Local Gifts and Crafts Made in the USA

Going with my theme for the week I felt that I needed to add “Made in the USA” in the title, but these are actually places where you can buy some local goods, artwork or crafts that would make great Christmas presents.

Holden Arboretum’s Gifts from the Heart of Nature
Craft sale continues through Fri 12/30 from 9AM-5PM. Gifts from the Heart of Nature promotes regional artists with nature inspired works, and crafts made from environmentally responsible materials. Visit HoldenArb.org for event details.

Brecksville Center for the Arts Shoppe for Art
http://www.brecksvillearts.org/shoppeforart….html
Visit our Shoppe for Art, a small gallery in our Highland Drive facility featuring the works of area artists and BCA instructors. Works of art will be on display for one month or more and are available for sale. The Shoppe will also feature fine crafted gift items during special seasonal and holiday gift shows. The Shoppe for Art will be open during regular office hours 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 440-526-6232 for more information.

2011 Made in the 216 Holiday Shoppe at Room Service
http://madeinthe216.com/about.php
MADE IN THE 216 is a shopping event designed to tout the design community of Cleveland and to support those that have chosen to stay and base their creative endeavors right here in ‘the 216’. By showcasing the designers along with musicians and caterers in a setting merchandised and designed to look like a fun and engaging retail space, the guests are encouraged to explore and discover the products and shop and have fun!

Lake Erie Artists Gallery
http://lakeerieartists.com
Lake Erie Artists Gallery offers you the opportunity to browse and collect the finest local Cleveland art, photography, and memorabilia as well as wonderful jewelry from local Cleveland, Ohio artists. Please browse and bookmark our unique art gifts for yourself and your friends. We will ship your gifts just about anywhere in the world safely.

Cleveland Handmade at Winterfest! Sat Nov 26th or Buy Online
http://www.clevelandhandmade.com/
A new part of the festivities will be the Winterfest Village which will include artists and craftspeople (many from Cleveland Handmade Markets) selling their wares in a large, heated tent on Public Square from 3-7pm. Make visiting (and shopping with small business people) a new part of your Holiday tradition!

Can you think of more?

Until next time,

Lorelei

Step 2 Made in the USA

First of all, I am a big Step 2 fan, because it’s a local company like Little Tikes and Build a Dream Playhouses.    But I am now an even bigger fan, because they make it so clear on their website as to what is strictly “Made in the USA,” versus, kinda made in the USA (but by government standards could be labeled as “Made in the USA”, versus not made here at all.

http://www.step2.com/made-in-usa/

I’ve written a bit about Step 2 in the past:

• Step2 Store in Streetsboro
• Cleveland Holiday Shopping Tips and Toys R Us 15% Off Coupon

Visit the store itself at:

Step2 Store
10010 Aurora-Hudson Rd.
Streetsboro, OH

And, according to their Facebook page:

Don’t miss your chance to get additional savings for Black Friday Weekend!
If you come into the store now through November 23rd, you can receive a coupon for 25% off one product (excluding clearance)!

Until tomorrow,

Lorelei

Build a Dream Playhouses Made in the USA

If you’ve ever used an old refrigerator box to make a fort for your kids, you may want to check out Build a Dream Playhouses.  But Build a Dream offers more than just cardboard playhouses.   I’m actually town between the Cosmic Cruiser and the Dream Machine myself.    Oh yeah, and they another great Cleveland-based company!

http://buildadreamplayhouses.com/our-story/

Until tomorrow,

Lorelei

K’NEX Made in the USA

Ok, according to their website, 90% are Made in the USA, in Pennsylvania to be specific: 

http://www.knex.com/News_and_Events/American-Made.php

Apparently, motors and special parts are Made in China, if you read the fine print.   But, considering K’NEX makes the kind of toys my 5 year-old boy would like to play with (building toys, similar to Legos), I’m afraid I’m not going to do much better than that.  

Until tomorrow,

Lorelei

Made in The USA For Christmas

Ok, so maybe it becomes “not Made in China” week, but there’s already a blog set up for that. 

After making some purchases for Christmas already, I have decided from this point forward I am only buying Christmas presents not made in China.   Unfortunately, the Fisher Price Trio Hot Wheels toys our 5 year-old had picked out are apparently made in China, as well as the entire set of my niece’s “American Girl” items.    This is officially my tipping point.   Since we’ve moved into our house, we’ve received several items made in China that we did not expect to be made in China.   Recently, landscape path lights from Kichler (based in Cleveland, Ohio), furniture from Hekman (based in Michigan) and furniture from Fine Furniture Design Manufacturers (based in North Carolina).  

