gifts | these are a few of my favorite things

Ever since our first big move, we've been on a quest to continually reduce our collection of stuff.  We got rid of SO much before our move that it seems nearly impossible that we still ended up with a pretty full apartment here in Fort Wayne.  With many more moves in our future, we hope to continue reducing the sheer quantity of our belongings while only adding items that we find to be of great practical or sentimental value.

Since Christmas often ends up being the time of year we acquire the most "crap", we've tried to be really careful to ask our families only for things that we really want or need.  Things that we truly find beautiful or are so useful that we'll use them forever, or at least till they fall apart.  Two big things made that cut this year.

Kaite's Gift -- Cuisinart 5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

I've been wanting an enameled cast iron dutch oven for quite a while now.  My in-laws have a few sizes and styles and they cook almost everything better than traditional pots and pans.  The cast iron holds and distributes heat really evenly so meat is tender and evenly cooked, sauces don't burn, soups simmer perfectly, etc.  They also go from stove top to oven so you can sear your meat on the stove top and then put the whole pot, including the lid, straight into the oven.  The enamel coating is non-stick and makes clean up a breeze.  And did I mention that are gorgeous to look at?

As you have probably guessed, these things aren't incredibly cheap.  In fact, we didn't register for one when we got married because we figured they were so expensive it was highly unlikely we would receive one.  Oh yeah, and having never used one, I figured it was one of those pretty but mostly useless items often found on wedding registry guides.  Well, I was wrong.

From what I can tell there are three tiers of quality (or at least cost).

Le Creuset ($$$)

Cuisinart ($$)

Lodge ($)

According to the reviews I've read, all three brands work well and have their own set of pros and cons.  I decided on the Cuisinart because the price and quality seemed to have the best correlation.  At just under $100 (less than half the cost of the same size Le Creuset), it had excellent reviews and some even said it's potential for longevity was even better then the Le Cruset due to a slightly thicker enamel coating.  Depending on your use, the cheaper but still well performing Lodge might be a better fit.  If you have access to a TJ Max or Homegoods, definitely check for the Le Creuset version, sometimes they have crazy deals but in my opinion, the Le Creuset just isn't worth it at full price.

Isaac's Gift -- Kenneth Cole Reaction Leather Bag

Isaac has been carrying around the same backpack since high school.  It barely made it through four years of college and, because we didn't have a better alternative, has suffered through Isaac's first quarter of grad school as well.  The thing is literally being held together by shreds of fabric and a few nylon straps.  Isaac has been wanting a nice, well made leather bag that he'll be able to use after grad school as well, so we've been holding out on buying a new bag until we found something that was really worth purchasing.

This is what we finally decided on:

Kenneth Cole Reaction

The bag just arrived yesterday and is even better in person.  The quality of the leather is excellent and the color is very rich.  I can't wait for Isaac to get home from Texas so he can see it!  This is the largest bag of this style that I could find which means it will hold Isaac's laptop (in a well padded compartment) along with all the books he carries around on a daily basis.  It also has well placed pockets and smaller compartments that are perfect for chargers, small electronics, and other supplies.  We'll see how it holds up to daily use but the reviews were excellent in that category so I have high hopes.