Glass Raised

“A toast - Happy New Year to one and all!”

As the final day of 2008 nears a close, we here at Cymax Stores would like to wish you and your family a happy and prosperous new year. We hope this past year was as enjoyable for you as it was for us, and similarly hope the year 2009 will be a fulfilling and memorable one.

Burgeoning lives and families mean increasing needs. For your new home furnishings and housewares needs, please do remember that our selection, quality and competitive pricing combine to make Cymax your online retailer of choice and our 30-day Easy Return policy ensures satisfaction guaranteed. In addition, don’t forget to submit product reviews for your purchases at Cymax.com and you’ll be eligible for a chance at a $1.000 prize!

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Bad Raps

To take an interest in the upkeep of your appearance, particularly if you’re a woman, is not only entirely normal but also a result of both anthropological predispositions and socio-cultural stigmas. To go beyond the norm may be seen as being “vain,” or having an extraordinary and inflated involvement with one’s perceived beauty. Here at www.morevanities.com we feel a need to defend the vanity from the negative connotation it may take on with the origin of its name.

A vanity could be seen as a woman’s grooming table that took a wrong turn somewhere when acquiring a simple and distinctive name, unknowingly taking on a “bad rap” by suggesting the owner has a fixation with her beauty. I’m sure we can all agree, however, that being considered vain is a misnomer much more easily worked through than being known as a killer.

The “killer whale” is the most inaptly named animal on the planet. If this was even remotely not the case I, in fact, would most likely be a victim as I have been fortunate enough to dive with these magnificent creatures on two occasions. “Killer” is about as bad a rap as you could suffer. Orca whales are no more killer than the seals that are their dish of choice. Every carnivorous mammal kills to eat. Yes, we grew up on the coast and we’re all aware it’s the large, dark and fearsome nature of their appearance that earned them the nickname, but that doesn’t make it any less sensible. They are not the wanton, indiscriminate sea slayers their name suggests.

Nor is a vanity a bedroom fixture exclusive to the private quarters of the self-absorbed. These classic bedroom pieces are commonly a tasteful mix of function and style and often feature a large mirror for commonplace tasks like brushing and styling your hair and modeling accessories. The name may suggest that the seated person is pre-occupied for the entirety of their stay with primping and preening, but in reality the majority will be going through ordinary and obligatory actions like those mentioned previously. Quite simply, there’s nothing “vain” about making oneself presentable for the day and having an attractive station at which to do so doesn’t preclude a woman’s being too wrapped up in herself.

The fact that your routinely style and groom yourself at an attractive bedroom fixture like the Powell Nostalgic Oak Armoire Bedroom Vanity isn’t going to necessarily lead to others thinking you’re a little too high on your looks. Your teenage daughter’s learning the ins and outs of makeup at a Lea Katie’s Place Vanity isn’t going to see her labeled as a prima donna.

While no orca has ever been a “killer” to the extent where it could even remotely warrant the name, I’m sure there’s been more than a few overly self-absorbed women (and men perhaps) sitting at vanities over the centuries. Nonetheless, I’m still not sure it justifies being labeled so context-dubiously. Pieces like a Powell Black Antique Vanity with Mirror often complement the style and function of a bedroom so well that it’s tough to see them with the negative connotation the word vanity entails.

What’s done is done I suppose. Perhaps we should consider ourselves fortunate the mirror didn’t come to be referred to as a “narcissist glass.” We’d all be guilty of being in love with ourselves then, wouldn’t we? What I will say is this; each and every one of us, men and women alike, can appreciate the value of good grooming and accordingly I say let it remain a vanity.

Merry Christmas from Cymax Stores!!!

Cymax Stores would like to wish everybody a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the holidays and the coming New Year be joyful and filled with happiness!

Big thanks to all Cymax customers and supporters! Because of you 2008 has been our most successful year in our 4 years of serving you! For that, we thank you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM CYMAX STORES!!!

Panic Rooms

Last weekend, I talked to my friend Barbara. On top of the usual pre-Christmas busyness, she’s dealing with a sick child, Christmas shopping pressures, weather so cold the children can’t play outside and a husband who taste-tests her baking when she’s not looking. “I need a panic room,” Barbara stated emphatically. “But I’d furnish it at MoreWineRacks.com”.

