UncommonGoods-Gifts for the Holidays

Wanna hear about 1 of the coolest sites around? 

That also happens to have some of THE BEST stuff when you're gift shopping for someone? 

UncommonGoods is a privately owned retailer, started in 1999 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, and they "endeavor to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the

environment and without harm to animals or people." Half of what they sell is made by hand and most of the products are created here in the USA, and about a third of their collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. 

They have some of the most amazing, unique things. Anytime I'm stumped for gift ideas, Uncommon Goods is my first stop: they even have pages of their site specifically categorized by who you're buying for and/or what the occasion is! Christmas is coming up, so I'd suggest you check out their Christmas gift section here. 

Last year, Michael and I got his stepmom and his dad Uncommon Goods' amazing basil growbottle (which I now WANT!) We got them the basil, which is what I'd want too! Essentially it's your own little organic herb garden, sprouting from a re-purposed wine bottle. So, good for your kitchen AND the environment!

Source

Is there a sophisticated whiskey drinker in your life? Surprise them with this amazing whiskey stones gift set. Or maybe you tend to hang around wine drinkers: they have their own category on the site here. Whoever you're shopping for (even you!), I can essentially guarantee you will find some fabulous ideas on their site! And Christmas is approaching, do you still have someone you need to shop for? Are ya stumped and need some new, exciting, gift ideas? Then DEFINITELY check out UncommonGoods!

So....wanna see if you can win a little something to go towards your inevitable UncommonGoods shopping spree?

FINALLY!

So um...

I was gonna post a recipe today.

But I got sidetracked.

 MICHAEL AND I ARE FINALLY ENGAGED!

finally!

Hot Chocolate in a Microwave-for One

'Tis the season for Kayle to try out more hot chocolate recipes!!! 

Generally, I eat whatever I want, regardless of the time of year. But hot chocolate...well....it's hard to muster up the energy to drink it when it's hot outside (excluding my beloved Max Brenner's hot chocolate....I'll drink that wherever, whenever!) BUT! It's cold! And nothing sounds nicer when you're shivering in your apartment because your landlord doesn't turn the heat on half the time, than a nice big mug of hot cocoa. 

Mmmmm but I don't know about anyone else but sometimes when it's chilly, I just wanna lay under the covers and be lazy. It can be hard to muster up the energy to, not only leave aforementioned covers, but to leave them long enough to actually make make something. Which is why this hot chocolate is so brilliant! You can make it in a microwave AND it is so much richer and more delicious than that powdered stuff most of us grew up on*! AND it's single serving. One big mug of hot chocolatey goodness, that you don't need to share-yessss. (This is good for me because Michael usually doesn't like his hot chocolate as rich as I do, but if you have more peoples to make this good stuff for, just multiply the recipe by however many people you need to!)

*(in my opinion)

Has it happened? Have I found a homemade hot chocolate recipe that lives up to Max Brenner's??!

...well...no.

BUT it is deliciously full of dark chocolate flavor. And creamy. And rich. And as good as any other homemade recipe I've made thus far (with the exception of maybe this one, and def. excepting the s'mores hot cocoa...but that's just because of s'mores), with the added bonus of being QUICK and eeeeeasy to make! And, woot woot, no extra dishes!

Now, put on your slippies (or as some of you lame people might say, slippers), a warm robe, your fave jammies, and cuddle up with a big warm mug of this hot chocolate. Maybe watch some My Fair Wedding on Netflix. Or 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family. Yeah...that's a good day.