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Or order a printed copy for you secret pal by clicking the button below.
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Red Land Cotton was founded in 2016 by Mark Yeager and his daughter Anna, with two primary purposes: to diversify the cotton crop and to create job opportunities in the United States textile industry. Red Land Cotton has done both. Anna’s background in graphic design—combined with her dad’s business acumen—has allowed them to work together to create a brand that’s now loved by thousands of Americans. “We are honored every time we receive an order because it’s an opportunity for us to share a piece of our farm and family with another family,” says Anna. “That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly, and we are extremely thankful!”
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“When we make a decision, it’s not made by a board with suits; it’s made by a family that sits around and eats dinners together. I think that’s a fundamental difference in our company. We are driven by heart and community—not by PowerPoints, financial markets, and investors.”
One special difference is that Red Land Cotton is grown sustainably.  What that means is that the family grows cotton with an eye on protecting and preserving the land. They have used innovative practices such as using cover crops after they harvest the cotton to protect the land itself and replenish its natural nutrients. They use beneficial bugs to combat destructive ones and apply organic fertilizer. They do not till the land and never irrigate. In other words, they are keeping the land as natural as possible, even while producing a crop from it.

Read all about Anna and her family in the current edition. Nourish and Flourish makes a great stocking stuffer and you are supporting the "Buy Local, Made in America" effort!

“I believe in supporting our bodies through a more gentle, natural way. Once I had children, I began to learn more about how plants and foods work in a holistic way to strengthen our bodies and immune functioning,  as opposed to simply suppressing symptoms. I think it is best to offer alternatives and let people discover what works best for them individually.”

My products are unlike any that you will find on big box shelves. I maintain a food vs. pharmaceutical quality that is tried and true for the past decade. We do not add any thickeners, alcohols, or artificial preservatives. We hand press every batch to maximize plant medicine potency.  We sweeten with a (local) pure raw honey and cold-pack our syrups to maintain all of the beneficial healing enzymes.  Our syrups contain not only the elderberries but also the elder flowers, hibiscus petals, rose hips, lemon and orange peels, and ginger (as opposed to a traditional recipe of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves).  My goal was to make a syrup that kids and adults alike would look forward to each day.

Our main goal is to maintain the highest quality of ingredients and food medicine potency.  We are a small company, offering hand-crafted and artisanal “food medicine.“ From my family to yours, with love, care and attention.
> Amy Parsons, founder, My Elderberry Fairy

​My Elderberry Fairy offers small batch elderberry syrups, tea blends, DIY syrup kits, fire cider tonics and seasonal wellness products. My Elderberry Fairy sprouted wings from a belief and passion for trusting in Nature for nourishment, healing, and food as medicine.  We believe in the power and wisdom of Nature to nourish not only our taste buds, but our whole selves. 

Background:
Folk medicine has been around for millennia, exploiting first wild then cultivated plants to prevent or cure a myriad of illnesses. Black elder has been used for centuries in Europe, northern Africa, and some parts of Asia for such purposes as to keep the evil spirits away and to prevent or cure numerous ailments and health problems. 

Early settlers brought some of this knowledge to America where a closely related plant, the American elder, could easily be found in the wild. Native Americans also have a tradition of using elderberry 
for its healing properties and particularly to treat fever and rheumatism. While some of the reported effects lack adequate scientific validation, there are an increasing number of studies supporting important medicinal or therapeutic properties associated with American and black elders. 
(source: hort.purdue.edu)

This information is intended for educational purposes only, and each person should research and find your own path for health, wellness, and treatments.

Read all about Amy in the current edition! Order your copy today.

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We caught up recently with Katherine Zimmer, one of our favorite creative contributors located in Napa, California who wrote the story on Mindful Gift Giving and Dance with the Flame,
a story about James Stone and his wife Carol, owners of Stone & Glass. She shares how folks on the West Coast are managing and staying positive during this challenging time.  We asked her to share her thoughts on mindful gift giving. Here is what she had to say.

Mindful gift giving is an intentional act of gratitude and caring that comes from the heart. When we focus our awareness on the people we are giving to, we’re filled with love and appreciation. Join us in the realm of thoughtful gifting and enjoy this beautiful issue for Nourish and Flourish that is filled with inspiringly unique items that can be delivered directly and safely, any time of the year, reflecting your generous spirit.

