#Herb Gardening kindle edition

[windvexer]

Do you know any spells for attracting good and healthy (as in going to treat me respectfully and kindly) friends? I'm having difficulty coming up with a spell myself, as it's been a while since I've done a spell.

Good morning! On reflection I think I might know a total of about 5 spells and none of them related to friendship, so I asked around.

And while the buds had some great links, none of them were directly related to attracting friends.

I don't have a lot of experience in this area, but I can regardless suggest a general course of action:

[Please consider the following to be aligned to my personal practice; I'm not trying to claim that this Tumblr post is the 1 true way to do magic.]

Try combining your conjuring spell with a protection against disrespectful, unkind friends. This protection can be accomplished through the creation of a simple amulet or energetic shielding patterned to that specific purpose.

I believe that magic we put on ourselves can subtly influence those around us. Very aggressive, scary protections can make people think of us as being aggressive and scary. So, protections for your purpose are better off being gentle (perhaps those protections provided by Amethyst or Rose Quartz, or Cinnamon, *maybe* Dill if you want to come off as a bit mysterious and cool, and of course all varieties of common and garden Sage).

Try working yourself into a lovely spell jar that reminds you of exactly the kind of friendships you'd like to have in your life. According to my beliefs, these kinds of jars work best if the are charged/fed and activated.

Any sort of general, basic spell jar format is fine, as long as it's a spellcasting technique you're comfortable with.

I'm looking up resources for friendship and finding very little. Intuition advises that sugar, lemon, and allspice might serve you well. But, of course, anything you like is what should be done. If you like to work with elemental correspondences, consider using Air (communication, talking) and Water (relationships, connection). Of planets, Mercury and Venus might be helpful.

Try working "consumable" spells, such as a candle or incense spell, dressed and treated to specifically attract a respectful, kind friend.

If you don't know of or have certain correspondences, direct energy work can be used to imbue the candle or incense with desired outcomes.

If you're interested in doing multiple spells, you can do both the jar and other types of friend-conjuring spells as well.

Find-a-Friend Powder

I have a lovely copy of Pestlework by @breelandwalker, which is a formulary of magical powders. I got her permission to share the Find-a-Friend Powder formula from that book:

2 pt Confectioner's Sugar

1 pt Forget-Me-Not Blossoms

1 pt Pink Rose Petals

1 pt Meadowsweet**

½ pt Passionflower Herb**

½ pt Cloves

** Substances which should be avoided by those who are pregnant or nursing

Add the powder to a bottle charm that you carry with you to attract quality friends and companions. You can also combine it with modeling clay and use that to create a charm or poppet to be the focus of such spells.

NicGarran, Bree. Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils (p. 49). Kindle Edition.

Bree also kindly notes that most any attraction or love spell can be modified to call friends and compaions, instead of lovers.

[For those interested, here is an additional resource list of some of Bree's recipes available for free]

Other Notes:

I find that when working multiple spells towards the same goal, assigning a spirit helper to oversee the operation can be of great value.

This can easily be done by petitioning the help of a tarot card. This is a basic ritual format for petitioning tarot cards.

I would especially recommend working with the Knight/Cups to find a friend, the 2/Cups to foster new relationship beginnings, and the 3/Cups to nurture desired relationships.

If seeking one card to oversee general operations, I recommend the Knight/Cups.

I hope some of this ends up helping! Best of luck.

[aliteraryprincess]

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

Warning: Contains spoilers

Welcome back to Fairy Tale Friday!  Today, by popular vote, we’re looking at the feature’s first retelling of “Rapunzel.”  Sorry it’s so much later than I thought!  As I said in my previous post, there was an issue with the library.  Ultimately I just bought the ebook because it seemed that the library copy was never going to come.  So let’s jump into Zel!

(Side note: Please excuse the rather horrendous picture.  The kindle edition doesn’t have a cover photo for who knows what reason, and the lighting conditions weren’t ideal.  Sorry!) 

As a Retelling:

Napoli mainly draws on the German version of the tale by the Brothers Grimm, which itself heavily draws from the French “Persinette” written by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force.  She begins the story by establishing the relationship between Rapunzel, nicknamed Zel, and Mother.  While both the Grimm and the de la Force versions say that the witch/fairy raises Rapunzel/Persinette outside the tower until she is twelve, they do not give any details.  Napoli begins her story during this point and shows the events leading up to Mother locking Zel away in the tower.  Zel and Mother live in an isolated alm with only each other and animals for company except for the two times a year they go to the market in town.  It is just a few days before Zel’s thirteenth birthday, and Mother leaves her watching a horse being shod at the blacksmith in order to buy her birthday presents.  We see that Mother has no intention of ever letting Zel leave her almost immediately, though we don’t learn the reason.  While Mother is buying cloth to make Zel a new dress, the shop woman guesses that Zel will be married within the year.  This upsets Mother, who states in her narration that she and Zel must remain together forever.  Meanwhile at the blacksmith, Zel meets Konrad, a young nobleman who becomes instantly smitten with her.  

Napoli doesn’t give the reader the backstory of how Mother ended up with Zel until much later, but this seems like a good time to discuss it.  It follows the set-up we find in most versions of the fairy tale: a pregnant woman develops a craving for the rapunzel lettuce (or parsley, depending on the version) in her neighbor’s garden to the point where either she or her husband steals it.  The neighbor, a witch in the Grimms’ version and in Napoli’s, catches them and demands the child as payment.  However, Napoli goes much further into this backstory, showing us why Mother makes this deal.  Mother desperately wants a child but is unable to have one, causing a great amount of unhappiness and bitterness.  She ends up making a deal with devils for power over plants with the promise that it will help her get the child she wants.  In exchange, she barters away her soul and agrees to get her daughter to make a similar bargain. With her new power, the garden she plants flourishes and the rapunzel lettuce catches the eye of her pregnant neighbor.  Mother is fully aware of this and uses it to her advantage.  She refuses to sell the lettuce to the neighbor, making the woman desperate enough to have her husband steal it when the opportunity arises.  Mother watches it all and allows it to happen the first time, but the second time she catches the man and asks for their unborn daughter in return for the stolen lettuce.  She has to make thistles grow around him in order to torture him into accepting the offer, but he does eventually agree.    

Mother moves Zel into the tower shortly after their day in town after she sees the effect meeting Konrad has on the girl.  She realizes that Zel will not give up her wish to get married, even if she would receive the ability to converse with animals in exchange.  So she changes tactics and convinces Zel there is someone who wants to kill her and she must stay in the tower to be safe.  While the Grimms don’t give any details about the tower, de la Force goes into a great amount of description.  Her tower is hardly an uncomfortable prison; there are all kinds of luxuries to amuse Persinette.  Napoli chooses not to use this; Zel’s tower is a stone room with nothing but a hay mattress and a slop bucket inside. After initially putting her there, Mother comes to visit each day for an hour and brings food and drawing supplies for Zel.  She also brings special herbs to keep Zel’s hair growing.  None of the variations of the tale provide an explanation for how Rapunzel’s hair is so long, but it is implied that it is that length right from the start of her imprisonment.  Zel’s hair does not begin to grow at such an alarming rate until she is in the tower.  Before her hair grows out, Mother gets up to the tower by magically growing a nearby walnut tree.  We don’t receive an explanation for why she chooses to use Zel’s hair instead.  It causes Zel a great amount of pain, and she does beg Mother to go back to using the walnut tree.

In all versions of the tale, Rapunzel does not meet the prince until she is in the tower.  The prince hears her singing and instantly falls in love.  On her part, he is presumably the only man she’s ever met, and she falls in love with him too.  However, as previously mentioned, Zel and Konrad meet prior to this and the meeting has a major effect on both of them.  Konrad immediately becomes enamored with Zel despite their differences in class; he’s particularly captivated by how she interacts with his horse, Meta.  After their initial meeting, he tries his hardest to find her without success.  His obsession with finding her takes over his life for years, preventing him from marrying someone else.  On Zel’s part, her interest is more in the horse, but Konrad does work his way into her artwork.  They meet again years later when Konrad happens upon the tower while out riding.  He instantly recognizes Zel, though she believes he is a hallucination.  At this point, she has been in the tower for two years and is losing her grip on reality.  However, she becomes convinced he is real after he climbs up her hair to meet her, and she accepts when he asks her to marry him.  The two also have sex.  He leaves the next morning with a plan to come back before Mother does and get Zel out of the tower.  This is actually a bit different than most well-known versions of the tale.  In both the Grimms’ and de la Force’s versions, the prince returns many times.  Like Konrad, the prince in the German version plans to get Rapunzel out of the tower and brings silk each visit so she can make a ladder to climb down.  In the French version, there is no mention of actually getting Persinette out of the tower.          

As in the Grimms’ and de la Force’s tales, Zel and Konrad end up getting caught by Mother.  In an even earlier Italian version called “Petrosinella,” the lovers actually succeed in their escape plan.  In de la Force’s tale, they are found out because the fairy realizes Persinette is pregnant.  This is also what happens in the original version the Grimms published.  However, in subsequent editions, they changed it and Rapunzel gives away her secret by carelessly asking why the witch is so much rougher about climbing her hair than the prince.  Napoli actually uses both of these.  Mother returns before Konrad and tries to convince Zel to trade her soul for the ability to talk to animals.  However, Zel confronts her about all the lies she has told.  Zel calls Mother “darker,” “plumper,” and “heavier,” meaning in comparison to Konrad, though Mother doesn’t know what she’s talking about at first.  Eventually, Zel tells her she has known passion with a man, and Mother is able to see with her magic that Zel is pregnant.  She bites off Zel’s long braids and transports her to a desert.  This is in keeping with the Grimms’ version of the story.  While de la Force’s fairy does cut off Persinette’s hair and send her away, she is much kinder and puts the girl in an isolated yet comfortable cottage.  Konrad and the princes in both versions of the tale suffer the same fate of blindness.  Mother uses Zel’s cut off braids to bring Konrad back up to the tower and tell him he won’t see her again.  He moves to attack her and Mother moves to defend herself, causing the braids to hit him and send him falling out the window.  This is different from both versions.  In de la Force’s, the fairy uses her magic to make the prince jump out the window.  In the Grimms’, the prince jumps out the window himself to avoid the witch’s wrath.  All fall into brambles, causing them to go blind.  In the book, Mother uses the last of her strength the grow the brambles and then kill herself.    

