well over my budget of as-cheap-as-possible. They did bring to mind the aforementioned pin though. Handily enough, there was a dollar store right next door! I figured I'd pick up a wreath form, a couple boas and some little accents and I would be all set. Here's how it all went down:

Step 1: Gather supplies

I bought a 1m feather boa ($2) and a sparkly hanging sign ($2). 

[They didn't have any wreath forms, so I used a wire hanger from home.]

Step 2: Bend the hanger

I just stretched out the hanger until it was a rough square shape. 

Step 3: Start wrapping the boa around the hanger.

No need to secure it in any way, just wrap and wrap. To make my wreath I only needed 1 boa to go around a standard hanger.

 Step 4: All wrapped up.

I left the hook part up at this point.

Step 5: Add your decoration.

Since I chose a hanging sign to begin with, I slipped it over the top. The wire of the sign hangs over the wire of the hanger.

 Step 6: Hang it up and bask in your awesomeness. 

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When I hung it on my door, I realized I didn't like the hook of the hanger, so I bent it back and wrapped it around the rest of the hanger. This also served to keep the boa in place. If you're having issues, use some thread to hang and secure. 

That's it. The kids loved it. What do you think? 

Top 5 Mom-Specific Business Skills

So, you're not sure you've got what it takes to run a business? Are you just just a mom? [What a terrible thing to say!] I've been a mom for over 9 years, and a business owner for over 6 years. In yesterday's post I promised a list of skills that moms have in spades. There are definitely many, many skills you need to run a business, but here are my...

Top 5 Mom-Specific Transferable Skills:

1. Multitasking Prioritizing: Chances are, you can change a diaper, wipe a spill, pull up a child from the floor, talk on the phone, check your text messages and prevent a building block tower from collapsing seemingly all at the same time. We all know this is impossible, since we only have two hands, yet it happens. The reason for this is that we know how to prioritize. We know what needs to get done first, even if it's in rapid-fire time. This translates well to business when you wake up in the morning and you know there are 17 activities that must be accomplished and you need to decide which one to do first.

2. Patience: We've all gone through the stages of reading the same book every night for 63 weeks. Singing the same song over and over again. Answering the same questions every day. We may not like it, but we do it knowing that the stage will pass and we will be rewarded. This is the same for standing in line waiting for permits. Dealing with suppliers. Answering the same questions from customers over and over again. Keep at it. As long as you're doing something that is of value to someone, your reward will come.

3. Salesmanship: If you've ever had to convince your child that broccoli is the superhero of the dinner plate or that sweet potatoes are "just like candy!" and succeeded, you will do well in sales. If you've ever extolled the benefits of bathing more than once a week and had sweet-smelling success, you can make it in the business world. You know that the benefits ["Broccoli makes you strong!"] outweigh the features ["Broccoli has lots of vitamins!"] and that's what sells.

4. Empathy: You understand your kids. You understand that their feelings are just as important as yours. They have thoughts and ideas that are worth sharing. When you put forth the effort to understand them and function on their level, without being condescending or patronizing, you both have a rewarding experience. You must do the same for your customers. They have a need that you can fill. If you can understand what that need is and how you can serve it [not sell it], you will gain their trust and their business.

5. Saying "NO": This would seem to be an easy one for moms. I can say it a thousand times a day and not blink an eye. "Can I have cupcakes for breakfast?:" No. "Can I leave off cleaning the table tonight?" No. "Can my sister and I hit that wasp nest with a baseball bat?" No. See? Easy peasy. How does this translate to a business skill? It's important to know that it's okay to say no to demands that are beyond what you can offer. "I didn't want to pay that much. Can you do it for less?" No. "I need 75 of your products for tomorrow morning, can you deliver that by 8am?" No. "If you do it for free, I'll tell all my friends. It'll be really good advertising for you." No. Like with kids, you pick your battles. Think about whether a request is reasonable, and if it's not, or doesn't fit in with your vision, then it is okay to say no. Your business will not collapse because of one "no". And it won't collapse after 50 or 100 times either.

