See Bald Eagles Soar this Winter! 

• Memory Items: Keep your cherished memories alive with our custom-made memory items. Whether it's a memory bear 🐻 made from your loved one's favorite clothing or a memory pillow 🛌 that brings comfort, these items serve as a beautiful way to remember those special moments.
• Baby Items: Wrap your little one in love with our selection of baby items 👶. From cozy onesies to soft blankets, and hooded towels 🛁 for bath time fun, we've got everything you need to keep your baby snug and happy!
• Loveys: These adorable security blankets 🧸 provide comfort and companionship for your little ones. Perfect for snuggling and helping them feel safe and secure.
• Custom Tote Bags: Carry your essentials in style with our personalized tote bags 👜. Whether for work, shopping, or the beach, our totes are designed to make a statement!
• Home Décor: Spruce up your living space with our range of home décor. From elegant table runners to seasonal quilts and comforting masks, our items add a touch of warmth and style to your home.
• & More: Explore a world of creativity with our wide range of products. From everyday essentials to charming gifts, there's something special for everyone! 💫

Dirty Dog Do It Yourself Pet Wash & Pawstry Shop

🐶 Introducing Berlin's Favorite Spot for Your Furry Friends! 🌟

At Dirty Dog Do it Yourself Pet Wash & Pawstry Shop, we believe in celebrating the unique bond between you and your pup. Whether it's bath time, snack time, or simply time to spoil your pooch, we've got everything you need in one convenient haven!

• Grooming: Enjoy our top-notch grooming services where each pup is treated like royalty. Our experienced team ensures your dog leaves looking and feeling their best.
• 🛁 Self-Serve Dog Wash: Get hands-on with our well-equipped, stress-free washing stations. It's fun, it's easy, and most importantly, it's messy-free for you!
• 🍪 Bakery: Treat your four-legged friend to our delicious, freshly baked treats. Crafted with love and only the finest ingredients, our "pawstries" are a hit with all the neighborhood pups!
• 🥗 Dog Food and Supplies: Stock up on nutritious food and essential supplies that keep tails wagging and puppers healthy.

🌍 Located in the heart of Berlin, our vibrant and fun environment is meticulously maintained to ensure a clean and safe space for both you and your dog. 🧼✨

Come visit us and discover how we can help strengthen the special bond with your furry BFF!

This road trip is going to start on Route 66 in Middlefield area. We are going to take a trip along some cool back roads on this one. So starting on Route 66 your going to find Route 147 and jump on. It heads South. You will see on your left Country Flower Farms, so depending on the season make a stop. Not sure if they are open for the holidays, If they aren't don't worry because Perottis Country Barn is work the stop. They have some really great things for gifts in there. From here we continue on Route 147 until it meets Route 157 and we take a right onto Route 157/146. Down the road is Lyman Orchards. If you do anything on this trip is stop and pick up some pies. Apple is their best! They also have jams, meats and more. Oh My! They might have their little Deli open and you might be able to get a bite here. They have outdoor seating in the summer and games. Maybe, save this trip for the summer as well. Anyway, continuing on Route 147 until it meets Route 17 in Durham. Super cute town, If your doing this trip on a Saturday or Sunday keep an eye out for the Durham Community Center sign. Most weekends they host a craft fair at the center. Check below in my Holiday Happenings section and see if a craft fair/farmers market is happening. It's free to attend so make a stop. Otherwise your continuing on Route 17 south and when there is a fork in the road stay Right on 17 then next fork stay left onto Route 77. This is a very scenic drive. Your going to follow that along and then you will come to a scenic Lake call Lake Quonnipaug. It has a cute little beach there. Save that location for the summer. Continuing on Route 77 we are on the lookout for  The Little Store. Yes, it's little. You gotta stop and see inside. PLUS, they have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner if you can believe it. Grab a snack, why not? Then after head down Route 77 and we are on the lookout for The Dudley Farm here we make a stop at their Museum. its call Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum. it highlights Connecticut Indigenous peoples. With cool artifacts and history found int he area. It is a really cool stop. Getting back on Route 77 South we are going to take a right onto Route 80. If your getting hungry this route has alot of different dining spots like Hidden Kitchen, Belle Foods and Pizza. Or if your in the mood then Seafood! Try Supreme Seafood. After you filled up then follow Route 80 west and find Foxon Blvd. Take a right. I send you here to find Foxon Soda. Now I LOVE soda. Hate Coffee. Just never really had a taste for it, but Soda, thats another story. Foxon Soda is made right here in CT. They make all kinds of flavors like cherry, lime, root beer and more. Stop in their factory, little door where you park. Go in, and make a case to take home. I always pick up different flavors whenever I have a party. My guests love that they can pick their own flavor to have with their meal. Sometimes, I make it a gift. NOBODY is going to think of that! After, head back onto Route 80 west and you will see Route 91 North on ramp to head back home. Or you can skip the highway and jump back onto Route 17 North and head back to Durham area. Keep Exploring!

