family recipes to keep forever
One of the gift projects I worked on this past Christmas on behalf of my lovely mother-in-law was putting together a custom collection of recipes.
She wrangled up all the info & I took care of the rest. The result… a very popular book among all our aunts, uncles & cousins.
Want to pass on your family favorites? We’d be happy to make the custom covers for your famous treats.
Do you like seeking out clever gifts that bring guaranteed grins? We’re happy to share some of our hip ideas. Simply sign upto receive these blog posts in your email and you’ll be the best gift giver around!
shine on
Wishing you love, compassion, peace and hope this wonderful holiday season.
One of the many things I'm grateful for is that God believes in me.
The always inspiring, Rob Bell paints a beautiful picture of this.
Thank YOU for partnering with us this past year to help us make a difference in our community.
Looking forward to see where we can shine our light in 2011.
holiday grooves from our firefly team
Just more 9 days til Christmas and our Berkley firefly team is ready to rock in the new year. Take it away Danielle – along with your marvelous motley crew…
scarves 4 sale
Now that the wind has that winter chill… be sure to keep your neck toasty warm with one of our stylish scarves. Our firefly models selected some of their favorites for the season.
You can find all these pretties & more at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
Like seeing what our firefly team is loving in the shop? Simply sign up to receive these blog posts in your email and you’ll be in the know!
super duper stocking stuffer giveaway
Finding fun stocking stuffers is one of my favorite parts of Christmas shopping. There is such a wide variety of goodies to choose from like… bucky balls, shower bursts, everlasting glass nail files, fruit stripe gum, cinnamon toothpicks, handmade memory magnets & body bursts ($62.25 value)
So how can you stuff your stocking with these for free?
There are 3 ways to enter – you can do 1,2 or all 3 to better your chances.
1. Comment at the bottom of this post and tell us what would you like to find in your stocking this Christmas?
2. Spread the word about our giveaway on your Facebook page by clicking the Share on Facebook link below then comment on this blog post saying that you did.*
3. Tweet this link: http://bit.ly/Stocking-Stuffer-Giveaway -then comment on this blog post saying that you did.*
* just let your friends & followers know if they happen to win, you get some of the goodies too :-)
We’ll draw the lucky firefly fan name on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010 and post it on the blog.
Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!
Don’t want to miss out on future fantastic firefly giveaways? Be sure to stay in the loop by signing up here and we’ll email our fun-filled blog posts to your inbox!
kudos to kids making a difference
We're thrilled to have the opportunity to host a Roots & Shoots Club GIving Tree. This Clawson based community service club for kids believes it's important to foster respect & compasion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures & beliefs and to inspire everyone to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals & the environment.
So they got together & made some beautiful ornaments for you to take home with you. All they ask is that you purchase the requested item that is listed on the back of the ornament & leave it at Yellow Door so it can be distrubuted to families & animals in need.
Some of the requested items include gift cards to Meijer or Kroger, toys for kids of all ages and for the animals… blankets, sheets, towels, fleece fabric, newspapers, dog & cat food, hand sanitizer, raw hide chews & cat litter.
All items need to be delivered by Thursday, December 16.
Thank you for choosing to make a difference in your community & supporting kids who believe they can make a the world a better place regardless of their age.
what we’re stuffing in our stockings
One of my favorite things about Christmas shopping is finding all the little goodies to squeeze in stockings. Curious what small finds our firefly team likes this season?
This is one of those things that you didn’t even know you needed it…until you do. Throwing your jewelry in your make-up case is never a good idea unless you want to wear a knotted necklace with one earring. This pretty travel case keeps everything safe in it’s place. We love those things that make life easier. jewelry pouch $15.95
I love these conversation cards for kids. My nieces and nephews travel a lot this time of year and it keeps them busy during their travels. They get a kick out of things their parents answer. chat pack for kids $10.95
These smell heavenly. My favorite is the cappuccino brulee. Such a warm, cozy scent. Perfect for the fall and winter. milkhouse candles $12.95
Great way to de-stress after the holidays! Or to relieve eye and sinus pain from those pesky winter colds. All around a great gift! gel eye masks $5.95
What I do when I’m not at work… Let dog in, let dog out and clean dog’s feet. funny dog magnet $7.50
This is just perfect for the twilight fanatic in my life! vampire teeth ice tray $8.95
No fumbling around…With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life,it’s a great feeling to know that your keys are at your fingertips, when you need them. crown key finder $7.95
A favorite of any boy under 12 and most adult men. Slip one of these under an unsuspecting grandpa just before he sits down and the room will erupt in laughter. Well, at least the fellas will get a laugh while every female within earshot shake their heads in utter disapproval. whoopee cushion $1.95
I love that these hip cup & bottle cozies can stretch over practically any beverage container. I like to use mine over my stainless steel water bottle because it gets so cold to the touch, plus it saturates the condensation. bottle freaker $8.95
A great stocking stuffer for those that love the maize and blue! Can’t wait to put these in a few stockings at our house. Go Blue! U of M hot chocolate $7.95
Do you like seeking out clever gifts that bring guaranteed grins? We’re happy to share some of our hip ideas. Simply sign up to receive these blog posts in your email and you’ll be the best gift giver around!
