Reviewing A Coffee Mug For Writers

Gift Idea For The Writer...

Writing Center image courtesy of Pixabay.com

I have mentioned before that I like to drink my coffee in whimsical mugs. Recently I have been looking at gift ideas for the coming holidays and found one that is perfect for myself and really all of the contributors here on Review This. 

Most of my time of late has been spent working on my first novel. Over the years I have started several but I would give up; realizing that they just weren't ready to be written yet. Last month a thought popped into my addled brain, I let it sit there for a day or two. To be honest I was reluctant to do much with it because I wasn't sure that I was up to it. A bit of insecurity, perhaps; whispers from those unwritten ones taunting me that I wouldn't get far so just let it go. One would be surprised what goes on in a head filled with stories that refuse to come out! 

Without going into a lot of detail, the characters and the story just wouldn't go away. It was like this group was insisting to be set free. (They probably got tired of the crowded living conditions in my head!) So, I sat down and worked on an outline of the possible plot. The story has flowed...

So, what pray tell does this all have to do with a review on a coffee mug? It is just a little back story to explain why I was looking for gifts for writers. It also explains a little as to why this particular mug appealed to me.

Coffee Mug For A Writer

When I first saw the saying on the mug, it made me giggle. The whimsical statement reminded me of another woman that I knew years ago who was an author. During a conversation that the two of us were having, I made a sarcastic remark about something. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Oh I love that! I'm going to use that in my next book!" She preceded to write my comment down. Being a "wanna be" author myself at the time, I was intrigued at her observations of every day life to incorporate into a story. What I have come to realize as I have worked on my book is that IS exactly what a writer does. We take past experiences and make them funny or mysterious or tragic. Our characters are combinations of people that we know. My main character looks like a female celebrity that I have always admired, her personality has a little bit of myself combined with other women I have known. She isn't a replica of any one of us but a melding of traits from several people.

Anyway, I've digressed a little here. I think that the coffee mug above would be a fun gift for anyone who writes. I know I would love to have it! I think that if you have a writer or even a budding writer on your gift list it might work for them, too.

On a side note: my book is finished and in the editing phase. My characters are so strong in my head that they still have more to do and say. I'm working now on the second book of what will be a series. I will accept no more taunting from those unfinished books in the peanut gallery of my brain....

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Susan Deppner

I haven't spoken online yet anywhere about the loss last week of friend and co-worker Susan Deppner (Susan52) because I am still in a state of disbelief even though I knew Susan was  unwell and her time was limited. However, as most of her friends online now know, she is gone.

As Sylvestermouse, said in her goodbye to Susan, “The death of a precious friend is never easy. When that friend is someone you interact with on a daily basis, it leaves a huge hole in your life that can never be filled again.” That is so true. No one will take Susan's place in my life online.

Susan described herself on Hubpages as a “baby boomer who enjoys reading, writing, cooking, spending quality time with her family, and consuming therapeutic quantities of dark chocolate.” She wrote about those subjects, too. About food, recipes, books and of course about the Kindle but also about so much more as is evidenced by her work on that platform.

Susan also shared family recipes on her blog, Recipes for Real People. I love the image in the upper corner of her two favorite kitchen helpers who have grown up and now have their own kitchens. Because I am from a different part of the continent, Susan often introduced me to new recipes like her Loco Moco, her Pink Pickled Eggs and her Dump Cake.

I am sad that I will never again hear Susan’s words of encouragement and advice.

I am sad that I will not hear what is going on in her life.

I am even sad that Susan and I won’t be discussing what is for supper, a subject close to our hearts and to our stomachs.

I am sorry that Susan and I never had the opportunity to meet face to face especially after supporting each other online for about a decade.

I noticed the following description on Susan’s Google+ profile this morning and I think it sums up her spirit very well.

Susan Deppner

Writer. Teacher. Encourager.

Worked at Life from the Inside Out.

Susan, you will be missed. This flower is for you.

Love always,
Brenda

P.S. Susan, if you are reading this. I did notice that you used a comma after the word 'and' in the list of things you enjoyed doing, which you will remember was a subject of some lively debate in our masterminds group and of course I was in the no comma camp. We sure covered a lot of ground in our discussions over the years; it was an absolute pleasure knowing you.