📚 ✈️ Are you planning your next adventure across the United States? Make sure to bring along our unique Travel Word Search Book. As you flip through its pages, you'll embark on a journey through the USA like never before! With each turn, you'll discover interactive crosswords and engaging coloring pages that will guide you to iconic destinations and provide endless fun along the way!

Highlights:

• 🧩 Word Search & Coloring Book: Experience the best of both worlds as this book combines these two beloved activities in one!
• Travel Word Search: Solve engaging puzzles themed around famous US landmarks.
• Travel Coloring Book: Color stunning illustrations of America's most renowned sites.
• USA Travel Book: Your ultimate companion to unlock travel ideas and keep you entertained wherever you roam!

🗺️ Whether you're taking a road trip or flying coast to coast, let this book be your guide to the wonders of the USA. Every page is a new adventure, waiting for you to explore! 🌟

                                         Makes a great gift!

Have your Holiday list ready but no idea what to get? Check out this section every week for our latest Connecticut Crafters!

Are you a Crafter that lives in Connecticut? Click this Link to send us your information so we can include you in our next issue. 

Angry Gramma - Here to Brighten Your Day!

Question: 🤔 AngryGramma - here to brighten your day. 🌟

It feels great when you can make someone smile. 😊 A good laugh has the ability to change the way we look at things. For years, I had wanted to make humorous t-shirts. I enjoy reading other people's tees and enjoy when people read ones I am wearing and laugh. I wanted to do something that others could appreciate for years to come. Printing t-shirts, I found, was going to be too costly to start up the way I wanted to. Someone suggested looking into sublimation. I discovered that there was a lot more I could do with sublimation than I was aware of, and so that is the direction I went. 🎨✨

The name AngryGramma originated when my wife was seeking an online identity. She wanted a name for her business she was working on and asked me for some opinions. After much thought, I came up with the name AngryGramma. After all, she is a grandmother, and well... she's been known to have a short temper at times. 😅 She wasn't super fond of it, though. I, on the other hand, thought it was perfect. I had a logo made and kept the name for the business. Since then, it has grown on her, and the rest is history. 🚀

Crafty Cat Boutique

A Little Light in the Darkness... 🌟

Since childhood, crafting and artwork have always been a source of immense joy for me. Art classes were my absolute favorite, but it wasn't until 2009 that I began to take crafting seriously. It was a tough time — two years after losing my mom — and I was yearning to find something to pour my heart into. I picked up one of those value books from Barnes & Noble and learned how to create bracelets. After working through the patterns in the book, I was hooked!

