I have another guest post for you! AND it’s from another one of my favorite, funny friends AND she just so happens to be besties with Rachel, who is today’s other guest poster (which was totally coincidence). And she and I have the same name. And so do our husbands. So, what I’m saying is, this post is meant to be. Jane and I scoured her company’s  products and came up with this list of 7 amazing tabletop gifts that give back. (Click here to find out why Jane’s company To The Market is so awesome.) It’s time to spend money and make a difference!  Also, there are a few sale items and a secret discount buried in the post below, so get reading, clicking and shopping!

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The name Jane is the best name ever. My friend other Jane and I both share it. This post is about how we met on Ancestory.com.

HOLIDAY CHEER KIT ($40)

From the table to the tree, the holiday cheer kit is a festive holiday accessory. These cute little holly leaves are exactly what your table needs for that extra pick-me-up! These are made by artisans in Mexico.  This purchase helps the makers improve their lives, their children’s lives, and their communities through the dignity of work.  

HEART SHAPED WOODEN CUTTING BOARD (Regularly $40, Now $30 with custom TWFD code YUM10)

Who doesn’t love this heart shaped cutting board? Use it to cut your food on in the kitchen or to serve some tasty food during your holiday party! This was handmade in Guatemala and helps to employ vulnerable communities.

VANILLA HONEY CANDLE ($26.99)

A warm scented candle is an essential during the cold winter months and vanilla honey is a classic. These hand poured soy glass candles are made by vulnerable women in Chicago. This candle helps a young mom provide for her children by giving her the confidence to chase her dreams.

TAY IKAY TABLE RUNNER ($120)

Simple yet chic, this table runner is a clean statement piece. Go for an even bigger statement and add a white vase with some fresh flowers! This table runner is carefully handwoven and naturally dyed in Guatemala. This purchase supports sustainable livelihoods and traditional weaving.

OVERDYED KANTHA-STITCH PLACEMAT & NAPKIN SET IN CRANBERRY (Regularly $65, On Sale Cyber Monday for $45.50)

Deep rich cranberry is such a lovely color for this time of year and this placemat and napkin set will make your tableware pop! This is truly a unique set that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Your dinner guests are guaranteed to love the detail of this sari napkin and placemat set made by women in India. A purchase of this table set helps women rediscover their dignity, independence, and creativity in a financially rewarding way.

SAFINA BANANA FIBER BASKET ($38)

This small basket can hold anything from fruit to bread to popcorn! This light neutral is not only a safe bet for the holidays, but it can be used year round for all kinds of gatherings. This basket is named after the sweet woman who makes it! She’s an uneducated HIV+ widow. Since becoming involved in basket weaving, her outlook has improved. She wants you to know “I love you very much. I reach out to say thank you for buying.”  We love her too!

HAND-PAINTED BATIK BONE BOTTLE OPENER ($22.99)

Made in Kenya, this hand-painted bottle opener is an ideal hostess gift  for your favorite bartender.  Pattern design vary for each piece, making this truly one of a kind!

Happy Shopping!

Hello! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with the best food! We did…and we’re still swimming in leftovers. My family has informed me they are done with Thanksgiving food, but I beg to differ. We shall see…

Today’s guest menu is fun and different than anything we’ve ever had on the blog. It comes from my friend Rachel Faucett, the founder of the blog and company Handmade Charlotte. Rachel and I initially bonded as roommates on the ONE-Heifer trip to Malawi I took a few years ago (here’s proof). My connection with Rachel is something for which I will be forever grateful. There is seriously no one on this planet like Rachel. She has boundless energy and creativity and is hysterical to boot. When I was asking friends if they wanted to write a guest menu for my blog, she was the first to jump in, immediately responding with ideas and inspiration for dinners, crafts and music. I told her to run with it and now here we are. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit down, and enjoy a trip through Rachel’s meal planning brain, which is unlike any meal planning trip you will ever take.  Thank you, Rachel, for creating a menu that is just so you.

MONDAY

EAT:

This ricotta ravioli looks so beautiful and so deliciously inviting!

SURF:

I adore this Sailing Ship Kite! I think I may try to sail away to Neverland on it. Will you join me?

GROOVE:

Chill out to Yo La Tengo – My Little Corner Of The World while you enjoy your delicious dinner.

MAKE:

This is such a great fall crafting project.

FLIP:

Flip through this cool magazine.

VIBE:

All good vibes here! http://butdoesitfloat.com/

TUESDAY

EAT:

Soup meets glorious bread bowl in this brilliant combo!

STYLE:

WOW! I’m in love with everything from this shop!

MAKE:

How fun and adorable! Let’s make these hair ties with Lunch Lady magazine!

WEDNESDAY

EAT:

Dinner is a walk in the garden with these gorgeous pizzas!

MAKE:

J’adore everything about these DIY Parisian Dolls!

DIG IT:

We love everything about Winter Water Factory and painted our studio a pattern from their fall collection!

GROOVE:

Listen to Come On, Come Over by Jaco Pastorius

THURSDAY

EAT:

Order in from your fave take out place!

