Hand-picked Peach Archives

Hand-Picked Peach: Wine Glass Writer (& Giveaway!)

March 6, 2017 by Erika

As you all probably know, I'm still working on my Contentment Challenge. During the challenge I've noticed just how much less trash we have now that I'm not buying things beyond groceries, and I've started to even try to avoid the standard waste from grocery shopping. This has lead to a lot of homemade condiments and glass containers.

The problem? Trying to remember what is in all those glass jars and when I made them!

I tried writing on the jars with a dry erase marker, but every time I touched the lettering, the writing would wipe right off.

Then I heard about Wine Glass Writer!

Wine Glass Writer is a washable, non-toxic marker that writes on glass and glazed ceramics. The ink dries in 1-2 minutes and does not smudge, but easily washes off with soap and water. It has been a perfect solution to my refrigerator dilemma.

So perfect in fact that I've started to use it around the house for other things like labeling my cleaner bottles and writing scripture on my mirror.

The only thing I haven't tried yet is using Wine Glass Writer to write on wine glasses! LOL! But never fear, the next book club night I'll be letting the girls have fun decorating their glasses so we can all keep track of whose is whose.

Wine Glass Writer offers two flagship products, the Metallic trio in gold, emerald green and silver and a Bold Matte trio in brilliant blue, purple and green. The best part about the Bold Matte trio is that it is 100% made in the USA! Wine Glass Writer was also recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 5 Wine Accessories of the Year, the first year the product debuted as well.

Now the fun part. The gals over at Wine Glass Writer want to give one lucky reader a trio of her very own! Just fill in the information below!

Disclaimer: I was given a free sample of Wine Glass Writer in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and usage ideas are my own.

Giveaway Guidelines: Eligible winners must reside within USA and Canada. By entering, entrants confirm they are 18+ years of age. The logos shown in the photo belong to the respective brands and no copyright infringement is intended. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Friends/family/colleagues of sponsors are not eligible. WGW will be responsible for shipping costs. Recent giveaway winners (hosted by this group or others) within 30 days of this giveaway are not eligible to enter. Fake or Giveaway-Only accounts will be disqualified. Product boxes may have been opened for giveaway photo purposes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Hand-Picked Peach: Fancy Faye Handmade

December 9, 2016 by Erika

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Do you all remember Fancy Faye Handmade from last year? Well, I sure haven't forgotten about my Instagram friend's shop. I absolutely adore her work, so I wanted to share it with you again this year!

Elyse and I became friends on Instagram a little over a year ago, and she is such a role model for me on this journey to simpler living. One thing I believe that simplicity calls for is quality and handmade items where possible. Buying from small businesses helps out our friends and neighbors, but also gives us the joy of unique, quality gifts and pleasures.

Ignore the graininess of my iPhone pic!

Elyse sells handmade felt items in her shop, Fancy Faye Handmade, on Etsy. I had her make some custom bows to put in Lakota's stocking this year and we got a few more ornaments for our tree (which Lakota decorated all by herself this year!). She even makes custom colors! When I heard this I decided to have her make me some white barn ornaments for our other Christmas tree which is only decorated with neutral colors.

Lakota's favorite ornament from Fancy Faye Handmade is the gingerbread house, but mine is the little red barn. And all of you vintage glampers NEED to get your hands on one of her campers! She has so many cute styles to choose from! Or maybe you could have a house made in your home's colors?

Elyse is offering all Full & Simple readers 20% off their order until December 16, which is the last day to order for Christmas delivery. Simply use the code 20off.

Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

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Hand-Picked Peach: Everlane

October 21, 2016 by Erika

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Have you heard about Everlane yet? If you've been following my Turning 30 journey (which by the way, I'm 30 today!), then you know that I've been working on developing my own personal style for this new stage of life and I'm trying to create a capsule wardrobe.

While I've been working on this, I've also been learning about slow and ethical fashion, which is where Everlane comes in. They are a great source for ethically produced wardrobe basics! I'm actually working on a larger post about my journey to an ethical capsule wardrobe, but I couldn't wait to share about this company. I just got my first order from them this week and I'm so impressed.

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First, a little about the company...

Everlane is online only so they can pass along savings to customers because they have less overhead that brick and mortar stores have. Everlane searches the world for the best factories, visits them often and develops close relationships with the factory owners. This allows the company to assure customers of the factory's integrity. You can see pictures of every factory that produces clothing for Everlane on their site.

Earlier I mentioned the savings they pass along because of their business model. They also show a cost breakdown for EVERY item they sell! You can see how much it costs to make the item and the markup. As a former business teacher, I find this aspect of their business fascinating.

