It’s party season, people, and you know what that means: You’re going to need appies. Here are two dead simple ones that’ll please even your zaniest guests.
EASY & AWESOME | Unless you have serious Hollywood connections, it’s unlikely that Katy Perry and her best “gurlfriend” Markus Molinari, pictured here in the cockeyed hat, will be partying at your house this coming holiday season. But hey, if you’re like me, that’s probably the least of your worries. You’re more likely thinking, “I’ve got people coming over for a holiday thing, and what can I serve them that’s thoughtful, tastes great and makes up really easy?” Time to dip into the Frugalbits vault for two of our all-time favourite appetizers that can be made in less than 10 minutes. Read more
Make Two Top Appies In Under 10 Minutes
/0 Comments/in Easy + Quick = Delicious, Entertaining, FOOD, Food & Drink, Recipes, View All Food Stories /by EditorIt’s party season, people, and you know what that means: You’re going to need appies. Here are two dead simple ones that’ll please even your zaniest guests.
EASY & AWESOME | Unless you have serious Hollywood connections, it’s unlikely that Katy Perry and her best “gurlfriend” Markus Molinari, pictured here in the cockeyed hat, will be partying at your house this coming holiday season. But hey, if you’re like me, that’s probably the least of your worries. You’re more likely thinking, “I’ve got people coming over for a holiday thing, and what can I serve them that’s thoughtful, tastes great and makes up really easy?” Time to dip into the Frugalbits vault for two of our all-time favourite appetizers that can be made in less than 10 minutes. Read more
Aeroplan Miles: Use Them Or Lose Them
/3 Comments/in Goods & Services /by EditorAeroplan miles don’t accumulate forever. After seven years, they take them back.
WASTE NOT | I used to use my Aeroplan miles all the time. Then my son graduated from university so I no longer had to fly him and us between here and Montreal, my husband stopped taking business trips that I would accompany him on, and there was no longer any urgency to travel. Read more
Pro-Style Wolf Ranges At Super Low Prices
/0 Comments/in Home & Garden /by EditorVancouver’s Dirty Apron Cooking School is selling its commercial-style ranges at an appetizingly low price.
STEAL THIS STOVE (01.11.11) | Ever since the late 1970s, when homeowners first began to modify their kitchens to install authentic commercial ranges, the Wolf brand has been the go-to for serious home cooks. Wolf Gourmet, the company’s “commercial-style” home model (introduced in 1987), is a heavy-duty appliance with features that please both amateurs and pros. This is one of the reasons that two years ago chef David Robertson chose it as the teaching machine for students at Vancouver’s Dirty Apron Cooking School—that and the fact he has cooked successfully on Wolf commercial ranges for ages. Read more
The Perfect App for Time Strapped Yoga Buffs
/3 Comments/in CANADIAN CONTENT, Exercise, FITNESS, Fitness & Health, HEALTH, View All Fitness Stories, View All Health Stories /by EditorFrugalbits columnist Eve Johnson has developed an easy, inexpensive app for time-strapped yoga buffs. Here’s how you can win a copy.
TAKE FIVE | Have you ever thought you might lower your stress levels with yoga, then watched them soar into the red zone as you battled your way through traffic to class? Or noticed that the unlimited monthly pass at your local mega studio isn’t such a great deal if you only manage to use it twice?
What if you could work yoga into your day in small bites—five and 10 minutes at a time—with detailed instructions that take you deep into the pose?
And how about paying less than you would for a cup of coffee? Read more
Hunting For Ghost Chairs Repro Or Real
/0 Comments/in Home & Garden /by EditorHigh or low, original or repro, there is more than one way to track down Philippe Starck’s iconic chair that isn’t there.
SHOPPING AROUND | If asked to select one chair to represent the first decade of 21st century design, a lot of interior designers would point to the instantly recognizable Louis Ghost chair. Designed by Philippe Starck and introduced to the world in 2002, this elegant item, made of high-impact thermoplastic, is a cleaned-up contemporary take on another icon, the ornate 18-century French Louis XV chair. Read more
The Body Electric: H&M Collection By Versace
/4 Comments/in Diffusion Collections, Fashion & Beauty /by EditorDonatella Versace went into the company vault for H&M and came out with an homage to her late brother, Gianni: expressive, inexpensive body-con clothing that’s bullish on colour, print and glamour.
CHEAP & CHIC | One upside of the latest economic downturn is that in the past year high-end fashion designers have been courting low-end buyers with more ardor than ever before. Just last November, frugalistas everywhere were swooning over Lanvin’s diffusion line for H&M. Since then, Macy’s has served up two capsule collections: one from Karl Lagerfeld, the other Giambattista Valli. Last month, Target created a buying frenzy with the release of 400 different products from Missoni; and now H&M is poised to create an even bigger furor on November 17 when their Versace collection goes on sale. Read more
Supersimple Ways To Decorate Pumpkins
/4 Comments/in Culture & Leisure, HOLIDAY /by EditorWe’re jacked about Halloween—and these supersimple ways to decorate pumpkins.
EASY DOES IT | This whole pumpkin-decorating thing has gotten crazy out-of-hand in the past few years, with elaborate designs like the filigree-carved jack-o’-lantern pictured here that’s posted on Martha Stewart’s website (CLICK here for more of her beautiful ideas). It’s not exactly easy to cut through a pumpkin, let alone arrive at a design like this one (can’t imagine how long look it took a pro to do it). We propose getting back to basics with quick and simple pumpkin décor like the two options offered below. At the very least, going easy on the pumpkins will give you more time to perfect your costume. Read more
Fun With Shoes: Shiny Brogues Are The Bomb
/1 Comment/in Classics & Trends, Fashion & Beauty, Shops & Shopping, View All Fashion Stories /by EditorThere’s gold on them thar heels—toes, too! But hey, you don’t need to hit pay dirt to afford gilded oxfords or brogues.
CHEAP & CHIC | We aren’t sure who showed them first (we’re not that consumed by fashion), but it may have been Belgian fashion superstar Dries Van Noten in his 2007 men’s collection. Whoever it was that spun the traditional Scottish brogue into gold inspired plenty of other shoemakers to follow suit. Just last week, The New York Times showed metallic brogues (pictured above; read story here) from a collaboration between mega shoe star Patrick Cox and the Italian Luxe brand Geox. They were made for Elton John for his for new Vegas show “The Million Dollar Piano.” Elton’s been photo’d wearing the supershiny gold brogues, and images of this shoe have been showing up everywhere on the internet because, over the past year and a half, shiny gold oxfords and brogues have been blowing up. Read more
The Natural Way To Remove Wine Stains
/4 Comments/in Cleaning & Maintenance, Green Within Reason, HOME, View All Home Stories /by Felicity StoneWhen that splash of red wine lands where it shouldn’t, this fresh, natural product will remove every trace.
Murphy’s Law should have a corollary along the lines of, Anything that stains is more likely to spill—and that especially applies to wine. Read more
What Virtual Assistants Can Do for A Business
/1 Comment/in Goods & Services /by EditorWhen time and money are tight, hiring highly experienced virtual personnel could make good sense for your business.
SAVE TIME + MONEY | Although Canada has not experienced anywhere near the economic downturn that has occurred in the U.S., businesses here are on the lookout for ways to save money. One way is to include virtual assistants (VAs) as part of the employee mix. Read more