Happy Easter weekend! We are back in town with our new little (well, not so little) puppy. Next week I will share our cross country adventures and introduce you to the handsome fella. With Easter being so early this year, the weatherman is predicting chilly temperatures and rain. So much for eating outside and enjoying the spring weather on Sunday. It’s that time again and welcome to Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things these past 2 weeks, as I missed last week.

Daughter’s Birthday dinner party

Luckily, our daughter is home for her birthday and we had a casual dinner party celebrating both her birthday and St. Patrick’s Day.

With 12 guests, I make 2 of my Guinness pot pies, a large salad and two desserts~Baileys Irish cream cheesecake and a London Fog cake (Julianna’s request). These tried and true recipes are always a hit.

Annual Shamrock Run

Fortunately, after indulging in so many good calories, my daughter and I get up early the following morning to participate in the annual Shamrock Run. It is chilly and rainy, but we felt blessed to see a rainbow before the race started.

Julianna ran the 10K with both her dogs (just amazing!) and I thought I would just walk the 5K. However, at the starting line everyone around me started running and in order to keep up, I, too, started running. Please note that after 3 knee surgeries my doctor advises me not to run anymore. I don’t know what came over me but I ran about 60% of the race and placed 5th in my age category. Not without consequences, though.

I could hardly walk later that day and of course, my knee ballooned up a bit. What was I thinking?!? Nonetheless, it is a fun run with all sorts of outrageous St. Patrick’s Day attire. Plus I never want to miss out of an opportunity to do something with my children. I am trying to turn off the voice in my head that is saying, “Mary, you are too old for this”.

Fruit picking

It’s that time of year where we need to glean all the citrus trees. Sweet smelling blossoms are now opening on most of the trees. Removing this year’s crop of fruit will help the production of next year’s crop.

In our orchard we have 12 citrus trees ranging from oranges to kumquats to grapefruits. With our abundance of fruit, we ship boxes of fruit to family and friends and donate the rest.

Picking fruit equals many arm scratches, so I finally put on my Farmers Defense sleeves, which are a must for any gardener. They come in various designs and you can find them here. Really love this product!

Our Yard this Time of Year

Easter and Spring is when our yard looks its best~mostly around mid-to-late April. A few trees are still bare and will bud later, but the flowers and the lawn are at their prime.

Rose Garden and New Book

The rose bushes in the garden look so healthy and vibrant. A few buds are appearing and I am trying to keep an eye out for aphids, which generally are in abundance this time of year.

I have always wanted to truly learn about roses, but I’m a bit of a weekend gardener. Do you follow Grace Rose Farm on Instagram @gracerosefarm? The photos are always so gorgeous and you can order both cut flowers and rose plants directly from them. I recently received her book, Garden Roses and it is a complete guide to growing and arranging roses.

Currently reading this book to up my roses game. Note: I thought the book would be coffee table book size but it is smaller, which I like. The photos are just stunning and it’s written is a way that is easy to understand.

Making Easter Baskets

A quick trip to Target this week results in some great finds for Easter and Easter baskets. How cute are these fabric, bottom weighted chickens with spectacles?!? At $3.00 a piece, you can find them in their dollar section at the store entrance. I cannot find these online so they must be an in-store special.

I love making Easter baskets and like to find a container that serves a purpose afterwards. These coil rope baskets with leather (pleather?) handles by Brightroom are wonderful storage containers. They come in various sizes but I have the 11″ one here and they are currently on sale for $8.00.

In the basket, there is a bottle of rosé Prosecco, chocolate bunnies, various toiletries-deodorant, facial masks, favorite candies and a wonderful smelling candle. Another Target find at the Threshold section (Studio McGee’s line), this 3 wick candle comes in a matte ceramic container and the scent (Citron and Sands) is fabulous. A bargain for such a large candle at $17.00.

Flower Pressing

Do you remember the post about making your own framed botanical artwork? If not, here it is. In order to press the flowers, I use all of our big books, which is cumbersome.

But Rachel, from The Ponds Farmhouse is very creative with a super handy husband. I love this flower press they make from scrap materials.

