Category Archives: Shop

A stroll through Garvan Woodland Gardens

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Garvan Woodland Gardens sprang from the fertile imagination of Verna Cook Garvan, a construction mogul who wanted to spare the trees on a verdant, 210-acre swath on the shore of Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

129932506638398690Touring the renowned botanical gardens is a must-do for visitors to the Spa City. Bequeathed by Mrs. Garvan to the University of Arkansas, the garden has blossomed in only 10 years into a center for both recreation and research.

Among its many delights is the Garden of the Pine Wind, an Asian-inspired setting with a 12-foot waterfall, tranquil reflecting pond and plantings of Japanese maples and cedars, azaleas and dogwood. Warren’s Woodland Trail meanders for one mile through seasonal plantings of flowers and ferns, punctuated by occasional glimpses through the trees of the sweeping Ouachita Mountains on the other side of the lake. The 160-seat Anthony Chapel, with walls of glass and a ceiling of wood trusses, rises majestically in a tranquil stand of trees.

gwg_int_photo_waterfall05Through September, Garvan is celebrating Splash of Glass, a special event in which brilliantly colored pieces of art glass are interspersed like vivid flowers throughout the property, suspended like chandeliers from trees and bridges, bobbing in ponds and erupting from meadows. There are 225 pieces in all, the work of Pine Bluff artist James Hayes.

gwg_int_photo_chapel5The trails are wide and gently sloped, the better to serve people with disabilities. Visitors have the option of exploring on foot or renting a golf cart for an additional fee.

Garvan offers tours led by docents every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., March through May and September through mid-November. Visitors can learn about  the history of the gardens, as well as plants garden lovers can grow at home.

No reservation is required but groups are limited to no more than 20 people. Tours are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is free for members. Rates for non-members are: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $5 ages for children age 6-12. Children 5 and under are admitted free.

Sweet styling from ghd Candy

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$T2eC16R,!zcE9s4g3JJwBRnPFruuQQ~~60_35Nothing is sweeter than a good hair day.

Happily, ghd is serving up hair candy with zero calories, as in the ghd Classic 1-Inch Styler in three tasty colors: mint, lemon, and violet.

For years, stylists and stylish gals who know that great looking hair is of extreme importance have looked to ghd for professional caliber results. Although it looks like a flat iron, ghd’s artfully arched barrel facilitates a variety of looks to suit your mood and the occasion. Classic straight, curls, flips, waves, and more.

No worries about wrecking your hair in the pursuit of beauty. The ceramic plates glide easily over your tresses. No snagging; no dragging. And because we’re human, there’s an automatic shutoff feature. If you don’t use your ghd for 30 minutes, it turns off all by itself.

It’s easy to use, too, with an extra long cord so you aren’t tethered to the nearest electrical outlet — which might not be near the best mirror and light source.

Because ghd is a favorite on both sides of the pond, the styler features universal voltage. Because good-looking hair is a global concern.

Wherever you are, you can make certain your hair looks super with ghd. MSRP: $199. You can buy ghd from the company, Sephora and other purveyors of fine hair products.

 

 

The first rosé of the season

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imagesAs we glide toward summer, let’s uncork a rosé from the sunny vineyards of Portugal. I’m pouring Defesa Rosé, an intense, elegant wine with notes of red cherry and blackberry made by the Herdade do Esporão winery, in the Alentejo region, also a celebrated source of olive oil.

No shrinking violet, Defesa is robust for a rosé, with a slightly herbal feel. The color is the deep pink of a Mediterranean sunset.

If you shy away from rosé wines, I encourage you to give one a try the next time you light up the barbecue. Defesa is a good match for grilled chicken or spicy shrimp or perhaps a salad sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. Also think of a nicely chilled bottle of rosé as a thoughtful gift for your hosts, delivered with a bouquet of pink roses. Expect to pay about $14 for this well-made import.

Sock it to Dad

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No Father’s Day should pass without the patriarch of the family receiving a new pair of socks. After all, tradition is important.

ss13_charcoal_garden_dot_socks_crew_socks_mens_pact_1Granola grandpops and earth-friendly dads will appreciate PACT socks, fun and funky footwear made from organic cotton in a factory powered by wind power. If dad’s underwear drawer is bare, you also can buy him classic tees in crew and v-neck styles, as well as briefs.
Dad can feel good about you spending your hard-earned money on him because this spring  PACT helped build 100 urban gardens in low-income communities through its partnership with Whole Foods’ Whole Kids Foundation.
PACT gift options range in price from $12 to $48. You can find selected products at Whole Foods, Nordstrom and other retailers. To shop online or locate a store that carries PACT near you, visit www.wearpact.com

 

Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale

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hero1_1Shine up your silver Nordstrom card.

The Half-Yearly Sale for women and children is on. You can save up to 40% on your favorite designer labels in clothes, shoes and accessories, as well as gifts and home goods. Also expect such added enticements a Clinique gift clutch filled with makeup and skin care goodies. Free with any $30 Clinique purchase.

And today, you can earn double Nordstrom points on your purchases, the faster to rack up rewards. The deal is good in stores and online. Free shipping, free returns.

Freekeh, the latest ancient grain

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Move over, quinoa.

Here comes Freekeh — rhymes with eureka! — the latest in ancient grains.

Freekeh means “to rub” in Arabic. Freekeh was created by accident nearly 2,000 years ago when a Middle Eastern village was attacked and their crop of young green wheat was set ablaze.

