Thursday, December 11, 2025
A Very Merry Murder Mystery-Review
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Christmas Delights for Young and Old ~ A Product Review
Christmas is that one time of the year when sights and sounds seem to be everywhere! Some of them evoke strong memories in young and old alike.
There is nothing like the smells of Christmas baking, gingerbread houses, sugar cookies decorated to tingle the senses and a host of other "seasonal decorations" that just make you smile all over.
One of these little decorations had my "tech-savvy" grandchildren mesmerized for quite a while and each year, they look for that decoration and enjoy it's slow and steady movement. All without the need of any tech or batteries!
Each Christmas when I bring out this decoration, I can't help but smile and recount those little faces watching this windmill turning on it's axis and listening to Christmas carols in the background.
My little windmill came to me from a trip I took to Iceland, but I'm so happy to see a very similar one here that you can purchase to add to your Christmas collection. There is just one caveat that must be noted! This is not a decoration that can or should be played with. It does involve a candle and fire, so little hands must stay away and parents need to monitor their children around this decoration. The smile on the little faces is worth the extra effort to keep it in a safe place.
These windmills and similar ones make a lovely tabletop decoration that will last for years. Enjoyment comes from watching the movements of the hanging ornaments. I have found a spot for mine that doesn't even require that the candle be lit! Just the air currents in the home keep my little snowflakes spinning!
On a cold winter night, with Christmas music playing in the background, these little dancing snowflakes make a nice cozy spot to contemplate the Christmas message and find a little peace in a rather rushed and frenzied time of year.
For your pleasure and also for your choices of designs, I have included a link for all of the windmills available. Some have stars, others have reindeers or nativity scenes. Some have chimes and others not. Each one is beautiful and your tastes may be somewhat different than mine so with that in mind please take a look for yourself and find the one that "speaks" to you! Just click the link where it says WINDMILL CHRISTMAS !
I'm wishing all of you some quiet, contemplative time to enjoy all the sights, the sounds and the meaning of Christmas to you!
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Reviewing Warm Fleece Bedding Perfect For Winter and Gifting
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Why We Love Fleece Bedding in Winter.
We have just started to use our winter fleece bedding. Most of the spring and summer we use our bamboo bedding exclusively but when it suddenly turns cold in autumn and winter we need something warmer and cosier.
We love getting into a warm, cosy looking and feeling bed. There is no sheet shock or coldness at all and it feels so comforting. I always sleep so well in our fleece bedding. Sometimes its all fleece with both a fleece bottom sheet and quilt cover, other times we have the fleece bottom sheet and bamboo quilt cover, depending on the weather and how we feel. I always feel so incredibly warm, cosy and comforted in fleece.
The Fleece Warmth Factor
Fleece bedding is lovely and warm and keeps us cosy with just the winter quilt. We find we rarely need any additional blankets on the top. As we are trying to save on heating bills which are now very expensive, it really helps to have a lovely warm bed. It really came in to its own when the temperature suddenly dropped last week and we were cocooned in warmth and slept really well. One of the best aspects is that when you first get into bed there is no cold sheet shock. It is warm and cosy from the very start. Personally I don't find i overheat in fleece bedding as we usually only use it in winter and am glad of the gentle warmth.
Fleecy Softness
I am very sensitive to textures and fabrics and allergic to many chemicals. So i have to go for materials that are soft to the touch. Fleece bedding is lovely for me as it feels gentle and soft against the skin. So if you have sensitive skin it might be something to consider. I always wash bedding before using in order to make sure anything they have used in the process is washed out with my sensitive washing powder.
Colour and Pattern
Fleece bedding is available in many different colours. I’ve seen everything from gentle whites, soft neutral greys, pretty pinks and florals to fun festive tartans and muted greens and blues. We recently bought two sets one a very gentle muted pink and one a dark warm grey.
