Kawaiian Island Update

Kawaiian Island News

Hello friends.

It has been awhile since I have updated on my side business, Kawaiian Island.  It is still around but I've not been able to grow it much this last year mostly due to the platform that I have been using for sales, Cafe Press.  It is incredibly hard for people to find my products but I'm hoping that will soon change.  I have recently moved my selling platform over to Amazon and have been getting t-shirts migrated to sell.  I will still be keeping my existing Cafe Press store but am hoping Amazon to generate more sales as well for t-shirts.  Check out Kawaiian Island on Amazon.

Busy Month and Small Business Adventures

July is historically a busy and chaotic month, just like all these Japanese Koi Fish (however do they swim like this on top of each other?) full of travel and fun.  This year is no different, in fact it has been even more chaotic and we still have a big trip coming up soon. 

 I have mentioned in the past that I have been wanting to diversify income and have been working on different side income avenues to do so.  Some of those haven't gone as smoothly as I hoped and others have started to take off.  One of my businesses has recently started to really grow and I have been investing a lot of time each week - sourcing, listing, pricing, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I really love what I am doing but at the same time I haven't been able to keep up on blogs as frequently the last few weeks.

My free time during the evening has been spent in front of computer working on my resale business.  I have spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs and identifying what the right things to sell are.  My business sits on the Amazon platform and is geared towards books, cds, and toys.  I knew Amazon was big but I had no idea just how big and now much traffic it has, amazing.  At the same time, I am also trying to keep up on Ebay sales as I continue to declutter my house.  I admit, my decluttering has been heavily focused on just my clothing right now because everything is now way too big and I need to get warmer weather items out before the season is over and nobody wants them.  I will be buying a whole new wardrobe come fall, I'll have no choice!  Right now I can get away with fewer items but that isn't going to last into colder weather.  Never mind that I will need a new jacket and coat as well. Still you will hear no complaints from me!

My sales in the last 30 days across all my side income pursuits is about $630 profit.  Not too shabby.  I certainly wasn't seeing this even a few months ago.  I'm excited to see where this goes and how long I continue to love it as much as I have been.  That will be telling to me as far as how sustainable it is.  I feel for certain that I can stick it out through the holidays and am hoping 4th quarter sales will inspire me to keep at it if I start to lose motivation by then. 

Some Changes

I have been working my behind off lately trying to get several things launched online.  Some of which I have talked about on here and others not so much.

My Kawaiian Island online shop launched earlier this month and I have been working hard to get it out there via social media, search engine optimization, etc.  This blog really doesn't get much traffic other than family and friends so I have used Facebook and Pinterest to try to drive traffic to my shop as well.  I have a week long Facebook advertisement that has started running and I am excited to see what kind of sales the ad generates.  I have also taken to Pinterest to share my designs but I think that will take time to grow as I don't have that many followers.

I have also launched a YouTube Channel, Hobby + Hound which I thought would be an Etsy store but hasn't turned out that way so far.  I like the idea of sharing crafty things with you guys and You Tube is easy way to show the process.  It also seems to have the most growth potential right now as far as social media goes.

Lastly, I am working on getting this ol' blog out there more. My audience that visits again and again tends to be people I know, which I'm not complaining about, I enjoy being able to share my life with all of you.  But I would also like to really build the brand of my blog and generate more traffic.  I have been working on a Facebook Page especially for this blog that will make it easier for people to follow.  I am also linking up Kawaiian Island, Hobby + Hound, and Slow As The South all on Facebook pages so I can manage the three there and make it easier to control all three. 

This has definitely been a learning process and I have a lot more to learn but am enjoying figuring out how it all comes together.

Kawaiian Island Shop

As many of my readers may be aware, I have been working on opening a Kawaii shop online for awhile.  My first launch of the store occurred today.  There is more to come with other shopping platforms and products but I thought I would go ahead and share for those of you who are interested in checking it out.

Kawaiian Island is all about living the Kawaii Life.  I have mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, totes, and more for sale.  Here is a link to my store:

http://www.cafepress.com/kawaiianisland

 

 

Bodacious

I launched my first Kawaiian Island t-shirt this week to see how well it would do on Teespring.com.  If I sell enough, I know that it is something to invest in and move forward with ordering.  Here is a link to the shirt if you are interested in checking it out.  It is a youth boys shirt.  I have more designs to sell but really just wanted to get a feel for the concept.

https://teespring.com/bodacious-surfer-penguin 

Random Cash & Couponing

I love saving money.  I'm not cheap but I like holding onto as much money as I can.  Over the years, I have found various waves to save or make money on the side that I thought I would share in one big ol' post.  All of these methods work and I have received discounts, giftcards, or money in my bank and/or paypal account for using.

