With all that’s going on in the news I thought a gratitude blog post was in order.  A fun and easy craft to do to start practicing gratitude is making a Gratitude Mason Jar.  It’s a quick and easy craft.  All you need is a really big Mason Jar and all the ribbon and sparkles you can find!  Once you have your Mason Jar all glitzed out your ready to start compiling all the things you are grateful for.  Make sure you cut or buy some small squares of paper to write what you’re grateful for.  Each day, whatever time works for you write down one thing you are grateful for.

You can make this a 30, 60, or 90 day challenge or make it an annual tradition.  Once you’ve reached the end of your time frame make a fun event around it with your family to read all the things you are grateful for.  This simple act of writing down all the things you’re grateful for, from the awesome colors of the sunset, the smell of coffee in the morning, to being healthy you are reminded that there are more good things then bad things in the world.  What it comes down to is what you are focusing on.

Reminding ourselves of all the things we have to be grateful for will help us to see the positive in the world.  This feeling of positivity will help foster joy in us, and if we can show up to everything with joy in heart we will be able to tackle anything that comes our way.  We do not want to be weighed down by negativity and anger because that will not get us anywhere.  We would love to see all of your Mason Jar Gratitude Jars!  Head over to our Instagram and share the pictures of your Gratitude Jars and let us know some things you are grateful for.

We here at Mason Jar Lifestyle are grateful for all of you and being all moved in to our new building!!  We look forward to continue to grow with all of you in 2017.  XOXO, from Mason Jar Lifestyle

Well, even if your team isn’t going to the big game, you’re going to watch, right?  I’m sure you’re going to have a Super Bowl party with all the fun ideas we gave you in our blog post a few weeks ago. 🙂  The great thing about Mason Jars is their versatility.  They’re like that little black dress — you can dress them up or down!

So this post is going to expand on our post from a few weeks ago.  By now you should have gotten your Mason Jar Lifestyle Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker Lid and Long Spoon/Fork for Quart Mason Jars.  You’ll need a few other things for presentation and drinking purposes of course – faux leather cuffs, silicone koozies, cute decorative lids, reusable straws.  Then bust out that awesome Mason Jar Speaker and you’ve got a Super Bowl party!

Now I’ve got a craft from Mason Jar Crafts to step up your Mason Jar Super Bowl Party game.  Check out these really cute Super Bowl Mason Jars and click here to see how to make them.

These will help make your Super Bowl tablescape extra cute and extra festive, and they are a really fun weekend craft project.  With the weather the way it is for most of us now, we could all use a fun craft project!

You have your Mason Jar Lifestyle accessories, cute tablescape decor but something’s missing.  What could it be?  Chili, served in Mason Jars, of course.  I found this cute idea on evermineOcassions website where they also have fun personalized labels you can order to put on your Mason Jars.  What?!?!  Very cute, very portable, and low on the messy scale — a win-win for the party planner and the clean-up crew.

This is shaping up to be one amazing Super Bowl Mason Jar party!  Mason Jar party planning is truly endless.  Share with us some of your Mason Jar Super Bowl party ideas, or, better yet, head over to Instagram and tag us in your pictures.  Don’t forget to use #masonjarlifestyle.

In the bridal business they call this time of year “Bridal Christmas”.  Why?  Because so many people get engaged between Christmas, New Year, and of course Valentine’s Day.  Mason Jars are front and center for wedding decor, and Mason Jar Lifestyle knows this!  Over the years the shabby chic has grown exponentially.  We love that because Mason Jar Lifestyle has always seen the beauty and elegance of Mason Jars.

Here are some ideas of how to bring shabby chic to your wedding this summer, spring, or fall.

I love this kid’s table idea, and it was the inspiration for this blog post!  Each child receives some fun activities and treats in a Mason Jar with one of our SUPER CUTE Daisy Cut Straw Hole Lids that they can then use to drink out of after the wedding.

These Mason Jar Mimosa Bar is perfect for the main event or a brunch style bridal shower.  We’ve got all kinds of fun Mason Jar Lids and really adorable paper, glass, and stainless steel straws.  This is shabby chic at its finest.

