I'm more than a 10, baby, I'm an 11!
(I'm talking shoe size.)
So when the whole Crocs craze cropped up a few years ago, I thought I'd like to get a pair of the comfy clogs. Trouble is, in my size they look like Barbie lifeboats.
So when my sis came by in these new Crocs, I thought "finally! a Croc for me!"
The Primas are just as comfy as the other Crocs styles, just more streamlined, and come in cute colors. I picked up a pair of Pearl (winter white) ones at Dillard's for $24.95.
One warning: they sometimes make squeaky noises when you walk.
-- G.G.S.

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Multiple water bottles? Check.
Giant Kashi frozen meal? Check.
Three servings of fruits and vegetables? Check.
Yogurt? Check.
Utensils? Check.
OK, now how do I schlep it to work?
Eating healthfullly at work can make taking lunch and snacks quite a haul, so I'm always looking for the perfect lunch tote that doesn't make it look like I'm catering a picnic or feeding a little league team. And I want to put everything in one insulated bag. So my find this morning (aside from the Spider-Man Frisbee) will make lunchtime convenient and chic. It's the new Raya line of fully insulated coolers and totes from Thermos and sold at Target. The size I got can either hold 18 cans or my usual haul of beverages and fiber. And it's only $9.99! It either comes in the springtimey stripe at right, a gray/black combo or (the one I got) a very cool blue print accented with brown.
-- G.G.S.

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So I'm telling my son about the new wiper blades my husband put on my car for me over the weekend. "For Mother's Day?" he asks. Well, no, but come to think of it, that would be a nice gesture for Mom -- replace her wiper blades! But don't make that the entire gift.
(OK, I have to ask: Have you seen that Advance Auto Parts TV commercial, the one with the poor saps standing in the rain next to their wrecked cars because they didn't replace their wiper blades? Now mine were pretty bad but I could at least see oncoming traffic and telephone poles. What were they using, old hot dog buns?)
To bring things back to Mother's Day, get your mom some new wiper blades. Advance Auto Parts will even put 'em on for free.
-- G.G.S.

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Hand-cut cookies were a big part of DeAnna Skedel’s childhood. So big that she still uses her grandmother’s vintage cookie cutters.

Her husband Victor, however, used to laugh at her cookie cutter ways.

Then Skedel, who teaches art at the University of Missouri, created a cookie cutter in her Victor’s likeness. Her Victor Cookies were such a hit with him and everyone who saw them that a new business was born.

Here’s how it works: E-mail Skedel a jpeg photograph and she’ll let you know if your loved one is a good cookie cutter candidate. (A strong jaw and hairline are key.) Skedel creates a 3-inch aluminum cookie cutter for $20 plus shipping. It’s up to you to bake and decorate. Skedel’s e-mail address is cookieswrdlv@yahoo.com. -- J.T.

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There are flip-flops and then there are Havaianas. Trust us, these flip-flops rock. And if you'd like to give Mom a super cute pair, try the many styles offered by Endless.com. These, for example, are the Pois model, for $19.95 (yes, it's more expensive than Walgreen's but totally worth it), with metallic silver straps and a silver and black footbed. Perfect for eveningwear! (Yeah, whatever, us moms call a trip to Publix a big night out.)
Great thing about Endless.com: overnight shipping is negative $5 (how 1999!)
-- G.G.S.

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... OK, it's 6 bucks but if you want a dance pad for next to nothing and don't have a problem with product placement, try this deal from Kraft. For $6 shipping, Kraft will send you a dance game pad that you plug into your USB port (Windows only, sorry Mac dudes). Then you go to the Kraft Active Gaming Web site and download different activity games, including martial arts, soccer and dancing. The offer expires July 31 or until supplies run out.
Great way to burn off the mac & cheese.
-- G.G.S.

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Who knew that South Beach had a distinct aroma? Or that anyone would bother to try to capture that scent in a new Limited Edition South Beach Collection of candles, potpourri, room sprays, fragrance diffusers and — our absurd favorite — outdoor burning sticks. Think incense for the lanai.

It’s described as a combination of water lily, driftwood and coral. Prices start at $15 for the extra-long outdoor burning sticks and climb to $29 for a candle that burns for 90 hours. To find out where the products are available, call 800-399-4994 and an operator will search for stores using your zip code.

-- J.T.

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While it will be months before we South Floridians will need to guard against the chill, seven just-released afghans will — eventually — do the job with style. Each afghan features a design inspired by a vintage rock n’ roll poster.

The posters were originally created for shows promoted by impresario Bill Graham, who represented everyone from Bob Dylan and Neil Young to the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones.

Consider the Led Zeppelin afghan with its iconic green avocado or the Jimi Hendrix afghan featuring a classic flying eyeball, designed by poster artist Rick Griffin.

The afghans are $79 each and available at wolfgangsvault.com. Search for “retro afghans.”

J.T.

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Brow-beater to the stars - Avril Lavigne, Lucy Liu, Renee Zellwger, Naomi Campbell - Anastasia Soare has been developing product since 2005 for those not within limo distance of her Beverly Hill's studio.

The latest offering that's raising eyebrows is the Brows in Bloom kit for this summer which includes two brow powders, an angled brush, a cream highlighter and wax cream.

The kit is $28 at Sephora stores and at sephora.com. Also check out the Beverly Hills Tool Kit for shaping the brow with stencils, scissors and tweezers for $45

--R.S.H.

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Whether your mom is a fashion plate, a free spirit or a collector, she’s going to love Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel at The Norton Museum of Art .

It’s an exhibit of Apfel’s clothing, but the way she combines color, texture and pattern in pieces purchased at flea markets and from haute couture collections transcends fashion. There’s an art to her style. Organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the show runs through May 27. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $12 for adults, $5 for ages 13 to 21 and free for children under 12. Call 561-832-5196.

Be sure to buy mom the $50 catalog, which includes a telling introduction written by Apfel herself.

- J.T.

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