Christmas in the country reveal!

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the annual Christmas in the Country gift exchange that some of my favorite blogger friends host!  There is nothing better than hand made gifts!  Luckily that is one of the requirements for this party!

This year my secret santa was Katie Pratt who blogs over at Rural Route 2.  She did such a great job at the gifts she selected!  I received popcorn that they grow on their farm as well as a home made sugar scrub.  I got a bottle of nail polish because.....you should always have your toes looking fresh!   I also received a jar of hot chocolate for those cold nights, and my favorite, a little note pad holder that holds a roll of paper that was hand made!  It was so creative!

For any of you bloggers out there, I encourage you to sign up next year.   It is a great way to meet other bloggers and share home made local gifts!

Christmas in The Country Reveal

While I realize that it is a touch past Christmas, and when I say a touch I realize it's clearly well past, but nonetheless while it is a current blizzard outside with temps of -10 degrees their is no other time than the present to catch up on a lil blogging!

This Christmas I participated in the wonderful gift swap that is held by the lovely Lauri Link of countryLINKED and Jamie Rhoades of This Uncharted Rhoade. This is such a fun swap because it focuses on local handmade gifts.  I always enjoy going out and getting goodies for the person I am partnered up with because it reminds you about all the cool local stuff that is made so close to home! 

I was given the name of a fabulous farm gal from Canada.  I instantly went to town to get some gifts!  She is a cattlewoman that loves to snow shoe.  I guess when you are in Canada that is a pretty good hobby to have!  Here is a sneak peak of what I sent which you can find on her blog Buttons Thoughts 

Photo from Buttons Thoughts (I forgot to take one :/ )

I in turn received a gift from a lovely blogger from Missouri.  She blogs at Penn to Paper.  She did such a great job of gift selection.  We give a description of our likes and hobbies to give them an idea.  Well she nailed it.  

I received this adorable cow chalkboard with nails at the bottom to hang items from.  This fits my color decor in my kitchen perfectly!!  I also love this pillow which is a great reminder whenever you read it.  And last but not least the thirty one bag.  I can always use a lil organization in my life so this was perfect to do just that!

This is such a great way to meet new people and you all should plan on participating next year!  You will love it! In the meantime, stay warm out there!  Winter has finally hit here in Ohio.  I hope it is much warmer where you are at! 

Enjoy!

Pinterest DIY Christmas

Another Christmas is in the books, which means another 15 pounds gained from a solid 2 week Christmas marathon of eating.  I must admit that this Christmas was another great success in Christmas gifting category.

My sisters and I did a pinterest Christmas 2 years ago and enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again this year.   We each pin things on a board in pinterest of things we would love to make.  We set a limit on amount to spend and then decide off of their board what to make each other.  I think this year went even better than the last!

Here is a lil preview of what I made and what I received:

What I made my sister Emma....

 Painted and decorated a cow skull

 I made this sign out of barn siding from my grandmas barn

What I made for my sister Jess.......

Took an old window frame and used chalkboard paint on plywood for a back

What I received..........

 Emma made me this galvanized end table.  It is amazing!  

Jess made me this incredible coffee table out of crates.

As you can tell we definitely got our craft on this Christmas.  It is such a fun idea instead of going out and buying things.  If you are interested in any of these you can find them on my pinterest page and the directions to make them yourself.

I hope you all had a great Christmas as well! What was your favorite thing that you received?

Enjoy!

December CFBP.......Baby It's Cold Outside

So while this may be the theme of this months blog party link up, I must admit that it has been pretty mild in these parts lately.  I even heard it may reach close to 50 degrees this coming week.  For December in Ohio that is pretty rare.  Last year I'm pretty sure we were under a ridiculous amount of snow.  If you can tell I'm not complaining in the slightest.  I will take 50 degrees in December any day!

As mentioned at the beginning.......our December blog party link up is "Baby it's Cold Outside".  That means share with us anything and everything that reminds you of winter and the holidays.  I can't wait to see what everyone has to share since i procrastinate every year when it comes to the holidays  and deciding what to buy/make for people and what dish to take to family gatherings.  So give me some inspiration friends!

Be sure to check out the other lovely hosts as well!

Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom

Country LINKed

High Heels and Shotgun Shells

The TIP Garden

Belong With Wildflowers

Uncharted Rhoade

An InLinkz Link-up

Men....The Perfect Gift For The Woman in Your Life!!

If she is a coffee drinker....if not then your out of luck and this post will help you none.

But for real.....I have found the most incredible gift that every woman (or man) that drinks coffee must have.  A FRENCH PRESS!!  People, call me crazy if you have had one for years but this is the most simple and amazing invention ever!  The first time I had french press coffee was in Chicago at my cousin's apt.  It was delish.  However when I left Chicago I clearly forgot how amazing it was. 

Recently a group of friends and myself went to the newly opened Father Johns Brewery and we had french pressed coffee.  My taste buds were in over drive heaven.  It makes coffee so creamy and so rich and smooth.  Just incredible.  It puts my keurig to shame.

So to help make Christmas shopping super easy for all you men out there because I know you normally wait until the last minute, get your woman a french press.  She will love it and you will be a hero. 

And to make it even easier you can order one from Amazon right HERE.

Now you can relax having one less thing on your Christmas list....you can thank me later.

Enjoy!!