thepracticalmom.com

Everything on Clearance

2009-08-13T09:43:00.001-07:00

ThePracticalMom.com is under new ownership and I have some stocks left.

They are all on clearance, all at great prices.

Everything must go!

New Items Posted!

2009-06-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

New items have been posted. Please see my gallery on the right.

Have a great day!

New Shipment - first week of June

2009-05-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am overwhelmed with unexpected orders. I appreciate your support!

New shipment arrives first week of June.

Keep posted!

Clearance

2009-05-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

All pants are on clearance (except denims).

Please click here.

New Items Now Available

2009-05-09T00:46:00.001-07:00

New items have been uploaded. Please click on the link on the right (Maternity Wear).

Shipment Arrives!

2009-04-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

My shipment of dressy maternity tops and capris just arrived, together with my pregnant mannequin! I will be photographing soon and posting them as soon as I can. Keep posted!

How to Purchase Maternity Wear

2009-04-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

There are three ways to purchase:

1. You can go through my gallery, send me an email with item information, your email, and I will send you an invoice, by which you can pay by PayPal or credit card.

2. Through my online store. Click here.

3. Through my Facebook page. Click here.

World Wide Brands

2009-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I found World Wide Brands (One Source) while looking for products to sell on my retail site and on eBay. I was apprehensive to be a member at first, because I made mistakes in the past. I joined two companies who were supposedly dropshippers, or had a list of thousands of them. They turned out to be middlemen who took a piece of your pie. They are usually the ones who charge you a monthly fee of $49.95 and up, and

World Wide Brands is a wealth of resources with literally millions of products, whose manufacturers have been verified as legitimate. World Wide Brands also provides valuable market research. For example, for a product of interest, it can tell you how many searches there were for a particular keyword for the past month, giving you an idea if the product is in demand or not. They also have very informative free eBooks, videos, and online training series. Most importantly, they are accredited by the BBB, with an A+ rating, which is the highest. World Wide Brands has teamed up with big names like Amazon, UPS, and eBay.

Being a member requires an investment, but it's only a one-time fee of $299.00. I can honestly say I have more than made up for this amount working part time and selling on eBay. I don't think they explicitly state it, but you can get a refund if you haven't sold anything in one year, with honest effort.

Click here to browse through their site. You can download free eBooks and training videos so you can decide for yourself if World Wide Brands is right for you.

My Own Website vs. an eBay Store

2009-04-07T16:29:00.001-07:00

I used to have my own website, which required me to update regularly - from design to listing my wares, and not to mention marketing. It took a lot of my time which would have been better spent on new ideas, how to increase my sales, or networking.

And then I discovered eBay. I tried my hand just selling used things I had around the house. I finally got the hang of it and eventually opened an eBay store. I soon realized that I had an instant market, with eBay having more than 5,000,000 users, both buyers and sellers. I didn't even have to do marketing, especially since I didn't have the budget for it.

Most people have at least heard of eBay, and some find it confusing or intimidated by it. It could be confusing initially, but you definitely learn as you go along, like I did. There's always live chat which I made use of every time I had a question - I think I should say I abused it!

Having said that, it's been four years since I've been an eBayer. I have opened and closed my store a few times, depending on my situation, without any problems. I'm not a powerseller (yet), but I have been using eBay to my advantage, be it selling or buying. It's free to join, costs only $15/month if you decide to open a store, with an instant market to boot. Not a bad start if you ask me.

You can click here if you want to be a member of eBay, or even if you just want to know more about it.

To see my store, click here.

Being a WAHM - Not as Easy as You Might Think

2009-04-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

We hear the hype about how it's great to be a Work-At-Home-Mom, and I totally agree - but it's NOT easy. I only have 2 little ones, but it's still difficult to find time for business. It's almost impossible to keep a schedule, especially since my girls are 3 and 1. One is constantly asking me to play with her and do activities, and the other is learning how to walk and falling all the time!

It's a huge challenge balancing time between family and work. This is how my usual day goes...we wake up at 7:30 and off I go to make breakfast, feed the girls and prepare my husband's lunch. After eating the girls would play by themselves. I was about to sit down in front of my computer when I remembered I had a load of laundry waiting to be washed and another load to be folded. My 3 year old wants to help and I end up with laundry having to be folded three times. And then my 1 year old decides to join in and brings towels all the way to the kitchen, and then she decides to poop. Everything was on hold until I cleaned her up. Trying to finish the laundry, the phone rings and it was my mom who decides to drop by and play with the kids. That means I can get out without the kids to do a little grocery shopping. Meanwhile, the laundry is waiting.

