Staub all day, everyday!

This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but we cook at home almost every single night of the week. In fact, eating out is almost a sacred ritual reserved for various celebrations throughout the year - the birthday's and anniversaries. Don't get us wrong, when we do go out for dinner we absolutely enjoy it. And we certainly love a good cocktail after a long day of work or meeting up with a group of friends to catch up over the weekend.. but we just rarely do it over dinner out.

Trust us, we get it. Coming up with the daily menu for dinner can seem like a daunting task and adding picky little eaters into that mix can create nothing short of a living nightmare. But the secret to cooking at home, really becomes about organization, preparations and having high quality materials to do your 'work' - because, at the end of the day it is just that! Work, work, work!!

Now, you may have guessed it - we'll leave the organizing and preparation part to some other expert (although, we hear lists help!) and we'll focus on our favorite of the three.. high quality cooking material. Our no brainer, hands down favorite here is Staub cookware.

Let us do a formal introduction here -

Staub, like many of our favorite things (..rosé) originates from France. The first piece, a Cocotte (in other words, a Dutch oven), was designed by Francis Staub in 1974. Staub cookware's most identifying characteristic is that it is made from cast iron - and almost always, the first question that comes up is, why cast iron? Cast iron is commonly used by both beginners and professionals because it retains and evenly distributes heat for a long period of time (as in.. you can't mess that dinner up!) It is perfectly suited for slow braised dishes and the material itself is reusable. Who doesn't love a sustainable company?!

The wonderful thing about Staub cookware is that they very much become an investment in your kitchen and for your family. They are incredibly long-lasting and do not discolor with use. And perhaps one of our very favorite things about this cookware is that the longer the Cocotte is in use, the tastier the dishes become! What a win, win!! This occurs because the fat you use during cooking penetrates into the pores of the matte enamel finish creating a natural and smooth non-stick coating (that is of course, chemical free!) unlike many other products that are marketed as such.

Now, regardless of if you become a cast iron believer or shall we say addict.. because we promise that is how it works once you try it - the real message here is to take the time for yourself and your family. We all have those nights where it is easier to stop by and pick up food to go and call it a night. But if you really are committed to those New Year's resolutions of a healthier and happier you.. it all really starts here, with a happy gut. And you'll see that the time you spend cooking in the kitchen each evening will make your home a warmer and more inviting place. All of a sudden, all those kids of yours will be gathering around the counter wondering what smells so good and telling you about their day at school. And really, at the end of the day - that is exactly the point. More quality time with the people you love surrounding by things or dishes that warm your belly and heart!

Darling Bella Notte..you've got our hearts!

It's no secret how much we adore our bedding.. and we think it's about time for us to share why! We first fell in love with Bella Notte linens about five years ago when we stumbled upon the company and purchased our first piece - a pair of Olivia lace pillow cases. Little did we know that those pillow cases would just be the start to our prized collection of lace, velvet, silk, cotton and linen bedding.

Now, when it comes to bedding you want to make sure you check off a few boxes before you 'jump' into bed with it! First, you want to make sure that your bedding isn't pre-treated with any harsh chemicals. Believe it or not, bedding is often exposed to chemicals that try to keep your sheets from wrinkling and losing color. And as you may already know, we go absolutely nuts for all things 'non-toxic' in our home. So we were thrilled to find out that this isn't something you have to worry about with Bella Notte - they receive their fabrics unfinished and prepared for the dyeing stage. The dye used is low impact and is hand mixed locally in California. The end result is luxurious, preshrunk fabrics in a wide range of color palettes that can elevate any room.

Another important aspect of livable and beautiful bedding is that it is WASHABLE! And believe it or not, Bella Notte just gets more stunning with age.. and dare we say it, with every wash! This is what truly makes Bella Notte linens an heirloom piece. Not only can they be enjoyed for years to come but they make the most meaningful item to pass down to those you love!

Finally, we think it's important that your bedding makes a statement.. regardless of what that may mean to you. And keep an open mind here, if your bedding ticks off the first few boxes we talked about (..mainly washable) then even if you have little ones or a furry pet around the house there's no reason you can't treat yourself to luxurious bedding. Fortunately for us, Bella Notte captures our entire soul with just one look. It is romantic, yet classic and the perfect amount of playfully feminine. And that's exactly the type of statement we'd like to make! Between the ruffles and the lace, you simply won't know where to look first - it is ALL just so beautiful!

