Stress is a major contributing factor to a number of ailments, as Americans we know this all too well. We are a very busy country, on the road to financial recovery after the "great recession". I, by nature, am a very stressed out person, and have found that I must take a deep breath, lay my work aside for awhile, and do something I like to do. I'm like a lot of you, I like to keep my hands busy and create something. I love Etsy, and love hand crafted products, and homespun ideas.

As a kid my family and I used to make grapevine wreaths from my grandparents grapevines. I remember having so much fun clipping and gathering the vines, soaking them in water so they were a little more pliable, and finally weaving them into these really cool twisted up designs. Pine cone wreaths with cardboard backing were another craft we used to do as a family. I always found that seed pod crafting allowed more freedom, and accents from Michael's always looked a little more at home.

A few years ago I decided to start hand crafting items again, after all, I had to do something. I quickly found that if I put aside an hour a day for a hobby like this, my stress level would drop dramatically. Another added bonus? I had a closet full of high-quality, hand crafted gifts for friends and families when that special occasion arose! Even if I don't feel like crafting anything, and my work load is heavy, I force myself to sit down and involve my mind with something else. Soon after I am relatively stress free and find myself much more productive when it is time to return to work.