Candle sale!

Hi Friends!

Ooooh the holidays are here and that's so exciting, isn't it?  I have other exciting news too.

After making 100% natural candles for myself, I decided to make them available for sale here on the blog.  Just in time for the holidays.  Add ambiance to your home for the season.  Candles make great Christmas gifts for friends, lovely hostess gifts, and even perfect stocking stuffers.  Don't forget to treat yourself to some too!

I love to burn candles, but really dislike the black, toxic smoke that you get when you burn commercially made candles.  Soy wax helps with that, but still the fake fragrances are also toxic. Have you ever experienced a headache from an overpowering candle?  Ugh!

A few years ago I decided to create an all natural candle that I could feel good about burning.  I use non- GMO soy wax, pure therapeutic grade essential oils, and eco-wicks made from cotton and paper. 100% natural.  😀

These burn clean!  No toxic smoke!  Plus you get the added unique benefit each essential oil has to offer.

I've been blending and sampling essential oil scents and finally settled on four unique blends to create a "Regions" line inspired by America's coastlines.  Each coastline is so unique and beautiful in their own ways, and these scents reflect what I associate with those areas. 

"Pacific Northwest" - scented with coffee essential oil. 

Because PNW = Coffee!

"So Cal"  - scented with hints of grapefruit, orange, lemon, and spearmint.

Bright and refreshing and reminiscent of their citrus groves.

"Deer Isle"  - scented with bergamot, lavender, and fir.

A tiny island off the coast of Maine with tall evergreens and a rugged coast.   

"Sanibel" - scented with hints of sweet orange, cinnamon, and eucalyptus.  

Silky soft white sand and shell treasures everywhere on this little island off the coast of Florida.

Each 6 oz. candle [with a burn time of approximately 25 hours] is just $10 

4 oz. candles [with a burn time of approximately 18-20 hours] are just $7.50 each

Or choose a sampler of 1 of each scent
6 oz. size for $38
4 oz size for $28.

Sale Details 

Ordering:  Email me at carol@hfhco.com with your order.  I'll fill orders on a first come-first served basis, and I'll answer you with a confirmation and total.  

Delivery/Shipping:  If you are local, we can make arrangements.  If not, I am happy to ship anywhere is the U.S. 

Shipping rates:  All orders are sent USPS Priority Mail.

1 - 6  (4 oz. each)   OR 1-3 (6 oz) $ 6.80 (priority small flat rate.) 

4 - 12 (6 oz each) $ 10.80 (box A regional)
For larger quantities inquire for shipping.

Payment: 

I accept Paypal (use carol@hfhco.com), cash or personal checks, if you are local.

A beautiful reminder

It's true you can find just about anything on the interwebs.

The other day I was reading one of my favorite blogs.  She had several pictures showing her home interior.  In one of those pictures I saw a wooden sign hung over a doorway that read, "Great is Thy faithfulness."  

God certainly has shown His faithfulness to us over the years, and I couldn't help but think that that sign would be perfect for our home.  I really wanted that sign.

I decided to check Etsy thinking that may have been where she got her sign.  There were a few with that sentiment, but not really in a style that I liked.  While searching I found this sign.  I really liked the white washed board with the gray mixed font lettering.  
If only... (pause for dreamy thoughts here).

I e-mailed the seller to see if she'd be willing to make a sign for me in that same style, but with "Great is Thy faithfulness".  
She replied that while she normally doesn't do "custom orders", she'd be happy to make it for me. I didn't need to prepay, she would just create the sign and contact me when it was finished, ...and if I decided I didn't want it after all, she'd would just add it to her Etsy shop. 
No problem.

Well, I WANT IT! ... 
I bought it!
It measures 34" by 9".  It's bigger than the one that inspired this whole quest.
It's hefty and makes a bold statement ~ except the script lettering softens it, so it's a gentle-bold statement, if that makes sense.
I love this one even more than the other!

Due to its size the shipping was a little expensive, but she totally worked with me to get the best price and method.  She was such a joy to work with - totally accommodating all the way through.


It arrived yesterday.  We wasted no time in hanging it over our pantry, which is part of our kitchen - dining area space, and definitely gets looked at multiple times per day.  

