One of the hardest jobs on the planet is that of a teacher. Show your appreciation for the efforts poured into the lives of your loved ones by treating their teacher to something special. Here are our favorite giftsfor teachers:

 

My Cup of Cake 

$12.95–$39.95

At home or at work, life tastes great when there’s cake in your cup. Sharon Tracy’s travel-ready chocolate soufflé cake is a delicious way to send warm wishes to faraway friends and family. The chocolate souffle cake, which bakes in its own ceramic serving mug, is the real deal -- light, airy souffle combined with the gooey, melt-in-your-mouth decadence of molten lava cakes. Buy My Cup of Cake here.

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Our new infographic says it all, really. Scroll below the image for more details on each sure-to-be-loved gift idea and links to help you start your shopping.

Here's a recap of the gifts we're sure will be "keepers." Click the links to learn more or buy now.

• For the Kid at Heart, we recommend hand-crafted Uncle Goose blocks OR oh-so-soft Squishable pillow animals. (More gifts for kids.)

 

• For the Happy Host, we'd buy Welcome Home Brands fancy paper bakeware OR The Oak Barrel Company's impressive wine cask lazy Susans. (More gifts for fabulous hosts.)

 

• For the Eco Friend, check out Woolzies natural dryer balls OR Bottlesup sleek recycled glass bottles. (More green and eco living gifts.)

 

• For the Fashionista, we suggest chic and shady Tula Hats OR Hem Gems, which make that favorite pair of jeans even more versatile. (More fashion problem solvers.)

 

• For those with Teen Spirit, we'd nab artistic Polarity lockets OR the Zumreed beach-proof speaker. (More gifts for teens.)

 

• For the Favorite Foodie, we like handy Cookina non-stick oven mats OR the cutting edge Molecule-R molecular gastronomy cooking kit. (More gifts for cooks.)

 

• For the Tech Geek, we'd get an iDapt universal charger OR the Zeo bedside sleep tracker. (More electronic gadgets and gifts.)

 

• For the Workaholic, we'd choose an office-freshening Dyson Air Multiplier OR a Highwave Brewfish personal coffee or tea press. (More gifts for the workplace.)

 

• For the Cocktail Companion, we suggest the Bar10der 10-in-1 supertool OR Lime Tree Cove's cocktail salts and sugars (and their gizmo to get the rims just right). (More food and drink gifts.)

 

• For the Person Who Has Everything, gift decadent and fun Chococoa Baking Company whoopie pies OR AHeirloom cutting boards in the iconic shape of their home state. (More big impact gifts.)

 

• For the World Traveler, we'd recommend a Zen Class seatback organizer OR the VinniBag inflatable packing system to protect wine, perfume, and other precious goods. (More gifts for travel-lovers.)

 

• For the Fitness Buff, we like a GoMotion vest or belt to light the way for wee-hour workouts OR the versatile Nuu-Muu exersize dress. (More sports and fitness gifts.)

 

• For the Caring Soul, we'd give Torrain bags upcycled from Cambodian rice totes OR Haiti Projects hand-embroidered nightgowns. (More gifts supporting good causes.)

Remember, friends don't let friends get regifted. Let others know where they can find truly unique gifts this holiday season. Pin, like, or tweet this infographic below to spread the word!

Today we're featuring a gingerbread house kit by Candy Cottage and we have a sugar rush just thinking about all of the endless gingerbread house ideas we can create. The cool think about this kit is that it doesn't include stale pre-baked gingerbread or require you to bake it from scratch. Nope -- the fun is in the decorating and that's what these kits let you focus on.

These are reusable houses that are easy to assemble and ready to decorate -- all year long. Left over Halloween candy? Check out these spooky gingerbread house ideas:

Now you can create gingerbread houses all year (isn't that fun?). Check out other holiday ideas:

And of course, you're kit will be put to good use around Christmas.

Are you inspired to come up with other gingerbread house ideas? Tell us, what type of candy house would you create?

