Meet me Monday is back..............

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

I know I know, Picking a country song to top the list of terrible songs might seem unfair because they're such easy targets. However, this song is so dreadfully awful that it was actually once named the most depressing song ever. It tells the sad tale  of a little boy who is trying to buy a pair of shoes for his mother so she can look nice when she goes to meet Jesus after she dies "soon" serves no other purpose than to depress people. It gets even worse when it gets to the old, country cornball cliché: the children's chorus. The song was written over four years (FOUR YEARS!) and was based on a made-up, Internet-chain-mail story. The song was so touching, it seems, that it was made into a book, and, soon after, a made-for-tv movie starring Rob Lowe. What the poor little boy in the story doesn't realize is that once Jesus sees his mother in a cheap pair of shoes from Wal-Mart, the greatest symbol of corporate greed, he's going to send mommy straight to hell. Merry Christmas, little guy. I have to say that I am all about Christmas movies and yes I did and do like this movie the song is just a little much...kind makes me want to take my knitting needles and shove them in my ears until I can no longer hear anymore. :)

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

Many nights, we'll snuggle for a bit...then roll over to our respective sides of the bed..."Hubs" gets his 1 foot 2 inches on his side of the mattress and I get the rest. He is a hot box and make the bed feel like it has a heated mattress pad so being close to him isn't great for too long unless its a cold winter night. :) 

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

 

Well...never, really. I tend to keep picking up "a little something more" until I just plum run outta time and can't pick up anything more. I start in July or August thinking of things, if the perfect gift comes to me then I grab it. Adding here and there.... Every year, I have an idea of what I want to get.

And getting and getting and getting...then, we put it all together and I think, "Whoa!! Where did all this stuff come from?!" So, I'm really trying to reign it in this year...but, here's the thing... I LOVE TO GIVE!!! ( I love to get too but I am a control freak so that isn't as fun) I LOVE seeing the look on "Hub's" face when he opens his gifts. More often then night there is always a theme one year I did a Boston theme, then I did a camping theme.  This year i am doing a geek theme.  I hope he get's it! :) 

To answer your question I shop until Christmas eve or until the money runs out! 

 

 

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be

 Oh, gosh...where do I begin!! I would love to have my dream house.  I would love for it to be on the ocean. Like Cannon Beach. San Fransico, San Diego,  Or in Colorado Springs there is a town that I can re-call the name of and its a beautiful place between the Spring and Denver and it would be a great place to live... but this would also fit in Kingston over looking the water on some of our old family land. Humm, yes that would be the perfect place for it. 


BUT wait that really isn't a ultimate luxury item, so I would love under my xmas tree and It would be a brand new Apple Lap TOP!!!!! I love my Mac and you know what they say, once you go MAC you wont go back.....

What would you like for me to share with you? Tell me what you want to know.....

A Conversation with Amy owner of Tree root Espresso & Edibles.

This is an Q & A interview for The Kingstongirl new’s blog with Tree root Espresso on Bainbridge Island.. It was a great blessing to meet Amy the owner of Tree root. I needed a coffee & snacks to get the shopper's in the door at the Kingstongirl Craft, Food and Vendor fair in Poulsbo. It was a great treat to have her and her yummy treats and snacks not to mention her coffee and Cocoo!! 

When did you become a resident in town?

I moved to Bainbridge in August of 2008. I grew up in South Kitsap. I moved back to Kitsap County after almost 20 years away in an effort to get back to my roots - so to speak - but I wanted to be within a reasonable commute to my friends and the events/culture of Seattle. I have to say, though, that I find myself going across the water less and less often. There are very few things I truly need that I don't have here on the island.




What if any is your family history in town?

 None.




If you could change one thing about the town what would it be? 

I'd just add more sunshine! :)

What are some of the things you love about our town?

After so many years in Seattle and L.A., I've really enjoyed being back in a community of neighbors. I love that people wave back when I wave while walking or driving down the street (I try to wave at everyone I see walking while I'm driving "Lucy", my espresso truck.). In addition, I am proud to live in a community that values sustainable living... the focus on green energy and buying local is great!

What would like to see in the future with the town and/or town?

I'd like to see a continuation of our commitment to sustainable practices in all aspects of our community. We need composting as a default in our garbage service, like the program in Seattle. Let's find more ways to use solar and other energy sources. Let's support local farms so that we know where our food is coming from - and so that the cost of producing locally comes down. While we've got a lot to be proud of, there are so many more possibilities!

What made you decided to start your own business? What are some of the ups and downs of having your own business?

I had a successful career in Human Resources, but found that I wasn't satisfied with the work anymore. I really wanted to find a way to better balance work and my life... hopefully one that allowed me to make people happy. I basically went backwards, by most standards - from a professional, corporate role to a barista. I didn't really expect to fall in love with the business, but I'm so glad I did!