Easy Care Fleece Bedding
I always check the label or instructions before buying, but the fleece bedding sets we use go straight in the washing machine at 30 degrees, which makes life easier. It is generally tumble dry or line dry and no ironing! Either way I find it generally dries quite quickly. I love that there is no need for ironing and often labels say no iron which is great as one less task to do. In my experience it doesn't have an issue with wrinkling or creasing and looks great on the bed. This is ideal when busy, if you dislike ironing like me or find it difficult. It is brilliant to just wash, dry and back on the bed!
Here Is A Small Selection Of Fleece Bedding
Bare Home Super Soft Fleece BeddingCheck Price Love Cabin Micro Fleece BeddingCheck Price Bare Home BeddingCheck Price
Gifting Fleece Bedding
I would always be super happy with any fleece bedding as a gift. I also love giving it as a gift. The only thing you really need to know is the persons size of bed. I have bought fleece bedding for family members in the past and it has always been well received. We often had it on the spare bed when our family came to stay and they loved it, which was a good indication they would appreciate it as a gift. I usually buy safer colours for gifts so white or cream or other calm neutrals like light grey or taupe. Otherwise if its for your own household or you know a person or couple are open to different colours, there is usually a great variety to choose from including brights, florals, patterns and themes. It strikes a great balance between being very practical and useful but also quite luxury, so perfect for gifting!
In the colder, harsher months I love to create bedroom sanctuaries with warm cosy fleece bedding, safe flameless candles or fairly lights and lovely pillows, quilts and cushions. It is a real cosy treat for yourself or a loved one. The only problem you might have is if you are like me getting out of bed in the winter mornings!
Read More Reviews By Raintree Annie
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Reviewing Warm Fleece Bedding Perfect For Winter and Gifting by Raintree Annie
Monday, December 8, 2025
Favorite Gadget Reviewed: Electric Pruning Shear
This years' favorite gadget purchase is a tie! It was a close race between a few contenders, but the Kebtek Cordless Pruning Shear lands in the top two gadgets purchased this year.
Which begs the question as to what product did the Electric Pruning Shear tie with ? The Cordless Leaf Blower which is another household favorite with the split vote of which product wins best purchase of the year.
Power
I found the shears very powerful. Powerful enough to cut through medium size tree branches with ease. The small size of the shears hide the amount of power generated.
Operation
Charging
One of the best features of the Kebtek Pruning Shear is the inclusion of two batteries and the very smartly designed charging unit. The convenience of having two batteries charged and ready to go really makes this unit a stand out. Competitors charge additional for a second battery. The batteries are 2ah rechargeable lithium.
Storage Case
A hard sided plastic storage case comes with shears for easy storage. The case has a handle for carrying and is slim so can quickly be stored in narrow spaces.
Gift Idea
This is definitely on the list for the gift a homeowner didn't know they needed! But will love the gift and appreciate your kindness to make their gardening and DIY lawn maintenance so much easier and maybe more enjoyable too!
Sunday, December 7, 2025
Tripping Into Carl Jung: A Journey of Anger and Tears I Didn't Expect
How I Found Carl Jung (Or How He Found Me)
Lately, I've been tripping over Carl Jung videos—or more accurately, the algorithms on my social media seem determined to hand them to me.
At first, I would scroll past quickly, recognizing the name but not feeling any real connection to it. Then one day, something made me pause. I watched one short, then another, and before I knew it, I was engulfed in the powerful narrative-style video presentations. Snippets of his writings, reflections, and interpretations—layered with voiceovers that somehow went straight to the center of me.
It felt less like stumbling onto something new and more like something familiar tapping me softly on the shoulder. Something I was meant to hear now, at this time in my life.
Who Was Carl Jung?
I'll be honest: I had to go look up his credentials. We all know the name, but I didn't know the years he lived or the full weight of who he was.
Carl Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology. His work reached far beyond traditional psychology, exploring dreams, symbols, mythology, spirituality, and the unconscious.
He gave us concepts like archetypes, the shadow self, synchronicity, and one of his most profound ideas: the journey of individuation. Once I started reading more about him, everything I'd been watching began to connect in a way that felt eerily personal.
