Price changes

So I am doing a complete overhaul of my shop. Tomorrow I will be closing my shop for a few hours(10am till about 1 or 2 pst) to change so many things. I will be editing my policies, all my descriptions and lots of photos. My packaging is changing as well. Right now as things are in my shop I am not making anything at all. I have struggled with the decision to raise my prices. I have no other choice if I am going to make this a successful business though. I am not out to make a fortune or anything. I am a licensed and fully insured food processor and not just a little home baker anymore. My prices need to reflect my professional bakery and quality ingredients used.

Right now my jars and cookies are a super bargain. So take advantage because unfortunately the prices will be changed to the below prices by tomorrow afternoon. Go take advantage of some great deals http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5858455

My jars will only be listed in these quantities. I will gladly do custom orders for other quantities but to keep things organized in my shop these will be the listings.
Glass quart jars
Single jars $8 plus $6 shipping
3 jars for $22 plus $13.50 shipping
6 jars for $40 plus $25 shipping

Pint jars
Single jars $6.50 plus $4 shipping
3 jars for $17 plus $9.75 shipping
6 jars for $30 plus $13.50 shipping

My cookies will now be listed in 1 or 2 dozen listing only. I would love to do custom listings for other quantities but I will only be keeping listings of 1 or 2 dozen in my shop.
1 dozen standard size cookies will be $10 plus $7 shipping
1 dozen new cookie mini bites will be $6 plus $4 shipping
2 dozen standard size cookies will be $18 plus $9.75 shipping
2 dozen new cookie mini bites will be $10 plus $7 shipping

There will also be a whole new line of mixes which will get listed tomorrow and wednesday.

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New packaging sneak peak

Here is a sneak peak of my new packaging. Most everything in my shop will now be packaged using these chinese takeout boxes and using the pink and brown polka dot motif. The prices and quantities/sizes will also be changing quite a bit. The mixes will be dramatically changed. Prices for shipping will be so much better. The cookies are now going to be sold at much smaller quantities but packaged like a beautiful present. Will be blogging and officially revealing the new packaging over the weekend.

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Packaging Update

Received my new packaging. There has been a couple issues with size. I am brainstorming different ideas to make the tons of bags and such that I ordered work until I can buy some things that are larger. I believe I have figured out how everything will now be packaged. My whole goal has been to help save on money and lower shipping costs. The glass jars are not profitable for me. Shipping is so high. Actually looking back at the numbers over the last couple months I am not profiting anything.

Friday morning I am going to be changing a lot of things in my shop, including prices. I have struggled along time with the decision of raising my prices. After finalizing my licensing and insurance this last month my overhead went up dramatically. Therefore I have had to brainstorm some new ideas to make things more profitable for me yet still make it desirable enough of a price to encourage sales. My cookies will be packaged differently and listed in different quantities starting friday morning. Also my jars will only be limited to approximately 25 varieties still available in the glass mason jars. I am discontinuing at least 30 flavors of mixes. I think 125 mixes is just too much right now. I also will be packaging differently my mixes. Therefore there will be a whole bunch of changes to my mixes.

The mixes I am discontinuing are:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Covered Raisin Cookies
Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Pecan Chewies
Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Chip Brownies
Butterscotch Fudge Brownies
Molasses Cookies
Lentil Soup
Black Eyed Pea Soup
Tortilla Soup
Gumbo
Chicken & Rice
Santa Fe
Chicken & rice
Greek Lemon Soup
Cajun Chicken Soup
Maple Muffins
Biscotti Mix
Multigrain Pancake Mix
Gingerbread Pancake Mix

The above listed mixes are $12 total with shipping for a limited time only.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Heartbroken

My grandmother has decided to go back to her house and stay there. There is nothing I can do. We went today to see her. I had been very concerned about her all week. She just sounded awful on the phone but she is so strong and independent. Today was a real scare. She has lost so much weight in such a short time, she can't be more than 100lbs now. The later part of this week she was at home all by herself. Which is my biggest worry right now. Today I wouldn't leave till someone came to be with her. My grandmothers niece, my second cousin, came to stay the night with her. My aunt is going to go tomorrow and stay with her for a while. She demands to stay home. Which I don't really blame her. Who wouldn't want to just stay home in there last days. Especially at the beautiful ocean. But she would be so much closer to most all of her family up here. I just worry about her there all by herself. I am going to do everything in my power to beg all family to just take turns and we can make sure someone is there at all times. I just can't bear the thought of her by herself anymore. Not after what I saw today. This fucking cancer is progressing so quickly now(sorry for the language). It's not the death that I am hurting from. It's what she is going through until then. So much pain, complications and just the stress.

