Thursday Favorite Things #422

Happy Thursday, and welcome to the Thursday Favorite Things Link Party!  I think I'm finally just about over this persistent cold, so I'm excited to see what you have to share today.

Have you all left any of your Christmas decorations up?  Here's a secret -- Our tree is still up.  I've been sick for the last week and a half, and my husband gets very sad when the decorations come down anyway, so I said, "Why not?"  But then, I always have a little trouble letting go of Christmas, do you?

Journaling in 2020

I've been fighting a virus since last week, but happily I'm just about over it now.  I'm not even sure what it was, but I think it might have been a mild case of the flu.  I fought it hard with lots of water, sleep, zinc, and vitamins.  We appreciate good health more after we're sick, don't we?

This post contains affiliate links, which means I'll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra charge to you. Thank you!

Also this week, I once again committed to spending more time with journaling, lettering, and art in the new year. This year, I mean it!

Are you familiar with traveler's notebooks?  They're my latest favorite journals. I discovered them last year I think. They're basically refillable notebooks. So, there's a folded cover  with inserts (individual notebooks) that slip inside with elastic bands, so that you can remove and replace them whenever you want.  I use one notebook insert for to do lists, one for sketches, etc., but they all stay within the single traveler's notebook.  (A divided binder or discbound notebook serves a similar purpose. I have those too! Different notebooks for different things!)

Here are the traveler's notebooks I've committed to filling this year.  The floral one in the picture below used to be available at scrapbook.com. (It's made by Webster's Pages.)  I don't see that particular one on the site anymore, but there are several similar ones. The brown one was on clearance at Hobby Lobby. There are more expensive versions of these too, made of leather. If you want even one of the non-leather ones like mine, you might want to find one on sale, because they can be a little pricey. (Mine were both on clearance!) They each came with one plain notebook insert, and then I purchased additional (much prettier!) inserts separately on Etsy. Inside each of these, I have 4 individual notebooks (inserts), but I could fit a few more. 

The Simply Earth Essential Oil Starter Box (and a Coupon Code)

I received the Starter Box from Simply Earth, in return for my post. The post contains affiliate links. Thank you!  Coupon code is at the end of the post.

If you've been reading  my blog the last few months, you all know that I've been receiving the Simply Earth Essential Oil subscription boxes. (And, before I started getting these, I knew almost nothing about essential oils.) I'm a cynic by nature, so before I received my first oils from Simply Earth, I wasn't sure what I would think.

I fell in love with the oils (and the company!)  Not only are the products a great value, Simply Earth donates 13% of their profits to end human trafficking.  So I was on board completely after receiving my first box.  The oils are wonderful and so is the company.

The subscription boxes are really popular, and they almost always sell out, so you may have wondered what you would receive, in that case.  The answer is,  you'll receive the equally wonderful Starter Box, (along with the huge Bonus Box your first month.)

Thursday Favorite Things #421

I'm so happy you're here for another Thursday Favorite Things link party!  I'm excited to see what you'll be sharing with us today.

Phew, I have been having a hard time getting back into my regular routine, after the holidays. How about you?  I just want to keep drinking hot cocoa, watching Christmas movies, and going out to dinner with my husband several times a week!  Wish I had the luxury to do those things! But, hey, this is January 9, so I will step it up! (But, given this little virus I'm battling, I  may do it slowly...)

I'm focusing on good health and fresh beginnings for the new year, and I'm also going to spend more time actually doing my lettering, crafts, and photography, rather than just pinning them. I love the new year, and I love seeing all of the posts about goals and fresh starts!

I'd love it if you would pin this Features collage!

Happy New Year and TFT #420

Happy New Year, and welcome to another Thursday Favorite Things link party!  It seems like forever since I've been here, because we skipped last week's party.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

I have been in a little bit of a fog for a couple of weeks, but it's been a good fog.  I've really not had any idea what day of the week it is for quite a while now.  My husband and I have had a lot of relaxing, fun time, dining out and taking in the fun of the season. (And, although I didn't stay on the WW plan the whole time, I did hold steady weightwise, because I started the plan right before the holidays!  That's a plus for me, as I usually gain a few pounds each Christmas.)

Cozy Holiday Treats and TFT #419

Welcome to another Thursday Favorite Things link party!  I'm so glad you're here today.

I hope you've been enjoying the sights and sounds of the season!  Are you ready for some wonderful treats?  I have some here today for you in our features.

This is the last party of the year, so I'm wishing you a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year!


On with the party!  As a reminder, please remember to leave a comment with your link number, and please pin from the original blogs. (I'd love it if you pinned the features photo above, though!) By adding your link here, you are giving permission to use your photos for features related to the party.

Here are my features from last week's party:

These easy pistachio cookies from Hello Lovely look wonderful.  They're gluten free too!

Easy Handmade DIY Gifts

Today, I'm sharing some easy handmade gifts for Christmas or anytime, that don't take loads of time or materials.  Even if you aren't a crafter, these DIY gifts are simple and fun to make.

You may even have the materials for several of these already!