Loving these cutting boards!

How great are these personalized cutting boards from Noteworthy Notes!?  So fresh! I love that not only can you personalize them by having the person's name or initials or any other writing on the board, but you can also personalize these in the design you choose to make sure it suits your recipient.

    Check out the Noteworthy site for more designs by clicking here.  Happy choosing!

Hello Monday!: What a difference a day makes!

What a great gift to remind us to be grateful for everyday! I fell on this item and thought it was the perfect gift for any special occasion; a wedding, a birth, a house warming or just because.

It's a "What a difference a day makes" print from CoCoStineDesigns on Etsy.com.  Tell a story about life, love and special occasions with dates and names.

"What a difference a day makes" artwork via Etsy

CocoStineDesigns is closed for the holidays but check back soon to order your personalized version for that special couple or family!

Happy New Year's to all! Wishing you all the best for 2013! XO

I swear by this product: Nespresso

My husband and I are not big coffee drinkers.  We only drink once in a while but we can certainly enjoy and appreciate a very good coffee.  When we first tasted the Nespresso coffee, we had to have a machine to make it at home.  It was slightly silly because as I mentioned we rarely drink coffee but my husband, believe it or not, felt it would be a great hosting tool (I think he just likes gadgets and like any man, felt like he needed this one!).  So we purchased the Nespresso Cube and I am so very glad we did.  The coffee variety is amazing and every single guest we have offered a cup to, has loved it and some have gone as far as going out and buying a machine of their own.

Le Cube - Via Amazon.com

I don't believe Le Cube is available anymore.  Nespresso seems to have come up with new designs.

The great thing is that a Nespresso machine comes in a range of prices starting at $129.99.

Nespresso Essenza - Via Sears.ca

This one looks similar to the Cube:

Nespresso Lattissima - Via Crate and Barrel

Plus it has some accessories so even if you know someone with the machine, you can still purchase an accessory for them.  We have the Nespresso Milk Frother (for cold or hot milk) and I use it to make lattes and cappuccinos  I even use it to make tea lattes.  You don't have to have the Nespresso machine to benefit from this frother as the frothed milk can be used with any coffee and drink (hot chocolate, just plain milk, etc.).  I can go on forever about how much I love the frother but I will let you try it for yourself.  We recently purchased this for my mom who helped us when our son was first born.  It makes for a great gift for just about anyone and is only $100.

Via CA Paradis

Another accessories idea is a capsule holder:

Via CA Paradis

Or buy them a nice clear bowl to just through the capsules in.  They are colourful and make for nice counter decor.

Hello Monday!: A gift for the person that has everything

My husband and I finally got some Christmas shopping done this weekend.  It felt so good to cross off names on our list.  While in Chapters we saw a little girl (she couldn't have been older than 2 years) making swirls with a paint brush on a board.  At first we were taken by how cute she was, just like a little artist so into what she was doing.  Then we became curious about the item she was using.  It was the Buddha Board:

Via Indigo

It's funny because I had seen this item online and in the store in a box and never gave it more than a look, but seeing that little girl use it, I finally understood what it was and fell in love with it.  Basically, it is a board with a paint brush and a little place to put water.  You dip the brush in the water and paint whatever your heart desires on the board.  The strokes turn black and as the water evaporates the board turns white again.  I am a firm believer in the power of painting, drawing and colouring...for me it is one of the most relaxing exercises and this is a perfect way to master the "art of letting go" as one reviewer put it on Indigo's site.

This gift is perfect for the office, for a study desk or even in a family room.  I ended up buying two mini ones to use as stocking stuffers and will likely buy some more (and definitely one for myself!).

Mini Buddha Board via Indigo