Move Over Martha – London Drugs is Helping Chefs Impress this Holiday

Holiday Entertaining Made Fun and Easy for the Entire Family

Small appliances are always a hot ticket item during the holidays—they make ideal gifts and are great for holiday entertaining. However this season, in addition to the traditional small appliances, people are stocking up on new and unique novelty small appliances for family friendly holiday fun.

From hot dog steamers to indoor S’mores makers to snow cone makers, London Drugs has expanded its assortment of novelty appliances this season to help chefs of all ages create conversation worthy culinary delights for their family and friends.

Great under the tree as a gift, or used for creative holiday entertaining, here are our top picks for novelty appliances for this holiday season.

 

Smart Planet Milk Cookie Shot Maker

You’re sure to make Santa’s ‘nice’ list every year if you leave him cookie cups filled with milk this Christmas Eve.

Make six cookie cups, melt the chocolate, fill with milk and enjoy!

Cuisinart Snow Cone Maker

Impress your guests with a sweet treat at your holiday party. The snow cones and slushies are a perfect treat for kids. Add a little Yuletide cheer for an adult party drink.

Salton S’mores Maker

You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to impress your guests. Bring the traditional campfire treat indoors this holiday season and enjoy delicious S’mores treats anytime!

It comes with an indoor safe heating element – no open flame – to roast marshmallows in approximately two minutes. It’s safe and easy to use, and comes with four marshmallow sticks and a serving tray with four compartments.

Smart Planet Peanuts Grilled Cheese Maker

It can be a Charlie Brown Christmas for the kids as they make fun Snoopy and Woodstock character grilled cheese sandwiches at home in minutes.

Featuring a non-stick cooking surface, it will make two perfect golden brown grilled cheese sandwiches every time, and store away easily without taking up much kitchen space.

Hamilton Beach Quesadilla Maker

Holiday entertaining can be quick and easy with this non-stick quesadilla maker. The 9.5-inch surface easily makes six wedges, or enough for 2 to 3 people in mere minutes.

Try setting up a do-it-yourself quesadilla station at your next holiday party to have guests easily assemble their own hot and delicious eats so you don’t have to sweat over the stove the whole time.

Smart Planet Peanuts Hot Dog Steamer

When all the turkey and trimmings are done, you may be ready for something familiar and simple for your family. The kids can make mom and dad dinner with this fun and family-friendly hot dog steamer.

It makes two perfectly toasted hot dogs at home in minutes. With five adjustable toaster settings, you can get the bun exactly how you like it. Just insert the buns and hot dogs, choose the desired settings and enjoy!

Hamilton Beach Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially when you’re getting ready for a day of opening presents with the family.

Treat the family to delicious and easy-to-assemble homemade breakfast sandwiches in less than five minutes.

The non-stick cooking surface makes it a breeze to clean up, and you can set it and forget it with its built in timer.

You Won’t Believe These Cool Gifts for Teens are All Under $50

1. The Infiniti Pro by Conair Quick Twist

Braids have never been trendier among teens, and this easy-to-use device can create fashionable braided styles in 3 simple steps. The Infiniti Pro by Conair Quick Twist braid maker even includes a starter kit with 30 accessories, for endless combinations.

 

2. The Skullcandy Uprock Headphones

For teens, style is priority. The Skullcandy Uprock Headphones with transparent casing feature Supreme Sound ™ technology, while also doubling as a stylish accessory.

 

3. The Cobra Micro Drone Helicopter

Drones have easily become the hottest tech item of the year. This micro drone by Cobra is small enough to lay in the palm of your hand, and can be used indoors or outdoors with incredible stability.

 

4. The Smart Planet Peanuts Hot Dog Steamer

Make perfectly toasted hot dogs at home with the Smart Planet Peanuts Hot Dog Steamer; just insert the buns and hot dogs, choose the desired setting, and teens can enjoy a fun lunch with friends in minutes.

 

 

How to Buy (and Then Pack) the Perfect Suitcase

guy-bag

Taking off on an adventure and uncertain how to travel light and arrive at your destination wrinkle-free? Follow these ingenious strategies and perfect your suitcase packing.

Pick the bag that’s right for you

victorinox-spectra

  1. Measure your carry-on. Be sure your carry-on will fit on the plane in order to avoid extra charges. Remember that 21 by 14 by 9-inch dimensions will fit in any overhead bin.
  2. Know the full-size case rules. Four wheeled hard sided suitcases are best for travelling and should have a butterfly opening for easier packing. For a visual, take the Victorinox Spectra 2.0 (above) as the ideal example.
  3. Watch your bag. Use a luggage tracker like LugLoc to locate a lost suitcase and remember to label your bag with an email address for easy contact.

