House and Home: In The Kitchen Holiday Gift Guide

I think this week is my favorite.   I have some neat and interesting things to bring you.  Are you ready?

Teleflora’s Mixing Bowl Bouquet

Gingerbread cookie figures dance around a deep red ceramic bowl filled with an assortment of red roses and white chrysanthemums. Once the flowers are gone, the gingerbread men continue to smile as the container becomes a mixing bowl complete with two wooden spoons and three cinnamon sticks.

Available on Teleflora.com for $64.95

Mom Says: My husband is not a flower person… When this (and 2 others which you will learn about later in the guides) arrived, I was making a rocket with Tripp.  I had to stop to enjoy my beautiful flowers.  Tripp (and I quote) said, “Seriously mom?  You are giving up ROCKETS to look at grass and flowers!?”  I am not a good enough writer to describe my feeling of joy over just looking at the beautiful arrangements.  On top of that, this arrangement lasted a bit over a week.  Now, I have some wooden spoons and a darling gingerbread mixing bowl to enjoy for ever!  This is the PERFECT gift for your mother or grandmother.  She can look at the flowers for over a week and enjoy the mixing bowl and spoons for ever!

Relish Menu Planning Website

Meal planning just got a million percent easier. And cheaper.

Until we can all afford our own personal chefs, the next best thing is easily Relish!, a truly cool meal-planning service for busy parents. www.relishrelish.com.

This  easy to use (really), mom-run website helps you prepare healthy, creative meals every week!  You pick from a ton of excellent tested recipes, a very cleverly organized grocery list is automatically created, then all you do is hit the store for five days worth of home-cooked meals–not one of which takes more than 30 minutes to prepare.
You’ll find a whole lot to choose from including freezer meals, vegetarian menus, super-quick and slow cooker recipes.  And you’ll find tons of kid’s faves that don’t include the word “nugget.”

For subscriptions at $7 a month, you’ll end up with five complete dinners for a family of four running you less than $95. Between the money savings and the anxiety savings, you’re coming out way ahead.

(Pssst…living gluten-free? Check out their sister site, Gfree! Gfreecuisine.com)

Mom Says: Let me just say, “YUM!”  The simple recipes that Relish! features are perfect for the busy family!  I love that they offer you several meals to choose from.  Some of the recipe places give you a specific set of recipes and if you don’t like those you are out of luck.  Or, if like me, you are allergic to seafood… with Relish! I can choose to not include seafood recipes. Great for college kids, new moms, and busy families!  Also, you can choose  2, 4, 6, or 8 family members when setting up your menu each week!

Expo Low Odor 16 Pack Chisel Markers

These AP Certified nontoxic markers are safe for kids and perfect for color-coding the day’s To-Do list on the whiteboard.

Low-odor ink is perfect for schools and small offices

• Smooth-flowing marker delivers crisp, consistent lines.
• Intense colors are easy to see from across the room.
• Certified AP nontoxic for safe use.

Available at Office Depot for $17.99

Mom Says: I know some of my readers are wondering why these markers are in the Kitchen section of my guide.    It is simple, really.  While I think this is a perfect set to give to your child’s teacher, I also think it is perfect for a busy family.  Most families keep they calendar, menu, note board, etc in the kitchen.  Assign a person a color… buy a big white board and make a grid on it with permanent marker and make your calendar.   Perfect!