As in de la Force’s tale and the first edition of the Grimms’, Zel gives birth to twins.  While her predecessors do so in isolation, Zel does not; she is found in the desert by some people and brought back to a town.  She lives there, comfortable and content, with her children until Konrad comes.  Konrad wanders blind trying to find Zel, just as the princes in the fairy tale do.  When he finally finds her and the children, Zel’s tears restore his eyesight.  This happens in both the German and French tales as well.  However, while the Grimms’ story ends there, de la Force’s does not.  Once the family is together again, the fairy sends snakes, dragons, and all sorts of unpleasant things to kill them.  The prince and Persinette are determined to die together rather than live apart, which eventually moves the fairy to spare them and give them her blessing.  There is some aspect of this in the ending of Zel.  Though Mother is dead, she is able to watch everything happening and feel happiness.    

My Thoughts:

One of my favorite aspects of this book was Mother as a character.  While she does some truly terrible things, it is also clear that she really does love Zel.  It is a selfish love, shown by the fact that she refuses to let her go, but it is still love. Zel acknowledges at the end that Mother was a good mother for the first thirteen years of her life.  Zel has a happy childhood in a safe environment, and Mother encourages her to learn and be creative.  However, she still acknowledges the harm Mother inflicted on her, which is as it should be.  There can be happy moments in abusive relationships, but it doesn’t change the fact that abuse occurred.  I also did see Mother as a bit of a victim of circumstances.  The story is set in mid-1500s Switzerland.  This is a society that expects women to get married and have children, and Mother is not able to do that.  Her husband leaves her when it becomes clear she can’t have children.  The devils prey upon her weakness and convince her that the only way to be happy is to do these horrible things. 

I also really liked that Napoli explores how being locked in a tower affects Zel’s mental health.  It seems natural that being alone almost all the time for two years and locked inside would eat away at someone’s sanity.  She talks to the animals she meets as if they were human and spends large amounts of time examining colonies of ants and lice.  She stops wearing her clothes except for when Mother comes to visit.  She hallucinates and thinks about hurting herself.  It’s very dark, but it feels realistic for someone in this situation.  It’s also something this fairy tale invites us to think about.  How could someone survive in these circumstances?  I enjoyed seeing it explored.       

However, Zel’s deteriorating mental health did cause one problem for me with the book.  Considering the state she’s in by the time they meet again, I felt really uncomfortable with the relationship between her and Konrad.  Even before this point, I did feel it was kind of insta-love.  Konrad falls for her after only meeting her once.  This is portrayed as obsession though; he is in love with the idea of her and doesn’t actually know anything about her at all.  This is never addressed.  They aren’t even able to get to know each other; she agrees to marry him during their second meeting.  I understood why she would since she wants to get out of the tower.  However, what bothered me is that she is not in a fit mental state to consent to sex.  The whole thing felt creepy to me; he obsesses over her for years, her sanity is extremely questionable when they meet again, and then they have sex.  It’s just kind of...ick considering the world we live in today.  So while I overall enjoyed the book, this aspect kept my rating from being higher than it might have been. 

My Rating: 4 stars

Other Reading Recommendations:

The starred titles are ones I have read myself.  The others are ones I want to read and may end up being future Fairy Tale Friday books.  I haven’t read many retellings of this tale, so there aren’t as many starred ones as usual.

Other Retellings of “Rapunzel”:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth*

The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon

The Crystal Heart by Sophie Masson

Golden by Cameron Dokey

Towering by Alex Flinn

Braided by Elora Bishop

With Blossoms Gold by Hayden Wand

My Name is Rapunzel by K. C. Hilton 

More Retellings by Donna Jo Napoli:

Bound*

Beast

Spinners

Sirena

The Magic Circle

Breath

About the Fairy Tale:

Rapunzel and Other Maiden in the Tower Tales from Around the World by Heidi Anne Heiner

Coming in August:

First up will be the July poll’s second runner-up: “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.”  The August poll actually ended in a tie between “Snow White and Rose Red” and “The Princess and the Pea.”  So I’m going to do “Snow White and Rose Red” in August and then “The Princess and the Pea” in September.  Thank you everyone who voted!  Just so you know, my program is starting in August, so I’m not sure how quickly everything will be posted.  But I’m going to try my best to make it all happen!   

Have a recommendation for me to read or a suggestion to make Fairy Tale Friday better?  Feel free to send me an ask!

[pieartsystuff]

The Hidden Sun

There once was a girl whose happiness was tied to the sun.

As it rose, so did she, and her smile was like a beam of light.

As it set, so did she, and her frown cast shadows on her face.

A short allegorical fairy tale. On AO3

There once was a girl whose happiness was tied to the sun.

As it rose, so did she, and her smile was like a beam of light.

As it set, so did she, and her frown cast shadows on her face.

One day, darkness descended over the world she knew. The sun was hidden from her sight, her heart, and her mind, either just past the horizon or covered by swirling clouds that roiled and poured their tears over the land. Sometimes it would return, and thus did her happiness return, but it was always temporary, always fleeting.

After many miserable days and nights, though how many was hard to discern with the absence of the sun, she turned to her love and asked of him a favor.

“Anything for you, my dear,” the boy said.

“Bring me the sun. Bring me the sun so I can hold it in my garden, and have it always, and be happy forevermore.”

Her love turned pale, and stood silent for a long moment. “I do not know if I can,” he replied, shaken. “But I will try.”

The boy set out to bring her the sun, but soon found this to be an impossible task. Its realm was not meant for mortal beings to tread, and he had his doubts that it even existed. He could not simply capture it in a box in the way his love wished. So, he tried to capture its essence in other ways.

He returned to her after a week, carrying a glass jar in his hand.

“Have you brought me the sun?” the girl asked him.

“No, but I have brought you its light.” He held out the jar. “I have kindled and tamed flickering fire as bright as little stars, the flames of which shine sunlight that can beat back the harsh shadows over your eyes. Place this jar at your bedside table and you will always keep happiness in sight. Does this please you, my dear?”

“Yes,” she sighed, “but I cannot be truly happy, for I do not have the sun.”

The boy set out a second time and returned after a fortnight, carrying several potions on his belt.

“Have you brought me the sun?” the girl asked him.

“No, but I have brought you its energy.” He held out a potion. “I have made bargains with witches for brews made of flowers and herbs and other growing things, the leaves of which store sunlight that can revive the dull stillness in your chest. Down a potion every day and you will always keep happiness at heart. Does this please you, my dear?”

“Yes,” she sighed, “but I cannot be truly happy, for I do not have the sun.”

The boy set out a third time and returned after a month, carrying several worn books in his satchel.

“Have you brought me the sun?” the girl asked him.

“No, but I have brought you its warmth.” He held out a book. “I have searched the libraries of the earth for knowledge of passion and kindness, the teachings of which spread sunlight that can thaw the numb coldness atop your brow. Study these books well and you will always keep happiness in mind. Does this please you, my dear?”

“Yes,” she sighed, “but I cannot be truly happy, for I do not have the sun.”

The boy set out again, but in despair. He had done all he could think of, but his love still did not have the happiness she sought. He wandered for a year, fruitlessly searching for a solution, even searching for a path to the realm of the sun, but finally, he was forced to return to the girl with nothing at all.

“Have you brought me the sun?” the girl asked him.

“No, and I cannot.” He held out his open palms. “I have brought you its light, its energy, and its warmth, but the sun is unattainable, unreachable. And perhaps it will never return to these lands.”

A shadow fell over the girl’s eyes, a stillness grew in her chest, and a coldness settled atop her brow.

“Then that is it,” she sighed. “Happiness will remain far from me, like the sun beyond the horizon.”

“No,” her love replied. He kissed her forehead. “You may not have the sun, and you may never again, but you have a jar, potions, books, and me. And together, we can help you find happiness in the dark.”

I wrote this fairy tale 4 years ago, and it got published 3 years ago in an anthology which I thought was pretty cool. But there was one word that nagged at me, so I decided to take a look at it again and maybe edit that word ('teach'). I, uh, kinda ended up revamping the whole thing. Whoops.

I tried to make the structure and sentences more parallel, while also being more cohesive of what I was trying to say, but I dunno if I made it better or worse. Let me know.

[kindlelovers]

🥕🥬 Greener Things, Smaller Spaces 🥬🥕 by ✍Erika Ramada-Jones

➡A 'back to basics' approach for growing your own #fruits, #vegetables, and #herbs in small spaces⬅ Want to transform your home into a #refreshing #oasis through gardening? There's something about gardening that makes one feel #happy and at ease. And if you can bring the magnificent beauty of the great #outdoors to your home, there may be no greater sense of accomplishment. Even if you live in the city or have limited space, you can still enjoy the benefits of #gardening. With the right guide, you'll be able to #grow your own #garden wherever you #live, with whatever space you have available.

Greener Things, Smaller Spaces is a #handbook for creating places of comfort and calm with #plants!

[freebargainbooks]

99 Cent Bargain Book from July 2 - 8, 2021

[jeremystrele]

