Category Archives: Shop

Amy Poehler vs the Clydesdales in Super Bowl XLVII

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MpMea.St.4This year, Best Buy is featuring funny gal Amy Poehler in its Super Bowl commercial, a highly visible venue and a way for the electronics retailer to show consumers that the folks who work at Best Buy enjoy helping customers. Really.

Budweiser is trotting out a Clydesdale foal to play up the traditional of the beer in a commercial sure to appeal to both animal lovers and brew hounds. After the big game, viewers will have an opportunity to name the foal by voting on Twitter.

So which will resonate more with viewers? The petite blond comedienne? Or the big, bob-tailed horse?

Vvf7s.St.4I’m betting on Bud, purely from a personal standpoint. I love horses. I have read Black Beauty five times and I love Bud’s Super Bowl commercials, from the donkey who yearns to be a Clydesdale, to Hank, the horse who hit the equine equivalent of the gym in order to make the team pulling the beer wagon.

I also have drunk about a million beers. And I am really grateful to the gallant Clydesdales who haul that precious cargo to bars.

So as I cheer on the Ravens, I’ll be watching for big plays, on and off the field. Bring on the commercials! Especially, the Clydesdales.

 

 

Walmart heading to Franklin Mills

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imagesThe lights will go on in more than 180,000 square feet of darkened retail space at Franklin Mills when Walmart opens a super store in the suburban Philly discount shopping venue.

Simon, the center owner, says the world’s largest retailer will break ground in March. In addition to budget-friendly clothing and home goods, Walmart will sell fresh, prepared and frozen groceries.

Franklin Mills is home to Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Nike Factory Store, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH and other outlet retailers. The space Walmart is taking has been vacant for several years in a chilly climate for merchants.

Walmart will hire about 250 workers to staff the store.

Healthy, happy hands with (seed)

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imagesIn this especially virulent flu season, hand washing is the first line of defense.

You can clean your hands — without worrying about the drying effects of repeated hand washing — with (seed) Therapeutic Hand Wash. (seed) scrubs away dead cells that make hands look old before their time and then replenishes skin with grapeseed and safflower oil.

It’s so gentle that I also have used (seed) to clean my face when I wash my hands first thing in the morning. Multi-tasking! And because winter is hard on hands, I then smooth on (seed) Healthy Hand Cream, with Shea butter, grapeseed and other oils. It’s not oily or greasy, so I can slip on my ring and get on with my day.

There’s an extended line of (seed) products at affordable price points starting at $5.99. You can find them at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Wegmans and a number of other retailers, as well as online.

 

Refining luxury in the minimalist bath

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A truly luxurious bathroom lifts you up and makes you feel like you’re floating above the floor.

Topex-AAAC-WOOD-Walnut-8354The new Armadi® Art Aqua Collection from New Jersey-based decorative hardware manufacturer Topex Hardware exemplifies minimalism with contemporary cabinetry that hovers above the floor in lush materials, including artistic graphics, croc-embossed faux leather, and high-quality, reflective glass. Storage solutions and practical features, such as waterproof surfaces, round out the collection. Elegant and sensible.

Streamlined designs are big enough to accommodate shaving, makeup and whatever else you do at the sink, with straight or rounded edges. With more than 30 finish possibilities, from Metallic Gray Glass to exotic Bamboo Wood laminate, you will be showered with options.

All surfaces are scratch resistant, waterproof, and designed to withstand humidity. Each vanity interior is lined with leatherette. Drawers feature soft-close slides. Because the vanities are wall-mounted, they offer unique height flexibility, sure to please the tall guys out there — or the gal who doesn’t want to stand on tip toe in her own private domain.

Sold as a complete set with sink, countertop, matching mirror, and Bright Chrome or Satin Nickel hardware, each model is available with one or two drawers. Vanities are offered in 24-, 28-, 36-, and 42-inch sizes. Coordinating storage cabinets, including upper and lower cabinets, and medicine cabinet mirrors for each finish, are sold separately.

Prices start at $2,700 for a single-drawer GLASS vanity in a 24-inch size.

 

Beluga vodka, a premium pour

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It’s bad form to drink like a fish.

But do reach for Beluga, the vodka with the sturgeon on the label.

The number one super premium pour in Russia, Beluga now sells two vodkas in the United States: the flagship Beluga Gold, with individually numbered bottles and a $199 price tag; and Beluga Noble, a finely crafted vodka packaged in a lovely bottle embellished with a shiny  sturgeon and available for less than $40.

We sampled Noble, which matures for 30 days and is distilled three times with a whisper of honey, oats and milk thistle extract at Russia’s iconic Mariinsky Distillery. The water comes from the chilly Siberian artesian springs that water the hardy grains that go into the vodka. The result is a crystal clear elixir that is a bit medicinal upon first sip and soon settles into a crisp, pleasing tonic for whatever ails you.

We mixed Beluga in cocktails and decided we like it best presented simply, with a generous splash of Schweppe’s tonic and a slice of lemon or lime. Chill the tonic and the vodka and add lots of ice. Or skip the tonic and ice and simply enjoy a nip of blizzard-cold Noble. Forget all about Siberia.

The intuitive pairing for Beluga is caviar. It’s also an impressive accompaniment to smoked salmon.

Whatever you serve it with, think of Beluga as a fish to be reckoned with in the big pond of premium vodkas. And you don’t have to swim upstream to enjoy it.

