Look Cool

Need to send a present to a pal who lives 3 sates away? Check out this boutique web site, Greener Grass Designs. A project from 2 gals from Texas who are on a mission to keep design cool:

“Rather than support the further standardization of design, we want to seek products which can have added value, be beautiful, functional and have lasting significance. Our search for more individual, design-oriented products has yielded a collection which includes lighting, accessories, textiles and objects for the home featuring the works of more than 30 designers from around the world.”

Your pal will thank you.

http://www.greenergrassdesign.com/

Miss Manners

Sometimes crossing a thank you note off the list can be a chore! It is a task that is never done. Life is one big thank you note. With that being said, why not stock up on hip personalized note cards from Fabulous Stationary? They have couple cards, individual cards and calling cards. Modern and fabulous.

https://www.fabulousstationery.com/

Detached Garage

When you walk into my house, if the air is moving in the right direction, it smells like you are in an exhaust pipe. Which is not that far off since my husband’s motorcycle is in the garage which is attached to our “entry-way”. So, in order to combat “fragrance de moto”, I found Ilio. Incense reincarnated. Super cool packaging, great fragrances and lovely appearance.
Note to self for next house: Detached garage.

Found locally at Metropolitan Market in Lower QA

http://www.iliofragrances.com/

Mission Earth

My husband only likes t-shirts. The more political and racy, the better. That’s how I found Mission Playground, a So Cal based apparel company trying to merge humor, sustainability and good design all in one. They have great t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts all printed on organic cotton. No longer a secret, these guys are all over REI. Good for them and good for our planet!

Check out their super cool web site: http://missionplayground.com/www/2006/index.html

Kayak Around the World

I love to travel. It brings me so much joy but it is an expensive hobby! Enter Kayak, a new-ish travel search engine that scours (almost) all possible airlines and discount travel sites under the sun. It has a clean, easy to use interface with graphs and matrixes to assure you that you are getting a screaming deal.

Now, I can gallivant the globe knowing that I got a good deal. Love that.

http://www.kayak.com/

Note: Somehow Southwest escapes the scouring…

Change Your Identity

Ok, so say you don’t always want to be known as the “Director of Finance” or “Marketing Coordinator”. Sometimes it might be nice to be to be “Citizen of the World” or “Human Being”. Flickr (an online photo management program) has partnered with Moo (a printer) to bring you MiniCards. You can customize the cards with your personal photos (up to 100 photos!) that will rotate through the cards. At $19.99 for 100 you can’t afford not to be who you want to be.

http://www.moo.com/products/minicards.php

Every time I go to the grocery store and walk out with paper bags, I get a belly ache. Then I found Envirosax; reusable shopping bags with the mission of spreading the environmental message with style! Now I can devour the aisles at Trader Joes and walk out of the store in style. A tad bit pricey but the trees will thank you and you can’t put a price on style! Go ahead. Rock it.

http://usa.envirosax.com/pages/products.php?icat=1

Minutes Not Hours

Here is the situation:

1. Husband comes down with a bad cold
2. It is Sunday
3. Husband doesn’t have a doctor --- only a knee surgeon (not that the doctor office would have been open anyway)

In an effort to avoid the emergency room at all costs, I pick up the phone. I call doctors offices and get their voicemail (because it’s Sunday). I call advice nurses and they say it might be strep throat and that I should take him to the emergency room. Finally, I talked to an angel at UW Medical Center who told me about the Minute Clinic!!!

The Minute Clinic is nationwide and has a mission statement of doing what they can to make healthcare a little easier for busy people (and to keep the emergency room for emergencies). They have board certified practitioners who are trained to diagnose and treat common family illnesses such as strep throat (EUREKA!), bronchitis and ear, eye and sinus infections. And the best news:

· No Apt necessary
· Open 7 days a week
· Most Insurance accepted.

Check to see if there is one near you so the next time you have a sick husband you have a plan!

http://www.minuteclinic.com/en/USA/

So Much To Say?

I have been thinking about writing a blog for a long time. I usually feel like I have so much to share—tid bits, delicious recipes, good services. But now that I am looking at this blank screen I can’t think of one thing. Check back and maybe inspiration will hit?!