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Gifts for Your Vegan Teenage Daughter

Photo by Lou of Lou's Designs

When your teenage daughter becomes a vegan there's a lot of adjusting to do in order to accommodate her diet, but just when you think things are going well - boom!  It's her birthday or Christmas and you have to come up with gift ideas that fit in with her vegan ethos!

So, what do you get your vegan teenage daughter as a gift?  Well if you look at a number of different gift ideas for vegans they seem to revolve around food - items like a spiralizer or a nutribullet, not really something a teen living at home would appreciate!

In this post I want to review some of the gift ideas I'm contemplating for my own vegan teen and hopefully that will help other people searching for a vegan friendly gift idea.

Gift Ideas Your Vegan Teenage Daughter WILL Love!

• Vegan Jewelry
• Lush Bath & Beauty Products
• Vegan Dreamcatcher
• Cotton Mandala
• Vegan Chocolate
• Vegan T-Shirt
• Vegan Cosmetics
• Vegan Clutch
• Vegan Mug
• Adopt an Elephant

Vegan Jewelry

There are some awesome pieces of jewelry which I know my own daughter would love, but I particularly like the pieces of jewelry that declare their stance.  If your daughter is a little quieter or more introverted about her ideals then this piece may not be the best one for her!

 Hypoallergenic Bracelet with a Vegan Message

There are lots of other types of vegan jewelry available including vegan leather or vegan suede wrap bracelets and/or choker necklaces, wrapped beaded jewelry and many others to choose from.

Lush Bath & Beauty Products

My daughter and her cousins absolutely love Lush - I think of it as their generation's Body Shop!

Lush's natural products are great to use and they have vegan products available as well - my daughter had a selection of bath bombs given to her last year by her (also Lush devotees) cousins.

She has since added to her selection of Lush body products from body scrubs to face soaps, shampoos and more, despite this I know she'd love more of them - this seems to be something they can't get too much of!

Vegan Dreamcatcher

Although my daughter does have a dreamcatcher it doesn't stop her looking at other ones and apparently you can have more than one!  This is a gift that I gave to my eldest niece a couple of years ago that is still finding it's way onto teen's gift lists.

There's lots of different dreamcatchers to choose from, but I do think this vegan dreamcatcher from Etsy would be a very popular choice.

 Vegan Dreamcatcher with Tree of Life

Cotton Mandala

Mandala Photo by Lou16

Mandalas are very popular and can be used in a range of different ways.

My daughter has a gorgeous one that she puts over her bed like a bedspread (as you can see in the photo)  Her best friend, however uses hers as a wall hanging.  You can even get circular mandala style beach towels as well!

The range of mandalas available are amazing and it's really hard to choose just one to feature.  I do like the colors in my daughter's existing one, but she would like another one so that she can swap them out when she want's a change!

 100% Hand Printed Organnic Cotton Indian Mandala Wall Hanging

Vegan Chocolate

Let's face it most teenage girls love their chocolate and it's not always easy to find vegan chocolate, certainly not as easy as regular chocolate.  I think when my daughter first became a vegan this was one food that she really missed having, although we've found a few ways of indulging her sweet tooth with cacao energy balls and the like.

 Chocolate Truffle Collection (24 pieces) - Gluten Free, Milk Free, Egg Free, ...

Of course you don't have to give them a box of chocolates, you could give them a gift bag with lots of different chocolate bars and other vegan candy for them to indulge in.

Image by Lou16

Vegan T-Shirts or Other Clothing

There's lots of different pieces of vegan clothing that you can choose from, but with every teen they seem to have their own style and if their mom chooses something then it can't be cool!   The only piece of clothing that it seems safe to buy a teen without getting the exact details from them seems to be a t-shirt.

Now you may have a different relationship with your child so go ahead and buy them whatever type of clothing they'll wear, but for my daughter I'm trying to decide which funny vegan inspired tee will make her smile!

 Womens I Don't Eat My Friends Funny Vegan Vegetarian T Shirt Medium Royal Blue

Vegan Cosmetics, Make-Up Brushes, Nail Polish

Unfortunately my daughter does have a bit of teenage acne so she's always looking for skin products to help with that.  As well as turning to a vegan diet she has been moving towards natural skin care and now likes to embrace vegan products (especially from Lush!).