Rochester Patch.com Feature
In Checking Things Off My Christmas List, it's Catching Fireflies vs. Giant Stack of Catalogs
By Laura Cassar
I get catalogs at this time of year. Stacks and stacks — a whole forest's worth. I look through them all; some might even tempt me. But before I place an order, I first go downtown to Catching Fireflies.
After I do that, my catalog stack goes straight into the recycling bin.
You've heard the saying that good things come in little packages? Catching Fireflies fits that description to a "T."
Located in a historic train depot building on University Drive, its footprint may not be large, but its gift selection is enormous. This comes in handy if your Christmas list has gotten out of hand and you need some one-stop shopping.
I went in with a list that was large (an even dozen) and diverse (gift recipients aged 5 to 40, both genders). I walked out an hour later with every person checked off and each gift wrapped (oh yeah, they offer free gift wrapping.)
Here's what I got (and if you're on my Christmas list, please cover your eyes):
- The silly gifts. "Bomb Away" shot glasses and an Affirmation Smiley Face Ball (think Magic 8 Ball with uplifting messages).
- The practical gifts. A monogrammed latte wrap and Little Whistle Charms (see Monday's column for more on that great find.)
- The beautiful gifts. A glass wine bottle stopper that looks like a goldfish in its bowl and Christmas martini glasses.
- The cute gifts. Metal snowman photo holders and a Penny Pal Ladybug Coin Purse.
- The kid gifts. A tin baseball bank, "Crazerasers," a 3-D Mirascope and, my favorite, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan picture book.
Whew! All that for $155.71, wrapped for free and with no shipping or handling charges.
And that, my friend, is just the tip of the Catching Fireflies iceberg. I didn't even touch on the jewelry, baby section, customized frames, holiday decorations and so much more. You'll just have to go and check it out yourself.
gotta bottle freaker?
Meet Zachery of North Carolina. He is the creative talent behind these oh-so-stylish & pretty practical bottle freakers.
What are bottle freakers exactly you may ask?
LACED WITH SPANDEX, this little Freaker has the ability to stretch and conform to any beverage container!! While insulating the BEVERAGE and keeping your hands WARM and DRY
In fact…BottleFreakers fit all of these – nalgeen, canteen, coffee cup, beer bottle, wine glass, waterbottle, baby bottle, arm, leg, foot, winebottle, 40 oz., gatorade bottle, soda can, big gulp, solo cup, champagne bottle, 2 liter bottle, ball jar, milk jug, juice carton, and many, many more!
Plus they’re machine washable, made in the USA & Zachery has a pretty entertaining story to boot…
Prior to inventing bottle freakers, he traveled around the country & lived in this decked out GEO Metro covered in indoor/outdoor carpeting.
And after that adventure, he converted an old U-Haul truck to a living room so he could travel & live in it while going to trade shows selling his bottle freakers but unfortunately it broke down. So then he went on to Plan B: Couch Surfing – where it sounds just like it is… you crash at someones house instead of a hotel. There’s a world-wide community of people that do this & a website that connects them all!
In Zachery’s many adventures, he met his wonderful friend and biz partner Zachariah. With his help, bottle freakers were born & they’re both so happy to bring such a happy product to the world.
So what are you waiting for? Pick out your favorite pattern, slip it on your preferred drink and before you know it, you and your beverage will be much cooler;)
We have select bottle freakers online & larger seletions available at our Berkley & Rochester locations.
Love to see how creative people see the world? Then sign up to receive these colorful blog posts in your email inbox…. and you’ll discover many talented souls!
Detroit Free Press Feature 12.5.10
-Georgea Kovanis
Canvas tote bag decorated with a map of Detroit's neighborhoods. $17.95 at Catching Fireflies, 3117 W. Twelve Mile, Berkley. 248-336-2030. Also, 203 E. University, Rochester. 248-650-3318; catchingfireflies.com and maptote.com. (Map Tote)