Mason Jar tablescapes really give your wedding that shabby chic vibe.  We’ve got some great Mason Jar lighting items as well as some great Mason Jar candle holders and Mason Jar handles and caddies that will help you to achieve the ultimate shabby chic wedding.  Shabby chic is such a laid back, warm and inviting decor, which is exactly what you want on your big day!  Visit us a Masonjarlifestyle.com for all your shabby chic wedding needs.

It’s hard to believe we made it through the holiday season, and now the Super Bowl is just around the corner!  Time flies.  We are in hardcore tailgating season right about now. Here are some great ideas if you’re at home watching the game, or braving the weather and tailgating.  That is the great thing about Mason Jars and Mason Jar accessories; they are versatile.

Here is a not so obvious item to use when you are tailgating.  The Mason Jar Speaker or “Trash Amp”.  This little speaker will knock your socks off!  It is an easy set-up to your Smartphone, so you can access all your music or use any streaming service.  The sound quality is great and you can get it to a pretty good Rocker status.  The Mason Jar does come with it and there are three cord colors to choose from (red, purple, green, or orange).

And then you’ve got your standard tailgating fare. Even before I went Mason Jar CRAZY I would transport Mimosas (not a beer drinker) when I was going camping or tailgating in Mason Jars because I could pop the top on them stick them in the cooler and BOOM instant drink with way less “stuff” to pack.  Mason Jar Lifestyle has some pretty fun barware.  Here are your tailgating necessities.

Cocktail Shaker Lid – this lid does not leak or rust and it fits regular mouth Mason Jars.  So basically you’re turning a Mason Jar in to a shaker!  The possibilities are endless at this point.  You can channel your inner Tom Cruise and shake drinks for everyone – game on, literally!

Long Spoon/Fork for Quart Mason Jars – We can’t all be James Bond.  Some of us like our drinks stirred and not shaken (this girl), so for those awesome people you definitely need one of these in your drinking tool kit.  This will definitely make you look legit!

Black Carrying Caddy with Wire Handle for Six Pint Mason Jars – So you’ve shaken and stirred your little heart out t the point Tom Cruise would be jealous.  Now how do you carry all these awesome drinks…?  The wire carrying caddy of course!  I love this, and it is really cute too.  Efficient and cute.  Tailgating goals. Met.

Hopefully this gives you all a little inspiration for the next game day, and THE big game day coming up here in a few weeks.  Check out our site for even more fun ideas for Game Day parties and beyond.  Mason Jar Lifestyle is THE place for all your Mason Jar Accessories!

Well over here in Colorado, winter has made her presence known. I don’t know about all of you, but the only reason I don’t mind the snow is that it makes coffee taste and feel so much better!

Mason Jar Lifestyle has some amazing coffee accessories. I’m going to share some of my favorites with you in this blog post, and there will be a giveaway. Hopefully that grabbed your interest. I know I’m excited because it’s our first giveaway of 2017!

For those of you that follow our Instagram and this blo, you won’t be surprised to know I am a HUGE fan of our Faux Leather Cuffs (koozies). I was looking back on our Instagram and it became very clear I’m bias toward this item. I covet it…just see! I pretty much never leave home without it.

Our Silicone Drinking Lids are great as well. Believe when I say you do need one when you’re driving. Trust me on this. With all the colors we have I had to get one of each, all to match my many moods and outfits.

Besides my two favorite items, if you don’t want to go the Faux Leather route, we have some great Silicone Koozies that you can mix and match with the drinking lids. These are fast becoming my new favorites because I love to mix and match for that fun and funky look!

If you’re not feeling the hot coffee route because, let’s face it we don’t all live where the seasons change, we’ve got some great new Cold Brew Coffee or tea mesh filters!

So now for the giveaway deets. Give us a follow on Instagram and leave a comment on this blog about what your favorite Mason Jar Lifestyle product. We will then randomly select a winner, and that person will get….you guessed it my favorite a Faux Leather Coffee Cuff!! Woo hoo! We would love to see your pics with your favorite Mason Jar Lifestyle product, and no it doesn’t have to involve coffee! Post on Instagram and use #masonjarlfestyle.

