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I'm so glad you're here! Feel free to write back directly to this email; too; I'd love to hear about your favorite recipes, hot spots, books and what's on your mind. This month I'm sharing some of my favorite things to do in NYC. I also share ideas for handmade gifts and recipes for homemade goodies. I believe the best gifts are made with love! One of my favorite traditions is making candy and baking treats for family and friends. I also share tips for writing thank you notes. I love pretty stationery and cards and always appreciate a handwritten note from a friend.
I also include tech tips, recipes, hot spots, gluten-free news and more fun!
Thank you for reading my letters and supporting the blog! I hope you find some inspiration and helpful tips!
Here's to wonderful holiday season!
Until next month,
P.S. If you like the newsletter, please share it with your friends! My desire is to help others and would love to start offering product discounts and giveaways in 2016! I need your help to make this possible by sharing the blog posts and newsletters with your friends. I also plan to start guests posts and a new series interviewing experts on a wide range of topics.
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Coming Up Next Month: A Chic 2016
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EDITOR'S TRAVEL DIARY
I hope you find some new restaurants and hot spots to add to your to-do list when visiting some of these destinations.
A hidden gem in Tuscan is the magazine section at Bookman's. You'll find current and past issues of popular magazines for a good deal.
The Boston Public market is a good option for lunch. I like the juice bar and salmon shop.
I had a layover in Corpus Christi. My favorite coffee shop is Green Light. For casual dining, Executive Surfer Club's burgers are popular.
I've mentioned before how much I love the coffee in Puerto Rico. Ristretto Cafe is located in the lobby of the Verdanza Hotel. The artisan coffee is among the best in San Juan. It is a short walk from the Intercontinental Hotel in San Juan.
I enjoy visiting the Little Italy neighborhood in San Diego. Several new restaurants and cafes are open. I love the food at Cafe Gratitude. The Cheese Store has a great selection of gifts and an amazing cheese selection. Juice Crafters is now open in LIttle Italy.
I always enjoy the food scene in Philadelphia. Dizengoff is Chef Michael Solomonov's new eatery offering his famous hummus. So good! And a location is opening in NYC's Chelsea Market. If you can't make it to either location, pick up a copy of his cookbook.
My favorite hot spot in Tampa is The Oxford Exchange. The historic building houses Buddy Brew Coffee, Tabella Tea, a fabulous restaurant with a gluten-free menu, bookstore and retail market. You can also reserve a private event. Don't miss this chic hot spot! |
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Christmas To Do List in New York City
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THE BEST SOURCES FOR GETTING THE NEWS
The Drudge Report
With over 1 billion hits daily, the Drudge Report is the most visited news outlet in the world and with good reason. The goal of the site is not to write new stories but instead to link to existing pieces in order to provide readers with the most up-to-date, breaking content. I recommend downloading the app on your smart phone. I also follow on Twitter.
The Skimm is a daily e-newsletter that provides everything you need to know to be conversational about the important things going on in the world. An update is delivered to your inbox every morning, highlighting important stories.
My favorite morning news show is The Today Show. The Today Show does an excellent job of providing a healthy mix of human-interest pieces, celebrity news and hard-hitting investigative segments.
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GOOD TO KNOW LINKS
1. Not all supplements are proven. Always read labels and do your research beforehand. Examine.com, an independent US supplement resource, is a good starting point. Try opting for capsules over oil or powder, as these are more likely to be as close to 'food state' as possible. Molded tablets often contain fillers and can be difficult to digest.
2. How to get discount show tickets in NYC.
3. Alternations and Tailoring 101
4. Holiday Theatre Etiquette Do's and Dont's
5. Don't miss this holiday market in Boston if you are in town Dec. 4th -20th. Check the schedule for demonstrations.
6. I love this idea for a soup station.
7. Entertaining this month? Here's the best way to fake a clean house.
8. 25 DIY gift bow ideas.