Rachel puts her beautiful touches on it using a flower motif. I certainly could have used this when making my botanical artwork. What a wonderful way to preserve the beauty of your garden and yard. You can see Rachel’s blog post here. I think I may ask my husband to make this….

What Am I Reading?

My friend, Andrea recommends listening to this book . However, I read it instead and it is SO good. I imagine it is excellent whether you read or listen to it. It has over 10,000 reviews with 4.6 stars and is a best seller on Amazon. I highly recommend The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. So well done. Now I need to read her other novels, Code Name Hélèna and I Was Anastasia. Is anyone familiar with this author?

Mary’s Must Haves

As you can see in some of the photos above, I really love this lightweight polyester vest from 32 Degrees. Originally, I bought mine at Costco, but inventory there is certainly hit or miss. Amazon sells this same brand in 6 colors and it has a 4.6 rating.

Also Amazon has a similar looking one for less money and in 12 colors (currently 50% off), but I cannot verify the quality. However, with over 13,000 reviews and a 4.4 rating, it may be a good product. I actually might purchase one and try it out as I like some of the color choices.

What I love about this vest is that it is very light, packable, and washable. During these Spring days when it is warm one minute and cold the next, it is perfect for me, especially in our drafty old home.

I own a blue and olive green one and depending on the weather, it works well with long or short sleeves. I’m 5’4″ and am wearing a Small. This yellow one is particularly cute, isn’t it?

Great Rubber Shoes

These Sloggers are my go-to shoes when it’s wet or muddy outside. They are perfect for gardening too. My very first pair was a gift from my friend, Janie and not only are they cute, but oh so comfortable. Now I own two pairs and one set of boots.

With 24 designs to choose from, you can be slogging through the mud in style. I typically wear a 7.5 woman’s shoe size so the size 8 works out well.

I could go on and on today, but there are hot cross buns and babka bread to be made for Easter Sunday. Wishing you a blessed holiday weekend. Please look for my post next week where I will share all the details of this handsome guy!

Even though the ground hog states we are getting an early spring, it still feels like winter here~cold, rainy, and windy. Below is a stunning picture my neighbor shared of a rainbow after Wednesday’s storm. The mountains are getting lots of snow and with this colder weather, soups and stews are on the menu every day. Happy weekend and welcome to another edition of Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things.

Baby Chicks

After 3 plus weeks in a cage on the breakfast room table, the 15 new chickens are ready to go out to the hen house. Baby chicks are so cute the first week or so, but by week 3 they get a little fragrant.

Since we designed the hen house (see hen house post here) to have a separate section for new chickens, we did some work this week getting it ready for their arrival.

In this section of the hen house, all the hay is removed and the floor, roosting perch and laying boxes are thoroughly cleaned using a steam cleaner. This small portable one is perfect for this task. To learn more about this steam cleaner, click here.

Now clean and with fresh hay, half of the hen house is ready for the new flock. Of course their first night the temperatures dropped to freezing, but with the help of heat lamps, the chicks stay cozy.

Piano Lessons

Yes, it is true I am taking piano lessons. Years ago, I took a few lessons with our children’s piano teacher, Miss Eva. She is so remarkable, as a vibrant 85 year old. Am hoping that learning musical notes, scales and scores will keep my brain healthy.

We have a beautiful piano and it will be nice to use it again.

Unscheduled Project

The sitting room off of the master bedroom and home office has been a makeshift art studio for me (see that blog post here). Located on one end of the room is a rather large day bed, purchased many years ago. Is it ever used? No. But trying to get it out of this relatively small room is a complete pain in the butt.

For some reason this week, I decide I want this day bed out. In doing so, I realize this room is a mess. It’s time to repaint the walls, clear out the clutter and try to make it a real office/art studio for me. Have you ever started a project and wish you hadn’t?

Now the enormous day bed is sitting in our upstairs hall as we debate what to do with it. Since it’s hardly been used it is in excellent condition.

In the meantime I will paint goldenrod colored walls to something more neutral this weekend. Hope to show you some good before and after photos soon.

Trying New Recipes for the All Things Lemon class

I am having such fun experimenting with lemon and citrus recipes, in anticipation of the All Things Lemon class on Saturday, February 24th. There are only a few spots left so if you are interested please sign up now.

