Switch Witch, Pickle Witch, Kelce Mix, & Tablescape Magic

Ever wondered how to handle the Halloween sugar chaos at home? We share our wild ride through trick-or-treating, complete with tales of candy overload and the mysterious "Switch Witch" tradition, where candy is exchanged for gifts. And just when you think Halloween couldn't get any more interesting, we dive into the strange world of the "Pickle Witch" sandwich from Jimmy John's. With our skepticism on high alert, we debate its culinary merits—or lack thereof. We also dive into a bowl of "Kelce Mix" cereal which is a surprisingly delightful blend of Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Lucky Charms! 

We switch things up with a chat with Margherita Lutz, the creative force behind Hinsdale Table, who dazzles us with her tablescaping expertise. Imagine your holiday tables transformed into visual feasts, all handled by Margherita's team from setup to cleanup. With her incredible collection of tableware and her knack for style, Margherita offers everything from full-service tablescapes to a la carte options, making sure your special occasions are unforgettable. Get ready for some insider tips that will take your hosting game to the next level.

Closing with the heartwarming chaos of family Halloween experiences, we recount costume disasters and unexpected party invites, highlighting the simple joy of children basking in their alter-egos. As we gear up for Thanksgiving, we share our gratitude for Margherita's lovely interview and leave you with plenty of festive ideas and laughter to carry through your holiday season.

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Yes, today it's Nora. Nora, we're so glad you're here. We are Welcome. Yeah, happy post-Halloween. We did it. That was a day. It was a day I don't remember. Halloween trick-or-treating starting so early Just felt like. It always feels like a frenzy to me, like my kids get home from school and then everyone's trick-or-treating starting so early just felt like a. It always feels like a frenzy to me, like my kids get home from school and then everyone's trick-or-treating already.

Speaker 1 0:29

I'm like can we just start trick-or-treating at like four, four would be delightful yes, three o'clock is too early, still curling my hair and my doorbell rang, and a little bit after three I was still picking kids up from school. Yeah, and I didn't come down. No, so so sorry, but I love Halloween. I love to host Halloween. You are very kind to do that. Because it's a fun holiday to have neighbors here Just coming and going Because they're all looking to land somewhere and the kids are so excited. Yeah, I have to say I got four out of four happy kids. They all had good, separate Halloween experiences.

Speaker 1 1:04

Well, that's the other thing is that it's so exhausting to keep tabs I mean not so much on our older kids anymore, but, to make sure where everybody is.

Speaker 1 1:15

Well, one of my kids met up with a group and that group's mother told her about the Switch Witch. What's a Switch Witch? What's a Switch Witch is exactly what I said, so maybe our listeners know, but I didn't know. Is she write a letter to this witch the night of Halloween and she leaves a gift and takes all your candy? What, which was very difficult for me to orchestrate- so, you're trading in your candy for a gift, yeah but, the candy is the gift.

Speaker 1 1:46

You just worked hard for that candy. Yeah, oh no. So then I was like at the corner of disappointment and exasperation because I didn't have a gift on the ready. No, the candy is the gift. People wait. You've just spent money on your child's costume. You've spent money on candy to give out to strangers. Then you have to spend money on a gift for your child so they don't eat the candy they got for trick-or-treating. Mm-hmm. Switch Witch Ooh, that's a lot, I told—she likes to donate her candy to the troops. Same. I was like well, the problem is and I was proud of myself for coming up with this I was like the problem is, if you donate your candy, the switch witch doesn't come. So you're going to have to make a decision. And she's like oh, I'll just donate, that's fine. When you first said, I thought it was going to be like a horror story.

Speaker 1 2:39

It's like the switch witch lives in the forest and like a pit you switch. You know, be like that. And I was like, oh God, is this like a horrible, scary story about some legend of a switch witch? That's the direction.

Speaker 2 2:51

I thought you were going.

Speaker 1 2:52

Speaking of witches.

Speaker 2 2:53

Yes.

