Happiness Doubled by Wonder

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."    -G.K. Chesterton

 

Exciting news! Harmony Moon celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Oh my! Time does fly and it's been a wild and joyous ride.

Here are some highlights from Harmony Moon's history:

 

We increased the awareness of the fair trade movement in our local communities through our sponsorship of the Fair Trade Resource Network and our partnerships with Ten Thousand Villages in Alexandria and with The Sacred Circle and Cranberry's in Staunton to celebrate and promote World Fair Trade Day.

 

 

We were there at the beginning of the farm-to-table movement. Harmony Moon was the very first in Alexandria to offer CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm shares to our customers through partnerships with The Farmstead at Charlotte Hall in Maryland and Great Country Farms in Virginia.

 

We participated in Washington, DC's first ever Green Festival. Harmony Moon was an early member of Green America's Green Business Network and we were awarded the organization's coveted GOLD medal for our green practices. 

 

 

We saved the lives of dozens of cats and kittens by helping them find their forever homes through our partnerships with local cat rescue groups such as King Street Cats and Tails High in Alexandria, and Cat's Cradle and H.O.P.E. in Staunton. 

 

 

 

In the weeks and months to come, we will continue to share stories of our many adventures and the many wonderful people we have met along the way.

And we continue to feel awe, wonder, and enormous gratitude to the many talented, creative, thought-filled, engaged, uplifting, spiritual, change-makers and activists who, like you, are our friends and customers and who really do believe that one person has the power to change the world.

We are so very grateful for your love and support. Thank you for allowing us to serve you these twenty years. You fill us with happiness doubled by wonder.

And now, let the adventures continue...

 

Thanks for a fabulous 2011 and Happy Holidays!

Peace & Prosperity in the New Year!

No matter what your faith or beliefs - whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another holiday - the period that marks the end of one year and the beginning of another is a time for reflection and renewal.

As we close out our 15th year in business, we realize how much we owe to you, our very loyal customers and friends. We are honored and grateful for your friendship and support these many years. Thank you!

We wish you all much peace, happiness, health, and prosperity in the New Year!

-Sally, Chris, Lilo, & Amida

Welcome to August!

When it comes to mosquitoes,

the best defense is a good offense

August in DC means heat, humidity, and .....mosquitoes! It's been said that the best defense is a good offense, so we thought we would share with you some tips from our friends at the National Wildlife Federation on what works and what doesn't for reducing the mosquito threat in your yard.

What works:

• eliminating all possible places for standing water, including gutters and yes, even bottle caps!
• chemical repellents that contain DEET
• natural repellents that contain lemon eucalyptus

 What doesn't work:

• ultrsonic repellents, zappers, & traps

You can read the full list from the National Wildlife Federation here.

 

Mosquitoes just adore me so I tend to really suffer in the summertime. And I don't like to use chemical sprays on me or the yard, so I really suffer in the summer.

There are three things I've found to be truly effective in repelling those pesky miniature vampires: cigars, incense, and these all-natural citronella & eucalyptus candles!

 

You might not want to use cigars or incense if you're having a backyard barbecue, but I highly recommend trying these candles. They are all natural soy wax candles made entirely with pure essential oils. The liquid wax can be applied directly to the skin for added bug protection. No synthetics, no chemicals, no bugs!

 

Come get your summer supply of these "all-natural, hand-poured, made in the USA" candles at Mindful Hands in Old Town Alexandria.

Thanks for a fabulous first fifteen years!

Mindful Hands is FIFTEEN years old! That's practically ancient for independent retailers like us. And we couldn't have done it without you! A big THANK YOU to all our wonderful customers who have helped us not only survive but thrive! We hope to continue to support you in bringing serenity into your lives for at least another fifteen years!

We posted some photos from our big birthday bash here.

And Orrin Konheim of the Alexandria Gazette-Packet wrote a wonderful article about our little shop and celebration here.

Our first 15 years have been a wonderful experience and a grand adventure! We're looking forward to our next fifteen!

Handcrafted Alexandria

As most of you know, the majority of the items in our shop, Mindful Hands, are handmade, either by international artisan co-ops in India, Nepal, and other countries, or by artisans living here in the US. This year, we are proud to join a local consortium of 14 Alexandria-based businesses that offer handmade gifts, clothing, and artwork, or offer art and craft supplies, as well as classes, to help you make your own handcrafted wonders. You can check out the group, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, at Handcrafted Alexandria.

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, Feb. 14 -20!

"How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!"