What is your wish for 2017? If you’re like us here at Mason Jar Lifestyle, you’re hoping we don’t lose any more of our favorite music artists or actors. It’s been a rough year for a lot of us in many ways, but it’s the perfect time to reflect on 2016 and look ahead to all the possibilities of 2017.

2016 was a banner year in the world of Mason Jar Lifestyle. We hit some pretty big milestones, and we could not have done it without you, our loyal customers. Here are a few 2016 highlights:

-We had our first anniversary in June.

-MJL moved from a home-based office to an office/warehouse space. We experienced tremendous growth and needed more space to get all of you your orders!

-Not only did we need more space, but we needed help getting your orders out. We hired some picking, packing, and shipping experts. Without these wonderful ladies, we could not get you all your orders in the super speed we strive for!

-As we grew in 2016, we wanted our product line to grow in step. We added some fun and practical stainless steel accessories along with our silicone koozies and regular mouth silicone drinking Lids in all sorts of fun colors.

-These new products must have been winners, because we outgrew our current office/warehouse space and will be upgrading to a bigger space in 2017!

-We also hired another shipping specialist to our team, and we are so happy to have him.

-And then….yours truly was hired to ramp up the social media and blogging!

-Towards the end of 2016, we continued to keep it fresh and added (my personal fav) the lemon yellow to the silicone product line-up.

To say 2016 was a fabulous year for us here at MJL is truly an understatement! We are so appreciative of our customers and our new shipping team for making this such a great year!! So give yourselves a big pat on the back because you all deserve it!!

Looking ahead to 2017 is just as exciting for us. We’ve chosen to focus on a word for 2017, as opposed to a specific goal or resolution. You may be asking yourself, “what’s the difference?!?!”. Well, choosing a word helps us to simplify what it is we want to always be focusing on in 2017. We’ve also all personalized what that one word means to us and how it makes us feel. Our word is GROWTH.

Growth to us means feeling like we are shipping efficiently, adding relevant product lines, adding more staff to accommodate for new growth, making sure tenured staff is happy, the website and content is relevant, social media followings continue to increase, and so much more (but you get the point). “Growth” is more than just our word; it is our feeling and what we are projecting onto 2017!

Here are a few things to look for in 2017

-We will be moving into our new building in the first half of 2017.

-We will be having some local Colorado pop-up shops in the new year.

-And of course some fun new product additions!

We are very excited to continue to grow Mason Jar Lifestyle in 2017 and beyond! We will keep you updated and informed as new things pop up…literally!! Please feel free to comment or email us if there is something you’d like to see in 2017.

Happy New Year from all of us at MJL, xoxo

We are getting close to the eleventh hour, and you just glanced at your Christmas list and you still have quite a few gifts to buy.  What do you do?  Why head over to masonjarlifestyle.com of course!  We’ve got something for everyone on your list.

The Hostess with the Mostest

Any one of our great gift sets would make this Martha Stewart type swoon.  Check out all our great gift sets, which are also on SALE.  Yes please.

The Guy who has Everything

Well of course this guy needs our faux leather sleeve to carry his coffee around whilst walking his dog.  This is rugged, but cool looking

Working Moms

Did I mention our gift sets?  An on the go mom with no time to spare would love any of our wonderful gift sets.  She would also appreciate how efficient you were in your gift giving choices.

Stay at Home Moms

This mom set loves efficiency as well, so go ahead buy them a gift set too.  If you want to think outside the box a bit go with some of these great Mason Jar Candle Holders and Solar Lighting inserts

Cool Moms

Of course these moms need to take it up a notch, so not only are they carrying a Mason Jar but they’ve got multi-colored silicone sleeves to match their outfits, stainless steel straw hole lid, glass or stainless steel straw, and silicone coffee lids in all colors.  Cool Moms could also be the Power Moms because they are slaying with this combo!

Those Hipster Neighbors

Three words.  Cold. Brew. Coffee. BOOM.  All you need is a few wide mouth pint Mason Jars, our awesome mesh cold brew coffee filters, and add their favorite local roasted coffee.  Throw in a cool flannel and some beard oil, and present complete!