Speaker 1 2:54

The pickle witch. Oh, nora, I can't. Don't even get me started on this thing. What is wrong with people? I mean, pickle is not a substitute for bread, even if you're gluten-free. Yes, it's not, it's not. No, it's unacceptable. They're lettuce or gluten-free bread, okay, or just eat the meat with your hands, I don't know. But Hickle is not for sandwiches, first of all. How would you bite through that? So that's what I was wondering. We tell people what we're talking about. Nora and I both saw the same story. You texted it to me. I saw it on the news about Jimmy John's bringing a pickle witch to their menu for a limited time, and after I heard about your disdain for pickles, I put it in my notes. But you beat me to the punch.

Speaker 1 3:48

I think I screenshotted it to you with the barf emoji Mm-hmm, mm-hmm Felt very strongly. I mean, to take a bite out of that sandwich would be difficult. It's like pickle is tough, yes, and won't it be like juice? Everywhere I think they, but it would still be kind of wet. It'd be a soggy, wet pickle sandwich. No, well, the tasters are divided. Okay, somebody said this is not good and I love pickles. Okay, somebody else said save your money. I think your meat's going to slide off when you take a bite. It's a mess. Oh, okay, it's supposed to save your money. I think your meat's going to slide off when you take a bite. It's a mess. Oh, yeah, it might be difficult for eating. What did the people say? Who liked them? I love this so much. In between bites.

Speaker 2 4:33

Yeah, and then the teeth fell out.

Speaker 1 4:34

You got this right. Oh well, I love Jimmy John's. I don't behind this at all.

Speaker 1 4:46

I'm going to try it. But speaking of trying, I have something for you to try. So, close your eyes and I'm going to get into it. They're really close. Listen, the bowls Is this a bowl for me?

Speaker 1 4:50

Yep, I brought a spoon, gosh, okay, wow, you know, I have these in my, in our studio, and you've got milk. I brought skim milk for you, cause I know here's the well, I'll have to open it, okay, okay, so should I open my eyes? Not yet. Okay, I'm gonna put it in your bowl and then you can open your eyes. Okay, but, uh, opening it up, frank, this is something again that I had to really look for. This is this oh, I know what this is. You do, oh no, I've tried this once before. I was gonna say great nuts, oh no, it's not great nuts, but that's one of my dad's favorite stories about you. I tried those with you and I lost a tooth. And maybe I want you to smell it. Oh gosh, I think this is going to be like an assault on our senses. It's peanutty. I can smell it right now. You can open your eyes. I want to guess what it is. Okay, go ahead. This is delightful.

Speaker 1 5:41

Oh my God, it's all my favorite sugar cereals in one dish. Well, it is also the Kelsey Brothers' favorite cereals. This is called the Kelsey Mix and it's from General Mills. It's Reese's Puffs, cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms in one box, and you know what I think is funny? I don't even think this picture of them is a real picture. I think they photoshopped them in together in this photo. So Travis and who's the other one, jason, jason, they've who's who's favorite is whose? I think I have a feeling that they used to just mix all these together in there for breakfast, and now General Mills was like well, let's market them all together and so you don't have to buy three different cereals.

Speaker 2 6:23

They have a podcast.

Speaker 1 6:24

They do. We should talk to them. We should, I would love to talk to them. I am so on board with this. Okay, here it's full disclosure. I love Lucky Charms, do you?

Speaker 2 6:34

have milk in yours.

Speaker 1 6:36

Not yet. I don't really. I've never had the other two. I've never had cinnamon toast crunch. You've never had cinnamon toast crunch or reese's puffs, oh wow so you're in for a real treat but I used to eat lucky charms when I was pregnant with rose all the time. Are you gonna hear me chomping? Well, I can edit that out.

Speaker 2 6:51

Okay, I want I'm trying to get I know what. I'm a little bit of everything.

