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Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

December 8th, 2011

10 Grand Gifts for Kids: $30 or Less!

We all know Christmas spending can easily get out of control. But really, most young kids like a $20 gift as much as a $200 gift — they don’t know the value of money, it’s just about having some fun!

So, in that spirit, I thought I’d share some gift ideas that I think are “winners” under the $30 price range. Some are products that were sent to me to review and some are simply things I’ve come across on my own.

1. Walrooz sleds: These cheerful sleds have a super-cute walrus design that my kids immediately loved. I admit I felt a tad disappointed when I received a sample of the large sled ($11.95) and a smaller connecting sled ($7.45) — they seemed smaller and thinner than I expected. But then I remembered that my absolute favourite sled as a kid was a Krazy Karpet (if you grew up in the 70s, you know exactly what I mean, don’t you?!). Anyhow, we haven’t had a chance to actually test these out on snow, but both kids (age 3 and 9) keep practicing down the stairs in the house and they are a real hit. The handles have held up to all the abuse and the linking mechanism is so perfect for how kids really do like to sled.

2. LeapFrog Fridge Words: I have yet to meet a child who wasn’t fascinated by LeapFrog’s series of magnet toys ($19.99-29.99). My kids have loved them all. You can read a post here on this toy and “interesting” ways in which my daughter has played with it. Tip: Keep it stored inside the kitchen cabinet and pull it out only when you really need some child-free time, like when you’re cooking dinner.

3. Warriors: Power of Three Box Set: If you’re going to give a book, it always feel a little more special to give a boxed set. Some of my favourites gifts from when I was a child (and I still have them in my book case!) are the Anne of Green Gables, and The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sets. I still love these sets and would still recommend them for kids today. But if you are looking for something a little “now,” both boys and girls are really enjoying this series called “Warriors.” Although the name sounds a tad violent, it is a series about a clan of cats. The starter set in the picture below is priced at $17.10 and was given to Stella on her 9th birthday by a good friend. (For more book recommendations from Stella, check out the right hand column of this blog, where she had identified a number of them.)

Warriors: Power of Three Box Set

4. Sculpey Sculpturing Compound: Available from Lee Valley (the sampler pack is $29.50), this set is for the imaginative child who dreams, doodles and talks of fantasy creatures. It’s a great treat to pull out on a weekend with some hot chocolate, and the bonus is that unlike so many other crafty activities, it makes so little mess.

Sculpey® Sculpturing Compound - Gifts

5. National Geographic Kids subscription: Remember how exciting it was to have a letter arrive to the house with your name on it? Well, even though mail is rarely ever delivered to homes anymore and people rarely ever send letters anymore, kids still LOVE getting mail! A magazine subscription is a gift that lasts the whole year. Owl ($39.50) has a science bent, Kayak ($21.95) has a historical focus, and National Geographic Kids ($22.00) covers a lot of critters and creatures. To present as a gift, pick up the current issue in the stores and wrap with a ribbon and a little explanatory note. Tip: If you are buying more than two magazines subscriptions, you can purchase from the Magazines Canada site and receive the third subscription for free.

Little Kids cover

6. Little Dottie Bracelet: Stella & Dot have the sweetest jewelry sets for girls. And the best part is that they come in a gorgeous little tin (okay, okay, I am a sucker for packaging!). My favourite is the Little Dottie Bracelet ($16.00) and matching necklace ($29.00). Stella isn’t into jewelry really, but I recently gave my niece the bracelet for her birthday present and she absolutely loved it.

Little Dottie Bracelet

7. The Tiny Perfect Dinosaur: It’s no secret that many children are afflicted by a serious dinosaur obsession at some point in their lives. Stella went through a full year period where she insisted that her middle name was “Dinosaur.” Naturally, then, we have spent our fair share of time at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The gift store is always a highlight, but you can skip it and buy online if you’d like. Here, the Stegosaurus of The Tiny Perfect Dinosaur series is shown below, but the entire series is now on sale for $5.95 each. It includes a book, a poster, and a dinosaur egg that has the skeleton inside which you are to put together yourself.

