Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has unveiled the first product from her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, sending jars of strawberry jam to influencers and friends.

Several people have posted about the jam to social media, including fashion designer Tracy Robbins and Argentinian socialite Delfina Blaquier.

Robbins uploaded two images of the jam to her Instagram Story on Monday.

“Thank you for the delicious basket! I absolutely love this jam so not sure I’m sharing with anyone. @American RivieraOrchard Thank you M!” read the caption on the first image.

“Breakfast, lunch and dinner just got a little sweeter,” Robbins wrote in the second image, with both photos showing a jar labelled “17 of 50.”

Blaquier appears to have received jar 10 of 50, and also posted about it on her Instagram Story. 

“Strawberry jam makes me happy. And I love your jam, @americanrivieraorchard,” she wrote.

The first sign of Meghan’s new business venture came in March, when she returned to Instagram after deactivating her personal account in 2018.

Meghan rebranded the account American Riviera Orchard, and the bio confirms the account is run by her. 

So far details of the business have been sparse, with the nine Instagram posts simply forming a montage of the brand’s logo.

The American Riviera Orchard website is similarly mysterious, featuring just a landing page.

However, a search of the public trademark database yielded information on a brand that matched that of Meghan’s new company.

That company, according to the records, offers retail items such as jams and preserves, butters, tablewares, cutlery, tablecloths, cookbooks and digital recipe offerings.

The trademark records show the owner of the mark is an LLC that cites the same address where the office of Richard Genow, who is an attorney for the duchess, is located.

In addition to the brand, Meghan continues to work with husband Prince Harry as part of Archewell Productions, which has two new nonfiction series in production at Netflix, the streaming giant confirmed to CNN earlier this month.

The first series will be curated by Meghan and “will celebrate the joys of cooking & gardening, entertaining, and friendship” according to Netflix.

The second new series is, according to Netflix, “shot primarily at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, will provide viewers unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.”

The one thing 9-year-old Cal Clifford wanted more than anything since he was a toddler was a pet octopus. The boy’s family in rural Edmond, Okla., humoured him with toy versions of an eight-legged mollusk, but as Cal got older it became clear that only the real thing would do. The child’s father, 36-year-old dentist Cameron Clifford, researched the possibility with a local aquarium store and before long Terrance the California two-spot octopus, also known as a bimac, was living in a watery enclosure at the family home southwest of Oklahoma City. “We really like to encourage our children’s interests,” said the older Clifford. “It’s magical to see a kid embrace their dreams and bring them to fruition. Cal has been infatuated with the natural world and with marine biology since he was very little.” A popular TikTok saga was launched with the father narrating the tale of Terrance the cephalopod, using a faux British accent generated by the social media app. Eventually, hundreds of thousands of people were following.  Within weeks, the tale took a surprise twist when it was learned Terrance was actually a female as it laid some 50 eggs that the family initially assumed were unfertilized. Several weeks after that, teeny near-transparent octopus babies began hatching and were given names like Rocket Larry, Squid Cudi, Swim Shady, Jay-Sea and Sea-Yoncé. Cal had burst into tears at the family dinner table when his father first announced that the local aquarium store had told him adopting an octopus would be possible. Father and son together researched what was needed, deciding on a saltwater tank and water cycling system and ensuring they would be able to source food for the soft-bodied sea creature. The family’s younger son, Lyle, and mom, Kari, also joined the project in their own ways. A family friend who is a reptile scientist has provided support and advice. While female octopuses usually die soon after laying their eggs, Clifford said Terrance remains alive four months later. Individual containers holding hatchlings from Terrance, the pet octopus, are seen in Edmond, Okla. (Cameron Clifford via AP) Clifford said the family has gained much from the experience. “Aside from the physical, financial and emotional requirements of owning a species such as a bimac, you will learn a lot about yourself in the process,” the Arizona-born Clifford told TikTok followers in his app-generated accent. “There’s always some valve or seal that’s not completely closed, and your storm resistant carpet isn’t rated for gallons and gallons of seawater. You’ll learn that seawater and electricity don’t always get along.” “You will learn new things and meet incredible people and will learn that wildlife is magnificent,” he added. “But most of all, you’ll learn to love a not-so-tiny octopus like Terrance.” The Clifford family, from left to right; Cameron, Cal, Lyle and Kari. (Cameron Clifford via AP)

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?