The KeepCup
How do you measure the impact of not doing something?
Most parents, if asked, would say that one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century is the Sippy Cup – a spill-proof cup designed for toddlers. When my daughter was a little, she loved her Sippy Cup because she could drink from any number of angles and never spill a drop. I loved it for the same reasons – especially in the car, on a plane, or when she was sitting on a piece of upholstered furniture. She continued to use her Sippy Cup for years after toddlerhood and her reluctance to give it up never bothered me. In fact, I used to tell anyone who would listen, that the Sippy Cup is truly one of the best inventions ever and that Sippy Cups for adults would be the next great invention. Read more 
649 Bars of Soap
What is elegance? Soap and water. ~Cecil Beaton
A bar of soap seems like one of the simplest things in the world. Just add water, lather, and wash away dirt, germs, and oil but soap can do so much more than leave skin clean. A truly great bar of soap can also make skin soft and smell wonderful for many hours making creamy, lightly scented soap one of life’s true luxuries.
At Smallflower (www.smallflower.com) – an on-line apothecary (pharmacy) established by the 140-year old Chicago-based Merz Apothecary, shoppers can choose among 649 different bars of soap. Choose among 115 brands and 135 different scents from 24 countries. Read more
Andie’s Specialty Sweets
Andie’s Specialty Sweets makes some of the most picture-perfect beautiful candies including Vintage Candy Buttons, Sugar Butterflies, Hard Candy Sea Glass, Chocolate Antique Candy Keys, Chocolate Candy Winter Acorns, Chocolate Filled Candy Sea Shells, Nuts, and more. So exquisite as to take your breath away, each beautifully designed candy elicits wonder and joy in both appearance and taste. Chocolate, peppermint, vanilla, and fruit are just a few of the many flavors of these very special candies. Read more
U Rawk
Real food has real benefits.
Ten years ago, energy bars were on a small shelf in the health food aisle. Today, most grocery stores and markets allocate prime supermarket shelf space to dozens of energy bars because so many of us want a delicious and nutritious bar that we can take anywhere. Although several great tasting bars are on the market, there is only one raw energy bar that totally rocks it in the flavor and nutrition department: the U RAWK Bar. Made with all organic ingredients, the U RAWK Bar is simply scrumptious…and incredibly nutritious. Read more
Potomac Chocolate
The Washington, DC metropolitan area is a powerhouse of intrigue with politicians, lobbyists, judges, lawyers, and government offices but today the spotlight is on a chocolate maker in our nation’s capital. Ben Rasmussen owns and operates Potomac Chocolate: a real bean-to-bar chocolate maker who handcrafts truly incredible dark chocolate bars in a suburb (Woodbridge, Virginia) of Washington, D.C. Read more
Real Black Licorice
Black licorice tends to elicit strong opinions with most people falling into either the “love it” or “leave it” categories. For those who love it and for the few who are still on the fence, consider trying licorice made by Lakritsfabriken (“the licorice maker”) – a Swedish company committed to redefining what real licorice candy should taste like. Read more
Handwoven Cotton Throws
Several years ago, I restored my husband’s great grandmother’s farmhouse in Iowa: a 2-story 900 square foot 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom little brown house that sits on a hill overlooking rolling hills of corn and soybeans. The project took nearly two years to complete but when finished, the “Little Brown House” looked like the little farm house my husband remembered visiting as a child.
With softly pleated green and white pinstriped curtains covering every window, multicolored braided rugs on the old wooden floors, and an upholstered sofa and rocking chair swathed in shades of “sage” and “celery” colored fabric, the Little Brown House was nearly perfect when the final touch was added: a handwoven apple green cotton throw by Nantucket Looms. Read more
Battenkill Brittle
Battenkill Brittle is a high energy snack with five major attributes: great taste, wholesome ingredients, high in protein, low in sugar, and low in sodium. Made with three types of organic seeds (sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin), organic brown rice syrup, Vermont maple syrup, and pecan meal, Battenkill Brittle is the perfect snack food – wholesome, crunchy, and full of flavor. Slightly sweet with the subtle taste of maple, the brittle stands out for making seeds and pecans the star of the show. Read more
Fruit Vinegars by Mangé
For years, people have expounded on the health benefits of vinegar and although I was never able to bring myself to drink vinegar straight up, I often used vinegar to dress foods and make salad dressings. Balsamic vinegar has been front and center on my counter top but there’s a new vinegar that now warrants counter top space: Fruit Vinegars by Mangé. Different from balsamic, rice, apple cider, and white vinegar, Mangé fruit vinegars are smooth (really), slightly sweet vinegars that have been flavored with natural fresh fruits. Each vinegar is special in its own way and conducive to making sauces, marinades and dressings more flavorful. Read more
Weck Jars
Weck glass jars have become an obsession in our home where we use them for drinks (juices, smoothies, iced teas) and foods (parfait, pudding, granola, salad, gazpacho) because they display content so beautifully. What can be more eye-catching than the lovely hue of fresh squeezed juice with floating slices of lemon….. or layers of colorful berries between yogurt or ice cream and crunchy bits of granola….or a wide mouth glass jar filled with sliced sweet red and yellow grape tomatoes, chopped avocados, diced cucumber, sweet champagne mangos and cilantro? Read more
Paddock Post 