As a certified foodie extraordinaire, this list is essentially comprised of things I either own and love, or are coveting. All of these culinary-oriented duos would be great on their own or in conjunction with each other — all at around $100 or less! And, yes, you can get them all in time for Christmas! — Megan B.

Fresh herbs are key for effortlessly flavorful cooking, and these Edward Scissorhands-esque 5 blade herb snips ($9.95 at cooking.com), make quick work for fine chives. How about throwing in a wooly pocket ($49), planted with herbs? I love the peacock blue number, BTW.

A good pepper mill is a beautiful thing. Even more beautiful in lime green lacquer, by Peugeot ($33) — pair it with a stunning wood salt cellar like this french olive wood model, by Berard $48.95, both available at Amazon.

For the home cook who loves to entertain, one of these gorgeous, raw, organic handmade cutting boards from Gray Works on Etsy would make great serving pieces. With boards ranging from $30-200+, (with custom engraving for an extra $15) — gift certificates in $50, $75, $100, or $150 increments, there’s something for any budget. And it’d be extra awesome when gifted along side a charcuterie class (check for a local farm near you) — or perhaps a cheese making or knife skills class at Sur la Table.

Cozy up to the fire and gift a cast iron pie iron, $18 at Amazon,
and a jar of Chukar Cherry pie filling, $14.95 for guaranteed hand pie goodness.

For the chocolate lover, may I suggest a pair of brightly-hued French latte bowls ($30 for 6 at Anthropologie), and a container of Organic, Fair Trade Chipotle Spice Sipping Chocolate by Theo ($10).

Are you buying a gift for your favorite DIY’er this holiday? Here are some ideas to keep them inspired and well-stocked for the next year! –Rebecca F.

Rotary cutter – Rotary cutters are excellent to cut through several layers of fabric and paper. Also makes quick work of strip cutting.

Self-healing cutting mat – Great for using with a rotary cutter or Xacto knives. No more shredding magazines!

Sharp craft scissors or a gift of scissor sharpening – You don’t know what sharp scissors are until you have new ones! Or, for more experienced DIY’ers, a gift of scissor sharpening from a local fabric/craft store is also a great and unexpected treat.

Steel ruler – Wooden rulers get nicked and can cause rough edges when used with a cutting blade. A steel or metal ruler guarantees a nice crisp edge.

Sharpie fine point pen sets – Great for customized projects like labels, cards and coding systems, these come in handy often, and this pack includes almost any color one could ask for.

Durable plastic or vinyl tablecloth – For those of us that don’t have a dedicated project space, a plastic table cover is indispensible for protecting that kitchen table from crafting mishaps!

A label maker – Help your favorite DIYer stay organized!

Task lamp – Great for shedding light on projects that involve detailed beading, sewing, etc.

Personalized labels – A beautiful touch to add that special final sentiment to handmade gifts!

Have ideas for specialized craft categories? Share in comments!

Mr. Claus is a busy guy. He’s making a list, and then meticulously checking it over more than once. Take the global population into account, do some quick math and you’re realizing he must be running that tight schedule on some pretty calculated military time. So how does he also have time to see us when we’re sleeping and know when we’re awake? Easy. He sends scout elves. This week I was introduced Elf on the Shelf, a concept that is apparently a very popular Christmas tradition. The book, written by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell, explains how Santa resolves his logistical issue by sending elves that watch children by day and report back to him at night. The elves return to their assigned houses by morning and assume a different hiding spot each day to keep kids guessing while on their best behavior. Crafty and effective! Reviews seem to show that many families love the tradition; others think it’s silly, while still others ask the tough questions, like, why doesn’t the elf have feet? What do you think readers? Do you have an elf on your shelf? –Sarah C.

