Ikea Haul-Holiday

I like getting to Ikea early (early to mid October is the best time) and checking out the new holiday merchandise before it gets too picked over and sold out.

This idea for making a Christmas tree in a small space on a tiny budget is also renter friendly. All you need is a box or two of ornaments and some Command hooks to make a "wall" tree. 

This wasn't a holiday purchase but it was steal. The Sanela burgundy velvet curtains were marked down to $19.99 for a pack of two panels (from $69.99!)  I couldn't resist and bought two packs for our  master  bedroom.  With  our dark navy walls,  it feels so warm and cozy in there now and they are super room darkening when they are pulled shut.

They are REALLY long so I used my curtains as a guide for cutting them down. 

I'm using my No-Sew Hem Technique to hem them.

I always stock up on tea lights at Ikea and I also picked up a Pumpkin Spice candle and a Winter Spice candle. 

The red and white print napkins go with my kitchen holiday colors.  I also got the tea light holder houses. They should look cute lined up in a glowing row. I also snagged my favorite gingerbread cookies. I use them in a garland to decorate my kitchen window. They add a homespun look to the garland and smell like Christmas!

I love these mini spoons for dessert and a fresh new cutting board is always nice to splurge on.

I always like to check out the wrapping paper, ribbon and gift tags when I'm at Ikea.  I'm not sure what my theme will be this year but this blue plaid paper  came home with me (it doesn't scream holiday so I know I'll use it no matter what!)

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{Travel} Italy-Cinque Terre-Vernazza -Part 2

We're still on Day 6 of our Italy trip and touring the beautiful towns of Cinque Terre.

After spending some time in the morning in Monterosso Al Mar, we got back on the train and headed to Vernazza.

It looked pretty crowded when we got off of the train but the streets are very narrow.   There is no car traffic so pedestrians get the whole thing.

It opens up as you get down to the water.  

  Vernazza remains one of the truest fishing villages on the Italian Riviera.

Again, the views were stunning everywhere we looked. 

 I'm pretty sure the hiking trails go all the way up.

It was starting to get a little overcast...

...and you could see some dark clouds rolling in. 

It did not dim the beauty of this place at all!

It only gave it a more dramatic look.

 It started to rain a little bit and we took cover at restaurant.  

It must be wine o'clock. 

We had been walking a lot so it was nice to rest to wait out the rain. 

We hiked back up to the train station but stopped for some focaccia since that is one of the things Vernazza in known for. 

This was a pesto focaccia and SO good.  Cinque Terre is also famous for their pesto and I can see why. Yum!  This made the perfect snack as we waited for the train to our next stop in Cinque Terre.

to be continued...

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November Daily Goodie Box

{Disclaimer: I was given a Daily Goodie Box to review but all opinions are my own}

November's Daily Goodie Box is here and let's see what we've got in store this month!

  Daily Goodie Box-It's more than  just free samples. So many goodies!

Green Goo - Peppermint Toothpaste

https://greengoo.com/products/peppermint-toothpaste

This is an all natural peppermint toothpaste.  I forgot how many things you could use toothpaste for besides toothbrushing.  Check them out by following the link.

Que Bella - Peel Off Masks

https://www.quebellabeauty.com/shop

I love a good face mask and peel off masks are even more fun!  Que Bella is an affordable and natural option.

Susan Brown’s Baby - Sensitive Baby Diaper Therapy® Cream

https://susanbrownsbaby.com/collections/baby-products/products/sensitive-baby-diaper-therapy-ointmentr

The packaging on this diaper therapy cream is so cute.  I like the natural ingredients in it like oat, shea butter, calendula and chamomile and that there are no petroleum products or mineral oils in this product.

Hydralyte - Electrolyte Solution

https://shop.hydralyte.com/products/electrolyte-solution-4-pack

You never know when you'll need one of these electrolyte solutions.  This one has 75% less sugar and 4X the electrolytes of leading sports drinks.

Teaonic - MOJO Herbal Wellness Shots 

https://teaonic.com/collections/my-mojo

From the website -   A gut-loving combo of: Ginger Juice and Aloe Leaf Juice which both have a long history of aiding and soothing digestion, Cinnamon for added digestive support, Cranberry Juice for overall immunity and anti-bacterial properties, and anti-inflammatory Hibiscus. 

Sir Kensington’s - Pizza Ranch Dressing

https://www.sirkensingtons.com/product/ranch

This dairy free and sugar free ranch (and pizza flavored?!) sounds so good!

Aprati Foods - Frutati™ Hard Candy Assortments

http://apraticandy.com/products/frutati-3-pack-box-detail

These candies come in some yummy sounding combinations like blueberry yuzu, pineapple passionfruit and green apple mango.  They only have 2g of sugar per piece of hard candy and contain no artificial colors.

WOLO WanderBar - Peanut Butter Protein Bar

https://wolosnacks.com/products/peanut-butter-protein-bar

This bar says it is packed with peanut butter - and more peanut butter with a crisp bottom layer and chewy layer on top. Sounds good to me!

You can get your own Daily Goodie Box by clicking on the link and signing up. No credit card is ever needed.

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{Travel} Italy-Day 6 Cinque Terre - Monterrosso Al Mare - Part 1

These Italy posts are taking me longer than I thought they would!

 I thought I could cover Cinque Terre in one post but I have way too many photos.  I'm going to break them down by town.  You can start here if you need to catch up.

We woke up bright and early in Portovenere to this view.

Where the hotel serves breakfast!

A sample of the lovely buffet they put out each morning.

My OOTD.

Lemon Shorts-H &M

Ivory Tank- Target

Ata Bag Luna-Amerii

Sandals-Birkenstock Gizeh

Zen Bangles-Accessory Concierge

It was hard to drag ourselves away but we had lots to see that day!

There are boats that run from Portovenere to Cinque Terre and they launched right outside our hotel but the winds were too high for the boat that day.  Our hotel provided a shuttle for us to the La Spezia train station and from there we could tour Cinque Terre all day with one train pass.

One thing we learned about the Italian train service is that you need to validate your ticket before getting on the train.   We had no issues with this though and it was easy. The ticket agent also told us to write our names on the tickets but I think they were only checked once and not for our names.

You can definitely see all of the towns in one day and you can also hike between the towns, though some of the walking paths are closed now.  On this particular day there were a few of the trails down but we were planning on taking the train anyway.  If we go back and have more time I would love to try some of the hiking trails.  Our train passes gave us access to the walking trails as well.

We decided to head to the farthest town and make our way back. Our first stop was Monterosso Al Mare.

We were immediately enchanted with this seaside beauty.

This is the place to go if you want to hit the beach in Cinque Terre.  They have the most beach access and you can rent chairs and umbrellas for the day.  We started our morning with a cappuccino.

Sounds pretty good to me!

The town of Monterosso was quaint and beautiful as well.

Flowers everywhere!

The water looked amazing.

It was a little early for beaching it but I can see the appeal.

We walked along the shore line but didn't venture too far into town.

We had more to see of Cinque Terre!

Back on the train for a very short ride to Vernazza.

to be continued...

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