On my quest for adorable office supplies, I’ve found that one rule rings true every time: Woodland creature make everything cuter! Remember the chirping bird and hedgehog paper clip holders we featured awhile back? Adorable overload! Take push pins for example, is there anything more boring than push pins? The banal cork board staples get a makeover with Mod Cloth’s Sentimental Squirrel Pin Holder, $12. The adorable squirrel sits sentry over his handful of acorn push pins. The best part is, his pedestal is magnetic so you’ll never have to worry about losing the rest of his nuts. –Katie D.

Even if you’re not a committed locavore, it’s downright interesting to learn how far food traveled to your grocery store. Springwise, my go-to source for cool discoveries, recently covered two new food tracking technologies. One is Chip Tracker, Frito-Lay’s app that lets you see where your chips originated. Another is HarvestMark, a new system that lets you track produce. Kroger stores (they own QFC in the West) have already partnered with the service. Of course, knowing where your food comes from doesn’t mean it’s local. Would you be more likely to buy if it was? — Mary T.

There are all sorts of high-end wants on my wish list (a week at a Tahiti spa, a pair of those incredible Prada striped heels from spring/summer 2011 and a vent-less electric fireplace ) but I’ve found that the things I enjoy the most are simple things. Like coloring. Man, nothing beats coloring. Grab a bag of these Crayon Rocks ($16 from Spoon Sisters) and a couple of coloring books from the local Dollar Store and I guarantee that you will be totally relaxed after an hour. Have a particularly stressful week? Pour yourself a glass of milk, warm up some cookies in the oven and color until you feel like your old self again. Works every time. –Katie D.

We love and adore Etsy, but sometimes we don’t have the time to fall down the rabbit hole of searches and listings — we could spend hours in there, and often do. So we’re enjoying playing around with Glancely: enter a search term, and get 100 listings at a glance that can be sorted by parameters like color or price. Here comes our holiday shopping… –Mary T.

1) When it comes to judging others on cleanliness, you’re fine with some clutter, but try to avoid the “ew” factor. Bathrooms are the red flag room when it comes to judgement, but overall, many of you liked, and try to live by commenter Susan’s saying: “ I tend to worry about my own house more than anyone else’s. I try to clean before guests come, but when I start getting too stressed about it I try to keep one of my favorite sayings in mind, ‘If you’re coming to see me, come anytime. If you’re coming to see my house, don’t bother!’” Do you judge and feel judged on your home’s cleanliness?

2) Roast turkey, Chevre and black bean enchiladas make a great after-Thanksgiving meal. They’re a good scaled version alternative to the big meal, too. Alyson says: “Shoot, I may just make that for Thanksgiving dinner – the traditional dinner is always a bit too much for one couple.” See Megan’s recipe here.

3) Piggy banks provide a great incentive for potty training. Ginny F. is finding success with her bank initiative and gave her two cents (har!) with a roundup of modern bank styles here. Mo says: “We’ve been using the change-for-piggy-bank as an incentive for tooth brushing right now, but I’m thinking we may have to institute it for potty time as well – thanks for the idea!”.

4) The Filigrantrae is an interesting idea with a not so interesting price tag. You balked at the cost of this minimalist tree, but if you like the style, there are other options. Krista says: “I have the similar (though much nicer looking, IMHO) Possibilitree and I love it.”

5) We’ve found a dog bed that seems indestructible…so far. Mary T., our chief expert on large dogs, shared her most recent success story and our readers are thankful! Jen says: “Thanks for sharing. Our little one loves to chew her beds including carefully tearing out the seams of a zipper. We will give one of these a try!”

photo by Flickr member organic.matter

We are threading the sewing machine right now: sewing a wool throw 101, at Design*Sponge. And can we talk about that kitty? Love.

Modular, functional and incredibly beautiful An Furniture by KamKam, enough pieces to outfit an entire apartment, able to be condensed down to one unit. From Contemporist.

S’mornies! Yeah, that’s a brownie-smore hybrid — at ShadeElaine. Om nom nom. Via Tasteologie.

Charles and Hudson gives us some easy tips to keep your house warm and dry — winterizing your home.

CasaSugar is your one-stop source for all your gift giving needs this year with their indispensable holiday gift guides for just about anyone.

Totally coveting a set of these gorgeous Tonfisk warm dishes spotted at Happy Mundane.

Get a look inside the new MOMA “History of the Kitchen” exhibit, at ShelterPop — if you can’t make it to NYC to see it in person.

Gilded gourds for gorgeous fall tablescapes, spotted at ModFruGal.

Stop by the Stock Up Sale at Urban Outfitters to, er, stock up on a selection of marked down items for the home, including these mustache glasses, above, $10 for two!

It’s holiday card time! Receive 25% off when you buy any three boxes of holiday cards at Kate’s Paperie, now through November 8.

Save up to 60% on Crate & Barrel’s remaining 2009 holiday décor items and more when you shop the Outlet Sale, going on now.

Shop Horchow’s Everything Sale to save 25% on furniture, rugs and curtains and 30% on everything else, including bedding. Sale ends November 9.

Participate in CB2’s “can do” food drive this holiday season and reap savings. In-store customers who bring in seven non-perishable food items from November 8 – 24 will receive 15% off their purchase.

While beautifully done, I’m a firm believer that the movie adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife doesn’t compare to the wonder of the book. (And how could it? The logistics of time travel are baffling). This is a common sentiment with book-to-film projects, but one thing the movie aces is décor, and my favorite part is the barn Claire (played by Rachel McAdams) uses as an art studio. As someone who does some work from home, I’ve always wanted a place outside my apartment to toil and if I lived in the ‘burbs, I’d definitely consider converting a shed into an office. The garden shed office is already popular overseas, and this week Treehugger wondered if the idea could catch on stateside. What do you think, readers? Have a home office out back? Maybe this roundup of architectural designs will get you started! – Sarah C.

Photo courtesy of polaroid cupcake

We’ve posted before about dirty bathrooms, those nasty enough, in fact, to win prizes for their impressive grimy levels, but now, let’s bring the conversation back to everyday dirt. Life is hectic and time is short, so a little clutter and dirt here and there aren’t game-enders, right? According to a recent survey featured on iVillage, many women feel they outrank their peers when it comes to the cleanliness of their homes and both judge and feel judged themselves on the topic. The survey also found that more than half of all women included have avoided using the bathroom in someone else’s home based on these cleanliness conclusions. So tell me, do you compare your cleaning habits to those of others or notice when their homes are messy? Have you avoided a bathroom on the basis of its perceived cleanliness? – Sarah C.

When asked what the trick is to perfectly cooked turkeys and roasts, and… well, just about anything, I generally say the secret is a good thermometer. Being able to properly monitor your internal cooking temperature is an absolute MUST for a perfect, juicy bird that is delicious AND safe for your guests. That said, the best thermometer I’ve ever tried is the Thermapen by ThermoWorks. I’ve been using one at work for years, and have found it to be an indispensable kitchen wizard. It reads instantly, and has a huge temperature range (-58°F to 572°F ), and can switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius effortlessly. The one problem (aside from the steep price, but it’s worth it) is the original model’s tendency to short out when wet — which happens quite a bit in kitchen situations. Well, the fine folks at Thermoworks came up with a solution, and it’s the new Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen (yes, that’s really the name). This hot little waterproof number comes in a rainbow of colors: yellow, red, green, brown, orange, and white just to name a few! Order one now, and you should have it in time for the big day! –Megan B.