You Gotta Check Out: Personal Creations

With today's mass production of stuff, it's difficult to find gifts for those you love that are unique, personal, and meaningful. Did I mention high-quality, but affordable, too? Leave that mega-manufactured gift on the shelf and go for something deeper that your recipient will really feel special about. Start clicking your way to Personal Creations and begin enjoying a shopping experience that elevates personal gift-buying to new heights and does it in so many unique ways.

One of my bestest friends lives in the same neighborhood as I do; we're only a couple streets away from each other. I can't say enough about this dedicated wife and mom other than I'm happy and proud to know her. I was given the chance to review a complimentary product from Personal Creations and thought no one was more deserving of a gift than my wonderful friend. I clicked over to Personal Creations and started to shop all the different categories of wonderful gifts. I enjoyed seeing the various options and was really impressed with the personalized flair each gift promised.

I finally decided on a very practical, yet personal gift to give my friend. With those cold Cleveland winters tapping at the front door, I thought no home should be without one of these types of blankets, an afghan throw. We keep 3 at-the-ready in our family room at all times! It was so easy to select the blanket and type-in the personalization that would make this afghan throw unique. Best of all, this $45-blanket was MADE IN THE USA - bonus!!!!!! I opted for the gift box so I could hand it to my friend the moment it arrived. And arrived it did - on time and I knew every step that box took along the way. Personal Creations keeps you informed via e-mail on when your package shipped, shares with you the FedEx tracking number, and also gives an estimated time of arrival. My package beat the odds by one day!

When the package arrived, it was pristine. I opened the carton, dug through lots of green peanuts, and found the gift box held closed by a skinny golden ribbon - nice touch. I did enter a card message during my order checkout but, alas, the card has yet to be found, but that was the only disappointment. My friend was really happy to have received such a personalized gift and I was very happy with the quality of the blanket and the embroidery.

For my friend, the missing card said, "I thought of who I could buy for and it was you! Thanks for being such a great and wonderful friend."

Quick and easy ordering, fast delivery, unique, high-quality gifts: I'll be personalizing many of my holiday gifts this season and I want you to give them a try, too!

Happy shopping!


Although Personal Creations provided me with $50 off any order to review their products and site, the opinions of my experience are represented honestly and are strictly my own. 

Gratitude Journal Monday

I love starting a Monday when it trails off of a fantastic weekend. No, there wasn't anything big or exciting about the weekend in particular, but there was revelation. It was Sunday, I was sitting in my living room curled up with my latest read, House Lust, and just had this feeling of peace come over me. I can't explain it but I hope you've been lucky enough to experience the same feeling in your own life. It was this feeling of pure contentment, not because things are perfect (because they are not), not because of anything being "just right". Happiness because of circumstance are ideals from giddy school-girl days when wisdom was scarce and emotions runneth over. I've grown-up a bit and have gained some wisdom in this area over the years. The happiness that came over me on Sunday was joy in its purest form and that was seeded inspite of circumstances. I've arrived in a pretty darn good place in my life. The wisdom comes from realizing I've been there all along.

Please share some of your own gratitude declarations and spread your wisdom to others.

326. I am thankful for the warm smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.
327. I am thankful my son still wants to help me make those cookies.
328. I am grateful each moment I spend with my family becomes nourishment for my soul and spirit.
329. I appreciate the work Super Hubby did in the yard this weekend; working together makes me happy.
330. I am grateful for the riches that come out of living a simple life, centered around God and family.

I'd love for you to start your own Gratitude Journal. If you want to know how I got started, click here.

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 67.

Pink pumpkins make me smile.

Goodbye fun week where I played more than I worked.
Goodbye knowing that those kind of weeks keep the wheels moving. Have you had one lately?
Goodbye turning my focus onto others and off of myself.
Goodbye knowing a helping hand always gives more than it takes.
Goodbye realizing time spent with others you love and adore is never, ever wasted.

Hello double commitments this weekend and being thankful friends are helping us make it all happen.
Hello wedding celebration and wishing the happy couple many joyous, blissful years together.
Hello Haunted Hayride and hoping rain drops don't dampen tonight's spooky spirit.
Hello Skylanders' release of a new video game and Giants - my son can hardly sleep.
Hello seeing the midnight hour just to get first dibs on all the products available - fun and exciting, for sure!

Prediction: hottest toy of the season!

Source

My lesson learned this week has the potential of changing many lives if you take action. If you're feeling down, if you're having one of those weeks, the fastest way to cure that heavy attitude is to go out there and help someone, anyone! When you are sad, angry, or just plain blah, and you need a quick pick-me-up, helping others is a drugless way to get you out of your rotten mood. And the best part is that euphoric feeling lasts for several days. So, get out there and help somebody, bake some cookies for a neighbor, spend some time sitting with a person that could use some company. Giving of yourself costs nothing short of what is most precious: time. But the return on investment is ten-fold for the soul. Please, consider this your assignment for the next week and see how good you feel afterwards!

Would love to have you share your own helping-hand experience so leave a comment and encourage others!

Writer Turns Author

Source

Thank you to BlogHer for honoring lil' ol' me in New York City as their 2012 Voices of the Year in the category Identity because I wrote this post. I was truly flabbergasted as it was my first post and, at the time, I hadn't even been blogging for even one year.

So, imagine my surprise when BlogHer informs all the Honorees that they want to make a collection of all the winning posts and create a book? Wow! My first book, kinda? I've always considered myself a writer. I write everyday. I write all day in my mind and wish I had a built-in recorder in my brain because I come up with some pretty good stuff. Unfortunately, it gets lost when the Starbucks cashier asks for my $5.45 and I stand there salivating and waiting in anticipation for that first sip of my Caramel Macchiato (gotta have priorities, girls).

