Baltic Christmas Day 1 - A giveaway!

Welcome back to 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas! This year we have a variety of Baltic authors, bloggers, musicians, artists and photographers joining us to bring you 24 days of Lithuanian, Estonian and Latvian-inspired posts, featuring mouthwatering recipes, beautiful photos of holidays in the Baltics, and a daily dose of days-leading-up-to-Christmas anticipation!

Please join me in kicking off the 2017 version of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas with a giveaway! I have a magnet with the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas logo (artwork by Inga @ zilgma) to help brighten the days in advance of the holidays. Just comment on this post for a chance to win (and remember, if you’re commenting with the ‘anonymous’ function, please remember to include your name and a way for me to get in touch).

 

New this year is the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas Facebook page, where you will find a curated selection of Baltic holiday photos, recipes, articles and other links to help you find inspiration and magic in the coming month. For a chance to win a second magnet, follow 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas on Facebook, like the giveaway post, and tag a friend who you think would enjoy a bit of a Baltic Christmas in their feed! The giveaway will be open until midnight Friday, December 8th, and I'll announce the winners of both magnets on Sunday, December 10th.

Find your local Latvian, Lithuanian or Estonian Christmas market on Day 2 of #24DaysofaBalticChristmas! (Link in bio)

A post shared by Liene • Upstate Mom Outdoors (@femmefoyer) on Dec 2, 2016 at 6:02am PST

For those of you on Twitter and Instagram, please consider following me (@FemmeFoyer) and using #24DaysofaBalticChristmas when tagging your Baltic holiday photos. You can also follow the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas board on pinterest, where you’ll find recipes, crafts and other inspirational pins to help count down the days until Christmas.

And as always, you may sign up for the posts to be delivered directly to your inbox. (Look for the box on the right hand side that says 'follow by email,’ enter your email address and click ‘submit’!

I’m very excited about everything we have lined up for you this month! Happy December, and please join us tomorrow on Day 2 of a Baltic Christmas, for a list of markets and bazaars taking place throughout the month offering up Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian goods…

Lowes Foods Five Forks: giveaway!

Lowes Foods has come to Five Forks! The grand opening is today at 4pm, for what will be their second store in the Upstate. (The first of a distinctive chain of supermarkets based out of Winston Salem, North Carolina, opened in Greer in 2016.) I sometimes get excited about new stores coming to the Greenville area (see me missing TJs while in France), but Lowes was a completely new experience. With an emphasis on local (Lowes currently works with more than 250 NC and SC-based farmers and artisans), the store carries a wide assortment of organic foods and has created ample buzz with their convenient, family-friendly store.

The newest location is in the Village Market-East shopping center on the northwest corner of Woodruff Road and Sunnydale Drive. In addition to the unique areas within the store (known as Lowes Foods Originals) such as The Beer Den, SausageWorks, The Chicken Kitchen, Pick & Prep, The Community Table, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates and The Cakery, the store will also feature an in-store brew-pub, the first of its kind in the Upstate. However the real attraction to doing my grocery shopping at Lowes is in the child-friendly approach that Lowes has made a priority in their Upstate stores.

From the child-sized carts available at the entrance to the free organic snack offered to customers ages 12 and under, the boys always feel welcome and are occupied from start to finish while I am selecting groceries and checking items off my grocery list. The most exciting stops are the Lowes Foods Originals areas, which feature exciting things for the kids to do, see and taste!

Parents; make sure to first stop at the in-store café, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates, where hand-roasted coffee is available to fuel your shopping trip. Bonus: hand poured Belgian chocolates and a dozen variations of chocolate barks are for sale, a little something to hide in the back of the cabinet for later...

The Pick & Prep area is adjacent to the produce section, and is a novelty for the busy family. Employees slice and dice fruits and vegetables made to order for your different cooking needs; the surprise bonus – no extra fee, it’s all priced by weight! While you’re getting your onion diced (yes, you can actually have them dice just one onion), the kids can help pick the herbs on your shopping list, another fun Lowes innovation. In addition to the wide selection of fresh herbs by the package, you can also clip your own from the planters right there in the store, mixing/matching needed quantities for a single recipe; fill a baggie for only 99¢. As far as produce goes, I always get excited about the potato and tomato selection, which allows customers to fill a carton with their selection as it’s also sold by weight; this is perfect for a colorful salsa or potato salad!

Next stop, SausageWorks! In front of the case displaying an assortment of (over two dozen varieties of locally made pork, beef and poultry) sausages is a panel with buttons and gauges, allowing the kids to help the crazy ‘sausage professor.’ They’ll be excited to see their actions translated into a whir of turning gears and levers on the big board over the counter! Meanwhile you’re free to try a few samples and decide which variety of sausage to purchase... Directly next to the sausage counter is the Beef Shoppe where a friendly butcher is on hand to help with your shopping. Here you’ll also find the temperature and humidity controlled case in which premium cuts of beef are aged. According to my source, you might want to reserve a portion if you see something you like, as most cuts are basically already sold once they come out of the case… The Smokehouse offers a collection of different types of meat, smoking them with different types of wood for a variety of flavors.

