Zoom!!

When I was a tad, my favorite winter haunt was the local golf course. This course was very hilly, and pretty big, and it became a winter fantasyland for sledding. And there was everything - long gradual runs, tall steep runs, runs with built-in moguls, runs with blind turns - if you went home without being exhilarated and exhausted, it was your own fault (I lost part of a front tooth to that course, and it remains a badge of honor). Then there was traying in the mountains of western Massachusetts - but we won't talk about that, since we weren't supposed to be using the dining hall trays for such purposes. I'll say this - I wish the Zipfy had been around in those days. The Zipfy is a modern (and safer) take on riding a shovel down a snowy slope, but much more comfortable. It's pretty simple - you sit, you grab onto the center handle, stick your legs and feet out in front of you, and go. Your center of gravity stays low to the ground so you have good speed and great control by just leaning into turns to steer, and you can use your feet to control speed and direction (or, if you want a quicker stop, you can just lean back and pull up on the stick). You stay close to the ground so you never really "fall," you just roll to the side. Ridges on the under side of the Zipfy help you to carve some gnarly turns. I could have ruled that golf course! The Zipfy makes a great gift for all family members 5 years old and up - get yours while they last!

Baubles, Bangles, Bright Shiny Christmas Beads

These fun, funky, shiny and somewhat silly Christmas bracelets from 180 Degrees have been flying out of our stores. They are replete with glass beads and metal charms suggestive of the season: bells, santa suits and hats, ornaments, stars, candy canes, snowpeople, hearts, gift packages, and so forth. As I prefer things more understated, my reaction to these was initially not one of ardor. But seeing the glee on the faces of our customers as they try these on and are instantly transported into the holiday spirit, I am now a fan. It's not just that, however: my wife works with sick children (and adults), and she has taken to wearing these as she makes her rounds. The kids (and many of the adults) love them! It brings some color and joy into an environment that is often lacking in both. Wow - sunshine in the darkness from something inexpensive, fun and a little silly. Works for me.

Yuletide Yorick

Got the gumption to go Goth this holiday? It's not for everyone, but the darker side of Romanticism seems to find an expression even in the season of light. Not that we're quite ready to trade in "A Christmas Carol" in favor of "Turn of the Screw" (or the next installment of "Twilight" for that matter), but we do enjoy these Tattoo Skull Ornaments from 180 Degrees. It's remarkable how the skull theme has dominated new product introductions this year, appearing on jewelry, glassware, games, key holders, ice cube trays, coasters and ornaments, to name but a few. Hamlet would have been able to ponder mortality at every turn, with no help at all from poor Yorick. So, if you notice that you have only black in your wardrobe and you have a yen for lots and lots of dark eyeliner, fret not when the neighbors haul out their 7 foot tall blinking snowman yard ornament - for you now have an ornament you can call your own.

Wassailing in the Water Closet

Now I'll admit, some folks walking past these items, prominently displayed on our sales wall, do not have the foggiest notion what they may be for. Perhaps that's because, in an effort not to seem indelicate, they do not want to admit they know what these are probably for. And indeed, they are just that - festive holiday covers for your toilet seat. Truly, though, it's tough to come up with appropriate holiday decorations for the loo. And if you're decorating the whole house for the holidays, why would you want to single out this most important of domestic destinations for a case of the drab and dulls? These colorful seat covers are festive and show great propriety: when the seat cover is down, eyes are open and smiles abound, but when the seat goes up, eyes are shut. A veritable morality play for your facilities. So, if you're tired of the same old decorations and want to make sure you've covered all bases in your home, these Holiday Seat Covers are a must.

Silver Prints

A friend contacted me recently about a wonderful gift she received. You see, my friend and her husband have a new baby girl; this little girl came quite a bit earlier than anyone expected, and there were a few breathless moments in the process, but the entire family is now doing very well indeed. To the point - the gift was a pendant in silver of this little baby girl's fingerprint, and my friend was ecstatic about it. Not a reproduction - the actual fingerprint. How was this done? The answer lies in the new Priceless Prints kits that just arrived in our Omaha store (and online at theafternoon.com). This kit contains a special clay developed in Japan in the early 1990's made of microscopic particles of .999 fine silver suspended together with water and organic binder. Simply make an impression of that special one's fingerprint in the clay and send it in to the kit manufacturer as directed (postage is not included). The clay is fired and the water and binder burn away, allowing the metal particles to fuse together. The end result produces a .999 fine silver fingerprint pendant, imprinted with initials of your choosing on the reverse. Of course, the uses are not limited to infants: you can capture the prints of any loved one..a brother or sister, grandparent, love of your life, even a family pet! Of course, each pendant is a "one of a kind," as unique as the fingerprints (or paw prints) you capture in clay. Each kit comes with full, easy-to-follow directions. If you're looking for the ultimate in personalized gifting, this may just be it.