 

There are many ups and downs to business ownership. I'm new at this, so I'm still in the honeymoon phase and I'm very happy. The one downside I can see at this point is the lack of personal time. This is in part due to the fact that when you own it, you live it. But it is also because I'm passionate about what I'm doing, which makes it easier to stay focused on my business well beyond the typical work schedule. I sometimes have to stop myself and make sure I make time for friends and socializing.




Do you have a local charity that you and your company work with?

I don't have just one that I've identified specifically at this point. Many of the events I participate in are charity events, so I have the opportunity to contribute to organizations such as Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, C.A.S.T. for Kids, Friends of the Farms and The Stephens House (through the Bainbridge Bluegrass Festival), among others. I also contribute to Helpline House whenever I can.


Do you have a family?

Not yet. My significant other lives in Australia, and we joke that Lucy the truck is our first child. I do have a super-cool niece (Kathy - 19) and her awesome brother (Johnnie - 11) as well as three four-legged kids - two cats and a pug. They warm my heart every moment!




Where do you want your business to be in the next 5 years?

Honestly, I would love to have a shop and a couple of cute trucks running around the island and north Kitsap. But I also want to be able to get away regularly, and offer employment to others who value doing great work while balancing a fulfilling personal life. I haven't quite mapped out how I'm going to make all of that happen, but I'm working on it!




What is the best thing that you have learned from owning your own business?

Well, this could be a long response. There's so much! I can say that I'm constantly reminded that there's a lot I can do when I put my mind to it and ask for support from those around me. Somehow, I find that I can do more than I thought, and I still have some left to share with those who need my support. That's not to say that I can do it all. I have to say again that I love the community I've discovered here on Bainbridge - as a new resident and business owner, I've found a remarkable network here and I really appreciate the encouragement and support from all of my neighbors!




What made you want to start and keep your business local?

Naive idealism, perhaps. I truly believe that by finding a way to bring some of the best of Bainbridge under one roof, I am providing a valued service in this community. By promoting other local businesses and products in areas outside of the downtown core, I'm helping us all to grow.

Additionally, I really believe that we need to minimize our carbon footprint wherever we can. I do this by buying local, using compostable cups and lids, offsetting my carbons and reducing the need for my customers to get in their car to get their coffee and treats. My customers see the value in this, and appreciate that they have support in their own efforts to minimize their carbon footprint.

My website is www.treerootespressoandedibles.com.

I'm on Facebook and would love to have more "Fans": Treeroot Espresso & Edibles - Mobile Cafe

Finally, I tweet my locations, schedules, and drink/food specials, so follow me: TreerootEsprsso in addition Here is some great information for you to use

    

We are currently scheduled to be at the Bainbridge Island Aquatics Center Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 8:30 am and 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. We love being there in the sunshine with all the swimmers!

    Find us at the Bainbridge Business Park (7869 NE Day Road West) Monday through Wednesday and Friday from 9 am to 9:30 am. On Thursdays, we're at the neighbors - Bainbridge Review, 7689 NE Day Road West - at this time.

    We stop at Avalara's Headquarters next - every weekday from 10 to 11 am at 435 Ericksen Avenue NE.

    Interested in having us at your worksite? We can be available between approximately10 am and 11 am or 2 pm to 4 pm. Contact us through our website for more info!

    See our Schedule page on our website for upcoming events where you can count on us for your caffiene needs.

    Interested in having us at your sporting event, fundraiser, reunion or other event? Contact us through our website for scheduling. 

General Manager:

    Amy Gaskill - Barista/Managing Partner

Price Range:

    $ (0-10)

Services:

    Walk-Ins Welcome

    Good For Kids

    Take Out

Specialties:

    Coffee

Sometimes when it rains it pours.......

here we are! am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man! There is not a day that goes by that I don't think how lucky I am to be married to my best friend. He is the one that helps make even the greyist of days have a spot of sunlight.......Especially weeks like this. :

This past week has blown by, when I say blown by I mean that it has been one blow after another. You know those kinds of weeks when nothing seems to go the way in which you would like it to go.

We had wild weather our power was out and stayed out, for three days.  Ice and snow kept us home, "Hub's" was able to use my car On his way home with all the fixings for Thanksgiving. In the middle of the intersection the car died.! Leaving it un able to drive.  With the ice and snow he had to leave it on the side of the road.  The Snow melted and we were able to get it towed three days later.

The big Pile of steaming poop! I( have younger family members that read this blog so I will be PG-13. :)  We have a land Rover, Range Rover. It has been in the shop as much as it has been driven. We owe on it still and we have so many bills because of it breaking down...

Now with the busy time of the holidays down one car, Ugh! I am so so mad. I hate that when it rains it pours. On a good note, I am trying fun new fonts for the blog and the post's I am so tired of the regular posts fonts.  