What to pack

cat-bag

  1. Go light on clothing. A good rule of thumb is three tops for every bottom. Limit shoes to sneakers and two secondary pairs – one casual and one formal.
  2. Look for wrinkle repelling fabrics. Blends with Lycra, nylon, or polyester will better survive the journey wrinkle-free. Wool or stretched cotton are the best of the natural fabrics, while textures and prints can also help mask fold marks.
  3. Pack a just-in-case kit. Bring a Downy wrinkle releaser and Tide stain remover for emergencies.
  4. Prep your carry-on. Bring layers to combat chilly airplane cabins and pack a toothbrush and a day’s worth of prescriptions in case your luggage is lost.
  5. Invest in useful technology. To make a long flight fly by, use noise-cancelling headphones like Sony’s ZX series. Other products like the Logiix World Travel Charger USB adapter, designed to work in over 150 countries, can help ensure that all of your devices work across the globe.

How to pack

  1. Learn what to roll and what to fold. If using a duffel bag, roll all of your clothes. If not, roll knit items and fold more structured pieces.
  2. Be efficient. Packing cubes can keep swimsuits, gym clothes, delicates and dirty laundry separate and compressed.
  3. Fight wrinkles with trash bags. Line the bottom and top of your luggage with trash bags. The slippery material helps prevent wrinkles from setting.
  4. Place content strategically. Stash heavy items near the wheelbase to keep the suitcase steady. A common formula is to then place packing cubes, rolled garments, folded clothes, bulky jackets, and fragile items in the bag.
  5. Maximize every inch of space. Use every section of your bag. Wrap belts around the outside perimeter, stuff socks into shoes, tuck accessories into pockets and fill bra cups with underwear to prevent distortion.

8 Places You’ve Never Thought to Clean in Your Home

If you actually clean all these places in your home, you’re living proof that cleanliness is next to godliness. For the rest of us mortals, these eight locations serve as helpful reminders that out of mind doesn’t always mean out of sight.

1. Above door mouldings

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Just like baseboards, tiny ledges around your home gather dust over time. Grab a damp rag and run it along the top of the door frame. You’ll be running around the house wiping all your doors in no time.

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November Book of the Month

book_of_the_month_blog

The-World-Before-UsThe World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter
Jane was fifteen when her life changed forever. In the woods surrounding a Yorkshire country house, she took her eyes off the little girl she was minding and the girl slipped into the trees – never to be seen again.
Now an adult, Jane is obsessed with another disappearance; that of a young woman who walked out of a Victorian lunatic asylum one day in 1877. As Jane pieces together moments in history, forgotten stories emerge – of sibling jealousy, illicit affairs, and tragic death…

Book of the Month
Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know.

The World Before Us is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles and is on sale for the month of November.

LD Picks: Pets & Pet Care

A bunch of really cute pets pics for your consideration. And, also, great tips for how to take better care of your pet (or justify a codependent relationship).

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Your Cat Probably (Maybe) Wants to Kill You

SO CUTE We all know cats as adorable, silly creatures that love to play with string and lap up bowls of warm milk. But, according to a new study from the University of Edinburgh, there’s a cold-blooded predator lurking beneath the cute exterior of many domestic felines.

cat

BUT TERRIFYING? The study examined five personality traits found in humans (openness to experience, conscientiousness, introversion/extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), and used them rate the personalities of various domestic and wild cats.

What they found is worrying. Along with the African lion, over 100 domestic cat breeds demonstrated the very traits—neuroticism, impulsiveness, and dominance—that cause the violent predatory behaviour of the King of the Jungle.

dangerous-cat

AND SMALL (WHEW!) In other words, when you see your kitty—in turns neurotic, impulsive, dominant—sizing you up, you should be glad it isn’t bigger.

cat2

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be full grown…”

[More at Newser]

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LD Picks: Fabulous Fall Recipes

When fall arrives, we can’t help but crave hearty, home-cooked meals. 

Roasted Beet Kale Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

favourite fall recipes 2015

Kale, walnust, maple syrup, roasted beets, and Boursin cheese – basically, we’re talking the perfect fall salad. It’s healthy, hearty, delicious, and keeps for a few days in the fridge. What’s not to love? Just don’t forget to massage the kale to soften it up before mixing the salad.

[Recipe at The Endless Meal]

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