Let’s be honest…Life is pretty sticky and sweet over here at Camp Kelso. I must admit my lifestyle change into full-time Mom has really brought some unexpected joys and made me feel beyond grateful. I am beyond fortunate to call myself Boss and have a husband who works so hard on his own to provide for us so that I can be with the boys too. My profession is also conveniently functional from a home office. I now conduct business as usual from home, and not my spacious office building. However, to continue this posh, booger-crusted, Heaven lifestyle I’m in, I have to bring in some Mommy Money too…enter Blogging.

I do in fact have a real, tangible job that I still maintain which takes me out into the world where people see my face. I plan events and weddings for my own company, Green-Eyed Girl Productions. However, after babies, I sent myself into a 5-year business hibernation plan, where I’ve closed up my stores and offices, reduced my wedding workload to 10 {maybe 12} and conduct most of my coordinating with clients from.

Why I started this Journey

However, after babies, I sent myself into a 5-year business hibernation plan, where I’ve closed up my stores and offices, reduced my wedding workload to 10 {maybe 12} and conduct most of my coordinating with clients from my other blog. I hardly have to leave the house {the boys} except for the fewer, restructured, in-person meetings with my couples over their 12-15 month contract. Maybe 9 meetings in person… WAY different than before.

With this massive restructuring and downsizing of my “tangible career” I’ve had to adjust and take on new heights of professionalism… by diving into social media. The only adult conversations I have all day are through my keyboard {desktop or phone}. Nobody actually ever sees my real face all day, which is a huge adjustment for me professionally. Talk about identity crisis. When you go from being in charge of 100’s of people, who jump at every word you say on a daily basis, to arguing with a toddler about poop, and losing, you crave adult interaction. So I talk as much as I can online, about mature things…Now, I am an avid Work At Home Mom who now makes a portion of her financial contribution online. I am home ALL DAY unless I have a glorious meeting with a beautiful client, or I’m out on site on the wedding day in the summer. {break out the blouses & make up!}

Let’s not get confused…I have a VERY tangible job, which I promoted myself to, which is raising my two darlings, Cash & Wyatt while at home. Look at these little guys! It is my job, I take it extremely seriously {I bet you noticed if you read the blog} and it is a full-time commitment. But that doesn’t pay any bills…. unless… you can take what you do every day, and if you do it well, and different than others, you can make a few pennies by sharing it with the world. Enter the “Mommy Money Making Blog” side hustle.

My blog, A Cotton Kandi Life {you’re already here!} is where I talk about my parenting adventures. I also get to use my Master’s Degree in Education to help other parents in their daily lives. I blog about lesson plans, Toddler School and the other daily pieces of my JOB at home, which other parents reference for help and inspiration. There are ads in my right side bar which, if clicked while on my blog, earn me money. I put all this money into the boys’ College 529 Plans. I am also working on gaining more affiliates for 2016 which should be super exciting and lucrative.

Build the Internet into a bigger financial contributor

Goal: $4,750

{2015 = $1,923.80}

So there are a lot of contributors to the overall Mommy Money online scheme. All of them stem back to one blog or the other. I make money through my Etsy Stores too, and I use the blogs to promote them. I also now sell a lot of wedding stuff {since I closed the stores} online, which brings in a lot of money, but now online. I sell through what I call The Reusable Wedding Program on Tradesy. We’ll start with my goals there….

After closing up the Rental Company I began selling my linens in 2013. I use the online platform Tradesy and also sell reusable wedding items. In 2014 I made $6,748.69 on Tradesy selling wedding items and personal clothing. In 2015 I made less than $700 because I put the store on vacation mode to have a baby in January and move to Stayton throughout the summer. I am just barely getting everything back up and running! Right now I do have an active booth space rented inside The Shabby Chic Bride Consignment shop in Salem where I sell linens by color and have to haul the boys in with me to swap out the colors by month. I then post all my items by color for sale on the wedding blog with a combined picture of all the items. You can shop by color HERE.

I then have TWO shops now on Etsy. The Vintage Event has been open since 2010 and I sell my handmade wedding crafty, awesomeness here as well as vintage party supplies. I then just recently in October of 2015 opened up Cotton N Kandi which is the crochet hat brand I’m hoping to develop more in 2016 for the boys’ college accounts. Every hat sold goes straight to them!

Sales Goals

Tradesy: $1,500 or more in Sales for 2016 {Already at $167 on Jan, 5, 2016}

Online Sales Earnings 2016 Goal: $4,500

 

Blogging Goals

A Cotton Kandi Life: Traffic Goals

Green-Eyed Girl Productions: Traffic Goals

In Closing

If you’re reading this, you’re likely a blog follower, in which case you’re my FAVORITE people of 2016! {Aside from my boys of course.} I plan to shower you with discounts, incentives, and giveaways this year to boost all my
numbers above! Tell your friends! Sign up!…. LIKE ME! PLEASE! 😉 Wanna get my emails and help the goals? Subscribe HERE! {*wink, *wink}

Now remember I do have that other, tangible Coordinating job too, so this isn’t my entire income, just online. 🙂 I’ll be posting monthly progress reports this year too so you can follow along! And if you’re bored… which you must be… click on an ad over there to the right!

Follow Up…