Ah, Thanksgiving. A day devoted to eating and drinking well with your friends and family is certainly the kind of holiday that the 3LUXE team enjoys. However, planning and organizing an amazing Thanksgiving feast can be complicated at best and downright stressful at worst – but if you’re the lucky one responsible for hosting the lavish holiday dinner, we have some excellent advice for you (and don’t miss this article from Saveur that details some of their staff’s Thanksgiving disasters). This doesn’t mean guests are off the hook, though; if you are a guest at someone else’s table, you certainly shouldn’t arrive empty-handed.

The traditional dinner of turkey, stuffing (or dressing, depending on what part of the country you’re from), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all the rest is likely on your menu. Of course a properly equipped kitchen is near essential to turning out a top notch Thanksgiving meal, but through our product research, we’ve heard some amazing stories of people accomplishing wonders with a great toaster oven (perhaps one of our Best Of selections would be a good purchase for those of who lack serious kitchen space) and a few other small appliances. That said, if you entertain on a regular basis, investing in some of our picks would be a good idea – a few high quality appliances and culinary accoutrements will make your parties/events more enjoyable for yourself and your guests.

Naturally, the menu is probably the main concern for anyone playing host this Thanksgiving, and hundreds of foodie blogs and magazines have compiled some mouth-watering options. Our favorites include the Serious Eats Thanksgiving section, the Food Network’s holiday portal and Bon Appétit has accrued a list of twenty Thanksgiving Menu’s. If you prefer cookbooks for your Kitchen, check out Autumn Gatherings: Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends by Rick Rodgers or Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season.

A well set table is also key to a memorable Thanksgiving, and it’s probably the most the overlooked element to this traditional feast. Ensure that you have enough Flatware and China for all of your guests as well as any unexpected arrivals (think Cousin Eddy from Vacation, in which case Chinet will suffice). Top your table with gorgeous table linens (which can make even your card tables look amazing) and then check out what Martha Stewart created for Thanksgiving Table Settings.

As a guest you want to show your gratitude for the hosts. Typical host/hostess gifts like a bottle of wine or the host’s preferred tipple are always appreciated, as are flowers, desserts, or other treats. On the other hand, a perishable present might not be the best way to leave a lasting impression – something like a stunning cocktail shaker or an indulgent selection of candles will be appreciated long after the holiday is over, and you will definitely be invited for a return visit.

All the best,
Bill

With winter starting early in many parts of the US, you might be finding the concept of a “staycation” lackluster – the thought of staying home for the holidays just doesn’t appeal to you, you might be in luck. The reeling economy has hit the travel industry hard and has led to an increase in the best kind of travel deals – the kind where luxurious high end resorts, hotels, and cruise lines are dropping prices and offering exceptional packages to savvy travelers. This article in the New York Times details some of the incredible promotions to be had, and provides tips on finding more (hint: scanning valuable travel websites like HalogenGuides, LuxuryLink.com, IslandDestinations.com, and others is key).

Some of the best deals are to be found in popular warm weather destinations, like the Caribbean, Hawaii (for instance, Halekulani on Waikiki Beach), and Palm Springs – all the places where northerners flee the winter chill during the holidays. Places where the dollar is strong, like much of South and Central America and South Africa are also good choices for those of us who can afford to take more time off to travel, and they typically offer plenty of sunshine and balmy weather. For those of us who like the snow, ski vacations are a classic holiday option and many of world’s premier ski resorts have been lowering their rates during the current slump.

Of course, if you find an amazing deal on your holiday escape, you may have money left over to travel in style with new luggage or other useful travel accessories that not only make this year’s holiday more enjoyable, they will help you travel in comfort and style for years to come.

All the best,
Bill

If your best excuse for not getting out and enjoying the outdoors is missing your daily espresso, check out Handpresso. It’s a travel espresso machine that is as easy to use on a Rocky Mountain Hiking trail as it is in a Manhattan suite.

Designed for use on the go, this handy machine doesn’t require electricity or batteries, just a few hand pumps, some hot water and an E.S.E espresso pod. Now you’ll be able to enjoy one comfort of home, no matter where you’ve camped the night before.

All the best,
Bill

• Lexus IS-F
• Infiniti M-35
• Jaguar XF
• Lexus LS 460
• Mercedes-Benz GL Class
• Lexus RX-400 Hybrid
• Mercedes-Benz M Class
• Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec
• Audi A6
• BMW 5 Series

I thought it would contain insightful research on “green” luxury cars, I was wrong. The Forbes article focused on cars priced between $40,000 and $90,000, and it appears the biggest contributing factor in making the “guilt free list” is a high resale value (around 50%) after three years. Of the ten cars on the list, only two achieved a 25 mpg rating, the Mercedes-Benz E 320 Bluetec and the Lexus RX400 Hybrid. What’s appalling, five of the ten cars failed to achieve 20 mpg.

Now don’t get me wrong, the list is compromised of some great cars. For the most part they’re not marketed as green alternatives and they’re reliable, fast and often push technology in important features like safety. But based on mpg, I wouldn’t classify them, as Forbes states, “environmentally friendly.”

It would be great to see more automakers follow Tesla’s lead and create cars that challenge the status quo, drive new technologies and change the industry. At $109,000 the Tesla Roadster is priced higher than any of the cars Forbes reviewed, it’s also 10x more efficient than the top car on Forbes’ list with a 256 mpg equivalent. In addition to owning an extremely fuel efficient car, owners have comfort in knowing they’re a benefactor to an innovative new company that’s driving change. Other benefits to owning a Tesla; 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and what’s bound to be incredible resale value. Orders for the first 100 signature models took less than three weeks to fill. With limited production, the first few model years are sure to become collector’s items, making the Tesla not only a “Guilt-Free” choice, but a solid investment.

All the best,
Bill

Finding my last two cars on the internet, the post Online Shopping Continues to Grow – But Not For Luxury Cars from On Wheels in Heels came as a surprise, but I think the title was a little misleading. According to research from the Luxury Institute, two-thirds of all high-end shoppers turn to the web for research, but only one-fourth are comfortable buying a car online.

With so many people utilizing the web for research, it’s only a matter of time until a higher percentage of cars become available for sale on the net. Once the cars are there, you’ll see more purchasing done on the web. Over time I think consumer behavior will flip to where shoppers visit dealerships for research/test drives and return home to negotiate the best deal and complete the purchase online.

All the best,
Bill

MediaPost featured an article this morning Luxury Shoppers Migrate Toward The Web. According to the Luxury Institute, families with an income of $150,000 and higher are more likely to do research on the web with 64% visiting the company’s website for additional information.

This information correlates with the stats we’re seeing from our Online Reader Survey and also relates to the navigation patterns of our readers visiting company’s websites from 3LUXE “Best Of” pages. The missing element from MediaPost’s article is the “why”? I believe the why is time, or lack there of. Consumers are constrained by the hours in a day, and the web provides a faster option for browsing, researching and shopping. As users better learn to cut through the clutter and find the useful information they desire, we’ll continue to see higher percentages of luxury shoppers migrate to the web (and 3LUXE) to fulfill their shopping needs.

All the best,
Bill