You will leave the class with my favorite lemon recipes and your own jars of limoncello and preserved lemons. If you want to get a sense of what a class here at Bella Terra looks like, check out this week’s post on our Valentine cookie decorating class here.

Did You Know?

I am familiar with companies like Stitch Fix and Rent the Runway but I wasn’t aware of Amazon’s Prime Try Before You Buy. Prime Try Before You Buy is a Prime-exclusive program where you can try eligible items from women’s, men’s, kids’, and baby clothing, shoes, and accessories before you buy them. You have seven days to try the items at home and you are only charged for the items you keep.

However, for an extra fee of $4.99 per use, you can have access to Prime Personal Shopper and allows you to work with Amazon’s stylists to find wardrobe pieces that fit your taste and budget.

If you’re looking for a wardrobe overhaul or to refine your personal style, enlisting the help of someone with styling expertise can take a lot of the pressure off when shopping for clothes online. Or if you are like me, I am not fond of clothes shopping.

The Difference between Prime Personal Shopper and Prime Try Before You Buy

Prime Try Before You Buy, unlike Prime Personal Shopper, is free as part of an Amazon Prime subscription and is available to all Prime members. The service allows you to do more or less the same things as Personal Shopper, including curating a selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories based on a survey and your selected preferences. The big difference lies in the absence of a stylist to help guide your selections or curate.

Has any one tried this? I have a question into Amazon on how one signs up for the Prime Personal Shopper as it isn’t intuitive when you go to their website. It seems like you will need to use the Amazon app? Will let you know how they respond.

From the Internet

I love finding beautifully designed spaces. Beth Webb, internationally known interior designer, is known for her serene and elegant style. If you feel stressed, just look through the portfolio of photos on her website.

Mary’s Must Haves

For the Face…

I have mentioned this product before and I did reorder it this week. Colorscience Total Protection Brush-on Sunscreen is something I use EVERY day. In lieu of face powder, I brush this on and enjoy the SPF 50 protection.

Yes, it is not an inexpensive sunscreen but the last time I ordered this was January 2023~13 months ago. If you amortize the cost over time, the initial price of $69.00 ($65.55 if you subscribe), equals approximately 17 cents per day. A bargain to protect your skin from sunspots or worse, skin cancer. I have never seen it on sale either. It comes in multiple skin tone colors. You can find it here.

Speaking of taking care of your skin, my dermatologist recommend I use La Roche-Posay Vitamin C anti-aging face serum to visibly brighten and smooth uneven skin tone and those dastardly wrinkles. Groan. After using her sample packets I just received my first bottle of serum this week. Hoping for good results.

Does anyone use a Vitamin C serum? I sure miss those days when I only used soap and water on my face.

For the Body

I exercise 5 days a week always live in yoga pants and workout tops. Truly, my inventory is old and so pathetic. Instead of looking like a ragamuffin, I finally purchase 3 new pairs of yoga pants in plum, olive green and blue. A bit of a color is a stretch for me as I tend to wear black and gray.

I am sporting the plum ones as I write this post and I like them~especially the high. thick waist and the pocket for your phone. Great color selection and are on sale (17% off) at a reasonable $24.99. They are very comfortable and hopefully will wash well. Makes me feel a bit dressed up! Ha!

Last Saturday, one of my subscribers, Corrine, commented about using Vital Proteins and how they have helped her. Do you supplement your diet with collagen peptides? I started using Vital Proteins about 4 years ago. Within 3 months, I noticed less popping sounds in my joints. Also my hair appears thicker too. Collagen peptides are great for your skin, nails, joints and hair.

Every morning I put two scoops into my coffee (equally 20 grams of protein) or hot beverage and it’s part of my daily routine.

There are so many different brands and flavors, but I use the regular, unflavored 24 oz.Vital Proteins. A new Vital Proteins Advanced is available too. Here is a link to a page that has several brands/flavors/sizes.

Occasionally, Costco will have the 24 oz. Vital Proteins marked down and limits the number of containers you can buy. That’s when we generally stock up so we always have it on hand.

