Giveaway: Cristina Ashley Designs

Welcome to Simple Living Media’s Home for the Holidays! We’ve got 25 giveaways across the entire network this week to give you plenty of chances to win a great gift, just in time for the holidays.

This giveaway has ended.  Check back on Saturday, December 4 for the winner!

Today I’m giving away a $100 gift certificate to Cristina Ashley Designs.

Cristina offers beautiful hand-stamped jewelry, and a unique item that is perfect for the gardener!

Her vintage garden forks are such a lovely way to adorn and identify your herbs or flowers. Each vintage cocktail fork is a unique garden addition, with its sweet, custom-stamped letters.

Learn more about Cristina Ashley Designs and how to win a gift certificate to her shop.

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Giveaway: Warm Sugar

Welcome to Simple Living Media’s Home for the Holidays! We’ve got 25 giveaways across the entire network this week to give you plenty of chances to win a great gift, just in time for the holidays.

This giveaway has ended.  Check back on Saturday, December 4 for the winner!

Today I’m giving away an adorable handmade doll from Warm Sugar. This would be the perfect give for the little girl in your family, or for any of the young at heart really.

My daughter loves snuggling with her doll, Marla, and taking her for walks, but I wouldn’t mind this little beauty gracing my desk or a bookshelf; she’s that adorable.

Learn more about Warm Sugar and how to win a sweet doll.

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Weekend Links

• From Sew, Mama, Sew!: Eco-Conscious Gifts
• From Kitchen Stewardship: Decrease Holiday Disposables
• From Crunchy Domestic Goddess: Think Before You Buy
• From Live Renewed: Healthy Banana Bread and Making Substitutions in Recipes
• From Simple Bites: Homemade Fruit and Nut Crisps
• From New Urban Habitat: Confessions from The Car-Free Life
• From Nature Moms Blog: Festive and Green Nature Decor

A New Season for Simple Organic

It seems unbelievable to me that it has already been ten months since Simple Organic launched last February.

I still remember when, in the summer of 2009, Tsh asked me to consider serving as editor of a new blog she was planning to launch under the umbrella of Simple Living Media. Along with Simple Homeschool and Simple Bites, she hoped that Simple Organic would join alongside Simple Kids and Simple Mom to become a blog network dedicated to helping people pursue simplicity in their lives.

I was surprised and honored beyond belief. For a number of years now, I have been passionate about the subject matter that we cover here at Simple Organic: sustainable living, natural parenting, health and nutrition, and green living in all its forms.

To have a platform like Simple Organic where I can share the things I’ve learned, build a community of like-minded folks, and continue to learn and grow because of that very community has been a truly amazing journey.

But like all journeys do, this one has come to an end for me. For a number of months now, I have been sensing that it is time for me to step down from the leadership of Simple Organic.
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Thoughtful Teacher Gifts (with a Natural Twist!)

Written by contributor Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy.

Last year was my oldest daughter’s first year in public school.  I found myself to be incredibly unprepared for tackling the project of finding thoughtful and meaningful gifts for her teachers.  This year, I am determined to avoid that last-minute scramble, and so teacher gifts have been on my mind.

I informally surveyed some friends and readers to hear opinions on favorite teacher gifts.  Both parents and teachers have a lot to say on this topic!  I read through all of the suggestions and thought about how we could put a simple, natural twist on some old favorites:
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