Speaker 1 6:55

I have my thoughts on it. Hmm, okay, what are your? I feel like they're here with us. Oh, hmm, I think I think the Reese's Puffs are overbearing. They're overpowering. I was going to say I feel like they get lost. Oh, I really enjoyed the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and the Lucky Charms together, and at first I thought it was just the Lucky Charms marshmallows, but the healthy part's in there too. Well, they are professional athletes, nora, they got a. This is very good, you know what.

Speaker 1 7:30

This is delicious. I'm really into this right now. This is one of my favorite things we've tried on this show, you know what. Did you just get this at the regular old grocery store? That's why they're smiling so big, because they know it's a win, and they're also like we have so many cavities from eating the cereal. Well, they have nice teeth though they do. They didn't Invisalign.

Speaker 2 7:50

No, I don't know, Maybe I thought it was going to be disgusting.

Speaker 1 7:54

This is good to keep in mind if you have three cereal boxes that are kind of almost done to mix it up for your kids. Yeah, yeah, I might put Fruity Pebbles in here. Oh, no, you had me try those. I don't think I liked that at all. Oh, I can put Grape Nuts in mine. Our cereal breaks? I think it should be.

Speaker 1 8:15

We literally did just take a 10-minute break to finish that entire bowl of cereal Because it was that good. It was good. Thank you, kelsey Brothers. Yeah, thanks, brothers, that was. I mean, it's not an all-the-time food. That was a lovely treat. I'm going to call that my lunch. But samesies, yeah, I feel like we had lunch with the Kelsey Brothers. We did. But before we carry on, what do you say? We check in with our sponsor? That would be another treat. Let's do it. Hey, nora, with Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving right around the corner, it really has me thinking about all the things I'm grateful for. We really do have so much to be thankful for, don't we? And, in the spirit of gratitude, let's see what our kids are grateful for, shall we? Let's do it.

Speaker 2 9:00

I'm thankful for my category, uxgmc, located in Oak Lawn. I am thankful for their large inventory of terrains Acadias, yukons, enclaves, encores and so much more. I'm thankful their service department can take care of all your service needs. I'm thankful they offer 3.9% APR for 72 months for well-qualified buyers.

Speaker 1 9:40

No doubt if you stop in at Mike Hagerty Buick on 93rd and Cicero, you will leave thankful and who knows, you might even leave with a brand new car. Check them out at HagertyCarscom or call 708-423-5000 and just tell them Nora sent you. And now back to the show. So as much as people think that we are going to talk about food all day long and cereal. The Kelsey Brothers. That is not our topic today. No, what is our topic?

Speaker 1 10:11

today, our topic today is hosting and holidays, and you know the dinner party is back. Yes, it is very trendy and which I think is fantastic. You are a natural hostess. You make it look effortless even though it's a lot of work. I am not. That is very nice of you to say. I enjoy hosting and I enjoy having all the people together. Yes, I don't often host a dinner party, but I think after talking to Margarita, I know.

Speaker 2 10:43

We were so lucky.

Speaker 1 10:44

Yes, we got to meet Margarita from Hinstale Table. It's her business that she started and she's a local mom who's onto a genius idea. Yeah, and well, enough of talking about it, should we let our listeners? Yeah, we were lucky enough to have her in the studio to talk to us, and here we go. And we are here with Margarita Lutz this morning.

Speaker 2 11:06

Hello Welcome.

Speaker 1 11:07

Thank you so much for having me she is going to give us the scoop on tablescaping and tell us a little bit about her business and how she can help you as we launch into the holiday season and beyond.

Speaker 3 11:19

Yes, awesome. Well, thank you for having me. So I started a business called Hinsdale Table. We are a boutique tableware rental, design and styling business. So basically, if you are having an event and you want someone to come in and set a beautiful tablescape for you, we quite literally take it off your plate.

Speaker 1 11:39

Oh, that's cute. That's cute, thank you.

Speaker 3 11:42

Yeah, yeah. But I started this business out of a passion for hosting dinner parties at home and I felt that why don't people do this more often? And I realized we don't do it more often because we're all extremely busy and it's just one additional thing. It's daunting, it's daunting.

