It is true that for the holidays (or let’s face it any time) no one wants a gym membership or a gift basket of aluminum-free deodorant because it might be interpreted the wrong way. On the other hand, so many people have too much stuff they don’t really need or use, so gifts that help…
Category: Lifestyle – Shopping
A little shopping is always necessary.
5 Reasons to Visit The Boston Christmas Festival
This weekend is the annual Boston Christmas Festival where over 300 hundred artisans and artists gather under one roof. Part of the Boston Christmas Festival is the Gingerbread House Competition that my children and I have been lucky enough to participate in as judges. Although the seeing what local chefs and gingerbread architects come up…
You Light up My Life: From Lamps to Fixtures
I am of the philosophy that a light fixture can make or break a room. Think about television, movies, theatre and dance. The lighting can change the entire feel of a scene right? The same is true of the lighting in a room. With light fixtures for a room though, they need to do more…
The Return of the Bow Tie: Alton Brown at hook+ALBERT
If you live in Cambridge, anywhere near Harvard University it may seem that the bow tie never went away. The bow tie is always present at black tie affairs, but until recently it was a rare sighting outside formal affairs. The bow tie is a signature accessory for many Harvard University folks but as we…
Design: From Gallery to Fashion to Food
I admit I am not really sure how someone has a “good eye” or an eye for design. I think some of it is based on experience but in part it must just be something you are born with. It is also could be just what some individuals notice and others don’t see. This summer…
Weekend Guide: September 19-21
Fall is fast approaching and in New England we get out and celebrate. Here are just a few places you can head out this weekend to enjoy the warm September sun on your face, delicious regional food, and participate in the creativity of our communities. Friday, September 19th (Park)ing Day is a fun little way…
Shop This Way: Peapod Pick Up (sponsored)
I used to dread the “quick” errands my mom would take me on. “We just have to do one quick errand,” my mom would say. After the first store I would think, “Well that wasn’t too bad,” but I always thought too soon as I sat in the back of the car staring through the…
Summer Wines
When it comes to choosing wine I end up doing the same thing I do with books. To choose a book I often judge it by it’s cover, I rely on a good librarian to help find something just right, or I recall a little blurb or review I read. For wines I rarely remember…
Marmite vs. Vegemite
Dad and I did a breakfast taste test. Vegemite was new for us. It was milder, and a bit less sticky. It has malt extract vs. Marmite’s vegetable extract. We both prefer Marmite which has a bit more bitterness, punch, dimension and almost vinegary taste. We thought Vegemite might be a good intro to the…
Crudités Redefined
There is a wonderful French song, by Jacques Brel called Les Bonbons (Candy). “Je vous ai apporté des bonbons Parce que les fleurs c’est périssable Puis les bonbons c’est tellement bon Bien que les fleurs soient plus présentables” It says, “I brought you candy, because flowers are perishable. Anyway, candy is so good even though…
Birthday Parties: As a guest and a host
Whether you have little toddlers or school aged children birthday parties are a part of your regular routine. Even if your children are not a part of a traditional school, homeschool, not in school yet, rural school, one room school house, there is a good chance you’ll be attending several parties each year. This page…
Come to The Dark Side With Me: Missing Perfection
Some people have never tasted a perfect strawberry. Not just those who can’t make it out to the farm to pick their own. I mean people who scrunch up their noses at the perfect strawberry. It’s a lot darker than the other ones. The colour of a splash of Port. The juice of this strawberry…
Leah's Life: Pearls and Oysters 