Calgary
February 4th, 2012
We’ve Seen the Light
Being scared of the dark is no longer an excuse for putting off bedtime.
Meet the Glo Nightlight, a bedside lamp with removable glowing balls that act as portable nightlights. The phosphorescent balls aren’t electronic and don’t get hot, so they are safe to snuggle with when the room goes dark.
The balls’ light will fade 30 minutes after they’ve been removed from the base, and you can select one tone, or have a rotating array of colours. We suggest you choose the colour that will best ward off any monsters lurking in the closet.
Boon Glo Nightlight, $84.99 from Saf & Benjamin, 1081 Marinaside Cres., Vancouver, 778-328-8194 and online at www.safandbenjamin.com —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg
February 3rd, 2012
Collective Creativity
This weekend the talent comes to the table. Make that the 48 tables and six galleries at Market Collective.
The monthly showcase of local, independent artists and artisans is February 4 and 5. It is already a lovefest with shoppers chatting with the talented creators as they trade cash for everything from artwork to jewellery, but this month it gets a little gushier with the All You Need is Love theme. While you shop listen to a rotating schedule of live bands. Sundays showcase features an all female music line-up.
Shopping local doesn’t get much easier. —Jaelyn Molyneux
Admission is $3 or a food bank donation. 148 10 St. N.W., Calgary, www.marketcollective.ca
February 2nd, 2012
Where there's smoke, there's Chimney Cakes
The next stop on our international tour of pastry is Eastern Europe.
Chimney cakes (an ancient Transylvanian street food) are made by wrapping yeast leavened dough around a spool like a ribbon and baking it in a special rotisserie oven. The cake comes out piping hot and is rolled in your choice of chocolate, coconut, cinnamon, walnuts, sugar, or, my favourite, cinnamon. Tug on the top edge and the hollow treat unravels like a spring with steam rising through the middle.
Twist our rubber arm. —Jaelyn Molyneux
$5 or $3 for a mini-cake at Twisted Café in the Crossroads Market, 1235 26 Ave. S.E., 403-291-5208, www.crossroadsmarket.ca
February 1st, 2012
Glove love
May our fingers always be warm and able to operate our touch screen.
Having to choose between texting and frostbite is something we will never have to do again with Echo Touch gloves. The gloves have a special fabric tab in the index finger and thumb that work with touch screens to let you type or scroll. The gloves also look lovely with styles made from knits, boiled wool, cashmere or leather in colours that range from classic black to hot pink.
It’s always a win when fashion and technology work with each other. —Jaelyn Molyneux
$35 to $85 at Purr, Scotia Centre, 700 2 St. S.W., Calgary, 403-266-7587, www.purrclothing.ca
January 31st, 2012
Spell it Out
Word on the street is that Scrabble is cool again. Not that it was ever uncool.
Now we can show off our love of the letter with Scrabble mugs by Wild & Wolf. The ceramic mug in simple cream has a black letter on the front and the complete letter distribution chart on the back. Treat it like a monogram and gift a mug to a friend or yourself. Or, if you have open shelving in your kitchen like I do, buy a collection and put your favourite word on display.
High score! —Jaelyn Molyneux
$14 at Steeling Home, 1010 17 Ave. S.W., Calgary, 403-245-0777, www.steelinghomestore.com
