Trend Watch

New Year....New You! And WIN!

Jen Hicks — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:14:49 -0500

New Year's resolutions. We've all made them (whether we admit it or not) and we've all broken them (whether we admit it or not...). This year, I'd like to try to make others' resolutions a little more fun with some great giveaways. During the month of January, Trend Watch columns will bounce off resolutions as a theme, and suggest some resolutions you may want to consider. To make it interesting, each resolution will have a fun giveaway to help you achieve your resolution goal.

First off, you may want to consider resolving to take better care of yourself. Starting with your skin. The largest organ we have, and yet so often woefully neglected. Your skin may be feeling horrible, pallid, dry and scaly at this time of year.

There's a new Canadian company called Consonant Body Organic Skincare to the rescue. Bill Baker, the Canadian ad guy-turned-entrepreneur who researched and created Consonant now considers himself the expert in the field in this country.

Bill set out to create pure products that are pleasurable and stylish as well as pure. He likes to say that one could love Consonant because it's "green" or in spite of it. I tried these products and enjoyed the fragrance, feel and efficacy of the soaps, shower wash and body lotion

I also really enjoyed the clean design of the bottles and the amusing labels on the products. The Organic Body Lotion invites you in with its label, "Hey you. Yeah you. I see you there with that cheeky grin on your face. Wondering whether this premium organic lotion will feel as good as the compliments you'll no doubt receive after using it." Did I mention that Bill Baker's a former ad guy?

These products are available at better beauty supply boutiques and online.

So, let your new year's resolution be that you'll take better care of your skin by leaving me a comment below with your resolution for 2009 (be sure to include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you're the winner) for a chance to win a great gift box of Consonant products valued at over $130.

Arts and Crafts Innovation

Jen Hicks — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:32:54 -0500

If, like mine, your kids have ripped through the wrappings and trappings of every gift they received and are now lying around in a bloated state of boredom, you're probably desperate to find something to keep them occupied between now and January 5 (so that, like me, you can crack open the new novel that's been sitting waiting for you since you opened your stocking!). Enter some exciting new products from an old favourite, Crayola.

Crayola sent my family a few new products to test out, and they've been a hit with various age groups. First up, the Crayola Beginnings TaDoodles Scribble & Sing.

These cool little washable markers are especially designed for toddler hands. The marker colours are sung when they’re placed in the special slot on the art station. They're great for fine motor skills, teaching colours, shapes and patterns, and entertain for quite a while. My (very precocious) 19 month old niece loved the characters and her chubby little hands were quite adept at creating beautiful masterpieces.

The next product tested out by my seven and nine year old sons was the Crayola Glow Station. The company writes that it is "a magical light wand and a poster-sized canvas allow a child to experience the awe of glow-in-the-dark art on their own or with friends. With a built-in hanging feature, you can easily transform any wall into a masterpiece, and the reusable canvas means there are no limits to their creativity."

My boys are not big arts and crafty types. Given a choice, they'd always rather be playing mini sticks. I wasn't sure how they'd do with this product, but they chose to use it to invent a glow-in-the-dark hockey game, with this canvas as scoreboard. It kept them well entertained, but the only problem was that the image disappeared very quickly after the lights came back on.

Crayola's come out with some very innovative products that ensure moms will have a couple of new tricks up their sleeves on those last days of school vacation. Just remember the batteries for these ones.

Trends for the Holidays

Jen Hicks — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:40:37 -0500

It's a tough time of year to write about trends and fads. Most holiday traditions rely heavily on nostalgia and, well....tradition.

However, there's no reason to start a few new traditions in your family, and our friends at Hallmark have a number of suggestions.

It's not too late as I write this to have your children write a letter to Santa, and Hallmark's Mail Box and Letter to Santa Kit will help you to make sure their letter is delivered and a response returned. The box includes envelopes, stickers and delivery stamps, along with postcards back from the North Pole.

Our family's been enjoying the Dear Santa Chalkboard with Countdown Calendar. It's a two-sided chalkboard; on one side the kids can count down the days until Christmas. On the other side, they can write a letter to Santa.

Santa Key is unique holiday gift ornament, and a perfect new tradition to start for a family who doesn't have a fireplace or who lives in an apartment. Kids are told to hang this key on the door and it will help Santa find his way into their home.

I've started a new Christmas tradition at work. Instead of choosing a small gift for everyone in my office, I gifted each person with a really special card. There are cards that sing, cards that light up, even a special card for the boss that recorded all of his staff singing "We wish you a merry Christmas". Corny, yes, but some of the best traditions are the corniest.

With that, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, celebrating whatever you do, however you like, enjoying old traditions and embracing new trends for the season!