Category Archives: Shop

A bigger bite of the Apple

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Are you one of those wackadoodles who spends days in line waiting for whatever new Apple product is about to hit the shelves?

Have we got an event for you.

The redesigned Apple Store at King of Prussia is opening on Dec. 8 and naturally it’s bigger and better than ever. In addition to the iPhone 5 and iPad mini, the expanded store offers more space for workshops, training, or to meet with one of those nice folks on the business team. The Genius Bar is bigger (you must be one because you shop there) so  more customers can get help.

I don’t know how it compares to the big honking Apple store that just expanded at Christiana Mall in Delaware but Apple has been pretty darn successful at rolling out retail centers that can accommodate more customers.

With Personal Pickup, you can buy online and pick up your order at the store. While you’re at it, you can use EasyPay on the Apple Store app to purchase accessories quick like a bunny.

If you are one of the first 1,000 customers, you’ll take home a commemorative T-shirt. Free, baby.

 

The bell keeps butter better

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I admire Julia Child for many reasons, including her assertion that a little butter is one of life’s sublime pleasures.

It also stands to reason that tearing a hole in the toast with cold, hard butter is an unfortunate frustration of the human existence. As an exalted indulgence, butter should be at the ready. Soft. Supple. Spreadable.

That is why the Butter Bell rings my chimes. Inspired by traditional kitchens in France, L. Tremain developed the crocks from durable china. The Butter Bell keeps butter fresh and soft without refrigeration. And when you have scraped the last bit from the bell, you just pop it in the dishwasher. Magnifique!

The signature line of Butter Bell crocks features raised floral patterns. Or go with classic white, with red or blue lettering. There’s Butter — one of the most beautiful words in the English language — on one side and the French word Beurre on the other. The polka-dot bell comes with a cute, spotted spreader.

Here’s how it works. Take a stick of butter out of the fridge and allow it to soften. Mash the butter into the bell. Pour about half a cup of cold water into the crock. Then insert the bell in the crock. Keep away from heat and out of direct sunlight. Replace the water every two days. One stick of butter lasts up to four weeks. Really!

It’s a super low-tech kitchen gadget for the foodies on your gift list. And there’s a special deal at Butter Bell. Buy two crocks at prices starting at $21.95 and a get a third for free.

Toast the holidays, not guilt, with DiSaronno’s low-cal cocktails

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In this season of holiday celebrations, hosts are spreading the joy — and mixing the cocktails.

Alas, that spirit of generosity also is accompanied by extra calories, a sign of the season that is even less welcome than a regifted fruitcake.

Happily, there are recipes that enable guests to enjoy a cocktail without the guilt, including  a holiday-themed recipe from the folks at DiSaronno, the centuries-old maker of amaretto.

In fact, the legend of DiSaronno dates back to 1525, when Renaissance artist and Leonardo da Vinci protege  Bernardino Luini was commissioned to paint a fresco in Saronno. To portray the Madonna of Miracles, he chose a comely local innkeeper as his muse.

As a thank you gift, she bestowed the artist with a flask of a fragrant and delicate  amaretto flavored with fruit and herbs. With its distinctive stopper and iconic square faceted Murano glass bottle, DiSaronno is still pleasing patrons — and still makes a great gift.

Here’s the recipe:

Holiday Delight – 205 calories per serving

1 ounce rye whiskey

1 ounce DiSaronno

1 heaping bar spoon of pumpkin butter

.5 ounce soy creamer

.75 ounce egg white, foamed separately

1 dash orange bitters, Regan’s if it’s handy

Foam egg whites using hand blender, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients into shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and foamed egg whites to shaker and shake again. Fine strain into a cocktail glass. Go for a coupe, if you have them. Top with freshly grated cinnamon.

Recipes for the End of the World

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If you adhere to the Mayan calendar and have a sneaking suspicion the world will end on Dec. 21, you might as well pig out while you can.

You will find lots of intriguing recipes in Flavors of Belize, a cookbook that celebrates the ancient history, diverse culture and exotic cuisine of this beautiful Central American nation. The book is the creation of Tanya McNab, founder of Flavors of Belize magazine, the country’s first culinary periodical, and McNab Publishing Ltd., producer of the cookbook.

In the Kriol language widely spoken in Belize there is a saying: “Yu kyaah n travl pahn stoma.” Translation: You cannot travel on an empty stomach.

No worries about going hungry with this lineup of recipes from the nation’s top chefs, a menu that ranges from fried ripe plantains to cashew-crusted grouper to mango crumble.

