I’m not exactly sure what Easter celebrations are going to look like in a few weeks, but I started to work on some table ideas before we hunkered down and felt like these cheery images were worth sharing even if the holiday ends up looking quite different this year. We could all use some happy tables full of velvet ribbons and champagne coupes filled with jelly beans, right?  read more

Given everything that’s going on in the world right now, our St. Patrick’s Day plans don’t exactly look like we planned and that’s totally okay. I had gotten together a bunch of inspiration and ideas for a little party we were having for our local St. Patrick’s Day parade (it’s a BIG deal in our little town!). Parades and parties have been cancelled, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a mini-celebration at home with our families. If anything, making some green cupcakes and special holiday treats are a good way to pass time and take our mind off things, right? Scroll down for some fun ideas, and give them a pin to save for next year’s bigger and better festivities! read more

Cheese plates are kinda my thing. After a few years of working on my #DomestikateGrazingBoards series, I’ve acquired quite the collection of cheese plate accessories. From marble slabs to cutting boards to tiny dishes for honey and jam, I’ve got it all. Cheese knives are among my prop-hoarding-collection, and I have a few go-to knives that I use on almost every single board.  On a recent afternoon of cheese plate assembly, I rifled through my kitchen drawer and stopped to think about all of the different kinds of cheese knives I had, and what exactly each one of them was for. Truthfully, I knew which knives I paired with certain cheeses, but I didn’t know what each one was actually designed for — so I set out to research it and share my new wealth of cheese knife knowledge with you, in this Cheese Knives 101 overview! read more

We are in the home stretch for holiday preparations (I need to start wrapping gifts!) and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some easy ideas for a simple Christmas dinner! On Christmas Eve my family usually spends the afternoon at a family friends house for an annual party. When we arrive back home there is a short window to prep dinner, so I’m always thinking of creative ways to make items ahead of time and use some shortcuts to speed up the time in the kitchen. My friends at The Honey Baked Ham Company shared some of their delicious products with me, and I used them to design a tasty Christmas menu. read more

It’s barely the middle of December and we’ve already had two snowstorms, and I’ve been brainstorming fun ideas for Jane and I do together while we’re stuck inside. She is currently obsessed with snowman — we’ve built a real one with this fun snowman set, she’s constantly wear her snowman sweatshirt, and since she just learned how to draw circles we’ve been drawing a lot of them too.  So I thought we’d make a sweet snowman treat together for the holidays using fluffy white marshmallows! read more

One of my best memories as a kid at the holidays was heading to our family-friend’s house for their annual Christmas Eve party, and seeing at the back of the dining room a lavish display of cookies and sweets. They were set out on a buffet table on beautiful platters and tiered serving stands, and I would pluck one off the display every time I walked by it. By the end of the party I was so full of linzer tarts and rainbow cookies, it’s a miracle I didn’t get mistaken for Santa himself. I love the idea of these lush cookie displays, full of everyone’s favorite treats, but I just don’t have the stamina for that level of baking-commitment! My solution is a bit of a fake-it-til-you-make it take on the holiday cookie display, using some of my favorite Chinet^®brand products! read more

We are in the home stretch for Thanksgiving planning, and I have it easy this year since we’re going to my in-laws. I’m in charge of stuffing (my fave) and helping Jane finish the turkey crowns we’ve been coloring for our family. I just can’t help myself though and had to put together a little Thanksgiving table setting for the blog! My friends at Serena and Lily shared some of their beautiful tableware pieces with me and inspired this preppy-harvest look that incorporates some of my favorite tips and tricks for a holiday table. read more

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday — for obvious reasons: FOOD! But one of my very favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the day after when we get to dive into the leftovers and make those delicious mile-high turkey sandwiches, or dig into a slice of remnant pie while hanging out with family on the couch. While no one can argue the place that the turkey sandwich has in the leftover hierarchy, everyone has a different approach to their leftover packaging. Being who I am, I of course can’t let Thanksgiving leftovers go unadorned and have some festive ideas for packing up your precious pie slices using my favorite Chinet^®brand products!
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As we gear up for the peak of the entertaining season (how is it already November?!), it’s the perfect time of year to pull out some easy hacks to make hosting less of a chore and more of a party! I shared a few of my go-to tips for getting organized and prepared for the holidays in the December issue of Family Circle Magazine. I’m sharing a few of the ideas below, and be sure to check out the issue on newsstands now for more holiday prep ideas! read more