A Dreamy, Nostalgic Family Home in Melbourne’s Suburbs

A Dreamy, Nostalgic Family Home in Melbourne’s Suburbs

Homes

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

Handmade Portuguese tiles from Urbanedge. Kitchen cabinets by deVOL Kitchens UK. Stone benchtops from CDK Stone. Antique workbench kitchen island found at auction. Antique bread proofing bowl from Bells Vintage. Antique stone mortar and pestle. Antique mezza luna from Found Hepburn. Bowl holding garlic from our garden by Andrei Davidoff. Ceramic platter holding quinces by Seala Lokollo. Vintage swinging door found at a salvage yard. Spray painting artwork by Charles Blackman framed by Icon Framers. Ilve freestanding oven/stove. Steelframe casement windows with original brass hardware found at a salvage yard. Tapware in nickel by Perrin and Rowe. Bamboo blinds from Cobra Cane. Fiberglass hand sculpture found at auction. Copper kettle from Mr Kitly. Rocket Giotto Cronometro coffee machine. Artwork ‘Here comes your man’ by Kirsty Budge. Vintage milk jug. Light mill from Garden Objects. Vintage glass cabinet to the right Angelucci. Antique bobbin corner chair found on Gumtree. Antique farmhouse dining table found at auction and restored by Anastasia. Antique original Thonet bentwood chairs from eBay. Pendant light by Anna Charlesworth. Vintage Italian bar cart. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Josh, Reuben, Stella, Anastasia and dog Henri standing on the front porch. The family built a new path from bluestone steppers salvaged from Port Melbourne docks, which is now dotted with self-seeded seaside daisies. Vintage mid-century planter bought at auction. ‘I’m looking forward to watching the wisteria blossom this coming spring, I have been carefully training it up the front columns over the front porch this past year now,’ says Anastasia. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The view to the quince tree through steelframe casement windows with original brass hardware found at a salvage yard. Curtains from Pottery Barn. Candlesticks by Astier de Villatte. Black vase holding dried scabiosa stellata seed heads by Asobimasu Clay. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The kitchen looks out to the rear garden over the vegetable and herb garden. Vintage jug. Kitchen cabinets by deVOL Kitchens UK. Artwork ‘Here comes your man’ by Kirsty Budge. Vintage milk jug. Light mill from Garden Objects. Antique workbench kitchen island found at auction. Tapware in nickel by Perrin and Rowe. Bamboo blinds from Cobra Cane. Stone benchtops from CDK Stone. Ceramic platter holding quinces from our tree by Seala Lokollo. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Antique workbench kitchen island found at auction. Ilve freestanding oven/stove. Kitchen cabinets by deVOL Kitchens UK. Ceramic platter holding quinces from our tree by Seala Lokollo. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Handmade Portuguese tiles from Urbanedge. Kitchen cabinets by deVOL Kitchens UK. Stone benchtops from CDK Stone. Antique workbench kitchen island found at auction. Antique bread proofing bowl from Bells Vintage. Antique stone mortar and pestle. Antique mezza luna from Found Hepburn. Bowl holding garlic from our garden by Andrei Davidoff. Ceramic platter holding quinces from our tree by Seala Lokollo. Vintage swinging door found at a salvage yard. Spray painting artwork by Charles Blackman framed by Icon Framers. Ilve freestanding oven and stove. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Tahlia sofa by Molmic sofa. Hale Mercantile stripe bolster cushion. Steel frame French doors from The Steel Design. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘Daphine’ floor lamp by Lumina from Enlightened Living (formerly ECC). Curtains from Pottery Barn. Antique armchairs purchased at auction, reupholstered in fabric from ‘Westbury’ fabric by Keane Living. Stripe cushions made from antique linen from Bells Vintage.  Antique Tudor coffee table purchased from Gumtree. Coffee table books on Anastasia’s favourite artists such as Kiki Smith, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse. Ottomans designed by Anastasia. Bud vase holding dried poppy seed heads by Cecile Daladier. Hand dipped beeswax duplero candle made in Italy and handmade terracotta Italian candle holder, both from Elias Mercantile. Preserved dandelion globe from Elias Mercantile. Anastasia’s collection of rare and out of print books about and by Edna Walling, her garden hero and inspiration! Kelly Wearstler marble sculpture.  Antique French milking stool purchased at auction. Antique Jacobean barley twist side table, antique bobbin corner chair and vintage lamp purchased from Gumtree. Steel frame windows with original brass hardware found at a salvage yard. Tahlia sofa by Molmic sofa. Hale Mercantile stripe bolster cushion. Steel frame French doors from The Steel Design. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Sisal square rug from the Natural Floors company. Antique Tudor coffee table purchased on Etsy. Hand-dipped beeswax duplero candle made in Italy and handmade terracotta Italian candle holder, both from Elias Mercantile. Preserved dandelion globe from Elias Mercantile. Anastasia’s collection of rare and out of print books about and by Edna Walling, her garden hero and inspiration! A small bronze vase found on Anastasia’s travels in India. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Curtains from Pottery Barn. Antique armchairs purchased at auction, reupholstered in fabric from ‘Westbury’ fabric by Keane Living. Stripe cushions made from antique linen from Bells Vintage.  Antique Tudor coffee table purchased from Gumtree. Coffee table books on Anastasia’s favourite artists such as Kiki Smith, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse. Ottomans designed by Anastasia. Bud vase holding dried poppy seed heads by Cecile Daladier. Hand dipped beeswax duplero candle made in Italy and handmade terracotta Italian candle holder, both from Elias Mercantile. Preserved dandelion globe from Elias Mercantile. Anastasia’s collection of rare and out of print books about and by Edna Walling, her garden hero and inspiration! Kelly Wearstler marble sculpture. Antique French milking stool purchased at auction. Antique Jacobean barley twist side table, antique bobbin corner chair and vintage lamp purchased from Gumtree. Steel frame windows with original brass hardware found at a salvage yard. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Antique trunk from Etsy to hold fireside tools and kindling. Curtains from Pottery Barn. Antique armchairs purchased at auction, reupholstered in fabric from ‘Westbury’ fabric by Keane Living. Stripe cushions made from antique linen from Bells Vintage.  Antique Tudor coffee table purchased from Gumtree. Coffee table books on Anastasia’s favourite artists such as Kiki Smith, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse. Ottomans designed by Anastasia. Bud vase holding dried poppy seed heads by Cecile Daladier. Hand dipped beeswax duplero candle made in Italy and handmade terracotta Italian candle holder, both from Elias Mercantile. Preserved dandelion globe from Elias Mercantile. Anastasia’s collection of rare and out of print books about and by Edna Walling, her garden hero and inspiration! A small bronze vase found on Anastasia’s travels to India. Antique French milking stool purchased at auction. Antique Jacobean barley twist side table, antique bobbin corner chair and vintage lamp purchased from Gumtree. Japanese ceramic bud vase. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘We shifted a wall in the hallway to open the space up and increase the size to match the size of the front entrance which was wide,’ says Anastasia. ‘The hallway used to be 800mm wide, it is now almost 2m wide, it feels much more spacious now and the children love to run laps.’ Original hardwood floors. Antique Aubusson Verdure 17th-century tapestry from Brownrigg UK. Antique farmhouse dining table found at auction and restored by Anastasia. Antique original Thonet bentwood chairs, the first ever piece of furniture Anastasia purchased as a 16 year old from eBay. Pendant light by Anna Charlesworth. Vintage Italian bar cart. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Oak wall system by Kai Kristiansen from Nord Modern. Vintage glass bottles and ceramic cup. Face plate by Oscar Piccolo. Wax artwork by Merylin Lloyd. Bud bowl from Isla & Olive. Antique brass candlesticks. A paper nautalis shell found in a rockpool along the Great Ocean Road. Bowl holding shells and coral collected on Anastasia and Josh’s honeymoon by Astier de Villatte. Bronze pendant and small vase found on travels in India. Portrait of a pregnant Anastasia by Ophelia Mikkelson. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

deVOL bathroom cabinets in ‘Linen’. Mirrors from Schots. Bronze batten light holder from Fat Shack Vintage. Tapware in nickel by Perrin & Rowe. Catalano vanity. Towels by Hale Mercantile from Manon Bis. Terrazzo floor tiles from Fibonacci Stone. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Antique lead and alabaster ceiling light purchased at Armadale Antique Centre. Antique linen press found at an antique store in Tyabb. Artwork by Jahnne Pasco White on the mantle. The Bbd cover by Elias Mercantile and Charvet Editions. Antique bedside tables found at auction. Custom Beni Ourian natural wool rug from Etsy. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Wall pocket by Numero 74. Filled with handmade toys made Anastasia’s mother. Antique pine sleigh bed from Bells Vintage. Various artworks on the window and walls by Reuben. Ladderex shelving from Smith Street Bazaar. Antique wicker toy box and picnic basket found on Gumtree. Vintage bedside table, handmade wooden train and lamp found at op-shops. Handmade wooden train toy from Epoche. Vintage drum found in America. Wooden fairy house from Honeybee Toys. Striped floor mattress from Yoli and Otis. Linen pillow cases by Hale Mercantile. Ikea doona cover. Quilt by Basshu Japan from Heffernan and Haire. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Shelf made by Josh. Vintage box holing small toys found at an antique bazaar. Toy car by Wooden Story. Collection of Ostheimers wooden animals from Honeybee Toys. Handmade whale and merman dyed with avocado pits by Full Flower Moon. Ammonite fossil purchased from the Melbourne Museum Store on Reuben’s birthday. Wooden truck from Such Great Heights. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Tapware in nickel by Perrin & Rowe. Towel by Hale Mercantile from Manon Bis. Scented terracotta pomegranate by Santa Maria Novella. Rose geranium plant in a vintage terracotta pot. Window salvaged from the demolished original kitchen and repurposed in place of a smaller window originally in the main bathroom. Tiles from Earp Brothers. Stone surround by CDK Stone. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Antique pine sleigh bed found at an antique store in Castlemaine. Muslin canopy made by Anastasia. Pillowcases by Camomile London. Doona cover from Ikea. Daisy pillow by Oeuf. Music box bear by Kallisto. Handmade gnome doll ‘Dandelion’ made by Anastasia using scraps found around the house during the first 2020 lockdown. Floral floor mattress from Yoli and Otis. Vintage bookshelf purchased at auction. Vintage bedside table purchased from Gumtree. Vintage cane chair purchased at a bazaar. Maileg deer toy. Original leadlight windows. Bunny Rabbit money box from Big Dreams. De Noest butterfly silhouette light from Honeybee Toys. Raduga Grez mountain stacker from Tanglewood Toys. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Read our separate story about Anastasia’s glorious family garden here! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The front entrance overgrown with verbena bonaris, seaside daisy and an array of perennials through the borders. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Josh and Rueben playing in the street. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

There aren’t many people who can take an already renovated 1930s property, renovate it again, and end up with an even more characterful, charming home.

Instead of trendy fixtures and an ultra-contemporary extension, owners Josh and Anastasia Elias updated their Malvern East home to feature recycled materials and secondhand furniture throughout. 

‘When expanding the footprint of the home, we didn’t want to impose upon the original character,’ says Anastasia, founder of new homewares business Elias Mercantile. ‘We loved the warmth that came with the age of the original home and wanted to help it grow a little to accommodate our family.’ 

Josh and Anastasia designed the renovations and extensions themselves under the tutelage of Nick Gribble from Restored Building Co, interior designer Studio AMI, and consultant Moyshe Elias. 

Works in the original portion of the home involved shifting the previously narrow and dark hallway; dividing the formal dining room into a powder room, walk-in wardrobe and en suite; and converting the attic into storage space. 

The kitchen, sunroom, outhouse and laundry were demolished to create the rear extension, but original materials were salvaged in the process. Anastasia explains, ‘We stacked every brick, chipped off the plaster and mortar, and then later reused them to build the extension.’

Several reclaimed windows with steel-frames and brass hardware now open this rear area up to embrace the outdoors.  

Other reclaimed materials in the home include several internal doors, and a glass window used in the en suite. ‘I have such wonderful memories racing around Victoria to visit far off salvage yards, searching for that perfect something that would form the tapestry of what would become our home,’ Anastasia says. 

The handmade and hand painted kitchens cabinetry is the work of UK cabinet maker, deVOL Kitchens, who Anastasia came across on Pinterest. Initially out of reach due to budget constraints, these were able to be included after reworking the design. Anastasia says, ‘After doing some research we realised that if we kept the design of the kitchen simple we could feasibly import our kitchen and mix the cabinets with loose furniture.’ 

