Did you know that Science World is a non-profit organization? It supports teachers, students, and families all over the province with outreach programs and online learning. This holiday season you can support Science World while shopping for those you love (and like), with over 250 products online and even more in-store at the Kaleidoscope shop under the geodesic dome.
The dome is safely open every day of the week from 10 am to 5 pm and comes with amazing benefits like early access on the weekend and during school breaks. Membership for an individual is $130, a couple for $170, or $225 for a family of four. The perfect holiday gift for you or someone else. Either way, you’re supporting an important non-profit organization! It’s the gift that keeps on giving…all year long.
We’re raising funds so Science World can continue to ignite wonder and empower dreams through science and nature. Because now, more than ever, the world needs more nerds! Donate today, from yourself or on behalf of someone else, and get a tax receipt at https://www.scienceworld.ca/donate/
Take a sleigh ride into the holiday shopping season with Science World’s gift guide! These thoughtfully curated selections from the Science Store will feed your curiosities about the world of science and help you and your loved ones find new interests and rediscover the wonder in old hobbies this holiday season and all year long. You can search by ages or by categories, here.
Small, functional, and makes coffee taste great without the mess or taking up too much space in the house. Aeropress is our favourite coffee maker and espresso maker that does the job well. It’s also very affordable too.
Vancouver’s very own BKH Jerky has Singaporean-style jerky made on-site at their Fraser Street location. Whether you buy it from the store or online, they have some good jerky. Lots of flavour and not too dry.
If you’re a fan of the Hot Ones series on Youtube by First We Feast, you can get their line up of Hot Sauces by Heatonist. We’ve ordered from them many times and it’s so much fun trying the hot sauces.
If you’re tired of the same ol’ whisky glasses, Dragon Glassware has their stunning Diamond Whiskey Glasses. They are spill-proof and is tilted at 50 degrees for a unique drinking experience. Of course it’s not just for Whisky, you can pour it bourbon, scotch, wine and whatever you feel like.
Inspired by the past, but designed for the future, the Galanz Retro Mini Refrigerator offers a retro chrome design complete with the technology of a modern-day appliance. This mini fridge is ideal for someone who is constantly looking for style, compactibility, and convenience. Great for the man cave, game room or garage to keep drink and snacks cool.
This is one of the best brands of travel mugs for carrying coffee, tea or whatever you need. It’s fantastic and we are so happy to recommend it. We’ve used a few over the years and it hasn’t failed us yet, just the usual wear and tear.
With Christmas season upon us, what is the best gift to get foodies? Here are a few of my favourite items in hopes of inspiring you. Of course purchasing a lot of gifts isn’t easy on the wallet, so I kept this list under $30. One of the biggest trends this year is sustainable and reusable dishware on the go.
There are no affiliate links and I do not earn a single dollar from promoting any of these items.
If you’re a fan of bubble tea and want to curb all the plastic waste, a reusable bubble tea cup and straw might be the answer. Most of them are made with a large mason jar and turned into a cup. There are many options available online or even with our friend – Missy Sippy Tumbler. DM them about our collaboration – “I’m a Bubble Tea Addict” cup for $30.
A great way to impress guests and to elevate your cocktail game is with ice. You can use it many times to create the perfect ice sphere. It’s really great for Old Fashioned.
Clearly, I have a love for bubble tea and the bubble tea holder is a game changer for those who hate carrying their ice cold drinks or just don’t have enough hands to hold their drink. During my recent trip to Taiwan, I saw this everywhere but not so much in North America.
I bought this years ago and I was so amazed that it makes the most perfect ice cream scoops. This aluminum ice cream scoop has heat conductive fluid sealed within the handle, so it makes scooping easier. It’s been used in commercial ice cream shops works great to get perfect round scoops. The downside is that it must be hand washed or else it gets ruined. My husband threw it into the dishwasher without knowing and couldn’t be salvaged. This is the one scoop you’ll need.
My friend and I ventured on the journey by finding the best reusable coffee cup on the market and we ended up buying JOCO Cups for their style and durability after evaluating a lot of other options. Especially with its glass design, it won’t taint the taste of your coffee. Love the designs too.
Reusable silicone bags are great to reduce all the plastic ziplock bags out there. I go through a lot and these Stasher reusable bags are awesome for kids…and even adults. I love how they are see through so you know exactly whats inside.
Reusable bees wax food wrap is pretty awesome and removes all the one time use plastic wrap for leftovers. I’m sure we all go through so much this holiday season, but we’ve found bees wax wrap to be very sustainable and works really well to keep your food fresh.
You can probabaly find this at most malls or online, but with cities banning disposable plastic straws at eateries and cafes, metal straws are very trendy at the moment. We have a few and we did notice that there is a metal tang taste to it, so you have to wash it a few times to get rid of that. There are also silicone, pasta, bamboo, and many other straw options as well.
The holidays are in full swing and I spent the year trying out different gadgets for the kitchen. As a cook and a new mom, I love gadgets that help make life easier preparing a meal and of course makes cooking a breeze.
Here are a few of my favourite gadgets for 2019 that you might want to consider getting your loved ones. Do note there are no affiliate links, but some of these items were gifted to us throughout the year to give it a test.
Instant Pot is a slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, pressure cooker, egg cooker, sautees, steams, and so many other things. No wonder, this is one of the hottest appliances out there. It can do it all. Of course, the most popular function is the pressure cooker as it can create meals very quickly. Great for a busy family.
I’ve been skeptical about Nespresso machines until I got one. I would go out for coffee often just to get a nice strong latte, but then I realized I could just do it at home and the quality was pretty good and there are so many options for the capsules. I especially love making iced lattes in the Summer.
If you love making juice, it’s easier than ever with the HUROM Citrus Juicer. It’s able to squeeze as much out of the fruits as possible. Much better than with hand. It’s perfect for not just juice, but cocktails, mocktails, or anything else that needs juice and pulp.
When it comes to rice, we are really serious about how our rice is cooked. Whether it is white, brown, or mixed rice, it must be very fluffy. I have had my Zojirushi Rice Cooker for 2 years now and I would not use anything else. I’ve tried cooking rice with the Instant Pot but it really didn’t cut it.
As we aren’t a large family, we opted with the 3-cup version for just our family of 3. There are setting for white/mixed riced, sushi rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice, long grain white rice, steel cut oatmeal and quick cooking. It does take a little while longer to cook brown rice, but it tastes amazing.
I’ve grown to really love sparking water and I just hate how many bottles accumulates and it is very wasteful. When I got my SodaStream many years ago, I always had sparkling water at my fingertips. Over the years, the machines got better and better, thus meaning more gas. I love my sparkling water really fizzy. You can use it in cocktails, mocktails, and whatever else that needs sparkling water.
Another great kitchen helper for whipping up a meal is the T-Fal Acti-Cook and Stir. It can create a plethora of different meals without monitoring, stirring, and just one appliance to get it done. If you need an extra hand in the kitchen, their intelligent stirring paddle will help. Imagine stir fry, curries, pudding, soup, and much more. There is also 18 different preset cooking programs to cook many things.
The powerhouse of all high powered blender is the Vitamix. From smoothies, dessert, soup, dips & spreads, it does a great job turning simple ingredients into a smooth smooth puree or whatever you need pulverized.
Another Zojirushi appliance, but I have my water boiler on all the time. It make making a bottle of milk easy for the baby, and a pot of tea for myself. I grew up with these water boilers and it’s an Asian household essential.
Having an oven at home is great, but we cook a lot of smaller batched dishes that don’t require the use of the full over. Hamilton Beach has their Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven and we have been loving it over Thanksgiving. There are 6 different settings – Air Fry, Toast, Bake, Broil, Pizza & Rotisserie. It’s a pretty good size that it can fit 6 slices of bread and even a 12″ pizza. From air fried cauliflower to pizza pockets, it worked for us.
I have been using my trusty T-Fal pans with the thermo-spot for about 5 years now. I love how it takes the guess work out of figuring out when the pan is hot enough to start cooking. The spot turns solid red and it’s ready to get cooking. They are also very durable and non-stick.
I love how when you can get the pan hot, it gives steak a nice sear. Also, I love it for making dumplings too.
Well, there it is, 10 of my favourite appliances in our house. Each one has a purpose and has made our life easier in the kitchen. Of course, having all 10 would be overkill, but pick and choose the items that works in your space.
What is your favourite small appliance in the kitchen?
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and wine is a solid gift for any mom who drinks. With the long days and nights, sometimes us moms just need a bottle to unwind at the end of the day or enjoy some with dinner.
Here are a few of our favourite wines to get a mom or mother-figure in your life for under $30.
Reds
Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series Merlot
Tinhorn Creek is a vineyard in Oliver, BC and their Oldfield Series Merlot is a stunner. It has notes of plums muddled with dark fruit, star anise and chocolate. A good mouthfeel and would pair well with a steak.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Hailing from California, Meiomi’s Pinot Noir is a gem. It has a deep dark ruby colour and has aromas of vanilla, oak and berries. As you drink away at it, you can start tasting the sweet oak flavours along with the cranberries and almonds. Pairs wonderfully with food like pork chops or salmon.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Just located steps away from Meiomi in Napa Valley is Robert Mondavi vineyard. It has a medium ruby red colour to the Cabernet Sauvignon. There are aromas of cassis, black pepper, cherries, and spicy oak. You will find it is full bodied with a touch of cedar. Pairs well with squab or lamb.
Whites
Jackson-Triggs Sauvignon Blanc
Upon first glance, Jackson-Triggs Sauvignon Blanc has a pale straw colour and has gooseberry and lemon notes. As you drink away, fruit flavours like apple appear. It is crisp, dry wine that is a light to medium body. Pairs well with seafood.
Gray Monk Gewurztraminer
Gray Monk’s Gewurztraminer is delicious and from BC as well. It is an off-dry wine with subtle notes of lychee and rose petal on the nose with hints of grapefruit. As you sip it, it has a touch sweet on the palate and well balanced. It pairs well with spicy dishes, salads, and roasts like turkey.
Inniskillin Pinot Grigio
The Inniskillin Pinot Grigio has a pale straw colour at first sight. The aroma of it has apple, pineapple and citrus notes. It is a dry, light-medium body with a citrus and nut flavours. It finishes off crisp and clean. Pairs nicely with seafood and salads.
Wild Goose Riesling
Wild Goose Riesling is a great wine with exceptional grapes and fruit from the Okanagan Falls. It is very floral with hints of honey and apple. Pairs well with spicy food like Indian curries.
That’s out top 7 reds and whites available at Canadian liquor stores. What’s your favourite one to get mom?
