Link it: Gift Guide for the snazzy Man in your life

Here is my list for the boys in your life.
Old Navy makes the softest graphic t-shirts. They look like you found them at a vintage shop..

Contigo travel mug. Seriously, this the BEST coffee mug on the market. It keeps your coffee or tea or hot cocoa hot for hours. If you commute in a car, on a train, or on a bike this is the travel mug for you.

Patagonia. Really is there anything that is not too love about Patagonia. Their capilene shirts are great for layering when skiing or running but they also look great with a pair of pants for a the weekend.

Bottle opener. I think it is a requirement for all guys to have a cool bottle opener on their keychain.

New Balance kicks. I know some people think these are too "preppy" but with all of the new modern colors I bet your guy could work them into their wardrobe. Classic and casual.

Mason Jar Shaker. I love this. It makes a unique gift and would be a striking addition to a bar set.

Happy Holidays and happy shopping. 



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Happy bug reading at the library. I swear he gets more handsome everyday. 

*This photo is from last week because my phone got dropped into the potty and is drying out in a bag of rice. Fingers crossed that it works!


Taste it: Easy Homemade Applesauce

Ready for a recipe that is comforting and makes your whole house smell like cinnamon, apple delight?!

Gather:
6 lbs of apples, a few different varieties 
Rind from 1 lemon
3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 peel of a red apple

Peel all of the apples.

Core and slice.

Place everything in either a crockpot on low for 4 hours or in an enamel pot in an 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove cinnamon sticks, lemon rind and apple peel. Then mash with potatoe masher for more rustic style or run through a food processor for a more smooth consistency.

Spoon into mason jars or tupperware and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.









Make it: Fleece Hand Warmers

Here is an easy, quick and minimal effort equals maximum cuteness craft.  They are homemade handwarmers! Once completed these adorable mini bags of rice get popped in the microwave for 30 secs and voila they retain the heat for about 15-20 mins. Pop them in your pocket and head out for a walk or keep them in your pocket while watching a football game.

Cut simple shapes like squares or in my case hearts out of fleece.

Stitch together two pieces leaving a small 1/2 inch opening.


Get some rice or lentils.

Fashion a funnel out of paper or use a small one from the kitchen and fill up with rice.

Stitch the hole closed, trim the strings an you are finished.

Pop them in the microwave and keep your hands toasty warm during the chilly days ahead. 










Link it: Gift Guide for Mom, MIL, and Girlfriends.

With the holiday season sneaking up on with alarming speed I decided to put together a few gift guides in the next weeks to help kick start the idea process for me and for you! First up are ideas for the ladies. 

Nail polish! In paricular, my favorite brand Essie nail polish. They always come out with the best colors and have new colors each season. 

Do you have a Baggu resuable nylon bag? Of course you do! Well now they have brightly colored  leather bags. They are the same soft, relaxed shape but made of a buttery soft leather.

Cookbooks! I love cookbooks and i have been known to read them like chapter books. So if you are looking for a beautiful cookbook look no further than Smitten Kitchen. It is a delightful blog and now Deb Perlman has complied recipes into this lovely cookbook.

Ah yes, a new scarf. And a beautiful one from Madewell is a good choice.

Everyone needs a cute trinket dish to hold, well trinkets. I think this giraffe ring dish from Anthropologie is adorable. A ring dish is great next to your bed or next to the kitchen sink for cooking and dishes.

And of course no list would be complete in my mind without a notebook shout out to Rifle Paper Co. 






Love it: Relish-Center for Urban Agriculture

In the heart of Union Sq. in Somerville, MA around a corner, down an alley is a small storefront, Relish that uniquely caters to the needs and desires of an urban farmer, be it a small container garden, bee keeping or even backyard chickens. 

You can sign up for classes to learn how to make beeswax candles and how to can sweet or savory items. What I love about Relish is that it opens a conversation about what is possible agriculturally even when you live in an urban environment. I have had container gardens and some things thrive while others falter but until now it was just a grand experiment. I am excited to have found a resource that I can turn to this coming spring when it will be time again to fill up my containers out on my patio to see what I can produce. 
I have also been reading the compilation of articles and stories in "Best Food Writing, 2013" and thus far there has been a lot of chatter about the concept of eating local and if it is just a fad or if it truly is and should be a sustained way of looking at our food consumption.  I would say for the most part the slow food movement is still being lauded as a strong and vibrant way to embrace our diets and I for one am mostly inclined to agree however there are still things that I cave for and purchase even if they are grossly out of season such as my son's love for strawberries and my guilty please of sweet raspberries. If they look tasty and they are organic they seem to magically jump into my shopping cart, guilty as charged. 

So I know personally just because of the fact that we live in a city I will never cultivate a vast quantity of goods but I am happy to have a strong, community based store like Relish that can help me pave a way to a more vivacious urban garden. 

images via Relish 








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Happy hiker. We went for a family hike over the weekend and Oliver walked through the woods, navigated rocks and generally was a good little hiker for over an hour.

Scroll through for more pics of our adventures.

Heading off into the Middlesex Fells Reservation.



Tada!


Luna was exhausted after all of the running.

Rockin' out

Relaxing 

Bean boots. Well loved. 

My nugget,

Flowers to brighten our table.

Adventures of living in the city.

My boys made homemade oatmeal raisin bread, yum. 


New winter color, love the dark maroon color 

Dinner date with friends in Harvard Square.

Breakfast for dinner, my favorite!

Play date with our favorite fireman.




















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