This is always an easy list to put together because it’s typically my very own wishlist, and a few of my tried and true favorites. My top gift recommendations are things that I own and love: the coziest pajamas, my favorite spice sets, the trendy hair dryer brush (it’s a game changer), and always a few good cookbooks (I love the new Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, and New England Invite makes a great gift too!). On my own wishlist, a new slim wallet from Dagne Dover, a monogramed travel jewelry case, and a fun sequin jacket to ring in the new year! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for him, for kids, and for the home! read more
Men are SO hard to shop for, and I always feel like gift guides for “him” tend to be the most helpful ones I see this time of year. I polled my husband for some of his favorite things when I was working on this, like his cozy LL Bean pullover, a durable duffle bag, his yeti travel mug, and his smoker (which we all benefit from — yum!). I also included some practical items — bean boots and garment bags, fun ideas — like artisanal caramels, lawn games, and a few tech-faves — like speakers, AirPod cases, and a wireless grilling thermometer! Scroll down for more, and don’t forget to check out my gift guide for her, for kids, and for the home! read more
I just got back from a whirlwind 24 Hours in Cincinnati where this site took home Best Entertaining Blog of the Year from Saveur Magazine’s 2019 Saveur Blog Awards!! I truly can’t believe it, it was so surreal hearing my blog name called during the awards ceremony. I’m so grateful for the experience of being among such amazing creators and am beyond honored that so many of you voted for me. Check out the full list of Saveur Blog Award winners for some amazing inspiration (I left so creatively recharged after meeting these amazing writers and photographers!), and scroll down for a few pictures from the event and awards ceremony! 
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It’s been a behind-the-scenes kind of life here lately. A little bit less action on the blog usually means lots of big stuff happening in the kitchen and tons of new ideas coming soon. While I’m working behind the curtain on lots and lots of festive fall and holiday ideas to share, I’ve got a few links and updates in this week’s download to keep you in the loop! 
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September has been a blur! I have been on the go for weddings (my sister got married last weekend!) and parties (you have to see the camp-themed bachelorette we threw!), in the midst of our first two weeks of potty training (send wine!!) and deep in lots of fun work projects (get excited for the holiday season!!). I sort of feel like I’ve barely been able to catch my breath, and October is winding up to be just as full of work and play. I love sitting down to write these download posts because it feels like unloading all of the little updates I have to share — and I have lots of them today. New recipes, Halloween ideas, lots of books I’ve been reading, and a few fun fall finds! And before you scroll down to read more, I have a favor to ask! I’ve been nominated by Saveur Magazine as a finalist for the Best Entertaining Blog 2019 — I would love your vote! Click here to vote daily! 
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My love for grazing boards is boundless, and they’re one of my very favorite entertaining tricks to wow guests! They also happen to be one of my favorite tricks for getting my picky toddler to eat well. I probably get asked for “snacks” about 40 times a day by Jane — one of our biggest food challenges is that she would much rather eat snacks than meals. Instead of having this ongoing battle over snacks, I have embraced it and made a kid-friendly snack spread that rivals some of my best grown-up grazing boards, with the help of a few of my favorite Cascadian Farm ingredients.
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I can’t believe how fast the month of August has been flying by! Summer is fleeting, so I’m very grateful for a weekend ahead with no plans. Going to soak it all up, get my toes sandy, and maybe make some s’mores with Jane (one of the last items we haven’t tackled on our summer bucket list!). Before I hunt down my marshmallow and graham crackers, I have a round up of new recipes, recent reads, and a few other random tidbits to send us into the weekend — happy reading!
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Toddlers and meal time, it’s a tumultuous relationship! Some weeks we hit our stride and meal times go like clockwork, and other weeks I have to try just about every trick up my sleeve to get Jane to eat anything at all. One of my very best tricks though, is giving her a few options. I love giving her bento box style lunches with a variety of ingredients to keep her engaged at mealtime. It’s been something that’s worked really well for us at lunchtime, and I even assemble a bento box style dinner for eating outside on the patio or on a summer picnic. Since this has been such a success for us at other meal times, I thought I’d try a breakfast bento box to get us out of a morning rut, using some of my favorite Cascadian Farm organic granolas and cereals.
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A few weeks ago, we checked an item off of our summer bucket list with a perfect warm-weather date night at Fenway Park, thanks to our friends at Nellie’s Free Range Eggs! We are big fans of Nellie’s and enjoy their free-range eggs nearly every morning for breakfast and are even bigger fans after our fun night at The Red Sox game, where we celebrated Free Range Egg Day in support of nutritious, Certified Humane eggs that come from happy, healthy hens. 
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Even though it’s been a whirlwind few days catching up on work after our vacation, I’m still really feeling the summer vibes this week. We took Jane to a fun outdoor concert and had a picnic dinner (and tested out these cute new bento lunch boxes!). I shared a fun mermaid-themed movie night on the blog. And I brought home this sweet beach painting by Ashley Provencher from Elburne Home Decor on the Cape and styled it next to some pretty hydrangeas. It’s all that good summer stuff and it makes me so happy. The summer fun continues this weekend with some birthday celebrations for my dad and my husband – picnics, boat rides, and margaritas! See more of what’s been happening around here below: 
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