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August 1, 2008
'Tis the Season
These days, believe it or not, editors’ calendars are crammed with holiday events because some of us are working on November/December issues! And since Christmas is my most favorite holiday of the year, I am thrilled to RSVP yes to all of them! So I’m happily humming “dashing in the snow” but leaving the scarf and gloves at home (well it is 88 degrees here in NYC!) as we stop by the slew of Ho-Ho-Ho events hosted by department stores like JCPenney, Sears and Kmart, and home supply companies like Lowe’s and The International Housewares Association.
For those of you registering for a wedding during the holidays, there are lots of things in stores and online that fit the bill. At JCPenney, I got a peek at great giftable eco-friendly items that have the seal of approval of their lifestyle expert Danny Seo, like the cozy Simply Green basket weave textured bamboo blankets ($59.99–$89.99). There were so many other great products you could add to your registry like their COOKS line of colorful kitchen appliances ($49.99 for a 4-slice toaster) and a stand-out-on-the-conveyer-belt red American Living wheeled carry-on suitcase ($240).
I visited with old friend Gen-X eco-guru Danny Seo to see the wonderful eco-friendly products he's designed for JCPenney. |
And to keep going with environmentally friendly gift giving, at the Sears/Kmart “Grant A Wish” holiday event there was a fabulous line of the new eco-darling material, bamboo, fashioned into trays, towels and bedding designed by Ty Pennington of TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
I also really loved that my favorite ornament company Christopher Radko has come out with a new brand of ornaments “Celebrations by Radko.” It includes 48 contemporary figure and ball designs. A few years back I bought two of his gorgeous, delicate ornaments, and even wholesale they were pricey. Those two, a hand-painted mermaid and the harlequin hang at the tiptop of our tree, far away (for the time being) from my little Max’s boy-hands. In the take-home bag from the event they put in a fun Santa ornament, and this one (at $9.99) will be one I’ll let Max hang this year.
At the Lowe’s holiday preview, the store took over the huge penthouse suite at the super stylish Hudson Hotel uptown on 68th street. Christmas was everywhere: wreaths in the dining room, blow-up Santa in a helicopter on the outdoor terrace and even strands of holiday lights all around the big deep-soak Jacuzzi tub. Lowe’s is a great place to register year round for useful items like the 18-volt tool kit from Black & Decker ($69.97) and group-go-in-gifts like Char-Broil’s gorgeous stainless grill ($499).
My favorite holiday item was the lovely frosted white LED light strands. These bulbs are cool to the touch (safer!) and use 80% less energy, which really appeals to my always-turning-lights-out nature-energy-saving (in stores in October). I smiled when I saw gardening gloves tied up in red ribbon! I asked for gloves last holiday, I guess a lot of people do, and even if gardening for most means flowers in window boxes, gloves sure protect those manicure investments ladies!
Finally, a trip to theInternational Housewares Association’s “Hot Housewares for the Holidays” event, which gave me lots of gift ideas for foodies. My friend Lisa Lochner, manning the Lifetime Brands booth, showed beautiful ornaments, silver frames and a great roaster and turkey lifter set ($59.99) from KitchenAid.
I got the lowdown on the Lifetime Brands offerings for holiday gift giving from their PR Specialist, Lisa Lochner (left). |
The “sweetest” product was the Winterberry Family and Friends Plate of Sharing. Next time you bring over a dish of homemade gingerbread men to a friend, present it on this dish with a lovely holiday saying printed on it. Then leave it behind as a gift, which could be used again as your hosts attend their own future parties ($19.99; available Fall 2008). Saeco introduced a great portable 25-cup coffee urn—perfect for serving a wake-up-for-the-drive-home cup of joe to guests.
Saeco introduced a 25-cup portable (handle on top) coffee urn—perfect for serving a wake-up cup of joe when holiday parties wind down. |
My friend Richard Braun was showing a lot of fun and modern new patterns for Corelle. And I really LOVED their new SimplyLite bakeware. These handsome bakeware pieces in six styles/shapes were made for consumers who loved Corningware cookware features like durable, easy-to-clean material, but weigh a lot less ($9.99–$24.99; 800-999-3436).
Richard Braun representing Corelle showed off their new patterns. I LOVE the blue swirl pattern! |
Mary Beth Dukes of Hamilton Beach showed me a lot of great things. My favorite? Proctor Silex’ 1.5 Qt. Slow Cooker p-u-u-urfectly sized for appetizers and dips. A great appliance for those of us challenged on storage space. And another great item to bring with a yummy recipe in it for a pot-luck holiday get together. Then when you say adios, leave the tiny slow cooker behind as a gift. At $19.99, it’s perfectly priced to register for or to get for a holiday gift for a neighbor.
Love this product—a mini crock pot from Procter Silex. You could bring your favorite nacho cheese dip to the party, then leave the crock as a hostess gift! |
Happy Holidays!
Posted by Monica at 12:32 p.m.
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