Obol Keeps Your Cereal From Getting Soggy

I am very sensitive to the texture of food. I don't like that stringy feeling of overcooked shrimp or anything that's mushy (you should see how hard the nectarines I buy are). 

So I can understand the desire to keep your crunchy cereal from turning into pudding. Especially if you eat like puffed wheat, that seems to soften as soon as it hits the milk.

That's why you've got to get yourself the Obol. It keeps everything separate until you're ready to pull it together. And nothing says you've got to use it only for cereal - soup and crackers, chips and dip, it works for so many things! In fact, why don't you send me a tweet or leave a comment here or on my facebook page to what you're going to use yours for?

If you're like most people, you'll be happy with the Obol in CreamWhite. But why not add a splash of colour with the new Lime & Tangerine Obols? Ooh, they're fun. And all are available as of June 1st at Brookstone.

As a restaurant reviewer and food writer, it's important to me that the textures of food be the way they're intended. And my Obol lets me blend the ingredients together at my leisure.

Now that's customized!

Get yourself some Obols now and put an end to soggy cereal once and for all.

Dotmine Day Planners: Pretty & Functional. In Other Words, Just What You've Always Wanted.

Can you believe it's November already?

So that means:

- there's only 55 days until Christmas

- there's only 61 days left in 2010

I'm not trying to send you in a panic, but you should be thinking about your 2011 day planner.

You're not going to use that awful black one issued by the office, are you?

I've got a better solution - Dotmine Day Planners.

You're going to love these because:

- You can personalize it to your lifestyle.

- There are not only different kinds, but lots of pretty covers to choose from (more available from Borders, which carries their exclusive line!).

- You get 17 months of planning - which is really what you need in order to get ahead (and you can work and go to school and it will help you track both).

- They are affordable - $13.99 and $19.99.

Busy professional meets busy life—brought together with a fashionable flair! Efficiently keep track of all appointments: personal, professional and family!
 Record recurring meetings, activities and appointments.  You’re sure to love this life-saver of a planner!

I am using the life_time.mine Day Planner in Blue. The life_time planners combine work and family life, which is perfect for me.

It goes from Sept 2010 to January 2012, so I can use it now (No waiting until January! I love it!) .  The size (7" x 9") is great: not too big, not too small.  The sky blue leather cover is pretty and contemporary without being distracting. I'm happy for the colourful pattern on the inside cover though - who wants everything to be plain?

For planning out your life, you'll love that it lies flat, and that a week on 2 pages gives you a great indication of what you're doing and lots of room to lay it all out.

On the left-hand side of your schedule is a  perforated Work Sheet and on the right, a perforated Life Sheet. This allows you to list what needs to get done, picked up, dropped off, seen, read, cooked, etc. and take the list with you. I'm telling you, it's no surprise that women designed this because they know that these kinds of features are not only lifesavers, but lifechangers!

In addition to all of that, there's a nice wide pocket at the back (you need to put all that stuff somewhere - now you've actually got a place for it), a ribbon bookmark to keep your place (thank you!) and neat planning pages that help you figure out the next step.

If you want to do more and be more, Dotmine Day Planners will help you get there.

The Pleat Sheet Rocks My World - And Keeps Me Covered!

Lately, I've been at war with my fella and our cat.

At least when it comes to our sheets.

Both Scott and  Cosmo have this crazy habit of somehow hogging the sheets, so that I wake up in the middle of the night f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g!

That's all in the past now, thanks to The Pleat Sheet!

We've been testing it - a sheet made with expanding pleats to create "extra wings of cover and warmth" - all week and I'm happy to report that every morning, I awoke with the sheet still wrapped around my shoulder, with plenty of sheet left to further ensconce myself in.

It's sheer bliss - and a miracle!

So whether you've got pets, kids or a partner that likes to take hold of the sheets, there is finally a solution.

I love that when you purchase The Pleat Sheet, you get not only the expandable top sheet, but 1 fitted sheet (will even fit deep matresses) and 2 pillowcases, so you don't have to hunt around for sheets to match your Pleat Sheet.

Each set comes in Full, Queen and King, and you can choose White or Ivory (we rockin' the White Queen). 

And in case you're wondering, yes, the 300 thread count, 100% cotton sateen striped fabric not only looks amazing, but is incredibly soft and comfortable (Is that part of the reason I've been going to bed early to read this week? Perhaps...).

Order yours now and have a warm cozy winter FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

Between the Lines - A New, Contemporary Colouring Book

Looking for an unusual and completely original gift for the creative person in your life?

It doesn't get any better than the NEW Between the Lines: A Colouring Book of Drawings by Contemporary Artists, Volume 2.

This book finally gives adults a creative outlet.

It allows those of us who love art, to colour in more than 50 original line drawings contributed by a diverse roster of today’s best-known contemporary artists.

Get out your markers or pencil crayons and rock out your creative self. Fill in the customer service girl by Adam McEwan, the soft-edged elephants by Cynthia Rowley and good luck completing Ernesto Caivano and Scott Lenhardt's extravagant forest scenes and Matt Mulligan's intricate cubes before the end of the year.

