{Local Gift Giving Guide} State of Florida

are you ready for this upcoming season of giving? i can't believe that we are in the thick of the holiday season!

something i love to do for holiday gifting is give my favorite locally made goods to my loved ones. often times family members get excited about specific brands and makers and ask tons of questions. it makes it fun for me and i think it is a great way to support the businesses in our own communities!

today i'm sharing about Florida made gift ideas! our family who lives there is based on the gulf side, so i'm always trying to find new local prizes when i go and visit or need to mail a gift of sorts. Florida is a big state, so these ideas are by no means inclusive of all the local made goodness.

+ local foods
every place has their favorite foods! what about a gift card to an independent restaurant? a bottle of wine from a local Florida winery? maybe Rosa Fiorelli Winery + Vineyard? a growler or tshirt from a local brewery? like Cigar City Brewing?

what about a tasty canned good or holiday style treat? are you a canner? could you pull from your personal jarred up stash? or pick something up from Detwiler Market in Sarasota or Venice? you can head to my favorite Nokomis Groves and find everything to make a gift basket!

+ handmade items
someone on your list need a new necklace? handmade plant stand? locally created stationary? an art print for their office? try a shop that focuses on supporting makers from your area - maybe Just/Because on St. Armand's Circle. i'm dying to get over to the newly opened Spider Lily Finery - go check it out and let me know how great it is!!

and don't forget you can always do a quick search on etsy to support makers from all over during their best selling time of the year!

+ long time local favorites
how about a gift card to a long time local restaurant like Cafe Alcazar - local, fresh cuisine in a lovely location seems like a great Sunday lunch date idea! or to Goff's Drive In... make an ice cream party basket and stick in a little gift card to head over for a mango shake!

okay, so this is where i need your help! do you have a favorite Florida made present you like to give? do you have a favorite way to support local while shopping for your holiday gifts? write in the comments and let me know!

happy gifting!

{Local Gift Giving Guide} State of Indiana

are you ready for this upcoming season of giving? i guess it is really time to start getting ready for family gatherings and winter gifts!

something i love to do for the holiday season is give my favorite locally made goods to my loved ones. often times family members get excited about specific brands and makers and ask tons of questions. it makes it fun for me and i think it is once again a great way to support the businesses in our own communities!

today i'm sharing about Indiana made gift ideas! I was super inspired about the gifting possibilities during our summer visit to Bloomington, Indiana... so I remembered a few great places to share with you here on the blog! {no special treatment or compensation for mentioning these businesses or products on my blog}


+ local foods
every place has their favorite foods! what about a gift card to a local orchard, an independent restaurant or mom + pop bakery? or are you a canner? could you pull from your personal jarred up stash?

We really enjoyed eating at FARM {click here for their website} + grabbing burgers at Upland Brewing Co. {website here} in Bloomington. I think I'd like to try Late Harvest Kitchen the next time we head to Indianapolis {website here}.

If you decide to eat at FARM you can also try their FARM market while you are there {link here}. Or pick up locally roasted coffee beans from Hopscotch Coffee {click here}

+ handmade items and independent stores
someone on your list need a new tshirt? handmade ceramic mug? a tote bag for dance class? some new stationary? try a shop that focuses on supporting makers from your area.

a few of the favorite shops we hit up while in bloomington...

By Hand Gallery {link to artist collaborative here}

The Green Nursery {link to independent shop here}

Gather :handmade shoppe & Co: {link to handmade shoppe here}

and don't forget you can always do a quick search on etsy to support makers from all over during their best selling time of the year!


+ long time local favorites
you know the mom + pop store that everyone has loved for years. yes, you can make a gift of that... how about a couple bottles of wine from Oliver Winery {link here}? I know a few people who have loved getting such goodies from me in the past!


okay, so this is where i need your help! do you have a favorite Indiana made present you like to give? do you have a favorite way to support local while shopping for your holiday gifts? write in the comments and let me know!


happy gifting!

::this post was originally shared on slow, simple, self in november 2015::

{Local Gift Giving Guide} State of Ohio

hello thoughtful gifters, are you ready for this upcoming season of giving? i can't believe that it is almost time for the holidays!

something i love to do for the holiday season is give my favorite locally made goods to my loved ones. often times family members get excited about specific brands and makers and ask tons of questions. it makes it fun for me and i think it is once again a great way to support the businesses in our own communities!

today i'm sharing about Ohio gift ideas! {please note that this post has many links that take you directly to Ohio businesses. i am intrigued by these businesses and have received nothing for putting them in my blog post.}

+ local foods
every place has their favorite foods! what about a gift card to a local orchard, brewery, an independent restaurant or mom + pop bakery?

