Lands’ End for all your Holiday Gatherings

Holidays in our family aren’t super dressy occasions… we tend to go the more casual route, wearing jeans-and-sweater-type outfits. We keep things comfortable! Of course, though, it’s nice to look nice. That’s where Lands’ End comes in! They have outfits for the entire family, but let’s focus on you for a moment. Here are some of my recommendations!

I love, love, love the Circle Cardigan Sweater.

I have it in Natural, but I love it so much that I seriously had to hold myself back from buying the Maplewood version at the Lands’ End Shop at Sears last weekend. Now that I see the website, though, I think I might need it in avocado, too. Hmmm… But I digress. The circle sweater is made from a cotton and wool blend, and it’s nice and warm and cozy. The details make it feminine and dressy. And p.s. it’s on sale for $34.99 which is a freaking STEAL, I tell you!

I like to wear that sweater with my trusty Cotton Modal Crew tops (hello, $9.99 right now) which I would estimate I wear at least three times a week. They are the perfect layering T.

Those tops would look great with regular jeans, or mix things up a little and wear the Modern 14-wale Corduroy Slim Leg Jeans.

I have them in brown, which is goes nicely with my Natural circle sweater. I love the pants – they are super comfortable. They are slimming, yet have a bit of stretch (which is nice after a holiday meal!). They are Fit 1, which is my favorite, and the slim leg has a close fit. Lands’ End will also hem them for you for free.

For comfy, cozy shoes, try the Chalet Shearling Clogs

Or the Chalet Midshaft Pull On Boots.

There you have it – my outfit for Christmas day. I’m sure Jenny will be decked out in her Lands’ End Starfish Collection clothes… we’ll both be very comfortable and very well dressed!

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Review: Holiday Entertaining with Giada De Laurentiis for Target

Chef Giada De Laurentiis, star of the Food Network’s Everyday Italian, has a new line of professional-quality cookware that’s designed specifically for Target, and thanks to Mom Central, I had the chance to try some of it out.

My set contained two pieces of baking stoneware – the 2-Quart Ceramic Oval Baker and 9” Ceramic Pie Pan;

A 3-Piece Plastic Bowl Set with Pour;

A Silicone Spoonula with Stainless Steel Handle, a Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk, and Stainless Steel Measuring Cups;

I also received a variety of Giada’s food products, including Black Olive Tapenade, Giada Blend Coffee, Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Marinated Roasted Red Peppers, Marinated Mushrooms, Genovese Basil Pesto, and Eggplant & Pepper Pesto.

I know it’s hard to believe, but I actually enjoy cooking and baking now, and I was SO excited to see this package waiting on my porch one day. The first thing that I noticed when I unpacked the pieces is that they were solid and sturdy construction. They felt like they were quality products, that they weren’t cheap (although with prices ranging from $2.99 to $19.99, they certainly are inexpensive).

Kate and I decided to put them to the test and make chocolate chip cookies.

I love the bowl set – prior to this, I didn’t have mixing bowls other than that came with various hand mixers I’d had over the years. I love that these are light and that they have rubber on the bottom to prevent slipping. Kate’s also holding the Spoonula in that picture, and it is just what it sounds like – a spoon mixed with a spatula. I love the stainless steel construction of this, the whisk and the measuring cups – they are all sturdy and just feel nice.

I was really impressed with the stoneware, as well. It is heavy and high-quality, but is much, much less expensive than the stoneware I’ve bought before. The 2-quart cooker will come in very handy for casseroles and side dishes.

Finally, the grocery products are perfect to keep around the house during the holiday season. Here’s what Giada says about them:
For guests who pop-in unexpectedly, keep ready-to-serve delights in the pantry such as Giada De Laurentiis for Target Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, Marinated Roasted Red Peppers and Marinated Mushrooms for quick entertaining options. The Giada De Laurentiis for Target Genovese Basil Pesto and Eggplant & Pepper Pesto are also easy and delicious treats. Serve with toasted bread or crackers and display on a festive serving platter.

Serve a few of those things with prosecco, or try Giada’s recipe for Spiced Coffee.

Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup brewed Giada De Laurentiis for Target Giada Blend Coffee
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

1. In a small sauce pan combine the granulated sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce heat to low.
2. Add allspice, cinnamon and ginger. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
3. Take the pan off the heat and set aside.
4. In a heat proof pitcher or measuring cup add the boiling water to the coffee /espresso. Divide it among four 6 to 8 oz cups.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of the spiced syrup to each cup and stir to combine.
6. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until stiff.
7. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream – dust with cinnamon and add cinnamon stick.
Yield: 4 servings/ 4 (6-8 oz) cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

I loved Giada De Laurentiis for Target’s cookware and I’m sure you will too. It would make a great last-minute gift for someone you love… or for yourself!

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Giada De Laurentiis for Target and received product samples to facilitate my review.

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Random Updates

I’ve been remiss on responding to comments on some previous posts, and you’ve been leaving some good ones – I apologize! So here are a few updates on random things…

My Christmas ideas from Pinterest? I’ve done exactly zero of them. However I do have grand plans of baking, yet, so I’m hoping to actually accomplish a few… including the peppermint roll for Jenny. We’ll see how that goes… the last time I attempted something of the sort, it didn’t work out so well.

In other news, Jenny’s family seems to be well again after having contracted bubonic plague. She was kind enough to pass it around to all her family members – I believe the last count showed 17 of them had had it. My sister, her husband and my niece were among the casualties, so I’m predicting my grandma will come down with it today and it will hit our house right around Christmas Eve. Just to be on the safe side, I’ve been staying as far away from my sister as possible. She asked me to bring her some Sprite on Sunday. I left it on the doorstep, rang the bell and ran. Yesterday she accused me of treating them like lepers, which is probably fairly accurate. But hey, you can’t be too careful. We’ll see them again in 2012.

I also wrote last week about how devastated I was to discover I had left my favorite pair of boots in a hotel room the day before. Many of you responded and encouraged me to call the hotel, which I did, and although they didn’t locate them at first, they eventually found them and Fed Ex’ed them back to me. I’m wearing them now, as a matter of fact. Shout out to the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers for their fabulous customer service. And also for getting me out of that elevator a few years ago.

And finally, Sam and his sleep situation. It had not been getting any better until last night, when he was slightly less impossible to get to sleep. The comments on this post were great. Emily summed it up well (and told me I wasn’t alone) with her comment – “when kids transition from crib to big bed, that there is always a brief honeymoon period when they do fine…. and then after a few weeks or months, the light goes on and they realize that they can party into the wee hours. Then comes the period of complete and total exhaustion for the whole family as they fight the exhausted 3 year old to please go to bed for the LOVE OF GOD.” EXACTLY. Mackenzie decided never to let her daughter out of her crib, which I think is probably the best course of action. Andy and I were just saying the other day that instead of a big bed, we wish we could have bought Sam a bigger crib. To quote my husband, “Animals belong in cages.” Stacy recommended the Tot Clock, which looks pretty amazing, but it seems like it’s sold out everywhere. I do want to get one eventually though. Karson, the mother of a 7 month old and one of my oldest friends, reminded me of my favorite quote – “Sleep begets sleep.” I really do think that’s true, and it reminds me of the importance of getting him to bed early. There were many more comments, but instead of posting them all again, just go here and read them!

Y’all are smart.

So. What’s going on with you?

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