News — news

Millions of Americans love baking cookies during the holidays and exchanging them with friends to double, triple or even quintuple the variety of treats in their family’s cookie jar. But these days, getting friends together to share sweets could become a super-spreader event. Mary Madsen has enjoyed her annual holiday cookie exchange for years, and doesn’t want to give it up this year, so she’s figured out how to have a safe and socially distant exchange.

Just when you thought charcuterie boards couldn’t get any more interesting, the hot cocoa “charcuterie” board makes an entrance. It’s quite genius and simple: Take all the hot cocoa accompaniments that you can imagine—and may not have imagined—and arrange them on a board. Let your family (and “pod” friends) dive in for DIY hot cocoa magic. These days, you can find vegan-friendly consumables not only at Whole Foods and the like, but also places like CVS (which is increasingly adding veg-friendly and health-conscious items and brands to its food isles). Here are some common delectables that you should consider adding to your...

Finding holiday gifts that are vegan and cruelty-free isn’t always easy. Whether you are shopping for someone who is vegan or cruelty-free or buying gifts for yourself, I hope this guide helps you find the gift you are looking for.

Every year I post holiday gift idea guides (check out past years here) but I like to feature small, independent brands so you can discover some cool ideas you might not have thought of on your own. This year I’m featuring BIPOC owned brands, woman-owned brands, ethical and sustainable brands, and artists in my gift guides. I don’t have to tell you how much small businesses need our support this year, so I hope getting all these guides about before Shop Small Saturday will give you time to shop early, and — of course! — shop small.