Category: Made in Maine

Tree and Vine Masks

Ten creative cloth face masks that are made in Maine.

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Somewhere in our collection of home videos there is one of me sewing my newborn daughter’s first ever Halloween costume. I vaguely remember looking up as my husband provided voice over commentary while moving the camera closer.  I was engrossed in lining up the black and yellow fleece stripes and while they were not complicated to stitch together, my frustration level was rising. I’m fairly certain the distinguishing feature of that long lost video is me swearing and attempting to muster a faint smile so my daughter would not think her mother unhappy with the task. But, sadly, I was.

Although, I persevered and must say it did turn out to be one adorable little bee costume which I still have. Maybe my future grandchildren will wear it again someday and I won’t actually have to sew something new for them.

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#AtoZChallenge | X is for Xerochilia and Six Ways to Fix It.

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So, it’s at the point in this blogging challenge, where I really have to dig deep for something to use for the letter X. As always, I start randomly scrolling through X words and definitions in the hopes that something will click. In this case, it did click and, while this is more of a medical term, it does fit my theme.

Here is a definition of xerochilia from dictionary.com, “Dryness of the lips.” Guess what? There is no shortage of dry lips during the winter months.

How to deal with this perennial problem? Here are seven lip care products made by Maine based companies designed to help with dry lips:

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A to Z Challenge Bonus | Galaxie Salsa finding a delicious new use for zucchini.

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One of my favorite non-fiction books is Barbara Kingsolver’s  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. She is a beautiful writer.  I was mesmerized as she journeyed through a year of eating locally. It’s something I fantasize about trying.  However, since I have zero gardening skills, I don’t think I would be as successful as she was eating only foods grown myself or purchased from local farmers. Other than tomatoes and the occasional herb, I have limited knowledge on how I would actually feed myself.

I did consider jumping into the backyard chicken trend when we first moved back to Maine but then I remembered that we own a lab. My understanding is labs and chickens don’t always play nicely. It’s the whole retriever thing. While I might have been able to train my dog to “leave it” when it came to the chickens, overall it seemed too stressful especially for a novice chicken wrangler like me.

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Z is for Zeitgeist Factory | Using concrete in unexpected ways.

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When my girls were young, I had them make a mold of their hands and feet in the sand and then poured Plaster of Paris into the opening to create a keepsake. It’s one of those quick, easy crafts you can find on mom blogs, and in crafting books. It aligned well with my love of memory keeping. Making the mold in the sand gave the finished product a nice texture. I hung the castings on my wall where they stayed for many years. Sadly, the hanger on the back of one of them broke and it fell to the ground breaking into pieces. I took the other one down because it felt strange to leave only one child’s prints on my wall.

The made in Maine product in this post reminds me of those castings. Zeitgeist Factory makes a line of housewares made from concrete. I love the uniqueness of their products. They are simple and industrial. I think they would make a great contrast to the items with which they are paired such as a colorful handcrafted soap on their soap dish. Or, maybe some wildflowers spilling from their vases.

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X is for Xtreme Conditions | STABILicers Maxx make winter hiking a breeze.

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Winter hiking is exhilarating, challenging and fun but without the right equipment it can be dangerous. Trails can turn into slick, ice-covered pathways which is what you often encounter in winter, and even much of the early spring, here in Maine. You need a plan to stay on your feet. Fortunately, I have a plan.

Our last few hikes of March fell into this icy, treacherous category. While there were sections that were clear of ice, most areas were not. It didn’t stop us from hitting the trails. We had a newly purchased state park pass sitting in our pocket and were ready to go. Plus, I had finally invested in the right hiking gear for Xtreme Conditions. I own a pair of STABILicersTM Maxx which I had broken in during an earlier winter hike to the Mountain Division Trail in Freyburg.

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