Who knew that a few plants could make such a huge difference in the way you feel about the exterior of your home? I'm realizing just how important a little greenery is, and how much fun it is to have another area to decorate and personalize. One week with this fun little topiary greeting me morning and night and I'm already smitten.
Housewares
Cleaning made easy with the Shark Rocket Complete with DuoClean Technology
There’s a rule I hear thrown around a lot about shopping for women, and every time I hear it, it makes me cringe. Marketing companies for years have been spreading the rumor that women don’t like practical gifts. And, while this might be true at some points in a woman’s life, like when she’s going through tough times or has had a life changing event happen, it absolutely is not a written-in-stone “rule”.
I, for one, love a good practical gift. Really, the more practical, the better. My favorite gifts in recent years have been 1) camera equipment that I needed for work, 2) a bread box, and 3) a new pair of boots. Honestly, the absolute best present ever is one that I really, really need – and maybe one a little nicer than I would be fine with. So, if there’s a deluxe version of a super practical, needed item, go with that.
That’s exactly what the new Shark® Rocket® Complete with DuoClean™ Technology is.
The perfect bread machine white bread {and how to keep it fresh}
I’ve gotta brag for a moment: I haven’t bought bread in over 5 months. If you know me, you know that I’m simply not a baker. I can cook, but baking is just too technical for someone like me that has problems following directions. So, the fact that I’m baking all of our bread is a really big accomplishment. And, the fact that the kids like it is a small miracle. 
My intro to baking started as a quest to find a decent sandwich bread that I could make in the bread machine, and I just wasn’t finding anything awesome and the kids were very disappointed with the results. I wanted our weekly loaf to be soft enough that it would make a good sandwich loaf, but also dense enough so that it didn’t just fall apart when you spread peanut butter on it or sliced it thin.
So, using the handwritten notes of my grandmother scribbled in the margins of the bread machine cookbook she gave me, I decided to modify the recipe we liked the best using a little trial and error and a lot of help from grandma. Thanks, grandma!
Admittedly, there was quite a bit of error, but it was actually kind of fun trying out different ingredients and measurements. While doing this process I was really glad I was using the bread maker, as it took me out as a variable and made it easy to pinpoint ingredient and measurement changes because the process was so uniform.
When we finally hit on the perfect recipe, we were high-fiving in the kitchen as we enjoyed our now-famous loaf fresh out of the bread machine. The kids have now memorized the recipe and can basically do every step of the process, they just wait for me to plug it in and set it on the correct bread setting and loaf size.
Masha electric vegetable masher
It’s basically mashed potato season, right? I think we can all agree that while the holidays may not be entirely designed around this delicious potato treat, it definitely is not the same without them. Can you imagine a turkey dinner without a scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes ready for topping with gravy? I know, I know, I don’t want to imagine that, either.
Luckily, we live in a world where potatoes exist, and even luckier that we live in a world where we can mash them up and enjoy them any day of the year – but especially this time of year. Now that we agree that mashed potatoes are the unofficial spirit food of the holidays, we have to agree how to prepare them. For this, there is the Masha Masher by Salton that combines the unique aspects of a ricer with specifically designed blades that give you the lightest and most fluffiest potatoes anywhere. 
So, how does it work? Many people don’t know this, but conventional hand blenders and food processors actually rupture the starch grains, giving them a glue-like consistency. The Masha is different because it although it looks a bit like an immersion blender, instead it uses a low speed rotor to force food through an outer mesh, much like a motorized ricer. The result is perfectly mashed foods without lumps, in just seconds.
Looking for unique gifts? NOVICA has you covered!
Have you heard of NOVICA before? It's basically an online artisan market where you can get the most unique gifts and jewelry anywhere, and it's one of my very favorite places to shop. NOVICA works in association with National Geographic to offer an extensive collection of over 2,000 master artisans around the world and give you one easy place to buy – no traveling required. 
They have a great selection of pieces that you just can’t find anywhere else and I love that each of their pieces comes with their own story and information about its country of origin. Looking for a hard-to-find item? Want truly unique gifts? NOVICA really has it all and is now my go-to site for those that are impossible to shop for. 