So this week, with so many great toys Made in the USA, I am going to highlight one company each day of this week for you. 

Today I begin with Hudson, Ohio based Little Tikes.    I’m fairly certain we’re all familiar with Little Tikes, but what you may not know is, if there are large items you’d like to order from them but don’t want to pay hefty shipping charges, you can pick up the items at their facilities in Hudson.    We’ve done this before, and from what my hubby tells me, it was a fairly easy process.  Little Tikes has a list of all of their toys that are Made in the USA:

http://www.littletikes.com/made-in-the-usa-toys

Additionally, Little Tikes has a great email you can subscribe to that offers discounts on various toys throughout the year.

Will you be buying American this year for Christmas?   I just get so excited when I can actually find things made here, so I wanted to share.

Until tomorrow,

Lorelei

Zoya 2 Free Nail Polishes – Fashion Reward‏

In honor of NYFW (New York Fashion Week) Zoya, The New Color of Fashion,
wants to give a “Fashion Reward” to all our followers and fans.

Place any Zoya or Qtica order of $10 (on http://www.zoya.com,  http://www.qtica.com or http://www.artofbeauty.com ) and get any 2 Zoya Nail Polish shades (0.5oz bottles) as our Free gift to you.

Simply add all the items that you want to purchase online to your shopping cart.
Enter the code NYFW in the “code” field and press the “update” button.
A $14 discount will appear in the shopping cart for the value of the 2 Zoya Nail Polishes.

Offer valid from Wednesday, 2/17/2010 Friday, 2/19/2010, at 5PM ET. Standard shipping charges apply.

Offer valid for consumer online orders only. Free ground shipping for orders over $55 in Continental USA only.

Not valid with any other coupon code or offer.

Art of Beauty, the producers of Zoya nail polishes, has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.    Learn more about the company’s headquarters from another local blogger at http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2007/09/my-visit-to-art-of-beauty.html

Great condo for kids on Maui

I am actually in the process of looking for a condo to stay at on Hawaii’s Big Island and have truly discovered how useful User Generated reviews are when it comes to travel.  Honestly, user generated reviews are a huge influencer for me when it comes to purchasing just about anything online.

For that reason, I decided I should share the following info on the condo we had when we stayed in Maui back in January.

 

Hale Ono Loa Unit 109

We stayed at the Hale Ono Loa in Honokowai. It is two buildings down from where a friend of ours lived, in the Kaleialoha. The particular condo we had, Unit 109, was fantastic. It is one of only 5 units in the entire complex that is ground floor and oceanfront. The yard for the other 4 units is all connected, but this particular one
benefits from having a “front yard” that is practically to itself, so we didn’t need to worry about the toddler bothering anyone when he ran around outside. It was perfect. We were able to sit outside and eat our meals or have drinks and watch for humpback whales, sea turtles, sunsets and rainbows. We had the same view from a huge picture window inside the living room area of our condo, and the inside of the condo was even nicer than it looks in the pictures! Plus, the location was great, a quick walk to the playground, Bad Ass Coffee and the Farmer’s Market.

So, if you’re looking for a cute little place in Maui that’s oceanfront, this is it!  Now, does anyone have recommendations for me for condos on the Big Island?

Until next time,

Lorelei

Girls Night Out

Saturday night the hubby had to work, so grandma came over and hung out with the toddler and mommy had her first girls night out in a very long time.   I know that the last time I saw the girls was Memorial Day weekend, and that was for a get together at my house.   Before that, it had been a couple of months and they had come over to our house that night too.    So sad.  

We all met up at Wine Bar Rocky River at 8pm.    It was so great to see everyone.    A couple of the girls significant others were there too, actually, now that I think of it, all of their significant others were there except for mine.    Maybe because I wasn’t worried about the hubby getting a headache or wanting to head home at 10pm, it felt like a girls night out to me.    It was so nice sitting and nibbling appetizers of brie and avocado bruchetta and cheese plates and calamari while drinking wine by the bottle.    The Beringer Cabernet, 2005 Knights Valley and Turn Me Riesling were both very good.    By contrast, I didn’t really care for the Souverain Cabernet.   Talking to the girls, answering random questions about pregnancy and post-pregnancy and giving birth and recommending an OB was all fun too.   I chimed in briefly with the guys on a conversation around whether or not Cleveland is a dying city.    The Steelers fan believes it is…maybe I should have pointed out to him that Pittsburgh actually had a greater population loss that Cleveland last year.   😉

I am so very glad that I went out and saw my girls, and made it soberly home by midnight.    

