Valentine's Day Gift Guide

 When Daniel and I first started dating, Valentine's Day seemed to really mean something. In fact, he moved back to Brazil on February 15, six months after we started dating, so you better believe we went all out that year. I remember being blindfolded and driven to a special dinner that included multiple courses, heart-shaped everything and a violinist. Over the years, we've cared less about it, opting for low-key celebrations at home in place of pricey prix-fixe meals. But after working on this Valentine's Day gift guide for iVillage, I'm thinking it might be fun to make a bigger deal about it this year. I could care less about red roses, but surprise me with pink and white cookies, henna-inspired mini cakes, banana cake in a jar and pretty much anything else on the list and I'd be one happy lady.

Holiday Fun in Bryant Park

After reading this post on Little Brown Pen, I couldn't wait to take Nico and Leo to Bryant Park. Just as Nichole explained, it was a less hectic alternative to Rock Center and the perfect place for holiday fun with four little ones. We went with our friends Whitney, Liam and June and had a jam-packed day. We looked at trains in Grand Central, posed in front of the library lions, spotted Santa and his reindeer in the Lord & Taylor holiday windows, rode the carousel, read some books in a cute outdoor library, sipped 'Wichcraft's extra special hot chocolate, threw pennies in a fountain, watched ice skaters at Citi Pond (open until February 26) and had a dance party before heading back to Brooklyn. NYC kids really have the life, huh?

Whitney and I definitely deserved some down time after an outing like that and I happened to have a freezer full of frozen appetizers thanks to an iVillage assignment. We sipped some wine and did a taste test while the kiddos played. It looked like a tornado and then a hurricane had hit my apartment when it was time to call it a day, but they sure had fun.

If you're planning a holiday party and want to go the easy route, try my ten favorite frozen appetizers. And to see NYC while it's still sparkly and festive, check out Bryant Park soon.

Light My Fire

I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but if I did, I'd have a hard time choosing a menorah. There are so many cool ones out there, including these two from Jonathan Adler that I love. If you're in need of some inspiration before Hanukkah kicks off on December 20, check out more of my favorites on iVillage.

French Host Brothers and Latte Bowls

I had a huge crush on my French host brother when I studied abroad in Paris. He was handsome and goofy, had the most adorable accent in English and would always drink his morning coffee from a big bowl. He must have really considered me a sister since he never made a move. He did, however, make out with my best friend when she was visiting from Barcelona.

I've been buying these latte bowls from Anthropologie for as long as I can remember, probably right around the time I came home from France. Daniel's Dad recently gave me a shirt from there that didn't fit, so I decided it was time to add to my collection. Their new colors are my favorite yet and I love how the deep plum, royal blue, chocolate brown and aqua ones look together. I wasn't as crazy about the others, but wanted to get six. And, since they're only $5 each, I think they make a really good holiday gift. You can buy them individually in the store; online they come in sets of four and six. And while I'm on the topic of holiday gifts, I'm dying to try Leone's Gianduioso, a chocolate-hazelnut spread that comes in a gold toothpaste tube and apparently puts Nutella to shame. According to New York Magazine, I can find it at Eataly, which means I'll probably stuff my own stocking with some this year.

Foodie Gift Guide

The holidays are right around the corner, and in my opinion, edible gifts are the way to go. If you need some ideas, check out this gift guide I wrote for iVillage. It includes 20 edible gifts and hip-hop hooray ho, they're all $20 and under. I'd happily accept every single thing on there. Just saying.

P.S. If you want to attempt a cookie swap this year, here are some of my tips on how to have a successful one.