She does have some cosmetics that she does use, but I know she wants to get vegan products when she buys any more.   She already has a set of vegan make up brushes, but if she didn't I would make up a little gift box and add brushes, cosmetics and even nail polish.

Stop the presses!  I've found a couple of brushes that she could add to her existing set that are also vegan, one is a double sided concealer brush which looks amazing.  The other one is for applying powder and sounds like it would do a much better job than the brush she is currently using.  You can find both of them through Arbonne, just click here.

What teen wouldn't love a 'beauty' box, especially an all natural, vegan based one.

Vegan Clutch or Bag

There are lots of different types of vegan bags that you could get as a gift for your teen depending on their personal style.  My daughter loves the clutch style of purse and I think she'll totally flip for some of the cork clutches you can get like this one...

 Vegan Cork Wallet Purse for Women - Eco Friendly Durable Cork Clutch Bags

Vegan Mug

A mug isn't always something you think of for a teenager, but my daughter does like statement mugs so I thought one that says something funny or espousing her world views would be a great idea.  There are lots of mugs that she would probably like, but I decided on the one below.

It's basic and a message that she'd really like without being OTT.-  the colors are also pretty cool.

 .Peace.Love.Vegan. Two-Tone Coffee Mug

Now I do believe that mugs make great gift ideas whether the recipient drinks hot drinks or not.  When it comes to your teen you can add other things to the mug to make a cool gift, here's a few ideas -

• Fill with vegan candy
• Gift with a selection of herbal teas, coffees or vegan hot chocolate mixes
• Vegan cake in a mug ingredients and recipe - this is a very popular option.  You can get a recipe, print it off for them (or write it out) and include all of the ingredients either bagged up in the mug or already mixed together in a mason jar with the mug.  Here's a cool recipe for a chocolate peanut butter vegan mug cake.

Adopt an Elephant

As vegans inherently love animals the idea of adopting an elephant, koala, polar bear or panda in their name is always a great idea.   Bev wrote this great article about adopting an elephant and I think my daughter would love this.

Like Bev's granddaughter my vegan teen absolutely adores elephants, so much so that she's talking about volunteering to look after injured elephants in Thailand during her gap year.

Please Pin Me!

I hope you've found some great gift ideas for the vegan in your life and please feel free to share these ideas with other people who are scratching their heads trying to think what to buy.  I do think that other vegans besides teenagers would probably also like some of these gift ideas.

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Brain Games 10 Minute Sudoku Puzzles Book Review

When I am stressed, anxious or just down-right bored, there is nothing like a Sudoku puzzle to help me focus and concentrate.   Finishing the puzzle gives me an inexplicable sense of accomplishment. 

I first discovered Sudoku years ago in a restaurant that had paper place-mats with Sudoku puzzles printed on them.  I was intrigued and immediately started working the puzzle in front of me.   Then it became a race between my husband and myself to see which of us could finish our puzzle first.  There were times when that was just downright funny.  Now I ask you, do you really think I would erase a few numbers from his box while he was giving his order to the waitress?  You bet I did!   No, I wasn't cheating.   Pencils marks don't completely vanish just because they have been erased.  I did it to devil him. 

The time waiting for our orders passed very quickly as we met our Sudoku challenge head on.  Actually, I recall several times when I was very annoyed to have my puzzle interrupted by the waitress trying to set down a plate of food.  Honestly, I think we continued to go to that restaurant more for the puzzles than for the food. 

That restaurant went out of business long ago, but my love for Sudoku was here to stay. 

Brain Games 10 Minute Sudoku Puzzles Book  

 Brain Games® 10 Minute Sudoku PuzzlesCheck PriceOne of my favorite gifts has to be a book of Sudoku puzzles.  When my mother discovered my obsession with Sudoku, my parents included a new book each year in my birthday and Christmas gifts.  Once I had a new book in my hands, the puzzles inside called to me.  It was often all I could do to stay present for the continued celebration when all I really wanted to do was slip off to a quiet place and work my Sudoku puzzles.

Sudoku puzzles are definitely available online.  I play those too.  But, I actually prefer the book, paper, and pencil form.  Again, this obsession and sense of accomplishment is fairly inexplicable.  

