How Charming
Charmed Circle offers jewelry for him and her alike. For women, shop from a variety of silver, 18-karat gold plated and 4-karat semi-precious stone charms for bracelets and necklaces. Personalize items with initials or charms reminiscent of memorable moments. For men, cuff links are a nice way to spruce up a suit at holiday celebrations. Or, opt for desk accessories with a business card holder in sterling silver that can be customized to fit different card sizes. Visit www.charmed-circle.com for details.
Tasty Confections
Tribeca Treats, a specialty bakery in Manhattan, offers delicious eats for the holidays. For the loved one with an insatiable sweet tooth, consider beautifully wrapped dessert items like The Chocolate Lovers Basket, Small Holiday Cookie Assortment and Large Holiday Cookie Assortment. Buyers can also create confection assortments online. If you want to give a delicious gift that will last throughout the year, purchase a Cookie of the Month Club subscription for six or 12 months. Each month a fresh batch of themed cookies gets sent to the recipient’s house. To see each month’s cookie flavors or select gift baskets, visit www.tribecatreats.com.
Bon Appetit
Breville unleashes new products fresh out of the oven. The compact Panini Duo suits the aspiring chef or sandwich enthusiast. Breville also offers kitchen gadgets for roasting, toasting, slicing, dicing and brewing. For the posh panini maker and other culinary gifts, go to www.breville.com.
Culinary Wizardry
Delight people who like to get creative in the kitchen with Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft (RCR Creative Press) by Lauren Braun Costello and Russell Reich. Rather than a traditional cookbook, this how-to book is filled with 217 bits of cooking wisdom without a single recipe. Package up this book for serving by visiting www.notesoncooking.com.
Photo Opportunity
Panasonic presents the 12.2 Megapixel LUMIX DMC-G1, the world’s smallest and lightest digital camera with an interchangeable lens. This Micro Four Thirds system camera enhances photo quality while offering the power of an SLR camera without the bulk. Its portability, smaller body and lens appeal to any advanced photographer. The camera boasts an electronic full-time live view finder and contrast auto focus, among other high-tech features. Panasonic has this model in black, blue and red. Get candid at www.panasonic.com.
Bee the Change
Help the honey bees this season. In lieu of costly gifts, make a donation in a loved one’s name to aid honey bee research. The honey bee population is dwindling, and without these yellow and black striped buzzers, one-third of what you eat, including ingredients in yummy Haagen-Dazs ice creams and sorbets, would not be the same. All donations go directly to universities that support honey bee protection. For a little something extra, couple the donation with a Haagen-Dazs gift certificate or a set of ice cream bowls and an ice cream scooper. To support the Haagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees campaign and gift someone who screams for ice cream, go to www.helpthehoneybees.com or www.haagendazs.com for the latest buzz.
On the Road Again
For the indecisive packer who stuffs an entire wardrobe in a suitcase, consider the On Your Weigh scale from Travelon. This lightweight and compact digital scale is designed to alert users when luggage is overweight. Simply hook the scale on the handles of a bag and lift the luggage to weigh. To learn more, travel to www.travelonbags.com.
Sights and Sounds
For the technologically savvy, Sony debuts the HT-CT500 Sound Bar, a home theater system that delivers mega listening pleasure. The sound system includes a 3.1-channel speaker system with a subwoofer, built-in A/V receiver and five HD inputs. For watching crystal-clear images, Sony offers the BDP-S560 Blu-ray Disc Player with DVD up-scaling and integrated wireless. The BDV-E500W Blu-ray Disc Home Theater system is the ultimate in home entertainment— perfect for maximum viewing and listening. Find these products and more at www.sonystyle.com.
Hot, Hot, Hot
Warm beverage lovers appreciate the 16-ounce Dual Auto/USB Heated Mug with a Plug. This stainless steel travel mug conveniently plugs into a computer’s USB port or vehicle’s 12V DC power outlet to keep its contents hot. Drink coffee, tea, hot chocolate or cider all day without worrying that the beverage might get cold. Allow a cool guzzler to stay toasty with hot toddies or warm kiddie drinks by heading to www.cableorganizer.com.
Top Chef Tools
The Paula Deen Signature Collection of pots, pans, tins, ladles and other cooking items provides many options to help furnish a kitchen. If a special someone enjoys stirring up soups, purchase the six-piece Soup and Stew Set. Shopping for a baker? Try a set of cast-iron molds or an assortment of pans. For a newlywed’s kitchen, choose the 11-piece Nonstick Cookware collection or 12-piece Porcelain Enamel Cookware collection. To see what’s cooking, go to www.target.com.
Let’s all take care on Earth Day to give care to those we love, as well as to our communities, cities, states, country and planet.
Finding out the answers to these questions will help you make an informed camp decision.
Each year as summer comes to a close, August’s National Night Out celebrates local community efforts to stop crime and create positive change.