**Contest is now closed. Thank you to all who entered. The random winner chosen was Jacqueline, congrats!

Leave a comment telling us and we will select one person to WIN their own Candy Cottage! 

General contest rules: To enter, you must be a U.S. resident and at least 18 years of age. You must leave a comment on this post. No purchase necessary. Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email. Employees, contractors, and the families of employees and contractors of Daily Grommet, Inc. are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited. Contest will end October 5, 2012 at 9 am PST.

When we walk the floors at NYIGF, like most retailers, we're not just looking for great, new products.  For Daily Grommet, it all comes together with an exceptional design, good packaging, usefulness, and a terrific story.  We come home inspired, a little bit foot sore, and always excited to share our finds with the rest of our community (see what we discovered last year). 

 Of all of the amazing products we saw at the Javits this year, here are a small selection of our favorites:

Hudson Valley Seed Library - A thoughtful gift for your favorite gardener. Ken Greene and Doug Muller have created an accessible and affordable source of fruit, vegetable and flower seeds from heirloom plant varieties.  Plus, their lovely Art Packs are designed by artists to express the bounty of heirloom gardening and are beautiful enough to frame on their own.

Hangups & Baggage - Kim Kamens'  large scale wall-mounted metal art sculptures replace a traditional wall hanging and become useful as a coat rack, a jewelry display, or even a mail or file holder.  Holding up to 140 lbs, these pieces are whimsical, graphic and functional. 

Belle Helmets - This great collection was our Accent on Design Blogger's Choice pick.  Danielle Baskin hand paints her line of unusual bicycle helmets.  An artist by trade, Baskin is happy to accept custom work and wholesale orders.  Her helmets are fashionable and expressive, while keeping you safe on your bicycle or skateboard. (image via Belle Helmets)

Gustav Reyes Bracelets - We were struck by the simple beauty of Gustav's bold wooden pieces, and when we learned that the machine he uses to fabricate them is the only one in the U.S, we were even more intrigued.  Reyes makes wooden jewelry that feels as light as air, and looks as lovely as the finest metalwork.  (image via Gustav Reyes)

S'well Bottle - We couldn't help being pulled in by the colorful display at S'well.  Sarah Kauss created her line of double-walled insulated bottles because there wasn't anything like them available.  She wanted one good-looking bottle that could keep her coffee hot or keep her water cold.  In a S'well bottle, hot drinks will stay hot for 12 hours, and cold ones will stay super cold for 24 hours — a terrific problem solver. (image via S'well)

Our Discovery Team would love to know your thoughts on these new products, which is your favorite?

Yesterday, we invited entertaining expert Chris Nease to share  stylish tips for your Thanksgiving table. Today, we're delighted to have design blogger - Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo here to continue sharing great holiday decor inspiration and ideas.

by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo

My name is Amy Beth Cupp, and nearly five years ago I married Mr. D. That makes me ABCD! I write a blog about making your house a home which is aptly named ABCDDesign. I am a trained chef, artist and floral designer. I have worked in event planning, floral, stationery and interior design. I am thrilled the Daily Grommet asked me here to talk about decorating for the holiday season.

 

Who is planning to entertain at home in the next few weeks? So much of the holidays are focused on sharing time at the table with close friends and family, so I am going to focus on tabletop decorations today. A huge percentage of pleasure at a meal is about the visual experience. Make it a feast for the eyes!

 

China, Stemware, and Flatware! My motto is simple: Life is short. Eat off the good china! Whether you are throwing an event for two or twenty, I think it is important to make life's little moments into memorable milestones. Unless your wedding china was handed down from your great, great grandmother chances are that a broken dish is either still in production or can purchased at replacements.com. So don't be afraid to USE the pretty stuff.

One of the biggest trends we see in tabletop is mix and match china. It's all about layering, layering, layering. Notice all of the linens are natural color. This makes it easy to repurpose them at other times of the year. Napkins are either folded alongside the plate, placed in the top dish, or slipped between the top and bottom dish - there are no rules.