When I get back all toys are thrown all over the living room for me to pick up. Of course, the grandparents' job is to spoil them, which I do not mind at all! I pick up their toys, they say goodbyes to grandma, and it's time for me to prepare their lunch. We eat, after which I give them their baths before naptime. Our naptime rituals are not short, mind you - it entails reading a story about three to five times. And finally, peace and quiet... this just gives me enough time to clean up our lunch time mess, clean the bathroom, wash and fold laundry, prep dinner, do whatever my husband reminded me to do, and update my sites (time permitting!). After about two hours, the girls wake up, and they look for their playmate (me!), I give them their snack, I let them watch a little cartoon, play with them, and then I have to prepare dinner.

Soon my husband comes home and play with the girls while I cook, then everyone sits down to eat. I do the dishes, clean up the kitchen while my husband plays with the girls again. We all play together for a few minutes, and then it's off to bed for the little ones. I tuck them in, and it usually takes an hour with changing, brushing teeth, and stories. I'm pooped! And finally a little quiet and quality time with the hubby, even for just a few savored minutes. Now tell me if that leaves time for me and my business!

I definitely don't mind being with my girls and putting in almost all my time with my family - I love it. I love how I see my girls grow up and know them inside out. I try to do as much as I can running a home business. It's slow going at this point. The good thing is, it's there when I'm ready to kick it off and go full blast.

Shutterfly

2009-04-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have been a member of Shutterfly ever since my first daughter was born in 2006. I needed to back up my photos online in case something happened to my laptop. That was my main concern until I tried ordering from them. The quality was great and I had no problems with customer service.

I've tried other online photo services like Snapfish and Kodak Gallery, but I didn't like them that much. One main reason - I received emails from them telling me that if I don't order soon, they will delete all my pictures, which they did eventually. It definitely isn't a way to keep customers happy. Shutterfly allows me to keep my account and pictures for as long as I want, even if I don't order. That's important to me.

Ever since then, a number of new photo services have popped up online, but none that have caught my eye to be better than Shutterfly.

DISCLOSURE

2009-04-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

This policy is valid from 29 April 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Vistaprint

2009-04-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

I've been ordering from Vistaprint since 2005, when I started my first online business. Vistaprint offers a lot of free promotional materials, which proved to be invaluable especially for a startup on an uber small budget.

I've also used Vistaprint for my daughter's birthday invitation, book labels, and thank you cards.

Here are a few samples:

To date, I'm still ordering from Vistaprint whether it be for business or personal use. The quality and customer service have not failed me and I would recommend them to anyone.

POLICIES - Maternity Wear

2009-04-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

SHIPPING:

Within Canada (tracked and insured):
$7 within BC
$9 the rest of Canada
$2 for each extra item

To the USA:
$7 for each item, $2 for each extra item

International shipping is available. Please email me for rates (emily@thepracticalmom.com)

Local pick up is available in Richmond, BC. Sizes are standard. Sorry, no fitting.

RETURNS/EXCHANGES:

Due to the nature of the business (items being heavily discounted), returns will be accepted under the following conditions:
-item(s) should be in clean, perfect, sellable condition
-item(s) should be returned/exchanged within 15 days of shipment (Canada), and within 30 days of shipment (USA)
-returns will be subject to a $5 restocking fee
-shipping/handling charges are shouldered by customer
-thepracticalmom.com reserves the right to refuse any returns if items are found unacceptable
-NOTE: Clearance items are FINAL SALES

PAYMENT / CURRENCIES:
Items can be purchased in two ways:

1. Through my eBay Store.
Prices are in US dollars.
2. Through email, by viewing my gallery
Prices are in US dollars by default. If you want to be charged in CAD, please indicate this in your email.

I am transparent. I will show you and tell you about item imperfections (if any). Most items are in perfect condition. If in any case you are not satisfied with what you receive, please let me know before you consider a return or exchange. I will definitely try my best to make you happy.

Please note that I do not do anything to enhance any items. I choose not to iron or steam clothes to ensure that you get items in their original condition. Wrinkling is only due to shipping and packaging and in no way affect the quality of the clothes.

Maternity Wear Available Now

2009-02-26T00:24:00.000-08:00

Good day!

I've finally sorted out my current batch and you can view items through the slideshow on the right side of the page.

At the moment, you can purchase by emailing me at emily@thepracticalmom.com with the item name and I will send you a PayPal invoice. Please note that shipping costs are for within Canada.

Local pick up is also available by appointment.

All sales are final.

Affordable Maternity Clothing

2009-01-23T00:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to thepracticalmom.com!

Your source for affordable maternity clothing.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I remember how frustrated I was shopping for maternity clothes. I did not expect them to cost an arm and a leg! I couldn't get myself to pay a high price for something I would just wear for a few months. I vowed to look for quality maternity clothes at economical prices, and share this with other moms and expectant moms. My pregnancy got in the way and I wasn't able to do what I planned to. I fell in love with baby products and my online store was easily diverted to selling diaper bags, baby clothes, accessories, and aby carriers. Why I didn't continue this is another story (I will post this soon).

