Entertaining

Sometimes the best things arrive in a box. It's like a special holiday or birthday when a box arrives at your doorstep and you get to be surprised by the contents. I researched the best box subscriptions and other companies that specialize in sending you curated items from jewelry to dog treats to kids crafts to wine. I checked out an array of items and I shared them with Marie Osmond on Hallmark Channel.

 

    

Kiwi Crate

-Kids projects for ages 3-7 that celebrate kids’ natural creativity and curiosity.

-Each box comes with the instructions/inspiration and materials to create the project covering a number of developmental areas through art, science and imaginative play from gardens to dinosaurs to creating butterfly wings.

-$19.95 a month or $220 a year with one month free. Each box contains 2-3 projects each month.

Bark Box

-They curate a box based on the size of your dog.

-$18 a month—four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog—anything from bones and treats to leashes and innovative gadgets.

-Monthly, 3 or 6 months plans available- free shipping

-Each month 10% of proceeds go to a different local animal shelter they sponsor

    

Tasting Room

-Lot 18 has rolled out a first of its kind wine club, called Tasting Room.

-Members taste and give feedback before they commit to a full case of wines.

-They receive 6 mini bottles (4 red, 2 white) for $9.99. Members are given instructions on how to taste via an online tool that asks basic questions about likes and dislikes.

-Once the tasting is complete a taste profile is created and the first shipment is created with a case of 12 full size bottles. Four annual case shipments per year. First shipment is $84.99 with free shipping ($7 a bottle) and after that it’s $149.99 for a case ($12.50 a bottle).

True & Co.

-True and Company has reinvented the way women buy intimates. By taking a fit-based approach to online bra retail by replacing the uncomfortable fitting room experience with an online two-minute fit quiz and risk-free home try-on.

-Take trueandco.com's 2-minute online quiz and create your own personal bra shop of best fitting styles. They use your current bra size as a starting point and then diagnose your true size taking into account your shape, pain points and common body image issues.

-Their algorithms then recommend and sell only the styles and the sizes that fit a woman’s specific body shape in a personal bra shop created just for each customer. 

-For your initial home try-on box, get your 5 favorite styles (you pick 3, their experts pick 2) sent to your home. 

-You then have 7 days to try on the bras. Pay only for what you keep, return the rest.

-This is not a subscription service, but you can try it as often as you like.

All bras start at approximately $45. Shipping and returns are always free.

    

Elizabeth and Clarke

-Why spend over $100 for that designer blouse when you can have designer-quality blouses and tees delivered to your doorstep each season for $30 or less.

-Get a box of one, two or three shirts delivered every 3 months at the beginning of a season. Three tops are just $20 each.

-Neutral colors so they match with items in your wardrobe. Quality fabrics. Fashion forward. Styles similar to Alexander Wang, Theory and James Perse.

Mynt Box

-Every month you receive 3-5 items of the top jewelry and accessories trends based upon the box you choose-Boho, Luxe or Mixe for $30 a month or just try it once for $40.

-Receive up to $100 worth of jewelry every month.

-You can also shop Mynt without joining.

    

Misto Box

-You can try Misto Box for just $5 with free shipping. Subscriptions cost between $12.50 to $15 a month depending on the length of the subscription. 

-Misto Box has a team of coffee experts who taste and evaluate more than 50 coffees every month from different artisan roasters across the country.  (Think local favorites.) 

-Each box contains four 1.7 - 2 ounce samplings of premium single origin coffee from four different artisan roasters. You’ll get to know each roaster and coffee intimately with included tasting notes and coffee info.

Love With Food

-Gourmet food delivered to your door for $10-12 a month depending on the plan you choose.

-Each box contains 8 or more gourmet foods.

-New flavors each month curated with a different theme.

- For every box sent, a meal is donated to feed 1 in 5 hungry children in America. In one year of business, Love With Food has donated more than 50,000 meals. They donate a meal to a hungry child via efforts with Feeding America and Share our Strength.

-Their motto is “Make Tummies Happy.”

- Love With Food frequently works with celebrities to curate the boxes, e.g. Thanksgiving 2012 box was curated by Amy Roloff of Little People Big World of TLC. Upcoming April 2013 box is curated by Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods on Travel channel.

 

While many of us may be thinking about our new year's resolutions and trying to trim down by a few pounds, my thoughts turn to planning the next party and what I'll be wearing or dressing others for whether it be for the Oscars, Valentine's Day or upcoming events. And then my thoughts turn to the need for GOOD FOOD for those occasions! I shopped online and tasted some of the top FOODS from around the world that can be delivered to your front door. Since I'm Marie Osmond's style contributor on her show, I shared my favorites with her and the audience. Here's my top picks that I've shared with friends and family.