-George Elliston; news reporter, poet

A simple act of kindness can:

• bring two people together in spontaneous goodwill
• create a smile that can go 'round the world
• increase someone else's happiness as well as your own
• ignite a small flame of positive thinking

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week from Feb. 14 - 20! We'll be celebrating all week at Mindful Hands and will host a Kindness Fair on Saturday, Feb. 20. You can also follow us on Follow us on twitter (twitter.com/mindfulhands) as we post suggestions for random acts of kindness, inspirational messages, and updates on acts of kindness happening around the world.

If you're really feeling brave, you can take the Extreme Kindness Challenge from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Commit to doing at least one act of kindness for each day of Random Acts of Kindness Week and share your experience via Facebook, Twitter or the Random Acts of Kindness website.

To get you started, here's a few simple acts of kindness:

• smile at everyone you see
• say "thank you" to someone who did something nice for you
• compliment a stranger
• pick up trash in your neighborhood
• hold the door open for someone

Participate in random acts of kindness! We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can certainly change our little corner of it.

15th Anniversary Celebration!

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Mindful Hands! We've certainly seen many ups and downs over the years and weathered many storms.

We've also changed our focus several times and expanded to meet the changing needs of our customers. We started out in 1996 as a Buddhist arts and meditation center then quickly expanded to importing Chinese antique furniture, eventually adding other home and garden accents to accomodate the needs of our growing customer base. In 2003, we expanded to the second floor and morphed into the specialty gift store and community center that we now are.

One thing has never changed: YOU! Our wonderful and loyal customers have stuck by us through thick and thin, ups and downs, and through all of our transformations. And you've brought your friends, family, and out-of-town visitors to see us and share in our little "oasis of serenity in Old Town."

To show our appreciation for your support, we're planning several special events throughout the coming year, including a 15th Birthday Extravaganza in June! To help us celebrate, and to make sure you don't miss out on any of the festivities, join our mailing list now!

Thank you for fifteen fabulous years!

"Care for Kids" Benefit to Support Children's National Medical Center

Every year at the end of October, The Children's National Medical Center sponsors a pre-holiday shopping promotion. Mindful Hands is once again a proud supporter of the "Care for Kids" holiday promotion. Mindful Hands, along with more than 500 other DC-area retail stores, will generously provide participants with a 20% discount off all regularly priced merchandise during the promotion period.

This year's designated shopping period is from Friday, October 22, through Sunday, October 31. All you have to do is purchase a Care For Kids holiday shopping card at selected merchants, through a team of 200+ volunteer sellers, or online at http://www.careforkidscard.com Your card purchase allows you to give a $50.00 contribution directly to Children's National and, in return, you will receive 20% off all regularly priced merchandise at participating stores, including Mindful Hands.

The Care for Kids program has provided more than one million dollars in donations to Children's National. Donations from previous years provided the Medical Center with a bright and cheery playroom for the patients in the Respiratory Care Unit, a clinical simulation training laboratory, and educational programs for children with Type 1 Diabetes and their parents.

Children's National is ranked as one of the top ten pediatric hospitals in the nation. The hospital provides care to all children in need, regardless of financial situation or whether insured or not. Last year, Children's National provided more than $50 million dollars in health care to children whose families could not afford treatment.

When you purchase a Care For Kids Card, 100% of the card sale proceeds go to Children's National Medical Center. Help this most worthy cause by purchasing your Care For Kids Card today!

Purchase your Care for Kids Shopping Card here.

Pledge to go Car Free on Sept. 22!

September 22 is International Car Free Day. Celebrations are happening in more than 1,500 cities in 40 countries as people all over the world pledge to go car free for just one day. Imagine: one day a year with no traffic congestion; breathable, cleaner air; reduced reliance on gasoline; and a greener earth. And you can help to make it happen.

Try a day off from your car and see just how liberating it can be. You can make a real difference for the environment by choosing to walk, cycle, use public transit, or telework for just one day. Pledge to go car free (or car-lite) on September 22 and participate in celebrations and contests in your city or region.

In the DC-metro area, pledge to go car free and be entered in a raffle to win fabulous prizes. You can enter even if you're already car free. To learn more and to make your pledge, click here

Shops and restaurants across the DC-area are offering special promotions to those who take the car free pledge. At Mindful Hands, just say "I'm car free today!" and receive 15% off your total purchase!

To find other activities and celebrations in your area, check out the International Car Free Day website.

Pledge to Go Car Free!

Eat Healthy, Eat Local

On March 25, Alexandria became only the second city in the country to pass a resolution in support of healthier eating, including increasing residents' access to locally grown, environmentally sustainable foods. And here at Mindful Hands we are happy to do our part in support of that same goal!

Mindful Hands is once again sponsoring an organic farm co-op (also known as a "CSA," or "community sponsored agriculture") in which members pay at the beginning of the season for 20 weeks worth of fresh, organic farm produce. If you are like me, you definitely appreciate the crisp and flavorful taste of homegrown vegetables picked fresh just that morning.