Stegosaurus: The Tiny Perfect Dinosaur Vol. 4

8. Cook & Play Potsy: My son is three and he just loves to play house and cook like his Dad. But trying to find imagination toys related to the home in any colour other than a gawdy pink, at a reasonable price, isn’t an easy task! So I was quite pleased to be sent this Leap Frog toy to try out. The packaging features two girls playing with this toy, but as you can see, the pot looks pretty gender neutral and has a fun animated face on it. Like all Leap Frog toys, it has a ton of educational features built into it and it’s priced at $24.99.

9. Art workshop with 4 Cats Arts Studio: This studio for kids is an amazing concept that is taking off all across Canada. In Ottawa, we have a location in Hintonburg (which I profiled here for my 40th birthday party). Rather than a concrete gift, you might want to consider giving an experience — the winter workshops that are being offered in the upcoming season range from $18-20 — and really are fabulous value for money. Age ranges run from 3 up to 15 and there’s a variety of offerings.

10. Zoob: For the child who gravitates to lego and building blocks, Zoob is the cool new kid on the block. Bright, colourful and easy to use, it’s recommended for children aged 6 and up. I was first introduced to Zoob sets by the owner of My Toy Shop in Manotick, but since then I’ve noticed that Tag Along Toys, Mrs Tiggy Winkle’s, and Scholar’s Choice also carry them. The 75-piece set below is priced just under $30.

I hope that this has renewed your faith in reasonably priced toys and gifts! There are so many out there, and kids are just thrilled with them. If you have other faves to add to these, feel free to leave a note in the comments.

5 Comments »

November 16th, 2011

A Latte for $2. Need I say more? Okay, I will … you know I will …

I like me my Tim Horton’s Coffee.

I used to be a Large Double Double, girl. Now I’ve managed to wean myself to 2 Cream, 1 Sugar. I know, my self-discipline is amazing. A-MAZE-ING. One day I will move to milk and no sugar, but I could be really, really old by then. Like, maybe when I’m really old and have completely lost all my faculties so that I know longer can remember how much better coffee is with cream than milk. Then. But only then, I think. (My grandmother, who has all of her faculties, likes her Timmy’s as a Triple-Triple. Just saying.)

On ~~many~~ most days though, I need to add some real expresso beans to the mix. This results in me spending embarrassing amounts of money on lattes. If I only count how much one latte a day costs, it’s fine. But to add that up over a week … or *gasp* a year? Yikes.

So when I received an email this week from a PR agency letting me know that Timmy’s was launching into the latte world, I was interested. Interested by skeptical, because that sickly sweet French Vanilla thing they’ve been marketing as cappuccino is definitely not cappuccino!

But, listen, Tim Horton’s is actually going expresso! Real expresso beans my fellow caffeinated friends! Here is a clip from the news release issued at the beginning of this month:

Tim Hortons today announced the biggest new specialty coffee introduction ever in Canada – at more than 2,500 locations – with the addition of lattes, mocha lattes and cappuccinos made with premium espresso. Starting at $2, the new drinks offer guests a delicious, fast and convenient choice for lattes, at a value price.

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Here are the new expresso-based coffee options:

Latte
Cappuccino
Flavoured Latte
Flavoured Latte Supreme
Mocha Latte
Espresso shot (single or double)
Tea Latte

I am game for trying all of these (even a “tea latte,” whatever the heck that is!). And I am going to receive a gift certificate so I can do precisely that. But don’t put your frowny faces on because I also have two gift certificates for Coffee with Julie readers!

I figure that a coffee giveway is perfect for TGIF, so I will announce the winner this Friday, November 18th at 3pm. There are two prizes, each is a $25 gift certificate to Tim Hortons. To enter:

The easy entry: Leave a comment telling me if you drink expresso coffee or not.
Making you work: You can have one extra entry by following @TimHortons on twitter, and then coming back here and leaving me a comment to let me know.
So, just to be clear: each person has a maximum of two chances to enter.

Good luck!

41 Comments »

November 12th, 2011

Impractical Purchasing, NYC edition, part 1

As of late, it has come to my attention that I am an impractical girl. I have been stubbornly resisting this label. I like to consider myself a practical person — getting what needs to get done done, leaving the rest; buying sensible, well-priced things; leaving the rest.