0Happily, the villagers managed to salvage their crop. They rubbed off the chaff, cooked it  and created Freekeh, a delicious roasted green wheat that is as easy and fast to prepare as rice.

At our house, we team Freekeh with many of the same foods we serve with other grains. We discovered it’s a nutty, tasty accompaniment to stir-fried shrimp and veggies. Even better, it’s bulletproof, cooking on the stovetop in 20 minutes.

Each 8-ounce package contains four servings with eight grams of protein, four grams of fiber and 130 calories each. No wonder Oprah and Dr. Oz like it. Freekeh comes in various flavors, packaged in resealable pouches. MSRP: $3.99.

You can find Freekeh in Whole Foods, Wegmans, health food stores and various websites.

Brush, floss, multi-task

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Only 22 percent of us have achieved the lofty status of flossing every day, surveys say.

So why doesn’t someone come up with a device that allows us to floss when we are stuck in traffic or paying bills online?

In fact, somebody has. Majestic Drug has developed an innovative solution called Proxi-Plus®to help us keep our teeth and gums healthy when we are on-the-go.

Recommended by dentists, Proxi-Plus is a little blue device that cleans teeth and those hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.  There’s an interdental brush on one end and a flosser on the other to remove food from between teeth, clean plaque and stimulate gums.

0The nice folks at the company sent me some samples to try. My husband Dale, the ultimate multi-taker, uses Proxi-Plus to floss as he checks his Facebook posts. You can find them at Walgreens and other drugstores for about $6 for a pack of 30.

No more hassle of carrying a toothbrush and toothpaste in my purse. And no more excuses for not flossing. Proxi-Plus is small, sanitary and disposable, ideal for busy people who really, really want to floss more often.

Moroccanoil for Mom

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Mom always said you were her crowning glory — even when you made her want to pull her hair out.

roundup_21930_Image01UploadYou can help to restore and revive Mom’s hair with a  gift she will use and enjoy for months to come. Give her Moroccanoil on Mother’s Day. This year, you can buy a three-pack of treats in a cabana-striped turquoise-and-white travel tote inspired by the peaceful hues of the Mediterranean seaside.

Moroccanoil products leave hair naturally smooth and shiny, and also make hair feel healthier over time. If Mom colors those gray hairs you gave her Moroccanoil will renew the youthful sheen of her locks.

There are three limited-edition totes to choose from:

  • Repair Essentials ($64.60) includes a nurturing trio of Moroccanoil Treatment (50ml),  Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner (250ml).
  • Styling Essentials ($62.40) teams Moroccanoil Treatment (50ml), Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream (300ml) andMoroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium (75ml)
  • Volumizing Essentials ($72) will give Mom a lift with Moroccanoil Treatment Light (50ml), Moroccanoil Extra Volume Shampoo (250ml) and Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse (250ml)

 

 

Wilmington Garden Day, a blooming great tour

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There is simply no place as lovely as the Brandywine Valley in spring.

imagesSince 1947, the best way to see gardens in bloom has been Wilmington Garden Day. This year’s don’t-miss tour is May 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine.

Among the destinations is the Goodstay Gardens, a Tudor-style botanical oasis on the University of Delaware’s Wilmington campus, a site from the very first tour. Several years ago, I wrote about Frog Hollow, the unique private enclave developed by a passionate pair of gardeners, for Philadelphia magazine. This year will be the last time the North Wilmington favorite will be open to the public.

Expect to pluck a bouquet of inspiration from public, suburban and country gardens. Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit Friendship House and St. Michael’s School and Nursery in Wilmington.

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Lisa likes this. You will, too.

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On every bag of veggies and sauce from Lisa’s Organics, there’s a three word message: Lisa likes this.

SW-Veggies-260x260That makes sense. If you are going to put your name on a product it should  be something that you enjoy.

But would other folks like it, too? The nice folks from Lisa’s shipped me some samples so I could try them and report on my thoughts.

What I discovered was a happy blend of convenience, good taste and nutrition. The veggie combos come in flexible, recyclable plastic bags that you can easily tuck in a crowded freezer. Each package contains generous two servings.

I mixed Lisa’s sweet peas with onion and parmesan sauce with my own faro for a quick nutritious dish. (If I had not been in a hurry, I would have made risotto.) I enjoyed the fresh flavor of the peas with the nuttiness of the faro. For added oomph, stir in more minced onion and chopped parsley from the garden.

Lisa’s broccoli with gorgonzola sauce is a natural with pasta. I blended the veggies with fettucine and added a splash of half and half and a twist of cracked black pepper. If you have leftover steak, slice that and toss it in at the end. Fast. Easy. Yummy.

Southwest vegetables in ranchero sauce offer the dual benefit of being the quickest and most flavorful combo. Lisa’s ranchero sauce is a slow-cooked, mildly spicy blend of organic red chiles, garlic and tomato with  organic sweet corn and onions, plus red and green peppers. Sweet potatoes are the wild card, adding just the right hint of sugar and even more color.

I rolled the veggies in a whole wheat tortilla in less time than it would take to call out for pizza. De-LISH.

Lisa’s vegetables are all grown organically in the U.S. and Canada and are frozen the same day they are picked. (And if you are wondering who Lisa is, she is Lisa Marie Boudreau, a mother of three who works from home.)

You can find Lisa’s in the frozen food section of select grocers, including two of my favorites, Whole Foods and Wegmans. MSRP: $3.49.