Wine by the Glass

It's hard to go to a restaurant these days and not find oneself confronted with that most vexing of pecuniary and moderation-baiting dilemmas: whether 'tis nobler to buy wine by the glass or by the bottle. For the Falstaffs among us this isn't much of a dilemma at all. However, for those of us who wish to appear thrifty, or to seem to possess a modicum of self-discipline worthy of the ninja, or who simply do not want to carry the title of "lush," but nonetheless LOVE wine, it's a struggle that requires the pondering of a Hamlet to resolve. Well, the heavens have opened and the "you can't have your cake and eat it, too" crowd has been banished: enter the XL Wine Glass. For those of you who wear petite sizes, XL does indeed mean what you think it does, and it's fitting in this instance. This mighty wine glass can hold 750ml of wine - that's the equivalent of one entire standard size bottle of grape goodness. Sweet liberty, now we're talking. So go ahead, impress the teetotalers in your merry band by "just having a glass;" only you and your vintner of choice will be the wiser. Perhaps it's worth sneaking one into your favorite eatery as well; upon presentation of the bill, you can point to the empirical evidence and claim that you only had a glass of that $120 wine. Good luck with that one.

Gifts for the Golfer

Well, I was finally forced into it. After not lifting a golf club for about 30 years, I was coaxed into a "best ball" round with several friends of varying levels of skill. It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny, around 70 degrees, and the course was uncrowded. To my estimable surprise, I had a great time. The samurai swordsman believed that the goal of the expert was to again become like the novice: the novice, when attacked, does not think or analyze how to defend himself, he just does whatever is necessary in the moment to not get killed. The expert swordsman was supposed to draw on all his skill and training but likewise have the "mind of no mind," and be absolutely present in the moment to respond to whatever was happening, rather than wondering what move he should make next. Well, I pulled off the novice part of it pretty well on the course, with very little analysis and a fair amount of trying not to get killed. And I hit a few really good shots; I was also frequently happy that we were playing "best ball." Golf is truly addictive, and committed golfers love golf-related gifts. We have some really fun items for the golfer (and the duffer) this year; even if you live in a climate where golf will soon be a memory until next spring, these goodies will help keep the faith.

Skunk the Dust Bunny

Some people like to dust, and that's well and good; me, I find it a stinky chore. And it is a never-ending process in a house with dogs, cats, kids, spouses and other dust-stirring entities. But now the odorous is made fabulous with the advent of the Skunk Duster from Boston Warehouse. Not only is this a really fun design, but it's electrostatically charged to really get after those pernicious dust bunnies lurking on the top shelf or around the end table. The skunk design has even made it a hit with the kids - who knew they would ever show an interest in dusting? Can changing the oil in the car be far behind? Only if I can find a willing skunk.

Mad About Harry, Jr.

What might you get if you crossed a Yoga-trained sea urchin with a desk organizer? You just might get Harry, Jr., a most unconventional yet versatile way to collect your clutter in one easy-to-find location. We found Harry, Jr. at the San Francisco Gift Show, and we were immediately taken with him. His mass of sturdy and flexible coated wire "hooks" allow you to creatively bend and twist him to hold pens, keys, pencils, paintbrushes, rulers, and what you wish in one convenient location or your choosing. Just mount him securely on a flat surface using his attached suction cup and he's ready to go; if you change your mind and want him to be somewhere else, he's easy to relocate. Harry isn't a toy; he's a functional work of art. Not bad for a little urchin.

Let Them Eat Cupcakes!

I'm a baker--cupcakes are my specialty--and there is no better time to show off my skills than the holiday season. With all the family gatherings, potlucks, and parties, I have a great excuse to pull out a new recipe and the fancy frostings. The only problem is, once I've made my beautiful confections, I have no way to GET them to their culinary destination! I usually end up cramming them into three or four plastic containers, which not only smudges my beautiful frosting, but makes them hard to serve, and I never make it home with all my containers.

That is why I want--no, NEED--the new Progressive Collapsible Cupcake and Cake Carrier. In one mode it can hold a nine inch layer cake without so much as smudging the frosting. Add the cupcake trays, and it'll hold twenty-four cupcakes that are up to four inches tall--meaning the fancy frostings and meringues will never again be lost to a plasticwear top! Not to mention the ingenious little notches that lets you get a good grip on each individual cupcake without smudges or sticky fingers!

But the best news, for me anyway, was that for all that wonderful room and convenience: the carrier is COLLAPSIBLE, and folds neatly into itself to become just a mere five inches tall, making it much more likely to fit in my cupboards!

Easy Being Green

The Afternoon is proud to join the many other terrific businesses that honor RecycleBank rewards points. RecycleBank partners with cities and refuse haulers to reward households for recycling. Households earn RecycleBank Points that can be used to shop at over 1,500 local and national businesses. You can turn your recyclable trash into rewards points good for discounts and other special rewards from your favorite retailers, including: 50 Rewards Points earns you a certificate for $5 off your purchase of $25 or more at The Afternoon! Points are earned for pounds of material recycled, and it's incredibly easy to get in the game. To find out if a RecycleBank program is running in your community, just go to RecycleBank.com. Thank you for recycling!

Vintage by Any Other Name Wears as Sweet

The squeals rang through the store as our new shipment of vintage-inspired jewelry by Sweet Romance and their new division, Ollipop!, was unpacked. Within nanoseconds (where's my geek pen?) one of our associates had a wide Ollipop! cuff bracelet on her wrist to wear as she redesigned displays - it was not entirely a sure thing that anyone would be able to wrest it away from her at shift's end. Sweet Romance is a line of costume jewelry researched and designed by artist and historian Shelley Cooper in her Los Angeles factory. Her creations radiate authenticity of distinct fashion eras, from the Renaissance to Retro, from the glory of ancient Egypt to the deco of 1940's America. The pieces become the focal point of your ensemble, undeniable statements of your fashion sense and daring. And then there are the squeals of delight - music to our ears.