The couple’s existing large mid-century glass-fronted cabinet in particular works to soften this space, while increasing valuable storage space. ‘We wanted to use it in the kitchen, so that was a great influence on the layout for the kitchen and how it evolved. We then found a beautiful old workbench at an antique auction which became the island,’ says Anastasia. 

The home’s main bathroom was also reconfigured at the suggestion of Anouska Milstein of Studio AMI to accommodate a separate bath and shower. Surfaces inside and out have been painted with Dulux Natural White. 

The cherry on top of this delightful renovation is the abundant garden, which was planted with help from Bespoke Landscapes just two years ago! A neighbour’s towering historic tree canopy including an enormous Norfolk pine further adds to the landscape, while inviting dramatic silhouettes into the home on clear nights. (Take a closer look at the garden here!)

Anastasia describes the completed property as nostalgic, and timeless. ‘It is a true reflection of what we believed would be the best outcome for the home; a response to what it was lacking, with an open mind to what it could be.’

If you love Anastasia’s style, check out her brand new homewares business, Elias Mercantile.

[hridoypromax]

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies - A Review

INTRODUCTION Have you ever thought of discovering the jewels present in herbs to treat almost all kinds of illnesses? If so, then “The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies” is offering this opportunity to learn about the valuable and natural cures that were lost in history.

Last week, I was searching for some herbal remedies to find a cure for my swollen joints when luckily I came across The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies written by Dr. Nicole Apelian, a top notch herbalist working with plants for more than 20 years, and Claude Davis who has also studying plants and understanding their medicinal properties. When I saw the name of author, I did not have a second thought and bought it without any delay. I decided to write a detailed review of the book so I may help people with similar problems and protect them from scams in the marketplace.

I would only publish a review of something I've tried.  You can be assured of the quality of the book and the advice within.

What is the Lost Book of Herbal Remedies? Preparing remedy from the Lost Book of Herbal Remedies The book is indeed a preservation of original herbal remedies that our grandparents adopted for centuries. The powerful natural remedies made from healing plants and lichens aids in boosting your immunity and strengthening your body in a natural way. Moreover, the best part of the book is that it contains color pictures of the plants so you can easily identify them while you’ll also find some methods of growing them in your backyard.

The book is ideally designed for people with no prior knowledge about the plants. When I started reading the book, I got surprised when I found the information about those healing plants that were even growing in my backyard and I was unaware of their medicinal uses.



What I like about the book is that it discourages the use of conventional medications that always comes up with many side effects.

Are there any Bonuses?

It is true that the consumers are always attracted with free offers and bonuses that come along with the original product. The psychology of FREE was also not difficult for me and I was fascinated by two bonuses that came along with the book.

1.    An Awesome 80 square feet SHTF Medicinal Garden

This bonus book comprises of 39 pages and comes in kindle edition. It is not only worth reading but it also provides herbal solutions for many common ailments like sore throats and colds. The author of the book emphasizes the use of a small medicinal garden to treat various illnesses of your body without causing any side effects.

2.    Everyday Disaster Medicine Guidebook

The second bonus book is a very knowledgeable contribution for all age groups. It gives information about first aid strategies and dealing with casualties. I read this book for fun but I did realize the importance of this book when my father suffered from a fracture and dislocation of his arm after a severe injury. I provided him first aid by applying some simple strategies mentioned in the book and thus I also controlled my panicky behavior for the first time in my entire life.

These bonuses are free with the purchase of the book from the official website:

Visit Official Website Here An Awesome 80 square feet SHTF Medicinal Garden Everyday Disaster Medicine Guidebook What format is the Book in?

The Lost book of Herbal Remedies comes in two formats:

Physical Product (Hard Copy) Digital Product (Soft Copy)

You can choose from either of two formats and order online. There is also a deal available to get both.  For me, it was often difficult to read the digital version and hence I ordered the book in both formats. I would recommend you to go for ordering both formats, so you can read it anywhere at any time.

Where can you buy it?

If you crawl through the search engines, you will find that the book is readily available everywhere. I bought the book from its official website while the book is also one of the best sellers on Amazon.

If you are an Amazon freak, then this is the right platform for you to buy the book however, the official website also offers discounted price for a limited time.  On the other hand, some people are also using the affiliate links of the product and selling it on their personal websites. The choice of buying platform is entirely yours!

I would suggest you to buy the book from reliable platforms and do check the availability of payment options.

How much does it cost?

The price of the book is quite affordable if we compare it to the valuable information it provides. It is just $37 with a 60 days money back guarantee. The two bonus books that come along with the original book are also worth more than its price.



Who is The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies written for?

The book is specifically targeted at the people with no prior knowledge about the medicinal uses of plants. While on the other hand, the book is very useful for people who still believe in the old traditional methods of treatments.

In past, I used to struggle with search engines to find the exact herbal remedies to treat various problems but always ended up in selecting wrong methodologies. Thanks to the author who compiled the original and tested versions of those ancient remedies that were forgotten in today’s industrialized world. If I say that this book is not less than a miracle for me so I would not be wrong.

The lost book of herbal remedies is ideally written for people who want to recognize and cultivate healing herbs in their back yards. I believe that the book is not just a source of organic curing methods but it’s indeed a survival guide for all of us.

For instance, if you are in a situation of a war fare or you are an explorer who lost in jungles, how will you manage to survive? Only the plants or herbs around would be there for your rescue!

How can it help and benefit you?

The Lost Book of Herbal remedies can benefit you in the long run because in today’s industrialized world, the use of herbal medicine is rapidly increasing. It is a book specifically designed for those who appreciate the herbal treatments rather than using the complementary medicines for treating illnesses like high blood pressure, swollen joints or even spider bites.

This book is of great benefit if you live far from urban areas or if you run away from crowded hospitals like me because this will aid you in learning various herbal strategies to cure a majority of illnesses. Here I would like to outline some of the benefits of this book:

You will be able to find more than 550 effective remedies made from medicinal plants With this book, you will now be able to identify the healing plants and lichens found easily everywhere You can also prepare relieving extracts by using a very common weed Say good-bye to the conventional medicines that comes with so many side effects Explore lots of items in your kitchen’s cabinet that healing properties

The above mentioned benefits of the book are enough for me to rank it highest on my herbal books library.

[bonnielouisegillis]

Why grow lavender?

In the New World of seventeenth century America, bundles of herbs hung from hooks and rafters within homes, within easy reach for remedies, teas, seasonings, and air freshening. Women tended to gardens in huge gathered skirts over padded bolsters and petticoats. Men labored without a plow, clad in metal armor for protection. But try as the colonists might to grow their beloved lavender, plants failed in the climate of New England gardens.

Today’s gardeners can easily grow many newer varieties that are suited for a broad range of climates. (No metal armor or petticoats needed.) Some gardeners may plant lavender for the slender blossoming spikes that paint a touch of wistful romance into their garden bed, or for blossoms that cast their scent as a lure for honeybees. Certainly beauty and fragrance are reason enough, but lavender is as beneficial to grow today as it has been throughout history.

Lavender repels slugs, flies, moths, and mosquitoes. Deer and rodents don’t care for its taste.

Lavender is a staple of many herbal remedies, for relaxation and headaches, for topical burns and wounds, and more.

Lavender is an effective deodorizer for air, carpets, laundries, cars, closets, and more.

Lavender is a seasoning for sweet and savory cooking.

Leftover stems can be used as kindling, mulch, or a spring pond additive to clarify water that has turned green over the winter.

Quail often nest under the refuge of lavender shrubs, hiding their babies from birds of prey.

Lavender flowers offer a buffet of sweet nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, and a reservoir of pollen for bees and ladybugs.

To learn more about growing lavender, you’ll find lots of tips in my new book (available April 2021):  Lavender: 50 Self-Care Recipes and Projects for Natural Wellness Kindle Edition

[gwynsek]

For free, for now!

[dailyofficereadings]

Daily Office Readings January 12, 2020 at 11:00PM

Psalm 1-4

BOOK I

(Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

The Two Ways

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed

1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling 12 kiss his feet,[a] or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 3

Trust in God under Adversity

A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you[b] in God.”Selah

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. 4 I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.Selah

5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. 6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Rise up, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people!Selah

Psalm 4

Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?Selah 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 When you are disturbed,[c] do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.Selah 5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!” 7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.

8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

Footnotes:

Psalm 2:12 Cn: Meaning of Heb of verses 11b and 12a is uncertain

Psalm 3:2 Syr: Heb him

Psalm 4:4 Or are angry

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 7

Psalm 7

Plea for Help against Persecutors

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.

1 O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me, 2 or like a lion they will tear me apart; they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4 if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause, 5 then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust.Selah

6 Rise up, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God;[a] you have appointed a judgment. 7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you, and over it take your seat[b] on high. 8 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.

9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God. 10 God is my shield, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.

12 If one does not repent, God[c] will whet his sword; he has bent and strung his bow; 13 he has prepared his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. 14 See how they conceive evil, and are pregnant with mischief, and bring forth lies. 15 They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made. 16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads their violence descends.

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Footnotes:

Psalm 7:6 Or awake for me

Psalm 7:7 Cn: Heb return

Psalm 7:12 Heb he

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Genesis 2:4-25

4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

Another Account of the Creation

In the day that the Lord[a] God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,[b] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man[c] there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman,[d] for out of Man[e] this one was taken.”

24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

Footnotes:

Genesis 2:4 Heb YHWH, as in other places where “Lord” is spelled with capital letters (see also Ex 3.14–15 with notes).

Genesis 2:7 Or formed a man (Heb adam) of dust from the ground (Heb adamah)

Genesis 2:20 Or for Adam

Genesis 2:23 Heb ishshah

Genesis 2:23 Heb ish

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hebrews 1

God Has Spoken by His Son

1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,[a] whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains[b] all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Son Is Superior to Angels

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son; today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.”

8 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is[c] forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your[d] kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

10 And,

“In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; 12 like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing[e] they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.”

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are not all angels[f] spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Footnotes:

Hebrews 1:2 Or the Son

Hebrews 1:3 Or bears along

Hebrews 1:8 Or God is your throne

Hebrews 1:8 Other ancient authorities read his

Hebrews 1:12 Other ancient authorities lack like clothing

Hebrews 1:14 Gk all of them

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

John 1:1-18

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[e] who is close to the Father’s heart,[f] who has made him known.