But that's the point to this - there's no rush. Take your time. Luxuriate in the process. Enjoy yourself so much that you let go of the worker bee you've become and rejoice in the fun of being a kid again.

What colour will you do the jeans on the reclining fellow in Kehinde Wiley's romantic ode (pictured above)? And I bet we'd all approach Mary Temple's piece with different mediums and colours. You will no doubt be drawn to the houses by Mike Bayne. I mean, how many houses did you draw in your youth, over and over again? And being an Obama fan, I could spend hours working on the piece by Rirkirt Tiravanija.

And in case that's not insanely fun enough, the book comes with a whack of amazing stickers designed by Nate Lowman and Mickalene Thomas.

Oh and there is more to this colouring book than meets the eye. It's not just a fun gift to give to friends and families for birthdays and mates for anniversaries.

RxArt is a not-for-profit organization that curates contemporary art installations in hospitals and outpatient centers. They are "dedicated to placing original fine art in patient, procedure and examination rooms of healthcare facilities, at no cost to the institution. Our mission is to improve otherwise sterile environments through contemporary art, promote healing, and inspire hope in patients, families and staff."

The Between the Lines coloring books are distributed free of charge to children in RxArt’s participating health care facilities and sold to benefit RxArt’s projects.

So buy a bunch and make some great art while making people feel better.

If you really want to help, donate what you can.

You know you couldn't survive without art in your life, so why should the sick and the suffering?

Shop at Ten Thousand Villages and Make a Real Difference!

Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit Fair Trade organizations that sells stylish, ethnically-inspired and ethically sources products in stores and online.

They provide vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America.

By shopping at Ten Thousand Villages, you can buy gifts with meaning, green gifts and shop ethically for you and your home all in one convenient location. Just imagine how meaningful a graduation, wedding or anniversary gift when it's been handcrafted with such love, care and dedication. And they have a gift registry, which is wonderful.

You can choose from personal accessories, home furnishing, textiles, books and stationery, plant and garden, jewelry, skin care, food items, toys and musical instruments, some of which are made from reused, reclaimed, sustainable or organic materials.

Here are some of my recent favourites:

The Cotton Ikat Tablecloth w/ Gingham shows off the season's biggest trend and is just in time for patio season. Your backyard barbecue never looked better. On second thought, you'd better get the matching napkinsfor a truly complete look.

We use a Bamboo Folding Table as our coffee table so that our living room can work in a number of different ways.

I think the Natural & Lime Kaisa Basket is the perfect accent piece for my breakfast bar. And the Reverse Painted Serving Tray (pictured above) is a wonderful time saver when entertaining.

For no-fail gift giving, Portraits is a stellar choice, as is The BitterSweet World of Chocolate. Bookends are always useful and what about a wine rack that folds up? Perfect for taking up to the cottage for the week! And who doesn't love jewelry as a gift?

Being an avid cook, I love how fresh the food and ingredients are, as well as the fact it is all fairly-traded and much of it is organic - all at completely and affordable prices! I get my spices here (like their wonderful curry and za'atar) and I pay LESS for them than at my local grocery store!

Last year, I bought over half of my Christmas presents at Ten Thousand Villages and for once, I felt good about shopping. My purchases really meant something.

You can visit them online via the US or Canada or go in person to one of their many store locations.

Hide Your Valuables in Style with Poke n' Stuffem Handmade Lovelies!

At first glance, you might think they are awfully strange looking.

But Poke n' Stuffem, lovingly handmade creatures made by Rachel, are heartwarming little guys that will win you over with their soft, cushy goodness and individuality.

And just like you, there are no two alike. You've gotta love a completely original and that makes them an especially tremendous gift, don't you think?

They are "made by hand paying special attention to detail, with some help from the sewing machine. Because they are hand-made there is a possibility of some imperfections which only adds to their individual character."

There are different lovable kinds to get, or adopt.

There are Monsters, Tame Ones, Shameless and On the Loose, each with their own purpose and design.

Monsters come with their own pocket so that you can hide your valuables, or simply have it hold onto your remote as it keeps you company on the couch. If you don't want a pocket with yours, you'll want a Tame One.

My little guy is so darn cute, don't be surprised if you start to tote yours around the house with you. His name is "The Three Stare Bear" (or as I call him, TSB for short) and his tag says:

"What's that peeking out behind the bush? Oh it's just the lovable, cuddleable, cutesy, tootsie, mutant bear. All three eyes on you, you dirty bear."

TSB is a warm milk chocolate colour with the tiniest threads of silver. He has 2 yellow felt eyes and an orange one, finished with brown buttons and a yellow "xxx" mouth. He has an orange tail and kind of looks like a version of a teddy you might have had as a kid, but with a handmade, soft-edged futuristic twist.

And he is insanely soft. So soft that you may just wanna rub him all over your body.

But don't - that's bear abuse!

There isn't one on the Poke n' Stuffem site that resembles him (I told you they are completely one-of-a-kind!), so I photographed TSB (picture above) so that you can see how amazing he is.

Don't you want one of each design?

Me too!

Thank you, Rachel, for creating these fun-loving little guys. They are a real treasure, as are you.

Order a bunch of 'em now.