The mood we have in these images is nostalgic, it's cozy, mis-matched. We have a combination of materials that help lend an antiqued feel to the space. Do different textures on your tabletop: wood, moss, bark, greenery, combining gold and silver finishes and pine cones add a fabulous foil to the cool, sparkling china and the glimmer of crystal. The use of linen, wood, twine, and mixed metallics compliment the combination of clear and mercury glass.

Speaking of which, mercury glass is everywhere this holiday season. It's wonderful because it looks as fantastic at the 4th of July as it does at Halloween and Christmas. It doesn't show fingerprints and it gives an instant feel of history to the table. Other trends we're seeing a ton of in Holiday ornaments and decorations: crowns, woodland animals and mushrooms.

When decorating your table for the holidays, think about starting with a neutral palette on all the basics (tablecloths, and napkins especially) and then dress it up at the with pops of color that don't necessarily have to be a predictable fall colors for Thanksgiving or the traditional Christmastime red and green color palette. By mixing in fresh greenery, Christmas bulbs and other wintery elements, we get a decidedly 'holiday' feel.

Lighting: Flicker LED candles are all the rage. They won't blow out during an event and save on clean-up after a party. But personally, I love the soft glow that orange and peach color candles give a room, so I always add them in regardless of whether I am using LED lights or not.

Centerpieces: Be certain not to use highly scented flowers such as lilies. Keep your flower budget low by using only one or two varieties of flowers in your arrangements. Get creative and reach for old family pieces. Soup tureens, galvanized buckets, crystal bowls, water pitchers, coffee pots and tea cups all make interesting containers for floral decorations.

Fill bowls, vessels and pitchers with seasonal fruits; persimmons, apples, oranges, cranberries and pears. I chose to do a mixture of clementines and tangerines. They're fantastic this time of year, and will be happily snacked upon long after the dinner party is over. I like to carry the mood throughout the house. I put Christmas bulbs in big bowls in nearly every room.

Prizes! Party favors are not just for kids parties any more. We've been seeing more and more hostesses giving token gifts out to their party guests. I have designed these letterpress matchboxes that play double duty and act as place card holders at the table. All my guests can go home with a handsome parting gift at the end of the night. They last far longer than any bottle of wine or tin of cookies, they also make a terrific Hostess gift for any Winter party.

Speaking of hostess gifts: one of my favorite finds this year were MyDrap linens on a roll. They're eco friendly, 100% cotton and linen. They are washable up to six times and come in a myriad of colors. They're an amazing way to add quick, reasonably priced color to your table for a themed event, or make for a fabulous hostess gift.

Ideas for easy entertaining at the holidays: Highlight what you are good at. Hire out what you do not do or can not do yourself. Throw a Winter Solstice Cookie Party: I bake every cookie and holiday treat I have the recipe for and invite my friends in for dessert. I serve homemade eggnog, champagne, coffee and tea. It is such an easy, fun way to throw a celebration. All the work is done ahead of time and I can truly appreciate my guests without worrying that I am burning something in oven -OR- Consider throwing a New Years Day open house: prepare a pot of soup, serve rolls, a cheese and olive plate on a buffet. Let people come and go and help themselves throughout the afternoon.

Jingle-Jingle! And most of all, ENJOY. xo ABCD

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Would you like more holiday help? ABCD, and several other expert bloggers will be joining us for a fun and festive Twitter party. We’ll be sharing more ideas and tips for holiday food, decor, gifts, plus much more! More info here. We hope you’ll join us!

Want to get the family outdoors and having fun? These fun outdoor games are sure to be a hit!

 Bocce Nation

Keep the gang together with all-ages bocce ball fun. Bocce Nation's portable bocce court that comes complete with scoreboard, balls, court, and rule book. A Bocce Tournament pack is also available. Buy Bocce Nation's portable bocce court here.