Every time I read this sign I am reminded of God's tender loving care for me (and my family) and the salvation and grace I have because of the faithfulness of Jesus.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

hymn written by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923

And what perfect timing...just before Resurrection Sunday!

Late November - early December

A few weeks ago we woke up to a little bit of snow.  A teasing, really.  

The younger children have now been earnestly praying for snow.  It's been about seven years since our last significant snow fall.  A wintery-white Christmas feels so Currier and Ives or like you've stepped into  a Dickens' landscape.  

My favorite part about a fresh blanket of snow is how quiet and hushed it is. It's so peaceful...until the squeals of glee can be heard from the children outside.  :-)

 . . . . . 

Dan has been my new shopping day side kick.

He growing exponentially.  He is taller and stronger than me, which comes in quite handy when shopping. ;-)  Car time provides lots of talk time.  I am really enjoying this one on one time with him - getting to know him deeply and to see his heart.  

. . . . . 

Eric and I had a lunch date.

We took a little time at the start of the busy Thanksgiving week.  It was kind of a working date as it gave us much needed time to talk about plans, and schedules, and Christmas ideas for the children.  

But working date or not,  "His and Hers" burgers and time with him all to myself is always fun.

 . . . . . 

Our family spent Thanksgiving Day with special friends.  

Theirs is the kind of friendship where despite the time that passes, it's always comfortable, and they can pick up where they left off.  There is never competition here.  Differences are admired not judged.   Everyone needs a friendship like that.
We were especially happy to see this young man, who is currently serving in the Navy and just completed a tour in the Middle East.

Work schedules and social calendars of our older children sometimes don't mesh with ours, but this time it did.  We were so happy that Sarah could be with us this Thanksgiving.

 . . . . . 

For the last few years I've been crazy enough to go Black Friday shopping with the older kids.  Baby, it's COLD outside!  It was 26 degrees at 4:30 a.m.  

A few other crazies joined us this time.  

I appreciate the honesty of our friendship. While shopping, she found this sign and liked the saying.  Being a light aqua blue, she turned to me and asked if I would hang that in my home, or was it just a nice sentiment for the moment.  
In the end, we both thought our solution of a selfie together with the sign was best. Honesty is refreshing, and no hurt feelings. 

. . . . . 

We broke from our tradition this year.  Rather than hunting for the perfect tree from the woods nearby, we bought one.  

Our church property has a section where Noble firs are growing, but there are plans for expanding the parking lot.  It was a win:win plan.  Cut the trees and sell them for just $20 at the same time clearing away the space.  Also, it was super convenient.  We were already there, and it was a crisp, sunny, dry day.  The next opportunity we would have on the calendar to go for a tree was forecast to be quite rainy.
It's not very fun to traipse around in a down pour to get a tree, just sayin'.
This one fits perfectly!

This is Caleb's favorite Christmas ornament.

When I unwrapped it, unexpected, hot tears streamed down my cheeks.  I miss my boy.
Joy and pain all mixed up in one moment.  Much like labor and child birth.  It's the happiest knowing the moment of holding a new baby is coming, and yet the pain is so great with each contraction.
I am so happy that he is on his own, pursuing his dreams of college and career, making his mark on the world, but there are times when it stings.  Each one in the family adds their unique flair, humor, wit, and wisdom.  I miss his.  I miss him.  

. . . . . 

Just for fun... Hannah picked out this outfit for me to wear to a Christmas party.  

Can I just tell you how much fun it is having a daughter with a flair for fashion, and a willingness to share her cute bull dog sweater?   It's a fine line I dance with fashion.  Is it too "young"?  Is it frumpy or dowdy?  Hannah emphatically claims that one's style is one's style no matter her age.  I'm gonna go with that.

Hoping your December days are merry and bright. 

Birthday fun round 1

Recently, for some birthday fun we went to the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.

The day we went was not Dan's actual birthday, but there is a little known secret about museums...the first Thursday of the month they offer FREE admission so we took full advantage of that!

