Hot Spiced Rum…YUM!

FOR THE RUM RUNNER IN YOUR LIFE…by Christabelle

Add some pizazz to your cider this Thanksgiving and give your dinner guests the gift of HOT SPICED RUM PUNCH…yes, I did just drool a bit. With the help of Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum, you will be the talk of the pilgrims this holiday season when you whip out this delectable drink!

Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum is a medium to full bodied, super premium rum with mellow brandy characteristics. First introduced in 1997 (to the US), this warm and tasty liquor has won a bevy of awards – including the WORLD’S BEST RUM (San Francisco World Spirits Competition).  Not that you needed any convincing…you know if I am writing about -it is definitely worth a run on your tongue! I must admit that I don’t fully understand the process of aging and distilling…but I don’t need to. The mellow flavor – deep copper color and smooth persona, well…all I care is that it is in the glass in front of me. Run for the rum…Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum, $35.

Hot Spiced Rum Punch
Makes about 12 Servings

3 tablespoons whole cloves
3 small oranges
1/2 gallon hot apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups Cruzan Single Barrel Estate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Press cloves generously into oranges. Place in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. In  a large saucepan, heat cider and cinnamon sticks. Prick hot oranges with a fork and place in bowl or chafing dish. Pour hot cider over oranges, stir in rum. Serve warm and let the YUM begin…

A Little Hope Goes A Long Way!

FOR YOUR TOTE LOVING FRIENDS…by Christabelle

There is nothing better than a sturdy tote that boasts a colorful,  cool design…add a charity donation into that mix and you have the ultimate casual wear tote bag…most specifically Ann Veronica totes – made in New England (you know I have a soft spot for NE!)

These delightful totes are inspired by the people of Maine -  Ann Veronica designed three special bags to embrace their sense of community, optimism and environmental stewardship. A portion of the proceeds from sales is dedicated to the betterment of life in Maine and beyond. No two totes are alike; all are made of 100% cotton canvas, made in the USA and eco-friendly.

The Inspiration Hope Tote (my personal favorite) was made to honor the town of Hope, ME, population 1,310, – a town rich with a sense of family and community, where people still come together to celebrate nature’s renewal each spring with a “perennial swap.” In the spirit of HOPE, 10% of sales will support research for children facing catastrophic illness through. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital  – that is reason enough to purchase one of these beautifully crafted bags!

All of the Inspiration Totes are made from the heart from select remnants of Ann’s most popular patterns and colors – she certainly does her part to be green . Each tote is pieced together carefully and then hand-sewn to allow for an authentic frayed look that will develop over time and use. As if there weren’t enough personal touches added to these totes – your bag also comes signed by the seamstresses who made it!

You can give the gift of HOPE (or a bevy of other gorgeous bags!) at www.AnnVeronica.com – Inspiration Hope Tote (Small $64, Large $78).

Who Needs American Idol?

FOR YOUR WANNA BE ROCKSTAR…by Christabelle

They are the first to steal the mic at Karaoke night…they are the first to sing at the top of their lungs, in your face, during roadtrips…and they are the ones who always want to play guitar hero…yes – it is the proverbial wanna-be-a-rockstar. Forget American Idol auditions - no need to sparkle on America’s Got Talent or anything of the sort thanks to SONY…

This holiday season get your musician-in-the-making the NEW! Sony Creative Software Sound Forge. In one small box you get everything you need for audio editing and mastering professional-quality audio on your home computer (yes, you heard right – your HOME computer). Record live instruments and vocals, edit and restore audio, apply studio-quality audio effects, and convert files with lightning speed. You can even create your own karaoke tracks with included vocal remover software. Best of all, Sound Forge Audio Studio audio editing software is easy to use – even I was able to create some re-makes of cheesey Jessica Simpson songs! Epic records here I come…

A great gift for any age (and what fun for the family!). Now…how to figure out the art of sound-proofing! Give the gift of music-making this holiday season for only $55 -available for purchase http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/audiostudio

Gidget Can Do It…Why Can’t I?

FOR YOUR WANNA-BE-SURFER FRIEND…by Miribelle 

A New Yorker through sickness and health, I’ve never been surfing. Every time I hit Ditch Plains, I watch the young and old grab their waxed up boards and head out into the glorious waves…wishing I could be out there enjoying the surf at her finest. I’ve watched Point Break over and over and I am absolutely the most accomplished “faux surfer” out there – I can fake the outfit, the accent, the lingo and even the attitude…but I sadly cannot fake the physique. The only surfing I do is on the 2 train when it makes that sharp turn into Times Square – and even then I can’t keep my balance.

How hot are surfers’ bodies? All that twisting and turning – can we say SICK ABS (let’s say it all together now). But NOW I too can attain the super-hot surfer bod…all while standing on my beautiful, expensive-looking carpet I bought at West Elm – and YOU CAN JOIN ME!  Surf Stronger, a video workout system, created by California natives Scott Adams and Todd Walsh, concentrates on improving flexibility, power, and core strength with surf techniques you do in your very own home. The workouts, led by two-time runner-up World Champion surfer Serena Brooke are simple, yet challenging and extremely effective. The video includes 3 workouts—Pre-Surf warm up, Main core and Quick core (only 10 minutes! Who doesn’t have 10 minutes?) for you to use at your convenience. I’m pretty confident that during my next trip to the West Coast, I may even be MISTAKEN for a native…hang loose!

Available at www.surfstronger.com for a SRP $29.95.

Can I get a WHOOF WHOOF?