What can I say, I like numbers, puzzles and a challenge!  However, you don't have to be a math genius (I assure you, I am not!) to love Sudoku.

My favorite style of book is one with a spiral binding.  That way I can fold they pages back and leave the book open to my puzzle in progress.  Life sometimes interrupts my play and I like to be able to easily get back where I left off.

I also take books with Sudoku puzzles when we are traveling.  When highway boredom sets in, I grab my book and pencil and get down to the business of solving my latest puzzle.  Sadly, I can't do that if I am driving.  It truly is best to not Sudoku and drive! 

 Sudoku: 400+ Sudoku PuzzlesCheck Price Sudoku: Easy to MediumCheck Price SudokuCheck Price The Largest Sudoku BookCheck Price

 

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5 Important Tips to Keep Orchids Happy All Year-A Review

Orchids have become one of the most popular gifts for many occasions!  Let's Review how to keep  these orchids happy and growing.

 

Introduction

Orchids at one time were very expensive plants to buy.  Mainly it was because they did not multiply easily.  Science has made great inroads into cloning plants especially the Phalaenopsis Orchids or Butterfly Orchids.

These once elusive plants are now available to the everyday gardener and home garden.  Orchids that used to carry price tags of thousands of dollars are now within everyone's reach.

As you can see from these examples of Phalaenopsis orchids, they vary in color and some have stripes or dots of colors.  Some are plain solid colors while others are variegated.  There are endless varieties of this type of orchid available and at reasonable prices too.  Orchids are no longer a plant for only the rich, they are the plant for everyone!

Care of your Orchids

There are 5 really important tips to keep your orchids happy and growing.  They are not rocket science, rather, they are the conditions that will make them prosper and thrive.

1.  Indirect Bright Light
This is possibly the most important aspect of caring for orchids.  They don't want to be in direct sun.  They don't grow that way in their native settings and they don't like it when you bring them to your home.  If you have a nice sunny south facing window, your orchids will love it there, but only if there is a light curtain or shade between them and the window.

2. Watering
Most people love to go around watering their plants and maybe even letting them sit in a small saucer of water.  For orchids this is a death sentence.  Orchids are symbiotic in nature, they cling to areas in other trees where branches "v" out.  Their roots hang down from the branches and are watered during the rains.  When the rains stop, the roots are no longer wet, but dry out rather quickly.  At home they are looking for the same treatment.  Water them only when they are dried out.  Every 7 to 10 days and then do not let them sit in a pool of water.  If water seeps out after they have been watered, remove all the water in the saucer.

3. Fertilizing Orchids
Use only fertilizers made for orchids.  There is a saying in the orchid community, when you feed your orchids, feed them weekly, weakly.  Orchids also do well with a marked change in temperatures during their growing season.  If you have nice hot summers, you can find a nice shady spot for your orchid and then leave it outdoors until the temperatures start to drop.  10 to 15 degrees in temperature drops helps orchids to push their new stems and blooms.

4.  Repotting
Most home gardeners don't like the look of the arial roots on orchids.  They just seem to want to stay out of the pot instead of in it.  Most of the time orchids look like they are trying to crawl out of their pots.  But and this is a big but, you should not repot them until you see a marked decline in the orchid bark and in between the plant flowering.  Never ever repot during a blooming period!

5.  Check your Orchids often
As part of growing orchids at home, you should check your orchids often.  They do happen to come down with some bugs that will impair their looks and could end up killing them.  The worst of these pests is scale.  Again it is easy to take care of if you are aware there is a problem.  A "Q-tip" dipped in rubbing alcohol will dislodge and kill scale insects.  You can watch this You Tube video to see how to do this!

If there was just one more tip that I could add in here, it would be to make sure your orchid is in a pot that has drainage.  There are specialty orchid pots available.  Some of these pots are very beautiful and have designs that make them a really nice focal point.  How the pot looks though, is not as important as the fact that it drains water away.

So there you have it!  5 Very Important Tips to keep your orchids happy and blooming for many years to come.

If you have never grown an orchid before, now is a great time to try it. The flowers are incredible and last for months. There is no other houseplant that will do that for you! Drop me a line if you'd like to know more.

