A Side of Sweet - Beautiful Food, Travel & Design

Holiday Gift Guide :: What to Get For Everyone on Your List

It’s my favorite time of year! Time to share my holiday gift guide with all of my favorite things that I’m giving this year – or purchased for myself! #TreatYoSelf

I have spent weeks testing each of these gifts rigorously to ensure they deserve my seal of approval! That means I’ve tasted the chocolate, used the beauty products and even slept in the PJs! The things I do in the name of research. 🙂

I hope you’ll find someone for everyone on your list. If I missed someone, let me know in the comments and we’ll brainstorm together until we find the perfect gift!

Read on for the gift guide!… Read More »

Easy Fall Cheese & Charcuterie Board Idea for Thanksgiving

Your Thanksgiving guests will love this fun turkey-shaped fall cheese & charcuterie board idea. Includes step-by-step instructions with photos.

If you’re looking for minimal effort and maximum WOW factor, the easiest Thanksgiving appetizer for your table this year is this turkey-shaped cheese and charcuterie platter. I shared a sneak peek on Instagram last week and people went crazy for it! It requires no skill to put together and you can use whatever ingredients you want to fit your style and what you have available.

Read on for how to make this cheese and charcuterie platter for fall!

In the mood for Pumpkin Spice

This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market

Even though I’m part of the “Why can’t it be summer forever?” camp, the one consolation for fall is there are so many seasonal flavors that enjoy eating! For starters, I’m a hardcore pumpkin spice lover. Whole Foods Market just released their Whole Foods Market 365 Exclusive Brand Products for fall. I was happy to see that several pumpkin spice products made the list, as well as some other great seasonal classics like cardamom, apple and maple.

Here’s what I’ll be stocking up on at Whole Foods this fall…

Guide to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Charm, beaches and world-class food! Everything you need to know about where to eat and what to do is in this guide to Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.

We love, love, love Carmel-By-The-Sea and try to go every couple of months. It’s an easy getaway from San Francisco but it feels so different! There is world-class dining on every block. It’s the “beachiest” destination in Northern California with its serene white sand beaches. The city is surrounded by wine country and there are many tasting rooms in downtown Carmel. There’s so much to do! In addition, it might be the cutest town of all time, with rows and rows of perfectly manicured cottages and charming shops.

This is THE TIME of year to visit Carmel! The tourist crowds have thinned and the weather is at its best. There’s really no excuse. Here are some things we love to do when we’re in town.

Read on for what to do in Carmel-By-The-Sea…

Denali National Park Guide, Alaska

Everything you need to know when you visit Denali National Park in Alaska including the best hikes, bus tour information, and wildlife viewing!

At an astonishing 6 million acres, Denali National Park should truly be considered a wonder of the world. It’s the home to an estimated 300-350 grizzly bears and the tyga – the largest terrestrial biome in the world. Outside of Alaska you can only find tyga in Siberia, Scandanavia, Canada and Russia.

Denali is the 3rd largest national park, after Gates of the Arctic and Wrangell – St Elias, both of which are also in Alaska.

In the words of our bus guide, “Get out there and listen because Denali just might be speaking to you.”

Read on for my guide to Denali National Park…

Glamping at Mendocino Grove in Northern California

Glamping at Mendocino Grove is the perfect way to experience nature with all of the comforts of a hotel. It’s an easy weekend getaway from San Francisco.

If you want to be in nature and get away from the hustle of city life, but still have the creature comforts of a hotel, then glamping at Mendocino Grove is the perfect weekend getaway! It’s an easy drive from San Francisco and there’s so much to do in the area.

Read on for more about our stay at Mendocino Grove…
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