Ebates:  You can sign up here and earn me a $25 referral for using this link!   http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=vTa4op5CR%2BJ9WrsSAGs4lw%3D%3D&eeid=28187
Ebates is a site you use to link you to the site you want to shop at. To use you simply search for the site you were wanting to shop at, i.e. Macys, Old Navy, Ulta, Zulily... the list goes on and on. You get a certain % cash back just by clicking on the link from the Ebates site.  If I am going to shop online anyway, I may as well get the cash back.  It is important to note that you need to not open a new shopping page for that store without going through the first page you open.  Otherwise your traceability is lost and you will have to email Ebates to get your cashback credit vs. being automatically credited.  What is great about this site is that you can still use other discounts or promotions with it. Occasionally stores I shop at will give me as high as 10-20% cash back.  I booked through Hotels.com using Ebates link and got back 20% last February!  Ebates pays you once a quarter and will automatically deposit your cashback into your account.  I earned $200 last year just using this site...

Swagbucks :
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/litchick1977
This is a site similar to Ebates but also allows you to earn points for doing other activities besides shopping such as watching videos and answering questions.  I haven't done much video watching or answering questions but there are some different stores from what is offered on Ebates so I use this when that happens.  Points can be turned in for rewards which are gift cards and cash deposits.

RetailMeNot: This is a promotional code/coupon site.
http://www.retailmenot.com/
Want to find the codes to save you money? This is the place to search for coupons.  Again, if I am already shopping online, I may as well look for a discount code.  You simply search for the store you are shopping at and you will discount codes that you can enter as you check out.  I've saved 40% on clothing, gotten free shipping, the list goes on.  Using RetailMeNot codes plus Ebates can equal great savings.

Google Opinion Rewards: https://www.google.com/insights/consumersurveys/google_opinion_rewards
You can download in the Google Play Store to download on your phone.  I like free stuff in the form of music, movies, games, and books.  I have this downloaded on my phone and get an invitation to complete a quick survey and earn money to spend in the Google Play store.  I haven't paid for music or games in months! Amounts you earn vary but I have found it very easy to use.

Surveys on the Go:
http://www.surveysonthego.com/
You can download in the Google Play or iTunes store.  This site has a great interface and allows you to answer surveys and earn cash. Once you build up $10 you can redeem it and have it deposited to your Paypal account.  These surveys are very quick and easy to navigate.

iPoll
www.ipoll.com
iPoll is another survey site and application.  You can download the app as well.  This has the ongoing readily available surveys to take.  I save this one for when I am watching tv or have time to kill.  At any time I can find at least $10 in surveys that I can take.  Like Surveys on the Go you need to earn $10 before you can redeem it.  You can get gift cards, cashback or even make a donation. 

ibotta
https://ibotta.com/r/dweivfr
If you use this link to sign up, you'll get $10 and I'll get $5, win-win!
This is an app that you can download on your phone.  It is a Rebate or Cashback program.  You unlock things you plan to buy on your normal shopping trips to the store.  Stores like Target, Costco, QT, Walmart, CVS, Kmart, etc.  After you purchase the item, you go home and scan the bar code and then scan you receipt as proof that your purchased it.  You then earn cash back for whatever the rebate offer was for that item.  I think this is great for grocery store items that you were going to buy anyway.  If you are a coupon person, this still works with coupons so it is like double the savings! 


To be honest, I don't think I could shop without these tools.  I have trained myself to make the most of my time and use all my saving resources. I would say I've saved/earned over $500 this year using these tools as I think of it... not bad for minimal effort.

Fall

I love this time of year.  My family has fall traditions that pack our weekends pretty well from here until the end of the year.  I love pumpkin, hot tea, sweaters, crunchy leaves, fall music (more about that in a moment), fall decorating, rainy days, crisp mornings and evenings, you name it. 

Work has been busier the last couple of months due to a major divestiture and while not like my old stressful job has kept me more engaged with work.  This is a good/bad thing.  To be honest, there isn't anything spectacular about what I do now which is humbling but I know it gives me the balance that I personally need.  I teeter back and forth on my feelings about my day job daily...sigh.


My diet.  I am 16 weeks into the diet I wrote about previously.  38 lb down.  It hasn't been that hard and I feel better every day, so I keep plugging along.  I can't recall consciously ever losing this much or sticking to something this long without cheating. I guess keto just makes sense for my body because it feels natural for the most part.

I saw Elizabeth Gilbert speak a few weeks ago.  She's currently touring to promote her new book, Big Magic.  It is about creativity and being true to who you are and what you want/need in your life.  A different subject matter for her for sure but so far, I've enjoyed it.  Mostly, I am fascinated by her life. I relate to her on many levels -- a prior divorcee who is lost and figures her way to a more peaceful self. Some days I feel like I've come so far and other days, I am not so sure.  10 years ago (yes, it has been that long) I would have been shocked to know all that I would experience in the following decade -- relationships, travel, professional success, grief, family.  I remember thinking at that time that I had so much to learn about myself and personal growing to do.  I still feel this way.  I've overcome some big challenges but other ones have made their appearances.  I've come so far, yet so far left to go.  I guess it is the personal journey though... always opportunity to improve and grow.  So seeing Liz Gilbert on my own because it was good for me was just a step down that path of personal growth.