*orchid pictures courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Mrs Fix-it Mystery Series Reviewed

Cozy Mystery Series

Fix-it Tools courtesy of Pixabay.com

I have always loved a mystery and have become quite enamored with the Cozy Mystery books over the last few years. A few weeks ago I was searching for something new to read and stumbled upon a bundle deal for the Mrs.Fix-it series.  

There are several reasons that I enjoyed this series. The first being that I could purchase them all in a nice little bundle package. All neatly packaged and ready to read. 

The next thing that caught my eye was that the female sleuth was a handy-woman by trade. She goes around her community fixing things for her neighbors. I really liked that idea for an occupation for a woman. Growing up in a single parent household I learned that if something needed to be fixed that a girl could do most things just as easily as a boy could. My Mom taught me from an early age to be comfortable with the items found in our little toolbox. So, having a gal in the stories that could solve mysteries and be a Mrs. Fix-it was quite appealing. 

I wasn't disappointed! Belle Knudson did a wonderful job of creating a cast of characters that were believable and well thought out. Each mystery could stand alone but was even more enjoyable as I read through each book of the series. The recurring characters developed more as each story progressed. 

The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing, too. There were several times that I thought to myself, "I didn't see that one coming." Ms. Knudson has also put a few sub-plots in each book, too. As with most Cozy Mysteries there is a love interest that grows but the author added even more to her books. For instance, it takes a few books to finally discover what happened to Kate's (Mrs. Fix-it) husband that disappeared several years before. 

Mrs. Fix It Mysteries

I really enjoyed each of the books in the series. There were several unique and interesting murders to be solved in each one. Cozy Mysteries are not known for a lot of violence at least the reader isn't shocked with a lot of gory details about the murder involved. Although a victim might have met their end with a violent act, the reader isn't bombarded with a descriptive narrative of what it looked like. That is one of the things that I love about the genre.

If you love a good mystery with a little romance thrown in, I highly recommend this series of books by Belle Knudson. She is creative with her plots and thinks a little outside of the box with her characters and sub-plots. I think you will enjoy them as much as I did. I was a little sad when I came to the last page of the 15th book. I miss the characters.... 

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Reviewing How It Feels When A Parent Dies

How It Feels When A Parent Dies by Jill Krementz

With the recent passing of our fellow contributor, Susan Deppner, it is clear to see how the ripples of such a loss go on infinitely. I am not in the mood to write or review products as thoughts of Susan's beloved family members are on my mind. As I have thought of them, especially the children and grandchild she doted on, I have remembered a book that has been helpful in my work with children who have experienced this type of profound loss. Instead of skipping my Monday post, I feel as though I must share the title How It Feels When a Parent Dies at this time. 

How It Feels When a Parent Dies by Jill Krementz

Everyone grieves at a different pace and in different ways. That's okay. That is a truth that is often misunderstood. Sometimes humans judge how others grieve. Of course, we have to be mindful of times that grief has over-taken us for too long of a period of time. And in those moments, professional help can help ease us back into the level of functioning we deserve. But otherwise, it is fine to grieve in the way that is best for us.

It is much the same with children. Children will grieve at a different pace and in many different ways - often in many different ways in the very same day. Sometimes an adult will wonder about the actions of a child who has lost a loved one, and not be able to make sense of the behaviors. Sometimes adults have a perception of how the child "should" be feeling or behaving.

Jill Krementz interviewed children about the death of their parent - allowing the children a place to tell their own story. As a result, this book is filled with examples of the different ways grief is experienced and the different things that are perceived helpful (or not) by each child. It is through listening to their voices that we can become more helpful.

To date, I have not found a book that is more enlightening about how children experience such difficult loss. I've had older children borrow the book and then read to me the stories that resonated. With younger children, I have either read a story to them or I've used my understanding from the book to let them disclose grief at their pace and help me to know what questions to ask.

In the introduction, Ms. Krementz wrote:

"One of the things I've realized while working on this book is that often a child whose parent has died doesn't know anyone else this has happened to, and feels particularly isolated and "special" in a very distressing way. I hope this book will help such children to realize that they are not alone...."