  To quote from their website, "From humble beginnings in 1911, MOHAI has grown into the largest private heritage organization in the State of Washington with a collection of over 4 million objects, documents, and photographs from the Puget Sound region’s past.  MOHAI uses these artifacts along with cutting edge, hands-on interactive experiences to make history come alive through the unforgettable stories of the men and women who built Seattle from wilderness to world city."

 

 

It lived up to its description.

What I think I liked best was that I never once had to tell the children not to touch anything.

Most of the exhibits were hands-on which makes learning fun and memorable. 

 The first intercontinental US mail sea plane.

 Several of Seattle's kitschy icons in fun crank activated vignettes. 

Need a tow?




The Gold Rush - Seattle to Alaska via dog sled.

Hello, May I help you?

 

"Every bond you buy is a bullet in your best guy's gun."

My artsy photo of Matt.
 

 Hands on!

The day was great from start of finish.  Not only were the exhibits interesting, but traffic to and from the city was minimal, admission was free, and we scored some free parking too. We finished off the day with Subway {Birthday boy's choice}. 

It was a very merry unbirthday.  :-)

The Mom-mobile

Ta-Da.

 

The Lord is ever faithful and has provided abundantly for us.

I had gotten used to driving Matthew's smaller car these past months.

As I drove this car home I thought to myself,

"Wow, this sure is BIG!  It's like a White Whale."

 

Call me Ishmael.  Ha Ha. 

My husband is the sweetest.  We were barely home when he got to work, changing the oil and washing it up so that it looks all purty.

 

I was busy reading the owner's manual trying to figure out all the buttons and switches, and how to open and close the SUNROOF!  :-) 

 

The kids were excited. 

Mary exclaimed, "Mama, it's bootiful."

and Daniel said, "It's supes cool."

 

. . .

 

Thank you to all who have been praying for our car situation ~

 for God's perfect provision and timing.   

What a blessing.

 

 

The Mattmobile

At the end of June, Matthew closed one chapter of his life.  While the next chapter holds some of the same {CLEP testing} it also holds new things like his first job and his first car. { maybe even his own blog ;-) } 

He has some employment options, but he is carefully praying and considering the direction he should go. 

He's also been looking/shopping for a car for several months.  There are some specific features it must have which has made the selections slim.

Matt is in a catch-22.  He needs a car to get to the job, but he needs the job to pay for car expenses.

 

But...

 

Look what Matthew bought last night!

A Mitsubishi Montero Sport.  It's fully loaded and a dream to drive.

 

After a thorough exam and a thumbs-up from Dad, Dead Presidents and their friends were exchanged for car keys and title. 

As daylight gave way to dusk, down the road Matthew drove alone in his new car. 

I think he was beginning to feel like he'd never find a car.  I would remind him that the Lord had him waiting for a reason.  {building faith, trust, patience ~ most likely.}

Matt feels blessed beyond measure with what God provided for him. 

 

Funny story.

Early this morning as Abbie waved good-bye to Dad, she saw Matt's car in the driveway and exclaimed, "OH! Matthew's new car." Then she thoughtfully looked at me and said, "Mom can we have cold cereal for breakfast? And can Matthew go to the store to get it?"

Errands have never been so fun!  I bet he might even take the scenic route.

And so it goes

Each year the young children ask for colored lights.  Eric prefers those.  The older children, me included, prefer white lights.  So, the winner {colored or white } is usually the one with the most strands that work.  

Sarah was the one who was always willing to painstakingly check all the Christmas lights, and find/replace all the dead bulbs.   Our lights were old and tired.  

This year we bought some new lights that we found at Costco.   These LED lights are pretty slick because you can set them to be all white, all colored, or to change between the two. Yay, everyone is happy.  They don't blink, but just fade from one to the other. 

I bought four sets.  Matthew and I decided we would get all the lights on so that when Eric came from work on Friday evening, all of us would be able to trim the tree as a fun family activity.  

Well... 
We got three of the strands strung up quite nicely.  As we were working with the fourth, a portion of it went dead.  We discovered a section of disconnected wire.  

Oh nice.  