Since a panic room or safe room is designed to protect its occupants from a home invasion, natural disaster or biological and nuclear attacks, I was a little confused. But that’s Barbara’s point. A panic room is a self-sustaining vault independent of the rest of the household, and she thinks every mother should have one. In addition to all the other high tech gadgetry, the safe room should most definitely be equipped with a wine cabinet. She made it clear she wasn’t advocating hitting the bottle big time; she’s just promoting the idea of a room where mothers can go occasionally to chill out when life and motherhood get to be a little too much.

Of course, Barbara’s safe room wouldn’t be complete without a massage chair. It would have to have a lot of bells and whistles. The Human Touch™ Robotic Massage® Chair should fit the bill – lumbar heat and a foot and calf massager included. Made of leather, it would be durable and look good (even if she was the only one who would ever see it).

After a calming glass of wine and a soothing massage, the real business of de-stressing begins. For that, Barbara will need a full size Simmons Slumber Time Starry Sky Plush Mattress and Prepac Manhattan Platform Storage Bed. A comfy bed with someplace to store a soft, warm duvet is paramount to mother-style stress relief.

The downside of Barbara’s idea is that the kids and the husband and the cats will know where to find her. To be truly effective, her panic room would somehow magically change locations, top-secret only-she-need-to-know-basis kind of location, completely protected from any GPS gizmo. At this point, though, Barbara confessed that if she can’t have a panic room stressed-out mother style, she’d settle for a good old-fashioned low-tech padded room instead.

Plan Bs for St. Nick

The big guy sat back at his desk, swimming in a sea of opened letters and still-sealed envelopes that took up every inch of space of the most chaotic office in all of the North Pole. In pondering the question before him, one that he was now receiving with increasing regularity, he could only assume more and more parents were aware of www.electricfireplaceselect.com. He sighed, contemplating how his legendary gig used to be so much more simple.

The question that gave him such fits arriving en masse? “How do you get in through our fireplace when there’s no chimney to the roof?”

“Jolly” Old St. Nick wasn’t so jolly at this particular moment. “Gosh darn it,” he thought, “Why can’t parents just amend the tale a little, make up something, ANYTHING! Does anyone think I enjoy behaving like a common thief wedging my ample midsection through windows, picking locks and more?” He grumpily rebuked an elf who’s anxious knock at the door annoyed him at just the wrong moment.

Sure, the shift to multiple family dwellings, “condo life” as it were, was predicted years ago but maybe he hadn’t paid enough heed to the warnings. He’d assumed, perhaps foolishly, there would still be chimneys to slide on down the way there had been for decades upon decades. However impractical those traditional fireplaces might have been in modern city homes, it would have been nice if they’d even considered just how set in his ways old Santa was. But no, everybody had to embrace the electric fireplace and as much as he disliked the fact, truth was he couldn’t blame them as the warmth and charismatic presence of those simulate fires just made so much darn sense.

Suzie from Chicago wrote “Don’t worry Santa, my parents’ Dimplex Promotional Free Standing Fireplace will be switched off on Christmas Eve, but can you please tell me how you come out of it? Can you do magic too like the guy on TV? Please tell me. PS – I will leave extra cookies if you respond ASAP.”

Quentin from Vancouver queried “Our Fire Sense Georgetown Electric Fireplace doesn’t need a chimney because there’s no smoke. If there’s no chimney, how do you bring in our presents? Last year I was locked in my room because I wanted to stay up and watch you pull it off, so please write back or I’ll leave a running camcorder on the sofa.”

Sara from Boston said “Santa, I have determined there’s no way you can fit into our Classic Flame Victoria Black Electric Stove. Sorry, but you’re too chubby and it’s perfectly compact for our condominium and provides a lovely radiating warmth in our living room on cold winter nights. I’m concerned you will break it if your try. Please respond with your alternate plan.”

Ole Saint Nick leaned back again and lit his pipe, resolving to get his PR department to put a spin on this without delay. He picked up a remote on his desk and pointed it to the wall. A Southern Enterprises Whiteman Mahogany Fireplace roared to life and warmth instantly flooded the room.

“If you can’t beat ‘em” Santa muttered quietly to himself.

