All I Want For Christmas Is...

Even though I’m 40-something (that’s all I’m willing to admit to) I still believe there is a Santa Claus. Like my children do each year I build myself my very own fantasy “wish list” that is chock-full of items I’ve stumbled across in the pages of my favorite magazines, television shows and websites over the last year. Here are just a few of the things I would like “Santa” to bring me this year – check it out and maybe if you’ve been very nice and not at all naughty he’ll fill your tree with a couple of these items too – or at the very least, maybe there are some cool gift-giving ideas for you to shower your loved-ones with:

TasteBook – Create a completely personalized cookbook using over 100,000 recipes from magazines, websites and cookbooks. No longer will I have to print recipes from websites or tear sheets from magazines that get lost among unpaid bills, expired coupons and ignored fliers from school.

Cupcake Courier– Seems silly but have you ever had to bring cupcakes for over 20 children to school and don’t know exactly how you’re going to get them there without them ending up frosted side down on the floor of your car. I saw this cupcake courier (holds up to 36 cupcakes!) in a magazine and thought it was a pretty nifty way to go without needing to visit the car wash after the party – while I was searching for a picture of this on the web I stumbled across these single serve cupcake containers and thought they were pretty cute too. I thought they would be a great way to send muffins in with my kids for a healthy snack without them turning into bread crumbs at the bottom of their backpacks.

Microplane Box Grater – Huge fan of the handheld Microplane grater. Read an impressive review about their box grater and would like to add it to my collection.

Cookbooks, cookbooks and more cookbooks – Top on my wish list is the new cookbook from the Barefoot Contessa – Back To Basics. I know, I know, she loooovvees to cook with butter, which seems a bit counterintuitive coming from the Educated Plate. But hey, sometimes a little butter is necessary and anyway, there are plenty of less artery-laden and healthful recipes in her impressive and beautifully photographed new cookbook -- it is almost good enough to eat, well, maybe just lick.

Waffle Iron/Panini Maker – While I would love to have a machine that can do both I have not read any good feedback on these combination machines. I have wanted a Panini Maker for some time and unfortunately my waffle iron of 10+ years just expired on me. Does anyone have any good suggestions for “Santa?”

Anything from the Etsy.com site – If you are at all crafty or at least like me fantasize you will one day have the time to explore that side of yourself you will love checking out all of the artists that work in so many different mediums under one .com address. It’s also a great place to find a unique gift for a friend or other loved one. It’s like going to the world's greatest craft fair without ever having to be tortured by the smell of potpourri as well as you can shop in your pj's! Caution: It’s very easy to get lost – make sure you leave a trail of cookie crumbs to your computer!

Customized yoga mat from Yogamatic – Saw these really cool customized yoga mats on, ah, dare I admit, Access Hollywood. You can customize your own mat with a personal photo or other meaningful image. They have a wide variety of their own really cool designs. You might not be able to stay in the crane pose very long, if at all, but you’ll look really cool trying. I actually thought this would be a great gift for my sister who is much, much more flexible than I will ever be!

Now that we've taken care of everyone else in the family (and if you haven't don't fear there is still a little under two shopping weeks to go), it is kind of fun to spend a few fanciful moments with thoughts of sugar plums dancing in our heads. Embrace the craziness of the season, bake some cookies with your kids and have a little fun -- maybe even sit on Santa's lap.