Individuation: The Message That Stopped Me Cold
Of all the Jung videos I've watched, the one that stopped me cold was about individuation.
Jung described it as the lifelong process of becoming your true self—the self you were meant to be before life, expectations, obligations, or other people guided you off course.
The video explained individuation as a kind of "going home," not to any physical place, but returning to the inner self you were originally designed to grow into. And that struck me deeply.
At 65, I can feel myself moving in that direction—not in a dramatic way, but in a quiet, profound way. I wish I could remember every word from the video, because the message landed with such force. What stays with me is the recognition that I am finally circling back to who I was meant to be all along. It's a combination of bravery, but not really bravery, and anger.
I found this eBook on Amazon about Carl Jung's "Individuation." - Note, I haven't read it; I included it for anyone interested.
The Pull Away, and the Pull Back
What unsettled me most was how clearly Jung's message mirrored my own life.
From childhood onward, it was so easy to be pulled off course—into other people's ideas of who I was, what I should do, who I should become.
I remember being seen as delicate, even though I knew I was anything but. I wasn't upset by the misunderstanding; I was puzzled by it. I knew that wasn't me, even if I didn't yet know how to show who I truly was. Flash forward to today, my best friend often reminds me how strong I am. She sees me.
And Jung's explanation—that our original direction can be interrupted or reshaped by the world—made me see how far I had drifted without even realizing it.
Yet here I am, decades later, feeling a powerful pull back toward the girl I was at five—the girl who instinctively knew who she was!
I'm Trying Not to Be Angry - This is Personal, But I Have to Say I'm Dealing With That Feeling Right Now
I'm trying not to be angry, because I'm not an angry person. I don't believe in living in an angry space.
Truly, I don't carry anger or fear around with me. I feel it when it happens, and let it go, as I will with this anger. Psalm 23 repeats in my mind constantly, and it saves me.
But these Jung videos stirred something that surprised me. Not anger toward anyone—not my parents, not the world—but something closer to grief mixed with frustration.
Anger at myself. And yet, how can I be angry at a five-year-old child who simply loved, and wanted, and felt the need to play the piano?
At five years old, the piano felt natural to me. My teacher made sure to let my mother know that I had a gift. But when we moved away to another province, my parents were focused on building a life.
When my mother said we couldn't afford a piano—and I couldn't take lessons without one—I felt THEIR stress immediately. We had previously lived with my mother's parents, who had a piano.
So even though the piano awakened my soul, I didn't insist. I didn't plead. It wasn't in my nature to burden anyone. And so the piano-playing version of me slipped quietly out of existence.
But the writing version of me never left.
From eight years old onward, the poems, lyrics, and lines that arrived in the middle of chores, or in quiet moments, just kept coming. From humor to world events to parents to made-up lyrics, it was all penned to paper.
They're collected in my book We Will Have Morning Smiles—fifty years of my world in words. And now, as I put those words to music—finally allowing them to breathe in the way I now know they were meant to—I can't help but think that if piano had stayed in my life, I might have been doing this decades sooner.
Here's how I'm dealing with lost time: I've created a Time-Traveling version of me (lol, that creative side just won't leave) - You can check out the two "Back to the Future" shorts I've created so far. They're on this playlist from YouTube:
******************
The next curveball came after high school.
In high school, I was accepted into three universities for psychology, a field I had long wanted to pursue. But again, I was talked out of it. Steered elsewhere. Redirected. It only lasted a year before life pulled me into yet another path that wasn't mine.
So yes, I do feel angry at myself for letting others steer me: friends, family, men, expectations, interpretations. I'm legitmately p*ssed.
And yet, through Jung's lens, I now understand that this reckoning is part of the return journey. Part of going home to myself.
I don't want to leave this earth, when it's finally my time, without becoming my truest, most whole self. That self is the one who writes. The one whose words are her spirit and her soul.
The one who puts those words to music, spoken voice, or anything else that lets them live. I want to leave that behind. Every last piece of who I really am.