Pub Table Chic

It’s understandable that at this time of year, most everyone’s mind is on entertaining. And, especially if you live in an apartment or condominium where space is at a premium, you’re probably wondering where you’re going to put everyone. At MorePubSets.com you’re sure to find some seating solutions that will not only get you through the holidays, but will be useful year-round when you gather with family and entertain friends for whatever reason or occasion.

Pub tables aren’t restricted to restaurants or other commercial settings anymore. Partly a sign of the fluctuating economy and just the general rising costs of everyday living, more people are staying in and entertaining at home. The growing decorating trend of furnishing a family room, living room or den with a home bar, a pub table and barstools is a reflection of the current economic climate.

Turning an unused corner of your home into a place to gather with family and friends is a practical way to increase the versatility and functionality of your living space. It’s as easy as choosing a pub table and matching barstools or the perfect pub set to make an area more usable and guest friendly.

Pub sets are available in a wide range of styles and materials, from ultra-modern to contemporary to traditional. Generally round or square, a pub table usually seats two or four people. Pub tables are typically higher than dining tables or counter-height dining tables (also known as gathering tables). Dining tables stand about 30 inches high while pub tables range from 40 to 42 inches in height. When selecting matching barstools, keep in mind that to be seated comfortably at the table, the stools should be 10 to 12 inches shorter than the pub table.

When selecting a pub table or a pub set, decide if you want it to blend with your existing décor or if you want your pub set to “stick out” and make a statement. Have some fun; pick a theme and transform part of your family room into a trendy wine bistro with the Tempo Napa Pub Table or a great place to play a game of pool with the Tempo 8-Ball Bar Height Pub Set.

Since space is hard to come by when planning a Christmas get-together or other holiday gathering, adding a pub table or pub set to the room in your home where you’ll be entertaining the most is a practical way of getting the more mileage out of your living space. For Christmas meals when your dining table shrinks as the number of people increases, it can also do double time as the “kid’s table” (you know it will be called that even though adults will be sitting at it). If you want to create a comfortable place for your guests to “perch” while they snack on appetizers and other Christmas goodies, MorePubsets.com can help.

Change for Christmas

Here at www.moretronics.com, Christmas spirit is in full swing, and this past weekend you could sense the Christmas rush being in full swing as well. Too many people out and about clogging up the arteries in from the suburbs on Saturday and Sunday annoys me to no end. I happily took the train into town for some Xmas shopping while the missus took the car to visit a friend near home.

Sure enough it was full and I settled into a spot near the middle of the train. Within two stops it’s packed and a young woman stood close enough to me that I could hear the rhythm of the song playing loudly on her ipod. The same dun-chikka dun-chikka dun-chikka 2/4 beat rattled away repetitively over the course of minutes, the same beat monotonously rolling along like the rhythmical equivalent of a burden mule plodding mindlessly through a muddy field. Her eyelids began to dip drowsily, almost as if she was being sedated by the ceaseless inflexible chugging of a synthetic bass, snare and hi-hat.

Now I’m sure she was just your average sleep-deprived commuter, but I couldn’t help but draw a line between the two. What’s more, I found it somewhat unpleasant and saw no recourse but to don my own ipod for percussive salvation.

A random on Incubus’ Make Yourself found the song Out from Under with tasty rhythmic progressions and fills / accenting courtesy of the talented Jose Pasillas. I had a late Saturday night as well, but the undeniable vibrancy of dynamic music brought a contrasting tap to my foot and soothed me just right. Being the holiday season and all, I pictured my own “little drummer boy” masterfully wielding the sticks next to his ordinary robotic counterpart in the pod across the way. The drumming equivalent of the defective stammering protocol droid across from C-3PO in the Jawa Sandcrawler.

Change is good people, and for the music enthusiast in your family we’ve got some great ideas for Christmas gifts. If he or she might be so lucky as to have a Sirius 4 Plug&Play Radio on the way, they’re going to love having so much music at their fingertips. A Sirius Boombox would make a perfect on-the-go compliment, as would be a Sirius Universal Vehicle Kit with a sleek mounting panel and connection outputs for older auxiliary / line-level inputs on older car stereo units.

