Naptime Lifestyle: Everyday Favorites for Everyday Life

The summary of my 2015 holiday gift guides!

Ten fun holiday gift ideas for grandparents in 2015.

Fun holiday gifts for children for 2015!

Fun gift ideas for your best friend during holiday season 2015.

Fun ideas for holiday gifts for mom in 2015!

Fun ideas for holiday gifts to give dad in 2015!

My friend Jessie moved into a historical New England home two years ago. When she and her husband bought the house the kitchen was basically non-functioning so they were forced to renovate before they moved in with their two young children and dog. Given the time crunch and unique space they were working with I think they did an amazing job. Since they plan to renovate further in the future they used Ikea to design and install their kitchen. It was a cost effective way to build a space they can use for the next few years while they save up for more extensive work.

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons for baking. I love it when my kitchen is filled with the aroma of warm spices and sweet nibbles. In fact, it won’t be too long before I start making and freezing cookie dough for our Christmas cookie platters this year. It is one of my favorite ways to get a jump start on the season and it always puts me in the holiday mood. (More tips about that in my book!) Here is some of my favorite fall baking gear:

My friend Lauren and her husband recently gave their old house a modern makeover. I particularly love their kitchen because it both perfectly reflects their minimal modern style and is completely functional. Sometimes I find that the prettiest kitchens are not the easiest for cooking in, but this is not the case here! They have three young children and an active dog so making a space that could handles spills, dings, and noise was of paramount importance. I think they did a wonderful job. Come take a look:

Fall parties are in the air and the holidays feel like they are just around the corner. Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give to hosts and hostesses this season. Come take a look!

As you probably noticed last week, I’m starting to changing things up around here and am introducing a few new columns. Today will be my first installment of: I Love Your Kitchen Style. It is dedicated to showcasing some of my favorite interesting kitchens from around the globe.

Starting this column makes sense because I am the worst kind of kitchen snoop. Whenever I visit a new kitchen I open drawers, walk into pantries, and take mental notes of every interesting feature I find. Kitchens are so often the heart of a home and I never cease to be amazed by the variety of kitchen designs out there! Never a visit goes by when I don’t note a little feature I want to add to our kitchen when we re-do it once and for all. I hope you find these spaces as fun and interesting as I do!

Must have wine accessories for your home.