FOR YOUR FOUR LEGGED FRIEND…by Miribelle
Dogs really are Woman’s best friend. A friend told me that in one language, the word for dog literally means “from the heart.” So, it’s okay if we treat dogs like our own children rather than animals. While I hope to have my own children some day, a dog is a heck of a lot easier to take care of than a child right now. So when you find yourself spending more time to shop for holiday presents for your dog rather than your boyfriend, it’s okay. Santa won’t put you on the “naughty” list. To be fair to your family and friends, I found some poochie-perfect stocking stuffers so you don’t have to search 5 malls for the perfect match.

To keep your puppy busy while you whip up a batch of waffles in the morn for you honey, you MUST stock up on some Doggy Tug toys. Made out of industrial elastic interwoven with industrial rubber AND sewn together with deep sea fishing line, these toys will last until your Louis Vuittton monogram bag goes out of style (clearly NEVER). And to be sure your little pup is totally protected, Doggy Tug toys are made free of toxins with 100% industrial white terry cloth. I can’t have poochie chewing on dye all day! PLUS they have sizes to fit every little furry friend out there!

To help support your New Year’s resolution of eating only healthy, organic food (I’m fine until I smell pizza down the block. I’m sorry, but organic pizza just doesn’t cut it as NEW YORK pizza.) get your hands on Wagatha Gourmet Organic Dog Biscuits. Made from only “human grade” ingredients—including wheat flour, flax seed, sunflower oil, garlic and honey to name a few—these organic biscuits are even loved by humans! Your puppy’s stocking will be far from empty once you fill it with all 4 flavors—Original, Tuscan Tomato with Italian Herbs, Breakfast Biscuit and Cranberry Cheddar. And don’t worry…you can even give Wagatha biscuits to your friend’s Jewish pup Shlomo down the block for Chanukah…they’re kosher!

Now that Fluffy is playing and eating like a rock star…make sure she struts her stuff right for the new year! Worthy of a walk down the runway, the worlds CUTEST collars, harnesses and leads (designed by Trish Hampton) are the IDEAL Christmas morning gift for any size pup. Imagine the delight in your dog’s eyes when she opens the very same polka dots and stripes that have been worn on the town on the celeb pups of Mariah Cary and Rachael Ray! Tres chic for your four-legged friend. Trish Hampton offers a variety of stylish designs for your male and female dogs, ranging from $24-$40.

After all the excitement of the holidays, your pefect poochie will need to rest a weary head…give the gift of HILTON (no- not Paris!). The Hilton Hotels has just launched the most decadent Crypton Pet Pillow, designed by famed artist William Wegman (best known for his photographs of Weimaraner dogs). So whether you are travelling with your furry friend (Hilton launched a “Pet Friendly” program offering the finest accommodations for you and your pet at participating hotels) or chilling on the home front, your little Fido can catch ZZZ’s in the comfort of, well, the Hilton Hotel. Our office dog, Hitchcock, has not left in bed in days! He is the happiest pup I have ever seen now that he has a bed made for a king. Did you know participating Hilton’s also offer pet concierge service with information about local dog runs, veterinarian offices and pet boutiques in every city you travel to?  Talk about swanky for our furry friends!

Now that your fur-ball’s presents are covered…go shopping for your mother!!!

GIFT CARDS…GOOD! WEB HOAXES…EVIL!

>  STORE CLOSINGS AND LAYOFFS
>
>  If you have gift cards, hurry up and use them!!

If you fell for the most current scam being blasted over the internet and to an in-box near you…well, you are not the only one!  The latest web-hoax has hit the WWW and is scaring shoppers away from buying gift cards this holiday season by posting a very ominous list of retailers closing their doors.

Ann Taylor? Gap? Home Depot…could it be? Could all my go-to places to shop be closing their doors? Will my gift cards be worthless in the weeks to come? I was (as you probably were too) “warned” that over 30 of our favorite retailers are all closing shop and that we should NOT buy gift cards from them. As of January 1, 2009, they will no longer have a value. Over thirty companies – even our friend Disney.  Are you smelling a skunk yet? I am.

Come to find out, majority of this list is just plain garbage – a stunt, no doubt – concoted by a marketing genius at one of those gift card swap companies (or even credit card companies wanting to increase pre-loadead card sales). Moral of the story is, do your research and buy gift cards from stores you know and trust.  Truth in the list – sure, some retailers have closed – and they have made it clear for a long time coming – CompUSA, Sharper Image, Levitts…we have heard the bleak news for months now. 

To ensure I was giving my readers GOOD COUNSEL on this topic, I did some Nancy Drew sleuthing and got in touch with my friends over at Ann Taylor.  Here is what they had to say about their current state of affairs – which quite frankly, is good news and not anywhere near the doom and gloom as stated in the hoax:

Ann Taylor is a financially strong Company with a healthy balance sheet. We already communicated early this year that we are closing a number of stores through 2010, but we continue to open new stores and have close to 1,000 stores in our fleet. Ann Taylor and LOFT Gift Cards are a great idea for gifting this holiday, and they can be redeemed at any of our stores or online. Although the source of this viral email is questionable, we felt we should clarify the misleading information because we want our clients to always feel confident in their Ann Taylor purchases. 

With that said, I am hopping over to Ann Taylor and buying myself an early Christmas treat- a gift card…and I am not going to use it until January 2009 – the inside scoop is it will contain a bounce-back for 15% off my entire purchase when I use it. SCORE!

Our advice – hit “delete” when this e-mail invades your in-box and tell your friends NOT to believe the hype…Spread the word.

Drama should stay where it belongs – in the next episode of The Hills…not in your holiday shopping experience!