And you thought Mason Jars were only for country loving people who watch Pioneer Women and use too much butter in their cooking.  Wrong. Mason Jars are the “IT” accessory to have in your house or carry on the go.  Mason Jars are the new Starbucks Cup, and they are way better for the environment.

Christmas is only a few weeks away, and with all that has been going on in the world I thought I would use this blog post to talk about ways you can give back.  Colorado Gives Day was just this past Tuesday, so perfect timing to learn about ways you can give back.  2016 has been somewhat of a rollercoaster, and one of the good things to come out of it is how it has highlighted our need to reach out and help others.

On Small Business Saturday we here at Mason Jar Lifestyle donated a portion of our proceeds to Americares, which is a health focused relief and development organization that responds to people affected by poverty or disaster with life changing medicine, medical supplies and health programs.  They have been around for almost 40 years.  They are a great group that has had a great impact on those in need.

Here are some other great charities that you can give to suggested by Oprah herself, which can be found on Oprah.com

Kiva.org – on this site you can help an entrepreneur from around the world finance their business.  Once that person pays you back you can either withdraw your money, or reinvest!

Firstbook.org provide age appropriate books for low income families.  Families in this program also participate in a mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy program.

Changingthepresent.org is a program that provides training for two Mid-Wives in areas where medical care is scarce, a month’s worth of sanitary napkins for 10 afghan girls, interview clothes for five job applicants, or any number of other things.  Changing the Present is a clearinghouse for charitable causes that is grouped by cause.

Nothingbutnets.net provides insecticide treated bed nets for Malaria prevention for five families in Africa.  This disease still kills nearly a million children each year in Africa.

Modestneeds.org helps cover the cost of what health insurance does not cover.  The idea behind this is to potentially stop a family from falling in to poverty due to medical expenses.

Doctorswithoutborders.org your donation will provide a medical kit containing basic drugs, supplies, equipment, and dressings to treat 1,500 patients for three months.

The Hunger Project (THP.org) provides help for a community in Africa, Asia, or Latin America.

If you find yourself short on cash, but still want to give back here are some great volunteer ideas.

Animal Rescue Shelters, National Parks, Food Pantries, Habitat for Humanity, Local Libraries, Art Museums, Political Campaigns, YMCA, Retirement Homes, Red Cross, Salvation Army….if you would like more ideas check out volunteermatch.com

I’m going to end this blog post with some really great quotes that I hope inspire you to give.  All of the charities listed above would appreciate whatever you can give, even if it was just your time!

“We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill

“No one has become poor by giving.” -Anne Frank

“The heart that gives, gathers.” -Tao Te Ching

“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal” -Steve Maraboli

And lastly….

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

We are right in the thick of the holiday season.  We made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.  At Mason Jar Lifestyle,  the momentum has begun.  We are all trying to keep to our health goals while keeping up with all of our amazing customers’ orders.  Why is it so much easier to make a run to a drive through?  Well first off – drive through!, and second, there is one on every corner.  So how do we stop the temptation?  I will defer to the Boy Scout’s motto of “Be Prepared.”

What does this mean exactly, and how does that involve a Mason Jar, you ask?  Well let me tell you.  For me it means preparing my food for the next day the night before.  Advance prep is key.  For breakfast I make up a batch of Overnight Oats, which last me a few days.  For lunch it’s a Mason Jar salad or soup.  I’ll also throw an apple and some almonds in my lunch bag as well. In the morning I whip up a fruit and greens smoothie and take it with me on my commute to work.  This helps me be less tempted to grab that bagel or donut that is inevitably sitting in the break room.

What makes this all so easy is my Mason Jar accessories I get from Mason Jar Lifestyle.  I like to make my Overnight Oats in to a breakfast parfait with added fruit and yogurt topped with a little gluten free granola.  I keep the granola from getting soggy by putting it in my snazzy yellow MJL Condiment Cup.  I have several of these and you will see why as you read further.