Two babies and three years later, I still feel the same way about maternity clothes and I was able to find something at below wholesale prices, and I am able to share this with you! I will be carrying three brands - Motherhood, Mimi Maternity, and A Pea in the Pod - all between $10 - $30CAD only!

Aside from maternity clothing, I will also feature articles and sources related to being work at home moms, small businesses, and being practical.

See you here soon!

Selfless Mom

2008-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

I read this article on an online parenting magazine and it made me ashamed of the little things I complain about on some days.
This policewoman in China, who just had a baby herself, is breastfeeding 7 more babies who were left without milk during the recent earthquake. Read more about it here.

The Scholastic Store

2008-07-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Children and Activity Books

My (just turned) 2-year old daughter loves to color and doodle. At her age, she can read her ABCs and know her numbers from zero to twelve. She can write simple numbers like 0, 7 and 11, and always eager to learn how to write letters. She can even draw a mountain and a ladder. I've wondered why I couldn't find good workbooks for kids where I live. From workbooks, I mean activity books such as coloring books and writing workbooks. There are some at the local dollar store, but they certainly are not the good quality ones I am looking for.

Because I couldn't find good activity books, my husband suggested I distribute them. I joined some forums to find out what other moms used. I informed them that I am planning to sell them, and if they think activity books are important tools for learning. In the three forums I posted on, all I got were 2 responses, and they weren't even favorable.

These are the responses I got:
"Should preschoolers be working from workbooks? I mean, is this an effective way for them to learn? My niece has fun with workbooks now and again, but they're really only toys, we don't expect much from them."

"I don't use coloring or activity books. I prefer kids color their own stuff rather than coloring in the lines of pre-made pictures."

I was appalled by these two responses. My daughter learns so much from coloring books. From her Dora coloring books, she learned that mittens go to the hands, a hat goes to the head, and numerous other things. Sure they are "pre-made pictures", but she learns a lot from them. How can one say you can't expect much from workbooks? If you would rather have your kids draw their own pictures and color them, how can a toddler draw a decent pair of shoes or a tree, and color them? Can they draw a simple circle or triangle? Tell me. There are also coloring books in which you copy the colors. I don't dictate which colors she can use (who says the little girl's dress has to be pink?), but these books teach children to follow instructions and learn colors, and they don't even know it. I am no child psychologist, but I find that coloring alone teaches my daughter to organize her thoughts at a very early age - and that's not dictating to her (the bird's wings are yellow and they are used to fly, the feet are orange and they are used to walk...). She's definitely learning through play.

Erin also has a collection of Dr. Seuss books and activity books from which she learned her alphabet. If some parents think that it isn't important for toddlers to have books and activity books around, think again. I don't support the belief that kids should be forced to learn to be "ahead" of their peers. They really need time to play and socialize with other children, but having books around to play with certainly helps with developing their love for books and workbooks help with motor skills.

Another thing that strikes me is how my post, entitled "Children's Books", only received 46 views and 3 replies, while a trivial topic like "What's Your Favorite Cereal" received 458 views and 71 replies. That means people passed up a post on children's books by just looking at the title, but had time to click on something as trivial as cereals. Don't you think there's something wrong with that picture? No wonder so many are bad at spelling. No wonder so many get confused with basic grammar such as it's and its or you're and your. I've seen these mistakes so many times, even in big corporations' brochures, websites, and in newspapers (yes, in our very own Vancouver Sun). I find it shameful, really, that even the proofreaders don't catch the mistakes.

Children are like sponges. They absorb everything and we have to take advantage of those teachable moments. It makes learning fun for them, and teaching fulfilling for us.

As for the business side of it, it's a dilemma. It seems silly to get into it when there's obviously no market. On the other hand, something tells me I shouldn't put it in the back burner just yet, precisely for the same reason.

Wise advise would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I found The Scholastic Store to be a excellent resource for what I am looking for. Click here to go to the site.

Sheer Cover - a Must for Busy Moms

2008-05-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Sheer Cover. I've seen their infomercial a few times and eventually decided to order a kit and try it out. It took a while because I was using another mineral make up brand.

I loved it! It's so easy and fast to use. I have an active toddler and a newborn. That does not leave much time for myself. It definitely helped that I can "put my face" as my little girl called it - in less than 5 minutes. It was a big plus, too, that I did not need retouching throughtout the day (I found this out when we went out and only had the diaper bag).

Another reason why I liked it is because it is in line with what I believe in - going back to the basics and using more natural products. Plus, it is important for us moms to think of ourselves for a change and look nice. No one says you shouldn't look polished while gardening or cooking! More importantly, it boosts our self esteem and makes us feel better. I'm sure you know how it feels to wake up in the morning looking drab and unpresentable. Grooming ourselves in the morning (in less than 5 minutes!) isn't much to ask, to be able to face the day with a bright smile and a better attitude. Taking care of our families does not mean we should forget about ourselves. We deserve to be beautiful mamas!