Wishing you a happy weekend. I will be painting as it is supposed to be raining all day Saturday with chilly temperatures. Would much rather be curled up with a book by the fire, but the art studio calls.

Here we go, another new year! Do you change your behavior or make resolutions? Does the month of January mean a new start? After an indulgent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, this month is a time for me to reset. I am ready to eat a cleaner diet and get back into a healthier routine. There is something to be said for having structure in one’s every day life. Happy New Year to you and yours!

The Concept of Time

I clearly remember how time, especially during grade school, felt like it dragged on forever. Why does time go so slow when we are younger, and speed up when we are older? Perhaps the older I get, the more I value time and want to live more intentionally.

Theme for the Year

Some people pick a word or theme for the year. Last year my theme was financial austerity~trying to get a better understanding of where money goes and spending wisely. Not sure I completely accomplished that but I feel like I have a better handle on that responsibility. But this year, I am going back to basics.

For years, as a corporate executive, I faithfully kept a Franklin Press Daily planner. But the last few years, I played life by ear. I prefer to be organized and focused on accomplishing things so I am back to using a daily planner. Not just for work but also for pleasure. It seems I do not schedule enough personal time for me in my life and I’d like to course correct that in 2024.

Ann from On Sutton Place offers an attractive 2024 planner that you can download if you are a subscriber. In addition, there are weekly planning sheets that I have set up behind each monthly calendar. Simply put it all into a 1″ view binder and you have your planner for the year.

If you don’t want to download this planner, check out this very pretty and cheerful one from Rifle Paper Company. It’s a 17 month calendar and on sale now for $21.60. I actually might order one because it looks like the perfect size for traveling. Click on the link here.

Holiday Projects in January

One of the goals this year is to put our holiday decorations away in an organized manner. Not everyone organizes the same way and it can be challenging if two people, with totally different organizational systems, store the holiday stuff.

For years, I would put all the holidays items away and knew exactly where everything was. But now that my husband is helping, he has his own system~which looks very different from mine. The hope is that we can find common ground and create an organizational system that will work for both of us.

Another project is updating the holiday card address list. This is one task that I must do right after the holidays or I’m scrambling next November. Each card’s address will be cross checked with what I have on file for next year’s mailing list. Cards are not inexpensive and I certainly do not like getting one back with an undeliverable stamp due to an outdated or bad address.

Since we use Minted for our holiday card production, they have an online address assistant where we input our mailing addresses. It is so easy to update and any changes to this list are made electronically.

Annual Projects~both Big and Small

For those of you who own an older or historic home, you realize the house projects are never quite done. This week I am creating 2 project lists for the year~one for bigger projects (those that will take several days) to small projects (those that can be accomplished in a few hours).

My goal is to complete one big project per month and at least one, hopefully 2+ smaller projects per week.

A Focus on Health

Fortunately, I am blessed with good health. In the past my only trips to a doctor would include an annual (or every 3 years) physical. Anything in between would fall under an urgent or emergency visit (like my shattered big toe). However, since my unexpected kidney stone in October, the last two months are filled with follow-up medical visits, even though I feel perfectly fine.

Each visit, quite frankly, has been awful. Long delays, unnecessary tests, rude employees and the answer to my many questions is “well, you are getting older.” My health goals in 2024 are to be so healthy that I never need to see a doctor, strengthen my immune system so I do not get sick even when around others who are, and continue exercising and eating well.

Who’s with me?

Scheduling some Creative Time

On my new 2024 planner, I am marking out time on Fridays for painting. I love to paint but haven’t really done anything since 2022. The only painting I did in 2023 is a watercolor Valentine’s dinner invitation and a watercolor class with my friend, Tevia.

My art room is a bit of a mess which will take some organizing, but the goal is to paint 4 days a month and challenge myself to both bigger and smaller canvases too. Here is the only large canvas I have painted to date (in 2022).

I start this Friday and am looking forward to outlining subject matter and picking up a paintbrush.

Please share your hopes and dreams for 2024! I’m planning on it being a very good year.