Footnotes:

John 1:4 Or 3 through him. And without him not one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In him was life

John 1:9 Or He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world

John 1:11 Or to his own home

John 1:14 Or the Father’s only Son

John 1:18 Other ancient authorities read It is an only Son, God, or It is the only Son

John 1:18 Gk bosom

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[mysticnaturechild]

So recently I have been reading some great books that range in subject.. I will cover them here and give my opinions on them, but these are all good reads in my mind.

Murphy-Hiscock, Arin. The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More . Adams Media. Kindle Edition.  This book right here is a treasure Trove of information and a good reference guide for the budding Green Witch she really explains the in’s and out’s of Green Witchcraft and she goes through how to keep a Green Witch Garden.  This book also covers how to prepare herbs, extracting the magic and medicinal uses of herbs along with the methods of doing so. This is a great book for a beginner, or expert.

Patterson, Rachel. A Kitchen Witch’s World of Magical Herbs & Plants . John Hunt Publishing. Kindle Edition. This is another great refernce guid for Herbal enthusiest and Godd for beginner Kitchen Witches as well. I loved this book when I read it has a wealth of knowledge to behold. They cover everything from how to dry them, what there name was in victorian time, elemental correspondance etc… Great refernce book to keep on hand.

Martin, Deborah. A Green Witch’s Cupboard . The Herby Lady, LLC. Kindle Edition. Not only for the green Witches out there, but anyone looking for some guidance on a home apothecary I turned to this book right here. They cover a treasure trove of herbs and in detail its a wonderful edition to any witchy library.

 Pursell, J.J. Naturopathic Doctor, Certified Herbalist, The Herbal Apothecary. I can say so much about this book I loved it. This book covers 100 Medicinal Herbs and exactly how to use them. It covers Herbal traditions to modern practice, basic human anatomy to plants from traditional ways: herbal directory and that is just some of the table of contents. This book being written by a doctor is great for you beginner herbalist and even professional ones as well the explanations in this book are great and I keep on reference.

 Kennedy, Ann, Herbal Medicine Natural Remedies. This book covers 150 Herbal remedies for alignment’s. She covers How to take the old ways and make them new, herbal kitchen, to a stock of recipes that even a beginner can follow. I loved this book and keep it handy for when I need a good go to recipes.

 Marie Noel Groves and Christopher Hobbs Ph.D., Body into Balance an Herbal Guide to Holistic Self Care.. Squee this book is amazing and informational to boot. If you wanted to take self care and infuse it with her love for herbalism then this is the book to do it with.  This book covers 3 parts Part 1 The Foundations of Good Health, Part 2 Going Deeper and Tying it Together, and Part 3 Buying and Making Herbal Remedies. Definitely a wonderful read.

Farr, Sarah. Healing Herbal Teas: Learn to Blend 101 Specially Formulated Teas for Stress Management, Common Ailments, Seasonal Health, and Immune Support . Storey Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.  This is for my herbalist and tea drinkers who love teas and want to find one for just about any thing you come across in life from a cold to allergies and everything in between this is a great in depth look at how to make great tea blends to help heal you or your family.

Grainger, Paula. Infuse: Herbal teas to cleanse, nourish and heal . Octopus Books. Kindle Edition. Now I was super impressed with this book because it is the first I have seen to go in depth explaining the art of tea making how to really connect with the herbs on a sensory level. I loved this book on it’s detail explanations on how to tell and blend herbs so you get the right taste and smell. Great reference guide and How to for beginners.

I hope these books inspire you as they have me, and there a permanent part of my e-book library and I hope to add them as a permanent staple to the book collection we already have.

  Book Reviews So recently I have been reading some great books that range in subject.. I will cover them here and give my opinions on them, but these are all good reads in my mind.

[glenmenlow]

Holiday 2017: Amazon Shoppers Spur Record Year-End Sales

U.S. year-end holiday retail sales rose 4.9% compared to the same period last year—the fastest pace of growth since 2011, and a welcome gift to U.S. retailers amid new signs of consumer confidence.

Online shopping also saw large gains of 18.1% compared to 2016, boosted by a late season rally. Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report details holiday shopping trends from November 1 through December 24 and covers retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check.

Key findings of the Mastercard SpendingPulse report include:

• This was a winning holiday season for retail overall, though the story was different category by category. • For many shoppers, there was no place like home this holiday season. Electronics and appliances increased 7.5 percent, the strongest growth of the last 10 years. The home furniture and furnishings category grew 5.1%, as did home improvement. • Specialty apparel and department stores, which both traditionally see the bulk of sales happen in-store, saw moderate gains. This is particularly impressive given recent store closings. • Retailers’ heavy early-season promotions paid off, with the first three weeks of November seeing significant jumps. • In addition, shoppers were still spending late into the season, with December 23rd next to Black Friday in terms of single-day spending. This was a boon to certain categories, including jewelry. Jewelry grew 5.9%, largely driven by last-minute sales.

“Evolving consumer preferences continue to play out in the aisles and online sites of retailers across the U.S.,” said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of Market Insights, Mastercard. “Overall, this year was a big win for retail. The strong U.S. economy was a contributing factor, but we also have to recognize that retailers who tried new strategies to engage holiday shoppers were the beneficiaries of this sales increase.”

The Amazon Factor

E-commerce is a big contributor to those results, and a big part of the online holiday increase is due specifically to Amazon, which is hailing this holiday season as its biggest ever, with more than four million new customers trialing Amazon Prime in a single week.

Helping boost Amazon sales this season: a massive tie-in with (RED), pop-up stores in New York and London and focused marketing around its voice-activated smart home devices.

Third-party sellers, small businesses and entrepreneurs had a record-breaking season with more than one billion items ordered worldwide—including nearly 140 million over just five days, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. More details from its press releases:

Amazon Devices also had its best holiday yet, with tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices sold worldwide. Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were not only the top-selling Amazon devices this holiday season, but they were also the best-selling products from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.

“Since Day One we have obsessed over what we believe our customers care about—incredible deals and low prices, fast and free shipping, and a wide selection of top products—and we continue to provide all three, all the time. We’re excited that people continued to join Prime this holiday, to take advantage of more fast and free shipping options plus new convenient delivery like Amazon Key, as well as early access to Lightning Deals and unlimited streaming of TV shows and movies, including Prime Originals and more,” stated Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer.

Amazon’s Holiday Best Sellers in the U.S., UK and Canada provide a snapshot of which popular brands and categories fueled its biggest season ever this year:

Holiday Bestsellers — Global

• The best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling beauty item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling health and personal care item worldwide was the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit.

Holiday Best Sellers — U.S.

• Prime members shopped more than 100,000 Lightning Deals on Amazon.com with Prime Early Access. Customers shopped hundreds of Deals of the Day on Amazon.com throughout the holiday season. Millions of customers in the U.S. watched deals with Watch a Deal. • Whole Foods Market sold over 500,000 pounds of sweet treats at the cookie bars featured in stores across the U.S. – that’s enough to feed Santa more than 6 million cookies throughout his trip around the world on Christmas Eve. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, the top-selling nonfiction book was Obama: An Intimate Portrait by former White House photographer Pete Souza; the top-selling fiction book was Origin by Dan Brown; the top-selling kids book was Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12, The Getaway by Jeff Kinney; and, the top selling poetry book was the sun and her flowers by Rumi Kaur. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, one out of seven customers who purchased a book also donated a children’s book to local charities supporting children in need. The top-selling book given to local charities was the classic, Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman; it was also the top-selling book across all 13 stores. • The Echo Dot was the top-selling device across Amazon Books’ 13 stores; the Kindle Paperwhite was the best-selling Kindle; the TP-Link Smart Plug was the best-selling accessory; and WowWee Fingerlings were the top selling toy. • The best-selling kitchen item in the U.S. and worldwide was the Instant Pot DUO80. • The best-selling toy and game item in the U.S. was the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster, while the best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling smart home product in the U.S. and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • The best-selling beauty and grooming items in the U.S. included the Finishing Touch Flawless Women’s Painless Hair Remover, the Philips Norelco Multigroom All-In-One Series 3000 and the Oral-B Black Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, while the best-selling item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling home, health and personal care products in the U.S. this holiday season include Fitbit Charge 2, the 23andMe DNA Test, the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit and Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils. • Robot vacuums were among the best-selling home items on Amazon.com over the holiday season. • The best-selling products from Amazon Launchpad businesses included WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey, Exploding Kittens Card Game, and Watch Ya Mouth Throwdown Edition Card Game. • The best-selling sports items in the U.S. this season included Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, Wilson NFL MVP Junior Football and Spalding NBA Street Basketball. • The best-selling fashion items in the U.S. this holiday season include ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe, Alex and Ani Initial Expandable Wire Bangle Bracelet, 2.5″, Levi’s Men’s 505 Regular Fit Jean, UGG Women’s Classic Short II Boot. • The best-selling products from AmazonFresh in the U.S. this holiday season, were organic bananas, limes, cucumbers, navel oranges, yellow onions. • The best-selling furniture products in the U.S. included the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress, the LinenSpa 8″ Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress and the LINENSPA 6 Inch Innerspring Mattress. • The best-selling automotive products in the U.S. included the Dark Seasonal Snow & Ice Car Scraper, the NOCO Genius Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12V UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter and the STANLEY J5C09 Jump Starter. • The best-selling pet products in the U.S. included the PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Holiday Treats for Dogs, the KONG Wild Knots Bears Durable Dog Toys and the Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula. • The best-selling baby products in the U.S. include the Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys, Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy and the Nuby Bundle of 3 Toys, which was also the best-selling baby product worldwide. • The best-selling luxury beauty item in the U.S. was the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater, stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Solution. • The best-selling grocery item in the U.S. was Green Mountain Coffee Keurig Coffee Lover’s Variety Pack Single-Serve K-Cup Sampler, 40 Count, the Glaceau Smartwater Vapor Distilled Water, and Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. • The best-selling tools include the Black + Decker LDX 120C 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver and the MagnoGrip 311-090 Magnetic Wristband. • The best-selling wireless products in the U.S. include Tile Mate – Key Finder. Phone Finder, PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets and Wemo Mini Smart Plug. • The best-selling major appliances in the U.S. include Samsung MS11K3000AS 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, the Danby 120 Can Beverage Center and the NewAir AB-1200 126-Can Beverage Cooler. • The best-selling musical instruments on Amazon.com were the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner for Guitar, Singing Machine SML385BTW Top Loading CDG Karaoke System with Bluetooth, Sound and Disco Light Show, and the Singing Machine SMM-205 Unidirectional Dynamic Microphone. • The best-selling outdoor items in the U.S. were Intex Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump, the Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle and the BV Bicycle Light Set Super Bright 5 LED Headlight. • The best-selling home improvement products on Amazon.com were the Philips Hue White A19 Single LED Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa), Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 3rd Generation A19 10W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa) and Himalayan Glow Pink Salt Lamp. • The best-selling lawn and garden products in the U.S. this holiday season included the Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer, Snow Joe SJBLZD Telescoping Snow Broom with Ice Scraper and Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV Metal Detector. • The best-selling office products in the U.S. were Elmer’s Liquid School Glue (1 Gallon) – Great For Making Slime, Georgia-Pacific Spectrum Standard 92 Multipurpose Paper (8.5 x 11 Inches) and Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens (Assorted Colors, 12-Count). • The best-selling business, industrial and scientific supplies in the U.S. included the First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Essentials Kit, Rubbermaid Commercial Stainless Steel Oven Monitoring Thermometer and TOPGREENER TU2154A High Speed USB Charger Outlet. • The best-selling TVs in the U.S. this holiday season were the TCL 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model), Samsung Electronics 40-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV (2017 Model), TCL 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model) and Samsung Electronics 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model).