Having the freedom to connect your ipod directly to your in-dash player will be a welcome convenience for any motorist that needs their music while on the road. 5 different Scosche ipod connectors are compatible with JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony and Alpine car stereos, and you’ll be tapping on the steering wheel in no time. An Iluv Digital FM Ipod Transmitter offers the same freedom by relaying your ipod songs to a range of selectable frequencies on your radio, and is a sleek mounting option as well.

Lastly, take a look at this Ilive Portable Music System and tell me there’d be even one music-loving ipod owner who wouldn’t be thrilled with this sleek and lightweight portable stereo unit. Those bulky “blaster” portable stereos won’t hold a festive candle to this guy.

To each their own, to be sure. That’s what makes music such a special art loved by almost everyone. However, there’s nothing like the sway that grabs hold of you in creative, expressive music where the rhythm moves like a fish in water – and thankfully dun-chikka dun-chikka just doesn’t provide it for me. Whatever your tastes, we’re fortunate that technology has made personal music devices so much smaller and easily-portable, and that there are so many stylish and practical accessories outgrowing as a result.

At MoreTronics, there are more different audio accessory products sure to fit the music nut on your list than could ever be listed here. Take a look, and make this Christmas a special one for any tune fanatic in the family.

My Letter to Santa Claus

Dear Santa,

Just to set the record, I had a great childhood and got lots of stuff for Christmas (as you know) every year. But when I was growing up, we didn’t have Children’s Furniture Select. Since I know that a Ferrari convertible won’t fit in the elevator of our office building, please bring the following:

I always wanted a train set. My theory is I had no brothers, so no train set. So please put the The Kidkraft Santa Stacking Train in my stocking. It looks like a lot of fun! Great picture of you, by the way.

A rocking horse – either the Derby Rocking Horse by Kidcraft or (and I know it’s not really a horse, but it’s kind of a horse) the Kidkraft Harley Davidson Lil' Diva Rock 'N Ride. If you can’t bring both, surprise me!

I love to read. The KidKraft Princess Bookcase looks absolutely divine. Books would be even more magical if I had some place pink to keep them.

And the absolutely last thing on my wish list is the Savannah Dollhouse. To be honest, I did have a dollhouse when I was growing up, but not one as tall as I would have been back then.

Thanks.

Yours truly,
A Cymax Stores copywriter

P.S. You know where I sit, but just in case, it will be the desk that has the big plate of cookies on it.

“Sit Still and Keep Quiet”

This request is a standard for any parent, and is usually quite plaintive in nature when uttered in search of a respite from their children’s ceaseless talkativeness. Most commonly, it’s in the context of long-trips in the vehicle and repeated “are we there yet?” complaints, but wishing they’d put a cork in it for even a moment is a desire that can surface any time and place.

Here at Cymax Stores, we’re pleased to offer a solution that will most certainly get them seated, and happily at that – whether it will keep them quiet and if it’s practical for the back seat of the station wagon, that’s likely another story. Fact is, all children love bean bag chairs and one or more may be a great choice for Christmas this year.

That they’re the only piece of furniture a child can safely throw him or herself onto with projectile force and that is just the tip of the iceberg when assessing why kids like them so much. They’re easily pulled this way and that; like directly in front of the TV for Saturday morning cartoons until Mom comes down and goes on about eyesight or something silly like that. How about below the window sill as those necessary extra inches for ducking and popping when “spying” on the neighbors?

Bean bags are perfect for practicing your wrestling moves on, I can verify that one from personal experience. My bed was the top turnbuckle and my San Diego Chargers bean bag chair was my hapless opponent prone on the mat. Flying elbow, leg drop or body splash – it was nice to have options. From a little more docile perspective, it often doubled as a bed when a sleepover was in order.

Bean bag chairs for kids have come a long way since then, and a visit to Cymax will quickly confirm this. Very young kids will almost certainly be enamored with any of the Elite Child Plush Collection Animal Bean Bags, I particularly like the horse myself with its orange saddle as the spot of choice for your little guy or girl to become a cowboy roaming the range that is your rec. room. “Dolfy” the dolphin might be a good choice for any young marine enthusiast with aspirations of being the next Jacques Cousteau.

