Macaroni Kid Louisville East Virtual Craft and Vendor Boutique 11-2-20

 





Monday November 2nd- Sunday November 8th, is the first annual Macaroni Kid Louisville East Virtual Craft and Vendor Boutique! 

Per their Facebook page:


Come shop at our VIRTUAL Craft and Vendor Holiday Boutique right here on Facebook! We will have giveaways, tons of holiday gifts to choose from and lots of fun!
The craft and vendor booths will be listed right here in this event and you can shop right from your home!
This is a great way to shop safely--no masks, no social distancing, and you can do it 24/7. We will have two weeks.. November 2 through 8, then all of Thanksgiving Weekend, too, through Cyber Monday!

 

20% of the vendor fees will benefit the Barren Heights Christian Retreat Center. Barren Heights provides free weekend retreats and hosts events at their local community center for families with children with disabilities. Find out more about Barren Heights at https://barrenheights.org/


This virtual boutique was created by Macaroni Kid Louisville East publisher Tammy Gnagy and Craft Fair organizer Julie Engelhardt. For the past four years she has organized the holiday boutique fundraiser for the Eastern High School Band in Middletown. 

When asked about their boutique, she had this to say:


We have over 50 vendors in our group. They’re based throughout Kentucky, and in Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Arizona and California. We even have one in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada who will ship to the US. 

The array of items that will be available is amazing. We have wood workers. We have jewelry makers. There are people selling clothes, candles, resin art, soap, wine, purses, food, toys. We have two local published authors. The list is incredible.


I personally made a purchase from from one of their vendors (local to Louisville) called This and That by Bobbie. My son is *obsessed* with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I saw a little bag he could fill with random nic nacs.



 

The shipping was super quick, & I now have his present tucked away for Santa to surprise him with. I loved that I could purchase safely online, support a local business, and he has a one of a kind gift! :-) For more information on This and That By Bobbie, Check out their website!


For more information on the Virtual Craft and Vendor Boutique, check out their Facebook Page and Support a great cause!


What plans do you have for Christmas Shopping this holiday season?



Misters for MS goes Online! Misters Mixer 10-15-2020



 

Misters for MS is an event benefiting MS. I've attended a few times, and its always been a blast! This year they've decided to safely celebrate online.

Per their press release:

Get ready to Mix it Up (safely) October 15 to support the National MS Society. Changed up for 2020, Misters Mixer is an online, condensed version of the award-winning Misters for MS. Coming to you live from Louisville and available to stream from anywhere, catch Misters on-camera, play in a high-end liquor pull, bid in the silent auction and have lots of fun without any stress or risk. Please register in advance to participate in the Bourbon Pull and receive event information. The event is free. A world free of MS is our vision; The Misters bring that vision to life!



This sounds like so much fun, I hope to see you there!




Spotz Gelato - Offering Curbside Pickup ❤ Grand Opening 6-26-20







I was invited yesterday evening to a preview night for Spotz Gelato in Shelbyville. They allowed me to pick anything from their menu. I know a lot of people still don't feel comfortable entering inside of businesses, for this reason I am beyond excited they offer curbside pick up (along with designated spots in front of their store.).




The ordering process was super simple, you just place your order online at www.spotzgelato.com, and I called their number to let them know I had arrived.

Per their website for Shelbyville location- 545 Main Street. Shelbyville, Kentucky.

Your pick up location is in front of the store Please text 502-437-4220 when you arrive at Spotz Gelato with the model and color of your vehicle A member of our staff will bring out your order to you








I went at 6pm (thinking the traffic may be busy- but the drive was awesome!) The boys enjoyed the scenery- and the gelato didn't melt at all! I brought a freezer bag with me, and it remained intact the whole ride home. Shelbyville is such an adorable little town, I highly recommend it for a family night out! ❤

The kids have been asking me for a frozen treat party, so this was perfect!





The boys were so excited to open our gift! We used it to plate our banana gelato for serving.


25 Minute drive home, and our 1 lb serving of Banana Pudding Gelato made it perfectly frozen and ready to serve.



The Banana Pudding Gelato was delicious! I've had banana ice cream before, but the Gelato was so decadent, and even had bits of wafer or some type of cookie in it. The kids were so happy with our frozen treat party. I loved our flavor we chose, but they do have ten flavors that will be offered on a rotating basis. If you have a special event, they also have a fleet of hot pink vintage trucks and indoor mini bars available for rent.

They have a Charity Preview Night set for tomorrow: Thursday, June 25th 6-8 p.m. All proceeds from the Charity Night will benefit Tyson's Chance Animal Foundation. (Supporting small business and animals in need - all while enjoying some tasty treats sounds like a win/win to me!).

Friday June 26th is their Grand opening noon - 9 p.m.

Thank you Spotz Gelato for providing our treats for our party! Made for a fun afternoon! For more information & ordering, check out their website:






Charity preview night-Spotz Gelato June 25th - Shelbyville 6-8 PM









I'm so excited to announce that Spotz Gelato is opening in Shelbyville, Kentucky (Cue applause *yayyyyyyyy*)!!
They have a Charity Preview Night set for this Thursday, June 25th 6-8 p.m. All proceeds from the Charity Night will benefit Tyson's Chance Animal Foundation. (Supporting small business and animals in need - all while enjoying some tasty treats sounds like a win/win to me!).

Friday June 26th is their Grand opening noon - 9 p.m.



If you've never been to Spotz Gelato, you're in for a treat! Their menu includes Sammies, cones, milkshakes, floats, sundaes & sundae boards, Italian Sodas & Affogato (Gelato with COFFEE!! yum..). They also have pints of gelato, that can be taken home or ordered online for curbside pickup. Ten flavors will be offered on a rotating basis. If you have a special event, they also have a fleet of hot pink vintage trucks and indoor mini bars available for rent.