MAKE:

Sew Patches All Over Your Clothes! Check out these Etsy finds:

• Fruits
• Carousel Horse
• Sequin Owl

FRIDAY

EAT:

Mix it up and eat breakfast for dinner under your table! Try these awesome Fried Eggs and Garlic Toast and this Potato Skillet Bake! And for dessert? This Blackberry Slab Pie will be gone in seconds.

WATCH:

Watch silly home videos, or make some new ones!

MAKE:

Draw silly pictures. Can you sketch a silly portrait of your siblings or parents?

SATURDAY

EAT:

Nosh on these melt in your mouth grilled pimento cheese sammys!

MAKE:

Rock out with these DIY Rock Candy Magnets!

GROOVE:

Get your groove on with this cool Putumayo jam!

SUNDAY

EAT:

Make some Stuffed Butternut Squash for dinner!

MAKE:

Marbled Mugs! One for each person in the family! Fill them with Hot Cocoa afterwards!

GET COZY;

Fill your crafted mugs with the most amazing Hot Chocolate ever!

AS USUAL…please share your dinner plans in the comments! And, in honor of Rachel, share something that inspires you in addition to food!

I love it when Thanksgiving is a little early because then there’s more time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas but HOLY CRAP HOW IS IT ONLY ONE WEEK UNTIL THANKSGIVING?

Just letting you know I’ve tagged all of my Thanksgiving goodness on the blog. Simply click HERE to scroll through it all. You’ll find all kinds of goodness, including from-scratch green bean casserole that is to die for, cranberry slush, SERIOUSLY THE BEST WAY TO COOK TURKEY EVER and so much more. (Did I mention the turkey? Oh, yeah, okay, I did, but really, check out my turkey roasting technique.)

Happy Thanksgiving prepping!

Happy Monday! Now that the week is started I think we need a dinner plan!

This week our meal plan comes from Katie Goodman Kick from the food blog Good Life Eats. When I very first started this blog, Katie was one of my earliest and most loyal weekly commenters, always sharing her menus and great ideas. She has since built her own beautiful food space on the Internet with her blog Good Life Eats. Katie is talented and I love the recipes she shares – delicious but approachable and with ingredients that I regularly use. This week’s menu is a great example: Katie shared a ton of awesome recipes with us, and yet the ingredients list is not overwhelming. That’s my kind of cooking. Katie is a sweetheart (she once carefully brought a giant bag of homegrown tomatoes from her garden on the plane for me!) and I am so happy to be able to share her awesome meal plan with you this week. Thank you, Katie!

MONDAY:
– Italian Sausage and Kale Soup
– Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
– Salad

TUESDAY:
– Honey Mustard Chicken
– Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
– Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic

WEDNESDAY:
– Fall Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
– Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

THURSDAY:
No kids home – Date Night! Here are a couple of our favorite places to go!
– Community
– 24 Carrot Bistro

FRIDAY:
– Homemade Build Your Own Pizza Night (click the link for tips for making totally awesome pizza at home)
– Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Prosciutto and Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
– Easy Homemade Fudgy Brownies with Caramel Sauce

SATURDAY:
– Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Chile Gravy Sauce (with Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Guacamole)

SUNDAY:
– Indian Butter Chicken
– Homemade Naan
– Salad

Click here or on the image above for a FREE printable PDF of this week’s menu, complete with recipe links and ingredients list.

You know the drill! Share your own dinner plans in the comments! We need your great ideas!

Happy Sunday! It is finally feeling like fall here in San Diego, just in time for a perfect Halloween with the kids! Today I’m making apple pie with Anna (using apples shipped by my mother-in-law from New Hampshire!) and all in all getting into the autumn spirit.

I have another guest menu for you this week. Barbara Schieving from the food blogs Barbara Bakes and Pressure Cooking Today is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She was one of the first people to read my blog and was always so kind of supportive. It has always made me happy that she also jumped into food writing. She’s just plain awesome. Here second cookbook The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook comes out very soon on November 14. Click here to learn more about the book and if you want to pre-order the book, click here! The new book includes 50 of the most popular recipes on her blog as well as 150 new recipes you can only get in the book. So excited about your book launch, Barbara! Congratulations!

Barbara has created a great weekly menu for us, including a BUNCH of her favorite pressure cooker recipes. Seriously, if you’ve been wanting to get more into pressure cooking, Barbara is an amazing resource and this week’s menu is a great launching point!

MONDAY:
– Potato Cheese Soup  (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice

WEDNESDAY:
– Lighter Chicken Parmesan

THURSDAY:
– Grilled Chicken and Couscous

FRIDAY:
–Beef and Broccoli  (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)

SATURDAY:
– Spicy Chicken Soup

SUNDAY:
–BBQ Baby Back Ribs (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)
– Potato Salad (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)
– Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Okey, dokey, you guys know the drill…time for YOU to share your dinner plans for the week in the comments! Can’t wait to see what you’ve all got cooking!

Click here or on the image above for a free printable PDF of this week’s menu, including links to recipes and the ingredients list!

Have a great week everyone!