I need to return home, to me. And most of all, forgive everything, everyone, especially myself.
If you'd like to listen to my words, put to music, here's a playlist of what I've completed so far of the hundreds of lyrics and poems I've written over nearly 57 years. Every song includes information about when the words were written and the story behind them. "Measures" is my most recent, written at 64. I'm sharing work from 1968 (I was 8 then) til today, and tomorrow's words that are yet to come.
In closing, I'm reminding myself that it is THIS life that I lived, not the one I thought I should have, that inspired these poems and lyrics. And, my children are the best reason I took this path.
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Fisher-Price Zoo Talkers Little People Animal Sounds Zoo Reviewed
DISCOVER THE ZOO TALKERS ANIMAL SOUNDS ZOO
Your young child would love going to this zoo! It was yet another quality children's toy playset made by Mattel and Fisher-Price, designed to encourage lots of imaginative play and learning. With this set, your little one learned to recognize animals through sight and sound. He or she also learned to recognize the animal habitats, which included grasslands, north and south poles, jungle and water.HOW DID IT WORK?
The set is electronic and recognized wild animals when your child placed a toy animal figure on a peg and pressed it down. It then named the animal and, with a second press, provided the associated animal noise. The set came with a lion, gorilla, polar bear and a zookeeper named Jack. Of course, the set would not have been complete without Fisher-Price's usual assortment of fun music and phrases.
ADDITIONAL PIECES
TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE ZOO:
- Recommended for Children Aged 1 1/2 to 5 years old
- Bilingual English and French
- Requires 3 AA Batteries
- Original Box Measured 25" (W) x 16" (H) x 5" (D)
- Release Date 2011
- Retired 2014
- Model W1710
- UPC Code 746775033514
BUY YOUR ZOO TALKERS PLAYSET & REPLACEMENT PIECES:
MORE FISHER-PRICE TOYS:
Friday, December 5, 2025
Milk-Bone Holiday Biscuits Treats for Dogs and Puppies Reviewed
I recently discovered Milk-Bone Holiday Treats for puppies! I was so excited to find these adorable treats for our new puppy. He deserves something special for the holidays, just like everyone else.
The Milk-Bone holiday treats come in a collectible, reusable tin. The treats themselves are shaped like stockings, Christmas trees and dog bones with "engraved" hearts. They are also colored in green, red and the bones are the traditional brown. Perfect for a special gift for a special dog or puppy.
Our puppy is 15 weeks old and he received his Christmas Milk-Bone treats in the specialty tin, the day after Thanksgiving. He loves them and we love the size. They are small enough for even a puppy to enjoy.
I'm not sure if I will save the tin just for Christmas use, or if I will refill it with regular puppy Milk-Bones when it is empty. I do know I will reuse the decorative tin for doggy treats.
The tin is available for a limited time only. I hope that means the Milk-Bone brand will continue to have an annual tin. What fun they would be to give each year for Christmas to all of our puppy friends.
The Milk-Bone Holiday Treats
The shaped Milk-Bones in this tin are suitable for all ages,
from puppy to senior. I wasn't sure if the shapes would matter to the
pups or simply entertainment for us, but I have noticed that our baby dog
seeks out the red stockings. Will that continue? I don't know,
but it makes for a fun doggy game to see which one of the 3 shapes he will
choose first.
- 24 ounce Reusable Tin filled with Milk-Bone Treats
- Stockings Shaped Treats in red, green & brown
- Shaped Christmas Tree in green, red & brown
- Brown Doggy Bones with "Engraved" Hearts
- Available for Limited Time
- Helps Clean Teeth
- Freshens Breath
- 12 Vitamins and Minerals
| Puppy is a Bit of a Blur as He Zooms in for the Red Stocking Treat |
Another fun game for the humans in a puppies life would be to guess the count of treats in the holiday tin. We did count ours just for fun and discovered there are/were 148 treats in our puppy's 24 ounce tin.
