Simple Abundance

Well it has been a month now on my Simple Abundance journey. For those who are new to my blog- I saw a post on FaceBook from one of my fellow Polymer Clay Guild members asking if anyone had the book 'Simple Abundance' and would they willing to go through it this year. It is a type of daily confirmations book with one page for everyday of the year to read and perhaps to do a simple task.
For me, so far it has been about becoming conciously aware of everything in my life that I am grateful/thankful for. We were challenged to begin a gratitude journal. Everyday I write 5 things for which I am thankful for - sometimes it is something as mundane as "I am thankful I got the laundry done" or something exciting as a creative idea hitting me like an epiphany while taking a shower. It seems like the more thankful I am, the more I find to be thankful for. So far I am glad to be on this quest.

With all this talk about thankfullness, I would like to thank two Etsy sellers who I made some special purchases from this month. The first is Rhonda of RoseRidgeCreations who makes these incredible fleece socks.
I've got to tell you we keep our house fairly chilly (62 degrees @ night and 65 during the day) and so I ALWAYS have cold feet. During December I saw Rhonda talking about how warm and toasty her feet were with these socks she was making. and I thought "yeah yeah sure they are." Well after Christmas she had a sale and so I thought 'ok I'll bite' and I bought a couple of pair...and OMG!!! These socks ARE the warmest things I have ever had in MY LIFE! I have tested these socks over and over with all kinds of extremes and everytime they have kept my feet toasty warm. I have worn them when wearing my cheap snow boots that have NO lining or insulation whatsoever...and the result? toasty toes! (And you know I've been shoveling snow for hours this year) I have worn them on my freezing cold cement kitchen floor...warm piggies! I have waited til my feet are so cold they hurt and then put the socks on...within minutes they are warm. I would never have believed that these socks would be so warm, but they are.
So the hubster one night says 'let me try a pair' (yes we have almost the same foot size) and within 5 minutes he says 'these socks are really nice and warm'. So he has me order more for his friend who suffers from cold feet. How many men do you know buy socks for their friends? That has got to tell you something!
If you always have cold feet, your toesies will thank you when you get a pair of these fleece socks. In fact right now she has reduced the price on alot of the different varieties. Here is a link to her sock department. Trust me on this one, you won't be sorry on this purchase. I have not ever pitched a product like I have these socks. Bottom line-they are a superior handmade item.

Next up is Linda of WarmTouchCreations who makes beautiful handmade cards with heartfelt sayings on them. I searched for hours 1 day trying to find the perfect card for a friends' sick mother. And when I happened upon her shop it made the long search so worth it. She seems to have all the right words on just the right card, and because it is handmade ..well so much the better. She has sympathy, wedding, birthday, a card for any occasion you can think of. And if she doesn't, she is happy to make one for you. She has Thinking of You cards that make you WANT to send a card.
If you haven't yet bought your valentine a card, I highly recommend her shop.
I have bought a few cards from her and I have one now waiting to give to the hubster on Valentine's Day. Check out her shop on Etsy. She just seems to have that special card that says exactly what you want to say.

So there you have it- two great products, both handmade and both absolutely superior. I hope you visit their shops and find something for yourself or a loved one.

Til next time....
XOXOXOXOXOX,
Cindi