 

Kan Jam

Get your guests on their feet with a Frisbee-inspired summer game for all ages.  You'll love KanJam game; an exciting outdoor game that can be played almost anywhere. Buy the KanJam frisbee game here.

 

   V:King

Horned helmets aren't required in this Viking game. V:King is inspired by a centuries old Swedish Lawn Game known as Kubb where axes are thrown at shields in a quest to conquer the King. Buy V:King's Kubb Swedish outdoor lawn game here.

 

Buoy Bat

Beach debris? Now it’s a buoy of a baseball bat. The Buoy Bat is a toy bat made from lobster buoys. Its bright colors and sweet spot will make this a favorite outdoor game. Buy the Buoy Bat toy bat here.

 

Do you have a favorite outdoor game? We'd love to hear about it!

After discovering and featuring over 600 Grommet finds,  each entrepreneur, inventor and company have become a part of our family here at Daily Grommet. So, in the spirit of familia, we’d like to highlight some families within our Grommet family. These Grommets all come from family owned businesses.

Box for the Birds - DIY Birdhouse Kits

A family art project inspired these DIY birdhouses you can build without nails or glue. The birch panels fit together like puzzle pieces to create classic and modern places to roost. Buy the Box for the Birds simple birdhouse kit here.
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Cake Vintage - Kitchen Papers

Elevate the dining experience for your guests. These fancy serving papers, placemats and coasters make for a stunning presentation. Buy Cake Vintage paper placemats and more here.
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You know that saying "it's the little things that count"? Well, all day, every day, we've got new products flowing through the doors here at Daily Grommet -- some we've asked for, others you've told us about. But what really impresses me is how every single item is accompanied by a little piece of someone's heart.

And so we give each hopeful Grommet our full attention: we test, wear, eat, play with, sleep with, ride on, pass it around. If the product, the idea, and the story are exceptional, inspiring and ready for the big time, it may become a Grommet right away. Others might just need more time to percolate. Either way, it's impossible not to appreciate the passion that goes into the creative process.

Here are a few Grommet submissions whose heart caught my attention recently as they made their way around our homes ... and gardens:

These charming garden markers from CampPineNeedle are hand drawn by Maura Condrick, a freelance illustrator living on Cape Cod here in Massachusetts. The story behind her creation: She'd just moved from NYC, joined a community garden, and feared she'd lose track of what was planted where. Her designs are inspired by botanical prints and old seed packets - but she says she'll draw to order too. Creative and considerate.

And how thoughtful is this? Shelly Zimmerman personalized a set of her MyColourCups for us and sent them to us all the way from Australia. Shelly's grandmother was a Tupperware rockstar, so she says she grew up loving the stuff. She came up with the concept for MyColourCups -- a rotatable band with six customizable names -- after deciding to train her family to keep track of and reuse the cups they were already using.

And this last one, the Showno poncho style towel,  is another problem solver designed by a mom. When Shelly Ehler's older child asked her to make him a "tent" so he could change out of his bathing suit in privacy, she had her "ah-ha" moment. Shelly says her towel is equal parts tent, poncho, and parent helper because it makes it easy for kids to carry it themselves, as well as wrap themselves up. But what touched me most was that Shelly personalized this particular towel with a Daily Grommet ribbon. And speaking of thoughtful, Shelly donates a portion of the proceeds from each towel sold to Hope University (a fine arts program for adults with developmental disabilities).

So you can see how many innovative ideas and stories are out there, ready to be discovered -- and how much we appreciate learning about each and every one.

If there's a product you think we should know about, come tell us about it in our Citizens' Gallery.

Laurin Garcia, the founder of Jokey Yokey, has learned from her family that happiness is a choice. She believes that happiness is something you create, not something you are given. And that’s what motivated her to create something that would inspire people to celebrate, laugh, and be silly.

