The tree is stored away for next year. Maybe you are battling off one of the 900 viruses children bring home in January. You need a little comfort to kick off the year! So, to the tune of Julie Andrews, for the first post of 2025, I had to share a few of my favorite things! First, and arguably the most important, is the new MacKenzie-Childs MOCHA CHECK. Yes, you read that right. The color of my kitchen cabinets and the unifier of all styles….mocha is here. It’s going to be your everyday pattern. Second, we are going to chat about tackling the weekly menu.

As these photos were uploading, I was thinking about all the changes over the years. I started this blog in college, I blinked, and somehow, I have three children ranging in age from 7 months to (almost) 8! And throughout many accessories, trends, and hair revelations later….I still love to document the comforts of everyday pieces in your home. Whether you’re single or juggling dinner for a family of five, home is your lighthouse. And one can’t properly recharge without a meal…or two, on a MacKenzie-Childs plate, of course! So even if you don’t consider yourself a neutral gal or you have Sterling or Courtly, I’m here to tell you why mocha is needed.

Let me introduce you to Mocha Check:

She’s warm and inviting. Iconic in her own right- she’s the first and most requested launch of the year. She’s sisters with Nancy Meyers and a distant cousin to Martha Stewart. She’s charming in the breakfast nook and flexible in the dining room. She’d win Miss Congeniality to all kitchens simply because there’s not a style I can think of that she wouldn’t pair well with. Black hardware? It works. Saltillo Tile floors? It works. French Country valance? It works. Schumacher wallpaper in the dining room? It works. There’s a reason that cream-filled kitchens have taken over. Mocha is classic without feeling sterile. If you have trouble making design decisions, mocha is an easy choice. Or if you have a habit of redecorating every few years, you’ll still love it.

Why is mocha so agreeable? If you want something a bit softer than Courtly, not as feminine as Rosy, and less cool-toned than Sterling, Mocha is your check. And if you love to pair them all, mocha is an easy thread to weave throughout. You don’t have to fuss over which to use as a charger or which to use as a dessert plate because Mocha Check marries it all together. Mocha Check is to the MacKenzie-Childs family what White Dove is to the paint world: simply agreeable in every home! That is why I have called it the everyday collection. No matter your home style, lifestyle, or hosting style, there’s a bit of it you can use in your everyday life.

What I Added to My Collection:

Everyday Bowl– I’ve shared these with each Barn Sale, as I’ve had the Flower Market trio for a few years. But I reach for them daily, so I also wanted to have the Large in Mocha Check. If I had to start over in my kitchen, I’d need this more than a Kitchenaid Mixer. I don’t make a batch of anything without it! I use it to make pasta salad, chicken salad, dough, and snacks weekly! I also keep one in our pantry at my kids’ eye level with snacks they can grab 24/7. You can rarely find a bowl that is casual enough for popcorn on the sofa with your children and beautiful enough to host a dinner party with, but this fits that! If you are more of a minimalist (thank you for being here), you truly just need the everyday bowls- and can nix the rest.

Dinner Plates– I’ve always preferred purchasing dinner plates from MacKenzie-Childs launches in sets of two because you can mix them at a dinner party. For my birthday party last year I served Italian on a mix of Rosy, Sterling, and Royal Check to guests! But for Mocha Check, I got a complete set. These will be our everyday dishes because they aren’t so heavy that a toddler might drop and break one. My kids set and clear the table as part of their chores, and with the sink still taller than Harry’s head, this is the perfect plate for our family.

Abundant Bowl + Relish Dishes– Honestly, this needs to be TOP of the list and the number ONE thing you add to your cart. This is new to me and has been life-changing for the past month. It will be my new go-to gift of 2025, so you’ll see it to the point you are sick of it! ha. The Abundant Bowl is the ultimate in serving. Think of it as your favorite serving tray, with a 2-inch lip so that nothing spills out. A very shallow bowl with a flat base to keep dips and chips in place. I always fill it with the relish dishes. I use it to make my kids’ snack trays and chili boards for self-serving and hosting. I used it with family for hosting in the New Year and I could honestly give up 5 of my serving trays just for this one, it’s incredibly functional. I think it makes a great hostess or wedding gift. You could even theme it with cornbread mix and chili seasoning.