Carillon Brewery Co. in Carillon Historical Park in Dayton.
Wheat Penny Oven & Bar in Dayton.
Sunrise Cafe in Yellow Springs.
Wildflower Cafe in Mason.
Skillet near German Village.
Wolf's Ridge Brewing in Columbus.
Casa Nueva in Athens.
Ale House 1890 in Lancaster.
Fowl and Fodder in Toledo.
Cleveland Independents ::MANY places to eat on this link, i might make a personal quest to eat at each place:: around Cleveland area.

or could you find a holiday style treat at a public market? i love picking up local granola, honey or maple syrup to gift. there are many places to shop...

North Market in Columbus.
Second Street Market in Dayton.
West Side Market in Cleveland.
Findlay Market in Cincinnati.

are you a canner? could you pull from your personal jarred up stash? or pick something up from one of these stores... you might want to pick up some spices or chocolates to gift too!

Ashery Country Store in Fredricksburg.
Dorothy Lane Market in the greater Dayton area.
Mustard Seed Market & Cafe in North East Ohio area.

+ handmade items
someone on your list need a new tshirt? handmade ceramic mug? a tote bag for dance class? some new stationary? try a shop or pop up market that focuses on supporting makers from your area.

5th Street Arcades in Cleveland.
Crafty Mart in Akron.
Celebrate Local in the Easton Shopping Center in Columbus.
Urban Handmade in Yellow Springs.
Miami Valley Pottery in Yellow Springs.

and don't forget you can always do a quick search on etsy to support makers from all over during their best selling time of the year!


+ long time local favorites
you know the mom + pop store that everyone has loved for years. yes, you can make a gift of that... just some creative brainstorming and you can make a themed gift basket out of anything! {movie night in with a red box gift card and local snacks, a salsa gift basket with a few salsas and locally made tortilla chips... sounds pretty great to me!}

Ohio is pretty stocked when it comes to historical favorites of the donut and snack food variety...

Becker's Donuts in Lorain.
Bill's Donuts in Centerville {um, open 24 hours.}.
Mikesell's Potato Chips in Dayton.
Grippo's Snacks in Cincinnati.


okay, so this is where i need your help! do you have a favorite Ohio made present you like to give? what other states would you like to see a Local Gift Giving Guide created for? write in the comments and let us know!

happy holiday shopping!

::{Local Gift Giving Guide} State of Ohio was originally posted in november 2015 on slow, simple, self::

{Local Gift Giving Guide} How to Give Locally Made Gifts

hello folks, are you ready for this upcoming season of giving? i can't believe that it is almost time for thinking about the holidays!

something i love to do for the holiday season is give my favorite locally made goods to my loved ones. often times family members get excited about specific brands and makers and ask tons of questions. it makes it fun for me and i think it is once again a great way to support the businesses in our own communities!

i thought this would be a perfect time to consider how to give locally made gifts. here are a few tips i have for you...

+ local foods
every place has their favorite foods! i am sure in every city there is a favorite bakery or even a few independent restaurants... we like to snag a few gift cards for our friends + family.

check out a local market that carries independent + local foods. we make at least one trip over to North Market each year in Columbus. even more locally we like to shop at the Second Street Market in Dayton a few times each season. sometimes the hours of operation can be tricky but make a fun outing - grab breakfast and holiday shop on a Saturday morning!

when considering local food one could also create a darling gift from canned goods. i'm talking pretty in the jar goods that either you or someone else thoughtfully put in the jar themselves. our local orchard carries tons of great jellies and jams and we've been known to gift Ohio maple syrup or my very own apple butter.

+ clothing or other handmade items
of course i am a huge fan of shopping {etsy.com}. supporting makers from all over is very important to me. so i totally believe that if you are looking for something particular and you want a quality made item you could easily find someone on etsy making a wonderful product. that is an avenue worth pursuing. you might also want to find out if you have a local store that supports many makers in your area - many of the makers might even have their own etsy store as well. i've mentioned it before but i like shopping at celebrate local in the easton shopping center in columbus if we are in the area. Or the ever reliable urban handmade in yellow springs {they opened a new location over the summer and it looks super great - check it out!}. shops like these often have t-shirts, bags, winter gloves, gorgeous pottery and other usable goods that might make you think of someone on your list.

+ long time local favorites
you know the mom + pop store that everyone has loved for years. yes, you can make a gift of that... around my home state we have a serious love of potato chips and donuts... i'm sure we can create a cute gift basket out of such goodies.


okay, so this is where i need your help! i have loads of ideas for Ohio made gifts and will be telling you more about that next week. what other states would you like to see a Local Gift Giving Guide? or do you have a favorite way to support local while shopping for your holiday gifts? write in the comments and let me know!

what state do you want to see a Local Gift Giving Guide for?