Laurin grew up familiar with the Latin American tradition called cascarone which is said to have come to the Americas via China and Italy with a bit of help from Marco Polo. She decided to recreate the festive eggs she recalls from her childhood, and she has made us smile with her creations.

As Great Britain celebrates its first ever National Happiness Day,  we thought we’d share with you something that makes us happy. In fact, these eggs filled with happiness are just in time for National Stress Awareness Month which is April! 

Jokey Yokeys aren’t just for the kids, and they aren’t just for birthday parties. They’d certainly be fun for Easter, and they’re highly appropriate for Cinco de Mayo parties! But they’re also wonderful for weddings, baby showers, graduations, and even corporate events. Laurin offers a standard collection of Jokey Yokeys as well as a limited edition “merriment” that focuses on a different holiday or theme each month.

Because Laurin makes these by hand, they are fully customizable. You can tell her exactly which message you want inside your Jokey Yokeys! Can you imagine a proposal inside one Jokey Yokey and messages of “I love you because…” inside all the others?

Laurin empties real eggs to create Jokey Yokeys, but she doesn’t just throw all those eggs away. Instead, she donates them to her local homeless shelter in Baltimore, Maryland.

The eggshells themselves and the confetti inside are all biodegradable, so if you crack open the happy outdoors, you won’t even need to clean up! If you prefer to party indoors, a few quick sweeps of the broom will take care of the confetti. The glue and the glitter used to make Jokey Yokeys are handmade with things like flour, water, and sugar to ensure that they’re non-toxic and biodegradable.

So go ahead! Crack a Jokey Yokey above someone’s head and let the happiness rain down on them! The confetti shower is said to bring good luck and good fortune.

We’d love to hear what makes you happy!

At Daily Grommet we love to tell the story behind the products that we feature. Today's story spans generations and continents. If it weren't for the act of courage taken almost a century ago around the world, this story wouldn't be able to be told today.

Buy MYdrap napkins on a roll here.

The founders, Antonio and Maria Guasch were workers of a textile company. They were fed up with the abuses of the owner and decided to open their own factory. After many difficulties the company was founded in 1925 in Barcelona. A few days after Antonio Guasch died. Maria did not give up and she went ahead with the business in a time when women were supposed to be at home with babies. Maria had to work extremely hard to start her fledgling business and educate her son and daughter at the same time.

Her son, Jacinto Guasch took over the business and later, in 1980, the company opened a new factory in Monistrol de Montserrat, near Barcelona at the foot of the mountain. During the next 10 years the company had two factories, but in 1990 the factory in Barcelona was closed and all the production was moved to Monistrol. The old factory was sold when the old industrial area of Barcelona was converted for the Olympic games of Barcelona 1992.

After a heavy textile crisis in 1991-1992 the company realized that the sector was extremely vulnerable to foreign competition coming from Asia. With the clear goal of innovating they developed their seamless technology.
This technology allowed them to develop innovative and high quality product at a competitive cost.

They first created Rolldrap, cotton cloths in a roll, in 1996. Today they are leaders in the Spanish market of cotton cloths for the hospitality market and the product is expanding through Europe. In 2005 they explored the possibility of developing other products that would use the same seamless technology. The idea of manufacturing textile napkins on a roll was the first step. The success in the hospitality market was immediate. The concept of a disposable textile has captivated hotels, caterers and restaurants all over the world.

Following the success of the MYdrap napkins for the hospitality market they developed the same concept for the retail. In 2008 they registered the MYdrap brand. The concept of cotton napkins in a roll available in a range of colors and sizes has been an immediate success. The product has expanded all over the best stores in Europe, Japan and Canada and we wish to do the same in the USA.

MYdrap on the Today Show

After being featured as one of 'Today's Style Fashion Emergency Fixes' a couple of weeks ago (see the video below) the MYdrap team has been invited back and will be featured this Thursday, April 14th. We can't wait to cheer them on and watch the US market embrace this product. Grandma Maria would be very proud.

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