Speaker 3 11:59

And also we don't always have all the things Totally, and that's where I felt like there was a gap, especially in the Western suburbs, for having someone that will quite literally come to your house and set up a table from everything from tables and chairs if that's what's needed to plates, glassware. And then the best part is that you don't have to clean anything up. So after you're done with your event, you give everything a quick rinse, it goes back in the boxes that we drop it off to you in, and then we pick it up and take care of all the heavy lifting, and you also don't then have to store all that stuff. Yes, please.

Speaker 1 12:35

So was this from your personal inventory that just like launched into a collection for work?

Speaker 3 12:41

So I definitely had a collection myself. But once I decided to launch this business, I realized that a lot of times, if you're hosting anywhere upwards of 24 people, you're most definitely not going to have that quantity. You should only have 8 or 10 or 12. So all of my collections at this point. Over the past year and a half I've slowly bought more. So all of my collections at this point have up to 24 place settings.

Speaker 1 13:07

Wow, and I have seen your Instagram and those table scapes are swoon worthy Thank you.

Speaker 3 13:14

Yes, it's been really fun. So if someone is interested in working with us, you could start by filling out a form on our website. Okay, it gives us a sense of what are you celebrating, what are you looking to rent. So what's nice is if you don't need an entire tablescape, but instead you just need the plates or you just want some of the accessory oh, I didn't know, that was an option.

Speaker 1 13:34

Yeah, so we didn't realize that either.

Speaker 3 13:35

Yeah, so we do an a la carte option where you just rent what you need. So we're very happy to mix and match with your existing. Let's say, you have plates that you really want to use, we're happy to take a look at those plates and then make recommendations for other things that you rent Living and table lamps and candles, especially if you have some things that you want on your table that are special or that hold, like, a personal value, absolutely you just need to like, zhuzh it a little bit Totally, or you have the same plates that you've used year after year and you just want something to give it a little extra spark or just change it up.

Speaker 3 14:10

That's an option as well.

Speaker 1 14:12

I always think about buying chargers because my china that I have for my wedding is plain. But then I always I can't commit to one where I'm like I don't know what I want to use all the time.

Speaker 3 14:21

So that would be a lovely, absolutely, and that's the best part of renting is you don't have to commit. You can change it up every time. So we do have chargers, so that would be a perfect example. And then we have a studio that's located in my home in Hinsdale, so if you want to be part of the tablescaping process, you can come in oh, you can come and actually see it.

Speaker 3 14:38

It's not just online, yep, so you can come in and see the collection and mix and match. So if you had your own plate that you want to choose, you can do that, or you can just come in and scheme the entire thing from start to finish. The other option is if you're busy and you don't want to come in, or you just want someone to truly set it up for you. I can create a mood board based on if there's any favorites within our collection and our entire collections on the website. So you can go on our website, take a look at the whole collection. If there's a favorite plate within the collection, we could use that as a starting point. Or, to your point, if you see something on Instagram that you love, we can use that as a starting point to create mood boards for your particular event.

Speaker 1 15:17

You can really tailor this to work for anybody who wants to rent big or small.

Speaker 3 15:22

Yes, so we've done baby showers, 40th birthdays, just because dinners, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Friendsgivings anniversary dinners, so holidays like that. Exactly, and I say our collection. At this point it's a very dangerous business, because I love plates and the collection just keeps growing.

Speaker 1 15:41

I was going to ask you if you're ever when you're out and about. Are you like ooh, ooh?

Speaker 3 15:46

constantly looking for it my husband's the amount of boxes that he puts up with showing up at our doorstep. It's definitely one of the more challenging parts of the business, but it's so fun to find something unique and I think that's what's really fun about this collection is there are other rental companies, but I think our collection has a unique offering that maybe some of the other table scape rentals don't have very colorful pattern for just things that maybe you wouldn't normally see as a rental option which makes it so much more fun.