You Might Not Want to Turn Your Back on a Puppy with an Open Tin of Milk-Bone Treats!
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Thursday, December 4, 2025
Thank you Stickers, Variety
Thank you stickers are a great way to show extra appreciation for a gift, a job well done, for attendance at a wedding, performance, etc., and or for making a purchase from one's shoppe, and so much more.
I know that I like receiving appreciation and giving it as well. How about you?
Without further ado, here is a sample of one of the designs.
This two ferns design features two wispy ferns serving as the border, for the Thank you message. The text can be personalized if you like, as they can on many of these Thank you stickers.
The stickers come in a choice of two sizes; 1-1/2 inch and 3 inch. You can buy them by the sheet and or by the roll. You can choose from glossy white and or the matte finish on both sheets and roll options. If purchasing by the sheet, you can also select from various shapes: star, oval, heart, rectangle, and triangle.
If purchasing by the roll, you can also choose from various finishes, including satin white and silver gloss. The ones with the extra finishes options are also tear resistant and may be water resistant. You can read more about these options here: Stickers-on-roll-review.
Any of the sticker designs can be ordered by the sheet and or roll options. I have found that when I clicked on a shape option other than square or circle, that the only way to purchase those stickers were by sheet only. Again, the sheet option only comes in the glossy or matte paper finish.
Here is a link to the collection of the various sticker designs. The Thank you is already there, and should be easily customized if you choose. Some can be used for a variety of occasions, such as birthday, wedding, for teachers, and more.
If you don't find a design that you're looking for, come back to this page and share your design request in a comment below. If I am around to do it, I will respond to your comment within 24 hours. I can do general colors, but no color matching. Do allow a couple of weeks for the design to be made, and also allow for the shipping time from Zazzle; so it will be best to have three to four weeks from the date of your request and when you need it.
Thank you.
Cheryl Paton
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Spice Tea Recipe Shared and Reviewed
My Award Winning Spice Tea Recipe
We could all use a moment of relaxation with a cup of spice tea, especially during the busiest time of the year.
The holidays are often hectic and tiring, but in the end they are always filled with wonderful memories. Each year my family gathers together for the festivities. Since my siblings and their families live in different states of the US, there is a lot of travel involved, a lot of planning and a lot of cooking. My mother leads the pack and tries very hard to coordinate everyone and everything. Sometimes just finding a bed for everyone can be challenging. I am the only one of my parents' children who still lives in our hometown so I am frequently honored with guests.
With so many people around and so much going on for days, my sister and I seek out moments to slip away from the crowd and sip tea, giggle and share the latest gossip. A pillow fight is definitely not out of the question. Occasionally our mother, my daughter or a sister-in-law will join us, but this little meeting always begins with me, my sister and a cup of tea.
It is with this cherished time together in mind, that I wish to share our Spice Tea Recipe with you. I hope you find a few moments to slip away with a loved one and share a cup of tea.
Award Winning Spice Tea Recipe
| Prep Time | Ready In | Yields |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 10 min | Approx. 50 ~ Depends on tea strength per cup |
Ingredients
- 2 - 27 oz. Jars of Orange Drink (like Tang)
- 12 oz. Lemonade dry mix (like Countrytime)
- 1 cup Instant Tea
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cloves
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
Simply mix everything together. Add 2 teaspoons of tea mix to 1 cup of hot water for one lovely cup of hot tea.
Just remember, if you are using a mug, it will require approx. 3 teaspoons of tea to make a tantalizing cup of tea.
Store in an air-tight container
An Easy Gift
Simply fill a canning jar, an empty jelly jar or any small container with Spice Tea. If you are using a canning jar, cut a square of material with pinking shears and cover the top of the jar.
You may also want to include a recipe card with the recipe for the recipient. I know I always appreciate a new recipe.
Voila! A delicious and easy gift!
