Giving thanks while keeping your $$'s

Every year around this time, there is a a lot of "giving thanks" floating around. Why is it that we concentrate on it so much during one short time, instead of all the time? I have to say, I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS! It starts with Halloween, and goes all the way through January 1st.  There is just something special in the air during this time.....and the lights! The light decorations everywhere are just magical. Unfortunately, it does not snow where I live, that would be ultimate.

With this magical time of year, we also get bombarded with sales. My goodness, all the things we did

Money Tree, gift from my son many years ago :).

not know we needed! This is the time people spend most of their money, and rack up credit. Many years ago, I would put some money aside specifically for Black Friday, I would hunt through the sales fliers to find the best deal, and head out at 4 or 5 am to snag my prize. Now, you have leave your dinner table, and Black Friday starts on Halloween. I worked retail for a few Holiday Seasons, and now I refuse to go shopping on any Holidays. It is pretty crappy when you have to leave festivities and go work. Black Friday is hyped up to make you think you are getting a deal, or you are losing out if you do not participate. Trust me, there is always another deal for you in the Universe. Stay in control.

Remember, it is your money. I know it is hard to resist the super sales in your inbox. I have started deleting and unsubscribing. When I need something specific, I will go and check for sales & coupons. Impulse buys are thwarted this way.

As you know, I am both a Certified Clutter Coach, and an avid estate sale treasure hunter. A contradiction? Trust me, I am not perfect, and do succumb to impulse buys....BUT....here are some of my tricks for every day saving and getting through the holidays without maxing out your credit card. It is the time to show our love with gifts, but take some time and ponder on this. It is not the price of the gift, but the thought you put into it for the receiver.

1. At this point in time, it is too late to save for Yule or Christmas presents, but it is never too late to set a budget. I set a budget for gifts for family. Gift exchanges are $10. We have done gift exchanges like this, and everyone has come up with FABULOUS gifts. Plus, no one feels awkward. Estate sales & thrift stores are your friend. Not only do you save, you recycle!

2. I have recently discovered Facebook Marketplace! I always check there and Craigslist first. You would be surprised what people are selling. I found a $300 IKEA desk for $35. I do suggest giving yourself plenty of time, people list new things every day.

3. Make things! One of my favorite gifts is a framed paper a friend wrote the words she saw when she though of me :). Herbed vinegars in pretty bottles, vanilla sugar, ginger beer....ideas are endless.

4. Even estate sales & thrift stores can be money suckers! Set yourself a budget AND STICK TO IT. Learn to haggle :)....it becomes a fun game. I will reiterate: Stick to your budget. Even if the item is only $5 more. If you can't negotiate it down to your price, let it go. I know it is hard, I have had to do it many times. But it feels good to be in control, and is what it is all about. 

5. Often, people tell me "I have teens, they don't want that. They want an iPhone!". Well, so do I. But, I have to work for it. Just think about that, and think of the love & experience you can give that teen if you think of something more original. Let them earn these expensive gadgets. Ask my kids, they can give you tips :). They both bought their own phones.

Of course, if you want to buy a unique gift, I am always going to steer you to Etsy. So many fantastic items, made & listed with love. I even made a gift guide for you, perfect pairings for both the hanging Kitchen Witches, and the Streghe. Both come with love & magic, as well as tradition.

Whatever happens this Holiday season, give yourself love, have fun, be grateful, and enjoy the magic!
Much love,
Heike

Your KitchenWitch and a vintage treasure, the perfect pair! Gift Guide!

It's been a few years that I did a gift guide of perfect matches for your Kitchen Witch, or the one you are giving as a gift!
 You see, my favorite thing to do when I am not making Witches is going to estate sales. I usually hit the kitchen & sewing rooms first. I find the kitchens of the 50's & 60's were the most innovative places to be! The kitchen gear is well designed for beauty & function. I have a 1950's Wedgewood stove, and an original metal kitchen, so these gadgets fit right in! I will tell you the story how I become the proud owner of Lulu (my stove) and this fantastic kitchen soon.  For now, let me just tell you that estate sales & thrift stores are treasure troves for inexpensive & unique items! To find sales in your area, go to my favorite resource at http://www.estatesales.net.