9. Have you heard about Handmade Amazon? It gives artists and small businesses a chance to offer their handmade items with Amazon shipping rates. I love this
10. Gift wrapping ideas.
11. What you should know about Breast Thermography.
11. Is travel insurance worth it?
12. How to study scripture. Tips and tricks to cultivate a rich quiet time.
13. Paperkarma is a helpful app for unsubscribing to junk mail. You sign up for a subscription for a nominal fee and take photos of any junk mail that comes to your house to automatically get unsubscribed.
14. Mixologist Julie Reiner's tips for creating perfect cocktails.
15. 10 Apps to Download Before Visiting NYC.
16. Tryp is a budget hotel chain with a new location in NYC.
17. Google recently announced free tools from offline maps that you can download when you have WIFI and use later without consuming data, to a local guides program, where users provide reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc. to the popular tool which helps you avoid long lines. Check out all the resources here.
18. 24 hours in San Jose and Escazu Costa Rico.
19. Nashville hot spots.
20. Dealing with loneliness on the road Part 1 and Part 2.
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My Favorite Resources for Designing Cards & Invitations
1. Wal-mart offers impressive clean-looking and inexpensive photo cards that you can make online and pick up in-store. They include lined envelopes. They start at $0.28 a piece.
2. RedStamp offers a quick way to solve those last-minute "Oops! I forgot to send a card!" moments by letting you make and send digital cards from your phone (and from your computer, too). RedStamp also offers a mailing service where it will mail cards for you, starting at $1.49 each when you buy in bulk.
3. Paperless Post is an online card design site. I love their designs.
4. Postable allows you to send a mass email to friends, and inviting them to enter their current addresses into a private online address book. Then, they'll finish the job, addressing and mailing cards for you starting as low as $2.00.
5. Minted is a popular card design online site featuring high-quality products.
6. Tiny Prints designs are fancy. Check online for the savings code for 40% off orders.
7. Artifact Uprising is similar to Shutterfly, but I like the designs better. Check out the 3-in-1 holiday card that can be repurposed by your family & friends. It's a greet card, a photo print and a tag. |
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TIPS FOR WRITING THANK YOU NOTES
1. Write every note. Yes, it's true. Thank you notes should always be handwritten; no emails allowed!
2. Have your stationery ready. To avoid getting behind, always keep a stock of thank you notes or stationery in your home or office.
3. Be timely. Thank you notes should be sent promptly - within two weeks of the date the gift was received or the date of the event. If the gift is given at a celebration such as a wedding or baby shower, send a note within one month of the date.
4. Praise the hostess or gift-giver. Reflect back to the person, as in, "Your taste is impeccable, as always."
5. Think about the highlights of the event, as in, "Bravo! The party was spectacular. The lovely guests and delicious food were standouts. I have so many great memories."
6. Mention the specific gift. Say something like, "What a great smelling candle. I am enjoying the scent so much. How did you know I love candles so much?
7. Sound genuinely appreciative. Try, "I can't thank you enough for inviting me to the dinner party."
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GLUTEN-FREE NEWS AND RECIPES
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Homemade Gift Ideas, Recipes, and Tips
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Readlists
Every Friday, I share links to twenty articles I enjoyed reading or found informative. If you are looking for something to read when you are traveling or maybe on your lunch break, I think you will enjoy this series. I made reading the articles easy by creating a Readlist. You can download the Readlist every Friday morning as an Ebook to read on your Kindle, iPad, iPhone or smartphone. Click here to download the Readlist.
Here are a few of the popular articles I shared recently:
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
Newsletter #1 Spring Cleaning + Wardrobe Organization + Productivity Apps
Newsletter #2 Motivational Books + Spring Break Playlist + Resources for Women
Newsletter #3 Savannah Travel Guide + Summer Travel Resources + iPhone Camera Apps + Book Picks
Newsletter #4 Best Book Apps + Jacksonville Travel Guide + Resources for Online Classes
Newsletter #5 San Juan Travel Guide + Party Planning + Entertaining
Newsletter #6 Santa Fe Travel Guide + Capsule Wardrobes + Tips for Better List Making + Styling Tips + Wardrobe Management
Newsletter #7 Washington D.C. Hot Spots + Home Design +
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