World in Words World Map Jigsaw Puzzle

World in Words World Map Jigsaw Puzzle
World in Words World Map Jigsaw Puzzle

A young friend and his girlfriend enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and when he visited her family at Christmastime, they worked a puzzle that had pieces in the shape of countries.  Apparently that suited their other interest, which is memorizing all of the countries in the world.  With that puzzle, they could remove a country from let's say the continent of Africa and then the other person could try to figure out what country was missing.

This new Ravensburger puzzle is not quite the same as that but it still looks like fun for geography fans who like working jigsaw puzzles.  I think it would be fun to put the pieces in place for a favorite country, like Canada or for a country that you would like to VISIT, like Australia, Greenland or Brazil.  I really like the way the letters are designed...I am not sure what decade that harkens from but it is definitely retro in style. 

It's a 500 piece puzzle, that was affordable when it was released. However, it is no longer readily available on Amazon. You can check to see if it is available today by clicking here.  If that search fails, you might also try eBay by clicking right here though on the day I updated this page in April, 2020, it was not available.

Happy Puzzling!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What I
Might Have in Store For You!

Quick Links:




What's Up Moms' Taylor Swift Pinterest Parody Video

I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone created a Pinterest parody video. Yes, it has finally been done and yes, it will probably make you smile. It is a hoot, whether you are seriously addicted or not.

WHAT'S UP MOMS' PINTEREST PARODY VIDEO:

Watch the What's Up Moms' parody of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off for yourself here. It's a short two and a half minute video that will have you tapping along to Taylor Swift's familiar tune.



TAKE THE PINTEREST ADDICTION TEST

I don't know an easy test for Pinterest addition but I suppose if you find yourself encountering all of these issues you might just be addicted.

You have an obsession with Mason jars. You own a dozen or two or three and you don't know what you're going to do with them.

You stay up Late, LATE, late because you just cannot stop pinning.

You need the craft store to be a 24-hour convenience store.

You think you are MARTHA STEWART.

You NEVER have enough glitter.

So how about it? Did you stay up to late pinning things you want to make?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What I
Might Have in Store For You!

Quick Links:

Subscribe to What's Up Mom Youtube channel by clicking here.
Subscribe to my blog by using the Subscribe button at the top of the page.


Magical, Mystical Fairy T-Shirts From The Mountain for Women



Three Fairy T-Shirts From The Mountain

This page is dedicated to all the women and out there who love fairies and who are searching for a beautiful, top quality fairy t-shirt.

Three Fairy T-Shirts From The Mountain

If you've seen The Mountain wildlife t-shirts, you know how beautiful they are. They are handmade, 100 percent cotton, pre-shrunk, silk screened and hand-dyed t-shirts made with earth friendly water-based ink and produced right here in North America in New Hampshire. The company cares about the environment and they care about making a top quality product.

If you haven't seen The Mountain's t-shirts before, you are in for a treat! If you have seen their t-shirts but not their fairy t-shirts, prepare to be dazzled by the fairy dust!

The Mountain Fairy T-Shirt

You can find Amazon's collection of fairy-themed t-shirts from The Mountain by clicking right here.

Are you a fan of fairies? How about of The Mountain? I love both, fairies and the very nice t-shirts that the company The Mountain produces in an endless assortment of patterns, fairy and otherwise. We have had a couple of Christmas at which everyone in our family received a t-shirt from this company according to his or her own interests.  They're perfect. Practical, affordable and fun.

Brenda
You Never Know What I
Might Have in Store For You!

More Fairies 

Fairy Tale A True Story Movie Review
This movie is a lovely, period film set in 1917, which is suitable for the entire family.

Were The Cottingley Fairies Real or Fake?
In 1917 in Cottingley, Yorkshire, England, a pair of young ladies named Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (10) believed that there were fairies....








Now Playing...Eastern Canada Frozen Editorial Cartoon

Eastern Canada Frozen Editorial Cartoon

Love this editorial cartoon from the February 19, 2015 edition of the Ottawa Citizen featuring the artwork of Greg Perry. It depicts a man attempting to dig out the driveway and his wife attempting to walk the dog and I love how it alludes to Disney's Frozen movie with the Now Playing...Eastern Canada Frozen caption. 

I figure that the image is representative of my husband and I as we head out in a few minutes for part two of the snow removal for the latest snow storm that we were gifted with this weekend in Ottawa.  

We are definitely feeling FROZEN this month though we don't have a dog that has to be walked out there in the frigid Arctic air and I feel sorry for those dogs (and their owners) when they do have to go out.

How about you? Is it cold where you reside? What are you doing to stay warm?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What 
I Might Have In Store For You

Open A Book And You Can Travel The World

The magic of reading...OPEN a book and you can travel the world!

Just yesterday I returned from a trip to Brooklyn, New York after reading and closing the pages on a popular coming of age book called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

A Tree Grows in Brookly was written by Betty Smith in 1943. The story is that of a young girl's coming of age in the early 20th century New York City and it was the latest read for my book club. Yes, I would recommend it and I see online that some people call it their favorite book.

