Gift Ideas: Entertaining at Home

With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s time to start searching for gifts. The shopping options are overwhelming to say the least. From “over the top” gifts to inexpensive sentimental gifts, the choices are limitless and the pressure to find that perfect gift can take the joy out of the holidays. Sometimes all we need is a great idea to get us moving in the right direction and that’s what I hope to accomplish here. The holidays inspire us to surround ourselves with family and friends. Suddenly, we’re hosting celebrations, cooking, baking, decorating and ultimately, enjoying great food and wine in the comfort of our home. A sure way to impress those who love entertaining at home or hosting parties is to give them a useful and practical gift they can use for their kitchen or the tabletop. Cooks enjoy the latest in kitchen gadgets with great style and functionality. Any well-designed kitchen accessory that helps them with the cooking process is sure to be a big hit.

Affordable Gift Ideas for Cooks:

Try the Definitive Mixing Bowls by Cusipro: Made of heavy- gauge stainless steel with a satin finish to reduce visible scratches with a useful curved edge and spout for easy pouring. Set of 4 bowls, $97.95.

A unique 4-piece Measuring Bowl Set with metric equivalents in stainless steel. Measurements include ¼, 1/3, ½ and 1 cup bowls with finger grips for easy handling. Set of 4 bowls, $29.99

Fine Cookware by Revol: this French company, in business since 1789 has perfected the science of porcelain cookware. Not only is it perfect for cooking, presenting and serving, the user-friendly design is the ultimate in browning, simmering, caramelizing or slow cooking. Take it from the stove to the table! Cocotte with lid, $79.95

If you go with one of these ideas, throw in a treasured family recipe or a popular cookbook and you may just be responsible for giving a truly fabulous gift! You can find all the options mentioned above at http://www.akadwelling.com/.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Forget Gift Cards This Holiday Season

Everyone feels the pressure to get that perfect gift for someone special during the holidays and the options are certainly endless if you don’t know where to start looking. Most of us take the quickest and least stressful approach by simply choosing a gift card. But why not make an impression this year and give something more personal and unique. It’s the unusual gift that is always appreciated most and remembered best. A little bit of effort and some imagination is all it takes to get started. Check out these quick and easy tips to prepare for a memorable gift-giving season.
1. Get started early in the year.
2. Create a gift list before the end of the summer.
3. Set money aside in a savings account for guilt-free purchases.
4. Shop online to save valuable time. A few clicks will drive you to your favorite stores anytime of the day or night and you can find great deals.
5. For a little extra savings online, start a search for coupon codes. Many major retailers have coupons available for your shopping convenience. Try the following links: http://www.savings.com/, http://www.247.com/, http://www.promotionalcodes.com/.
6. If you’re not ready to purchase quite so soon, bookmark your favorite retailers.
7. Browse a few new websites because you might find something really different and fabulous.
8. If you know exactly what gift you want to get then you might want to do some quick comparison shopping to find the best price. Try http://www.pricegrabber.com/, http://www.shopzilla.com/ or http://www.shopping.com/.
9. Set a goal to finish your shopping early in October or November and treat yourself to a relaxing holiday season.

Happy Shopping!
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Shopping Modern: Do it Online!

I consider driving up to the mall, "shopping the old-fashion way" and its just not convenient anymore. I used to love to visit my favorite mall and find a great sale. I'd spend hours wandering through many different stores, searching for the perfect item and then comparing the quality and the price. Today, as a super busy working mother of two, my priorities have changed drastically and the only places I drive out to on a regular basis are grocery stores and soccer fields. I don't have the time to shop at the mall or the patience to fight the crowds or even the energy to drive myself to a location but, I still have the money to spend and many "wants" or "needs" that my family reminds me of on a daily basis. So shopping has evolved out of necessity for this tired, overwhelmed mom and I call it "shopping online". Honestly, its great to communicate over email with a click of a button and its even better to buy what I need from the comfort of my home, in my pajamas, not caring what I look like while I have an unnecessary snack around midnight; that's my alone time in case you're wondering. When I need something, its not a problem. I visit my favorite stores anywhere in the world, make my purchase with just a few clicks and a few days later, it's at my door. No more sweating the traffic! Shopping modern is about saving yourself the trip and simply using your time more efficiently by shopping online. Give it a try, you might like it.

Microfiber and Silicone Works in the Kitchen

Whoever thought that a microfiber dishcloth would revolutionize how we clean up our kitchen counters? Or that a silicone potholder can resist heat and bacteria? Well, it’s true.
Technological advances seem to have taken regular old household items to another level. Remember your grandma’s old dingy dish towels? That concept is long gone. Try the new microfiber and foam core dishcloth from Eva Solo. It’s an amazing cylindrical-shaped dishcloth with an absorbent foam core that regains it shape after use and stands upright without support on a stainless steel base. New modern products such as this or the fingerprint-inspired silicone potholder by designer Jacob Wagner offer functionality, convenience and style. It's fair to say "simplicity" is in and "complicated" is out when it comes to cleaning or cooking in your home. Considering that I’m a big “Modern Style” follower I feel a little disconnected from the world of home accessories. There’s great stuff out there and I’m glad to have finally stumbled across it online at akadwelling.com.