The journey expanded when my best friend noticed a pink rosary at a mall. Feeling inspired, I promised her I would craft one myself. From that moment, there was no turning back. 😍

Fast forward to 2013, after the birth of my son, I encountered postpartum depression. Two things that helped me navigate through were Harry Potter and crafting. My husband kindly encouraged me to take nights off to immerse in crafting, providing the therapeutic escape I needed. That was the beginning of my venture into wooden paintings and, more recently, my love for resin art has blossomed. 🎨💫

No matter the medium—be it beads, wood, or resin—I find solace and joy in creation. It's soothing, it's love, and while I can't keep all of my creations, sharing them at local craft fairs allows me to spread a bit of that light and passion with you all! 🌈❤️

12/1 - 12/31  Hubbard Park Lights - Meriden

12/12 Ladies Night - Wojtusik's Nursery & Garden Center 6:30 - 9:30pm call about tickets

12/13 Pictures with Santa Yankee Harley Davidson Farmington Ave Bristol

12/7 Newtown Youth and Family Services Holiday Market Main st Newtown 11-4pm

12/7 Friends of Easton Library Annual Holiday Market 691 Morehouse Rd Easton 5-9pm

12/14 Christmas In the Village Plantsville 4:30 - 7:30

12/13 Holiday Vendor Fair 10 - 2 Charter Oak 425 Oakwood Ave West Hartford

12/13 Hayden Station Fire Co Annual Holiday Craft Fair 54 Basswood Rd Windsor

12/20  Durham Winter Market 10-1 Durham Community Center Picket Lane

Holiday Lights at Peoples Homes

Tiffany Court - East Hampton - Supporting the food bank. 

174 North Washington St - Plainville

Blue Orchard Drive - Middletown

Sand Hill Rd - Middletown

Eastbury Pond - Glastonbury

Have an Event coming up?  Click this link and send us the info ASAP. Our issues come out on Thursdays just in time for weekend planning!

✨ **Weekly Horoscope Highlights: December 11 - December 17, 2025** ✨

Get ready for a week filled with substantial astrological transitions! With Mercury re-entering Sagittarius on December 11, anticipate enhanced mental clarity and straightforward communication. As Mars ventures into Capricorn on December 15, it fuels your ambition for organized and strategic goal-setting. Let's explore how these changes affect your zodiac sign:

• Aries (March 21–April 19): 🚀 **Pursue new philosophies or educational interests, even if doubts arise.** As Mars energizes your career space, it's a great time to set ambitious leadership goals.
• Taurus (April 20–May 20): 💫 **Shift focus towards shared resources and emotional transformation.** Use the Mars in Capricorn energy to explore international avenues or higher education.
• Gemini (May 21–June 21): 🤝 **Relationships take center stage.** Embrace clearer communication as Mercury enhances your expressive abilities in Sagittarius.
• Cancer (June 22–July 22): 🏋️ **Daily routines, work, and wellness become the focus.** Build team spirit and prioritize self-care to unleash your creative potential later.
• Leo (July 23–August 22): 🎨 **Pleasure, creativity, and romance shine brightly.** Disciplined actions towards health and routine will be spurred as Mars enters Capricorn.
• Virgo (August 23–September 22): 🏡 **Home, family, and emotions are the focal points.** Seize opportunities to resolve familial issues and make beneficial lifestyle tweaks.
• Libra (September 23–October 23): 🗣️ **Enhance communication within your local community.** From Dec 15, Mars directs your attention to home and family matters.
• Scorpio (October 24–November 21): 💰 **Emphasize finances, self-worth, and material stability.** Clarifying conversations about future money goals will help discard old anxieties.
• Sagittarius (November 22–December 21): 🌟 **Sun and Mercury in your sign bring vitality and clarity.** Reflect wisely before Mercury retrograde concludes upcoming decisions.
• Capricorn (December 22–January 19): 🧘‍♂️ **Engage in introspection and resolving past matters.** Mars energizes your sign, fueling your purpose-driven ambitions effectively from December 15.
• Aquarius (January 20–February 18): 👥 **Invigorate friendships and envision long-term goals.** Collaborative projects gain potential, while Mars urges strategic efforts behind the scenes.
• Pisces (February 19–March 20): 🎯 **Highlight career and public image.** Clarity on finances and values increases, empowering you to trust your path confidently.

Embrace the shifts this week by acknowledging the cosmic forces at play, letting them guide your journey with **resilience** and **faith**. 🌌✨

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