1. e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner

I’m not a huge makeup person, but I do wear it when I go out. I like to look my best, especially for the rare date night. I picked this up from an endcap at Target in late November for just $1. I’m not normally an eyeliner person, haven’t used liquid since my college days in my stage makeup class. I knew I was going to be in the show, and just in case I lost it or had to share with a random teenager I didn’t want to spend a lot. I’m a little picky when it comes to eye issues, and as a contact wearer, don’t want to risk any germs. For a buck, I could always toss it and replace it if necessary. The surprise was, I really liked it. And I’ve continued to wear it on days I wear full makeup. It’s a quick lift and definitely something everyone should try if they haven’t already. The price is great too! They only had black at my Target store, but on the e.l.f. website there are lots of other colors to choose from. Don’t believe me? Sarah over at Real Life Blog also used this item for a stage performance and shares my sentiments about it.

2. e.l.f. Regular and Waterproof Mascara Duo

Same Target trip, same reasoning. I picked up this little duo for the show as well. I know some beauty experts may disagree, but because I’m so cautious about my eyes I buy the cheapest mascara I can find and replace it every 4-6 weeks. I like that this duo has both because there are certain *ahem* weeks that I need waterproof, but I don’t like how difficult it can be to remove. Other days regular mascara will do just fine. This affords me the choice without having to dig around the drawer to find the right one or try to remember which formula I bought when and which needs replacing. Again, I only found black in store, but brown is available online.

3. Black & Decker Burr Mill Coffee Grinder

I’m a French press girl. A few years ago when I wanted to switch from my Tassimo system (great convenience) to French press (better taste), I did a lot of research. I read that buying whole beans and grinding them with a burr grinders was the way to go, but most grinders were too expensive in my opinion for a trial. I found a Black & Decker model for less than $30 and eventually gave away my Tassimo. Because my model is older, it is no longer available, but I’m so glad B&D has continued to provide an affordable burr grinder. The one pictured is the newer model, but based on what I’ve read it’s the same, just with a sleeker, more modern stainless look than mine. Yes, it’s loud. My overly dramatic kids like to cringe whenever I start it, but that is the way of the burr grinder. Yes, it requires maintenance. I clean it every time I refill the hopper & the cleaning takes a time investment of about 10 minutes if you do it well. I’m so pleased with the taste difference, and that it won’t heat up my beans like an electric grinder that chops the beans, so it’s well worth the noise and effort. If you are considering grinding your own beans at home to French press, this is a great starter model. Some day when I wear this one out, I’m going to ask for a fancy burr grinder, but this one has lasted me nearly 2 years and doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

I’d like to hear your opinions on any of these products if you’ve tried them. Share with me in the comments.

I’m carefully & prayerfully considering how our family will approach the holidays this year. First, we’re trying homemade items. I should have started long ago, but I’m working on it.

Photo by Steve Rhodes

I’m also considering alternative methods, especially those that might be green. When it’s acceptable by the person (and for my kids), I’ll try to gift used, but still in great condition items like books & DVDs. Seriously, why does everything have to be new? There’s no need for us to cut down more forests so that everyone can have their own personal copy of Harry Potter or Twilight to sit on a shelf forever, never to be read again. Swaptree is your friend.

Lastly, I’m thinking about people. This means I’m really considering how & where my money is spent. Sure, I can save a couple of bucks if I go to the big box, but where does that money really go? Does it go to corporate greed or worse yet, China or other countries where children may or may not be stitching everything together in poor conditions? Or can I spend a few more minutes and a few more dollars and purchase from an artist or a crafty stay-at-home mom who understands the value of hard work, who is passionate about what they do, and most importantly supports charities or other artists with their well-earned dollars? Take a moment and think about it. Will your child even recall in 5 years what piece of plastic they are begging for this week? Will it be a treasured item that they’ll remember their whole life? Let’s get back to what’s important.

Now I’ll step off my soap box and put my money where my mouth is. As a continuance of the Handmade Holidays theme, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite people I stalk online and share with you their sales. If you have an Etsy shop or other online presence and are planning a sale, drop me a line at wistfulwrists@gmail.com. Tell me a bit about yourself, what you are passionate about; link me up to your shop, blog, Twitter & don’t forget to share the details of your sale (especially start & end dates). I’ll share them at the appropriate time.

