It’s Farmers Market season! Yaaaay! I’m much more excited about this than I should be, because like some kind of health and wellness stars aligning, I am simultaneously moving into a home with an amateur gourmet chef’s kitchen that is within an easy bike ride from an awesome Farmers Market in Visalia.

Also, we’re committing to the 80/20 rule of eating whole and minimally processed foods. (Make sure 80 percent of foods are whole and the other 20 you can cheat a little, because sometimes you just NEED a bacon wrapped hot dog, amiright?!) So this season is simply magical. It’s like the health nuts season for New Years “healthy eating” resolutions, only this time of year you are destined for success.

All of this is just to say, when preparing for a season of picking fresh, local and in season fruits and veggies at the Farmers Market, you need to arm yourself with the Farmers Market shoppers staples. Reusable, chic totes anyone?

Crooked Brook Custom Embroidered Tote Bag

I’m excited to welcome back Crooked Brook, this time sponsoring a Custom Embroidered Tote Bag Giveaway just in time to “tote” your stuff from the farmer’s market!

One winner will receive two, 10″W x 14″H x 5″D, gusseted bottom, 10 oz., 100% cotton canvas tote bags personalized with two of the winner’s favorite herbs embroidered, one on one side, of each bag. Total value including shipping … $50.00!

Here is the list of herbs that winners can choose from: 

• Basil

• Caraway

• Chamomile

• Chives

• Coriander

• Cumin

• Dill

• Fennel

• Lemon Balm

• Marjoram

• Myrrh

• Oregano

• Parsley

• Peppermint

• Rosemary

• Sage

• Spearmint

• Tarragon

• Thyme

Images of the embroidered stitch outs can be found here: embroidery designs.

Some Fun Trivia From Crooked Brook!

Tote bags have become one of the most used bags in America. They can be utilized for a multitude of purposes, which explains why they have become so popular. These bags are truly an American Classic. For those looking for convenience and ease of carrying things, the tote bag is often the best suited for the job.

The word tote started to be used back in the mid 1700’s and literally means to carry, with technically unknown origins; originally attested in Virginia. The Oxford English Dictionary questions the popular theory of its origin in a West African language (cf. Kikongo tota “pick up” and Kimbundu tuta “carry, load,” linked to Swahili tuta “pile up, carry”).

Embroidery is a form of art that involves decorating a surface, typically fabric, with designs created by using a needle and thread (or yarn) that started out as a form of hand sewing and eventually advanced into a type of machine sewing. The exact origins of embroidery are hard to pinpoint, but there are many early examples that have survived throughout the centuries from ancient Egypt, Northern Europe and the Zhou Dynasty in China. In many cultures throughout history including ancient Persia, India, Japan, Byzantium, medieval and Baroque Europe – embroidery was a sign of high social status and wealth and became a hugely popular art form.

Enter To Win!

Enter to win below! And remember, you can enter once a day! Good luck!

Terms and conditions: 

• You must be 18 years or older to enter.

• Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.

• Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states. If address is undeliverable or prize is unclaimed and sent back, winner is responsible for re-shipping charges.

Can’t to wait to see if you won? Receive a 20% discount on all Crooked Brook custom shirts (embroidered or printed), custom polo shirts (embroidered or printed), custom sweatshirts (embroidered or printed) or custom hoodies (embroidered or printed) custom lab coats (embroidered or printed) and custom embroidery from 5/19/14 through 06/15/14 with the Coupon Code “Domestic Geek Girl Custom Embroidery Giveaway”.