Next we will open a book called All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It was written much more recently and promises to take me on a very different journey, this time to World War II Europe where I will meet a German boy and a French girl trying to survive the war. I don't know much more about it than that though I do see that it was Amazon's book of the month in May 2014. I am looking forward to opening it and beginning my next trip.

What book have you opened lately? Would you recommend it?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!

This was my second Five-Minute Friday Post. Every Friday, blogger Heading Home issues a challenge to write for just five minutes about a word.  This week's challenge was to write with the word open. 

I know I have now spent a few minutes more than the allotted five minutes but I definitely spent less time than last week so I am improving! If you're interested in participating, you can subscribe to the blog by following the link to Heading Home shown above.

Quick Links:

It seems appropriate that my copy of this book is a first edition copy. You can buy your first edition copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on eBay by clicking here.




31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS INDEX PAGE (2015)

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS INDEX PAGE (2015)

I wrapped up my first series, the 31 Days of Coffee Mugs at the end of January and thought a list or index page of the mugs that I covered might be helpful to you and to me. So without further ado, here is the interesting assortment of mugs that I shared in my series in January, 2015:

Starbucks Boy With Green Balloon Mug
Starbucks Dot Collection Mugs & Tumblers
Disney Store Frozen Coffee Mugs
Mr. Right and Mrs. Always Right Mugs
Marsala Coffee Mugs
John Wayne Mugs
Sheep Coffee Mugs
Sandra Boynton Coffee Mugs
Vintage Federal Glass Company Zodiac Mugs
St. Patrick's Day Coffee Mugs
Starbucks You Melt My Heart Mug
I Heart Hugs Snoopy Mug
Konitz Snuggle Hearts Mug
Gray Grey or Beige - Greige Mugs
How to Use a Coffee Mug Properly
Classic Movie Mug 
Heat Activated Shark Mug
Disney's Mickey Mouse Coffee Mug Warmer
Super Hero Dad Mugs
Duct Tape Mug
Mugs For Old Guys
Three Stitch Mugs From Disney’s Lilo & Stitch
Five Fabulous Turquoise Blue Mugs
A Garfield Mug
A Squirrel Mug
Mugs For Mom
Harry Potter Coffee Mugs
Emma Bridgewater Hearts Mug for Valentine’s Day
Downton Abbey Tea Cups
Self-Stirring Coffee Mug
Starbucks 2015 Year of the Sheep Mug

You can find anyone of these posts by clicking on the link shown above. You can see all of them plus more coffee mug posts by clicking on the Coffee Mug tab at the top of the page. Finally, you can be notified of future posts on my blog by using the subscribe box, also located on the right-hand side of the page.

You can find lots of COFFEE MUGS on Twitter here, on Pinterest here and on Facebook here

I hope you're enjoying whatever's in your mug!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I might
have in store for you!

Quick Links:

Coffee mugs in my eBay store.


An eBay Seller's Mantra: One In One Out

As an eBay seller, my hands get to hold a lot of new, used and vintage items and I have to admit that I am often tempted to KEEP something. However, over the years, I have learned to resist this urge and I have instituted a rule. I'm sure you have heard of it...

ONE IN, ONE OUT.  It's a simple rule that helps keep the proliferation of pieces from growing and it is not (usually) too hard to implement.

Now I carefully access each COFFEE MUG that enters my home. My cupboard is full and there are very few new mugs that I actually need to keep. I even recently convinced myself to list a gorgeous, Halloween-themed Starbucks pumpkin coffee mug in my store. That was especially hard because it really is a nice mug and I will admit that I used it twice before I listed it.

Now I no longer feel the need to keep every JEAN JACKET, however nice it may be.  I have a lovely collection, more than I need, really and, if I put my hands on another one that I need to keep, I just choose one of my own to sell. One in, one out.

I have never felt the need to keep every MOVIE that I buy for resale because I rarely watch a movie twice. However, we do eventually watch a lot of the movies that I pick up and they often work for me three times. Once as pure entertainment, once when I write about them on my movie blog and once when I sell them on eBay.  This is definitely an inexpensive way to find movies to watch.

How about you? Do you collect anything? Are there items that you have a hard time passing by? How do you decide what to keep and what to part with?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store!

This was my first Five-Minute Friday Post. Every Friday, blogger Heading Home issues a challenge to write for just five minutes about a word.  This week's challenge was to write with the word keep. Many of the posts are inspirational, I know this one is not. Perhaps for some it might be motivational.  

I know I have now spent a few minutes more than the allotted five minutes but I expect to keep getting better every week! If you're interested in participating, you can subscribe to the blog by following the link to Heading Home shown above.


Vintage Springbok Little Red Riding Hood's Hood Puzzle

Springbok's Little Red Riding Hood's Hood jigsaw puzzle is a puzzle with two special challenges. It's round and it is all one color. Are you up to the challenge?

We're working an extremely hard vintage Springbok puzzle called Little Red Riding Hood's Hood. Since it is all red, it seems appropriate as Valentine's Day approaches and I don't think there is any danger that we will have it done too early.