Once they add a few more years, the boys are almost sure to take an interest in sports. For aspiring QBs, an XRocker Sports Football Bean Bag is sure to be a hit. (note: any young football fan should be give an Sports Coverage San Diego Chargers Sidelines Bedding Set as a means of getting their fandom started off right – you’re welcome) Little Beckhams will surely love an Elite Soccer Big Ball Bean Bag. Pint-sized race car drivers will be thrilled to find an Elite Nascar Bean Bag on Christmas morning. Similarly, your princess will likely be “tickled pink” at the realization she’s free to add an XRocker Shiny Pink Bean Bag to her room.

Trying to get children to stay quiet for any prolonged period of time is like hoping to savor a popsicle in a sauna. It’s never going to happen, and I’ve heard the only way to appease yourself is to take solace in the fact they’ll go through it themselves as parents, however many years away that consolation will be. (my parents have recently alluded to the long-awaited satisfaction drawing near) Think of that the next time you’re still a ways away from that booked single hotel room on the way to Disneyland, or maybe “Dolfy” can sit between your two loveable malcontents.

Little Treasures For Her

It’s that time of year again, and just like always, you seem to be stuck when it comes to ideas for buying gifts for the women in your life. Whether you are looking for a Christmas gift for that perfect someone, your mother, sisters, cousins or a friend, the gift should shine the spotlight on her and reflect the thought and care you put into selecting the present. With a little planning ahead and a lot of help from Jewelry Armoire Select, you can give her a gift that she will truly treasure.

No matter how large or small her jewelry collection is or even if she’s not in the habit of wearing jewelry, she will still have a few favorite pieces. Help her keep them safe and in one place with a stylish jewelry box. Jewelry boxes come in variety of sizes, colors and styles. If the woman you are shopping for has a passion for jewelry, then a larger jewelry box with several compartments, like the Mele Carlisle Jewelry Box would be the perfect choice.

Since jewelry boxes are also available in a number of different shapes, have a little fun with your gift selection. Give her a big kiss with the Ashton Sutton Red Lips Jewelry Box. Or if you have a music lover on your list, why not treat her to the Metronome Wood Jewelry Box by Infinity.

If the female adult on your Christmas list travels a lot, either for business or pleasure, a smart-looking compact travel jewelry case is sure to be appreciated. Select one that is easy to pack and won’t take up much space, yet will still have plenty of room for everything she will need to take with her. The Diann Jewelry Box by Mele is a good choice; it is compact, has a number of different sized sections and compartments and comes with a convenient carry handle.

Don’t angst – Christmas gift giving is supposed to be fun for you, too. With a little thought and some inspiration, you’re sure to have her humming a happy tune, especially if you give her the Floral Adagio Jewelry Box, which is a music box as well.

Holiday Specials

Christmas is the one time of the year when holiday enthusiasts, children in particular, can look forward to TV broadcasts of the same classics they saw at this time last year. A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, among others, have stood the test of time in much the same way many of the coat rack designs features at www.coatrackselect.com have remained a staple of entryways over many, many years.

I was one such enthralled youngster, but the years have dulled my memories of these specials considerably. I only remember smaller parts; the Abominable Snowman being a misjudged antagonist wrongly cast for doing nothing more than being as fearsome as clay would allow, or the Grinch’s pillage of Whoville on his suped-up sleigh knockoff. When I think of Charlie Brown, I automatically picture Charlie flying through the air unceremoniously after another field goal is thwarted by Lucy preemptively pulling the pigskin away, and that has nothing to do with Xmas.

A coat rack has always had something of the identity of a welcome salvation post when coming in from the bitter December cold. You know, the individual sighing in the warmth of the home as he or she hangs their coat and scarf before proceeding to doff snow encrusted footwear. Further, it wasn’t exclusive to benevolent types like Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, even that ne’er do well Grinch was seen to discard his toque and scarf upon the only fixture that decorated his snowy foyer – a coat rack that was much the animated version of a Powell Nostalgic Oak Twist Coat Rack which just might be a similarly stylish choice for yours.

Santa had a resignedly down look on his face as he plunked his classic long toque atop a claymation version of a Safco Cherry Wood Costumer all those Christmases ago in 1962. It was just before he was to break the news that Christmas was to be cancelled, before a certain red lightbulb-nosed reindeer came to save the best day of the year. I seem to remember Linus following Charlie’s lead after coming in from the cold, yet pausing for a second before thinking better of hanging his beloved blanket on a Home Star Manhattan Coat Rack.

