Being a working mom - in or outside the home - can be a challenge, but for one Star mother of two young children, it's a Peace of Cake!

For the past 2 1/2 years, Mindy Lin of Star has taken advantage of naps, bedtime and a supportive family to turn her creative passion into an at-home business.

"It's all about balance. Nap times are great; bedtime is even better," said Lin who owns and operates Peace of Cake! custom cake designs and bakery. "And I have an amazing support system - a grandma who loves time with the kids and an aunt who loves spending time with the kids."

With a 2 1/2-year-old son, Carter, and a 9-month-old daughter, Chloe, Lin has to multitask and stay organized.

"When I'm in the zone, it's hard to multitask with the kids," she said. "The baking part is easy; it doesn't take much focus. The decorating takes more focus. I try to be as efficient as possible, so nap time is when I get the most done and can really focus on my work."

Lin creates about six to eight cakes a month, which allows her to embrace her creativity while still leaving plenty of time to be a mom.

"I don't want to overcommit myself because I still want that quality time with my kids. But it's my passion, and I really love to do it," Lin said. "My husband is very supportive. He knows I get my creative fix doing this, so I'm not inclined to spend his money decorating the house."

But when the cake-decorating money does come in, it's a nice boost to the Lin family income, she said.

"It's always been our goal that I would be able to stay home with our kids. It's not huge monetarily, but it does help. Especially in this economy, for the first time in a few summers we were able to take a vacation with my cake money. We went to the Oregon coast, and we were able to do it because I had the extra money from cakes that we set aside," Lin said.

"Everyone has been touched by the economy. I honestly can't say we wouldn't be in a really sticky situation right now if I wasn't supplementing our income."

But Lin makes sure she keeps her life in perspective.

"I'm just a stay-at-home mom who loves what I do and wants to supplement my income," she said.

"This is perfect because it's not big projects. It typically takes me two days to do a cake - the first day I do the baking and prep work, and the second day is decorating.

"I could do a cake in a day, but I give myself that extra time so I can have time with my kids," Lin added. "The most important thing is that our kids have as much time as possible with their parents."

Brenda Gutierrez: 377-6440