Do you agree with these as the "top 5"? What are your top 5 skills?

October is small business month!

That's right. October is "unofficially" known as Small Business Month in Canada. It's a time when small businesses are recognized and highlighted in their communities for their accomplishments. In my city, we have a Small Business Enterprise Centre and they go all out. Last week it was a [free] series of lunch and learn sessions. I attended Wednesday's networking and marketing session. Fab as usual. I also took a "Pledge to Proper" which means that I will work to accomplish a goal [hold a grand opening] that I set out, within the month.

Owning and running your own business is such a satisfying, if at times daunting, undertaking. Doing it with kids underfoot is just short of insane, but not impossible. It can be done. Sometimes the steps you need to take are not quite as big as other business owners, but that's when you remember that little people can't keep up with you unless you're going at their pace, and you wouldn't want to lose your little people along the way.

There are so many programs, networks, and support groups out there for women business owners and even specifically mom-run businesses. Most of these resources are free - you just have to look for them. If you're wondering whether, as a mom, you have transferable skills that would help you own and run a business, tune in tomorrow when I'll share my top mom-made transferable skills.

Do you have a small business? Are you considering starting one up? Share your website in the comments!

WW: September Cakes

Here are a few of my favourite cakes from September. I won't list all of them, but if you'd like to see more of my work, you can visit my other site at www.DolcezzaCakes.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/dolcezzacakes.

What's been coming out of your kitchen this past month? With October in full swing, do you make a baking schedule?

5-Minute Cleaning: Results

So... remember when I was talking about my 5-minute plan, and how I was hoping to keep it up for a month, or at least 2 days in a row. Well, I clearly didn't account for this weekend when I had 5 major cake orders, a wedding to attend and the bridal shower of my best friend, for whom I am the matron of honour. Yeah, so that whole 2-days-in-a-row thing didn't quite work out as planned. However, being the ever-positive soul that I am, I will focus on the fact that I did manage 2 rooms. Yippee! 

I don't want you to be scared when you see couple of the following pictures. No, my house wasn't hit by a freak, indoor whirlwind. No, we weren't ransacked and robbed. And no, we weren't attacked by a herd of angry wildebeests. This is just your standard after-school ridiculousness. 

My front hall: 

I feel a little queasy looking at this!

 Note the Man's sandals, artfully posed as if walking out the door, the papers that are seemingly thrown out of backpacks with disgust. Half a bathing suit. (?!?!?!) The 50lb box of kitty litter. *shudder*

After 5 minutes:

Not a terrible job.

Yes, the kitty litter was still there (it has since been removed) but only because I could not carry that thing down the stairs. I can carry a 50lb kid up to bed, but this box did not elicit the same feeling of love from me. 

Cringe-worthy: 

I want to say it looks worse that it really is, but it really is worse than it looks!

Is it sad that I couldn't find a clear place to put my "Before" text? 

After 5 minutes:

Hey! There's a floor!

So, here's the scoop again: yes, I truly took only 5 minutes to clean. I obviously didn't do a deep-clean, but I also tried not to "stash and dash". I gave myself an additional 5 minutes to put things back in their proper places if they didn't belong in the family room. [If you're wondering: no, we don't have a tv.]It's not perfect, but at least if someone pops in, they won't immediately start offering condolences and apologize for dropping in at such a trying time. 

I think the most important success factor here was two-fold: First off, I set the timer for only 5 minutes. Secondly, I gave myself permission to stop once that timer rang. I knew that once it went off, I could move on to the next project, or if I wanted to sweep (which, crazily enough, I did!) I could.  That truly is the key. Normally I think that if I'm going to do it, then I better do it perfectly, or why bother with it at all. But even a little bit can make a huge difference, and perfection can come later [read: never]. It's pretty amazing how much I can do in just 5 minutes!

What can you do in 5 minutes? Have any cleaning tips for me?