We are at our mountain cabin. Waking up this morning to the first light snow is so magical. There’s a natural hush outside and oh so very quiet. Not many people are up here this time of year as it is more of a summer destination. The days are filled with warm fires, long crisp walks, hot cups of tea and good books. Our cell and internet coverage is spotty at best so I’m hoping this post gets to you on time. Welcome to the last Saturday Meanderings of November. It’s always a bit sad to see one of my favorite months end as we will now be fully embedded in the holiday crush.

Thanksgiving

I hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends. My husband spatchcock an 18 lb. turkey for just the three of us so happy days ahead with turkey leftovers. Since we had the whole family here a few weeks ago celebrating an early holiday, this Thanksgiving was calm, quiet and surprisingly enjoyable.

Failed DIY Project

My husband sent me this post on Instagram on dyeing pinecones red.

Having lots of pinecones, I decide to try this, following the instructions.

Here is the final result. I certainly don’t see a vibrant red color and actually some of the pinecones had a pale pink creepy residue on them.

They certainly do not look like the photo in the IG post. Not sure if I did something wrong~cheap red food color? I let them soak (submerged) overnight and a half day. Has anyone else tried to do this with success? Next step, I will probably just spray paint them red.

A Few Successful DIY projects

As you know, I am not one who does many DIY projects. But for some reason this week I got the bug because I was inspired by others. Last Saturday, I posted the salt dough ornaments from Eleanor Rose Home. Since I received this wooden mold from Amazon (still awaiting my second one), I try making them.

Here’s a sneak peak because I will be writing a full blog post about this shortly.

I do not know why I’m a bit obsessed about anything gingerbread this year, but I do try my hand at making a plain, brown cardboard house look like one. Again, I want to include this in a future post.

Changing Insurance

Insurance rates in Arizona have skyrocketed since 2020. After the near heart attack I had after receiving our recent bill, I decide to go out to bid for our house, car and umbrella insurance. If you are experiencing high rates, you may want to consider doing this. It is not an easy task, as everything is now done either online or via phone. After 5 hours (yes, 5 hours) on the phone with a new insurance provider, we end up saving thousands of dollars (yes, thousands).

However, since our home was built in 1910, and it’s been standing for over 110 years, the insurance companies get nervous about insuring it. Even though we’ve never filed a claim, they still are always concerned about insuring it properly. I literally spent days this week taking photographs of every room. For the most part, we keep our home fairly neat, but we have a room or two (or three) that aren’t as organized as the others. Of course, I did try and tidy those rooms up before taking the picture. Just what you want to be doing Thanksgiving week. Sigh.

Mary’s Must Haves with Holiday Savings

I am not an expert on Black Friday, Blue Friday or Cyber Monday sales but it appears that now is the time to compare prices and buy what you need.Many things I would recommend are not on sale but I am surprised these items are significantly discounted.

My favorite face moisturizer of all time is 48% off today at $27.00. Not sure how long this sale will end, but yesterday, I bought two of them. See it here.

Our electric kettle at the cabin leaks when you pour it into a cup. I will be buying this one today because it is 29% off at $24.99.

We have this kettle in Phoenix and use it all the time. I’ve shared this with you before but this is the best price I’ve seen so far. See the link here.

My hair is fine and straight and it only has some oomph and body because of this texturizer. A small squirt and applied to wet hair, it adds body after blow drying. Works for both straight and curly hair.

I have literally used this texturizer for years and LOVE it. Today it is a shocking 40% off at $12.00. It’s in my cart!

If you have an Apple Watch, what a deal today for this set of colorful watchbands. They are easy to switch out and compliment your outfit. A whopping 37% off at $11.99. Would be a great stocking stuffer!

My husband loves these LED Mason jar solar fairy lights~which are perfect for adding sparkle your holidays. They are waterproof and hangers are included if you want to use them outside.

At 40% off and priced at $23.99 for a set of 6, you cannot go wrong! See it here.

With the weather getting colder, here is an affordable door sweep weather stopper that will help keep out the cold and keep in the warm. In reading the reviews it also keeps our light and odor too. If you live in a drafty house, what an easy solution.

It comes in 4 colors and is 23% off at $13.99! See it here.

