christmas

Basic Invite (15% Off Included!)

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Thanks to Basic Invite, I am sending out Christmas cards this year.

They might even be early, too. (I know, I know, for those of you who know me, this will be a shock.)

I also found the perfect card for Nicholas’ lumberjack-themed 1st birthday party.

Why Basic Invite?

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once a design is selected, customers can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, you can match your other vision to the card. You can also choose 40 different envelope colors. All of the envelopes are “peel and seal” so they can be closed quickly and securely.

I received custom samples before I placed my order. I loved the paper quality and wanted to make sure it met my expectations before sending my holiday cards and birthday invitations to family and friends.

Basic Invite offers an address-capturing service that allows customers to share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media to request their friend’s and family’s addresses. The addresses are stored in the customer’s account and can be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders. They can also mail the cards for you, making card sending super easy…especially for busy moms like me!

For those interested in foil cards, gold, silver, and rose gold options are available. Customers can choose flat or raised foil on all of Basic Invite’s foil designs.

Our Christmas Card & Nick’s Birthday Card created on BasicInvite.com

It was really fun to design our family Christmas card and Nick’s birthday card. I really like how I can truly customize everything; and loved how I can import addresses of my family and friends to save myself the trouble of printing labels and/or writing addresses by hand. Basic Invite is simple to navigate, and gives so many options.

Right now, Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51

Make sure you browse all of the Merry Christmas Cards & family holiday cards that Basic Invite has to offer. Basic Invite is also on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter! Make sure to give them a follow!

Let me know what you think of our Christmas card and Nick’s birthday card in the comments!

Do you send out holiday cards?

*Sponsored content. All opinions within are my own.
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homesick Candles

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Most of you know that I love my diffusers emitting aromatherapy, but sometimes I need the scent and nostalgic sight of a candle. It sets the mood – my mood – and makes me feel relaxed. 2017 was a year of change. I focused on creating my own products or switching to all-natural, healthier alternatives, which has included my candle selections.

I can’t thank homesick candles enough for sending me a beautiful Holiday candle. Homesick candles are hand-poured, using natural soy wax that is domestically sourced. The cotton wicks are free from any lead or plastics. Their scents are created from real ingredients like sage and peach. The candles are paraben, petroleum, and phthalate free. Even the glass container is 100% food grade quality and can be repurposed after a thorough wash. Each candle is $29.95 USD and made in the USA.

Homesick candles are known for their state candles. Each state represents a smell. My state, New Jersey, represents the beachy vibe from the shore including soft cotton and vanilla scents. Florida, one of my favorite states to vacation to, represents citrus, bergamot, amber musk and vanilla. What does your state smell like?

 

homesick nj candle

Picture from homesick.com

 

Take a look at the homesick collections – where you can purchase candles representing cities, countries, holidays, or memories. You can also shop home accessories (cutting boards, soaps, oils, honey) and apparel (t-shirts and sweatshirts). What amazing gifts for any occasion!

I really love my Holiday candle. I feel good knowing that it is soy based and not putting toxic fumes into my home. Holiday smells like pine, mixed with sugar cookies. My living room smells like Christmas. The burn time for this 13.75 oz candle is 60-80 hours. (As always – please cut the wick and never leave lit candles unattended.) 

Give homesick candles some love on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Disclosure: I received homesick’s Holiday candle complimentary for review. All opinions within are my own. If you would like your product to be featured on Realm of Vibes, e-mail realmofvibesdg@gmail.com or visit my Contact page. 

Steeped Tea Must-Haves for the Holiday Season and New Year

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by Peggy Michel, Independent Steeped Tea Consultant

Ahhhh, the holidays!!!  They are quickly approaching!  Some of us love and enjoy them and others hate them and anxiously await a new year.  Either way, they can definitely be stressful, even for those that seem to have it all together…

Today’s blog post includes some of my favorite tea items that have made my life much easier – for both serving and gift giving!

Cheeseball Mixes

Have you tried a tea-based cheeseball mix? Grab your favorite cream cheese and mix the contents of the packet together to create the perfect cheeseball. You can also concoct a dip by substituting Greek yogurt, create a pasta sauce with them, or layer in a pretty dish and add complementary ingredients. The possibilities are endless.  Having these on hand during the holidays is super convenient!

Cheeseball Mix

Flavors include:

  • Pumpkin Cheesecake – serve with graham crackers or vanilla wafers
  • Caramel Apple
  • S’mores
  • Vanilla Cookie (my personal favorite)
  • Garlic Chili – serve with chips or veggies

Priced at $12, each bag makes 8 Cheeseballs!  Money well spent!

Iced Tea Infusion Jug or Sweet Tea Pitcher

These two pitchers are fabulous! Each pitcher holds about 2 bottles of wine. I have used our Winter Sangria Tea with Pinot Grigio for parties and it was a huge hit!

The Iced Tea Infusion Jug has a removable infuser in the center.  You just add your tea leaves of choice and add your hot or cold liquid.

Steeped Tea Iced Tea Infusion Jug

With the Sweet Tea Pitcher, you add the tea leaves directly into the pitcher and add your liquid of choice.  The strainer built into the lid will catch the Tea leaves and just give you a beautiful serving of goodness!  I have used our Berry Mania tea steeped directly into vodka and seltzer and added cut up limes…it looked great and was another successful drink!  I have also steeped our Papaya Sangria in water for my daughters – which they LOVE!  I highly recommend either of these pitchers for giving or serving during the holidays.