Holiday Best Sellers — Canada

• The best-selling smart home product in Canada and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • Instant Pot pressure cookers and accessories were among the best-selling kitchen products on Amazon.ca. • The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals was the best-selling physical book on Amazon.ca. • Sony MDRZX110 On-Ear Headphones were among the best-selling electronics products on Amazon.ca. • TubShroom, The Revolutionary Tub Drain Protector Hair Catcher/Strainer/Snare was among the best-selling home products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling toys on Amazon.ca were Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkey – Sophie (White with Pink Hair) By WowWee, Cards Against Humanity: Canadian Edition and What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • Tile Mate – Key Finder was among the top selling wireless electronics products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling DVDs on Amazon.ca were Game of Thrones Season 7, The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season, The Crown – Season 1, Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection and American Horror Story: Roanoke.

Digital Entertainment

• This year, 4x more music from Amazon Music was streamed over Alexa compared to last holiday season. • Amazon Music listeners loved using the lyrics feature to ask for songs on Alexa over the holidays, requesting Jingle Bells more than any other festive track just by saying a few words from the song. • Listeners wanted to slow down and unwind this season, asking Alexa to play “relaxing” music more than any other mood through Amazon Music. • Listeners in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston and San Diego streamed more holiday songs on Amazon Music via Alexa, than any other cities in the U.S. • Christmas by Michael Bublé was once again the most played album on Amazon Music during the holiday season. • All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey held the top spot for the most streamed holiday song on Amazon Music for the second year in a row. • The most-watched season over the holidays was the Golden Globe-nominated Prime Original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. • The most-watched series this holiday was The Grand Tour. • The most-watched Amazon Original movie this holiday season was The Big Sick. • The most-watched Kids Prime Original over the holidays was If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. • The most-purchased movie over the holidays was Elf. • The most-purchased series over the holidays was The Walking Dead. • The most-watched Amazon Channel subscriptions this holiday season were HBO, Showtime and STARZ, and the current seasons of Game of Thrones, Shameless and Power, were the top watched shows on each channel, respectively. • The top match-up of Prime Video’s 10-game Thursday Night Football schedule this season was on Dec. 7, when two million worldwide viewers watched the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 20-17 • The most-read Kindle book in Amazon First Reads in 2017 was Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. • The best-selling and most-listened-to audiobook of 2017 was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson, narrated by Roger Wayne. • The most-listened-to fiction audiobook of 2017 was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale. • The most-commented-on audiobook of 2017 was Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, narrated by the author. • According to Amazon Charts, the most read and most gifted Kindle book in the U.S. this holiday season was Origin: A Novel by Dan Brown. • According to Amazon Charts, the top book Kindle readers in the U.S. found Unputdownable this holiday season was Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1 by Nora Roberts, reading it cover-to-cover faster than other books. • According to Amazon Charts, the Most Wished For books of 2017 in the U.S. were The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. • Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was the most borrowed book from Prime Reading, worldwide, in 2017. • Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laurel Randolph, independently published through Kindle Direct Publishing, has been topping Amazon Charts throughout the holiday season – reaching #1 on the most sold non-fiction list the week of Cyber Monday.

Holiday Trivia

• This holiday season was better than ever for the family of Echo products. The Echo Dot was the #1 selling Amazon Device this holiday season, and the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon, with millions sold. • Customers purchased more than twice as many Amazon Fire TV Sticks compared to last year’s holiday season. Fire TV continues to be the #1 streaming media player family in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan, across all retailers. • It was the best holiday season ever for Fire Kids Edition Tablets with 2.4x as many devices purchased from Amazon.com compared to the same time period last year. • Echo devices have been an extremely popular gift this year, with Echo Spot, Echo Dot and Echo Buttons selling out this holiday season; customers can still pre-order to reserve their place in line and orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. • This year, Kindle celebrated its 10th holiday season. • This season, Amazon customers purchased enough WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey toys on Amazon.com to hang end-to-end down the Empire State Building more than 100 times. • Amazon.com customers purchased enough TVs to create nearly 2,500 towers the size of the Space Needle. • Amazon customers purchased enough littlebits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kits on Amazon.com to man an Imperial-II class Star Destroyer. • Amazon customers purchased enough Calvin Klein products on Amazon.com during the holiday to give five items to every attendee at Coachella 2017. • Amazon customers purchased enough shoes on Amazon.com during the holiday season were lined up end-to-end, they would stretch from Alaska to Miami. • This holiday season, Amazon.com customers purchased eno

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[joejstrickl]

Holiday 2017: Amazon Shoppers Spur Record Year-End Sales

U.S. year-end holiday retail sales rose 4.9% compared to the same period last year—the fastest pace of growth since 2011, and a welcome gift to U.S. retailers amid new signs of consumer confidence.

Online shopping also saw large gains of 18.1% compared to 2016, boosted by a late season rally. Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report details holiday shopping trends from November 1 through December 24 and covers retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check.

Key findings of the Mastercard SpendingPulse report include:

• This was a winning holiday season for retail overall, though the story was different category by category. • For many shoppers, there was no place like home this holiday season. Electronics and appliances increased 7.5 percent, the strongest growth of the last 10 years. The home furniture and furnishings category grew 5.1%, as did home improvement. • Specialty apparel and department stores, which both traditionally see the bulk of sales happen in-store, saw moderate gains. This is particularly impressive given recent store closings. • Retailers’ heavy early-season promotions paid off, with the first three weeks of November seeing significant jumps. • In addition, shoppers were still spending late into the season, with December 23rd next to Black Friday in terms of single-day spending. This was a boon to certain categories, including jewelry. Jewelry grew 5.9%, largely driven by last-minute sales.

“Evolving consumer preferences continue to play out in the aisles and online sites of retailers across the U.S.,” said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of Market Insights, Mastercard. “Overall, this year was a big win for retail. The strong U.S. economy was a contributing factor, but we also have to recognize that retailers who tried new strategies to engage holiday shoppers were the beneficiaries of this sales increase.”

The Amazon Factor

E-commerce is a big contributor to those results, and a big part of the online holiday increase is due specifically to Amazon, which is hailing this holiday season as its biggest ever, with more than four million new customers trialing Amazon Prime in a single week.

Helping boost Amazon sales this season: a massive tie-in with (RED), pop-up stores in New York and London and focused marketing around its voice-activated smart home devices.

Third-party sellers, small businesses and entrepreneurs had a record-breaking season with more than one billion items ordered worldwide—including nearly 140 million over just five days, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. More details from its press releases:

Amazon Devices also had its best holiday yet, with tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices sold worldwide. Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were not only the top-selling Amazon devices this holiday season, but they were also the best-selling products from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.

“Since Day One we have obsessed over what we believe our customers care about—incredible deals and low prices, fast and free shipping, and a wide selection of top products—and we continue to provide all three, all the time. We’re excited that people continued to join Prime this holiday, to take advantage of more fast and free shipping options plus new convenient delivery like Amazon Key, as well as early access to Lightning Deals and unlimited streaming of TV shows and movies, including Prime Originals and more,” stated Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer.

Amazon’s Holiday Best Sellers in the U.S., UK and Canada provide a snapshot of which popular brands and categories fueled its biggest season ever this year:

Holiday Bestsellers — Global

• The best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling beauty item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling health and personal care item worldwide was the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit.

Holiday Best Sellers — U.S.

