Fun New Things

Dear reader,

For today’s instalment, I have decided to list the Top Five fun new things I’m all about these days.

1. OPI’s “Mermaid to Order” nail polish
I recently stopped breastfeeding my daughter, and with that came the return of long, polish-worthy nails (goodbye, middle-of-the-night nail biting!). So on a recent trip to Toronto, we stopped by Yorkdale Mall – a temple of shopping decadence if there ever was one – and I treated myself to this cool, sparkly turquoise shade at Sephora. Now, there’s been a Sephora store at my local mall for about a year, maybe longer, I don’t know; I’ve never set foot there. For me, Sephora belongs to that long list of American shops that, despite our clamouring, should stay in the U.S. and thus remain slightly foreign and mysterious to those who only visit once in a while, a list that includes such indulgences as Krispy Kreme, Target, Bath & Body Works, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma. Indeed, the fact that I bought my funky, what-the-hell-was-I-thinking polish elsewhere than the regular old shopping centre down the street makes it so much more exotic and cherished.

2. Kettle Brand Baked Chips
Shawn and I went back on the Weight Watchers Points system a couple weeks ago after the free-for-all that was our Niagara-on-the-Lake trip (although if I’m honest, I would say that the last 18 months have been pretty crazy food-wise; having a baby is a fantastic excuse for having two tubs of frozen yogurt in the freezer at all times). So we’ve been scavenging the supermarket shelves for diet-friendly snacks, and we found these beauties in Hawkesbury last weekend. We like to go to Independent and look for nifty new offerings by President’s Choice before they hit the Québec market. A cheap thrill. Anyhoo, these chips are delicious! Hardly any different than the original kettle chips, but less W.W. points. Shawn’s been doling them out in 100-calorie portions for lunches, disciplined eater that he is, and we’ve all enjoyed a tasty snack without the crazy guilt and extra-oily fingers.

3. Cuisinart Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Sorbet Maker
At 80 bucks, a splurge, for sure, but what the hell, it’s Father’s Day and the boy deserves a shiny new gourmet toy (the Cuisinart food processor with extra sausage-making attachments will have to wait). So last night we broke her in by making a simple strawberry frozen yogurt with soy milk. Delish, and full of potential for sweet, somewhat low-cal desserts. I’m particularly intrigued by the lemon sorbet my husband has promised to make – it will no doubt be delightful and perhaps the new staple of dinner parties on Dawson Street.

4. “Man Vs. Wild”
Bear Grylls is insane. Sure, he served in the British Special Forces and climbed Everest, but still: to be dropped off in the Costa Rican jungle or on top of an Alaskan glacier, among others, is plain wacky! Each episode of this show, which we recently discovered on the aptly named Discovery Channel, is more fascinating than the next, as Bear teaches his viewers how to survive in extreme situations with nothing more than a water bottle (great for drinking one’s own pee), a knife (for eating raw zebra) and shoelaces (to tie one’s legs and climb a naked tree).

5. Celebrity Baby Blog (http://celebrity-babies.com/)
I may or may not be obsessed with celebrity babies, crazy names and all. This Web site caters to my every craving for gossip, pictures and “breaking news” – Trista and Ryan have baby girl named Blakesley! Heidi Klum is pregnant for the 12th time! But the site also features very interesting mama-friendly products, such as the Sun Smarties Family Beach Cabana Tent. This super-cool shading device sounds great for my possible trip to Israel this summer since we would be about one minute away from beach heaven, and I was just thinking that I’d have to get a little parasol for Louisa. Thanks CBB! Another fun aspect of the site: links to other blogs, such as LilSugar, which features mommy-related articles and must-take quizzes like “Name that Diaper Bag,” which I failed miserably. Hmph. Looks like I’ll have to go back to Yorkdale Mall and brush up on my baby-designer skills!