My Kid Entrepreneur

Little Man needs a new nickname.  Because he isn't so little anymore.  He's a pre-teen.  A very busy, driven pre-teen who is already thinking about college and careers and how to build a business empire that can support his future family and his mom and dad when we get old.  Yeah.  He talks about that kind of stuff.  And it makes me cry sometimes to think that this amazing kid is mine.

The crying isn't just because I am so touched by his generous and thoughtful spirit. It's because this kid, in his 12 years of living, has figured out important life lessons that his parents are just now getting at age almost 50! He thinks about his future!  He will sit and map out his time and create his own schedule so that he can feel functional and organized and ready for what lies ahead.

The sad thing is? He didn't learn this from me or from his dad.  We tend to be less strategic in our approach to life.  I kind of struggle with structure in our home life.  Business and work is all business and work and I can get things done on that front.  But something happens when I try to apply those same skills to our home life.  And I hate that I have a hard time transferring my work skill set to my family life sometimes.

But back to my son. The one who came to me with this innate, already developed ability to line himself out and get a direction without a lot of help...

He's started a t-shirt business to raise money for two upcoming camps that he wants to attend at the end of the school year.  One of the camps is Scout Camp, the other is a 3 day adventure/environmental field trip that the 6th grade at his school does every year.  He needs to earn $150 for each camp.  In the past he has sold, lemonade, raked leaves and mowed lawns when he needs extra money, but he decided he wants to "branch out".  His words, not mine.  (I know, right?  Who is this kid?!?)  So he came up with two different designs (more are on the way) for t-shirts and we are using TeeSpring to sell them.  His customers do not have to pay for a shirt until his sales goal is met.  You simply place your order and once the target number is hit, the shirts will print and ship.  If the goal is not met, your card will not be charged.

Here are his current designs.  Just click on the photo and you will be taken to the TeeSpring order page, where you can place your order to help Eli meet his goal!

So there it is...his first public campaign!  He has done all of it himself, except for the marketing and PR, which he has hired me to do.  And since I am good at this part (and I am his mother), I took the job.

Thanks for helping a kid who has his priorities straight get a leg up on his goals!  Your support means a lot to him.  And to his mother, who is so grateful to have a wonderful son to emulate and learn from.  I am absolutely certain that I learn more from my children than they will ever learn from me.  

NerdyShirts Review

T-shirts are the uniform of choice in my home.  Any kind of button up shirt that actually makes it to my boys' rooms is quickly relegated to the furthest corner of the closet, where it spends the majority of its life looking out, just hoping for a chance to make the cut and join the rotation of "comfortable" clothes.  So anytime I get an offer to review a T-shirt company and try their merchandise, I jump at it. 

Trevor from NerdyShirts contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me to check out their merchandise.  So I did.  The first thing I realized is that I must have a lot of nerdy friends because I am familiar with a lot of the subjects shown on those t-shirts!  Who knew?!? 

The second thing I realized is that I know a LOT about Star Trek and Star Wars and Comic Book guys.    Most of this knowledge has been gleaned from time spent watching movies and cartoons with my husband and boys.  They patiently explain the ins and outs and whos and whats for me.  Which is cool.  Because now I do not look like an idiot when someone asks me whether Batman was a Marvel or DC comic (Batman was DC).  Not a lot of 47 year old moms have the capacity to discuss Star Wars or Green Lantern or X-men with any kind of intelligence.  At least now I can fake it.  NerdyShirts has so much comic and retro Star Trek kind of stuff that you would be hard pressed not to find something perfect for the comic geek or Trekkie in your life.  My personal favorite among this genre is the Batman Old School Logo, although that Thor Costume shirt is kind of hilarious.  NerdyShirts used to have a Wolverine Costume shirt too, but I think it must have sold out, which makes me extremely sad.  I am actually caught in the middle of an epic Batman vs. Wolverine debate and I wanted to get t-shirts for friends on each side of the battle for Christmas.  I am so bummed!

Anyway...Nerdyshirts has a large selection of designs to choose from, including references and characters from movies, video games, TV and internet.  Anyone who loves pop culture will dig these shirts.  A few of my favorites: 

• Charlie Sheen "Winning" 
• Initech
• Callahan Auto Parts
• Hangover Baby

NerdyShirts was kind enough to send a shirt for each of my boys.  Big Brother got a Bruce Lee shirt and Little Man loves his Iron Man Core shirt that glows in the dark.  Both shirts are made with high quality fabric that holds its shape and color well.  We had no bleeding colors in the wash and no flimsy, stretched out fabric after a few days of wear.  The graphics have not cracked or peeled and the boys find the shirts very comfortable and easy to wear.  

 BTW, NerdyShirts shipping is ninja fast and right now they have free shipping when you purchase 4 shirts.  I'm more than happy to recommend NerdyShirts and am looking forward to suprising a few people at Christmas with some hilarious t-shirts.

***Disclosure - I received 2 t-shirts from NerdyShirts in order to facilitate this review.  My opinions are my own and my reviews reflect my own experiences with products I receive.***
 

LikeWear "Military Chic" a Big Hit with Big Brother

I wrote about LikeWear maybe a year ago?  When I was first asked to review some of their clothing, I wasn't sure what my kids would think.  Turns out, the t-shirts I got from LikeWear are some of the boys favorite items of clothing. 

LikeWear has some new designs in their "Military Chic" line and we were excited to check them out as Big Brother is a major military fan, so this new line is right up his alley and trendy to boot.

He loves his new shirt!  He wears it almost every day, so I have to take full advantage of his sleep time to wash it.  So far it's holding up well.

Things I like about LikeWear:

• Well-made clothing - the t-shirts are not made of thin, flimsy material and they are put together well.  
• Trendy, unique, kid-friendly designs. 
• Business opportunities for stay-at-home moms. (See LikeWear website for more details!)

They have lots of cute girl clothes too!  Stop by the site and check out some of their fun designs and find out more about how you can earn a few bucks working with LikeWear.  "Mom designed - kid approved!" (that's my slogan for LikeWear, not their slogan.  But they can have it if they want it!)