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I bought the Pima stretch tank which will be great under sweaters or blazers this fall and winter. I also bought the cotton crew tee in black and white. These will also be great layering pieces this fall with cardigans and blazers. All three items are so soft! I'm sure they will become favorites VERY quickly!

If you're in the market for some ethical wardrobe basics make sure you take a look at Everlane. They are very affordable and I'm happy with the shirts I bought.

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Disclaimer: The post above does contain my referral link. I earn credit with Everlane at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase items from them.

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Hand-Picked Peach: The Light Between Oceans

September 2, 2016 by Erika

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Last month my book club read The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman. This book may be one of the most conflicting books I've read and let me tell you why.

First, let me give you a short synopsis. Tom and Isabel live on a small island off the coast of Australia where Tom is the lighthouse keeper. It's just the two of them...until one day, a boat washes up on shore. Inside are a dead man and an infant that is alive. Isabel convinces Tom to not report the boat to the mainland and to keep the baby as their own. Isabel's reasoning is that the mother must have fallen overboard and that, if reported, the baby would be sent to an orphanage. A few years after the baby arrives Tom, Isabel and Lucy (the baby) go back to the mainland for their leave. This is when Tom and Isabel find out that Lucy's mother did not drown and has been searching for her baby all this time. What follows is complicated and emotionally conflicting.

I think this book is quite the conversation piece, especially for mothers. Because on one hand, you have the birth mother who you feel for. I can't imagine losing one of my children. And in real life, if this were a story on the six o'clock news, I would root for her. But in the book, with an omniscient narrator, you find yourself caring for and rooting for Tom and Isabel as well. I don't know how you resolve the story without heartbreak, but that didn't stop our group from trying to come up with ways!

Also, the movie for the book released today. I can't wait to go see it with my book club girls. So if you are looking for a thought-provoking book or movie, make sure to check out The Light Between Oceans.

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Hand-Picked Peach: Olive Topiary

August 19, 2016 by Erika

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Progress is slowly being made on our farmhouse table, so I've started to think about tablescapes for my reveal post. Joanna Gaines from HGTV's Fixer Upper has really made cotton stems and olive branches synonymous with farmhouse decor so I had thought that maybe I would include one of those items. But then I saw these cuties!

Olive topiaries from Williams Sonoma! These topiaries are alive, so a green thumb might be required. This olive topiary stays green all year round, which is a bonus for those dreary winter months here in Indiana.

You can choose between two sizes. The smaller topiary gets to be about five foot tall and does not flower or produce fruit. The larger topiary can grow to 15 foot tall and flowers in the spring with fruit in the fall. How cool would it be to have your own olives?! I would have to learn how to make olive oil because I don't actually like to eat olives.

The topiary does require bright light or full sun, so I'm not sure that I would be able to keep a topiary or two on my table all of the time, but moving it for a fun centerpiece every now again would be totally worth it!

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Hand-Picked Peach: Mama Bear Mug

August 12, 2016 by Erika

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Happy Fri-yay! My husband has been on travel for two weeks, but he's coming home tomorrow and this momma cannot wait! I'm getting a bit run down being the only parent 24/7. Props to all of the full-time single parents out there!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw my post earlier this week where I discussed my embarrassing behavior towards my tantrum-throwing toddlers. That post also showcased my Mama Bear mug by Rachel Allene. When I was teaching there was this super cool teacher that drank her coffee out of clear mugs. Honestly, I always thought it was a bit odd to have a clear mug. I don't know why, but I did. However, when I saw this mug, I had to have it!

The font is adorable. The clear mug is hip. And the mug itself holds a good amount of coffee. Win-win-win! If you are a Mama Bear, then you need to get this mug, and if you aren't a Mama Bear, there are a few other options for you in the Rachel Allene store!

P.S. You can get my pink chair here.

Disclaimer: Erika Bault is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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Hand-Picked Peach: A Girl and Her Greens

August 5, 2016 by Erika

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We are finally starting to get a good amount of veggies from our garden. Most of my tomatoes are still green, but we've been able to pick a few. I've canned a few quarts of green beans, blanched a few gallon bags more, made seven batches of my freezer pesto, and frozen zucchini, blackberries, blueberries and green peppers. As I started to plan mostly garden meals, I decided to check out April Bloomfield's cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens, from the library.

When I looked through it, I got so inspired. This is a cookbook for strictly vegetables. Now, it isn't necessarily full of just vegetarian recipes as some of her recipes do call for bacon grease and such. But the stars of the book are the veggies.