For whatever reason, a coat rack or hall tree always seemed to play a subliminally-relevant role in these Christmas specials, usually being the only fixture of notice in otherwise non-descript entryways to the home. Perhaps they were meant to signify the value and warmly welcoming role of the home during the holidays and the respite it provided. The transition point where one came in from the cold, shedding layers in the presence of both literal warmth and that more figurative offered by family / loved ones.

Whether or not a coat rack could ever have such an identity in your home over the Yuletide season, it almost certainly will be an appreciated and tidy convenience with the inevitable influx of guests to your home. Rather than their coats being draped over the banister post at the foot of your stairs, they’ll hang charismatically from an attractive and tall coat rack.

And be nice to that shaggy white-haired “Abominable” Snowman outside lurking amidst the snow drifts, he may prove invaluable before long in the days leading up to Dec. 25th.

Morning Fog

Kitchen appliances, the basics at least, are a necessity for any household. A sufficient night’s sleep is a different necessity for those of us that have to rise in the early AM and make way our into the working world. A lack of either and the day may well start off on the wrong foot. MoreTronics.com can certainly help with the appliances part, and maybe to a lesser extent make you rest a little easier overnight knowing your kitchen is suitably equipped.

Seemingly everyone’s got a story where their morning grogginess has led them to take some incredibly absent-minded action. Adding juice to your cereal or coffee seems to be a well-renowned one. The possibilities are numerous - pouring pancake batter into a cold pan while the adjacent burner glows hot or thinking your newspaper is a misprint for a second or more before realizing you’ve opened it upside down. I remember watching my dad drop a plate into the toaster and push the lever down without even an inkling of anything amiss.

While there’s little to be done to assure your synapses are firing effectively when the motor’s just been turned over, consolidating your appliances in the kitchen may mean less of the turning to and fro that compounds your disorientation. To this end, consider a Kalorik Breakfast Set which merges your toaster and coffee maker into one unit and features a reusable filter so there’s one less piece of trash for you to witlessly drop into the recycling bin.

A Kalorik 4-Slice Toaster might be just the t

hing for the sleep-deprive

d man or woman who’s needing to make breakfast preparation for the entire family a little less demanding. Look at it this way, you’ll still have three slices to get it right and serve

the kids after you butter the first one with mayonnaise. A Black & Decker 2-Cup MiniPro Plus Food Processor is price

d right and ideal for those who like an omelet for breakfast. Be inadvertently ambitious and grate tofu in place of mozzarella, or a

ttempt to puree ham.

The morning fog can take some rather embarrassing turns as well. I have a bad habit of missing a belt loop or two on my khakis sometimes, but that’s nothing compared to the guy who’s not alone in the elevator before he realizes he’s without footwear or the woman who steps out with different earrings in each ear. Having your java ready for immediate consumption shortly after rising might mean a little more alertness when it comes time for final preparations. A suggestion – have a cup of joe ready and waiting for you and any others upon rising with a DeLonghi 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker. This top-quality machine features the ability to set your coffee maker to begin the brewing process any time before you crawl out of bed.

For many of us, no matter what time we hit the hay or how many hours of slumber we get, we’re still zombied come morning. There’s going to be times when you take your toothbrush to your scalp or step from the shower with a head full of shampoo. Knowing things will go a little more smoothly in the kitchen could be a welcome reassurance as your head struggles to come round, that is until the fork in your hand proves wholly ineffective for the consumption of cheerios.

Entertaining Ideas

When getting ready for Christmas, you want your home to look warm and welcoming, but you don’t want to have to do a major renovation to get it to look that way. Entertaining for the holidays translates into the living room, dining room and kitchen seeing a lot of the action. The holiday season can be stressful, but with a little planning ahead and some decorating strategies, you will be able to entertain (almost) stress-free, and in style too, with a little help from Cymax Stores.

Nothing makes guests feel welcome faster than walking into a living room with candles, bowls of Christmas goodies dotted around and table lamps that shed warm, soft light. But where to put everything? How about a group of nesting tables? Nesting tables are different sized tables designed to fit one underneath the other, giving you the option to separate them and move them around a room as needed. The Kathy Ireland Bradley Living Room Table Set which includes end tables with usable cabinet space for added storage solutions would be an excellent choice.