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine (pastoralartisan.com)

European inspired cheese and specialty food shop. Sometimes the perfect meal is a baguette and cheese. But not just any cheese, I like picks from France, Spain and other foreign countries for my brie, Fontina, Gouda and Manchego. They have created delicious pairings of cheese, wine, charcuterie and extras like honey or jams. Featuring Around the World and Kitchen Essentials.  Prices range from $6 to under $200.

Jacques Torres Chocolate (mrchocolate.com)

Who doesn’t love chocolate?  They do a variety of chocolate, truffles, decadent chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate, and bars in wickedly good flavors—everything is delicious! They use the finest ingredients and they combine exotic ingredients together with chocolate like chilies, nuts, and ginger. Prices range from $6-96.

Carousel Cakes (carouselcakes.com)

They had me at red velvet.  And Oprah and Gayle fell hard for their blue velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and sugar snowflakes. If that’s not your dream cake, don’t fret because they have cupcakes, rich chocolate cakes and mousses as well. Approximately $40.

Squirrel Brand Nut Company (squirrelbrand.com)

The company has been around since 1888 and they are not your average nut company. This isn’t about a bag of peanuts at the ball park. These nuts are packaged beautifully in tins and wooden boxes and have highly addictive flavors like Crème Brulee Almonds, Fleur de Sel Pistachios, Herbes de Provence Pecans, Artisan-Peppercorn Blistered Virginia Peanuts. Prices range from $23-50

Pipcorn (pipsnacks.com)

No floss required when you snack on this variety of hulless popcorn which means it’s crunchy yet tender. It’s also naturally grown, popped in small batches using extra virgin olive oil and extremely tasty whether you choose to add flavors like lemon truffle or go with their signature rosemary. You can buy bags that come packaged in a cool wooden crate or large bags. 6 large bags for $36


Schwans (schwans.com)

Having a party and don’t have time to prepare it all? Whether you’re feeding the family, your kid’s football team or your friends you can seem like a super chef when you choose it all from Schwan’s.  From Schwan’s Home Service we have these delicious flatbreads great for any party or a quick snack.  Schwan’s offers hundreds of delicious flash frozen foods that are delivered right to your door so you can create meals to serve and share with your friends and family.  Visit Schwans.com to shop for a unique variety of delicious meals and original recipes the whole family will love. And it’s affordable! Featuring the Spinach and Mushroom Flatbread Pizza and the Roasted Garlic and Chicken Flatbread Pizza, serves four for $8.30.

ONEHOPE wine (onehopewine.com)

In a short period of time ONEHOPE Wine has become one of the most recognizable cause brands in the United States of America. ONEHOPE Wine donates an astounding 50% of its profits to partner charities benefiting a variety of causes. To date ONEHOPE has raised over $1,000,000 for a wide range of charity organizations that benefit the environment, cancer research, ending hunger, helping veterans and children’s hospitals and more. ONEHOPE has become the socially conscious wine of choice at several hundred premier events including the Grammy’s, The American Red Cross Gala, the BAFTA’s, Sundance Film Festival and VH1 Save the Music. They have a variety of wines from Pinot noir to Merlot to Sauvignon Blanc. Wines range in price from $19-60.

This is such a simple and fun DIY to add more holiday decor to your home or Christmas tree. The main ingredients, paint chips, are free from the paint or hardware store, just don't be greedy. Invite your friends over or get the kids involved.

 

From the DIY Divas, we bring you one of the simplest craft projects that can be done in 30 minutes or less.

    

Don't get us wrong we love to dress up in our finest cocktail dresses and statment jewelry for holiday parties, but sometimes when you go from party to party to party a fun way to break up the champagne clinking monotony would be to switch the invite attire to your best ugly holiday sweater. It becomes a conversation when you compare who's is truly the "best" worst of the bunch. My girlfriend, Tracy Metro held one of my favorite holiday parties years ago when she decided last minute to turn a glam party into a white trash party. We dressed head-to-toe in our perception of a trashy look and since I love dressing in a theme and take on a chartacter full throttle from look to voice to even background we won. We DIY Divas took on the challenge to create our best ugly Christmas and Hanukkah sweaters. Enjoy!