For lunch it is most likely a Mason Jar Salad.  I just mix in all my fav greens, veggies, and beans or protein and all my healthy bases are covered!  My salad dressing goes right in to another Condiment Cup.  I love these things and use them a ton.  I’ve actually fond some pretty good Mason Jar Noodle Soup ideas that I will be trying now that it has decided to be winter here in Colorado.  The recipes can be found here.  If you’ve tried any, please share and let me know which ones were your favorites.

To help me get even more fruits and veggies, I start my day off with a fruit and greens smoothie that I take on the go in a Mason Jar with my handy dandy Recap Pour Spout Lid and Stainless Steel Whisking Ball because we all know how our smoothies (especially with protein powder added) like to separate.  Yuck.

To make this process even easier and to get you started on the road to “Being Prepared” we have a Lunch Gift Set that has all the essentials AND it’s on sale!  Hopefully this is an early Holiday gift for yourself, and why not get a coordinating one for your work or play bestie.  This is so super cute and when your friends and co-workers see it they will absolutely covet it!

Remember, it is so important, especially during the holidays, to practice self-care.  One of the best ways to do that is to fuel your body with nourishing food.  Mason Jars are the perfect companion to healthy food and, added bonus, you’re helping the planet by reducing waste!  Please share in the comments some of your strategies to stay on track during the holidays.  We would also love to hear some of your go to self-care strategies besides eating healthy.

If you’re like me you LOVE Black Friday deals, but hate battling (in some cases literally) the crowds. Luckily we can now shop in our jammies from the comfort of our own homes. Mason Jar Lifestyle has made your Christmas shopping even easier with our holiday gift sets.

They are up on our site now, so go take a look! Our Black Friday Sale goes from 11/25/16-11/28/16, so we’ve got the traditional Black Friday and of course Cyber Monday covered for you. And just to make things interesting on Saturday 11/26/16 (also known as Small Business Saturday) you not only get a discount, but we’re donating a $1 for every internet order we receive to Americares!

And for your viewing pleasure take a look at our great gift sets. We are also giving away one of our Coffee Gift Sets. You will automatically be entered to win if you follow us on Instagram and Facebook and submit your info on Rafflecopter. Good luck!  

Cocktail Lovers’ Gift Set $34.99

Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker Lid, Regular Mouth Quart Mason Jar, Four Glass Cocktail Straws, Long Cocktail Spoon, Meyer Lemon Cocktail Rimming Salt Made in Small Batches with only Fresh Meyer Lemons and Sea Salt, Holiday Card

Pamper Yourself Gift Set $19.99 +shipping & handling

Limited Edition 12 oz QuiltedMason Jar, All Natural Peppermint-Lavender Essential Oil Bath Salts Handmade in Small Batches, Two 100% Beeswax Tea Light Candles with up to Ten Hour Burn Time Each, Tea Light Candle HolderInsert for Mason Jar, and Holiday Card

Tea Lovers’ Gift Set $40.99

Wide Mouth Pint Mason Jar, Drinking Lid, Sleeve, Stainless Steel Loose Leaf Tea Infuser for Mason Jars, Stainless Steel Band, 100% Organic Winter Chai in 4 oz Quilted Mason Jar, and a Holiday card

Coffee Lovers’ Gift Set $46.99

Wide Mouth Pint Mason Jar, Drinking Lid, Sleeve, Cold Brew Filter for Quart Jar, Stainless Steel Band, Stainless Steel Storage Lid, Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans in Assorted Flavors, and a Holiday Card

And Coming Soon…

Smoothie Lovers’ Gift Set

Includes: Pint Mason Jar, Half Jar Sleeve, Silicone Straw Lid, Stainless Steel Band, 2 Thick Glass Straws, 2 Stainless Steel Straws, Smoothie Seed Mix, and a Holiday Card

I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve got my eye on the Cocktail Lovers’ Gift Set.  How EXTRA yummy would a Lemon Drop be with homemade Meyer lemon rimming salt?  Dangerously good! Happy shopping!!

We here at Mason Jar Lifestyle are thankful you are our customers and are supporting small businesses. We hope you all have very Happy Holidays!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway