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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ditch the doldrums

Ditching the doldrums

By: Shel Zolkewich

21/02/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

You'll probably get an argument if you say that winter is nearly over. So, for those readers who believe we have a ways to go, here are a couple of products to make the home stretch a little safer. For readers who are looking forward to the next season, now is the time to treat yourself to a flowery new perfume or some pampering products for your tootsies. And as always, there's something that's just downright delicious before we have to get really serious about bathing suit season.

DAISY BY MARC JACOBS

It's hard not to think of spring when you see this delightful perfume bottle from designer Marc Jacobs. The green petals at the top are just the beginning. Inside each limited-edition package is a set of stickers to personalize your bottle. Will it be butterflies or ladybugs, or both?

$72 at The Bay and Sears in March

FRUITS & PASSION PEDICURE SET

For months now, our tender tootsies have been banished to woolly socks and waterproof footwear. Time to give them a little bit of TLC. The Deodorizing line of footcare products from Fruits & Passion is infused with eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils that release a strong but refreshing aroma. The kit includes exfoliating paste, deodorizing mist and deodorizing cream. Just what the foot doctor ordered.

$22 at Fruits & Passion, Polo Park Shopping Centre (779-7171) and St. Vital Shopping Centre (949-4520)

WINTERTRAX

The memory of those icy days in early February is still fresh for those of us tending to sprained wrists and wrenched backs. Oh, if we only had worn our Wintertrax! They stretch to slip onto your boots, providing instant grip on snowpack or ice. Steel coils stop you from sliding from side to side or from front to back. Just don't wear them at the curling rink. The icemaker will not be impressed.

$19.99 at Zellers and WalMart

ECOTRACTION

If this bag looks familiar, you've been watching CBC's Dragons' Den. That's where a couple of entrepreneurs first unveiled their eco-friendly product. EcoTraction is a natural volcanic mineral that binds to icy surfaces to provide traction. It's an alternative to salt, which, as we all know, can cause concrete to pit and make a mess of your walkway come springtime. Plus, it's a lot safer for pets and plants. Keep in mind that EcoTraction will not melt the ice away, but it does provide enough grip to avoid those nasty spills.

$14.95 for the 10-kg bag at The Home Depot

MCCAIN SINGLES

Around our house, McCain Deep'n'Delicious cakes trump fancy flans and tempting tortes when it comes to a choice for dessert. Now the folks at McCain have made it even easier to enjoy their ultra-moist offerings. The new singles come in chocolate, vanilla, chocolate cheesecake and cherry cheesecake. There's no baking, heating or thawing. Best of all, the regular cakes have only 100 calories per serving while the cheesecakes have 130 calories -- that's if you have only one, and that may be a challenge.

Around $3.69, available at all major grocery stores

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 21, 2009 f6

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