Now, we often get asked by our clients if their bedding should all be one color or should it all match. And our answer is simple, no and no! Most of our pieces compliment each other and although, you will often see that they are in the same color palette that is where their similarities start and end. Bella Notte's selection allows you to play around with layers, textures, shades.. and we suggest you play, play, play!

So whether your heart skips a beat every time you make your bed with your favorite linens or you've never given your bed a second thought after you've stumbled out of it in the morning.. you've got to trust us when we say it's a great place to start making an impact in your bedroom. Bedrooms whether larger or small are often always fully occupied by a large bed (it is the largest piece of furniture that fits!) So before you start changing side tables and swapping out the hanging art in your bedroom - start by investing in a pair of cushions to add to your room.. we just have a feeling that once you start dressing up your bed, you'll have a hard time stopping! And we've got a tip for that too.. make sure you give yourself some extra time in the morning to spend with your Bella Notte linens!

Gangs all here! We're nuts for Nutcrackers.. and you should be too!

The holiday's are truly the most magical time of the year and we believe your home should be a reflection of just that. Now, it's no secret that we collect antiques, furniture, little jewel treasures and the list goes on.. but dare we say it, we couldn't really embrace the holiday's at our house without creating a collection or two of our favorite traditional decorations.

Nutcrackers have been an all time favorite of ours for many years - and for good reason, they simply are a stunning piece of craftsmanship. To us, they are a piece of art and all the intricate details of any given piece just add a layer of blissful fascination.

We of course have a method to our madness of collecting nutcrackers - and it likely won't surprise you that we look for quality over quantity in our collection. All of our nutcrackers are from the Erzgebirge - handmade in Germany.

These nutcrackers are from the Richard Glaesser company that was founded in 1932. The Richard Glaesser company is well know for its ornaments, nutcrackers, smokers and music boxes across the world. They stand for a well-know, quality manufacturer that consistently constructs their pieces on wood-turned body parts. The company is situated in Seiffen, a lovely little mountain village in the Erzgebirge (Germany!) that is recognized as the most famous centers for typical production of hand made Christmas products made of wood.

The meaning and the history behind our little nutcrackers is just as meaningful to us. Nutcrackers were handcrafted to most often resemble a toy soldier. And of course, the large mouth s operated by a lever in the back of the figurine which serves to open and close it. Originally, you could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth - press down, and crack away!

The legend behind the nutcracker states that a nutcracker represents power and strength. It serves like a watchdog (think evil eye..) guarding your family from evil spirits and danger. A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and goodwill - and in this house, we would call that good juju! Sign us up!

Now, although we love our nutcrackers - we certainly don't discriminate! We thought we would call out the below little smoker. We love him dearly despite the fact that he's not a nutcracker. His nickname is smoker because he's traditionally used to burn incense. (we think he's too handsome for that!) He also originated from the Richard Glaesser company and is perhaps part of the most special German tradition. In Germany, Christmas last for 12 days and on the final day celebrating the Three Wise Men, many people celebrate by lighting incense and placing them in these German smokers to mark the end of the Christmas season. We stick to our more is more rule here for decor - and since it's the holiday's we'd like to call it 'the more the merrier!' So don't be afraid to mix and add to your holiday decor the way you see fit. We wouldn't want anyone feeling left out!

We've certainly given you plenty of reasons to love nutcrackers and smokers.. But perhaps the most important reason behind why our collection is so meaningful to us is that it is something we do as a family. Each year we add a nutcracker to our collection. And each year, we make a day out of it! We gaze at the shelves, run through aisle after aisle, until we've found one that speaks to us. Until we find one, that could fit in with the others.. Until we find one that stops us in our tracks and we say, this little guy has to come home with us!

And that's just it. The holiday's are riddled with tradition and a sense of unique, one of a kind, family traditions. It is important to maintain those year after year, whatever they may be. For us, collecting brings us joy. It's our passion project and the main reason we love it so much is because we do it together. It's the time you spend searching for the perfect little treasure to bring home that is really what the story is about.