In continuing my mission to find quality handcrafted gifts to satisfy the hard-to-please recipients on my holiday gift list, I’ve found more than a few wonderful ideas in the Crafters United shop. In the next few days, I’ll post about some of the great finds I’ve found while window shopping in that super large fundraiser shop!

Just take a look at this great gift idea: Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Set from Bidwell Botanicals.

This Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Set is available for just $35.00. Plus, 100% of the sale price benefits the Hurricane Relief Efforts. Now, I’m a huge fan of Bidwell Botanical’s Sugar Scrubs, so I know that anyone who receives this set as a gift will be delighted! I am still milking my own Honey Bamboo Sugar Scrub that I purchased a few weeks ago. And let me just tell you… it is divine!

It’s official! It is that time of year again. The time of year when we start to search for gifts that will please everyone on our holiday gift lists. And if the people on your gift lists are anything like the people on my gift lists, well, let’s just say this process takes practice and patience! I make it a goal to give thoughtful gifts that will make even my pickiest relatives smile. Something tells me, you have the same goal!

However, at the same time I want to feel good about my purchases. So, this year all of my gifts will be of the handmade variety. There are so many talented artists online, that this goal may not be very hard to accomplish.

Here is a great outlet to start your shopping search: Crafters United. This shop offers over 700 handcrafted items created by artists from around the world. Plus, 100% of the proceeds for each sale benefit Hurricane Relief Efforts. Shopping here allows you to feel good about your purchases and give good gifts. Mission accomplished!

Just take a peek at what Crafters United offers…

This necklace was donated by Heidi Hale and was part of La Femme Film Festival gift bags. Some of the celeb’s who received the necklace were Barbara Streissand, Eva Longoria, Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore. So, not only is the necklace gorgeous, and found on beautiful celebrity necks, but when you purchase this $42.00 necklace you will be helping victims of the devastating hurricanes this year. What more can you ask for?

Visit Crafters United for more handcrafted items!

Bring holiday cheer into your soap dish with Peppermint Patti’s Tis The Season Soap by Rinse Soap.

Made with peppermint essential oil, this darling soap sports the most adorable packaging! Rinse Soap offers an array of other bath and body products along with their most delectable soaps!

I adore little handbags that are both stylish and practical. My favorite: This fantastic design by Holland Cox.

The wristlet from their collection has a beautiful shape that is petite and feminine, yet has enough room to hold keys, make-up, cell phone and even a small wallet. They also include a cash compartment and room for up to 4 credit cards, ID’s, etc.

These bags are also incredibly well-made. Mine has stood up to some real abuse and still looks as perfect as the day it arrived.

Available in an ever-changing selection of fabrics from whimsical to sophisticated, there’s one for every taste and occasion.

One of the best things about the holidays is the time we get to spend with our families. As a mom, I’m constantly trying to come up with fun ways to spend that time. One of my favorite things to do is create our own holiday decorations.

Today we spent an hour making a new holiday wreath to hang off the balcony. To learn how to make your own, read on!

Winter is rapidly approaching and there’s nothing we can do about it, so why not embrace the coming snow by greeting your holiday guests wearing this adorable Snowman Pin on your lapel?

Queen Bead offers this handmade clay snowman with a pin back or magnet and gives you the freedom to choose your favorite colors to adorn him. Each one is signed and dated by Bonnie Calhoun, a.k.a. The Queen Bead, and would be perfect for yourself or that special friend on your holiday shopping list!

I’m not generally one for wall-art. I’m more of a functional art kind of girl. One exception to this rule is an artist I just discovered by the name of Laura Moore.

Under the name Lamoore Designs, Laura creates incredible paintings (and jewelry) from found objects.

I am absolutely captivated by this painting, entitled “Emerge”

Every year at Thanksgiving I try to help my children focus on the meaning behind the holiday. This year we will be making “Thankful Books”.

A thankful book is a listing of all the things we’re thankful for. Each page of the book has a space for your child to draw an image of the item they are thankful for and features a line underneath for them to write out the name of the item.

Each book will be filled with pages of their artwork, which makes them a true keepsake!

To download and print out your own Thankful Book, click on the links below.

Thankful Book Cover

Thankful Book Inside Page

The intricate designs of puzzle rings take us back through time, connecting us with ancient cultures from times long since forgotten by most. While my research has not been able to pin down an exact origin of these intriguing rings (which lends them an even more attractive air of mystery), I have been able to uncover a bit regarding their beginnings.

Tradition has it that puzzle rings were first seen in Asia over 2000 years ago. Their travels began shortly afterwards, when they were moved along the ancient trade routes and carried into the Middle East.

It is said that the sultans and sheiks of old would require each of their many wives to wear a puzzle ring. The complicated designs and difficult assembly were said to assure fidelity. Today, many couples still choose to wear puzzle rings as their wedding bands.

As time passed, puzzle rings made their way to the European continent (sometime around the 12th century). In Europe, they were commonly referred to as “memory rings” because you could wear them with one band undone to remind you of a task you needed to perform.

The popularity of puzzle rings continued to rise and they can now be found on every continent in the world. These captivating creations come in a wide variety of styles, with many being comprised of several different precious metals (one for each band). They also range in difficulty from simple (three bands) to extremely complex (up to 17 bands).

To see an amazing array of puzzle rings, take a few minutes to visit Norman Greene’s puzzle ring website. Mr. Green has been handcrafting his stunning rings since 1971, giving him 29 years of experience! A true craftsman, you are sure to be delighted by the offerings on his website.

I love holiday traditions and enjoy learning about those from religions other than my own. One such tradition is the celebration of Chanukah.

Chanukah is an eight day holiday that is celebrated in memory of the victory of the Jewish rebellion against the Greek suppression of Judaism. The Jewish rebellion began as a small revolt led by the Chashmonai (Hasmonean) family, the kohein (priest) Mattisyahu and his five sons. When Mattisyahu died he was succeeded by his son, Yehudah HaMakabee (the Maccabee).

Yehuda led his people to victory, driving their Greek enemies out of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem were then able to clean the Temple and to resume the Temple service. However, part of the Temple service is the lighting of the menorah (a ceremonial seven-branched candelabrum of the Jewish Temple symbolizing the seven days of the Creation).

Rite and ritual dictated that only pure olive oil could be used to light the temple menorah. Because of the Greek desecration of the Temple there was only one small container of pure olive oil to be found; it contained only enough oil to last for a single day. The Jewish people knew that it would take eight days to get the new oil and were faced with a serious problem.

They took the little container of oil and lit the temple menorah. The light from the menorah burned bright for the first day and then it miraculously lasted for the full eight days till new oil was available.

This story is known as the Miracle of Lights, and is the basis for the tradition of having a special Chanukah menorah, which has eight lights instead of the standard seven.

Chanukah menorahs can be found in all shapes and sizes, but a particular favorite of mine is this beautiful Prism Menorah Oil Candle handmade by Firelight Glass. The pristine prism-shaped menorah is designed with eight wicks to honor the progression of the Hanukkah festival, with a slightly taller ninth wick, the shammash, in the center.

This beautiful menorah would make an excellent addition to any holiday celebration and would make an excellent holiday gift!