BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Mothers are masters of multitasking, and an Oklahoma mom is balancing family with running her own handmade jewelry business.
Hailey Howell started a jewelry line called Bear N Babes during the summer of 2015 when she decided she wanted to do something from home.
"I had come up with the idea whenever I was pregnant with my two year old," Howell said, "and I still wanted to be able to financially support my family somehow but still be able to stay home with my kids at the same time."
Howell used some stamps that belonged to her grandmother to create a line of customizable, hand-stamped jewelry using various metals.
"I make anything from cuff bracelets (and) bangle bracelets," she said. "I do necklaces, dog I.D. tags and medical I.D. tags for children."
Howell said she decided to give her pieces a more minimalist look. "Nothing too flashy," she said. "It's definitely things you can wear for a special occasion or daily wear."
With two kids and another child on the way, she said designing and making jewelry let her stay close to them, while still bringing in money for her growing family.
"Definitely working part time and be able to stay home with my kids but still be able to financially support or do my part for my family has been really huge," Howell said.
She crafts every piece of jewelry for her customers by hand in a room from her home. All the orders that she takes online come from all corners of the world.
"We had a couple in Italy, a couple in the U.K. and a couple in Australia," Howell said. "Definitely the overseas orders are the most exciting, I would say."
Howell said the packages that she ships to her customers include a note that her products are made in Oklahoma, an added touch that she calls important.
"I think it shows that they're supporting a small business," she said. "They're supporting a mom essentially, someone who's like them. They're not buying a large corporation, so I think there's a little more love and care that essentially goes into their pieces."
To learn more about Bear N Babes, visit this link.
