Sophie's Knit Stuff, Knitting and Etsy

I haven't updated this blog for over 2 years but I can see that there is still a bit of readership on it, so I thought it might be a good idea to let you know what I'm up to now.

I left my job last August: I started getting fed up with working in a call centre after about a year - This is the kind of job that is not good for the soul as it can really make you hate people. Even though most customers were understanding and lovely to deal with, it's the minority of awful customers that tend to make an impression on you: I used to say that I should write a book on my experiences working in a call centre, it would have been a nasty one!

In order to keep my sanity, but also to put an end to my childcare headaches (what kind of working mother other than a teacher, needs a childcare service that is closed during school holidays?), I've given up my job.

As my knitting hobby started taking over my life, while my children still need me to be at home, I've decided to set up my Etsy shop called Sophie's Knit Stuff, where I sell my own hand knit items.

I can't say I've had a lot of success so far (I did sell a knitting pattern on Ravelry), and while I love knitting and that's one thing I've always complimented on, I'm having a bit a bit of a struggle with the knitting/blogging/promoting my shop on social media balance, but this is normal, as nobody said it was going to be easy!

I've added a new Etsy Shop page to this blog, and while I know I won't have time to keep writing on this blog, if you'd like to keep following me, my new blog is Sophie's knit Stuff I am still on Twitter and my page Sophie's Knit Stuff on Facebook is in need of more Likes and shares:-).

I'm leaving you with my latest production: a reversible hand knit Christmas tree coaster. It's not on sale on Etsy yet as I need to make some more before listing a few sets and that's what I'm working on all this week:

Goodbye for now!

The Surest Way to Make Money is...

... To get a job!

I have started a new job on Monday so I probably won't find the time to update this blog anymore. I had already gotten very lazy with it, as I shockingly noticed that the last I wrote here was some time last October. Shame on me!

Well at least now I will be guaranteed a regular salary that I will be earning myself, instead of feeling guilty living off the Irish taxpayers' money.

So I guess it's goodbye for now, even though I will try to keep writing on the knitting blog that I've started recently.

How Not To Gain New Customers

I am writing this as I am still angry over what happened in the middle of last night: I was woken up at 2.30 am by a refuse truck emptying my neighbours' bin.

I don't blame my neighbours, it's not their fault they gave their business to a stupid refuse company. The refuse company in question operate in the West of Ireland region. I was thinking of switching from another refuse company over to them because they offer competitive prices, but now I'm not so sure I want to do that.

Last Saturday morning I thought they were very early at 5.00 am (I pity the poor sods who forget to take their bins out the night before), but 2.30 am is just not right for people like me who like to be in bed by 11.00 pm or at least 12.00  (if the movie's really good and I don't fall asleep in the middle of it; no, I'm not ashamed to show my age).


As I was in the middle of writing this, I phoned the office of the refuse company in question and I talked to a very nice woman who sounded really surprised to hear that any of the company's drivers would be out at that time; she said she would talk to her empployer about it on Monday, so hopefully if I am ever disturbed again in the middle of the night it won't be by them!

Colgate Promotion Helps Against HSE Dental Care Cuts

The HSE decided to cut dental care costs that are not emergencies last April, so people like most of the Irish population who find it difficult (if not impossible) to spend €85 for a check up and cleaning (the price my dentist charges for about 20 minutes' work; I know, I know, there are overhead costs and dental equipment has to be paid off, but €85?...).

Yesterday I made an appointment with my local dentist and I knew that my medical card would not cover the cost of my visit so I was prepared to fork out some dough but it's only when I was standing outside the dental clinic this morning that I spotted this Colgate promotion:

During September, if you purchase in the same transaction:

• a Colgate mouthwash (500 ml),
• 2 Colgate 360 toothbrushes and
• a Colgate Total 100 ml toothpaste,

Colgate will refund the cost of your dental check up or scale and polish up to a maximum of €65.

So even though I had to advance €101 this morning (Colgate products for €16 in addition to my €85 bill), I will get €65 back, meaning that I have spent €36 instead of the normal €85 with the Colgate products as a bonus.

Okay, so given the choice I would rather spend €5 at Lidl for the same products instead of the overpriced Colgate stuff, but it's not like I'm not going to use them and I don't have to stay loyal to Colgate, as I have been using cheap toothpaste and toothbrushes (the Lidl ones are actually good!) for years and still don't have any cavities (and I'm not making this up, after 5 years without visiting a dentist and half of the time not bothering to brush at night, although I do it every morning, I was told this morning that my teeth were in very good condition).

For more details on this promotion, go to colgateohm.ie and remember that this is only valid until 30th September 2010 so if you want to avail of it, don't waste any time!

Wicked Way to Save Money on Your Little Angels and Demons' Christmas Gifts...

...For years to come!

Buy them a Nintendo DS (or one of those handheld Playstation thingies) now for their birthday and let them know that from now on, all they are getting for all their birthdays and Christmases for the next 10 years is 1 (ONE, not 2 or 3 or more) game for their console.

The money outlay may be big now (I paid €179.99 for my six year old's Nintendo DSi package including protective case, cleaning kit, extra stencils and 1 game as well as the console) but then you shouldn't have to spend more than €39.99 at the most for a new game each time.

If this seems like a lot of money, especially if you have a few of those things (I'm talking about those wanting machines that are kids), just wait until they reach a certain age (so you don't have to buy more than one in one year, except for twins, triplets...don't get me started!), or maybe have an agreement with friends and family so that they each contribute some of the money for a console instead of each one of them buying a separate present (chances are they won't mind, it's always so hard to come up with an original gift that will please these kids anyway).

When my eldest daughter really wanted her Nintendo DS and it was not even her birthday (it was her sister's 5th birthday and I always get the other one a little something so they don't get jealous), I said that if she really wanted one she could buy it with her own money (she has her own account at the credit union and she's loaded, compared to my own bank account) and that I would give her some of the money. Now all she wants is Nintendo DS games (well except for that communion bicycle).

My youngest turned 6 this month and my parents and sister gave me some money, to which I added the difference to buy that Nintendo DSi she now spends a lot of time on, so I could still afford those school books and uniforms. She didn't mind getting one gift instead of 3 because she had wanted a Nintendo DS ever since her sister got hers last year.

Now not only the Christmas and birthday gifts for the foreseeable future won't break the bank, but I will also not have to go through the Smyths Toys and Argos catalogues wondering what the hell could I be buying them from now on!

Blackberry picking

 

Ok, these are not really blackberries, but on my hunt for ripe blackberries this morning I came across a few of these bushes. They look like blueberries but I can’t be 100% sure and since I did not want to mix poisonous berries with my blackberries I thought it safer to leave these undisturbed.

I looked for pictures of blueberry bushes online but even though the fruit look like them, the leaves look a bit different, mine seem to be narrower than the ones I found online; I learned that there are several species of blueberries though, so this could just be a variety that did not come up in my search (or so I wish, because my tummy could find a good use for these!)

Please can anyone help me identify this plant?

Getting Distracted

Some people call it procrastinating, I just call it being distracted, disorganized, whatever, this is my big excuse for not writing any new articles or blog posts for a while.

The fact that I haven't earned any commissions since I have started my affiliate marketing campain last March has not motivated me into writing articles for a while. I am wondering if I should just give up on that one but at the same time I know I have not given that project everything I have, so I might come back to it later on.

I have started something new so if this one works out, you should hear about it soon. I don't want to say too much about it now, in case it just flops miserably, but it is something that was on my mind for a long time so I have to get it out of my system.