Did I say it is a circular puzzle or an "in the round puzzle" as Springbok calls it? It is, and even though it only has approximately 506 pieces,  it is very hard.

Ah, I just read that the box says that every piece is different. Our box does not say that but I bet that it is so. No wonder it is so gosh darn hard!

Although there is no date on the box, sources online say that this puzzle may date to 1964 and that it is Springbok puzzle number PA20.

Springbok Little Red Riding Hood's Hood Puzzle

Our puzzle is marked PZL6034 and, because of these two discrepancies, I wonder if our puzzle was a second edition.  We may never know but we will always know exactly how hard this puzzle was. You can check on eBay to see if one of these puzzles is currently available by clicking right here. Be warned that this puzzle is rare and there may be none!

Are you a jigsaw puzzle fan? If so, what are you working on? If you have not worked a puzzle for a long time, do you remember what the last one was?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store For You!

Quick Link:

Buy this Little Red Riding Hood's Hood puzzle on eBay.



McDonald's Big Mac Special Sauce For Sale On eBay

I love reading about interesting, unique and UNUSUAL eBay listings and just now discovered via a post on That Kat the fact that McDonald's is running a series of auctions in Australia.

The item? No, it's not a Big Mac but it is close. It turns out that McDonald's is auctioning off 200 bottles of a Limited Edition Big Mac Special Sauce and is donating the proceeds of the auction to charity.

Apparently, fans are anxious to get their hands on the sauce. Despite the fact that the auction is in Australia and open to pre-approved Australian bidders, auction bidding has already reached $23,100 Australian dollars, which translates into $17,800 U.S. or $22,431 Canadian. All for a little bottle of sauce.

I suppose it may be a hot ticket item because of the claims made in the listing, which include the fact that everything tastes better when it tastes like a Big Mac including, but not limited to, leftovers, steak, your mother's amazing lasagne and your boyfriend's awful lasagne.

What do you think the lucky bidders are planning on doing with the sauce once they have it in hand? Frame it or maybe freeze it to keep it in perpetuity?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have in Store For You!

Quick Links:

See what the bidding is at on eBay.au for yourself.

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Starbucks Boy With Green Balloon Mug

Starbucks Boy With Green Balloon Mug
Flynn is a real boy whose image has been transported across the United States and farther via this mug from Starbucks Green Dot collection. Starbucks' designer Esther Asuncion fashioned the image after her real-life son who recognized himself immediately in the image on this ceramic double-walled tumbler.

Designer Asuncion grew up in Guam but moved to the United States to study fine art and studio art. She donned a green Starbucks apron because the job gave her the flexibility to pursue her chosen line of work not realizing that she would eventually join the Starbucks visual presentation team.

She was asked to submit a design of a little boy or a little girl playing with a balloon and her illustrations had to be submitted on the very next day. In my mind, it was natural that the chosen illustration featured a certain three year old boy named Flynn with dark hair, a big smile and a quest for adventure.

Creation of Starbucks Boy With Green Balloon Mug


This image was one of a hundred designs that were released for the 2014 holiday season and that came packed in a handsome red box making them perfect for holiday gift giving.   Today, this retired mug can be found on eBay by clicking right here.

This post is the final in my 31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS series.  There were a couple of days when I wasn't sure what I was going to write about but I eventually found inspiration for all of the days and, as a matter of fact, I have a short list of ideas for future posts. Once you start looking, interesting coffee mugs are literally everywhere.

Meanwhile, you can see all of the posts in my series by clicking on the tab at the top of this page that reads coffee mugs.  To be notified of my future posts and yes, there will be more coffee mug posts, be sure to use the subscribe box on the right-hand side of this page.

I would love to hear about your favourite coffee mug and/or your coffee mug collection!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What I Might
ave in Store For You!

Quick Links:

Buy the Boy with a Green Balloon tumbler on eBay.
The Inspiration behind ‘Boy with a Green Balloon’ Mug from Starbucks Dot Collection.

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Starbucks Dot Collection Mugs & Tumblers

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Starbucks Dot Collection Mugs & Tumblers
Five shapes. Twenty designs per shape. One green dot. That was the recipe for Starbucks' 2014 Dot Collection, which saw the release of mugs and tumblers in those numbers all of which included the dot. Artistic. Fun. Nice.

The theme? Starbucks gave their designers permission to create pieces that could be considered timeless and modern, anything went so long as they incorporated the iconic green dot.

The result? Some coffee mugs and tumblers that are sleek and modern and some that are bright and whimsical.  I like many of them. Stay tuned for my next post in which I discuss what might be my favorite piece in the dot collection.

Starbucks' Green Dot collection was available in the stores starting on November 14, 2014, with each store carrying its own collection.  If you missed them all or even just missed one at the store, you have eBay to help you find the missing pieces for your collection. See for yourself here.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I
might have in store for you!

Quick Links:

See all of the Starbucks Green Dot collection on eBay.

Disclosure

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase from Amazon, eBay or Etsy through a link.



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