 

Before

    

Alison's Christmas Version

    

Lauren's Hanukkah Sweater

    

Christina's Holiday Sweater

    

Trio of Pretty Ugly Holiday Sweaters

Whether it's the pool, beach or backyard, there are plenty of activities, games and toys to keep kids (and yourself) entertained this summer. I recently appeared on The CW/KTLA Los Angeles to show off some of the latest items that scream FUN! GO GET WET!

Me and my friends' kids, gladly taking on the task of testing out all the activities-Josh, Molly Rose, Finn and Maeve

WATCH THE KTLA MORNING NEWS SEGMENT HERE:

 

Banzai Aqua Splash Dual Racing Slide available at Kohl's for under $12

Diggin Dodge Tag, Melissa & Doug Jolly Jellyfish Sinkers, Marvel Spider-Man Web Shooter Sprinkler,

Melissa & Doug Tootle Turtle Bubble Set, Melissa & Doug Clicker Crab Beach Tote Bag, all available at Kohl's, Australian Gold Sunscreen spray

Poolmaster Pool Kids Beginning Swimmer Set, Melissa & Doug Froggy Lily Pad Toss Set, Poolmaster Swim Goggles Set

    

Banzai Aqua Splash Dual Racing Slide and Melissa & Doug Octopus and Clicker Crab Folding Chairs

    

Poolmaster Pool & Lawn Game Set and Finn chillin' in the wading pool.

Time to get outdoors!

Longer days of sunshine, warmer nights, and a chance to enjoy time with friends and family... summer is meant for socializing. First up - Outdoor Movies! Pack a picnic, invite friends and nab some lawn space. Our favorites in Los Angeles are the StreetFoodCinema.com in Exposition Park and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, both on Saturday nights. Here are my tips for surefire fun and ease:

    

Bring travel games to play until it turns dark.  Carry low-seated folding chairs so you stay comfortable and others can still see the screen. These chairs are available for $20 at Marshalls and fold into a backpack style, so you can pack a blanket and still have your hands free to carry the food. As for food and drink, choose unique flavors and take a step away from the usual suspects (like Diet Coke) and a must for the movies - popcorn and candy. I found these popcorn buckets available at TJ Maxx for $4 and filled them with a various popcorn flavors spiced with truffle oil and jalapeno.

    

Learn more about your friends with these curious napkins that ask questions. And what better way to get happy than bright and colorful tableware? Instead of paper plates and cups choose plastic that can be washed and reused all summer long.

Party in the backyard or by the pool?

    

Go with a theme like this one centered around red, white and blue... and seafood! A shrimp and crab boil served up in a kid's plastic ship available at Marshall's with a mini boat for dipping sauce is a conversation piece at the party.

    

Create one main beverage for everyone to partake in at the party, like lemonade or ice tea. This beehive drink dispenser from TJ Maxx was only $24 and is simple to clean and these smiley face containers create icey smiles. Fill with juice (like lemons) to spike your water with flavor. Go ahead and "pick your nose" when you fill up your cup - each cup shows a different nose for you to "try on" for size.

Whether it's whoopie pies, red velvet cupcakes, glazed nuts or popcorn, you'll need the sweets to top off the party.

Check out my segment on KTLA for more summer entertaining ideas.

 

 

 

Hello Friday. Pour me one of these, please.

