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Gifts and DIY, Oh My!

Gift giving can be something of a chore but when you find the perfect gift it can be magical. Nothing beats watching someone open your present and seeing their eyes light up and a big grin come across their face.  That is when you know you made a good choice. This can happen for kids of all ages, meaning kids and grown-ups alike, have the same reaction to the perfect gift.  We’re coming down the home stretch of holiday gift giving but there is still time to get that perfect gift and also to have it arrive in time with out paying an arm and a leg for shipping😊You can check out our Experience Gift Guide here to find out how to give the whole experience and not just something in a box.

If you are more of the crafty type, here are some DIY ideas that you could make mostly with things around your house.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar – Of course we would substitute chunks of our favorite Rococo Chocolates Bar in place of the chocolate chips but this recipe from Very Best Baking by Nestle hits all of the right notes.

T-shirt Chew Toy for Dogs – I actually made this one and my sister’s dog can’t put it down. We all have old t-shirts laying around, right?

Kid’s Dishtowel Apron – If your kids love to cook as much as mine do, this is the perfect use of one of those extra dish towels spilling out of your kitchen drawer.

With gift giving it is often more about adding a personal touch than it is about how much you spent. As long as the gift is from the heart it will be loved by the recipient.

Happy Friday,

Julie

P.S. Our Showroom will be open today and tomorrow from noon to 5pm for your holiday shopping needs. Stop by for a visit if you are in NYC, we’re at 210 W 80th Street New York, NY 10024.

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Spooky Tricks and Treats

Trick or Treat?  Here’s a good one… “How do you get a tissue to dance?”  “You put a little boogie in it!”

The last weekend in October means that Halloween is near.  Whether you are trick or treating or handing out candy or heading to a costume party, dressing up is one of the really fun Halloween traditions.  I particularly love Halloween in New York City because there are many instances when you aren’t quite sure if someone is dressed up or not. Does that person really like a pointed black hat or are they dressed up like a witch? Is that a fashion statement with the stripes and polka dots or is that a clown? Someone dressed in all black with white gloves could be a mime or could just be headed home for the night.  I try to DIY my children’s costumes for the most part and this year is no exception.  This weekend I’ll be working diligently to complete our Disney Cars themed costumes using paint, old boxes and the art skills I wish I had!

While I am hard at work getting our costumes in order I’ll be dreaming about what kind of sweets we will indulge in.  Halloween is a pretty good excuse to consume large amounts of sugar but it doesn’t all have to be junk.  Check out this recipe for Caramel Apples with Lucy’s Granola Toffee Crumbles & Rococo Chocolates Chocolate Shavings. Growing up my mom always made(and probably still does) pumpkin cookies filled with oatmeal, chocolate chips and raisins.  When I was little we would decorate them with orange frosting and use more chocolate chips, raisins and candy corn to turn them into jack-o-lanterns.  Now I realize these cookies are pretty delicious without the added sweetness. I’m sure I’ll sneak a snickers bar or two from my kids stash when they go to sleep on Halloween but for the most part I try to stick to the good stuff.

Once Halloween is over we’ll be full-on into pumpkins and turkeys for Thanksgiving. I am going to enjoy the last weekend of sweet Halloween bliss before the Holidays get into full swing.

Happy Friday,

Julie