Ask Mavis: Pimping Your Etsy Shops, European Vacations, Fixing a Rusty Thermos and More

It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers.

My family just returned from 7 days in Walt Disney World and are looking forward to planning our next trip, the kiddo’s are 8 and 4 and weren’t too impressed with Disney. The lines (we had fast passes!), aggressive parents, chicken nuggets on every kids menu (gross) and did I mention the lines! I know you and the Girl love to travel, any recommendations for my adventurous family?

~Sara

I’m not much of an amusement park lover myself. In fact, I avoid them at all costs. I just think there are so many more awesome adventures out there for kids. Case in point: about 6 and a half years ago we took our kids on an epic vacation through Europe. Ireland, London and Scotland or Disney World? Not even a fair question. It was gorgeous with so much for the kids to do we could have spent months there {check out these posts on 10 Things to Do in London or 10 Things to Do in Dublin, Ireland–although not all are kid-friendly!}. That would be my top recommendation {although you can always head to Tasmania and have my Australian friend, Lisa, put you up! I’m sure she’d LOVE that!}.

One of my friends just got back from a family vacation to Maui. They have 2 young girls and had the time of their lives. They hiked and played on the beach and went snorkeling. She said it was their favorite vacation ever, so Hawaii might be an option as well. If you are looking for something stateside or closer to home, I’m going to throw that out to the readers and see what their recommendations are. Any secret vacation gems in the states? Where should Sara head next?

Mavis, my daughter and I really enjoy your blog, garden tips and great recipes! I wondered if you had any suggestions for getting rid of rust inside a Starbucks thermos. I think I tried white vinegar and boiling water but to no avail. Not sure I can rescue it, but thought I’d ask in case you had a suggestion.

Thanks!
~Paula

I actually have a bit of experience with this. I’ve used 2 methods. Both start with pouring boiling water in the mug and letting it sit for a few hours. Then I add either baking soda or Polident denture tabs and let it fiz up. Then I scrape the rust off with a hard kitchen scrubber {I wouldn’t use a scouring pad because it can scratch the mug}.  It’s worked for me both times, but it might depend on the amount of rust you’re dealing with. Let us know if either method works!

Hi Mavis, awhile ago you asked your readers what to do with your windows/doors looking to the backyard. What did you decide to do?

~Teresa

Nothing. Not a single thing {although the suggestions were GREAT!}. I guess I’m just hoping for some sort of inspiration to jump out at me in the store that is a crazy good deal that won’t break the bank and make me regret spending any more money on a house I don’t plan to live in for much longer. So far, nothing like that has happened, so while I wait for a miracle, they look exactly the same!

I have what might prove to be too personal a question and if that is the case, I understand. I think we are probably about the same age..at least we have similarly aged children. I recently quit working and am having a horrible time figuring out how to schedule my days. I love to garden, I love to cook, I like keeping house and walking my dogs and reading and etc. I just don’t know how to keep from doing any of that to an extreme.

I feel as if when I cook, it takes me all morning just to procure the ingredients and then clean up my mess and that is sometimes before I have even served it to my husband! When I garden, I can spend hours just digging around and then the rest of life suffers. So, if it isn’t too nosy, how do you do it all? You seem so organized and able to leave your home on a moments notice to travel, etc. How in the world do you manage it?

~Jeanie

I don’t sleep. No. Seriously. I can survive on very little sleep {think 4 hours!}, so I have a few more hours in the day than most people. I know that part doesn’t help much, but I also plan, and that will help you. I plan my days and then I do a lot of things in bulk. Like if I’m going to cook freezer meals, I’ll make 100 freezer meals in 5 hours. Or if I buy meat, I buy meat in bulk so I have to process it all at once in bulk. If I have a gardening project, I’ll tackle as much as I can in one day.

The big chunk mentality works for me, because it’s not constant. So then when I have to make a meal, it doesn’t take all day, or when I have gardening chores, they don’t eat up a full afternoon. But that would all depend on your garden size and lifestyle. Some gardens, homes, husbands require more attention than others. Map out your priorities and then schedule your week accordingly. And remember, regardless of what Facebook or the internet leads you to believe, no one can do it all!

Hello and thank you! I noticed a big increase in traffic to my Etsy shop and tracked it back to the shout-out you gave  on your blog.  I’m a faithful reader and kindred spirit. Thanks again

~ Merrie

I’m so glad you saw an increase in traffic! That was my hope when I asked all Etsy shop owners to let me help them promote their shops! I’m still looking for more shops to promote, so tell all your Etsy friends to head on over and leave a comment so I can tell my readers all about them!