At Bread Crumbs bakery the kids are immediately drawn to the kids table, where they can bang away on pots and pans to their heart’s content while adults peruse the all-natural, fresh-baked artisanal breads that are hand-crafted on location. Fresh-from-the-oven loaves are available from 4:30 to 7:30pm daily and contain no preservatives. And across the aisle is The Cakery; featuring frosting made with real butter and $10 mini-cakes, they have a “cake walk” daily in the store where they give away a whole cake! Be sure to ask for the magic wand so that the kids can “blow out” the magic candles above the counter!

The list goes on… Maybe you’ll catch the rotisserie chicken coming out the oven in The Chicken Kitchen; you’ll know it’s that time, because you can join the hosts in a lively rendition of the chicken dance! The Beer Den features craft beers on tap and a selection of wines (both of which can be purchased to be enjoyed during your shopping experience if you prefer) in addition to the aforementioned brewery, unique to the Five Forks store. Sammy’s Sub Shop prepares fresh sandwiches, pizza and paninis which you can enjoy right there in the lounge, and the Community Table often hosts samples, demonstrations and even birthday parties.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Lowes Foods-To-Go online personal shopping service, the ultimate convenience for the busy household. Also make sure to sign up for Lowes Fresh Rewards, the card that allows frequent shoppers to take advantage of weekly instant rewards, earn gas rewards and receive special promotional offers. For up to date news on the opening of the Five Forks store and the 2018 Pelham store, visit Lowes Foods Upstate on facebook and for the weekly sales ad and coupons, visit the Lowes website.

Now for the fun part... I have three exclusive Founders' Club Cards to give away to my readers! This entails 10% off on all private label items, a free one-year Lowes Foods to Go online shopping subscription (valued at $99), a 32oz Beer Den growler, and first-of-season and sneak peek emails to let you know about special products and seasonal items that are coming to your local store - in addition to all the perks of a Fresh Rewards card! 

To enter, leave a comment on this post letting me know which Lowes location you will be frequenting. I will select three winners on Sunday, February 12th (2017)... Good luck! 

This post appeared first on local family site Kidding Around Greenville. The giveaway is sponsered by Lowes Foods, although all opinions, photographs and words are my own. 

Update 2/12/2017
Congratulations to Elizabeth, Jennifer and Lisa on winning Founders' Club cards! Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Another Baltic Christmas - Day 3, BalticShop gift guide and giveaway

With the holidays fast-approaching, the deadline for ordering gifts from the Baltics to arrive in time for the holidays is just around the corner. While a few large cities have Christmas markets at their local Latvian/Lithuanian/Estonian centers, many of us don’t have the luxury of a local tirdziņš, or we prefer to do our holiday shopping online.

Today on Day three of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas I’m pleased to have BalticShop joining me with the 2015 Baltic gift guide. As one of the premier importers of Baltic goods into the US, Balticshop is your online source for fine Baltic gifts! Their mission is to offer you a store with goods from the Baltic countries that are hard to find locally but reflect the region's culture, and this year’s catalogue is full of Christmas cards, calendars, cranberries, candy and much more to check off every name on your list.

One of the hardest things to find in the US is a heavy, dark bread similar to the one your grandmother used to make… From rye bread to sourdough, BalticShop has you covered: traditional breads imported straight from Latvia made without preservatives or additives. Available in 2kg loaves as well as in 1lb packages.

There's a lovely jewelry section also. The Light Amber and Multi-Color Amber Memory Wire Wrap Bracelets are one size fits all and made in Rīga, Latvia, from genuine Baltic amber.

Or if you would prefer the amber in your Christmas tree rather than on your wrist, check out these amber ornaments, which come in three different sizes (the large is pictured, see here for small and here for medium).

With bowties back in style you’ll be the hit of the party with these patriotic flag ties. Made of natural linen, the Estonian flag is handmade in Estonia and the Latvian sarkan balt sarkans with traditional designs is handmade in Latvia.

We brought back a few sets of these cookie cutters  from Latvia last year for presents because they weren’t yet available online; it's not surprising that they are one of this year's bestsellers. The set of 4 (Zalktis, Jumis, Auseklis, Krustu krusts) also includes cookie recipes and written explanations of the symbols. Made of stainless steel, they are manufactured in Rīga.

The Latvian folk costume motif coffee mugs and coasters come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs. My favorite is the Latvian vertical weave mug, although the belt motif mug is a close second, as it reminds me of my bērnības tautas tērps.