Yesterday my 3 year old asked me if mema(his name for my grandma) is dying? I didn't know what to say. I avoided the question for now. He must have overheard me at some point. Now I am definitely watching what I say around the kids. Not that I haven't been, but now I am being really really careful. Now I am trying to think of how to explain this all to him especially but really both of my kids. How do you explain death and cancer to a 3(4 next month) and 2 year old. My children are extremely intelligent. They are quite close with her and they get that she is sick. Soon I am afraid I am going to have to explain the death part. I am lost at what to say. We are a christian home and believe in heaven but I have never explained any of that to my children. How do you go about explaining death to preschoolers?

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March Madness Comes To An End!

Wow this has been a crazy month indeed. Happy to see it coming to an end and am going to go int o April with a whole new perspective. I have been really moody and gloomy the last week. I am one of those people that can't say no to anything and so I am constantly way too busy. Today was really nice. Spent the whole morning just playing with my kids. Then taught my baking class in the afternoon. Tomorrow I have a lot planned. I am going to finish my spring cleaning list. Been meaning to update everyone on alot of stuff but haven't had a chance but am going to take a moment now.

Grandma update: health wise not much has changed. Which actually is really good. The cancer has spread to her liver, spine and her remaining lung. But she is still doing really well considering. I admire the courage and strength she has.

Daycare/Preschool update: I am still unsure what I want to do about this. Right now I am licensed for daycare but inactive status. I have still been watching my cousins two (1 yo and 2 yo) full time . Also been watching another 2 year old little girl part time. So that's 4 toddlers 1 - 3 years old full time and 5 sometimes. My ideal situation would be to not have any daycare kids here full time but to only do preschool for 6-8 kiddos in the mornings. Right now financially I can't do this. But going from 6-8 toddlers full time to 4-5 has been great. I still have my helper girl coming 10-15 hours a week too. No daycare today and tomorrow which has been a much needed break.

Migraines update: I had almost 2 weeks without a single migraine. Which made me really hopeful that things were under control. But this last week I had 3 migraines and almost every day had at least a dull headache. Waiting on a call back from the hematologists office for results from last weeks appointment. I have a feeling my platelet level is really high again. That means meds change, lots of side effects:( and lots of iron. But hopefully we will at least get down to the bottom of it. I know alot of it is stress but not migraines this often and too this extreme just stress.

Life in general. Have finals at the end of April which means all my papers/projects are due by then. So will be extremely busy with school for a few weeks. Also have tons of church activities planned this whole next month. Wow looking at my planner for April you would think it is a schedule for a small army but just mine, lol.

Etsy/Megs Creations update: Oh I could go on and on here but it is getting late and laptop is dying. Will finish this part in the next few days because I do have tons of things coming up to announce for Megs Creations. But for now I am off to bed.

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New Packaging

I have been experimenting and researching alot lately with new packaging for my mixes. I have my jars listed in glass quart mason jars. Which weighs a ton and costs so much to ship. I have been experimenting with plastic containers, bags and such. The plastic containers really don't weigh all that much less. Or I haven't found any that are that much lighter. Bags seem to be the way to go. I am trying to save a little money to purchase some bakery/food bags from www.uline.com A few weeks ago I got the uline catalog in the mail and have picked so many things out to get when I have a chance. I use styrofoam peanuts right now and just hate it. With going to bags that will eliminate the need for those. For the orders that are still in glass jars I would like to get some of the biodegradable starch peanuts. That would make me feel so much better.

I think I will still offer my mixes in the glass quart jars which are very popular for gifts. The layered look, fabric topper and ribbon make the jars very decorative and pretty. For those just wanting the mix for themselves and are not worried about the "look" I would like to offer a cheaper packaging and shipping alternative to the glass jars. I have found some nice bags but now I have been working on somehow labeling and decorating the bags. What I need to do is get some more graphics made, but again have to wait for more money.

One very exciting thing to announce is that I am now 100% licensed and insured in the state of Washington as a food processor. I have been working on a blog post about the whole food processor licensing experience and process. So stay tuned for that.

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