Adele's single, "Hello," was released.  I have always liked Adele but haven't been obsessed...until now.  Maybe it is the song or the fact that it is fall music... have you seen the video?  So fall.  I get it though. Whether the song is about a person or your former self, there are times you do want to go back and rehash what happened years before.  You want to understand or even just remember those times.  I admit I have these feelings about a couple of people in my past but I most closely relate this song to visiting my former self.  Forgiving my past self.  If only we could sit own with our prior versions and talk it out.  I can't wait for the album to be released next month.

Jem and the Holograms opened last weekend.  I loved Jem as a kid and so I've made my children watch the old cartoons growing up.  Naturally, they were excited when the movie was released.  My husband even sucked it up and saw it with us girls.  Cute movie.  Nothing amazing but it had a couple of catchy songs and my girls loved it. 

The kawaii store has been moving forward, just a little bit slower than I had hoped.  The logo is finished which is really cute and I have had 6 kawaii characters created.  I have started sharing the logo a bit but not the additional characters as they still need to be named and I need to figure out how they will be used and promoted.  Working with manufactures to make stuffed animals is where I was headed but quantities for ordering are incredibly high so I am rethinking a bit how this will all start.  What I can say is these characters are adorable and the artist that I worked with did a great job and I have completed the legal transfer of ownership over to me for them. I am thinking I may not do stuffed animals initially but may focus on stationary first and see how that goes.  The other hold up has been the e-commerce platform that I planned to use.  So Amazon was my favored platform because you can sell directly on Amazon but you can also plug in your shop to your website and customize to your liking.  It so happens that I am trying to do this at the time that Amazon is ramping up for Christmas and new Amazon sellers in the "Toys and Hobbies" categories cannot start selling in the couple of months leading up to Christmas unless they have had so many prior sales... something I don't have.  So if I want to use Amazon I am waiting till January which may not be such a bad deal anyway because of the product challenges. 

Nanowrimo.  I'm going to try this year.  I really do miss writing and my writing skills have been lacking as time has gone on.  I have lots of ideas that have been running through my head for years but am not sure what I am going to write about.  I may do short stories so I can write several and I enjoy short stories, something many of my favorite writers chose to write.

It's really happening

Well my friends.... it is starting to come together.  What do you ask?  My goals.  Things that seemed like a million miles away this time last year are moving forward at a steady pace.  Fast enough to bring excitement but slow enough not to stress me out.

My health.  After 8 months, my health is finally starting to come back.  I am energetic once again and focused on putting the right things into my body and making good decisions that aren't driven by exhaustion.  My water intake is on track. I went years without drinking much water at all and these days I am drinking a lot of water.  In fact, water and tea are my main beverages.  The drinking water thing has always been a problem for me since as long as I can remember. I am now 6 weeks in to a Ketogenic diet and this has allowed me to lose some weight as well as up my energy.  I used to fall asleep on the couch after a days work at 8 PM. I have no trouble staying awake now and being more active.  While I will still sit down and watch tv in the evening sometimes, I am not tied to the couch either.  Keto has been great and gotten me back into cooking again. Most of the time I prefer to eat at home vs. eating out because I have more options at home. 

My career.  Not my day job but my dream career is starting to come together.  This is where that extra energy stuff is coming in handy.  I have for so long wanted to open a Kawaii store.  I have loved Kawaii stuff since I was young and Santa left me Little Twin Stars erasers and My Melody lip gloss in my stocking.  This last year I was introduced to Japanese DIY candy and from that, I realized how much kawaii had grown since I was young.  I started to envision an online business supplemented by a brick and mortar business in my city.  For the last month, it has been full steam ahead on getting my Kawaii store up and running.  At this time, I now have a site, several online retail platforms reserved and under construction, obtained a tax id, and started working with vendors.  My plan is to open the store online initially and if all goes as planned, open a physical store here in Wichita.  I have been scoping locations but it is too soon to know if it will be all that I envision it to be.  I am also working with graphic designers on a store logo. My niece gave me an inspiration drawing over the weekend that I am using to begin with.  I am hoping to have something in the next 2 weeks selected.  When I do, I'll be sure to share it.

My home.  After living here for 4 years, our house is finally becoming a home.  We've officially completely unpacked and have started decorating rooms that were previously missed.  We've got house projects planned for the coming months and it is very exciting to see it all happening. The exciting part is I actually have energy to do some of it. 

My family.  This should really be at the beginning of this post. My family is much more content these days.  I just returned from a fun-filled weekend in Kansas City; my daughter turned 8 and we spent it at Oceans of Fun/Worlds of Fun.  I haven't been to a waterpark in probably 15 years and I loved it. I can't wait to go again.   Our trip, while exhausting, was a very nice and I enjoyed my family and was happy.  I guess that's what it all comes down to.  I am happy again.  It took awhile to get the mojo back, and I have days where it goes missing, but I am getting there.