These are the BEST cordless table/desk lights ever! I use them on my dinner table and they cast a nice warm, welcoming light. Multiple colors are available and they are on sale (yes!) at 20% off at $39.99. I currently have 3 which is the perfect number for a dining table with 8 chairs. See it here.

I hate to be a broken record, but we are a big Nespresso family. This machine makes the best lattes, cappucinos, macchiatos and flat whites. Clearly, this is the lowest price I’ve seen it at 30% off at $454.30. Plus there is a monthly payment plan. Still a big purchase, but will be well worth it vs. spending your $$ at the local Starbucks and the money you would save on gas going through the drive-thru. Would be an amazing gift for the coffee lover in your home. See it here.

Getting Older

I often wonder when people feel “old”. As much as I try to remain youthful in my thinking, my body is telling me otherwise. Yesterday, my daughter and I hiked Mount Baldy, a rather challenging, 14.2 mile out and back trail near Eager, Arizona. The weather started out clear and quite cold, with rather high winds. I’m guessing with the wind chill the temperature was somewhere in the 20s.

With four layers on and two sets of gloves, I did feel appropriately dressed for the weather. However, I didn’t anticipate snow and ice on the trail. We hiked 2.5 miles in and storm clouds were blowing in rapidly so turned around and hiked 2.5 miles out. Just before we got to the car parking area, I tripped on a rock buried in the snow and my bad knee fell onto another rock buried in the snow.

A hot bath with Epsom salts seemed to help all the aches and pains…but I don’t like the fact that my body just doesn’t act like it used to. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

All in all it is a very beautiful hike and getting the chance to do it with my daughter and her two amazing dogs is a joyful experience.

Well, goodbye November and hello December! We head home today and the holiday decorating starts! I hope you are still relaxing after Thanksgiving and wishing you a wonderful rest of the weekend.

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. My blog may contain other affiliate links but not all links have affiliations. I truly love to share products that I have personally tried and highly recommend.

Happy Saturday, friends! It is beautiful fall weather here in Phoenix. Why we couldn’t have had this last week for the Fall Styling Workshop I do not know. Cobalt blue skies, 58 degrees at night and warm during the day. Ahhhh, finally. This is the last Saturday Meanderings in October! What? Wait? How did that happen? October is one of my favorite months and it blew by. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Post Workshop Blues

As I organize and put things away from the Fall Styling Workshop, I’m feeling a bit blue. Not sure if I’m just tired or still recuperating from my kidney stone debacle. Last week our home was filled with friends and activities. Unfortunately, I received notice of the death of a neighbor and someone at church, too. This week is very quiet~perhaps it’s just the contrast. So I am trying to do things that fill my soul and resting a bit more than usual. Do you experience a let down after a big event?

Using Vintage Items for Flower Arrangements

We have a thrift store nearby (The Assistance League Thrift Boutique) that often has fabulous items at a very low price. A few months ago, I pick up these sweet cream soup bowls. I am alway amazed at how big contemporary dishes have become with larger serving sizes.

Chloe (Celebrate and Decorate) put these bowls to good use and made 5 flower arrangements with alstroemeria, carnations, mums, roses and greens.

Personally, I never thought to use these bowls in this way, but how clever! My recollection is that I spent about $2.50 per bowl. Would love to create Christmas arrangements and deliver them to all my neighbors as an attractive and affordable holiday gift.

Face Yoga

Have you heard of face yoga?

Face yoga works by targeting individual muscles in the face, either through certain facial movements or massaging your face with your hands and fingers.

Though these exercise won’t grow back lost fat in the face—only injections or cosmetic surgery can do that—they may help to bulk up some of the muscles.

I just signed up for face yoga sessions through the DailyOM called The 10-Minute Method to Naturally Tighten Your Face by Sadie Nardini. You may have to search for it as I tried linking to it and nothing happened.

Right now, I have completed 50% of the course and find myself doing weird face exercises in the shower, while I drive, etc. My face muscles are very tired upon completion of the exercise. I took a Before picture and will snap another in a month and see if there is any improvement. We can only hope.