The Mayan culture is not the only influence in this Latin melting pot. The cookbook’s recipes also include dishes from the Brits, Mestizo, Creole, Chinese, Lebanese and other cuisines that have left their mark on Belize over the centuries.

In all, there 120 recipes and if you want to get them all in before the lights go out, you had better start cooking.

Cyber Monday clicks with shoppers

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Point, click, buy. On Cyber Monday, consumers take to the Internet to bag bargains.

So what are we buying? The top two most searched-for products today are the Kindle Fire and Ugg boots, according to Experian Marketing Services, a provider of digital marketing and analyzing consumer data for merchants.

The retailer most popular with online shoppers is Walmart. Best Buy is second, followed by     Amazon, Sears and Target,  Experian says.

Expect a spending frenzy from the fuzzy slipper set. IHS Global Insight predicts online holiday sales of $79 billion, compared to $67 billion last year.

Credit cards that work for you

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In the frenzy of holiday shopping, lots of consumers struggle with the temptation to charge way too much on their credit cards.
But we must give credit where credit is due. Not all plastic is evil. Shoppers who make their credit cards work for them can lower their tab by up to $500 by taking advantage of the right offer.  Consumers can save by applying for a new credit card and/or leveraging an existing one.
Card Hub, a credit card search service, selected the best in plastic from more than 1,000 total offers and also insights from Card Hub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou, a former senior director in Capital One’s credit card division:
  • Earning an Initial Rewards Bonus:  Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – Provides 40,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 during the first three months.  That’s equal to $500 in travel or a $400 statement credit.  No annual fee during the first year ($95 thereafter).

Odysseas Papadimitriou (OP):  “Ever since the Great Recession, credit card issuers have been aggressively offering rewards bonuses in order to garner the business of cardholders who maintained excellent credit throughout the financial downturn.  The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers the best initial bonus on the market, and by using it for holiday spending, you’ll be able to either replenish your bank account soon thereafter or subsidize travel over spring break or summer vacation.”

  • Best for Earning Rewards During the Holidays & Beyond:  Blue Cash Preferred from American Express – Offers 6% cash back at supermarkets (up to a $6,000 annual limit), 3% at gas stations, 3% at department stores, and 1% on everything else.  The $150 initial bonus it provides cardholders who spend at least $1,000 during the first three months would cancel out two years’ worth of the $75 annual fee.

(OP):  “In my opinion, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is the best everyday rewards card for people who aren’t frequent travelers.  It offers extremely attractive rewards in most people’s biggest spending categories, which means you can save on all of your shopping and automobile gas not only during the holidays when these costs might be inflated, but throughout the rest of the year as well.”

  • Best for Avoiding Interest on Holiday Purchases:  Citi Diamond Preferred Card – Offers 0% on new purchases for 18 months and has a regular rate between 11.99% and 21.99%, based on creditworthiness.  No annual fee.

(OP):  “We all want to make sure that our loved ones have the happiest possible holidays, and for a lot of us that means shelling out a few hundred dollars for gifts.  If you don’t foresee being able to foot the entire bill within the month, you might want to apply for a card that won’t start charging you interest for a while because the last thing you want is for your gift-giving tab to be inflated by a high interest rate that prevents you from swiftly getting out of your holiday debt.”

  • Best for Lowering the Cost of Debt:  Slate Card from Chase – Offers 0% on balance transfers for 15 months and doesn’t charge a balance transfer fee or an annual fee.  The savings you can derive from this card could even be enough to cover all of your holiday shopping expenses.

(OP):  “The average household has roughly $6,700 in credit card debt, and that figure is sure to rise during the expensive holiday shopping season.  It’s therefore obvious that a 0% balance transfer offer can save a lot of folk time and money paying down what they owe.  The Slate Card is the best balance transfer credit card on the market in light of its long 0% intro period and lack of fees, which combined may provide savings of more than $1,000.  An interesting strategy that some consumers might want to try this holiday season is to use one of the best rewards cards for holiday spending and then transfer their debt to the Slate Card.  This would enable you to effectively garner the best possible rewards on the market as well as the best possible 0% balance transfer deal.”

Uncorking the holidays

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As we approach the official start of the holiday season, let us give thanks for well-made, well-priced wines.

Here are four wines from California that fit the bill, bottles you will want to keep on hand from Thanksgiving through dinner on New Year’s Day — and beyond.