I am very excited for some wonderful thing that are coming my way over the next few weeks. We are so busy! But I love busy! I am looking forward to some family time. Some winter festivities in Seattle, staying in some wonderful hotels! Going on long card rides with my mom and yet some how we always seem to end up right in the heart of Port Townsend. A perfect place to go back in time. 

What my friends are you looking forward to most this new month will bring?

Relax & Surf Sunday!

This blog hop is the fun one I look forward to doing all week. I love making new blogging friends and I love to get new friends to follow, my main objective is to grab friends to follow me to help me in my long term goal of selling my ad space on my blog and help me with my reviewing of hotel, inn's and B&B's,

Welcome to Relax & Surf Sunday, with your hostesses The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! and Shibley Smiles! This is a great blog hop for everyone to make new friends! You can find some new blogs to check out, and also get your blog out there and gain some new followers.

Here are the rules...

Wait, there are no rules! That is the whole point behind "Relax & Surf". We just want you to relax, and surf around as much as you want to. You don't have to make a post. You don't have to post our button. You don't even have to follow us. Of course we hope you like our blogs and will want to follow us, and we WILL follow back! Just add your blog to our linky at the bottom of this post, and visit as many blogs as you would like to. If you decide to follow a new blog, make sure you leave them a comment so they will know you are following them.

Each week we will randomly select one blog from the previous week's entries to be our featured blog for that week. If that blog happens to be yours, you will get a cute little button to display on your blog, and you will also get the #3 spot for that week!

Rainbow Girls.

For those of you that might not know what Rainbow Girls are it is a nonprofit organization that strives to give girls the tools, training, and encouragement to let their individual spirits shine bright. By providing members with a safe, fun, caring environment where responsible, older girls can interact and mentor younger girls through family involvement. In a time when most young ladies don't give back to the communities that they are part of this is bringing back values. By participating in fun events and activities, keeping up with new friends, and traveling to different cities and states, giving these young women the experience and excitement of what a productive life has to offer. 

Teaching these young ladies to be involved in their community & volunteering for different charities, and working to improve their public speaking, mastering the lessons of Rainbow, members tackle alot of challenging hurdles but ultimately walk away with a sense of pride and accomplishment.   No matter what their life long goals are, be it a stay at home mom, a doctor, teacher, writer, anything that they set their minds to Rainbow Girls learn that they can accomplish anything and that they can make a difference. 

These are some of the Charities that Rainbow Girls work with

Shriners Hospitals for Children
www.shrinershq.org
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
www.komen.org
Dogs4Diabetics
www.dogs4diabetics.com
Ronald McDonald House Charities
www.rmhc.org
Camp BraveHearts
www.campbravehearts.org
Habitat for Humanity
www.habitat.org
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation
www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org
Comforter Program
www.theanimalspirit.com
Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org
Make-A-Wish Foundation
www.wish.org
Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center
www.dukechildrens.org
Operation Christmas Child
www.samaritanspurse.org
Relay for Life
www.relayforlife.org
Gales Creek Camp For Kids With Diabetes
www.galescreekcamp.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
www.afsp.org
Burned Children Recovery Foundation
www.burnedchildrenrecovery.org
American Cancer Society®
www.cancer.org
American Heart Association®
www.americanheart.org
Freedom In Motion
www.freedominmotiontrc.org

 Our local Rainbow Girl, Christie is looking for how to raise money for some of these great Charities, she along with her Mother Heather, Auntie Hayley, & Grandma Linda come from a long line of strong wonderful women.  Helping Christie raise funds,  her Grandma Linda, help teach and make Apple butter and yummy jelly's. If you want some great tasting treats all the while helping with a great cause feel free to use the information below, or if you would just like to make a donation towards Christie's chosen charity contact her through the below email.

For sale, for a great cause, The Rainbowgirl's are fundraising!

They have mint, apple, grape and apple butter. They are $5 a jar.  They will actually  be selling them at the December 11th holiday bazaar at Suquamish Elementry from 10-4.

If anyone that would like to buy them in advance,

They can contact them at heatherlytle2001@aol.com.

                  Please make sure you let them know that Kingstongirl sent you!

It is time to sit back and enjoy the small businesses in your town.

With the dust settled from Black Friday!!! I know it is ton's of fun and the bargain shoppers really try to get the best deal for that must have toy, Today is the day that you can go and give back to that small business in your community!


The concept to the Small Business Saturday was designed to encourage shoppers across the U.S. to support local merchants in their holiday shopping as a means of driving up local economies.
Over a dozen advocacies along with public and private organizations have joined American Express, the event's primary sponsor, to declare today Small Business Saturday and raise awareness about the importance of small business to local communities.