• Prime members shopped more than 100,000 Lightning Deals on Amazon.com with Prime Early Access. Customers shopped hundreds of Deals of the Day on Amazon.com throughout the holiday season. Millions of customers in the U.S. watched deals with Watch a Deal. • Whole Foods Market sold over 500,000 pounds of sweet treats at the cookie bars featured in stores across the U.S. – that’s enough to feed Santa more than 6 million cookies throughout his trip around the world on Christmas Eve. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, the top-selling nonfiction book was Obama: An Intimate Portrait by former White House photographer Pete Souza; the top-selling fiction book was Origin by Dan Brown; the top-selling kids book was Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12, The Getaway by Jeff Kinney; and, the top selling poetry book was the sun and her flowers by Rumi Kaur. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, one out of seven customers who purchased a book also donated a children’s book to local charities supporting children in need. The top-selling book given to local charities was the classic, Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman; it was also the top-selling book across all 13 stores. • The Echo Dot was the top-selling device across Amazon Books’ 13 stores; the Kindle Paperwhite was the best-selling Kindle; the TP-Link Smart Plug was the best-selling accessory; and WowWee Fingerlings were the top selling toy. • The best-selling kitchen item in the U.S. and worldwide was the Instant Pot DUO80. • The best-selling toy and game item in the U.S. was the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster, while the best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling smart home product in the U.S. and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • The best-selling beauty and grooming items in the U.S. included the Finishing Touch Flawless Women’s Painless Hair Remover, the Philips Norelco Multigroom All-In-One Series 3000 and the Oral-B Black Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, while the best-selling item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling home, health and personal care products in the U.S. this holiday season include Fitbit Charge 2, the 23andMe DNA Test, the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit and Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils. • Robot vacuums were among the best-selling home items on Amazon.com over the holiday season. • The best-selling products from Amazon Launchpad businesses included WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey, Exploding Kittens Card Game, and Watch Ya Mouth Throwdown Edition Card Game. • The best-selling sports items in the U.S. this season included Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, Wilson NFL MVP Junior Football and Spalding NBA Street Basketball. • The best-selling fashion items in the U.S. this holiday season include ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe, Alex and Ani Initial Expandable Wire Bangle Bracelet, 2.5″, Levi’s Men’s 505 Regular Fit Jean, UGG Women’s Classic Short II Boot. • The best-selling products from AmazonFresh in the U.S. this holiday season, were organic bananas, limes, cucumbers, navel oranges, yellow onions. • The best-selling furniture products in the U.S. included the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress, the LinenSpa 8″ Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress and the LINENSPA 6 Inch Innerspring Mattress. • The best-selling automotive products in the U.S. included the Dark Seasonal Snow & Ice Car Scraper, the NOCO Genius Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12V UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter and the STANLEY J5C09 Jump Starter. • The best-selling pet products in the U.S. included the PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Holiday Treats for Dogs, the KONG Wild Knots Bears Durable Dog Toys and the Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula. • The best-selling baby products in the U.S. include the Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys, Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy and the Nuby Bundle of 3 Toys, which was also the best-selling baby product worldwide. • The best-selling luxury beauty item in the U.S. was the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater, stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Solution. • The best-selling grocery item in the U.S. was Green Mountain Coffee Keurig Coffee Lover’s Variety Pack Single-Serve K-Cup Sampler, 40 Count, the Glaceau Smartwater Vapor Distilled Water, and Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. • The best-selling tools include the Black + Decker LDX 120C 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver and the MagnoGrip 311-090 Magnetic Wristband. • The best-selling wireless products in the U.S. include Tile Mate – Key Finder. Phone Finder, PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets and Wemo Mini Smart Plug. • The best-selling major appliances in the U.S. include Samsung MS11K3000AS 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, the Danby 120 Can Beverage Center and the NewAir AB-1200 126-Can Beverage Cooler. • The best-selling musical instruments on Amazon.com were the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner for Guitar, Singing Machine SML385BTW Top Loading CDG Karaoke System with Bluetooth, Sound and Disco Light Show, and the Singing Machine SMM-205 Unidirectional Dynamic Microphone. • The best-selling outdoor items in the U.S. were Intex Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump, the Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle and the BV Bicycle Light Set Super Bright 5 LED Headlight. • The best-selling home improvement products on Amazon.com were the Philips Hue White A19 Single LED Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa), Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 3rd Generation A19 10W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa) and Himalayan Glow Pink Salt Lamp. • The best-selling lawn and garden products in the U.S. this holiday season included the Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer, Snow Joe SJBLZD Telescoping Snow Broom with Ice Scraper and Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV Metal Detector. • The best-selling office products in the U.S. were Elmer’s Liquid School Glue (1 Gallon) – Great For Making Slime, Georgia-Pacific Spectrum Standard 92 Multipurpose Paper (8.5 x 11 Inches) and Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens (Assorted Colors, 12-Count). • The best-selling business, industrial and scientific supplies in the U.S. included the First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Essentials Kit, Rubbermaid Commercial Stainless Steel Oven Monitoring Thermometer and TOPGREENER TU2154A High Speed USB Charger Outlet. • The best-selling TVs in the U.S. this holiday season were the TCL 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model), Samsung Electronics 40-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV (2017 Model), TCL 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model) and Samsung Electronics 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model).

Holiday Best Sellers — Canada

• The best-selling smart home product in Canada and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • Instant Pot pressure cookers and accessories were among the best-selling kitchen products on Amazon.ca. • The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals was the best-selling physical book on Amazon.ca. • Sony MDRZX110 On-Ear Headphones were among the best-selling electronics products on Amazon.ca. • TubShroom, The Revolutionary Tub Drain Protector Hair Catcher/Strainer/Snare was among the best-selling home products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling toys on Amazon.ca were Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkey – Sophie (White with Pink Hair) By WowWee, Cards Against Humanity: Canadian Edition and What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • Tile Mate – Key Finder was among the top selling wireless electronics products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling DVDs on Amazon.ca were Game of Thrones Season 7, The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season, The Crown – Season 1, Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection and American Horror Story: Roanoke.

Digital Entertainment

• This year, 4x more music from Amazon Music was streamed over Alexa compared to last holiday season. • Amazon Music listeners loved using the lyrics feature to ask for songs on Alexa over the holidays, requesting Jingle Bells more than any other festive track just by saying a few words from the song. • Listeners wanted to slow down and unwind this season, asking Alexa to play “relaxing” music more than any other mood through Amazon Music. • Listeners in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston and San Diego streamed more holiday songs on Amazon Music via Alexa, than any other cities in the U.S. • Christmas by Michael Bublé was once again the most played album on Amazon Music during the holiday season. • All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey held the top spot for the most streamed holiday song on Amazon Music for the second year in a row. • The most-watched season over the holidays was the Golden Globe-nominated Prime Original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. • The most-watched series this holiday was The Grand Tour. • The most-watched Amazon Original movie this holiday season was The Big Sick. • The most-watched Kids Prime Original over the holidays was If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. • The most-purchased movie over the holidays was Elf. • The most-purchased series over the holidays was The Walking Dead. • The most-watched Amazon Channel subscriptions this holiday season were HBO, Showtime and STARZ, and the current seasons of Game of Thrones, Shameless and Power, were the top watched shows on each channel, respectively. • The top match-up of Prime Video’s 10-game Thursday Night Football schedule this season was on Dec. 7, when two million worldwide viewers watched the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 20-17 • The most-read Kindle book in Amazon First Reads in 2017 was Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. • The best-selling and most-listened-to audiobook of 2017 was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson, narrated by Roger Wayne. • The most-listened-to fiction audiobook of 2017 was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale. • The most-commented-on audiobook of 2017 was Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, narrated by the author. • According to Amazon Charts, the most read and most gifted Kindle book in the U.S. this holiday season was Origin: A Novel by Dan Brown. • According to Amazon Charts, the top book Kindle readers in the U.S. found Unputdownable this holiday season was Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1 by Nora Roberts, reading it cover-to-cover faster than other books. • According to Amazon Charts, the Most Wished For books of 2017 in the U.S. were The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. • Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was the most borrowed book from Prime Reading, worldwide, in 2017. • Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laurel Randolph, independently published through Kindle Direct Publishing, has been topping Amazon Charts throughout the holiday season – reaching #1 on the most sold non-fiction list the week of Cyber Monday.

Holiday Trivia

• This holiday season was better than ever for the family of Echo products. The Echo Dot was the #1 selling Amazon Device this holiday season, and the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon, with millions sold. • Customers purchased more than twice as many Amazon Fire TV Sticks compared to last year’s holiday season. Fire TV continues to be the #1 streaming media player family in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan, across all retailers. • It was the best holiday season ever for Fire Kids Edition Tablets with 2.4x as many devices purchased from Amazon.com compared to the same time period last year. • Echo devices have been an extremely popular gift this year, with Echo Spot, Echo Dot and Echo Buttons selling out this holiday season; customers can still pre-order to reserve their place in line and orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. • This year, Kindle celebrated its 10th holiday season. • This season, Amazon customers purchased enough WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey toys on Amazon.com to hang end-to-end down the Empire State Building more than 100 times. • Amazon.com customers purchased enough TVs to create nearly 2,500 towers the size of the Space Needle. • Amazon customers purchased enough littlebits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kits on Amazon.com to man an Imperial-II class Star Destroyer. • Amazon customers purchased enough Calvin Klein products on Amazon.com during the holiday to give five items to every attendee at Coachella 2017. • Amazon customers purchased enough shoes on Amazon.com during the holiday season were lined up end-to-end, they would stretch from Alaska to Miami. • This holiday season, Amazon.com customers purchased eno

[markjsousa]

Holiday 2017: Amazon Shoppers Spur Record Year-End Sales

U.S. year-end holiday retail sales rose 4.9% compared to the same period last year—the fastest pace of growth since 2011, and a welcome gift to U.S. retailers amid new signs of consumer confidence.

Online shopping also saw large gains of 18.1% compared to 2016, boosted by a late season rally. Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report details holiday shopping trends from November 1 through December 24 and covers retail sales across all payment types, including cash and check.

Key findings of the Mastercard SpendingPulse report include:

• This was a winning holiday season for retail overall, though the story was different category by category. • For many shoppers, there was no place like home this holiday season. Electronics and appliances increased 7.5 percent, the strongest growth of the last 10 years. The home furniture and furnishings category grew 5.1%, as did home improvement. • Specialty apparel and department stores, which both traditionally see the bulk of sales happen in-store, saw moderate gains. This is particularly impressive given recent store closings. • Retailers’ heavy early-season promotions paid off, with the first three weeks of November seeing significant jumps. • In addition, shoppers were still spending late into the season, with December 23rd next to Black Friday in terms of single-day spending. This was a boon to certain categories, including jewelry. Jewelry grew 5.9%, largely driven by last-minute sales.

“Evolving consumer preferences continue to play out in the aisles and online sites of retailers across the U.S.,” said Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of Market Insights, Mastercard. “Overall, this year was a big win for retail. The strong U.S. economy was a contributing factor, but we also have to recognize that retailers who tried new strategies to engage holiday shoppers were the beneficiaries of this sales increase.”

The Amazon Factor

E-commerce is a big contributor to those results, and a big part of the online holiday increase is due specifically to Amazon, which is hailing this holiday season as its biggest ever, with more than four million new customers trialing Amazon Prime in a single week.

Helping boost Amazon sales this season: a massive tie-in with (RED), pop-up stores in New York and London and focused marketing around its voice-activated smart home devices.

Third-party sellers, small businesses and entrepreneurs had a record-breaking season with more than one billion items ordered worldwide—including nearly 140 million over just five days, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. More details from its press releases:

Amazon Devices also had its best holiday yet, with tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices sold worldwide. Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were not only the top-selling Amazon devices this holiday season, but they were also the best-selling products from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.

“Since Day One we have obsessed over what we believe our customers care about—incredible deals and low prices, fast and free shipping, and a wide selection of top products—and we continue to provide all three, all the time. We’re excited that people continued to join Prime this holiday, to take advantage of more fast and free shipping options plus new convenient delivery like Amazon Key, as well as early access to Lightning Deals and unlimited streaming of TV shows and movies, including Prime Originals and more,” stated Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer.

Amazon’s Holiday Best Sellers in the U.S., UK and Canada provide a snapshot of which popular brands and categories fueled its biggest season ever this year:

Holiday Bestsellers — Global

• The best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling beauty item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling health and personal care item worldwide was the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit.

Holiday Best Sellers — U.S.