Since we decided that experiencing a Christmas tree fire would not be something we'd enjoy, we decided that returning/exchanging the lights was best.  So our Christmas tree decorating came to a screeching halt for the night.  

Bright and early this morning, Eric and I headed to Costco.  Can I just tell you that I am not exaggerating when I say that there were NO parking spaces at Costco today {Saturday}, AND - there were no more of these lights either.  We actually found 1 lonely box of white LED lights so we snatched those up.  They don't connect to other strands the same way that the changlings do, so we had to start all over, removing the three strands, beginning with the white LEDs, and then adding back on the others.  You'd never know though, because we just set the changlings to be continuous white lights.  I told you they were slick! 

We had such fun trimming it tonight. 

 {Caleb's favorite fat cat}

{Hanners and Maresies}

 {The Jammie Kids}

 

TA DA ~ what do you think? 

American Made

 

I have been so pleased with the Anderson Family Farm goat milk skin care products.  

They leave my skin feeling soft and nourished, but not greasy.  

 

Anderson Family Farm uses high quality, pure and simple ingredients to promote healing and bathe your skin with nutrients.  

{All recognizable, all pronounceable, all natural!}

   

They have several items in their product line. 

My personal favorite is their lotion, but the salt scrub is a close second.  

 

Anderson Family Farm was recently nominated in the

Martha Stewart American Made contest. 

 

Click on the video below to see their story. 

 

 

Not only are their products American made, but their story is the American dream and through their hard work they have created a sustainable family business with God's pure grace.    Won't you vote for Anderson Family Farm?  Just click on the button below. 

 

 Voting begins today and ends September 13.

{you cast up to 6 votes each day!}

My top ten reasons why I love to shop at Trader Joe's

10.  Hawaiian shirts are cool - so are surfboards!
9.   They ring a ship's bell as a signaling system instead of a P.A.  {gotta love that!} 
8.   They have beautiful fresh cut flowers for a great price.
7.   Their prices are terrific. {I found Udi's gluten free bagels for only $4.99.}
6.   They carry things like organic yellow mustard and organic ketchup.
      {my kids eat a lot of ketchup - they think it's a vegetable serving}
5.   Their cheese selection is amazing.  {all kinds from all over the world - even sheep cheese}
4.   They carry uncured nitrite free BACON.
3.   They have a great selection of organic produce.
2.   They have fresh coffee to drink while you shop.
and the number ONE reason why I lerve Trader Joe's....drum roll....

1.   Their private label {Trader Joe's, Trader Jose's, Trader Giotto's, etc.} products are non-GMO!
http://www.traderjoes.com/about/customer-updates-responses.asp?i=4

Corn is especially nasty when it comes to GMO issues, but you can know that if it has a Trader Joe's label - it is safe and non-GMO.  We have been using their corn pasta and really like the taste and texture.  It is not slimy like rice pasta. 

I have shopped at Trader Joe's since forever {ok, well for about 25 years} and I love that Trader Joe's has stayed small and personal.  

Trader Joe's makes it possible for our large family to eat organic and healthy, but still have some fun with food {hello BACON!} that is full of flavor, not "healthy cardboard".  

Sometimes when I shop there, I'm on a tighter schedule so I just go by my list and get the usual stuff, but once in a while I take my time and meander through the isles.  I always find such great stuff.   They make it fun to shop even for exciting things like... vinegar.   

So what's the big deal?  What does Trader Joe's have that the ordinary grocery stores don't?
Besides ambiance and super friendly, helpful staff, they have things like soy-free mayonnaise.

  only 2.99

 1.99

 2.29

 2.49

So not only are the prices cheaper, but the quality is far superior than what I can find elsewhere.  I dare you to compare the ingredient labels.   {What, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated soybean oil, no preservatives?}

And a little side note.  Did you know that they hide Freddy the frog somewhere in the store.  The kids keep a careful eye out to find him.  The Hawaiian shirt clad men give out a treat - usually fruit leather as a reward for finding him.  Just plain fun, I tell you. 

Oh, and they have all sorts of amazing dark chocolate.  :-)

They are opening stores all over the U.S. now - so check it out, there might be a store near you.  You'll love it, I promise.