Giving Thanks

I have several facebook friends who are posting something they're thankful for every day in November. Yes, food, shelter, a supportive partner, good friends, a job, and other obvious things have been seen so far. It will be interesting to see how their lists progress over the course of the month! Breathe Right Nasal Strips? The perfect shade of lipstick? I think it's fine to be thankful for products, as long as you've already expressed gratitude for all the people first.

It's always nice to show appreciation for all the things in life that we are thankful for. For me, I'm especially thankful for my UPS man. I keep him busy this time of year--new products are coming in every day in preparation for the holiday season. He's always pleasant and cheerful, even if it's a cartload of heavy wooden toys. And snowing. I'll have to give him a really good thank you gift this year.

Have you ever gotten a little "just because" present? It's great. Especially if it's accompanied by a sincere compliment or thank you. If you are of the old fashioned variety, you have heard of a hostess gift. It's really swell to get one--especially if it's something that you don't need to attend to right away. Fly Right tries to keep a balanced stock of little special things that would make great hostess gifts. Beautiful soaps or candles are always appreciated. Fun or fancy dish towels or aprons also make cute little presents. A funny magnet might do the trick. Reusable shopping totes are also nice and useful (just don't get the cheap ones from the grocery store for somebody as a gift--they kinda suck and they're not washable). You get the idea. Just show them that you're paying attention to the special things they do.

So while you're busy preparing to share a Thanksgiving meal with friends or family, think of a little special something that would make them feel loved. It doesn't have to be expensive. And if they're going around the table saying what they're thankful for, throw in Breathe Right Nasal Strips, if you can't think of anything that hasn't been covered by somebody else.

Autumn is in the Air!

These lovely home fragrance products from Greenleaf are currently in stock and making the shop smell GREAT! There are scented envelope sachets, potpourri, soy candles and room spray. It's a spicy, citrusy, Fall fragrance--not too food-like, just nice.

Send your little spooks out trick or treating with a special LED keyring light that makes a scary noise and lights up when you push the button.

Older kids (5+) will love making up their own monster scenes with this self-contained magnetic monster set--choose different heads, torsos, legs and backgrounds. With some creative photography, you could make a cool flip movie!

For the mini Iron Chefs out there, we have the Melissa and Doug apple pie set--slice your apple, put it in the pie and bake. Be sure to use the oven mitt when you take it out of your "oven"! Then slice and serve it up with the included pie server. Nothing says Fall is here like the smell of fresh baked apple pie, even if it is a pretend one.

It's about time!

It's starting to feel a little cooler out, the days are getting shorter, and that means one thing--it's almost Halloween!

I can't wait to wear my Halloween apron for passing out candy to the trick or treaters! If only I had the glowing gams of my mannequin. . .

I'm not sure what you call these: is it a reproduction if it's made by the same company that's always made it? These paper cut outs are printed on both sides--perfect for windows as well as walls.

These feline place mats are so cute! Whether you choose the green or the orange, you'll be sure to festify your dining table!

This is a nice set of dishtowels for Fall--only the jack-o-lantern one has a Halloween-specific picture on it. They come folded and tied with a satin ribbon--a perfect gift for the haunted hostess or the October birthday girl.

Septemberfest

The weather has been feeling a bit Fall-ish lately, and for that I am thankful. Things around the shop have been a little slow recently, which I guess is to be expected since everyone just spent all their money on school supplies and new shoes for the kiddies. I'm taking this time to gear up for the upcoming holiday, and by that I mean Halloween! I just ordered some adorable Halloween tablecloths, treat bags, place mats, and dish towels! I also got a nice Fall tablecloth with autumn leaves on it. I also have a really cute kit to make witch hand puppets, and a magnetic monster maker (you pick a background and then mix-n-match your monster's head, torso and legs--it's killing me to not have one for my own personal enjoyment!). I'm trying not to go too overboard, as I understand not everyone is as excited about Halloween as I am. I hope I get some trick or treaters at the store, and I hope I get home in time to see some of the ones there, too! My dear hubby had better have that afternoon off so he can man the fog machine and have the treats ready!

I have some cute new BlueQ bags that just came in--all made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. I've got 2 styles of shoulder bags, shopper totes, and small totes, and of course the coin purses (4 styles in all now). I've also replenished the water bottle selection, and I now have the very PC and cool stainless steel ones in addition to the cute plastic ones. I've got a couple of other orders due soon--the soda bottle birdfeeder kit, wooden train whistle, and more fun Pacifica stuff (if you like gin and tonics, you'll love their newest Juniper stuff).

I'm gearing up to redo the store window soon--we have the big Depot District Oktoberfest coming up the 19th and 20th. That should give me some good exposure--it's right out in front! There will be food vendors, bands, games, activities for the kids, and of course beer. I decided I'll stay open late-ish (if there's any interest). It should be fun, so if you're in the neighborhood stop by! I'm still not sure what to do with the window--probably just a general Fall thing that will easily morph into a Halloween spooktacular. I'm practically sitting on my hands to keep from spookin' the place up too early! I've got some great Halloween rubber stamps to play with in the meanwhile.