At our Thanksgiving table, I like to serve a red and a white. Educated Guess 2010 Chardonnay, from Roots Run Deep Winery in the Napa Valley, offers crisp acidity and fresh fruit, without oaky overtones. Expect creamy notes of vanilla and toast that are a good match with apple stuffing and green salad. MSRP: $17.

I often serve Pinot Noir with turkey and Garnet 2010 Monterey County is a fine one, with tones of clove, coffee and juniper berries and fat, juicy notes of blackberry and raspberry. Pass the gravy, please. And the cornbread and strawberry preserves. You can pour this palate pleaser for less than $15.

When you have devoured the last of the leftover turkey, uncork Educated Guess 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, a big red that pairs well with beef. Expect blackberry and chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla and a whiff of mint, with a price tag of less than $20.

At Layer Cake, the winemaker’s goal is to make reds that taste like a $50 bottle but cost $20 or less. Layer Cake 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon serves up silky blackberry and cherry
flavors, with a dusting of cocoa. With its ruby color and elegant finish, it tastes expensive. But it’s not, so you can readily indulge in treating your guests. MSRP: $15.99.

Spot-on skin care

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Our skin is our first defense against the elements. Sun wrinkles it. Wind dries it. And age and blemishes leave us with dark spots.

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution is formulated to correct dark spots and clarify the skin, especially on our face, neck and hands. The serum comes with a dropper in a one-ounce bottle and contains a complex made from activated C, a vitamin C derivative, as well as white birch and peony extracts.

In tests, 55% of women reported results within two weeks. After eight weeks, 87% of testers reported improvement. In testimonials, many users say Kiehl’s erased dark spots and scars created by acne.

So, how does it work? The activated vitamin C helps to fade dark spots. Peony extract keeps them from coming back. And white birch is known for its healing qualities. (Had I been this interested in the science of skin care back in high school, I would have fared much better in chemistry class.)

I’ve been using Kiehl’s on my hands. And while they have not been restored to the lily white state of my teens, I can report this middle-aged gal does not have any big dark age spots.

Kiehl’s was founded in 1851 in a pharmacy in New York’s East Village and makes a full line of skin care products. Expect to pay about $49.50 for Kiehl’s at Nordstrom and other high-end beauty counters. It’s currently selling on Amazon for $42.50.

 

Keep your passport near and dear

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Tick off the items on your packing list for your trip abroad:

Sensible shoes, for the walking tour. Check.

Wild-and-crazy shoes for a night out. Gotta ’em.

Sun block, prescription meds, swimsuit…

What about your passport holder? Keeping important documents safe and accessible can make the difference between a magical adventure and an overseas nightmare.

With StoreSMART’s passport holder, you can keep your passport close to your heart. And no one will know it’s there, not even pick pockets. Because you wear it, there’s no worry about losing your passport along with your purse or backpack.

The passport holder is a low-tech security device, a plastic pocket worn on a 36-inch lanyard. The holder is slim, but you can still slip money and a credit card in with your passport.

It’s waterproof, which also makes it a practical choice for anglers and hunters who need to carry their licenses.

Priced at $5.99, the passport holder is an ideal stocking stuffer for your favorite travelers.

Jewelry alert: ADORNIA’s trunk show at Knit Wit

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It’s always a treat to see jewelry up close and personal.

It’s also a pleasure to meet the creative spirits who came up with the ultimate accessories.

ADORNIA Fine Jewelry is holding an exclusive trunk show at Knit Wit on Philadelphia’s Main Line, on Nov. 16 and 17.

The company was founded in 2012 by two stylish friends, who also happen to be industry experts and jewelry enthusiasts. Becca, aka Bex, Aronson is former accessories editor of Lucky Magazine and fashion editor of REDBOOK, as well as a Penn grad; Moran “Mo” Amir is a former retail operator for Catherine Malandrino and Diesel.

Their formula for success blends jewelry pieces in gold, silver and precious stones with strong lines and feminine wiles, staples women can enjoy year in and year out, day and night. Collections range from Mayan-inspired long, hoop silver earrings ($195) to a $6,200 necklace embellished with black pave diamonds from the Deco After Dark line.

Knit Wit, a Philly original for half a century, operates stores on Chestnut Street in the city and Margate, down the Jersey Shore, as well as the Bryn Mawr location at 905 W. Lancaster Ave., where the trunk show will take place. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on both days.

In addition to blingy buys, the ADORNIA gals will be offering a styling consultations, on the house, as well as  a chance to win a $200 gift card to www.ADORNIA.com.