Ms. Krementz interviewed 18 children, ranging from age 7 to 17 about the loss of their parent. The words in each "chapter" are that child's words - their own story. The causes of death range from sudden medical emergencies, long-term terminal illness, accidents, and suicide. The children's reactions include helpfulness, avoidance, confusion, guilt, disbelief, and more. Some children found comfort in being surrounded with visiting adults and others found the comfort of strangers intrusive and anger-provoking.

The book was first published in the early 1980's. My copy was published in 2000. Each chapter includes photos of the child telling the story. The photos are clearly dated - fashions and hairstyles long gone. But the stories are just as meaningful as the day the ink hit the page.

I think I'll close with a wonderful summary of the book by Bishop Paul Moore Jr. He wrote:

"To hear the voices of children speaking of death with innocent beauty is a rare and heartbreaking privilege. I wish I had read Jill Krementz's book when I moved alone with my nine children in the shadow of their mother's death. There are no rules. Some are angry with God. Some love the peace surrounding their mother's grave. Some want to hear all they can from their parents' friends. Some are jealous that anyone else knew her in a way they never could. If you are a widow, a pastor, a helpless-feeling friend, listen to these voices and learn to be strong and wise to these courageous young people."

Note: If you feel that someone is demonstrating their grief and loss in ways that are life-threatening (such as drugs, alcohol, physically risk behaviors. or self-harm) or if the daily functioning of children has been altered for a significant period of time (changes in school functioning, changes in behaviors, continued depressed or withdrawn behaviors) please consult the professionals to help assess the situation. While everyone experiences grief differently, some benefit from the assistance of a professional.

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Farewell to a Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor, Susan Deppner

Susan Deppner

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to our readers today on Review This Reviews!  The death of a precious friend is never easy.  When that friend is someone you interact with on a daily basis, it leaves a huge hole in your life that can never be filled again. 

Some people touch our lives in a special way that leaves us forever changed.  That is most certainly the case with Susan Deppner.  Her deep abiding faith directed her every action and she was an inspiration and witness to us all.

Susan was the easiest person to love.  She never failed to support her friends in words and deeds.   In difficult or stressful times, Susan would step in with a word of reassurance and peace.   She truly had a way of calming a soul. 

It was always clear to anyone who knew Susan, that she adored her husband, her sons, her daughters-in law, her grandson and her entire family.  I know she showed them through her kind, loving ways every day of her life. 

We have been honored to have Susan as a contributor.  She is irreplaceable and the entire staff of Review This grieves over the death of our beloved friend.      

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Harvest Time Home Decor Review

Fall Trail Photo by Creation Photos

Harvest Time is a great time of year to decorate your home in Autumn colors that reflect the gorgeous changing leaves of Fall. It's also a time of holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving that include the lovely harvest-related colors of orange, brown, yellow and red.

There are many beautiful items that show off the bounty of the harvest season. Among the most unique are those that are handmade by clever crafters or created by fabulous Indie-Artists in art and photography.

For a very unique touch to your Harvest-theme décor this Autumn, come look at some of these clever, and often one-of-a-kind, handmade items available on Etsy.... and elsewhere across the web.


*The beautiful Fall photograph in the introduction can be found on Zazzle. 
 

Harvest Time

 

Harvest Time is the time of year when crops are harvested, especially autumn.

Harvest Wall Decor

Pumpkin and Gourds ~ Autumn Fall Gourd Pumpkin Art Photo / Print by eball photography on Etsy.

Bring a bountiful Pumpkin Harvest into your kitchen or family room with this outstanding photo to frame and hang on the wall for a lovely Autumn décor.

*Photographed by Earl Ball of Delaware for his Etsy Shop.

Pumpkin Coasters

Pumpkin Coasters on Etsy

Pumpkin design beverage coasters are perfect for home decor in the Harvest-time-Autumn-Fall season, or fun all year round for anyone who likes pumpkins.

This set of 4 drink coasters, each with a pumpkin design, measure 4 x 4 inches. They are created using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in two shades of orange, plus brown and green on an off-white background. Perfect colors for your Harvest time decor.

Pumpkin design drink coasters also make an attractive and useful  hostess or housewarming gift. 
 

Pumpkin Patch People!

Pumpkin Patch People Pattern - Amigurumi Dolls in Crochet

If you are a crochet crafter, you can create your own Pumpkin Patch for Harvest Time.  This set of cute crocheted pumpkin patch people is perfect for your Harvest Season décor. Decorate your table throughout the Fall, or use for a Halloween Party decor.

