CB2 Oliver Bicycle Dishes: Citrusy Summer Fun

Look at these cool appetizer plates from CB2.  I love this little Oliver character and the fruit and veggies that often accompany him, like this cute bike dish with lime wheels.  They're meant for adults, but they're great for kids, my son thinks they're funny and loves them.  They're made of fairly durable porcelain are so much better than melamine (ie plastic) plates you see for kids.  They're the right size for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or snacks like crackers and fruit.

They would be so fun for a cocktail party and Summer eating outside on the patio.  They just make me smile and I like the way they manage to celebrate riding your bike, fruit and the season all at once.  Find them Here.

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Upgrade your appliances and save up to $1500, but hurry!

It's the perfect time to upgrade your appliances to more eco friendly options, during the holidays when you really use the daylights out of them.  The energy star rebate program ends this month, so be sure to check it out while you still have time.  Click HERE to find out more.

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GelPro Anti-Fatigue Mat

This is one of those things you don't realize you need until you have it.  And boy do I wish I'd had this GelPro mat during the holidays when I spent so much time in the kitchen that my body ached so bad I couldn't sleep.  This is not a decidedly green item, though GelPro is moving in that direction, but it's green for your body, if you know what I mean.  When it comes to health, I feel trade offs are sometimes necessary.  It certainly is made to last, so I don't see a lot of these ending up in landfills, that's for sure.

I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen year round doing food prep and clean up.  Sometimes my feet, lower back and legs hurt from standing so long on a hard floor.  This mat absorbs the shock and takes the pressure off your lower back.  It really works for me, the comfort level is fantastic.  It provides relief for a variety of different types of pain issues and it feels especially luxurious on bare feet.

Aesthetically, it's nice and simple.  I have the striated black mat and it blends nicely with my stainless and black appliances.  I like the simple clean lines and the striation coordinates well with the striation in my bamboo floors.  The black mat shows any little crumb you might drop on it, but I'm a clean freak anyway, so that is fine, I just sweep it right up.  The mat protects my new floors too, in the kitchen where it needs the most protection.

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the anti-microbial treatment of the bottom of the mat.  I've written about those anti-microbial chemicals before and would really rather they not be present in my home in any form.  However, the comfort is worth the trade off for me and it probably helps keep mold from growing between the floor and mat should any water find it's way underneath.

It's not that thick, incidentally, and the ends stay down so that the chance of hazard from tripping over the mat looks pretty slim.  They come in different colors and textures to match your personal decor, and you can special order the size you need for your space with the designer series.  I have a galley style kitchen, so the extra large mat really works well to cover the three areas I'm in most, in front of the sink, stove, and prep area.

If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, or any other space such as a laundry room or standing work space, check out GelPro HERE for some serious comfort.

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