Remember, each of us has the ability to make a difference. Small changes can have big impact. You can make someone else’s holiday brighter and create memories for your own family at the same time.

For every Lands’ End FeelGood sweater purchased, the company will donate a cone of their signature FeelGood yarn to One Heart Foundation’s Warming Families, a nationwide knitting charity. How cool is that? The sweaters are absolutely gorgeous too. From rumors I’ve read around the blogosphere from those who saw the sweaters at Blog Her or have received one to review, they are apparently the softest sweaters ever. The price is reasonable too, the striped style is even on sale today. I personally like the solid sweaters, especially the Winter Violet and Aztec Gold colors.

Another reason I’m blogging about this today is that Land’s End is taking it a step further. Not only are they donating a cone of their signature FeelGood yarn for every sweater purchased, but they are donating a cone for every blog post written about the campaign (through today). One cone of FeelGood yarn is enough to make 28 hats to be donated to homeless individuals in communities across the country! Can you believe that? I kind of wish they’d send me the cone of yarn and I’d knit them myself. Truth is, I have no idea how long it would take me to knit 28 hats! It might be spring by the time I finished.

What is so special about today? Tonight is the big Land’s End FeelGood Twitter Party hosted by Land’s End and Knitty Gritty’s Vickie Howell. Seriously cool! The party goes from 7 to 9 p.m. CST, please use the #landsend hashtag. The party will feature more than 20 fun giveaways ranging from the FeelGood sweater and Vickie Howell’s books to Lands’ End gift cards and FeelGood yarn.

How do you attend a Twitter party? First, you sign up for a Twitter account. Do it now… that way you’ll be ready when the party time arrives. Next, follow Amanda from Land’s End (@LEprAmanda) and Vickie (@vickiehowell). Third, I suggest using a site like TweetGrid to keep up with the party conversation. If that’s a bit much, just stick to the regular Twitter site and refresh your page often so you don’t miss the questions and giveaways the hosts have for you. Don’t forget to add the hashtag (#landsend) to every tweet you make during the party time so that your tweets count for games and prizes.

I’ve attended several Twitter parties, and while they are usually wild, crazy and fast paced; they are always fun and I learn lots and make new friends. Sadly, I have other “real life” plans tonight, so I won’t be there.

Want another way to participate? You can grab Vickie Howell’s free hat pattern at the Land’s End website, and knit up a hat or two yourself. For information on how to get involved with your local chapter of Warming Families, check out this page. Be patient with their website, I’m sure they are getting a lot of traffic, things are taking a while to load, they are a non-profit charity. If there isn’t a local volunteer in your area, please read the info about the organization and consider sharing your organizational skills with them.

Don’t know how to knit, but want to learn now? Check out this video featuring Vickie Howell: LandsEndvideo

Or better yet *insert shameless plug here* join ME next Wednesday evening (Sept 23rd) at 9 p.m. EST on MomTV for the debut of my new web show Handmade Holidays. More details on the show in the coming days!

So make some time tonight for the Twitter party, check out Warming Families charity, or purchase a Land’s End FeelGood sweater. All are great ways to help out others in this fabulous campaign!

While cruising through a friend’s bridal registry, I was really inspired by a set of lovely monogrammed towels in a modern type. Of course they were order online only items. Bummer! I couldn’t shake their simplistic, modern beauty, so I grabbed my yarn and needles and went to work. Several hours and a few froggings later, this custom monogram design was born.

Then, my preschool children took notice. They LOVE letters. If only I could hire them out as actors on Sesame Street, I’d have it made! They inspired the next version of the cloths, full of color and life.I think the colorful version could be great for many gift occasions. Right now I have several younger cousins graduating high school and preparing for whatever life brings next. I think these would be a great gift for a grad you know that is looking ahead to dorm life in the fall. They would certainly never get mixed up in the restroom or laundry room and mistaken for anyone else’s washcloth!

They are also an obvious choice for baby gifts as well. I’ll be listing some other color choices in the future, but if you can’t wait, contact me with the colors you are interested in and we’ll work something out.