Created by Janine of Worchester, England, it is available as a pattern to create your own harvest décor. Pattern includes "Pumpkin Patch Pete and Polly" dolls, along with pumpkins, ghosts and a black cat. This pattern is just one of a selection of original and fun Amigurumi crochet patterns found in her Etsy Shop she calls mojimoji design.

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Useful and Attractive Kitchen Decor for the Fall

 

Autumn Leaves Cluster Embroidered Hand Towel

Embroidered towels with Autumn scenes  continue the Harvest Theme...

Beautifully embroidered Autumn designs on towels for the kitchen or bath set the scene for Harvest Time. Brilliant Autumn Leaves Cluster makes a perfect design for Fall.

This is the design of Embroidery Everywhere of Oakland, California. Visit all her lovely embroidery designs in her Etsy shop.

Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia Magnet

by Sandyspider

Harvest Time Refrigerator Magnet

Even the magnets on your refrigerator can be changed for the Autumn Season. This 'Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia' magnet is from the Zazzle store of Sandy Mertens, who is SandyMertens and Sandyspider on HubPages! Sandy's designs are created using a variety of vintage and modern photos and drawings.
 

 

 

 

 

 

THANKSGIVING

Handmade Turkey Beverage Coasters

Harvest Time includes the Thanksgiving holiday. These handmade drink coasters with an attractive turkey design make a perfect accent for your Thanksgiving table. 

Lovely Autumn and Harvest time Seasonal Decor and a terrific hostess gift for a holiday dinner invitation.

The design is created on plastic canvas using acrylic yarn in harvest colors. The turkey design is done in tans and browns with a touch of orange for the beak and legs. Turkey sits on a pretty yellow background. 

These harvest colors coasters measure 4 x 4 inches and are available in the Etsy shop of Coastal Crochet & Crafts.

The Harvest Time Season is Special

Get in the spirit of the season with a variety of seasonal decor.  

For more Harvest-Time suggestions, check out these reviews by our Review This contributors.



© 2011 Wednesday-Elf. Updated for Review This Reviews on 8/30/2022

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Best Halloween Treats for Trick-or-Treaters & Halloween Parties

Bethany Lowe Trick or Treat Time Figurine

Trick or Treat, then Trade 

When I was a little child trick or treating with my siblings, there was a wide variety of Halloween treats that we would receive.  Some were coveted by almost everyone in our home and others seemed to be rejected by almost everyone.  If you happened to be the one who loved the unpopular treat, you really had it made.  Other kids would just hand it over to you.  No trade necessary.  They didn't want it and you were the happy recipient of their "trash."  To my fortune, I was the only one in our family who loved "Smarties".  Do you remember those? 

I had a brother who wanted all the jaw breakers. That was pretty cool for me because I certainly did not want them and he didn't like the "girly" candies.  Even as an adult, he would still give me candy corn, even though he had developed a bit of a sweet tooth himself and enjoyed his fair share of the little morsels. 

Everyone has a favorite treat and I hope you will each take a moment to tell us about your preferred Halloween "treat." 
 

Rice Krispie Treats

In our neighborhood, we always had the "June Cleaver" types who must have spent days baking the treats to hand out on Halloween.  One of my favorite Mrs. Cleaver treats were the Rice Krispie Treats.  Oh how I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I found the "Mother of Halloween" home.  I often considered running back to my home, changing costumes and returning for seconds.  I never did that though because my siblings would have gotten way ahead of me and who knew what other treats were waiting just around the corner. 

The Original Rice Krispie Treat Recipe 

 

Candy Apples

Another Mrs. Cleaver treats were the Candied Apples. 

No one ever gave those away!  We might only be able to eat 3 or 4 bits of it before we were either sick or full, but they would not be open for barter.  Thinking back now, I honestly don't know why we liked them so well because they would stick to our teeth and fingers.  Perhaps it was because they really were such a rare treat.  

If I made them now, I would cut them up into bite-size pieces, but I have no doubt, they would still stick to my teeth.