The event is not meant to discourage people from shopping at larger chains or online. Rather, its advocates hope to encourage consumers to dedicate a percentage of their holiday shopping budget to local businesses, this means that it can be  by having dinner at a local restaurant or buying gifts at neighborhood stores to support the cause, American Express is offering its cardholders the opportunity to earn a $25 statement credit on purchases of at least $25 on Small Business Saturday at locally owned independent small businesses.

They wanted to be the catalyst for a movement for small businesses, We all know how important small business is to our economy. Small businesses generated 60-80% of the net new jobs over the last decade. What a great way to raise awareness and get people involved. We're all in this together we can make a difference. When you buy local and small business, you're creating jobs,

Research conducted by the 3/50 project suggests that for every $100 spent in locally-owned, independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures – far greater than national chains.This holiday of sorts also presents a great excuse to get out into your community to discover those one of kind hidden business treasures where you may very likely meet the owner face to face. As you may be aware of my passion for the small, local business. This is a movement that I have no problem getting behind completely and hope you will too.

I know that this is the concept that I am using. I chose to skip black friday this year and opt to go and spend the evenings that the local towns are hosting some girls nights out or extended hours for shopping.  

Small Business Saturday Enjoy this link it is amazing! Go to Facebook and Like it! 

I am excited to go and shop in Down Town Poulsbo on December 1st. I am looking forward to shopping in the Kitchen shop, buy some great chocolates at Bohems, Have a bite to eat at the Loft or That's a some a Italian.  Going to buy a few of my girls that are on my list  the new City of Bones series at the Poulsbo Liberty Bay Books.  Also going to get my craft on at the Quilt shop & Rubber soul, maybe even paint a cup or two at the Dancing Brush. All the while with a hot white chocolate mocha from Hot Shot's java! 

Port Gamble is going to be all a hussle and bussle, December 3rd, most if not all store are going to extend their hours from 4:30 to 6:30 then follow me back to the Opening night of the Christmas Carol, for the first night sense the late 1950's when the theater closed. The historic theater with the set's from the 1950's will leave you feeling like you haven't seen the production of the Christmas story like you should have all these years when you see it in this magical of a setting. 

Going to Kingston to shop on December 4th is going to be a blast, join me if you are in the area for you to join us, we will be out shopping around Kingston from 4:30-6:30 then join us at the Filling station from 6:30 to whenever you want. During the shopping night I am going to go shop at  Lucky star, Pine Cone Gifts, Clever, The Country pet shope for the fur babies, The Firehouse Theater for some movie tickets for stocking stuffers, Nancy's green garden for some beautiful flower's to order to put on the table and get some flowers for my Nana, also at Nancy's green Garden,  I eyed some mother daughter aprons that I would love to get for a few of my friends and their little girls. Checking off all the kids on my list with a stop at Lil Sprouts! The best toy story on this side of the water! Then Stopping by Mr. B's books is where I spent most of my shopping last year getting all the kids books to read at a great price.  Strolling into Henry's Hardware, there is always something for everyone on your list there. I love the very back room in the store with hand picked items you can find some special things! Moxie Salon to go and grab a tanning package to make sure I can get some people on my list Jersey Shored up!  I would love to see you all join us for ladies shopping night! 


These are just a few great places to join in on the Small Business Saturday in our area. All of us need to try to give back to our local peeps! They keep our community's going.  I am looking forward to doing what I can to help the small town shopping. Now this doesn't mean that I wont go to my favorite store to shop at Target, or a fun stroll to TJ Maxx,  Macy's or Kohl's are all great places to shop but I will do what I can to help spread it out where I can. I hope you will as well. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! As I get ready for the wonderful day of Thanks.  It's funny things always happen for a reason and each bend in the road you think is a tragedy is some how turned into a blessing that you would have never seen come true if you hadn't gone that way.  Every rain storm bring sunlight. The miracle of a snow storm that every flake is not like any other.

This year I am thankful for My "Hub's" that he loves me for the person he knows I am flaws and all he still loves me. He is my true best friend and would do whatever, however to make me happy!
I am thankful for my three "fur" babies the addition to our little family this August when we got Minnie. Who everyday brings a smile to my face, I can't love anything more then a Puppy!  Howie and Sophie love her now, scared that they would never except her. We are so lucky to have Minnie, we named her after my Nana.

Friendships. The friends I have are so important and this year I was able to really take a long look at what friends we have and what friends we have when we need someone the most,  I let go of a few friendships and relationships, but that only made it so I could go and really make room for the friendships I needed to make more time for. 

Family.  Family has always been important to me,  On my Dad's side we are so close and for the life of me up until a few years ago I really thought that is what all families are like! That isn't the case, but that makes me feel extra thankful that in my family we are close. My parents, hubs and I are not just family but the best of friends that love to spend time together.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I want to just say I am so very thankful for each and everyone of you that read my blog and love and support me.
You are each a blessing to me. :)