But I've crossed over, I guess? I've been a writer because of this blog. I share my words daily with thousands that visit my little home on the Internet each month. And, I've even been paid for some of the posts I have written (always indicated in the disclosure of the post). But a book?!?!?!?!? That's different. That turns me into an author, no? Either way, I'll still keep writing, I'll still keep sharing, and, maybe one day, my name will be on the cover of my very own book! Who knows?

Without further ado, here's the cover of the new book and I'm in there somewhere! Hopefully, my words are doing what I want them to do: inspiring others beautifully.

Currently available through Kindle Store and iTunes Store.

What I Made Wednesday {Simple Apple Crisp}

It's Fall and that means enjoying the wonderful apple harvest. Whether it's applesauce, applesauce cake, or even this simple apple crisp, filling your house with the aroma of apples, cinnamon, and sugar is an opportunity you don't want to miss. This recipe is borrowed from my father-in-law, but with slight modification to the butter, flour, and sugar content. Enjoy!

What You'll Need 
8 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I like Empire for this recipe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons water

For Topping
7 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour

What You'll Do
To begin, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grab a square baking dish and butter it lightly.

Peel and slice your apples, leaving the core. Place apple slices in baking dish.

Sprinkle salt, cinnamon, and water over the apples.

Stir to share that cinnamon-love with all.

The Topping

Slice the butter into cubes. Place in a bowl, along with the sugar and flour.

Using your hands, blend the mixture together until crumbly and spread over apples.

Place on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven for 35 minutes, or until top browns.

What You'll Need to Know to Finish

When you take it out of the oven, let the apple crisp sit for about 15 minutes to cool down slightly. If you can wait, as Super Hubby clearly could not, scoop the apple crisp into a bowl and scoop some vanilla ice cream to the side. A-la-mode is the best and nearest to the taste of heaven I've ever experienced.

When you're ready to eat some more, be sure to warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds just to make it cozy again.


What's your favorite Autumnal food?

Going Local: Beckwith Orchards Cider Mill and Gift Shop

There was a time I used to be my family's entertainment director. Blame it on burn-out, blame it on getting old, I've since retired the position as of late and Super Hubby has picked up the load. Super Hubby did not disappoint with his latest family adventure: Beckwith Orchards Cider Mill and Gift Shop in Kent, Ohio. Not our usual stomping ground for autumnal activities, but our old go-to place, Pattersons, got to be so over-crowded. I guess word got out that Fall wasn't Fall without a visit to Pattersons and so people have been coming in droves. Well, for families with older children who are looking for a more casual, less congested, relaxing afternoon gathering gourds and apples, Super Hubby found a goldmine!

Small but quaint describes this 125-year old family farm. We arrived to the bellowing sound of an Irish folk-band playing on the porch. Right away, the banjo-picked notes told me this experience was going to be different. Our son scouted the premises near the old, red barn and laid claim to a robustly plump, orange gourd that was destined to guard our front porch for the next 15 days.

Scrumptious smells from the food truck tempted us to change our lunch plans, but we resisted. I promise you, the next time we are there, I'm making a bee-line for the food truck! When we entered the house-turned-store, there were even more aromatic greetings. The welcoming committee included warm greetings from homemade cookies, freshly baked pies, and steaming hot or ice cold apple cider. Oh, the apple cider!!!!!! We could not get enough of that sweet nectar. Honestly, the best I've ever tasted!

The gift shop is filled with unusual items that instantly bring warmth to any home. I wanted one of each but remembered my cluttered home and resisted the temptation. But, consumables don't count, so pick yourself some jams, jellies, and spreads to take home and enjoy.

Back from the hunt.

 We moseyed to their fruit market and picked up a half peck of Empire apples to make apple crisp (tomorrow's What I Made Wednesday, stay tuned). The pricing was reasonable and the apples did not disappoint.

We left him unattended, but still no kitten.

Behind all of this activity sits a serene farm, set with acres and acres of apple trees all in a row. The rolling hills welcome visitors to walk the grounds and enjoy the sweetness that lingers in the air. If walking isn't your thing, then bring your bike and ride! Beckwith's is located right next to the Portage County Hike and Bike Trail.

So, get out of your comfort zone this season and try a new orchard. You never know when your discovery becomes a brand new family tradition. Beckwith's has certainly earned that title for us.

Beckwith Orchards
1617 Lake Rockwell Rd.
Kent, OH  44240
Phone:  (330) 673-6433    

I was not compensated in any way for this post and all opinions are my own. 

Gratitude Journal Monday

Dearest friends, don't waste one more day being grumpy. Don't spend one more hour without a smile on your face. I know what you're saying: "She doesn't know what I'm going through. If she did, she wouldn't say such ridiculous things." OK, maybe I don't know what you're going through specifically, but I do know that whatever it is, it, too, shall pass. So, smile when you don't feel like. Talk when you want to clam-up. And express gratitude when you find it hard to see all your blessings. In your somber mood you won't want to do any of these things. Force yourself and you'll find your hard shell start to soften. You may not be in control of your feelings, but you are in control of your doings and of your thinking. Being able to change the latter two on purpose will change your life. Oh, happy day!

321. I am grateful my family gives me time alone during some of the weekend.
322. I am grateful for spontaneously-made dinner dates that turn out to be so much fun.
323. I appreciate the time and effort people put into having us over for dinner.
324. I am thankful my son understands that doing some homework during the weekend makes for an easier week for us all.
325. I really appreciate Huntington Bank's Overdraft Protection saving my behind as I completely forgot to transfer money after paying bills last week - oops! (Too many balls in the air, lately.)

Happy Monday!