::this post is an update from november 2015::

oh dear, december...

hello friends,

december has been quite the month!

visiting with family and friends, preparing for the holidays, celebrating my favorite guy's birthday... oh and how can i not mention - we are still settling into our new house!

but things are moving along, i even sent out holiday cards! it is all kinds of pleasant around here.

hooray for our dear, december! tomorrow is winter solstice! i cannot believe it is here. may the ohio weather not be rain and maybe we can enjoy some chilly fresh air without getting wet on such a magical day of the year.

have a lovely monday. only a few more sleeps until christmas...

{Local Gift Giving Guide} How to Give Locally Made Gifts

hello folks, are you ready for this upcoming season of giving? i can't believe that it is almost time for the holidays!

something i love to do for the holiday season is give my favorite locally made goods to my loved ones. often times family members get excited about specific brands and makers and ask tons of questions. it makes it fun for me and i think it is once again a great way to support the businesses in our own communities!

i thought this would be a perfect time to consider how to give locally made gifts. here are a few tips i have for you...

+ local foods
every place has their favorite foods! i am sure in every city there is a favorite bakery or even a few independent restaurants... we like to snag a few gift cards for our friends + family.

check out a local market that carries independent + local foods. we make at least one trip over to North Market each year in Columbus. even more locally we like to shop at the Second Street Market in Dayton a few times each season. sometimes the hours of operation can be tricky but make a fun outing - grab breakfast and holiday shop on a Saturday morning!

when considering local food one could also create a darling gift from canned goods. i'm talking pretty in the jar goods that either you or someone else thoughtfully put in the jar themselves. our local orchard carries tons of great jellies and jams and we've been known to gift Ohio maple syrup or my very own apple butter.

+ clothing or other handmade items
of course i am a huge fan of shopping {etsy.com}. supporting makers from all over is very important to me. so i totally believe that if you are looking for something particular and you want a quality made item you could easily find someone on etsy making a wonderful product. that is an avenue worth pursuing. you might also want to find out if you have a local store that supports many makers in your area - many of the makers might even have their own etsy store as well. i've mentioned it before but i like shopping at celebrate local in the easton shopping center in columbus if we are in the area. Or the ever reliable urban handmade in yellow springs. shops like these often have t-shirts, bags, winter gloves, gorgeous pottery and other usable goods that might make you think of someone on your list.

+ long time local favorites
you know the mom + pop store that everyone has loved for years. yes, you can make a gift of that... around my home state we have a serious love of potato chips and donuts... i'm sure we can create a cute gift basket out of such goodies.


okay, so this is where i need your help! i have loads of ideas for Ohio made gifts and will be telling you more about that on wednesday. what other states would you like to see a Local Gift Giving Guide? or do you have a favorite way to support local while shopping for your holiday gifts? write in the comments and let me know!

what state do you want to see a Local Gift Giving Guide for?

a little mugswapping

good morning! if you've been clicking through my instagram recently you might have noticed that i participated in this year's mugswap hosted by cuppakim! {thanks Kim for your hosting awesomeness and for making sure everyone had the opportunity to give joy to someone else!}

this was my second year joining the mugswappin' goodness. and this year i felt moved to say a few words about the experience. 

i really super-enjoyed my mugswap experiences. lots of people love mugs and lots of those people love coffee or tea. so already we're off to something great, right? but the really cool thing is that the mugswap is all based on the idea of surprising and giving to someone else. the best and biggest surprise is for the family who gets the donated dollars toward their upcoming adoptions. but of course you get to surprise your mugswap buddy too!


so both years i had a great time pulling together a little coffee themed care package for a momma living in a different state. my first year i surprised a great gal from Texas! and this year my mugswap partner resides in Michigan! just by sharing a little gift, a virtual mug of coffee (if you will), a couple personal touches, and a handwritten note makes for fast IG friends. happy mail day for the win!

so if next August swings around and you are looking for a fun way to send around some cheerfulness check out cuppakim's IG for when you can sign up and get in on the fun! if all goes well i think i might be up for a third year!

happy muggin' ;)

Local Love (Spotted Cow Paper :: Columbus, Ohio)

hey friends! i thought i would share a little fun greeting card that i picked up for my sister's birthday this summer. 

when i heard of the spotted cow paper fill in the blank greeting cards i thought it was really a clever idea. then when i learned that the makers are sisters - it solidified that i needed a card from those sisters for my dear sister!

 

super sweet + fun. just like my sis. it was perfect + she loved it!

i will definitely remember them when shopping for a fun card for the next big occasion!

::Please note that this post is entirely of my thoughts. I did not receive any gifts or any prompting to promote this specific product or brand. This blog series is to celebrate the great products that are made in my home state of Ohio. The photos on this post are mine. ::

Sew Lovely {Simple Baby Blankets}

Recently I've really enjoyed sewing up a few super simple and sweet baby blankets!