Amazing battery operated candles from Luminara
There was a time when I lit candles each night while we were dining, watching TV, or just hanging out with friends to add a little ambiance. Now, I'm lucky if my meal is timed right so we can all eat at the same time, and by the time I flop down to watch TV for the day, the last thing I'm thinking about is lighting candles that I could potentially forget about if I fall asleep on the couch {which, I do 90% of the time}.
After having tried numerous other electronic candles, I found myself unimpressed with every single one I tried. They just didn't look like real candles when they were on, and I realized a lot of what I loved about real candles was the flicker of the flames, not just the light of the candle itself. Even when I tried "flicker" electronic candles, they just felt so fake.
But, then I found Luminara candles. I first found the candles at Pottery Barn and bought three with a gift card. Once I had a few of them at home and saw how beautiful they were placed throughout the house, I was addicted.
Stress less with the 3-in-1 6.5qt Multicooker from Black + Decker
Are you in charge of bringing dishes to the potluck and you're trying to figure out how to keep your dish warm throughout the event? Or maybe you struggle with weeknight meal planning this time of year as you are running from event to event?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, I have the perfect solution for you: the 3-in-1 6.5 quart Multicooker from Black + Decker 
If you're thinking this looks a whole lot like a slow cooker, you are technically correct. But, trust me when I say that this is so much more than the traditional slow cooker. Because it is a roaster, a baker, and a searing and sautéing machine all in one, it makes this an amazing cooking tool for quick and easy dinners without having multiple pots and pans to clean up afterwards.
Fall Glamping fun with the family
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FallGlamping #Glamping #CollectiveBias 
My husband and my kids love everything about camping and would do it every weekend if they could. I, on the other hand, love almost everything about not camping. Luxuries like beds, refrigeration, and running water are pretty high up on my lists of must-haves for weekend fun and I prefer to give them up only in moderation.
This is how we became glampers, or people that camp glamorously by pairing camping and luxury. The family loves being one with nature, and I love them, so glamping together suits us all.
My camping journey started with the purchase of a Weekender camper van that appealed to my bed and icebox-loving self. But while it’s great because it gets us out camping as a family, it isn’t exactly glamorous. Yet.
We’re still working on getting my must-have list fully met by making additions to our van that add luxury without taking up precious space. So, for now we found camping buddies in my in-laws who supply the running water and a large refrigerator and who just so happen to not mind our littlest campers taking over their living space.
5 minutes until dinner with the Black + Decker 5 Minute Pizza Oven & Snack Maker
Like most kids, my kids would eat pizza every day if I let them. Since the term “pizza” is so incredibly ambiguous, I typically make them a “pizza” variation of sorts every few weeks. Sometimes we make our own dough for crust, sometimes we use wheat pitas, English muffins, or pre-made crusts, and occasionally we get a frozen pizza as a treat. And, as varied as the crusts are, the toppings are even more so and they can change depending on our moods or what we have to get rid of in the fridge. Basically, as long as you call it pizza, it will get eaten.
For us, a pizza oven actually makes a lot of sense because it allows us to take pizza to a whole new level. As soon as I saw the Black+Decker 5 Minute Pizza Oven & Snack Maker, I was already sold. I could take something that was already easy to make and make it even easier. 5 minutes to bake a fresh or frozen 12" pizza easy. That’s about the length of time I typically spend looking for matching shoes each morning. So, to make dinner in 5 minutes? Amazing, I tell you.
Two coffemakers in one: BLACK + DECKER Café Select Dual Brew Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
The last time we owned a coffee pot was before we got married. It was a cheap model we got at a discount store specifically for guests that drank coffee because neither of us were big coffee drinkers at the time. That pot got used 3, maybe 4 times, and we ended up getting rid of it in favor of a single brew machine that we could use for making individual coffees.
Fast forward over a decade and we are now big coffee drinkers, but we still don’t own a coffee pot. Since we each get up at different times in the morning, we typically each make our own single serve brew each day so that neither of us get stuck with old coffee. 
This all works out great until we have a house full of people and we're making cup after cup of coffee. Then, single serve k-cups feel very wasteful… and pricey. We thought about buying a new pot for this purpose and in the end it just didn't make sense to store an extra coffeemaker that only got used when we have company.
If only there was a coffeemaker that could brew individual cups as well as carafe brewing…
Well now there is thanks to the BLACK + DECKER Café Select Dual Brew Coffeemaker that brews full 12-cup carafes of coffee as well as single serve portions in 6 different sizes.