I haven't tried any of the recipes yet since I picked up the book after I had meal-planned and grocery shopped for the week, but here are a few that I want to try:

Boiled asparagus with ramp bearnaise sauce (maybe in the spring when asparagus is fresh)
Morels with madeira cream on toast (again, may have to wait for next spring)
Stewed zucchini with basil
Roasted carrots with carrot-top pesto and burrata

Veggies never sounded so elegant!

Plus, I started watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix the other day. It's a documentary about the positive health effects from a whole food, plant-based diet. While, I'm not planning on ever becoming a vegetarian, because BACON, I do see the health (and waistline) benefits of eating more veggies.

Just a few veggies picked for supper one night.

If you too are looking for a way to spark a desire to eat more vegetables, then I highly recommend you check out A Girl and Her Greens by April Bloomfield. I may have to put this one on a Christmas list because I don't think the library will let me keep it. LOL!

Disclaimer: The above post does contain affiliate links.

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Hand-Picked Peach: Kung-Fu Panda 3

July 22, 2016 by Erika

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This week we rented Kung-Fu Panda 3 from Redbox. L and I had gone on a momma-daughter date to see the movie in theaters, but I figured the boys would love it too. The banter is just as funny as the previous Kung-Fu Panda movies, but what I really love about this installment of the trilogy is the message.

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Get ready....I'm about to get really deep with a cartoon.

In the very last fight scene, Kai (the bad guy) asks Po, "Who are you?"

To which Po responds, "I've been asking the same question. Am I the son of a panda? The son of a goose? A student? A teacher? Turns out, I'm all of them. I am the Dragon Warrior."

Ok, you probably think that I'm off my rocker, but bare with me.

Po's response is EXACTLY what I want to share with women and the world here on Full & Simple.

Am I a mother? A wife? A blogger? A gardener? A beekeeper? A home decor lover? I am all of those! I am a daughter of Christ created to be unique and to share that with the world, and you are too!

I highly recommend that you watch this movie with your kiddos and teach them to embrace all of their loves. Teach them to ignore the world's idea that we have to be only one thing...unless that one thing is to be wholly themselves.

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Hand-Picked Peach: Magnolia Market Square Wire Basket

July 15, 2016 by Erika

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A few weeks ago I shared an adorable pail from Anthropologie to help you pick those fresh veggies out of your garden, and I mentioned needing a basket for my eggs. Well, I found it! I just purchased this Square Wire Basket from Magnolia Market and I can't wait for it to arrive...and for us to have eggs for me to gather in it!

This past week the hubs was on travel for work, so I was in charge of taking care of everything here by myself. Can I just tell you that I don't handle stress very well? Cue Fixer Upper on Netflix! Sometimes I don't even have the show on to see the reveals. Chip and Joanna just make my heart happy. Having that happiness playing in the background of cleaning and taking care of the kiddos was very welcomed this week!

But even though I needed Jojo this week for sanity more than design, can we all just agree that she has impeccable taste?! I mean, really. One of the things that I love about her home and the spaces she designs is the simplicity and calm. I need calm in my life!

While watching an episode of Fixer Upper, I decided to head over to Magnolia Market online and I found this cute little basket...ON SALE!!! It was originally $18, but now it is on sale for $12, so I snatched it up.

I plan on this basket becoming my egg basket primarily, but I think it will be good for smaller trips to the garden for dinner supplies as well.

Are you a Fixer Upper fan? I'd love to here what you love about Jojo's style, or tell me what you use to gather your eggs. Connecting with readers is one of my favorite things about blogging. Comment below or send me an email using the contact page.

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Hand-Picked Peach: Talenti Gelato

July 8, 2016 by Erika

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One thing that I love so much about summer is ice cream! Even with swim suit season, for some reason I just don't feel as guilty eating ice cream in the summer. It seems acceptable to have a cool treat on a hot, humid Indiana day. Following Shannon Ables on Instagram, I noticed that she has been indulging in Talenti Gelato, so I decided to pick some up for myself. I mean, gelato is Italian and we all already know I'm obsessed with Italian food!

I got the sea salt caramel, and it is delicious!!! Caramel gelato with caramel truffles mixed in. Mmmmmm! Want to know a secret trick to make it even better? Sprinkle a little course sea salt on top of it. I know it sounds weird to top ice cream with salt, and I'm not usually one for adding a lot of salt to my food, but this was AMAZING!

The Talenti Gelato is pricier than buying store brand...obviously...so I save it for a "the kids are in bed" snack. Hehe! Don't tell! Also don't tell them about my secret stash of dark chocolate in my bedroom. Hey, sometimes a momma's gotta treat herself.

If you are looking for an indulgent treat this weekend, I highly recommend the Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato. You can thank me later!

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