They are the perfect gift with a little book or toy for a favorite little one.

After doing some hunting around online for a few baby blanket tutorials I found this post {from Liz via Momtastic} most helpful. Find some cute + soft fabric, pin away and sew a strong edge to hold it in place.

Honestly, so easy... and all the babies who I sent these out to for Christmas apparently LOVE them and their mommas gave rave reviews... {think of phrases like "can't leave home without" "cuddles with just before nap time" + "so easy to toss in the car on our way to grammies house"}

We all enjoy an easy to do sewing project for babies that we love, right?! I think I'm going to attempt a bigger set for a few toddlers I know :)

Simple Family Journaling: Our Monthly Love Notes

After the turn of the new year, I noticed lots of journaling ideas floating around on blogs that I adore. I think that many families want to find an easy way to hold on to newly made memories. Some of the ideas I've read about are easy, some take a bit more time. I thought I'd tell about the idea that we had late last year and have continued into 2013. It is easy enough for us, and maybe it will be easy to add {with personal touches, I'm sure} into the daily/weekly/monthly lives of others.

We call it our 'Love Notes' board. They aren't the "love notes" with beautiful handwriting that you might read over and over again while your favorite person is away on a work trip. They are more like 'happy thoughts' and events that happen during our month.

We chose to use a big chalkboard that was actually the program from our wedding. I love that this was our board's first official love note and I like that it now has a special purpose in our home.

photo taken by Life in Balance Photography

During the month we add notes about exciting days, events, or little tidbits that we want to remember. On the first day of the new month we photograph the board and then wipe it clean. The plan is to include board photos in a 2013 photo review that I'm attempting to create this year. I'm sure that these little notes will make it a bit easier to remember what some of our photos are and trigger some memories when we read our lists over again months and years later.

So there you have it. Our simple way of large group journaling {sometimes visitors enjoy adding onto our board as well}. It helps when your husband has gorgeous penmanship skills. {and I'm talking mad skills... the pretty writing is all his}

Creative Connections: Welcome Baby Greeting Card {a tutorial}

After making so many baby gifts recently {read about bibs and burp cloths} I've been interested in presenting these little gifts in beautiful ways. Sometimes a tired momma can be so rejuvenated by the simple gesture of a tiny wrapped gift for their favorite new person.

I've been working on wrapping a set of 'welcome baby gifts' for some brand-new people that I plan to meet very soon! They needed something special... a special handmade card...

Sweet, right?

Super easy too. All you need are a few items and away you go...

1. Gather: 

~A map that you no longer need and is ready for repurposing

~glue stick

~markers and/or letter stamps and stamp pad for lettering and message

~sewing machine and thread

~cardstock cut to your desired size {I used precut 4x6 textured cards}

~cute paper or decorative tape for extra details

2. Sew across top of card and carefully trim extra thread. 

 ::I like to add some decorative tape to the back to ensure the thread stays put. We typically have to travel in order to give out gifts and this is to make sure the wrapping is as sturdy as possible::

3. Cut out mini flags, arrange, and add to the top of card with glue.

  ::I don't worry about cutting each flag exactly the same but there are lots of paper punches that would work well for this card if you prefer using punches instead of scissors::

{I chose two different flag shapes for the different cards I made}

4. Stamp or letter the card.
::I selected 'welcome to the world' to stamp underneath the map bunting::

5. Add a personal message.
::Something simple and sweet will do just fine::

I just love these baby gifts all wrapped up and ready to go!  

{I'm not sharing baby's name on the gift today. Sorry for the scratched out look, but the family hasn't shared the new name on their blog yet. So I'm following their lead.}

Do you have a favorite handmade gift for growing families?

I'm linking up with {Made with Love Monday} on sewchatty.com Check out all the fun projects shared this week!
This post is also linked up with Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop!

Sew Lovely: Baby Burp Cloths

Recently I've been working on lots of items for baby showers and "welcome baby gifts". So many little families are growing a bit bigger.  After making several baby bibs, I decided to try something else with the idea of sweet and functional for new babies... simple burp cloths.

There are many tutorials out there. After taking suggestions from a few experienced sewing gals and checking out these website {links below} I felt inspired to begin a few creations for a special pregnant mama and several new mothers that I know. I chose to use three ply cloth diapers and dress them up with some darling fabrics (often coordinating with gifted baby bibs, incase mama wants to head out for dinner with a cute feeding set). 

Basket o Burpies by Abby from Feathered Nest

Celebrate Baby Tutorial by Dana from danamadeit.com

How to Make a Burp Cloth with Hillary from the Petite Lemon Blog


Who knew that keeping a baby tidy would lead to so many handmade goodies!