To find a co-op, farmer's market, or CSA near you, check out the Local Harvest website.

Waking Up

Hope runs high with the dawning of a new year. We leave behind the events and expectations from the past year - with all of its successes and failures, joys and sorrows, disappointments and happy surprises alike - and make way for the new: new beginnings, new goals, new activities, a new you. We talk about the start of a new year as if it is a chance to start fresh again, wipe away the mistakes of the past, re-invent ourselves, be the people we always had intended to be.

Actually, however, every day affords us that chance to begin anew. Every day that we awake is a new day and new beginning. It's rarely beneficial to set aggressive goals for one's self that, come March, will be forgotten amidst the fears and frustrations of too high expectations. Instead, try setting little every day goals, easily accomplished, that will bring pleasure to you or someone else. Small pleasures and little thoughtful actions, performed everyday, lead to big accomplishments.

Even large mountains are eventually worn down by the simple rain, one drop at a time. And like the rain, with focus and steady effort, transcending both hopes and fears, you will likely wake up one day to a kinder, gentler you.

Wishing all of you peace, love, and much joy in the new year!

In Gratitude

As you know, 2009 has been a particularly difficult year for the independent retail sector. At Mindful Hands, we recognize that you have many choices for where to shop. As we enter our 14th year here in Old Town Alexandria, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our many loyal customers, friends, and supporters. Thank you for your wonderful support over the years and your continuing patronage!

We wish you a healthy, prosperous, and happy New Year!

- Sally, Chris, Lilo, Amida, & Lissy

October is World Fair Trade Month

The simple act of buying fairly traded products can make an enormous difference in the lives of disadvantaged families all over the world. Fair Trade ensures that artisans and workers in developing countries receive a fair and living wage for their work.

Buying fair trade products means that:

• a child can go to school instead of going to work
• a single mother can support herself and her children
• enironmentally sustainable practices are used
• employees work in a healthy and safe environment

At Mindful Hands, we purchase many of our products from the Tibetan exile community, living in India and Nepal. After losing their country to Chinese Communist invasion in 1959, the Tibetans have since been in danger of losing their unique culture. Our support of these communities ensures that Tibetan families can support themselves and also helps to preserve their cultural heritage by bringing traditional handicrafts to American markets.

To learn more about the Fair Trade movement, check out these resources:

• The Fair Trade Resource Network (www.fairtraderesource.org)
• The Fair Trade Federation (www.fairtradefederation.org)
• DC Make Trade Fair, a local grassroots organization(www.meetup.com/DCMakeTradeFair)

To learn more about Tibet and the Tibetan exile community, check out:

• The International Campaign for Tibet (www.savetibet.org)

Thank You!

THANK YOU to everyone who voted for us in the American Express "Shine A Light" award. We were not chosen as one of the 3 finalists, however, we could not have gotten as far as we did in the judging phase without the help of all of our wonderful friends and supporters. Thank you!

Shine A Light on Mindful Hands!

Good News! Mindful Hands has been nominated for a "Shine a Light" award sponsored by American Express. Please VOTE for us by Sept. 13, we need 50 votes to be considered for the award. Click on the image to the left to read our story and cast your vote!

We could not have made it 13 years in Old Town Alexandria without the support and loyalty of our wonderful customers and friends! Thank you!

Support Local Artists

The fall arts season is upon us once again. Alexandria, Virginia is fortunate to be home to many nationally-acclaimed artists as well as the world-renowned Torpedo Factory Arts Center. On the weekend of September 12 & 13, King Street will once again be closed to traffic from Washington Street east to the river. Several of Alexandria's local artists, many of whom rent or own studio or gallery spaces in Old Town, will be exhibiting their works along the sidewalks in front of their galleries. Look for these talented, and local, artists:

- Mindful Hands' own art director, Chris Engnoth, will be exhibiting his fine art watercolors and digital paintings (that's "Key Bridge on Ice" above) in front of 211 King St.

- Our next door neighbor, Nar Steele of Cobblestone Art Gallery, will be exhibiting watercolors, multimedia works and painted birdhouses in front of 213 King St.

- Visit Todd Healy at Gallery Lafayette at 320 King St. Todd is well-known for his paintings of local Old Town scenes and architecture.

- Andrew McDonald, former vice-mayor of Alexandria, showcases his photos and other works at AHM Gallery, 215 S. Union St.

A trip to Old Town Alexandria is never complete without a visit to the internationally acclaimed Torpedo Factory Arts Center. The Torpedo Factory is sponsoring "Art Activated" with artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, and special dance and music performances on Saturday, 9/12, from noon - 4pm.