If you were planning at some point to spruce up your dining room, now might be the perfect time to invest in a dining set. MoreDiningTables.com features seven-piece dining sets, both dining and counter heights, for under $1,300.00. Don’t need to seat that many people or you need a table for more than six; MoreDiningTables.com has a wide selection of casual and formal dining tables in a price range sure to suit your budget. If the table still has some mileage left and just the chairs need replacing, MoreDiningTables.com can help. No matter whether it’s the Christmas season or not, extra chairs will also come in handy. The Linon Firenze Folding Chair is the perfect choice, with its stylish appearance and convenient design.

Even if you are perfectly happy with your dining table and chairs, perhaps you’re tired of running back and forth to the linen closet or the kitchen every time you need to set the table. Make your dining room entertaining-friendly in a chic and stylish way with a buffet or sideboard. Many types of buffets will include wine storage, a stemware rack and a flatware drawer, features that make hosting holiday meals comfortable and easy.

To get your kitchen organized for the holiday rush, consider buying a kitchen cart that can do double duty as a serving cart. It will be handy for food prep and will increase your existing counter space, while providing convenience and mobility when you’re ready to serve your guests. Get the most out of your kitchen counter by adding two or three colourful barstools; you can keep friends and family nearby while you’re busy in the kitchen.

Christmas comes once a year. And it’s a good thing, too, because it can make us a little stressed out with decorating the tree, buying gifts and all those other little things we need to do before the 25th arrives. But with some planning ahead, you can at least have your home look good for the big day.

Two Free Hands

Two of them “down the drain”, and quite literally in fact, in the span of 6 months. Gerry didn’t consider himself to be a clumsy guy, but as he stared at his still-new cell phone at the bottom of the toilet he resolved his next stop would be www.headsetselect.com. Frustrating, he thought, why did she have to call while I was in the middle of a shave? One hand on the razor and the other still carrying enough residue that the phone might as well have been a slick bar of soap.

Not that you could put it all on slippery hands. A month earlier he had grudgingly granted an audience to his mother’s complaining while making his way to the back from a trip to the dumpster. He reaches out to open the door to the parkade and, POW- it opens simultaneously from the other side. Face full of safety door and Mom goes skittering just far enough to fall through the drainage grate. What are the chances?

Gerry resigned himself to it all, what’s done is done. Not-so-funny thing was, he’d had an inkling to look into a headset after the first incident but didn’t deem it urgent. He wished he’d had as he continued to stare helplessly into the toilet. No more putting it off, he took a seat at his computer and easily found the link at www.cymaxstores.ca.

Part of the reason he’d been leery of getting a hands-free headset was his perception that he’d look like the fully-grown equivalent of that poor kid in grade five who’s forced to wear their orthodontist’s headgear to school. You know, that overly-utilitarian look that only Tommy Lee ever pulled off while still staying cool behind the kit. Gerry was surprised to learn just how small and discreet they’ve become for those who wish to conduct conversations with both hands free without garnering strange glances.

A Plantronics Explorer Headset caught his eye. Sleek, compact and weighing less than one ounce, it met his style needs and he was further impressed to learn it was Bluetooth compatible with up to 33 ft in roaming capacity and provided 8 hours of operation on one battery charge. A Cellular Innovations Bluetooth Headset offered the same connectivity at a similarly affordable price. If his needs were slightly more simple, an Emerson Mini Bluetooth Headset would have been perfect – all the basic functions and an unbeatable price.

In the end, Gerry decided on a Plantronics Discovery 650E Headset with its multipoint capabilities, longer talk times and increased roaming capacity. The fact the price included free delivery to anywhere in the continental US made it all the more appealing. Safe and secure payment with the highest encryption protection available meant he didn’t even have to give a thought about ordering with is credit card, and next thing he knew it was done. Piece of cake.

What to do next? Send an email explaining why he “hung up” or shop for a handset? Of course, there was the less appealing task of retrieving the one submerged in his bathroom. He pulled it from its watery demise and dropped it in the trash, feeling compelled to speak some “shall not be in vain” reassurance to the ruined flip-phone before it became a rubbish bin celebrity.

As he passed his workstation on his way back to the bathroom, he saw his inbox light. Guess who – “Why are you not answering your phone!!”