unique holiday gifts for couples under $50

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November is right around the corner, which means the holiday season is about to kick into high gear. Just a few days ago I was perusing Target and let out a short squeal of glee when I saw the Christmas aisle. To say that my family loves Christmas would be a bit of an understatement.

One of my favorite parts about the holidays is being able to give thoughtful, unique gifts to the people I love. Most of my friends are married or engaged, which poses a little bit of a dilemma when it comes to what kind of gift to get them. It can be a struggle to find something special that doesn't cost a fortune and someone will actually like and use.

I recently discovered UncommonGoods, an online site where you can find a variety of unique artisan goods for anyone on your list (including yourself). Every product includes an engaging description along with a profile of the artist who made the item, which I think is super cool. Not only am I impressed by the quality of their products, they're also really committed to sustainability, which I can't help but admire. At checkout you can even select a non-profit organization to receive a $1 donation from the company.

To help you check off some couples on your holiday gift list, I've rounded up six of my favorite gift ideas that are all under $50. I've also pinned many more to my Pinterest board. There are definitely more than a few things I'd like to put on my Christmas list. Visit UncommonGoods to see more gift ideas for couples, amazing home products, unique artwork, and more!

This post is sponsored by UncommonGoods. All opinions are my own. 

bacon is a present pigs give you when you're good

You know your boyfriend loves you when he calls just to tell you he saw a sign for a bacon fest happening next month. It was one of those moments when I smiled to myself and thought, "Yep, he gets me."

In light of recent headlines this week, I must take this opportunity to profess my love for the wonderful processed meat we call bacon. I don't typically eat at Arby's but I can't help but love their ad right now that states:"Bacon is a present pigs give you when you're good."

When it comes to bacon, I tend to take Ron Swanson's point of view. Luckily for me, so does my boyfriend.

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If you are worried about processed meats causing cancer, my friend shared a great article on Facebook earlier this week that lays out all the facts. It's important to be informed but the recent reports are certainly not going to stop me from enjoying my bacon from time to time. All things in moderation, right?

trying to move forward with a happy spirit

image by Whitton & White

Yesterday, everything I've been trying to juggle and cope with slapped me in the face--hard. I've been combating feelings of anxiety and stress ever since. As a result, I turned to junk food to cope and now feel even worse. Isn't it awesome how that works? Coke, brownies, and french fries do not eliminate stress, but my goodness it certainly seems like a good idea at the time. I'm never going to give up comfort food, but the amount I've consumed in the last 48 hours goes a little beyond "comfort".

Today I've realized I need to regroup and deal with my stressors through healthy forms of self-care. Going for a walk, writing in my journal, painting my toenails, calling a friend, and reading my scriptures are all much healthier ways to lessen my anxiety and feelings of self doubt. Remembering to be patient and taking lots of deep breaths usually helps too.

It's not always easy to move forward with a happy spirit, especially when you're dealing with a lot of unknowns and life changes. This quote from Gordon B. Hinckley is a good reminder to keep an eternal perspective and attitude. I do have faith in his words that if we strive to move forward with a happy spirit things will indeed work out.

#WhyIWrite

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This morning when I opened Twitter I discovered it was National Day on Writing. Writers all over the world have been sharing their individual motivation for writing with the hashtag #WhyIWrite. Naturally, I followed suit.

I write for a lot of reasons but my main motivations is this---truth. I write to reveal the truth inside and around me. Writing is one of the main forms I use to process my emotions and feelings. It's therapeutic but like so many self-care tactics can be difficult to do. Sometimes the truth is scary. Sometimes I don't want to come to grips with reality. Sometimes it feels easier (even though ultimately it's not) to keep it all inside.

I chose my career based on my ability to write. Even though I doubt myself and my abilities more than I care to admit, like the Anne Sexton quote above, I know writing is something I was born to do. That sounds cheesy, I know, but being able to write is one of the few things I've always known I can do well.

At 28 years old, I'm just getting started in my career. I have so much more to learn and many writing techniques to master. Every day I hone my copywriting, blogging, and marketing writing skills a little bit more. Thanks to the blogosphere there have been at least a few occasions when my personal writing has found its way into people's hearts. Those are the moments I cherish most and hope to produce more of in the future.

I know as long as I follow my high school teacher's admonition to never stop writing, I'll be ok.

fall is my favorite

I know I'm not alone when I say that fall is my favorite season. There's something about the leaves, pumpkins, and football games. They make my heart happy. To usher in this wondrous season, I planned a "fall extravaganza date" which consisted of Dale and I eating homemade pumpkin oreos and carving pumpkins.

I really wanted the authentic experience of going to the pumpkin patch (a Fidler family tradition) and not just get pumpkins from the grocery store. However, I also didn't want to fork over $6.50 a piece just to get access to a pumpkin patch. After some diligent online research, I found Job's Nursery in Pasco where we could go pumpkin hunting free of charge. 

Saturday afternoon we headed to the cute little nursery for our fall adventure. It took some searching, but eventually we each found a pumpkin to our liking. I've learned over the years that when it comes to pumpkins bigger isn't always better. Bigger just means more guts to clean out! 

After church, we spent Sunday afternoon tackling the task of carving our pumpkins. I forgot how labor intensive that task truly is. We were both sweating and felt pretty triumphant when we finally finished the job. If you ask me, I think our his and her pumpkins turned out pretty cute. Happy fall to us!