The Shiny Red Mug: My Introduction to Longaberger

Back in January I was feeling the usual organizational twinges that follow the holiday season and its over-abundance. In particular, I had started resenting the odd collection of mugs that we had accumulated over the years, with their faded designs and chipped edges. One particular morning, as I was preparing to make my traditional cup of tea, I opened the cupboard to find this tall, shiny, and wonderfully-red mug staring back at me.

You are going to think this is silly, but I remember feeling like a child who had just found the one thing they really wanted under the Christmas tree. Without hesitation I took the mug out of the cupboard, made my cup of tea, and sat down on the couch to contemplate the upcoming day. The mug was tall enough that I could cradle it in both hands to keep them warm. I can still remember feeling so pampered just because of that mug.

This went on for several days until I was spotted with the mug by my daughter's boyfriend. He had accidentally left the mug at our house. It was actually a travel mug that came with a lid. That made me love it even more. Unfortunately, so did his mother. I was saddened by this turn of events and decided I would have to get another one just like it. I called his mother to ask her where she had bought the mug and she told me that it was from Longaberger. "Longa-Who?" I had never heard of them before. She told me that Longaberger was a basket-making company and she had gotten the mug from a friend who sold their products from home.

I contacted the Longaberger Home Consultant to find out when she would be having another home show. In the meantime, she sent me a product catalog. Everything was beautiful and made to coordinate with each other. When I finally went to her house to buy the travel mugs, I was smitten.