Caramels - YUM!!

Have you ordered your caramels from The Caramel Jar on Etsy yet?  Treat yourself - YUM!  I promise you will love them.

Caramels also make great gifts - YUM.  Think about the parties and holidays coming in the next month or so ... these would make a lovely hostess gift on Thanksgiving!

I'll be ordering some for an upcoming birthday in our family.  I know the birthday boy and his family will devour them - YUM!!

These bites of heaven are available to order in four flavors:

Vanilla

Cashew

Fleur de Sel

Harvest Spice

Everyday Mugs {from Crate and Barrel}

I want new crisp white mugs.  There I said it, and I feel a little better now. ;)

I realized during Christmas brunch that we have a hodge-podge of mugs and I'm ready to enter the grown-up world of having nice matching mugs for my guests.  I'm eying these Everyday Mugs by Crate and Barrel ($2.95 each).  They are not so big my kids can't enjoy a reasonably sized cup of hot chocolate on cold, snowy days.  And not too small like the mugs that came with our dishes (Pfaltzgraff dishes I bought in college, I can't believe we haven't needed to upgrade yet!).

I am not the only one wanting new, matching mugs!  Pair 2 (or 4 or 6 or 8) of these mugs with a yummy hot chocolate mix, or an assortment of teas, or their favorite coffee and you have a wonderful winter gift.

ETA:  My wonderful sister gave me a set of eight of these Everyday Mugs as a thank-you gift.  I love them!  We've used them for hot chocolate and coffee.  Big, big thanks again!!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I love the new Glee Christmas album but my Christmas season isn't complete without listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once.  Its a timeless classic.

A Charlie Brown Christmas CD would make a perfect hostess gift, as well as a great addition to a family gift.  Priced under $17 from Amazon.

Doily Coasters

These wooden Doily Coasters from uncommon's Etsy shop are adorable!  They are useful, of course, by protecting your furniture surface and super cute with their unique vintage styling.  These coasters would make a great hostess or housewarming gift.

The set of five Doily Coasters are made from sustainable birch and measure 3.5" across.  Priced at just $16 (plus $2.50 shipping), and a square set is also available which are just as adorable!

Cupcakes!

Everyone loves cupcakes!  Am I right?  They are the perfect dessert because cupcakes are just the right serving of sweetness.  Yum!  I would love to expand my cupcake baking skills with the book Cupcakes! by Elinor Kivans (under $7 from Amazon).  She offers great tips on baking and decorating cupcakes as well as some easy, delicious recipes.

Pair Cupcakes! with a few packs of baking cups from Bake It Pretty for a completely yummy gift. 

Have you been to Bake It Pretty?  Stop by to see the amazing selection of baking and party supplies from baking molds to chocolate molds to party candles to bakery boxes and much more. 

 

These are some of my favorite baking cups from Bake It Pretty and each of them would pair with the Cupcakes! book perfectly.

House of Wisdom

Remember this post about my love of giving prints? Well, I can finally share with you the print that was waiting to be given ... its from hope ink on Etsy.

We gave the House of Wisdom print (8x10 for $25 and free shipping) to my husband's sister and her family as a housewarming gift. Needless to say they love it! I think its perfect for a newly built home as well as one that has been established by loving family for many years. This would also make a great Mother's Day gift because really, every mom is proud of the home she has created for her family.

While you are visiting hope ink's Etsy shop be sure to check out their other wonderful prints, including the Sweet Flower print that was featured here in February.

Lilly Pulitzer Towels

Remember when I told you how I've missed the designer handbag boat here? And the the Pandora bracelet train here? I have one more confession to make - I'm not a fan of the Lilly Pulitzer clothes. We are lucky to find some in the bags of hand-me-downs from my daughter's older cousin but I'm not that crazy about the dresses. Yes, they are super cute! But are they worth all the money? Not for me.

Recently I received a catalog from Garnet Hill and oh-my-goodness I've fallen for the Lilly Pulitzer Home collection for Garnet Hill. Big time. I love the bedding! One set for me and one set for each of my girls.

I also love the towels! The color bands of blue, green, or yellow are bright and beautiful. The best part of Garnet Hill carrying the Lilly towels - free monogramming! I love the image of one with black lettering in a powder room. You can have a single initial, monogram, or last name embroidered onto a hand towel for just $24 plus shipping.

I think they would make a great Spring hostess or housewarming gift.

Cloth Napkins

Last year a friend remodeled her kitchen. They gutted the entire room down to the studs, moved the pantry, relocated appliances and light fixtures. Not only was it a huge investment of money but also a sacrifice for her family during the remodel. To help her celebrate the completion of her beautiful new kitchen I gave her a lovely cookbook and a set of cloth napkins.

Gifts that mark a milestone in our lives are not limited to birthdays and anniversaries. Try to mark the other life events in some one's life with a little present. Or just a note. Sometimes its as simple as writing a few sentences in a card and dropping it into the big blue mailbox, you know the old fashion way!

The napkins I sent my friend were from Little Birds Boutique on etsy ($18 for a set of 4 - 15 inch square napkins). Stop by their shop and check out all of the beautiful items they have in addition to napkins ... little girl hair clips, keychain wristlets, and reusable fabric Happy Birthday banners.

Turtle Pot Holder

We are in the middle of 'refreshing' our outdated kitchen. The big remodel won't be for a loong time so we are doing the best we can with our 1968 kitchen. All the effort will be worth it because the kitchen is truly the heart of our home.

I spend so much time in the kitchen, like so many other women! Why not have something fun and useful to enjoy? Like this Turtle Pot Holder! It certainly would make pulling those chicken nuggets out of the oven a little more glamorous ;).

This would be a fun, and practical, gift for so many ranging from 'living on their own for the first time' to 'I use the same boring kitchen stuff that I bought x years ago'. And this cute turtle is sure to bring a smile every time its used.

Find the Turtle Pot Holder ($13 plus shipping) and many other fun kitchen towels at BeanPickelSprout's etsy shop here.