For those with a sweet tooth BalticShop features Estonian Kalev chocolate. The Estonia Teater Assortment, the Milk Chocolate with Almonds, the Tallinn Cream Liqueur Chocolates and the Rum Flavored Wafer Chocolates all come highly recommended. Perfect for a hostess gift!

Knitting traditional Baltic mittens and socks may seem a daunting project, but these DIY kits include everything you need to knit your own Estonian wool mittens and Latvian wool socks. Complete with instructions in English.

No matter if you wish to send your holiday greetings in Estonian, Latvian or Lithuanian, BalticShop has a wide variety of Christmas cards in an assortment of tastes.

In addition to jewelry and amber products, BalticShop has a wide selection of books (in English, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian), music and ceramics – something for everyone on your holiday list that could use a little Baltic flavor this Christmas!

A lucky reader will receive one of the following gifts (your choice) from BalticShop: an EST, LV or LT Eurostyle bumper sticker, a crocheted angel Christmas tree ornament or a beeswax Christmas tree candle, AND $5 BalticShop bucks for their next purchase at BalticShop. To enter please visit the BalticShop website and then comment on this post with your favorite item. Entries will be accepted up until noon EST December 6, 2015 and the winner will be announced on the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas on December 7^th - at this point the winner will be contacted for choice and shipping information. Thank you to BalticShop for sponsoring this giveaway, and may you find each and every person on your gift list a bit of Baltic cheer!

Gneiss rocks {and the giveaway winner}

A big thank you to everyone who commented and emailed to enter last week’s giveaway to win a banana bird market tote from Inese’s line daba deva! The winner is Kristīna! Congratulations, I hope you get a lot of use out of your new artisan bag! 

Kristīna writes, “man vislabak patīk Pine forest krāsas. Faktiski bieži domāju par Inesi GNP, jo tur ir tik skaistas krāsu kombinācijas. Man ir atsevišķs foto albums tikai ar akmeņiem, ko fotogrāfēju ceļā uz un pie Grinnell Glacier…” (…my favorite is the Pine forest. Actually, I often thought of Inese in Glacier National Park, due to the beautiful color combinations. I have a photo album which consists only of rocks that I photographed on the way to and near Grinnell Glacier...)

With Kristīnas permission I share these rocks with you – who knows, they may turn out to be inspiration for Inese’s next collection!

Wrapture by Inese {giveaway}

“Art you can wear knit in nature’s palette”

  

One afternoon in Rīga we took a walk down Avotu iela to Inese’s studio. The creative force behind “Wrapture by Inese,” I know her from days spent in scout camp, both of us working with lielgaidas. There are family connections too, sister’s godfather’s wife’s sister or something like that. I remember one Lielā nometne she handed out art like it was trail mix, a playful shot glass coming home with me – a rather unlikely souvenir from time spent in the woods. In speaking with my mother other nature-inspired compositions were mentioned: the mirror framed with acorns hanging in my grandmother’s house, the macramé with paper birch bark on my mother’s bedroom door, both from nometnes long since passed.

Latvians have for centuries taken inspiration from nature, not only in materials but also in colors. The Latvian folk costumes feature the reds, browns, greens and oranges that are spring through fall and the white and black that is winter. This heritage shines through in Inese’s current line of knits, with color combinations named Alsungas vamzis and Nīca. In her blog Inese writes “I get the colors for my knitwear from nature. I rarely look at a photo and say I want to knit exactly this. I just soak it up and then when I knit the colors just make sense, I use color memories subconsciously.” The names of her café wraps reflect their roots in nature: the “Kelp Forest,” “Muir Woods” and “Mossy Ridge”.

Graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA, Inese continued her studies and her career in California. Ten years ago she took the leap and moved to Latvia, where she was immediately noticed by the press and has been creating and knitting her way into homes worldwide ever since – 30 countries at latest count.

Inese’s current best seller is the mobius wrap, which came about after much experimenting with width and length. Similar to infinity scarves, the wraps can be worn as stoles, scarves or in various other combinations, with a choice of thickness, weight and of course colors to choose from. With color mixing skills from the years working textile design Inese says she comes up with color combinations that even she can't duplicate. “I started with wraps only, but I am evolving. A few years back a master chef asked me if I could make something for his diners to wear on chilly evenings at his outdoor cafe so my infinity scarves got longer, wider, chunkier and turned into the perfect 'cafe wraps'. During a summer photo shoot when the clouds came in I gave all the girls cafe wraps to stay warm. The kids tucked in their arms and feet and looked like turtles on the porch swing. The moms had both arms free to help where needed. Grandma insisted on wearing a wrap, and I saw that this style will easily work for 4 generations, everyone 'gets it'...”