Sadly, I think this might have been a case of living in suspended disbelief. My first hint should have been the fact that Hubby does not let me do the grocery shopping. His chief complaint is that I come home with nicely designed cleaning products, expensive granola, and black licorice but not enough ingredients to make a meal with. He is so picky.

Anyhow, I digress. I went to New York City and I have yet to tell you about the shopping. The Shopping! In New York City!

One of the first places where I made a purchase was in a store called Bird. Kerry had these groovy pocket-sized cards for different neighbourhoods all around New York and on this day, her card told us to check out Bird. So we did. We’re obedient that way.

Bird is one of Brooklyn’s first fashion destinations and also the very first LEED-certified retail store in New York City. It was recently voted Best Women’s Boutique in New York City by New York Magazine and Top Visionary Boutique in the United States by Lucky Magazine.

As soon as I stepped in, I couldn’t believe my eyes! Just that morning I had whined to Kerry about how I had always wanted a pair of glasses but the frames were always too expensive to justify for clear lenses. (You see, I don’t actually need glasses, I just covet them. I never needed braces as a kid either, and I wanted those too.) And yet here were a whole slew of frames to choose from — all priced at $99! Okay, I hear you … a hundred bucks is still a lot of money to spend on an accessory, but for glasses, these were a good price.

I was ridiculously excited and started jumping up and down. Kerry did her quiet shaking-of-the-head-thing-while- being-secretly-amused-but-not-enough-to-warrant-being-associated-with-me and immediately wandered to the other end of the store.

I was in heaven. Here’s me in the store, sporting the glasses that I chose:

Trying to do my best sexy librarian look.

After the thrill of this find, I immediately set off to see what other wares the store had. I picked up a great looking pair of boots. $720? Ouch, no thanks. So I went smaller and looked at the scarves. I found a beauty, which looked to be of standard material but with a bit if flair. I took a gander at the price tag: $185. I think I may have laughed out loud. Kerry insisted she’d seen the same scarf on her trip to Vietnam for $1.50. Maybe less. The store didn’t hold much appeal for us so we didn’t stay long. But I was still just as pleased as punch with finding the glasses.

Then, just this week, long after the NYC trip was over, I learned that Kerry is actually going in to have laser surgery on her eyes so she won’t have to wear glasses ever again. For her, they’ve been a necessity since age 5. For me, a frivolous joy at age 40.

Don't tell anyone that I don't actually need glasses, k?

3 Comments »

November 8th, 2011

Beautiful Book Stores: Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers, NY

I can remember my father telling me that when he was young he dreamed of having a house full of books and art. I can also remember the look of contentedness he had on his face as he sat in his own home telling this to me. You see, I can never remember us living in a home that wasn’t full of books and art.

Granted, there were always far more books than art. Much of the artwork that we had on the walls when I was a kid was of his own creation. He’s a very talented painter. But as time went on, and the house filled with more children, he had much less time to devote to his painting. But the books, they were always there. My dad always — always — has at least one book on the go.

I’m not sure where he acquired this taste for books and art. He grew up in a house with little money, and although both his parents were literate, I don’t recall a lot of books in my grandparents’ home. (Although I do recall with great fondness how my grandfather would pull you over to share an article from the newspaper. It made me feel special that he wanted to share it with me.) As for art, well … there was a massive velvet matador rug hanging on a wall. Let’s just leave it at that.

As for where I acquired this somewhat irrational need, especially in this day of e-readers, to surround myself with pretty paper bound together … I place the blame squarely on my father’s shoulders. I must have observed him with his nose in a book so many countless times that I concluded books were like a magical spell to which one happily surrendered themselves. In fact, as of late, I have joined the crowds on pinterest (an online bulletin board that allows you to pin up items that you find of interest and enjoy a voyeuristic tour of the pin boards of others), and I have a board titled “Books are little lovers.” Because, really, besides a book, what could hold a person’s attention with such force other than a new lover?