Speaker 1 16:17

Right One of my high school jobs. Growing up, I set tables at a banquet hall. And I just remember thinking like it's just, it was all the same white, thick ceramic Totally. So, I just think how lovely it would be to walk into a party and see a bespoke, gorgeous tablescape.

Speaker 3 16:36

Absolutely, and I always say we have rentals for every season and reason for hosting. I know I'm really on.

Speaker 1 16:45

You need to do an ad. You have some great tables.

Speaker 3 16:48

I love it. And then also, I find that when you purposefully set a table for your guests, it's not about the Instagram moment although that's nice and it's really about you're showing your guests that you've taken the time and the care to create a space for them, to get us all out of the you know the norm of what we do on a day-to-day basis and create a really magical setting that people want to linger around that table a bit longer. So you truly are getting that special connections with your guests as you sit around a table and the conversation flows and the wine flows and it just it's a little bit different than going out to dinner where you know it's loud, you can't control the playlist, there's a time limit on your reservation, so it makes hosting at home, I think, a really wonderful host, and that's a really lovely point about.

Speaker 1 17:36

If your table is set in such a beautiful way, it makes people want to stay Totally. Where you don't feel like this is where I eat and now goodbye, it's like.

Speaker 2 17:45

No, this is decorating and comfortable.

Speaker 1 17:48

This is where we'll get the food plates out of here, but then we can still sit and enjoy this beautiful space.

Speaker 3 17:53

And it shows your guests that you really wanted to do something special for them, which I think is fun as well.

Speaker 1 17:59

If people want to get in touch with you or want to learn more about this, where should they go?

Speaker 3 18:03

What should they do? So? You can either follow us on our Instagram, which is at Hinsdale Table, or you can check out our website, hinsdaletablecom, and we have the entire collection there, which is fun. But we also have a portfolio where you can filter by. Whatever your reason for celebrating is to see other photos from events, to get inspired.

Speaker 1 18:24

Has a customer ever asked you for something? That's been like what has been your most exciting challenge that you've had so far since you've been doing this.

Speaker 3 18:33

So I love when I get a theme that's maybe a little bit outside of the box and I have to think through how to bring that to life in an elevated tablescape way. So this summer I actually hosted an elevated cheeseburger and paradise themed dinner party for my husband. Oh, it was yours, it was for my, yeah.

Speaker 2 18:55

You celebrated your own town.

Speaker 3 18:56

I did and honestly it wasn't. It was the first one where I was like I don't know if we're going to pull this off, but it came together so well and the reason I did that is my husband absolutely loves Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise. So we created a really tropical, super fun tablescape, which you could see on my Instagram. But yeah, I always love when clients give me a theme or something that makes me have to think outside the box.

Speaker 1 19:21

Sure, Well, hopefully our listeners had a chance to write down where they can get in touch with you and follow her on Instagram, because there's some really cool stuff on there. It's gorgeous and thank you for popping in. Thank you so much for having me Especially. Right before the holidays, we'll be back again and see you soon.

Speaker 2 19:35

Yeah, this was delightful.

Speaker 1 19:38

Okay, she was amazing and makes me want to go to her website and look at all of her inventory and then set a dinner table. My sister and I talk about how, if we're kind of like scrolling, instead of going through Instagram, we'll go through like VRBO or Airbnbs and think about where we want to go on vacation. But I would like to just scroll through all her flatware, I know, and her stuff, and her stuff. I wonder if she uses it all the time.

Speaker 1 20:05

I wonder if it's like oh, she has to oh yeah, Well, we'll have her back for sure, but I think our listeners out there if you're like me and you're nervous, I would imagine this would just take such a huge weight off of your shoulders, or if you're like me and you host often and you want to spice it up. Yeah, really yeah, it's a win-win for everybody.

Speaker 2 20:24

Anora or Anora, it's a win.

Speaker 1 20:27

And speaking of wins, yes, let's launch into highs and lows.

