Our Favorite Things 2017

I can hear Julie Andrews singing “These are a few of my favorite things…” every time I talk about our Favorite Things 2017, so sing along!

It’s not very often that we break from food, but when we do it’s always because something is so awesome we just have to tell you all about it. In this case, we’ve got a whole list of our favorite things 2017. With the holidays coming up we thought the list might help you out with your holiday shopping.

1. Our Sweet Basil Kitchen Cookbook

Our first cookbook, Our Sweet Basil Kitchen released this March and it has been such an amazing journey to go on. It’s for sure hard work, but it has been totally worth it.

So far our reader favorite recipes are:

Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancakes

Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

And so many more. There’s exclusive recipes and stories from Cade and I, pictures with every single recipe and a whole heck of a lot of love. If you haven’t purchased one yet, make it happen!!

2. BakerStone Pizza Oven

We love pizza at our house, like a lot, but we are quickly becoming pizza snobs. We want the good stuff and after searching and searching for how to get the best pizza crust we finally settled on the idea of building a pizza oven. And then we saw the price tag, $1500-$10,000 oh haha, no thanks, just kidding.

That started our long search for a cheaper but still awesome pizza oven and we finally settled on the BakerStone Pizza Oven. Yes, you need a grill with multiple burners and not just one burner, but it’s soooo worth it. Crisp crust, bubbly cheese and the best flavor around.

And you’re going to want the pizza peel too. Don’t make our mistake and hurry off to find one on the day you’re making your first pizza.  Both products can be bought at the store but they are cheapest on Amazon and we are cheap like that.

3. Minnetonka Slippers

PSSSST!! We found you all of the sales for this weekend and make sure you stop by on Monday to our instagram for a giveaway!!

11/27 – Cyber Monday Gift with Purchase!  Spend $30 + and receive a free pair of socks plus free shipping with code: Socks

Cade here, I’m taking this one over for Carrian because you have to know, she is always freezing. I seriously need to find her a sweatshirt that says, “I’m so stinking cold!” because that’s a phrase she uses year round, yes even in the summer.

I set out to find the best slippers to keep her toes warm over the last 13 years and I can tell you right now that her absolute favorite for comfort, warmth without being too warm, and durability are Minnetonka Cally Slippers. I even own my own pair of hardsole Minnetonka Men’s Slippers because I couldn’t help but feel jealous over how comfy she looked.

4. Lighting

Um, what? It’s true.

Alright, back to Carrian and I just have to tell you, Cade is totally team lighting as well. We’ve been obsessed with changing out our lighting this year because we just cannot believe what a total change of feeling it gives the room.

These are the chandeliers and lights we are currently in love with.

The one pictured above is the Perla and to say that we get compliments on it is an understatement.

Naples by Aidan Gray– Our number one choice for chandeliers right now, and it’s been on back order, about to be released again this December so get yourselves one asap!! Photo cred: Katie Grace Designs

Imperial Castle Chandelier– Wanting something a little more vintage and European? This is the one we are putting in our Dining room.

Metal Band Wood Bead Chandelier– This chandelier is still one of our favorites. Isn’t it pretty how it all drapes? photo Cred: Sugar Color Interiors

Ramirez Chandelier– We love that beautiful glass!

 

5. InstantPot

HURRY!! Now is your chance to get a 8qt Instant Pot on sale!!! It doesn’t last long and it’s on Amazon so click the link and get on over there!!

That’s right, we hopped on the InstantPot train and have no intentions to get off. We had resisted for years, convinced that this was all hype and our slow cooker was good enough, but that’s bologna. This InstantPot has changed our lives. We made the world’s most amazing Applesauce, Beef Stroganoff and more.

6. Elemis Cleanser

This was the year I made Cade start washing his face and actually taking care of his skin and while he may not like to admit it, he will never go back.

Elemis Cleanser is my all time favorite cleanser. It’s easy on your skin and leaves your face feeling moisturized, but never oily. It smells good, feels good and leaves your skin looking better and with a natural glow. We’ve been asked a lot about our skin care routine on instagram and I honestly think that this Elemis cleanser is what everyone is loving about our skin. It. Is. Amazing. And currently the only thing I’m willing to buy that isn’t from the grocery store. 😉 It’s totally worth it.

7. Vintau Shop

Ummmm, you need to buy it all. Alllll of it. We are totally obsessed with Vintau shop and Sandra’s feed. All things pretty, light, airy and inspiring all the time. How could you not love that? It’s perfect for gifts, decorating your home and office and heaven knows it’s meant to be in your life.

These Rose Quartz Bookends, stunning!! Plus you know how much we love reading and pretty built-ins so it’s meant to be.

Stardust Framed Mineral Set, you know that we spent way too much time trying to find cool framed art for our Office, and these would have been lovely!

Coco Pyrite– Loving these that sit up on a stand!

8. Lana’s Shop Illustrations

I’m loving all things light and airy in our home and Lana is one of my all time faves to turn to. She’s seriously so talented and goes quite well with Vintau shop, hint, hint. You need both in your house. Her quality is superb but it’s the feeling behind everything that we love. Just check out Lana’s Etsy Shop and you can buy everything from art work for the walls to greeting cards.

9. Traeger Smoker

Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t know the power and majesty of a Traeger? Let me tell you all about it. Better yet, I’ll pass it off to Cade who is unbelievable obsessed.

Traeger is the ultimate Grill/smoker. It’s like the ultimate gift for your husband, or wife because hey, they can grill and smoke like nobody’s business. It’s so easy to use once you’ve read through and understand how to get started. The flavor is to die for and you can smoke anything from meats to baked goods. No. Joke.

10. The World’s Best Dish Cloths

I saved the most useful for last, haha. It’s just how things ended up, we didn’t actually put these in order. These are the World’s Best Dish Cloths and I would know considering who I live with. I’m rolling my eyes in a loving way.

Cade cannot stand a weak and thin wash cloth, or one that doesn’t really absorb liquids, but he especially hates when it starts to stink. We finally found the best dish cloths ever and it’s actually a stinking good deal, a set of 6 for $13!

11. Kitchen Table

Oh my goodness, did you hear about our Kitchen table fiasco? We sold our old table thinking I had found a perfect new table that would fit more people around it, but it arrived and totally was not what we were thinking. UGH!!! So we searched for 4 months. 4 MONTHS!! It was so stressful and we were eating on a plastic table until we could find one we loved, but everything was $8k and not at all what we wanted.

Then one night we went to Even Steven’s restaurant and right behind it was Fantastic Mr. Finds. It’s like Chip and Joanna Gaines, people! Art is the owner and he finds such cool wood and reclaimed items and turns them into something new, so we had these gorgeous legs built into a table. WE LOVE IT!!! We are obsessed with his shop now. Anything vintage, unique or custom needs go there!

12. Spicy Shelf – Spice Shelf Organizer

Check out that mess!! Ugh, I was so tired of our spice shelf and digging through it every time I needed to cook dinner or make anything!

I found this new lifesaver and will be redoing a few other cabinets as well. It’s called, Spicy Shelf and it allows the spices to face outward so not only it is neat and tidy in your cabinet but it’s also user friendly so you can easily grab and get your recipe finished up, allowing you even more time to read a book. HA! I mean get more chores and errands run because that’s the life of a mom. 😉