It will come as no surprise to you then that when I took my recent trip to New York City, beautiful book stores were visited. One of these was in a Brooklyn neighbourhood called Williamsburg. Home to artists and indie bands, and more recently, a gentrified collection of boutiques and shops, my friend Kerry and I were staying in a nearby area of Brooklyn and we toured over to Williamsburg on foot.

As soon as you walk in, your heartbeat slows and you melt into the vibe of Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers.

First opened in 1999, this bookstore specializes in both new and used books — contemporary art, design, architecture, photography, philosophy, and literature. Although I could spend an entire day in practically any bookstore, I know for certain that I could have spent at least two days in this one. Which is saying quite a bit since they are open from 10 am to 10 pm every day of the week!

Needless to say, I did not leave empty-handed. For Hubby, I found this really interesting used book titled The places of houses: Three architects suggest ways to build and inhabit houses.

Published in 1974, the authors believe that there are three elements fundamental to a successful house: rooms to live in, machines that serve life, and the dreams of the inhabitants. As someone who pours his soul into everything he builds, I really thought he’d enjoy this book.

I also picked up a book for my three-year-old son Max. Impossible to resist, I am a Bunny is a recreation of an original Golden book first published in 1963.

I loved the large images, with simple text. There’s much more to this book that I love, but I just don’t have the right words to describe it. And Max, as I suspected, adores it too.

Now, do I need to admit that I also treated myself to a book? Well of course, mes amis! It was “Month of Me,” wasn’t it? So, the book that I picked up for myself has a NYC beat to it. Titled Netherland, the publisher description reads:

“Unexpectedly finding himself marooned among the strange occupants of New York’s Chelsea Hotel, feeling lost in the country he has come to regard as home, Hans van den Brock begins an unlikely friendship with Chuck Ramkissoon, a charming Trinidadian who introduces Hands to an “other” America populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality.”

I wish I could say I’ve read it. But for now, it sits prettily on the mighty stack of books by my bed. I have a lot of books waiting to be read. They are all so lovely; just having them around makes me happy.

Disclosure: if you click on one of the book images above, the links are what are called “affiliate” links. What this means is that if you buy a book from one of my links, I will receive a 4% commission from the total price of the sale. So, if you are going to buy one of these books, please use my links because I will get rich if you do. Rich! Rich, I tell ya!

7 Comments »

November 2nd, 2011

And, now back to you! (Mark’s $50 Giveaway)

You’ve had just about enough “Month of Me” by now, I’m sure. So, let’s turn it back to you!

I have a treat for one of you: A $50 gift certificate from my BFF (aka Mark’s, remember?) … and just in time for the season change! (Yes, because I do still need to convince myself that I don’t hate winter. Cozy, cute winter clothes will help, right?)

I love online shopping (here’s a list of my favourite spots for getting errands done) and clothes shopping in increasingly joining my ever-expanding group of things that I never had to enter a mall for ever again. I think the only thing I still actually enjoy shopping for in person is shoes and books, and even those I still buy online sometimes too.

Anyhow, I digress. My point was that Mark’s has been working on creating a better online shopping experience on their website. It launched TODAY, and they’re really excited about it and would like you to take a look. In exchange for doing so, one of you will win a $50 gift certificate.

I’ve taken a good poke around the site and I’ve decided that if I was given $50 to spend at Mark’s, I would pick this:

This is the Denver Hayes Soft Draft Cardigan, and it’s priced at $33.74. With my left-over money, I would also add this to my shopping bag:

Mark’s calls these “Home Socks” which seems just perfect, because when I get home from the office I do love to put on big fluffy socks instead of slippers. These socks are priced at $14.99.

That brings my total to $48.73. And shipping is free until the end of the year anywhere in Canada!

I’d definitely be happy with the above selections. But I do think that, although they’ve made great strides in the right direction (such as adding customer review options, and cleaning up the design), Mark’s still needs to work on increasing the online inventory in the days ahead if they want to provide a true shopping experience. And I am hopeful that they will. (Especially so that I can add them to my list of faves!).

So, now it’s your turn. If you won the $50, what would you spend it on?

To enter this giveaway:

Simply browse through the Mark’s website enter your selection(s) in the comments section below.
I will do a draw using random.org in one week’s time (November 9th).

Good luck and have fun checking out the site!