Country Time LemonadeCheck Price Tang Orange PowderedCheck Price Lipton Black TeaCheck Price McCormick Ground CinnamonCheck Price McCormick Ground ClovesCheck Price
Pretty Canning Jars
Select a pretty jar for your Spice Tea gift. I actually really like this Bormioli Rocco Fido Latch Canning Jar, not only because it is attractive, but because it has a tight seal to seal in freshness so the spice tea will last longer.
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
After several days of company, we are all usually exhausted and in need of a long winters nap. I always like to send treats home with my guests and packing some of the remaining tea is just the right thing. When they get back home and have that moment to unwind, then they can fix a cup of Spice Tea and allow the fragrance of the tea to return them to the memory of our time together.
The jar pictured on the right, is the container that held the original gift of Spice Tea given to me by my sister 35+ years ago. The tea is long since gone, but the refillable container and the memory remains.
Each year I refill this little jar and hide it as my personal reserve!
Contest Award
I entered this recipe in the Squidoo Website Thanksgiving Cookoff (for Charity). It was one of the contest winners, therefore the charity I support, National Wildlife Federation's Alaska Regional Center, received $1000.
I hope you enjoy -- and if you do, don't be shy, spread the word!
Acknowledgement Letter from $1000 recipient, National Wildlife Federation Alaska
Sylvestermouse, many, many thanks from the small staff of the National Wildlife Federation Alaska office for earning us a $1,000 Squidoo donation. This is amazing! You have helped support our work in youth leadership cultivation, sustainable tourism, climate change policy, getting families outdoors, and protecting wildlife and habitat in the great State of Alaska!
Also, BIG THANKS to Squidoo for making it all possible
...
Signed,
Heather McGee, on behalf of our staff of 5 plus 1 AmeriCo
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Spice Tea Recipe Shared and Reviewed Written by:
ALL PHOTOS ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF SYLVESTERMOUSE
This recipe article was originally published by me in 2009 on a different site that no longer exists.
© 2009 Cynthia Sylvestermouse
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Stickers on a Roll - Review
Along with that option is the addition of four more options for the material that the stickers are made of. I will highlight the main features of the new materials that are offered. The new materials are only offered when the stickers are purchased on a roll. The original sheet stickers only come in the two options of glossy white or matte white paper. However, any of the designs currently offered on sheet stickers, can be ordered on a roll to be able to choose from the new options.
The stickers on a roll also come in the original offerings of the glossy white and matte white paper. The new offerings for stickers on a roll include: clear synthetic paper, white gloss synthetic paper, white satin synthetic paper, and silver gloss synthetic paper.
The Clear Synthetic Paper is transparent and tear resistant. It is glossy polyethylene and is water resistant. It is also heat resistant. It also has UV-light resistance.
The White Gloss Synthetic Paper is designed for high resolution with vivid colors. It is made from polypropylene (BOPP) and is also tear resistant.
The White Satin Synthetic Paper is made from polypropylene and is also tear resistant. It has a white satin finish. It is resistant to moisture and solvent exposure, and is recommended for when durability and long term adhesion is required.
The Silver Gloss Synthetic Paper is made from polypropylene and is coated for dye based inkjet inks. This sticker is also tear resistant and has a silver metallic finish. This sticker is approved for incidental food contact, however it says that a functional barrier is required. This isn't just any barrier, the barrier needs to provide a specific function, i.e. keeps air and water out.
Like the sheet stickers, the sizes offered are 1-1/2 or 3 inches for the stickers on a roll. The sheet stickers come in a choice of various shapes, including star, heart, oval, rectangle, and triangle. Both stickers on a roll and sheet stickers come in a choice of circle and square shapes.
Some of the benefits of using stickers on a roll, besides the various material offerings, are the ease of compact storage, and streamlined application of applying the stickers - especially when using a dispenser. The stickers are wound on a three inch core to be compatible with dispensers. A dispenser is not included.
I have ordered stickers multiple times from Zazzle, and have always been satisfied with my purchase. I personally haven't purchased any of the new options, but I do like that they give good recommendations on the new materials.
Here is what the stickers on a roll look like.
View the various sticker designs in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle.
Cheryl Paton
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