Think Local First

It's sure taken me long enough to announce my news but you know what- this time of year is CRAZY, am I right? So here it is-

THINK LOCAL FIRST!!!

(the Lumpys got a redesign just in time for the event-
They are now made completely from reused cottons and wools.
and I made cute little LOCAL banners just for SSBN event)

This year I'm proud to announce that my Lumpkins have again been chosen as the mascot for the SSBN's Think Local First campaign in Lancaster and York, PA. This year the event is HUGE! I made 80 Lumpys (that was insane) for the SSBN, which are now hiding in stores all around Lancaster and York. From November 27th- December 18th shoppers can buy a passport and button for the event.

(I got my passport at Dogstar Books on Chestnut St. in Lancaster and I saved $ on my book purchase!)

The passport gives people discounts at all of the participating businesses. When you find 25 Lumpkins hidden in the stores you are entered in an amazing raffle just in time for the Holidays. I'm really proud of this event and I love the passports so much. I had an opportunity to visit some of the stores and hunt for my Lumpkins over Thanksgiving and I'm looking forward to heading back out this weekend while I'm in town for winter fair at SWS. Think Local First is so important for the holidays. I mean come on--don't you just find the mall so unappealing these days? So head Downtown or to your local Mainstreet this Holiday season and keep your money in your community!

OOooh Look here are the Lumpkins on TV!!

Local Lumpkin Look See

(click the picture to zoom in-I'm really proud of these cards
even though they took me soooo long to make )

Think Local First Week starts in 9 days.
As a way to try and encourage people to Shop Local this holiday season, the Susquehanna Sustainable Business network and twelve businesses in downtown Lancaster are hosting a Lumpkin Hunt! For $2.00 you can buy a Button and Official Punchcard for the hunt. The button gets you tons of discounts to even more local shops. When you find the Lumpkin in the shop, you can get your card punched! After you fill your card with punches, you're entered in to a raffle for a great Local gift pack! The buttons are on sale at these twelve businesses;

Building Character, 342 N. Queen Street
Isaacs Downtown, 25 N. Queen Street
j.a. sharp, 322 N. Queen Street
Dosie Dough, 323 W. Lemon Street
Mommalicious & Smilin’ Gal, 310 Queen Street
Wish You Were Here, 108 W. Orange Street
The Starvin’ Artist Café, 106 W. Orange Street
Eastern Market, 308 E. King Street
Patio at Penn Stone, 190 W. Ross Street
Peachy Green, 25 W. Grant Street:
Radiance, 9 W. Grant Street
Chestnut Hill Café, 532 W. Chestnut

so go out and get one for yourself and join in the fun of buying local for the holidays. I can't wait to take the kids out Lumpkin hunting! I hope you will too.

Goings On

It's been a crazy couple of months (I was going to say days, then weeks, but no... months) really. As for today's craziness, I've been trying my darnedest to find a source to print some business cards on recycled paper that won't cost me an arm and a leg. I'm all out of cards and it's time for a change. So, I'll take a break from that annoying research to post a little bloggity blog. It's been a pretty darn exciting couple of days so I'll do my best to squeeze it all in.
First of all...
Here's the poster I made for the Think Local First campaign
[Ooh what's a Local Lumpkin Look See? Hmm, more on that to come]


Secondly,
I got my hair all chopped off...
My bro's girlfriend Sandie cuts my hair and she always does such a great job. She actually sculpted it with all of her cutting instruments so that I don't have to dry my hair or style it (because I never do) but it still looks like it's been styled. She's like Edward freakin' Scissorhands.

And last but not least,
I decided to start C3 on some solid food. I know, I know, she's only just turning 5 months this week so why the rush? I always held out to the 6 month rule for the other two, but then I realized. What the heck, I don't follow any other rules? Why such a stickler on this? Basically the kid was hungry. She has been up all night fussing lately and my goodness she does have a tooth already- might as well put it to work. Here's my baby rice cereal recipe that I've always used (taken loosely from this book) :

4 parts short grain brown rice
3 parts sweet rice
piece of kombu seaweed

wash the rice and cook the ingredients on low heat with plenty of water for a couple hours. (I keep checking on it and adding lots of water so it's really soft and sloppy.) Process the rice through a food mill (this gets rid of the chunky parts)

I usually make a big bowl and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat small amounts at each meal. As she gets older, I'll add flax oil to the mix and some nutritional yeast. Later I'll add in lentils and I'll begin adding in some of the chunks that get processed out in the milling.
This rice is really sweet and yummy. My 9 year old just had some for breakfast too, so you know it's good.
C3 of course did a bunch of gagging spitting, but she was very interested in putting the cereal in her mouth and she was very curious about it. So this week I'll be working with a layer of crusted rice on everything!
That's all for now, I'll see you Thursday...

Think Local First Week

December 3-9 2008
mark your calenders and do all of your
Holiday shopping in Downtown Lancaster during
Think Local First Week.


Buttons will be on sale soon at all of the participating businesses that will allow you to receive special discounts during Think Local First Week. I'm so excited to announce that my Lumpy has been adopted as the mascot for this SSBN Campaign! I just finished designing all of the promotional materials for them today. And stores will start selling buttons as soon as next week! I'm so grateful to my good friend Karen for suggesting my Lumpkins for this campaign. Here is some information from the Susquehanna Sustainable Business Network:

5 great reasons to shop locally:

1. Keep money in the neighborhood

Locally owned businesses recirculate more money back into the
local community than chain stores, per square foot occupied.
A space filled with a local business rather than a chain puts more
dollars back into YOUR neighborhood.

2. Get better service.

In a local business, you know the person behind the counter,
and they know you. They have a deep understanding of the products
they are selling, and they take time to serve their customers.

3. Create and keep good jobs.

Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally,
and small businesses account for the vast majority of job growth.
Locally owned businesses are far less likely to pull up stakes and move operations to another city or country, taking their jobs with them.

4. Help out the environment.

Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases,
requiring less transportation, and they generally set up shop in
commercial corridors rather than developing on the fringe.
This means less sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.

5. Put your taxes to good use.

Local businesses in neighborhoods need comparatively less
infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public
services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the
community.

There is even more fun Lumpkin news ahead so stay tuned...
Lumpkin Hunt anyone?