Speaker 1 20:30

Let's do it. Can I start with my low, please? I had a misunderstanding with one of my children. Oh, okay, and she said I still stand my ground. She said return this costume, I do not want it. I am going to wear this. That seems pretty clear to me. And, in fairness, she has two costumes. She went in two different groups and it changed so they wear their costumes to school. And on Wednesday night she asked me where it was a SWAT team costume. She's like where's the SWAT costume? I said you decided you were going to wear the SWAT vest we already have with your Lululemon joggers and I thought you were set. She looked at me and just started crying. She was like I told you I didn't want to wear the vest but I was going to wear everything else in it. And this was at 630. Oh, were there multiple pieces? There was multiple thing.

Speaker 1 21:20

I just boxed it right back up and dropped it off at Amazon and I was celebrating that as a win, that I went to Whole Foods and returned this by my own self. Oh, you've never done that. No, oh my God, it's a piece of cake. It's a piece of cake, it's great. So that was a huge low. She was really sad Shoot. I saw her on Halloween. She looked darling. Thank you.

Speaker 2 21:41

I ran over to.

Speaker 1 21:43

Halloween World, what's it called Spirit? Yeah, and it was a mess, but I got all the extras, all the accessories, oh great, but it was still a low because it was a scramble. Oh boy, I'm sorry. My low is, even though we had a lovely Halloween, my low is I had a miscommunication with my brother because, like a month ago, my five-year-old niece colored a picture and made an invitation for a Halloween party. And when? A real Halloween party? Well, I didn't think so. It was like a month ago, and my brother and sister-in-law were like, oh, she thinks we're having a Halloween party. And then I never heard anything again about it.

Speaker 1 22:19

Okay, and then yesterday I got a text at like two o'clock and my brother was like, oh, for the Halloween party, like this, that and the other thing, like if you can be here at like 3.30 and then we'll go trick-or-treating around 4.30. And I was like, wait, what? Oh? No, oh no, it wasn't two o'clock, it was probably like one o'clock Anyway, but I just felt really bad because I was like there's no, I thought about how I could swing it, but it was impossible. And I just felt bad because my sister and her girls were going to stop by, my parents were going to go and I was just like, oh no.

Speaker 1 22:52

I don't want to disappoint my niece and I don't like to miss things, and I felt bad. But you know, like when you were like, okay, maybe I can make this work, and then you're like I cannot make this work, I think you did the right thing because sometimes when you try to do all the things and make it all work, then it's nothing work, yeah, then, yeah. So I felt bad but wah, wah. But my high is that Rose had the best Halloween. They do a first grade, eighth grade, buddy costume and she was Taylor Swift from 22 and just loved her. You know, like when your kid is like, oh my gosh, I could not love this costume anymore.

Speaker 1 23:34

Or even when you wear something and you're like, oh my, she couldn't love this costume anymore.

Speaker 1 23:37

You could tell she was like proud of it. She felt good in it. Her buddy matched her and you made it and I made it. So you hopefully felt good about yourself. But I was just happy. She was happy and she had the best time doing the little parade with her buddy. It was cute. And then her room party. I got to help and she was happy to have me there and she like got to trick or treat. She came to your party. She was she like went to bed that night. She was like I had the best. Great, we get to do it all again next year. She's already talking about her costume two years from now because she's like next year I want to be a witch, but in two years I might want to be. I forget what she said because I was like I'm not even listening. We're not there. You know my high like roses is Halloween.

Speaker 2 24:26

I like the holiday.

Speaker 1 24:27

Yeah, taking all my decorations down already. I'm excited for that, and Thanksgiving we're coming for you. It is, it's going to be here. I like Thanksgiving because there's not a lot of decoration required. No, I like it because, like the dinner is the celebration. It's awesome. Well, thank you for joining us today. Thank you again to Margarita for being here and sharing with us about her business and her expertise. Please check out her Instagram and her website. It's some really beautiful things. Bye.