If you can't make it here the weekend of Sept. 12/13, don't fret. The Torpedo Factory Arts Center and the art galleries and studios of our many talented local artists are open year-round. Celebrate the Arts any day of the year in Old Town!

Support Your Local Businesses

If your community is anything like mine, there have been lots of mom-n-pop shops closing up lately. In every block there is at least one empty storefront. And we are fairly protected here on the outskirts of the nation's capital. Other parts of the country have been hit far worse by the continuing recession.

Old Town Alexandria, VA, where I live and own my shop, Mindful Hands, is lucky to be home to a large number of distinctive independent shops, catering to a wide clientele - from upscale chic boutiques to fine art and home decor galleries to multi-cultural fair trade and eco-minded handicrafts to family-centered children's stores. Many of Old Town's shops will promoting our community by sponsoring family-centered activities, on the weekend of September 12/13. Here are a few:

- Mindful Hands will be partnering with our friends, the King Street Cats, for "Kitty-purr-looza," a kitten adopt-a-thon, on Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 4pm. The kittens will be in their new "kitty corral" and, if past kitty-purr-loozas are any indication, it will be a kitty 3-ring circus! Stop by to pet and play with these frisky felines and maybe even take home a new friend (or two).

- Enjoy free lemonade and cookies, before or after playing with the kittens, jointly sponsored by Mindful Hands and our neighbors SoBe Unique Shoes - all at 211 King Street.

- Hooray for Books!, an independent children's book store, at 1555 King Street, will be offering hand-cut silhouettes - shadow portraits that capture the unique personality of your child - by Anne Leslie. She's one of only 75 silhouette artists in the United States, and she'll be at Hooray for Books! on September 12 from 1:00 - 5:00pm.

- The largest display of collectible kaleidoscopes will be at Arts Afire Glass Gallery, 1117 King St, all weekend long and through Sept. 30th. Artist reception, Fri-Sat, Sept. 11-12, from 5-8pm and 1-4pm on Sun 9/13.

- and don't miss "Children in the Churchyard at Christ Church," 118 N. Washington St., for family-friendly activities including a moon bounce, Sat and Sun, 1-4pm, FREE.

Support your local artists, businesses, and community institutions. In these tough economic times, your dollars do indeed count!

The Sad Realities of Kitten Season

"Kitten season" is upon us once again, This annual ritual starts in late spring and usually runs through early fall. What is kitten season, you ask? Kitten season is the time of year when millions of homeless kittens will be born in the streets, parking lots, highway rest areas, and woods all across America. They will largely die - killed by starvation, cars, or predators - before they reach six months old. The lucky ones will end up in shelters, only to be euthanized two or three weeks later when no homes are found for them.

Here are three things you can do to help:

(1) spay or neuter your pets
(2) spay or neuter your pets
(3) spay or neuter your pets

And if you're looking for a new companion, please consider adopting a homeless dog or cat from your local shelter.

At Mindful Hands, we work with a local no-kill shelter, King Street Cats, to help find homes for the many pregnant cats and their kittens that end up in the shelter's care each spring.

We will be hosting a series of adopt-a-thons for the King Street Cats (KSC) at Mindful Hands' store location at 211 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. The next adopt-a-thons will take place on Saturdays August 8 and August 22 from noon to 4:00pm each day. The King Street Cats currently have sixty kittens looking for loving homes. Won't you be a friend indeed to a kitten in need?

For more information:

"Coping with Kitten Season," The Humane Society of the United States

The King Street Cats

Ch-ch-ch-changes! The Earth Sangha moves to new location

It's been said that nothing is permanent except change. Our long time friends and fellow meditators, The Earth Sangha, who hosted the Tuesday and Wednesday evening sessions at Mindful Hands, have moved their meditation sessions to a new location. They will now be meeting at Yoga in Daily Life at 2402 Mount Vernon (in the Del Ray section of Alexandria, near the Braddock Road metro station).

Wednesday (beginner-level) sessions stay the same at 7pm to 9pm but Tuesday (intermediate-level) sessions will change to 7:45 to 9:20pm. Visit The Earth Sangha or call (703) 764-4830 for details.

We wish them much success in their new location!

Tea & Chocolate: World Fair Trade Day, May 9

Join us for fairly traded tea and chocolate on World Fair Trade Day, Saturday, May 9. Fair Trade ensures that artisans and workers in developing countries receive a fair and living wage for their work. At Mindful Hands, we will be serving iced berry tea from Choice Teas and a variety of fair trade chocolate treats.

Worthy cause + chocolate, 'nuff said?

For more information and directions: http://www.mindfulhands.com/