2020: Altered Reality and Creative Ways to Cope
"I think we can all agree that this year has been remarkable, devastating in some areas and bringing gifts in others. Our lives have been significantly altered, no doubt, mine included. I have always been a creative soul and have known that I need to express myself creatively and consistently to keep my sanity. When I don’t, I flounder and move toward mindless spaces that are closer to existing than thriving.

My artistic outlet is primarily photography with occasional spurts of writing. I also poured a lot of creativity into the corporate marketing jobs I’ve held for decades, but my life in the working world was transformed in March along with so many others. 

Most of you have told yourselves that you don’t have a creative bone in your bodies. Luckily, this gift is not contained in our bones. Our expressive “bones” are in our senses:  our hearts, eyes, ears, noses, stomachs, and touch–where we feel things.

One of the amazing gifts that 2020 has brought to me is watching so many people discover creative ways to cope with the chaos and their life-altering decisions, many of which we have no control over. After going down the rabbit holes of Netflix, Amazon, and Zoom, we came up for air, slowed down, and looked around. What we saw was inspiration! The idea of taking small steps toward change grabbed our attention. 

Buy Local and Make a Difference!
Bringing appreciation to the personal artisan creations all around us is what this beautiful issue is all about. Seek out a maker’s market, small local art gallery, bakery, vintage shop, a garden store, or the neighbor’s seed exchange stand. Discover treasures that make you smile while thinking of the person you’re shopping for. Or simply thumb through our pages and go shopping online through the maker’s eCommerce stores and have that special gift delivered directly to your loved one’s front door. It’s that easy.

Read more in our current edition. Buy your copy today. Nourish and Flourish also makes a great gift!

We are so fortunate to have Katherine on the road connecting and sharing copies of Nourish and Flourish to many of her creative friends and clients in California. Happy trails!
Photos by Katherine Zimmer.

“Ever since I was a little girl, chai was an integral part of my family’s daily ritual,” says Monica Sunny, Founder of The Chai Box. “Each morning, we fill our home with its warm and spicy aroma, connecting us to our roots, giving us a sense of calmness, and at the same time, energizing us to take on the day. Whether it is the first warm cup of chai we dream about having in the morning or sharing it with family and friends while catching up on life, it is our moment, and we indulge in it fully.” 
“I have a passion for chai,” says Monica Sunny, creator and founder of  The Chai Box. “Growing up in an Indian household, I started drinking chai at the age of two and blending teas at the age of twelve.  For me, chai is more than just a drink. It is a part of my culture and heritage.” 

“Our products are hand-crafted and hand-blended in small batches,” says Monica. “It is vital that the ingredients we use in our blends come from the local plantations and farmers that take pride in their work to ensure quality and natural cultivation of these spices."

All of Monica's blends are inspired by different regions in India.  Chai is made many different ways throughout India, utilizing regional spices and enhancing local flavors.   Her flavor infused blends give you the opportunity to get to know these beautiful places and enjoy the local flavors in your cup!

Shop early for the holidays and have your special gifts shipped direct to your loved ones home or office today! Click the logo below to shop online.

James Stone  is a fearless man on a mission: to connect and share his creative spirit through his artistry in glassblowing. 

James is trained in the classic Venetian blowing methods as well as hot sculpting solid material. Hot glass is magical to work with, and the color is mesmerizing. He loves to experience the “dance” over and over again every day. His favorite work is to create brightly colored organic shapes. 

James and his wife Carol, (shown above) who is the COE, Chief of Everything (and Esther, their dog) are the owners of Stone & Glass and are a formidable positive force in their Escondido, California community. They have been instrumental in the creation of a collaborative arts organization to leverage the marketing and business development of Escondido’s arts, museums, and historic culture to a broader audience. All of this positive energy and momentum came to a screeching stop in early 2020. Since then, they have been rallying to offer a new line of collectible wine and rocks glasses through an online subscription membership. We are so proud to feature their story of hope and inspiration in this edition!

Top photo: "Autumn Light": With leaves and skies turning golden, winter drawing near, by golden fires light, autumn is finally here. It is the perfect time to settle down in your favorite comfy chair with some poetry, smell the rich fall air and enjoy your favorite beverage in your Collectors Club glass. 
  
All the colors in this issue are derived from precious metals, such as gold, copper and titanium blended together and swirled to look like an autumn sunset.  

These beautiful glasses are one-of-a-kind. Shop early to avoid the holiday shipping rush!