You get a lot for what you pay for. Sheer Cover's introductory kit includes 2 shades of foundation, 2 tones of concealer, a trial paletter with 3 shades of blush/eyeshadow, 3 shades of lip gloss, and a cream eyeliner, 4 make up brushes, a moisturizer, a facial cleanser, a mascara, and a DVD of tips and tricks (that was a mouthful!). All that for only $29.95. What's great about it, too, is the 60 day money-back guarantee - even if you use up all the products. There's really nothing to lose. How can you go wrong with that?

Click here to go to the Sheer Cover site if you're interested.

Baby Carriers in an Emergency

2008-05-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

We live on the 10th floor of a 30+ storey building. Before I gave birth to our second baby, I asked my husband how I would manage to bring down two kids if there was an emergency. We just figured that I would call the Concierge and ask for help. And that was that.
A few weeks ago, the fire alarm went off. My then 23 month old Erin, startled with the loud blaring, covered her ears and eventually reached out with both arms asking me to pick her up. I immediately took her and assured her it was okay and we just had to go down. We went into the room to get my then 6-week old Ella. I put her in a carrier, grabbed a jacket for Erin, put on her shoes, headed out the door, subconsciously hoping she would walk down with me (10 floors - wishful thinking). She walked down half a flight and reached out again asking me to carry her. What choice do I have? She was scared and it was taking her a while just to take a few steps. I did what I had to do - I carried her with my right arm, while holding on to the railing and went down one small step at a time, paranoid about falling and hurting my two babies.

We finally made it 10 floors down, albeit at a snail's pace, literally. I have to mention, I am on the petite side with a 5' frame. Both babies at 35lbs. is not at all light for mommy. I then realized I wouldn't be able to do that without the baby carrier. If I had to do it over again, I would have used another carrier to put Erin on my back. We were grateful that it was a minor incident and moving slowly did not prove to be detrimental. If it was more than that...God forbid...it's a really scary thought.

Why I Switched to Cloth Diapers

2007-08-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

I recently switched to cloth diapers and I should have done it sooner. There are so many benefits and here are some facts; (Source: Down to Earth)
Did you know that because of all the plastic used to make a disposable diaper, it takes 500 years for one diaper to decompose in a landfill?
Did you know that in the US alone, 50 million disposable diapers go into landfills?
Did you know that the incidence of diaper rash increases from 7.1% to 60% with disposable diapers?
Did you know that live viruses can live in a disposable diaper up tp two weeks?
Did you know that there is a chemical called Dioxin in disposable diapers and it's the most toxic of all cancer linked chemicals? In addition to that, there are perfumes dyes, and bleach.
Here are some dollar facts (Source: Parenting by Nature)
You can spend up to $3,000 on diapers for 3 years (the average baby goes through 6,000 to 10,000 disposable diapers).
You spend as little as $400 for a whole cloth diapering system, and yes you can even resell them!
Need I say more? Sure, I still use disposable once in a while, especially when I know we will be out for a while and it will be difficult changing my daughter. I definitely feel guilty, but it's still a step up from exclusively using disposables.

Originally posted: August 2007

Going with the Flow

2006-10-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

As a first time mom, I'm sure I speak for all moms, too, when I say that we want the perfect little child. We want our baby to nurse well, play well, and sleep well.

My baby had trouble falling asleep on her own. She got used to being carried, rocked, and sang to before she fell asleep; and when she does, by the time you put her down to bed, she'll wake up and cry. My husband and I did some research and found a way to teach her to sleep on her own. We had to let her cry it out. It was frustrating and heart wrenching. I felt like a failure.

I couldn't even teach my own baby to sleep on her own. It took around 2 months for her to finally learn. And then she got sick. We had to carry her to sleep because she couldn't breathe with her stuffed nose. The two months of hard work went down the drain.

Apparently when babies get accustomed to something new (especially the warmth of our arms), they wouldn't even remember what happened before then. We couldn't believe it when we were told this. I was so frustrated and stressed from hearing her cry all over again.

I then decided to just go with the flow. If she cries, I try to settle her. If she wants my warm arms, I'll let her fall asleep in them. If she wants to sleep between mommy and daddy, we let her. After all, she is a baby. I feel less stressed and frustrated. I don't believe it's possible not te be at times. It is normal and it comes with being a mommy. I realized how short the time is for us to enjoy how little she is - her tiny hands and feet, her tiny voice making babbling sounds, how she touches our faces when she wakes up and when I nurse her. I will surely miss our breasfeeding sessions, letting her sleep in my arms, and everything else that comes with her being a baby. Now is the time for all the nurturing. The discipling can come later.

To all mommies, just go with the flow.