Ginger Pear and Walnut Tart

Back in September, I shared a stunning video of Lisa from Celebrate Creativity making a ginger pear and walnut tart. Well, I made it this week and it is delicious. However, instead of using a 16″x4″ tart pan, I only have an 8″x8″ one. Since the area is the same (64″), I figure the same measurements will work. The recipe calls for 4 pears, but 2 pears will do it. In Lisa’s pictures, it appears she only uses 2 pears as well. Maybe pears are just bigger than usual.

I failed to take a picture of it after baking but here’s a photo from Lisa’s blog. Once I make it again, I will add more ginger to the steeping mixture and take photos! A perfect fall dessert.

Yarn Pumpkins

As part of our gift bags from the Fall Styling Workshop, Chloe made these pretty yarn pumpkins. She left a few unmade and, I must say, this is a rather relaxing DIY while sitting in front of the television. I am able to make two of them this week using both a stick and old pumpkin peduncle for the stems.

You can find this DIY here, at Celebrate and Decorate. Aren’t they cute?

A Fun Idea

This week I received the Garnet Hill catalogue. Check out the cover. A fun and simple idea for the holidays. I may try this in our library!

The Graphics Fairy

The Graphics Fairy is a resource for vintage images and crafty projects. Since I subscribe to their weekly email newsletter, every Friday I receive a free graphic. Here is this week’s one…so perfect for fall or Halloween.

Who remembers the owl theme I did last year on the outdoor stone fireplace mantel? To learn more about The Graphics Fairy or to sign up and get your free images, click here.

The Great British Baking Show

A new season has begun! I just love this show where bakers from all ages and backgrounds come together and B.A.K.E.!

This show inspires me to learn more about the intricacies and chemistry of pastry, bread, chocolate, cake, you name it. Plus who can resist those sweet work areas with pastel colored refrigerators and ovens. See it on Netflix.

Mary’s Must Haves

Often, I get people asking me to share my favorite, tried and true products. Or they have seen something on the blog but can’t find it at a later date. Each week I hope to produce “Mary’s Must Haves” and then create a tab at the top of the website for easy access. It will take some time to build a resource page, but I will be working on it and adding products each week.

Some of these items will have an affiliate link, others not. An affiliate link will allow me to make a few cents if you click on the link and purchase the product. This is absolutely at no cost to you, but consider it a gift to me for making your shopping experience a bit easier.

Battery Operated Milk Frother

Every day of every week I use this simple utensil to blend my Vital Proteins into my coffee or to make a cup of faux coffee (mushroom coffee). It’s only $14.99 (currently 25% off) and will froth milk, make whipped cream and easily blend any dry powder into your liquids. It works much better than a fork or whisk. Comes with a stand too. See it here.

Fresh Herbs at your Fingertips

My son and his girlfriend live in Chicago in a high rise apartment complex on the 36th floor. He loves to cook but does not have access to any outdoor or garden space. For Delaney’s birthday, I sent them this indoor hydroponic gardening system with a grow light that is small and easily fits in their living space.

They have great success growing fresh herbs all year long. Though a bit of an initial investment, think of all the money you will save not having to buy those small packets of fresh herbs at the grocery store. Would be an excellent gift for Christmas, too. It’s 43% off ~see it here.

Hair Care

With the weather changing with drier winter conditions, it’s important to pamper your hair. Mine is fine, straight and can be limp and dull without the right products. I am one of those people that doesn’t spend a lot of money on clothing or jewelry, but I do invest in my hair products. Think of it as a good return each and every time you look into the mirror.

Oribe has several different types of shampoo based on your type of hair. Personally I use two kinds~Oribe for Magnificent Volume (makes my fine hair look like much more hair). I also use the conditioner for Magnificent Volume.

The second product is Oribe for Beautiful Color (which I use right after seeing my hair stylist).

Each shampoo has an accompanying conditioner. Amazon sells the one for Beautiful color as a bundle. These products seem to last a long time as you only need a small amount to get suds.

Oribe has shampoo and conditioner for gray/silver hair too. The travel sizes are perfect when you are on the road.

With the holidays coming and wanting to look your best, you may want to try these products. I am overdue for a great haircut, but if you are like me and invest in a good stylist, it makes sense to use the right products too.

Well, that’s a wrap. Enjoy these last few days of October. Next time we chat will be another new month. Thanks for checking in.