Canisters– I use the MC canisters all over my home because the seals are so strong! From laundry detergent to dishwasher pods to snacks, I have collected quite a stash, and it just makes the everyday items feel a bit more “me.” We still had some plain glass jars in the pantry, and Harry would go in, climb on a step stool, open the lid, and drop them. I kept picturing glass on the floor and panicked- so I updated to all MacKenzie-Childs, and that issue no longer happens! The size I have featured in Mocha Check is large.

Our Meal Plan:

My word of the year is simplify! I’ve been cleaning out my phone, closets, to-do lists, you name it, I’m trying to simplify it. I found trying different recipes each week or not following a set menu was wasting time in the evenings that we simply didn’t have. But I didn’t want to be locked into spaghetti on Mondays and my kids get sick of it or not have any variance. After jotting down “types” of meals my kids love (sheet pan, one-pot pastas, tacos, etc.) I was able to schedule it to fit our weekly routine.

Sunday– Sunday is the day of the week with the most margin in our evening. I already need to prep a few things for my kids’ lunches and I find this is when I have time to try out a recipe I’ve been saving. For their lunches, I will make a version of a pasta salad or pesto pasta to send cold. I love to make a batch of these muffins for breakfast or snacks. Harry likes juice, so if we have time, I’ll blend and strain juices using whatever fruit and greens we have. Use the Everyday Bowl for all your prep- I promise you won’t use a different bowl after! If I don’t have a new recipe to try, I’ll do a family favorite. Ina’s Turkey Lasagna is Maxi’s favorite lasagna, and her Roast Chicken is Harry’s favorite dish. I love to make the Roast Chicken, use leftovers for chicken salad, and make bone broth…because I can use that bone broth on Wednesday for our pasta dish!

Monday– By Monday, I’ve chopped plenty of vegetables to make packing lunches and snacks easy. I like to do sheet pan meals. This is also the easiest to adjust plates to what my kids each like, and selfishly, I prefer to start the week with a meal that leaves no picky eaters. 😉 If there are leftovers, I can always add them to rice for my lunch on Tuesday or mix them into scrambled eggs for breakfast. The most common meal my kids like is chicken sausage (the sweet and savory apple from Whole Foods) with brocolli, bell peppers, and cut potatoes is their favorite! I’ll drizzle with olive oil and ranch seasoning and bake at 350 until perfectly roasted. But sometimes I also do this with the chicken meatballs from Whole Foods and make Greek Bowls at home.

Tuesday– Tuesdays are our busy days, so I stick with a crockpot meal. Sometimes, I’ll do shredded BBQ chicken over sweet potatoes, but Maxi’s favorite meal is this enchilada dinner. I’ll do a variation of that in the crockpot and just add it to tacos, so everyone can serve themselves when they can eat. Get the Relish Dishes to prep shredded cheese, tomatoes, onions and your family can grab and go as they need.

Wednesday– On Wednesdays, I do a one-pot pasta. Last week, we did The Defined Dish Hamburger Helper and in the spring and summer, I love to do pasta with peas, prosciutto, and parmesan. When the weather is nicer, I’ll add grilled meat with it.

Thursday– Maxi has an art class on Thursdays, and after, she loves to make pizza at home. I usually get dough from Whole Foods. Maxi adds the toppings and I’ll make a side salad.

Friday– Friday is our “snack tray” night. Paul and I will get our favorite takeout or cook something that the kids don’t usually want. So I make the kids a snack tray and clean out our fridge with leftovers from the week. I use the Abundant Bowl because they can easily grab from it or have it on the coffee table during a movie night.

Saturday– Go out!

Something about a weekly menu feels nostalgic. I think back to my favorite things my mom made us for dinner and the comfort that gave me whether I was six or sixteen. The everyday meal eventually becomes a memory, and there’s no better pairing with that than the warm, rich tones of Mocha Check. I have become such a fan of having this menu that my friends will text me, “Is it your sheet pan night?” They know this has been saving my schedule in the evenings! Maybe you want to organize your pantry with canisters or you want to see how fun it is to serve with the Abundant Bowl- to celebrate the launch, I’ll link some of my favorites below! I’d love to know which piece you’d want to try and what’s on your weekly menu?

xx,

Katey