How often should one spend time with her girlfriends?   Any recommendations?

Until next time,

Lorelei

On Birthdays and Roller Coasters

I have to say that I am actually not particulary fond of my birthday.     The best birthday I ever had was two years ago, it was the day our son came home from the hospital.    It turns out he was due on my birthday but I guess he didn’t want to share his special day with anyone, because he came two days early.     It was a perfect day.    He was healthy and happy, we came home, and as if that wasn’t a blessing enough, the hubby got me a gorgeous giving-birth/anniversary/birthday present, a platinum and diamond tennis bracelet.   That evening a couple of friends came over and my best friend brought over pizza and wings from Dina’s in Brooklyn.   My all time favorite wings and a meal I associate with great memories.   

Prior to that, and since my teens probably, birthdays were pretty uneventful.    My 21st birthday was probably the other best one, as I was on my honeymoon in St. Lucia, in an evening gown sipping a daquiri on the beach under the moon.    So, yeah, it’s hard to have realistic expectations after that one, or after bringing your firstborn home on your birthday for that matter.     Last year’s birthday was a randomly good one, we went to hear the Orchestra at Blossom with some friends, and for that birthday I am greatful as well.

Today however, I am hoping everyone forgets it’s my birthday.    I don’t really feel like celebrating.   Not that I think I’m getting old or anything, I’m only turning 29 and am very much looking forward to being 30.    I am enjoying life so much more approaching 30 than I did when I was approaching 20.    Celebrating the toddler’s 2nd birthday was much more fun than celebrating my own.    The in-laws came into town and spent a few days hanging out with us.    We all went toy shopping, played at the Botanical Garden, saw cars at the Western Reserve Historical Society, ate food from India Garden (it was too salty this time), fed ducks at the duck pond (no Canadian geese this time), visited Honey Hut for ice cream and went to Lakewood Park and walked along the promenade.    I cooked some ribs on Saturday and we had some more company over to celebrate the big 2nd birthday, and spaced out present opening throughout the day to avoid overload.    It seemed to help.  I was disappointed when I called Corbo’s to order a cassata cake that they were not making any special orders for them that weekend, due to the Feast of the Assumption festival in Little Italy.    Corbo’s was too busy feeding the crowds at that event, which happens to always take place during the week of our birthdays.   Oh well, the Baskin Robbins cake I picked up at the last minute worked just as well.  When asked what our son’s favorite present was, he told us, “birthday cake!”     Though, the last present we gave him, from mommy and daddy, seemed to be the biggest hit…a roller coaster from Step2.    Conveniently, my sister lives right down the street from the Step2 headquarters in Streetsboro, so we were able to save about $20 off the cost, plus shipping, by having them pick up the toy for us.     Our son is having a blast racing down the track and rolling across our hardwood floors.    It’s one of the few toys I’ve seen that every parent review says it is great, and it is.   It comes with five pieces that all slide together like a big puzzle, no screws, no tools needed.    We had it out of the box and ready to go in 2 minutes.    I didn’t even need to read any instructions.   And it comes apart just as easily for when we want to take it outside as well.

So, my sister made the joke to me today that she should have bought me a roller coaster as well.   I can’t believe this, but the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake apparently sold for just $5,000 this summer!    I really can’t believe that.   I mean, granted, who has room to erect a full-sized adult roller coaster on their property, but still.   Only $5,000?    For a big kid, like me, that would be an awesome birthday present…but it still wouldn’t top bringing home the toddler for the first time.

Until next time,

Lorelei

PS.   I did fail to mention that the hubby sent me some beautiful roses to work for my birthday, which was very sweet and the first time I’ve ever gotten flowers at work.   He’s apparently thought of doing it before, but couldn’t figure out the exact address of where I worked, I probably shouldn’t take that for granted.

Lorelei is Back on Tap

Quite possibly the best beer the hubby or I have ever had that’s made in the states…and it’s returned for a second summer at Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Check out the Lorelei Dunkel Weizen here:

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/whatsOnTap.php

Yay for summers in Cleveland!

Until next time,

Lorelei