Color The Rainbow…Then Eat It!

November 7, 2017November 5, 2017 / pen&thimble / Leave a comment

Is it just me or do fall/winter meals take way longer to prepare? Suddenly I find myself serving dinner at 6:30 when I started chopping at 5:30, because I forgot that roasting all those brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and squash takes way longer than grilling up a protein to serve with a salad.

So instead of relaxing with my feet up sipping wine while the oven does all the work, I’m chopping carrots for snacks to stave off the “gungry” demands of my second girl. I’m answering, “not yet” on repeat to my first’s ever popular question, “Is dinner ready yet?” I’m trying dance-party distractions to keep my youngest away from the oven wondering… IS dinner ready yet?

WHAT IS A MOM TO DO?

Grab a bunch of markers, a NEW pen&thimble coloring placemat (and probably a few carrot sticks to be safe) and boom! Dinner wait magic! Let me explain…

NEW IN THE SHOP!

This week we are welcoming a NEW and SUPER FUN line of pen&thimble coloring placemats! Oh my goodness! They are cute and functional as always but now entertaining!

A placemat they can doodle on while they wait for dinner — at home, restaurant, museum!

PLACEMAT DETAILS

Placemats feature a 100% cotton upper with a soft waterproof backing.

I offer the placemats with or without Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers*.

And you can pick your ideal placemat size! Toddlers are happy with our small 14×10″ placemat, but bigger kids may want to color and eat on our large 16×12″ placemat.

*I have tested a variety of “washable” markers, but so far have found that only Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable markers truly wash out all the way for a brand new coloring experience every time!

I WANT THESE!

Small (14×10″) Placemat Without Markers: $12

Small Placemat With Markers: $17

Large (16×12″) Placemat Without Markers: $15

Large Placemat With Markers: $20

Sounds great, right? Shop quieter dinner prep here or check out our Coloring Placemats section at http://www.penandthimble.etsy.com.

Are You A pen&thimble Email Insider?

Check your inbox because I’m offering one FREE set of 8-count Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable markers when you include at least one of our new coloring placemats in your next order placed now through Thursday (11/9)! Not an insider but wish you got awesome deals like this? Sign up here and you will be able to get in on these deals too! If you sign up by Wednesday (11/8), you’ll get the reminder email with the code for free markers! Another way to sign up? Scroll up until you see the blue signup box under the header here at penandthimble.com!

Santa In October? But I Just Want To Be A Burrito!

October 23, 2017October 27, 2017 / pen&thimble / Leave a comment

Autumn is my favorite season. I think I write that sentence in a blog post every year around this time. My reasons change a bit each year, but my love of the season is mostly about boots, food — butternut squash, brussels sprouts, warm apple cider — and the free pass to snuggle indoors. #hyggelife

As a human person who wants nothing more than to read under a quilt by the fire without worrying about ice dams on my roof, I never want autumn to end.

Image Credit: lillisketchtumbler.com

As a small business owner, autumn is something entirely different. It’s when THE HOLIDAYS are meant to be start. No, not Halloween or Thanksgiving. Autumn marks the beginning of Christmas and Hanukkah and gift-buying and gift-giving (my favorite part). So instead of wrapping myself like a book-loving burrito by the fire, I’m supposed to be thinking of snowmen, gift wrap, and eggnog.

And each year, I rebel against The Holidays coming so soon — even as a business person — because my human-burrito side just wants all the autumn all the time! And if I can’t have it all the time, can I just have it during autumn? Pleeeease!

This year, the answer is no. No I can’t. pen&thimble is starting The Holidays “early” this year. Which is really just “on time” with all the other shops. Holiday items have been made and photographed and are just waiting for me to finish one last bite of an apple to be listed on my Etsy shop.

This year, I’m offering a gift wrapping option too! Bright hand-stamped (by me) stars and a gift note wrapped in twine. It’s already designed and photographed and waiting to go live as an option soon! But first I’m going to slide on my boots and crunch up some leaves and maybe start a fire in my fireplace and read a bit.

Post Update: Holiday Items have rolled into the shop. Gift wrapping option coming soon!

Lost Mail and Choosing Happy

February 8, 2017March 14, 2017 / pen&thimble / 1 Comment

In the nearly three years I’ve been selling on Etsy, I’ve had a first today. I found out that USPS lost a package…while it was out for delivery. (Oh it was so close!) Tracking confirms that it likely didn’t reach its destination. What is a very small business owner to do?

First, I looked at my policies.

Do I say, “I’m so sorry this happened, but I can’t control what USPS does once the package is shipped.” I could. It says so right there in my shop policies. The policy is a bit harsh, but it does make sense. Plus, I offer a shipping option that covers lost packages. But saying “sorry I can’t help you,” to a customer who is already bummed out about a lost package isn’t very pen&thimble-y. And quite frankly, the world could use some extra kindness and compassion these days.

Next, I looked at my business Mission Statement. It is my business beacon. I should have looked here first!

Mission Statement:

pen&thimble offers designs and quality handmade gifts for children and babies that are both functional and fun. Each item I create is comprised of designer fabric, quality materials, sewn and tested for safety and longevity, and is compliant with CPSC standards for Children’s Products. Happy customers, both the little ones and their caregivers, are of upmost importance to us, so we pride ourselves in building positive customer relationships.

– pen&thimble by Gillian Freeman

So there you have it. A big part of my mission is to try to make happy customers and to build positive customer relationships. I’ve got this! (Or at least I’ll try!)

In the business of sending happy vibes and tons of washi tape!