In October 2011, two weeks before my daughter was born, and just 7 weeks shy of Christmas, my husband was laid off. Great timing, right? How were we supposed to adjust our finances to live on just my part time maternity leave pay? We were not prepared at all! Needless to say, Christmas was looking pretty sparse. But I did have time to spend, if not the money to go along with it.

I started out making some felt food...pancakes, eggs, cookies. Then came the fruits and veggies. Next was the campfire set, complete with fire ring, logs and marshmallows to roast. Now I was excited for Christmas.

My son just loved it. The look on his face was priceless. He didn't care that there was nothing else to open. No 'fancy' plastic toys with lights and whistles and batteries. He started making s'mores right then and there.

We survived that maternity leave. My husband is still a SAHD...we've found that it works well for us. I guess that layoff was a blessing in disguise. I then decided to open a shop on Etsy after selling some of my items locally. And now I can't 'just watch tv'---it feels like I'm wasting time! I must be doing something or creating something at all times! ;)

I now 'unwind' after working 2nd shift by sewing til the wee hours of the morning. And I have two official toy testers on the payroll. ;) My biggest compliment is when I have repeat customers come back for more fun! Or when they send their friends my way. I also enjoy working on custom requests. My customers have wonderful imaginations, and have come up with some great ideas for new toys--some that are now featured in my shop. What can I say? I love a challenge!

I've had the good fortune to be featured in a couple of really fun blogs lately, also! Here's one link to my spot in "Fun Finds for Families": http://www.funfindsforfamilies.com/weekend-wish-list-franconia-ridge-studio-felt-toys-etsy/

(In case you were wondering, my shop name comes from our favorite vacation area in New Hampshire. Does anyone else out there miss Old Man of the Mountain??)

I hope your kids have as much fun with these toys as both of mine do!