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Chicagoland has turned into a chilly urban landscape, and with no surprise, most of us want to hibernate and hide from the ugly forecast. And eat soup … lots and lots of soup! Since I find the canned variety to be utterly one dimensional, and not very nourishing, I try to make my own as often as possible. Last night was no exception – I didn’t have any proteins on hand, or much stock to work with, so I rummaged through my fridge and came up with the ingredients to make a roasted vegetable soup with cheese tortellini. It turned out really delicious with a rich roasted flavor. The recipe could be very flexible and incorporate a number of fresh vegetables and herbs – squash, colored peppers, sage, etc. Click to get cookin’ with roasted vegetables and tortellini!–Rebecca F. (more…)

While surfing the web for some new holiday recipes recently, I stumbled upon this listing for Santa’s Whiskers Cookies. The source? The Mrs. herself! The link brought me to Mrs. Claus’ Cookbook at Northpole.com. Further investigation unearthed a world of holiday cheer for those who celebrate Christmas. Festive recipes, crafts, games and even letters to Santa and ElfChat with chief correspondents Bif and Bonnie are a few of the features on this massive site dedicated to ringing in the holiday for parents and kids alike. Looking for the weather at the North Pole? Get the five day forecast here and track Santa’s epic flight via NORAD starting December 24! –Sarah C.

While we take these few weeks to look back on the year that was, the United Nations General Assembly is busy looking ahead to 2011, which it has declared the International Year of Forests. In celebration, Treehugger contributor and product designer Petz Scholtus has created the We Need More Trees card. Available in her Etsy shop ($20 for five) the card features a connect-the-dots design intended to spread the word through a new year’s greeting. Grab a marker or a needle and thread (helpful tips here) and complete to reveal a happy visual message for what will hopefully be a more sustainable new year! –Sarah C.

Images from www.pokodesign.com via Treehugger

Bring home anything and kids always seem to think that the cardboard box it comes in is the coolest part. (Growing up, I remember when my best friend’s parents bought a new refrigerator and we got a new fort out of it. Score!) But, in this case, the cardboard really is the best part — because it’s designed to be a tree, a cooker, a playhouse, a rocket or a dollhouse. Unlike cardboard nursery gear, which raised some safety concerns when we posted about it earlier this year, these imagination-boosting cardboard products for toddlers and school-aged kids are getting positive buzz on design sites and making appearances in interior design magazines. The concept and price tag won me over … we’ll have the Color Me House playhouse under our tree this year — the moon and star cutouts in the roof are definite upgrades from my fort days! –Ginny F.

Well, the geniuses at Google have done it again. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better than the commemorative Pac-Man doodle, they’ve developed www.teachparentstech.org, a website that allows users to send “tech care packages” to their parents (or anyone, presumably) containing video tutorials detailing processes in categories ranging from The Basics (copy & paste) to Media and Communications (making calls from your computer). The site encloses the chosen videos with campy care package text to seal the deal. Snarky? Absolutely, but also a very useful idea. There are a few items on here I’ll be sharing with my parents, and admittedly, a few I’m pretty jazzed to be learning myself. Is there a BCC option? –Sarah C

Lately, I’ve been having a love affair with all things Japanese. I’ve been eating tons of imported candy, visiting the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese garden at the Chicago Botanical Garden and (ever since Halloween) been watching enough imported Japanese horror movies to earn a lifetime’s worth of nightmares. What better way to celebrate my current love of all things Japanese than to swap my usual evergreen tree with a festive bonsai? Martha Stewart suggests decking a fake bonsai (the real ones can be very expensive) with paper lanterns for a new take on a classic Christmas tree. –Katie D.

Living in an apartment means never having to say you’re sorry for not having an enough space. Everything that lives in my tiny home has to either serve dual purposes or have some secret storage compartments (or both!) which is why I love Seletti and Selab’s Palace Stacking Tableware. Designed by Alessandro Zambelli, the gorgeous Florentine-inspired Renaissance homes unstack to turn into plates, platters, soup bowls and even salt and pepper shakers. The porcelain pieces are just as pretty displayed on your table as they are on your sideboard. –Katie D.