Their Shelbyville location will be open 7 days a week, from noon- 9 p.m.


Per their Press Release:
Happy news to tempt taste buds and boost tourism! Kentucky-Proud, Spotz Gelato will open June 26 on Shelbville’s historic Main Street. The Shelbyville opening marks Spotz Gelato’s third brick-and-mortar, the Georgetown and Versailles shops opened in 2019.
To be located at 545 Main Street beside Sixth & Main Coffeehouse, the brightly-colored sweet shop comes at the right time to boost summer tourism, “We all need and deserve positive news, which the Spotz Gelato team is more than happy to deliver;” says Spotz Gelato Owner Beth Richardson. “Our Kentucky-proud treats pair perfectly with offerings from the other locally owned businesses on historic Main Street. We look forward to being part of the movement to encourage people to embrace small towns and small businesses.”
The Shelbyville scoop shop will be open seven days a week from noon-9 p.m. The same schedule is observed at the Versailles shop, 148 Court Street, and the Georgetown location at 135 West Main Street. 


Have you tried Spotz Gelato before? I can't wait to take the kids for some!

For more information & ordering, check out their website:









Bourbon Beauty: Holiday Kick off with the Eastern High Band Holiday Boutique




Eastern High School
12400 Old Shelbyville Rd.
Louisville, Ky.

Saturday-November 16th 
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM


Per their Facebook Page:
4th annual Eastern Band Holiday Boutique. This will be the best yet, with more than ONE HUNDRED great vendors, music, good food and fun! You can’t miss this one! Our vendors will be selling food, clothes, children’s items, hand crafted decor, jewelry, hats, scarves—you name it! This is the BEST show on the east side of Jefferson County!

Come out and support local vendors and students in your community! #shoplocal 

Check out their Facebook Event Page.





Bourbon Beauty: Donate BOURBON for a great cause!







This story was so moving, I had to share. As you may know, I have a son with a diagnosis of Autism, and stories like this bring so much hope & awareness to our community.  A very sweet local woman I met, is raising bottles of bourbon (that's right, bottles of BOURBON!!) to host a bourbon pull at the FEAT of Louisville Gala this weekend!

They are still accepting bottles, if you'd like to donate, you can contact Donna McGraw at  (502) 741-1982. You can also drop off your bourbon donation at Shane’s Window Tinting at 7701 Dixie Highway or Theraplace at 4121 Shelbyville Road. 

I really hope you'll consider donating!  Good Luck Donna and FEAT of Louisville. I can't wait to hear about your success!




Bourbon Beauty: Pleasure, Shame, & Intuitive Sexuality- Classes with Bridge Counseling and Wellness.







Last week, I was invited to attend a class at the Bridge Counseling and Wellness Center. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect! I'm always up to try something new, and the title "intuitive sexuality" caught my attention.

I've always been deeply in tune with both my intuition and sexuality, but it never occurred to me that either topics had anything to do with one another. So off to my class I went!






Entering the space, it felt very welcoming. A kind woman greeted me, offered me a snack and drink (Tea or Water), and showed me to our room.

Tip: If you plan on attending one of these classes, I highly suggest you come in lounge wear, or something very comfortable. We did a little bit of meditation, and I'm glad I wasn't uncomfortable laying down or sitting in jeans! Bringing a water bottle is useful too :-)



The room itself felt very serene. There were yoga mats and blankets/cushions to make yourself comfortable on the floor.




The class itself was very insightful. During the whole duration, I felt that I was in a safe space to be open. The instructor did a beautiful job at leading our session. She was very sweet, kind, and caring, I left the class feeling more lifted than when I came in. 

I learned a bit about myself & happily took mental notes of the things in my life that bring me pleasure. Sometimes, we are all so busy, we forget to stop and take a moment to soak the good vibes in. I'm appreciative of the opportunity to be able to open up and be in the safe space that I was provided. Everyone needs the opportunity to speak our minds and take a break from the day to day stresses in life. 

I was excited to find out that following their "Be Body Positive Series", they are also offering Shinrin Yoku-Japanese Forest Bathing. 



Per their website:
Shinrin-yoku is a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established a robust body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest. Now their research is helping to establish shinrin-yoku and forest therapy throughout the world. 
Some evidence based health benefits include: 
  • Lower blood pressure and heart rate
  • Increased immune functioning
  • Decreased depression and anxiety symptoms
  • Increased sleep, energy levels and vitality
  • Increased sense of connection, gratitude and wonder
  • Decreased cortisol levels aiding in stress management
  • Increased blood circulation, especially in areas of the brain that include focus
The idea is simple: if a person simply visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits to be achieved. Forest therapy approaches such as Shinrin-yoku have roots in many cultures throughout history. John Muir wrote, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Wilderness is a necessity.” He is one of many people who we include when we think about the origins of the practice. 

   


Upcoming Forest Bathing Dates:

September 15th (Sunday) and September 17th (Tuesday) – Location – Caperton SwampOctober 17th (Thursday) and October 20th (Sunday) – Jefferson Memorial Forest – Horine Section.Time10-12pm 
During a forest bathing session you will be guided on a leisurely walk on gentle paths under the forest canopy with guided activities to help you open your senses, hone your intuition and experience the forest as you never have before. We draw upon mindfulness meditation practices and techniques of deep nature connection. 

This personally sounds amazing, and I can't wait to try this out for myself! I love fall, and look forward to taking as much in before the cold weather sets in. I'm excited to share more about my experience. Thank you very much Jennifer Owens and Sammy-Jo for the opportunity to try your classes out to share!

For more information, check out their website here.


Have you ever taken any wellness classes?