Kitchen Must Haves: Whisks, Bowls and All Clad

I love kitchen gadgets, tools, and small appliances. I like holding a new whisk and imagining it at work whipping up a fluffy omelet or homemade chocolate pudding. I like feeling the heft of and looking at the artistry of a beautifully made chef-style pan. I can't (for some odd reason) get enough tiny bowls! (I don't know how many herbs I really think I need to chop in advance...sheesh.)

So, today's bargains are some beautiful, handy and downright practical kitchen gadgets for that most loved room - the kitchen! You know the place, where are the visiting, cooking, laughing, and making endless cups of tea happens. Oh, and in my little apartment kitchen it also includes a kitty who rolls around happily and looks up at me with big blue eyes as if to say how dare I not feed her again. Even though her last meal time was all of twenty minutes ago. Ahh, the kitchen. Whether it's big, small, renovated to sparkling newness or stuck firmly in the 80's, a kitchen is always a wholesome and nourishing place to be.

So: today's picks are a great set of small glass bowls...a beautiful whisk with a comfortable handle...my favorite All Clad saute pan (useful in a million ways!)...and a popular little garlic tool that makes chopping garlic as easy and fun as playing with a toy car. No kidding.

$25 Budget - Things that Sparkle: Crystal Earrings &

Sometimes we all need a little something that sparkles and shines, at our neck, perhaps in our ears or at our wrist. With a $25 budget, just what can we find that sparkles and shines? Here are some beautiful beauty and jewelry finds that keep your pocketbook's health in mind.

____Earrings - a Bit of Bling...and Bling-tastic!____
Super bling is the only way to describe these little darlings, reminiscent of a swirling, whirling disco ball. (And WAY under budget to boot.) And then there are these statement pieces that are guaranteed to be noticed. But then, sometimes you just want a little sparkle and shine, I get it. These are far tinier and classier. And with the pearl and crystal all in one earring, they're fairly irresistable.

____Necklaces and Bracelets_____
Enough about the ears! Now for jewelry to grace the neck and wrist - necklaces and bracelets. This lovely set is an illusion , but only in that the jewelry seems to float about your skin.When bling turns natural it looks more like this pretty, handcarved Hawaiian pendant. (It's more my style, to be honest.) And finally - a gorgeously knotted showstopper. For the price, it's quite a stunner.

So...there's a little bling to brighten your day. Hope you liked our bargain hunt for jewelry that wouldn't break the bank. But still makes you look utterly gorgeous.

$10 Budget - Warm Makers - Mittens, Hot Cocoa and More

Got a $10 bill in your pocket? Today's bargain hunt brings us all sorts of beautiful, sparkly and creative things for less than that ten. And all of them will warm you up when the colder days take hold...as they do here in Canada all too soon! ;)

_________Mittens_______
It's getting cold outside and that means warm, cozy mittens become absolute necessities. Sometimes those are itty bitty mitties (oh, can you resist it???) for the newest possible members of the family. Other times those much needed hand warmers are as speckled with snowflakes as the air all around us.

______Hot Chocolate_____(and cute mugs)
The air is chillier, and when you reach the warm haven of home, nothing is quite so soothing as a great big mug of luxurious hot cocoa. Yummmers indeed. Sometimes that cocoa has a coffee edge to it, blending the two flavors beautifully. (And I'm not one to say no to a cup of coffee, let me tell you.) Either way, the steaming, fragrant drink will be inviting in a mug that travels with you, makes you smile, or practically purrs when you drink it.

Here's hoping that your chillier days are filled with a bit of warmth, in whatever forms you can find it!