Thank you, Birdie's Bubble, for sponsoring this post, part of the 2017 Shop Small Spring series. I was selected for this opportunity by Birdie's Bubble; the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Is there that product that you honestly did not know existed before mommy-hood? For me, it was wet/dry bags and now I am obsessed!! I started with my breast pump bag. I needed something to put my pump supplies in so that they did not get everything else in my bag wet as I traveled for work. Then, as baby Ollie started have blow outs in the car, at the mall, and honestly, everywhere, another wet/dry bag was a must.
As Ollie is getting older, my need for wet/dry bags are even more important. Summer months mean pool time and outdoor fun. With such a messy and smelly boy (which I love), I need multiple wet/dry bags in my car and diaper bag to keep up with his fun! Thankfully, I found Birdie's Bubble!
Birdie's Bubble is packed full with handmade, custom gifts and baby items, including all shapes and sizes of adorable wet/dry bags! What I didn't know prior to mommy-hood is how flexible these wet/dry bags really are. As a family, we travel a lot! Birdie's Bubble makes the largest wet/dry bag that I have ever seen, which is perfect for all of my shampoo, conditioner, lotions, perfume, etc. (all of those things that explode or leak when you fly)! How perfect. Her larger bags are also ideal for my wet swimsuits and gym clothes when I'm not flying around.
She also carries a great medium sized bag, which is my favorite for all of my liquidy make-up and smaller leak-able items when I fly. It is super easy to fill with snacks and a drink and drop in my purse when I'm running around with Ollie. As well as this is a great bag to stick in my diaper bag to contain a blowout!
One of the things that I love about purchasing from Birdie's Bubble is that she loves to recycle. She absolutely hates waste, so when you receive an order from the shop owner, Kara, it will probably come in a box or a padded envelope that she is "up-cycling". She is always trying to reduce her carbon footprint by doing little things like that. How neat! It also allows her to keep her shipping costs low, and pass that savings along to her customers. Perfect!!
The best part about her is that she is giving something away to all of you. One lucky reader will win a $20 store credit to her shop. Head on over to our Facebook page this weekend to learn how to enter!!
Here is a little bit more about Kara, the owner of Birdie's Bubble:
How did you get your shop started?
My very best friend called me one day and said, "Hey, you should make wet bags, they are super popular here." She was living in Portland at the time. I said "Ok, but what is a wet bag?" After she explained them to me, I did some research and figured out how to make them. This took a little while, because it meant that I had to conquer my fear of sewing with zippers! Anyway, she loved them, and called me to say "You have GOT to open an Etsy shop! " Me again, ... "What is Etsy?!" I checked it out and thought, No way, I'm not good enough to sell my stuff, she's crazy! But, I love to give handmade gifts, and people kept telling me that I needed to sell my stuff. So finally, after many talks with my husband, as my new years resolution, I finally opened my shop on January 6, of 2014.
What is the hardest part of owning a shop?
For me, right now the hardest part is finding the time, and making the time to sew! As a stay at home mommy of two, my babies come first. But I also have so many ideas! So that can be hard sometimes. I really want to be sewing, but mommy hood comes first. I'd love to have more time to put some more of my ideas into action, but I also know how important these young years are, and I don't want to miss them.
What is one thing unique about you?
My husband taught me to sew! Yes, Seriously! in 2011 I was pregnant with my first "Birdie" is her nickname, and per my usual pickiness... I wanted the "perfect" baby bedding and decor. I didn't like anything that was out therefor sale. This was a huge dilemma for me of course! So my husband says "Why don't you just make your own?" He and I both love to do that kind of stuff. I'm the girl who doesn't buy that cute thing because I'm always thinking "I could make that" I told him, "I can't sew" He said, "Ok, so let's learn." My great aunt had recently left me a sewing machine when she passed away... and there it sat... all intimidating and stuff. He knows that I won't sit down and read a manual to learn something like this. I'll mess with it until I get stuck and frustrated... so while I did that, HE read the manual! He taught me how to thread the machine, how to wind a bobbin, reverse, and how to fix all of my messes. From there, we found some great fabric, a great tutorial, and together we made a ruffled bed skirt, crib bumpers, and receiving blanket for our Birdie girl.
What is the best part of owning a shop?
This shop supports my habit. It allows me to shop for beautiful fabric, sew and make things that I love and have fun making, and then I get to sell them and that gives me the money to make more fun stuff. It also pushes me to learn and try new things. People will request a custom item, and if I don't already know how to make it, I'll figure it out.
How did you get your shop name?
1- Birdie is my daughter's nickname 2- Whenever the girls in my family get together we all end up squished in on one couch and we laugh and giggle until our tummy's hurt and our eyes are watering- My dad and husband call it cackling .. but we call it "bubbling"... When we are all together we don't go out and do a lot either, we hang out at the house and stay in our "Bubble" and catch up. ... We Bubble. So I put those together and called it BirdiesBubble.
What is one way that you keep organized?
I write everything down! I make a lot of lists!
How do you balance family life and work life?
It's definitely a work in progress. My family comes first. However, if I just communicate to them that I need some time in "the Bubble" , they always try to help me to work that out.