Spending your summer at home can still feel a little indulgent. Find relief from the heat and make summer backyard gatherings a chic affair with a sparkling drink, a frothy drinkable dessert or one of myt favorites for summer, rose or vinho verde wine. NUVO Sparkling Sunset, a delicious, fruity drink perfect for a warm weather get-together. Nuvo Sparkling Sunset 3 oz NUVO Sparkling Liqueur 3 oz pineapple juice Splash of fresh lime juice Top with sliced fruit of your choice Or for a drink that tastes like dessert choose one of my favorites, the mudslide. This reminds me of the yummy drinks I recently had on my boat trip off of Panama. Baileys Mudslide For one serving
Ingredients 
4 oz. Baileys Ready-to-Serve Mudslide ½ cup ice
Preparation 1.     Add 4 oz. Baileys Mudslide and ½ cup of ice to a blender. 2.     Blend until smooth. 3.     Serve in a highball glass with a straw.
Wino  Weekend: If wine is what you're looking for set your sights on a rose or vinho verde. Leave the reds for fall and the buttery whites until Labor Day. This summer keep it light, crisp and bubbly. Some of my favorites: 2010 Adega Cooperativo Regional de Monçao "Trajarinho" Vinho Verde, $8.99 2010 Adegas Cooperativos de Monção "Muralhas" Rosé Vinho Verde, $9.99 2010 Domaine Begude Pinot Noir Vin de Pays d'Oc Rosé, $12.99 All from KLWines.com    
Shopping the Larchmont Farmer's Market on Sunday is part of my weekend routine and one recent Sunday my gal pal Judy Ludy (master of cook & baking) and I were inspired to create a meal of fresh ingredients that were almost solely from the market. My husband came along to document the experience and, of course, eagerly await the food. On the menu for six guests: Dinner: Roasted chicken (we bought rotisserie chickens from the grill guy at the market. It saved us time in the kitchen.) Japanese Eggplant, Mozzarella & Tomato (Slice the eggplant length wise to wrap around the cheese and tomato-hold closed with a toothpick to grill on bbq) Roasted Squash and Zucchini (so simple-long slices grilled with evoo, sea salt and pepper) Two desserts: Just because! Peach Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream (Judy's trick-cut out a 1/3 of the sugar) Berry Trifle (blueberries, strawberries and raspberries heated in a pot with some lemon juice and a little sugar will reap plenty of juices to be soaked up by your choice of cubed pound cake or angel food cake. I make fresh whipped cream with a touch of vanilla and sugar and then I fold in a jar of lemon curd to the mix. Judy baked a lemon pound cake for the trifle that was awesome, but you can use store bought to save time. It's all about the layers. And plenty of wine from Rose to Vinho Verde.   YUM!    
My favorite flowers, Peonies, are abundant at Trader Joe's. For $21 bucks I was able to create gorgeous, simple arrangements. Just snip, snip and voila! Don't hesitate to add flowers to your home. They may only last a week, but you'll notice them everyday they're with you. And they signify wealth, luck and happiness. I should be so lucky to get them every week.  
Devastatingly Delicious, Decidedly Naughty and Wickedly Addictive Dessert Dare I tell you about the infamous Seven Layer Bars that have taken over our home for the last few days? Yes, I shall share the tale of the outrageous, foodgasm that erupts in your mouth each time you take a bite of one of these sinful pleasures. Sinful is where this short story starts. Our friends invited us to a glam affair to "Ring in the Rapture" although as we all know it The Rapture didn't happen so it turned out to be a chance dress up and partake in sinful drinks and sweets. I made two desserts--devil's food cake mini cupcakes with vanilla icing and red drizzled pitchforks and the seven layer bars which I like to think of as 7th Heaven. I made two batches and kept part of the second batch back home when I couldn't figure out how my husband and I could balance more than four trays of desserts. AND, that my friends is how at around 3pm each afternoon I start hearing a voice beckoning me into the kitchen to open up a tinfoil lined container housing these decadent little treats. I confessed to my friend, Jesse Brune who also happens to be a classically trained chef and my trainer that I should just throw them away. He, who has a love of sweets as well, agreed, "Throw them away or you'll be doomed." OK, he didn't say doomed aloud, but he and I can communicate telepathically. So after my training session today I went home and ignored the container until 4pm (oh, how strong I am) when I went into the kitchen and chose two squares and slowly ate them while taking a break to read the Hollywood Reporter. I went back into the kitchen and unwrapped the foil again to just take a look, a last look was the plan before I threw the rest away. Then I thought, perhaps I should freeze all the rest, but four squares. Only fair to let my husband have his share before they're packed away for a few weeks until some fated night he suggests cupcakes for dessert or a mad dash to Milk for the blondie sundae and I say, "We've got bars in the freezer."  And guaranteed he'll say, "Those will do. Those will definitely do."  And yet, I still haven't packed them yet in freezer bags. Maybe just one last look, one last bite before they hit the cold. So here's the simple recipe for the wickedly addictive bars: Seven Layer Bars 1 stick of butter 1 cup of graham caracker crumbs 1 cup of shredded coconut 1 package of chocolate chips 1 package of butterscotch chips 1 can of condensed milk Your choice: 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or 1 cup of mini marshmallows How to: Melt the butter and pour into a 9 X 13 pan. Layer graham cracker crumbs on top (they will soak up the butter). Then layer the various chips. I admit I also added in peanut butter chips as well. Add the coconut on top of the chips and then add your nuts if you choose to use nuts. Then pour the condensed milk over the layers. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you want marshmallows add them halfway through baking scattered on top. They will soften, get a little oozy and turn a light brown on top. Take out of oven and let cool. Once thoroughly cooled you can put the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes to make them easier to cut into bars or just go for the soft melty goodness that will happen. Enjoying a naughty good time at the Ring in the Rapture party. Me, with my halo and Daysun with his horns.

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