How To Make Candy Apples

Caramel Popcorn Balls 

To this day, I love Caramel Popcorn.  When I would see that Saran Wrapped Ball of Heaven about to be dropped in my bag, I would reach out and tenderly receive it in my hand.  I couldn't possibly risk having my glorious gift battered in that bag of less desired, envious pieces of tooth rotting contraband. 

Oh, the howl that would have ensued if the wrapping had come off and it had to be thrown away.  I can just imagine how we would have sounded like a pack of wolves moaning to the moon about our lost treasure. 

Recipe for Caramel Popcorn Balls

Halloween Cupcakes 

The mother who made cupcakes would have to receive my "Mother of All Holidays" Award.  I cannot even begin to imagine having the time or the temperament to create such delicacies to hand out to children on Halloween. 

I don't know, maybe they only gave them to their favorite neighborhood goblins or maybe we received them because our Mother was the PTA president for so many years.  Whatever the reason, we all loved the payoff.

Okay, full disclosure.  I confess that I do make Halloween Cupcakes for my favorite trick-or-treaters.  Even the big kids (adults) who won't dress up and go door to door for Halloween are recipients of my Halloween cupcakes.

How to Stencil Halloween Cupcakes Tutorial 

 

Dubble Bubble Tub, Original Flavor, 380-Count, 60.3 Oz(3.7 lb)Check PriceBubble Gum 

Bubble Gum was fun for the whole family.  We had the Biggest Bubble Contests and there was always someone (usually the sweet, timid one of the group) who would try to pop the bubbles by jabbing their fingers toward your mouth.  Half of the time, they would pull their finger away with your whole ball of gum.  

It was always interesting when we returned to school after Halloween to discover who had the new hair bob.  Everyone knew she was the one who had not listened when her parents said "Don't fall asleep with that Bubble Gum in your mouth."

 

Candy Sucker Lollipop Assortment (144 pc)Check PriceSuckers 

Now I ask you, what child doesn't like a sucker? 

The green ones were especially popular.  For some reason, my brothers always associated the green suckers with flatulence.  I swear they ate those suckers just so they could have an excuse to do what they wanted to do.  Around our house, if you saw a green sucker, you knew what was about to happen. 

My parents wore stern faces while the rest of us roared with laughter.
 

Taffy wrapped in Black and Orange Wrappers

5 LB. Halloween Mix (Assorted) Salt Water Taffy - Gourmet Taffy by Taffy TownCheck Price
This was the candy I grew to hate.  For days after Halloween, you didn't know when you would have a taffy torpedo aimed at your head.  The harder they got, the more dangerous they became. 

I truly believe we had a few neighbors in cahoots with my brothers.  It seemed like every year they received a ton of these diabolical disks.

The taffy is no longer wrapped in the plain black or orange wrappers, but I bet the pieces still pack a punch when hurled through the air. 

 

Halloween Candy Bars 

MARS Halloween Candy Bars Variety Mix 96.2-Ounce 250-Piece BagCheck PriceIf you can't have homemade treats, this was the next best thing.  It was obvious which neighbor was handing out candy bars by the huge gathering of ghosts, witches and goblins at their door.  Back in the 60's, it just wasn't as common for people to splurge on store bought treats as it is today.  No, they were few and far between.

Candy Bars were definitely the best bargaining chip.  Amazingly, I could get my brothers to trade at least 3 or 4 Smarties for one candy bar!  Well, at the time I thought it was a great deal.  We were all happy with the trade so what did it really matter.
 

Trick-or-Treating Fun

I would be the first to admit that I was blessed to grow up in a large family.  It had, and still has, many advantages.  The Halloween candy in-house traders market always made trick-or-treating more fun.  It is wonderful to look back on those memories and laugh.  Just remember, in a large family like ours, anything bad that ever happened was the dog's fault and I had 5 built-in witnesses to testify to that fact!

You don't have to have 5 siblings to start your own Halloween candy trader's market.  Simply grab a few friends to trick-or-treat with and meet up at someone's home afterwards.  Then, let the candy trading begin! For those of you trick-or-treating with me this year, I have dibs on the Smarties!

 House-Mouse Designs® - Jumbo ToteCheck Price

 

Check Out More Halloween Fun Reviews at
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 The Best Halloween Treats for Trick-or-Treaters & Halloween Parties Written by:

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