Simple Squares, simply good

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Often, the simple things are the best.

A bouquet of daisies. A diamond solitaire. And, now, Simple Squares, a yummy, nutritious snack made from raw ingredients: a blend of cashews and almonds, sweetened with honey, plus flax, vanilla, sea salt and such seasonings as rosemary, sage, cinnamon, cloves and coconut.

No gluten, no dairy, no refined sugars. The bars are both sweet and savory; and because they are not baked the nutritional value is not compromised.

Because I am committed to NOT skipping breakfast, I have found Simple Squares to be a great grab-and-go. Why settle for a donut when you can have a treat that is filling and good for you?

You can find Simple Squares at such health-conscious purveyors as Talula’s Table in Kennett Square or buy them direct from the company website. They are a tad pricey, at $29.99 for 12 1.6-ounce bars.

Merry Free Shipping Day

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Today is Free Shipping Day, another made-up phony-baloney event.

Golly, it’s not like it’s Black Friday, a REAL holiday.

But, hey, there’s something in it for you.

Simply head to your favorite online retailer. Think Land’s End, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Neiman Marcus. Shop away. Then hit the send button.

Your goodies will arrive in time for Santa to place them under the tree. For free.

 

 

We’re going gaga for green

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The 2013 Color of the Year is emerald green, says the Pantone Color Institute, the arbiter of fashionable hues.  It’s an elegant, retro pick, a color that is associated with harmony and good fortune.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature — the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says in a statement. “It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity — no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.”

Emerald also makes a vibrant color companion to Tangerine Tango, the perky orange that is 2012’s top color, as shown in trendy designs by Chella Textiles, Pearson Furniture & Fabrics, York Wallcoverings and other producers.

Already, we are seeing green gowns on the red carpet, sported by Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta-Jones. JCPenney rolls out emerald towels and bedding in February. And Sephora also will show makeup in the new hue.

Expect to see green ties before St. Patrick’s Day, along with emerald polos and pullovers for guys. For the fashion-forward guy, leave a green sweater under the tree.

Still, not everyone is climbing aboard the Green Machine. Sherwin-Williams has named Aloe, a soft blue with a 1950s vibe, as its 2013 pick. And Benjamin Moore is serving up Lemon Sorbet.

Shopping and dining under one roof at Art Alliance, Rittenhouse Tavern

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In the holiday season, most folks have two long lists: a shopping list of gifts to buy; and a calendar chockablock with social gatherings.

In Philly, you can eat, shop and be merry, all under the historic roof of the Wetherill Mansion at 251 S. 18th St., home to both Rittenhouse Tavern, a cushy, chic and creative restaurant, and the Philadelphia Art Alliance, where visitors can both admire and purchase contemporary crafts and designs.

The Art Alliance, located toward the street side of the building, is a bright, hip space. It’s a great place to find one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted jewelry and textiles — after all, one can never have too many decorative pillows — for that particular someone on your list.

As for the restaurant, it’s more salon than tavern. I especially appreciate the EB Manhattan ($13), a sleek and satiny concoction of Rittenhouse rye, with both sweet and dry vermouth.

Enjoy your holiday get-together with friends in either the lounge, warmed by a Carrera marble fireplace that graced the original mansion, or enjoy a repast in the dining room. (Note the mural of geese in flight, painted by Richard Blossom Farley in the 1920s.) In warmer months, guests can dine outdoors on a cobblestone patio.

The menu by chef Nick Elmi, an alum of the old Le Bec Fin, lists such high-touch dishes as Scotch eggs wrapped in pork farce (that’s chopped and seasoned piggy). Entrees include crispy striped bass with cabbage, barley and hibiscus ($27) and hay-roasted mallard breast with smoked white yam, celery and crab apple ($31). Each Sunday, Rittenhouse serves up a regional treat, an Amish-style supper of fried chicken ($19).

Open for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch Saturday and Sunday. Closed on Monday.

 

Want dinner in a hurry? Bring in the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooker pronto

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Hey, we are sure in a hurry at this time of year. We work. We shop. We decorate. We take care our loved ones. We squeeze in as many parties as we can.

And, hey, are we ever hungry!

We need a hero, as in the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooker. This latest must-have in the arsenal of small appliances looks like a slow cooker, but it can do much more. In fact, it’s possible to make complete meals in 30 minutes flat with this one worker bee countertop appliance.

All you need to do is layer the main course, veggies, and pasta or rice inside the pot. The Ninja does the work, cooking evenly in half an hour. Time to ring the dinner bell!

The steam oven feature makes it easy to make healthy, low-fat fare.  The heated steam captures natural juices, while fat drips away.  What about dessert? Cupcakes, cakes and other sweets can be steam baked in the Ninja using half the butter or oil. Reminds me of the wonderful steaming that produces figgy pudding.

Ninja also helps to clean up. The cooker has both stovetop and slow-cook settings, allowing  cooks to sear and brown meats and vegetables before slow-cooking. No separate pan, no spattering  pot dirtying up your stovetop.

The Ninja makes a great Christmas gift for the foodie on your list. You also might want to press it into service on Christmas Day if you are hosting a large gathering and are making oodles of food. The cooker is a super supplement to your cooktop, ovens and microwave, producing a perfect roast or ham without fuss or muss.

Expect to pay about $160 for the Ninja. You will find it at such retail friends as Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and Sears.