In the picture above with Irina and the Streghe, you will find (more details below!) :
1. Homemade jam or kombucha (or salsa, fruit, cookies in a jar...the opportunities are endless!)
2. Cheese Crock
3. Vintage Cookbooks
4. My favorite vintage kitchen tools: cheese grater and Kitchenmajig
5. Vintage linen towels
6. Aprons!! Not in this picture, because I forgot, even though I was wearing one!

Now to more details, and some stories...

Homemade jam & kombucha.
If you zoom in, you will see that this is my favorite plum jam from 2015. Yep, and we are still eating it. This was a bumper crop year, and I made some damn good jam. Kombucha is my go to for all ailments, so if I give you some, I love you. If you don't have anyone to give you a scoby, hit me up and I will send you one of mine. They are pretty frisky.

Cheese Crock & my favorite vintage kitchen tools.

This cheese grater is the bomb, and since I learned what they do to bagged cheese to keep it from clumping, I have vowed to always grate my own cheese. I see these often, and they grate just about any cheese you feed it.

The cheese crock is a staple in thrift stores. It seems they were pretty popular and came with cheese, though I have personally NEVER seen a cheese sold like this. Smart! You can use this to gift a sourdough starter, a kombucha scoby, OR just fill it with cookies. Or spiced coffee (take coffee beans, cardamon seeds, cinnamon chips, and whole cloves. Perfect for the coffee friend who grinds!).

My favorite gadget ever: the Kitchenmajig. That is what it is called, and it etched right on there. You want the original. I already have three, and use it all the time! To stir, strain, flip. It is essential. Find one.

Vintage Cookbooks

For these two, you need lots of cheese! So, find a grater :).

Ok, this is my secret. I have to have pictures. Cookbooks with no pictures are dead to me. I only make an exception with the San Fransisco Examiner cookbook because I got it from Jerry, a fabulous old Lady who once owned a B&B in San Fransisco during a time when you did not DARE leave the house without gloves on. And she came from the Midwest on a carriage. She had stories :).

Vintage Linen Towels

I am a sucker for vintage towels, even if they need to be ironed. They are always beautiful, and the fabric! I just found these four, for $1-2 each! They are in pristine condition, and the bird one is a calendar towel from the year I was born. My birthday was on a Tuesday :).

Find a few of these, fold them (iron them!), and tie with a pretty bow. Voila! Or, if you are like me, buy lots of them for gifts and just keep them for yourself :).

Aprons! Last, but not least.

I live in aprons, because I splatter all the time and I need pockets. Lots of pockets. These are four of the many aprons I own and use all the time (literally, these are all a bit smudgy. Sorry, but I did not want to leave them out!).
Again, estate sales are where you will find them. Any time I go into a house that has items from the 50's-70's, I find aprons.
Just a note, my Oma and my Erna both wore "house aprons" all the time at home, and outside if I did not catch them. Now I know why. In the summer, you will catch me outside in minimal clothes, covered respectfully with an apron :).

I hope I have inspired you! Send me a picture of your Witch pairings, I would love to see them! Or, post them on Instagram and tag me @goddessinthegroove and #kitchenwitch.

You can find many KitchenWitches, and some of my vintage finds, in my Etsy store. Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the newest scoop, plus I have a little gift for YOU!

Much love, and happy hunting!
Heike

I have been hijacked :(.

If you have come here via "The Goddess's Daily Groove", you may be surprised, and a bit lost. Especially, if you are looking for a past blog post.

Unfortunately, the Daily Groove has been hijacked by my previous host. Alas, I was not very smart about the internet when I switched the blog Wordpress and to a new host a few years ago. When they decided to raise the prices triple of what I started with, I decided to sever our relationship. After many emails, pleads, curses, etc back and forth: They hijacked my link, and now my old blog cannot be reached.

Time to start fresh :). Back here where I spend my time writing & sharing, not learning new codes.

Enjoy, y'all, and don't switch your blogs to Bluehost.com. Just saying.

Smooches,
Heike