MATCHA

I have no idea what I did before I found out about matcha. Matcha is when the green tea leaf is completely ground down into a fine powder and blended directly into your liquid of choice.  There are many health benefits associated with matcha! Personally speaking, I get an abundance of energy when I drink matcha. It is also high in antioxidants, boosts the immune system, detoxifies, and helps stimulates the metabolism, among other things.  It is much different than the burst of energy you get from coffee.  Matcha gives you a “focused alertness” with no jitters.  It is awesome and they come in a variety of flavors. One tin is priced at $39 for 100 servings!  (Only $.39 per serving!)  You can mix matcha in hot water, blend it into smoothies, mix it into yogurt, and add it to pancake or cupcake batter…another item where the possibilities are endless.

Steeped Tea Gingerbread Matcha

The available flavors are:

  • Banana
  • Fruit Punch
  • Gingerbread (pictured)
  • Mocha
  • Peppermint
  • Pineapple Punch
  • Sweet Strawberry
  • Tonia’s Pumpkin
  • Vanilla

Also available is plain Matcha ($39) and Ceremonial ($45). Not sure which to try? A matcha sampler is also available for $60 and comes with the 6 most popular matcha flavors in a sample size.

Pop-Top Tumbler

This Pop-Top Tumbler is amazing! It will keep liquids hot or cold for about 12 hours. This gem comes with a detachable infuser so you can steep your tea right into it!  I use mine every single day as I am constantly on the run with my kids.  It also has a lock to prevent spills! This is an invaluable tumbler to have for $40 (and can be personalized for an additional $10). It is available in 7 colors, is double-walled, stainless steel, BPA free, vacuum sealed and holds 16.9 oz (500 ml).

Steeped Tea Pop-Up Tumbler.jpg

Detox Sampler

This little set has it all! It comes with 50 steeping sacks and 6 different teas – all of which are must-haves for the holiday season! It includes:

  • Don’t Worry be Happy
  • Feminini Tea
  • Hot Yoga
  • Lemon Ginger Tea Tox
  • Immunity Booster
  • Stress Reliever

Steeped Tea Detox Sampler

The Detox Sampler is priced at $40 and can be separated as gifts or stocking stuffers! Who wouldn’t want to give the gift of health this holiday season?

Last, but certainly not least… enter Sleepy Chai.  The holidays could be stressful, and turning off my brain doesn’t happen easily. Sleepy Chai tea totally relaxes me at night; not only do I fall asleep with ease, but I wake up feeling well rested and rejuvenated. Available for $19 for 3.52 oz – I always make sure this is in my pantry!

Steepd Tea Sleepy Chai

All of the above items could be purchased from my Steeped Tea store. I hope my list of tea-must haves has given you ideas and I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season!

Have questions? Contact Peggy at pmic719@hotmail.com and join her Steeped Tea Facebook group!

Namaste.

Tea Must-Haves for the Holiday Season and Beyond

5 Affirmations to Get You Through the Holiday Season

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by Nicole Martin

What is an affirmation? Simply stated, affirmations are consciously controlled thoughts.  Affirmations are strong, positive statements that you intentionally think or say out loud. They are extremely helpful when your typical stream of worries and topic-hopping thoughts could rival any goldfish. During the holiday season, our minds tend to go wild.

Affirmations can also be very powerful on the human psyche.  When used regularly, they help to rewire our brain towards positive thinking and help battle negative emotions and thoughts.

The holiday season is a great time to start practicing affirmations. While we all want to be blissful and joyous during this time of year, the reality is that we are ferociously finishing our shopping lists, cleaning our houses and preparing for holiday dinners, and are often left feeling exhausted and stressed. The power of positive words and thoughts can help negate some of these holiday emotions.

Christmas

Try reading through some of the affirmations below; say each sentence out loud (it’s ok, you can go hide in the bathroom) and see how your mindset shifts towards joy.  Several slow, deep breaths only strengthen your experience and will help you to reach true peace and happiness.

  • When your To-Do List feels overwhelming: “I breathe in and out, knowing that what I need to get done, will get done.”
  • When you feel obligated to go to every holiday party and function: “I have the power to choose how I spend my time during the holidays.”
  • When you feel burnt out: “It’s okay to practice self-care and to rest, relax and recharge.”
  • When you are anxious about intrusive questions “I release all holiday stress and expectations of what I think that I should be. I allow myself to be me.”
  • When you are worried about holiday spending: “Money comes to me easily and unexpectedly. “

Feel free to tweak the wording in these statements so that they are even more meaningful for you.  Remember, positive thinking is like exercise – the more you practice, the stronger you’ll become at leveraging these statements in the thick of a stressful moment.

May you find moments of serenity during the holiday season! Cheers!

Nicole Martin is a personal development coach who empowers moms to live their best life possible!  After achieving what she believed was an ideal life, Nicole recognized that she still was not fulfilled, and set off on a DIY personal development journey. Now, she brings her life & career experiences, intuition, and a nurturing energy to other moms who are looking for “more” (don’t worry, she’ll help you define what that is!)  Find Nicole at www.wellandguidedmoms.com and on Instagram.

5 Affirmations to Get You Through the Holiday Season