These guys 'get it' too - especially while playing with handmade finger puppets

Inese’s wraps can be found in the Wrapture shop at http://shop.wrapturebyinese.com/. She blogs at https://wrapturebyinese.wordpress.com/ and can be found on facebook here.

 Get Out of the Box, Latvia: Inese Iris Liepina at TEDxRiga 2013

As a special surprise from me, one lucky reader will win a gift from Inese’s line daba deva. The banana bird market tote is designed and sewn in Latvia, the bird (the form of the bag when zipped and not in use) having been especially created for the Song and Dance Festival. The washable, reusable bag has three compartments to keep crushables safe from heavier objects, and features bright colors, sturdy seams and Latvian folk symbols. To enter this giveaway, please visit Inese’s website and comment here or email me with your favorite wrap color combination! The deadline for entries is Monday, August 31^st (2015) , and one winner will be selected at random. I have received no compensation for this post, and the winner will be contacted for their mailing address soon after the giveaway closes.

Colors may vary

“I am adamant about having the absolutely best quality, buying yarn by touch. It costs more, but why would anyone want to buy or wear something that doesn't feel and look exquisite?

“My greatest accomplishment is to get you to smile when you see and wear the knit that is yours and yours alone. It is all one of a kind and unique. I can't even discipline myself to knit both sleeves or front and back the same, so I don't even try. My work is for the individuals out there who can truly appreciate that!” –Inese Liepiņa

Indie Craft Parade's in Greenville and a big THANKS!

A heartfelt thank you to all those that voted me and my blog to #4 on the Circle of Moms “Top 25 Southern mom blogger” list. With a very short voting period (as I only found out about the nomination with less than a week left in the contest) that included Labor Day weekend when everyone is out having adventures or busy watching football (and not stuck in front of a computer!), I was astounded at the support I received, and am immensely grateful for not only your votes but your kind comments and words of encouragement.

 

To those asking “what did you win?” – well, that new badge on the right side of the screen is about the only tangible thing…. But really, the competition once more has provided inspiration to keep blogging at a time I’m feeling confusion as to where this blog is headed, as I initially started it as an expatriate diary in France. Add to that all the new blogs to explore and local bloggers to meet, and that’s what makes the effort worth it. I hope you’ll check out not only my interview with Circle of Moms, but also the list of the South’s Top 25 Mom Bloggers!

 

More congratulations are in order… Last week I announced the first ever giveaway on Femme au Foyer, a handmade assortment of beautiful dishcloths, made by my very talented cousin Annelī. From all the entries I received Lauris pulled one name out of the hat. The lucky winner is Tim! Thank you to all those who entered, and maybe it’ll be your name pulled next time!

 

It’s a big weekend here in Greenville; not only has school restarted but it’s the 4^th annual Indie Craft Parade. A festival designed especially for Greenville to showcase local artists and craftsmen, this juried crafts fair will be running today and tomorrow in the historic Huguenot Mill at the Peace Center, located at 101 W. Broad Street in downtown Greenville. It is a free festival and the hours are 9am to 6pm today, 11am to 5pm tomorrow. I attended the first ever ICP in 2010, and having missed the last two (we were living in France) I’m looking forward to stopping by, especially since I enjoyed the very similar Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago so much.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you at the Indie Craft Parade!

 

 

My cousin, the entrepreneur! {giveaway}

A new store opened up in December of last year in my hometown, Local Goods Chicago. They sell goods made by over 75 local artisans, teach classes to the community and have a coffee shop inside. This past June they accepted a new consignor… my cousin!

 

In honor of her first business I am hosting a giveaway of one of her products, a gift-set of three dishcloths. Our first Annelī original was a housewarming gift on their visit just before Lauris was born. We have used nothing else since, even stocking up for our overseas assignment, and they are fantastic. Bold colors brighten up my kitchen, the durable materials stand up to daily use, and they are ‘green’ – instead of having to throw it out like you would a sponge, I just toss it in the wash with my dish towels.

 

To those of you in Chicago, I urge you to stop by Local Goods Chicago! Check out the lovely (yet functional) dishcloths and finger puppets made by a 14 year old local artist, browse the art gallery or have a cup of coffee, and then let me know what you thought of it, as I haven’t had the chance to stop in just yet! And to those not in Chicago, you can always visit the facebook page or website.

 

In order to have a chance to win a set of Annelī’s creations, please either leave a comment on this blog post (and if it is anonymous please leave me a way to contact you) or send me an email before Friday, September 6^th, 2013. To those reading in France, Latvia and elsewhere outside of the US, feel free to enter. Duplicate entries will be discarded, and I will not be held responsible for anything damaged/lost in the mail. One winner will be selected at random by pulling a name out of a hat (or maybe a box or a bag, we’ll see how the day goes). I have received no compensation for this post, and the winner will be contacted for their mailing address soon after the giveaway closes.

 

I wish my beautiful, talented cousin much success with her business!