• Prime members shopped more than 100,000 Lightning Deals on Amazon.com with Prime Early Access. Customers shopped hundreds of Deals of the Day on Amazon.com throughout the holiday season. Millions of customers in the U.S. watched deals with Watch a Deal. • Whole Foods Market sold over 500,000 pounds of sweet treats at the cookie bars featured in stores across the U.S. – that’s enough to feed Santa more than 6 million cookies throughout his trip around the world on Christmas Eve. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, the top-selling nonfiction book was Obama: An Intimate Portrait by former White House photographer Pete Souza; the top-selling fiction book was Origin by Dan Brown; the top-selling kids book was Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12, The Getaway by Jeff Kinney; and, the top selling poetry book was the sun and her flowers by Rumi Kaur. • Across Amazon Books’ 13 bookstores, one out of seven customers who purchased a book also donated a children’s book to local charities supporting children in need. The top-selling book given to local charities was the classic, Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman; it was also the top-selling book across all 13 stores. • The Echo Dot was the top-selling device across Amazon Books’ 13 stores; the Kindle Paperwhite was the best-selling Kindle; the TP-Link Smart Plug was the best-selling accessory; and WowWee Fingerlings were the top selling toy. • The best-selling kitchen item in the U.S. and worldwide was the Instant Pot DUO80. • The best-selling toy and game item in the U.S. was the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster, while the best-selling toy and game item worldwide was What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • The best-selling smart home product in the U.S. and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • The best-selling beauty and grooming items in the U.S. included the Finishing Touch Flawless Women’s Painless Hair Remover, the Philips Norelco Multigroom All-In-One Series 3000 and the Oral-B Black Pro 1000 Power Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, while the best-selling item worldwide was the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush. • The best-selling home, health and personal care products in the U.S. this holiday season include Fitbit Charge 2, the 23andMe DNA Test, the AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Ancestry Test Kit and Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils. • Robot vacuums were among the best-selling home items on Amazon.com over the holiday season. • The best-selling products from Amazon Launchpad businesses included WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey, Exploding Kittens Card Game, and Watch Ya Mouth Throwdown Edition Card Game. • The best-selling sports items in the U.S. this season included Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls, Wilson NFL MVP Junior Football and Spalding NBA Street Basketball. • The best-selling fashion items in the U.S. this holiday season include ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe, Alex and Ani Initial Expandable Wire Bangle Bracelet, 2.5″, Levi’s Men’s 505 Regular Fit Jean, UGG Women’s Classic Short II Boot. • The best-selling products from AmazonFresh in the U.S. this holiday season, were organic bananas, limes, cucumbers, navel oranges, yellow onions. • The best-selling furniture products in the U.S. included the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress, the LinenSpa 8″ Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress and the LINENSPA 6 Inch Innerspring Mattress. • The best-selling automotive products in the U.S. included the Dark Seasonal Snow & Ice Car Scraper, the NOCO Genius Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp 12V UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter and the STANLEY J5C09 Jump Starter. • The best-selling pet products in the U.S. included the PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Holiday Treats for Dogs, the KONG Wild Knots Bears Durable Dog Toys and the Taste of the Wild, Canine Formula. • The best-selling baby products in the U.S. include the Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys, Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy and the Nuby Bundle of 3 Toys, which was also the best-selling baby product worldwide. • The best-selling luxury beauty item in the U.S. was the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater, stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, Cleansing and Make-Up Removing Solution. • The best-selling grocery item in the U.S. was Green Mountain Coffee Keurig Coffee Lover’s Variety Pack Single-Serve K-Cup Sampler, 40 Count, the Glaceau Smartwater Vapor Distilled Water, and Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. • The best-selling tools include the Black + Decker LDX 120C 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill/Driver and the MagnoGrip 311-090 Magnetic Wristband. • The best-selling wireless products in the U.S. include Tile Mate – Key Finder. Phone Finder, PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets and Wemo Mini Smart Plug. • The best-selling major appliances in the U.S. include Samsung MS11K3000AS 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave Oven, the Danby 120 Can Beverage Center and the NewAir AB-1200 126-Can Beverage Cooler. • The best-selling musical instruments on Amazon.com were the Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner for Guitar, Singing Machine SML385BTW Top Loading CDG Karaoke System with Bluetooth, Sound and Disco Light Show, and the Singing Machine SMM-205 Unidirectional Dynamic Microphone. • The best-selling outdoor items in the U.S. were Intex Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump, the Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle and the BV Bicycle Light Set Super Bright 5 LED Headlight. • The best-selling home improvement products on Amazon.com were the Philips Hue White A19 Single LED Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa), Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 3rd Generation A19 10W Equivalent Dimmable LED Smart Bulb (Works with Amazon Alexa) and Himalayan Glow Pink Salt Lamp. • The best-selling lawn and garden products in the U.S. this holiday season included the Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer, Snow Joe SJBLZD Telescoping Snow Broom with Ice Scraper and Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV Metal Detector. • The best-selling office products in the U.S. were Elmer’s Liquid School Glue (1 Gallon) – Great For Making Slime, Georgia-Pacific Spectrum Standard 92 Multipurpose Paper (8.5 x 11 Inches) and Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens (Assorted Colors, 12-Count). • The best-selling business, industrial and scientific supplies in the U.S. included the First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Essentials Kit, Rubbermaid Commercial Stainless Steel Oven Monitoring Thermometer and TOPGREENER TU2154A High Speed USB Charger Outlet. • The best-selling TVs in the U.S. this holiday season were the TCL 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model), Samsung Electronics 40-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV (2017 Model), TCL 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model) and Samsung Electronics 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2017 Model).

Holiday Best Sellers — Canada

• The best-selling smart home product in Canada and worldwide was the TP-Link Smart Plug. • Instant Pot pressure cookers and accessories were among the best-selling kitchen products on Amazon.ca. • The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals was the best-selling physical book on Amazon.ca. • Sony MDRZX110 On-Ear Headphones were among the best-selling electronics products on Amazon.ca. • TubShroom, The Revolutionary Tub Drain Protector Hair Catcher/Strainer/Snare was among the best-selling home products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling toys on Amazon.ca were Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkey – Sophie (White with Pink Hair) By WowWee, Cards Against Humanity: Canadian Edition and What Do You Meme? Adult Party Game. • Tile Mate – Key Finder was among the top selling wireless electronics products on Amazon.ca. • The top-selling DVDs on Amazon.ca were Game of Thrones Season 7, The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season, The Crown – Season 1, Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection and American Horror Story: Roanoke.

Digital Entertainment

• This year, 4x more music from Amazon Music was streamed over Alexa compared to last holiday season. • Amazon Music listeners loved using the lyrics feature to ask for songs on Alexa over the holidays, requesting Jingle Bells more than any other festive track just by saying a few words from the song. • Listeners wanted to slow down and unwind this season, asking Alexa to play “relaxing” music more than any other mood through Amazon Music. • Listeners in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston and San Diego streamed more holiday songs on Amazon Music via Alexa, than any other cities in the U.S. • Christmas by Michael Bublé was once again the most played album on Amazon Music during the holiday season. • All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey held the top spot for the most streamed holiday song on Amazon Music for the second year in a row. • The most-watched season over the holidays was the Golden Globe-nominated Prime Original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. • The most-watched series this holiday was The Grand Tour. • The most-watched Amazon Original movie this holiday season was The Big Sick. • The most-watched Kids Prime Original over the holidays was If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. • The most-purchased movie over the holidays was Elf. • The most-purchased series over the holidays was The Walking Dead. • The most-watched Amazon Channel subscriptions this holiday season were HBO, Showtime and STARZ, and the current seasons of Game of Thrones, Shameless and Power, were the top watched shows on each channel, respectively. • The top match-up of Prime Video’s 10-game Thursday Night Football schedule this season was on Dec. 7, when two million worldwide viewers watched the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 20-17 • The most-read Kindle book in Amazon First Reads in 2017 was Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. • The best-selling and most-listened-to audiobook of 2017 was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson, narrated by Roger Wayne. • The most-listened-to fiction audiobook of 2017 was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale. • The most-commented-on audiobook of 2017 was Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, narrated by the author. • According to Amazon Charts, the most read and most gifted Kindle book in the U.S. this holiday season was Origin: A Novel by Dan Brown. • According to Amazon Charts, the top book Kindle readers in the U.S. found Unputdownable this holiday season was Year One: Chronicles of the One, Book 1 by Nora Roberts, reading it cover-to-cover faster than other books. • According to Amazon Charts, the Most Wished For books of 2017 in the U.S. were The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. • Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was the most borrowed book from Prime Reading, worldwide, in 2017. • Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laurel Randolph, independently published through Kindle Direct Publishing, has been topping Amazon Charts throughout the holiday season – reaching #1 on the most sold non-fiction list the week of Cyber Monday.

Holiday Trivia

• This holiday season was better than ever for the family of Echo products. The Echo Dot was the #1 selling Amazon Device this holiday season, and the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon, with millions sold. • Customers purchased more than twice as many Amazon Fire TV Sticks compared to last year’s holiday season. Fire TV continues to be the #1 streaming media player family in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan, across all retailers. • It was the best holiday season ever for Fire Kids Edition Tablets with 2.4x as many devices purchased from Amazon.com compared to the same time period last year. • Echo devices have been an extremely popular gift this year, with Echo Spot, Echo Dot and Echo Buttons selling out this holiday season; customers can still pre-order to reserve their place in line and orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. • This year, Kindle celebrated its 10th holiday season. • This season, Amazon customers purchased enough WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey toys on Amazon.com to hang end-to-end down the Empire State Building more than 100 times. • Amazon.com customers purchased enough TVs to create nearly 2,500 towers the size of the Space Needle. • Amazon customers purchased enough littlebits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kits on Amazon.com to man an Imperial-II class Star Destroyer. • Amazon customers purchased enough Calvin Klein products on Amazon.com during the holiday to give five items to every attendee at Coachella 2017. • Amazon customers purchased enough shoes on Amazon.com during the holiday season were lined up end-to-end, they would stretch from Alaska to Miami. • This holiday season, Amazon.com customers purchased eno

[freebargainbooks]

99 Cent Bargain Book on November 1, 2020

[reviews-by-alijulia]

Ali Julia gave 4 stars to: A Beginner's Guide to Patio and Kitchen Herb Gardens

Ali Julia reviewed:

A Beginner's Guide to Patio and Kitchen Herb Gardens: 21 Herbs You Can Grow at Home (Gardening Quick Start Guides Book 5) by Martha Green

Nice tips and trips, October 18, 2017

Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: A Beginner's Guide to Patio and Kitchen Herb Gardens: 21 Herbs You Can Grow at Home (Gardening Quick Start Guides Book 5) (Kindle Edition)

This book has some good insights. I liked the tips and tricks the author suggests such as covering planted basic seeds with kitchen wraps until they emerge, grow basil away from direct sunshine, or cut dill as close to the stem as possible when you harvest it. Each covered herb has at least a page dedicated to it, in some cases two pages. Ali Julia review