The coolest thing we saw this week - 12/01/07
By: LMP Editorial Team - December 5th, 2007
Resisting refinishing because it requires hours and hours of sanding and stripping? Think again. Minwax’s new Polyshades is a one-step stain and finish product that takes a lot of the hassle out of refinishing. This new product combines rich stain colour and durable polyurethane protection, and can even be applied over an existing finish. Available in Mission Oak, Classic Black, and American Chestnut. For more information, go to http://www.minwax.com.
pasta, fish, meat, eggs and poultry in minutes. No water is added – the food cooks by steam, which keeps its flavour and colour fresh. These bags stand up on their own base in the microwave (no spills!), and have a tear-off top. A package of ten sells for between $3.49 and $3.99 at major supermarkets. For more information, go to 
The downside is that they are not recyclable or reusable for steaming. But I’ve been washing them out, and using them for storing prepped vegetables and shredded cheese in the fridge. I personally won’t be using them to cook eggs – too rubbery – but I love the Shrimp Pad Thai Soup recipe that Chef Dennis DeRooy created for Glad. So much so that I’ve included it below.
Hands up if you hate vacuuming. Wait - is that a breeze we feel, or is it the whoosh of millions of female hands being hoisted into the air? Well, ladies, put down your arms and pick up a robot. The Roomba 560 is a robotic vacuum that cleans the floors when you tell it to, easily gets to hard-to-reach areas like under beds and coffee tables, automatically adjusts from carpets to hard flooring, and then returns to a charging station when it’s finished the job. We really, really want one…Check it out at 
This year, Home Depot will sell some seven million compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to Canadians, proving just how popular this household item has become. But there’s always been the pesky question of recycling the bulbs, which contain small amounts of mercury. To deal with the disposal issue, the giant retailer is launching a free instore bulb recycling program at all 160 of its locations across the country. As of Nov. 22, Canadians can bring in their used CFLs to any Home Depot, where they’ll find a CFL recycling unit located at the entrance by the special services desk. There, shoppers can place the expired CFLs in a plastic bags provided by HD and deposit it a bin. When the bin is full, the contents are sent to Fluorescent Lamp Recyclers Inc., in Ayr, Ont. IKEA Canada has been recycling CFLs and used batteries through its “Free Take Back” program since 2001.The programs are directed at the 98% of Canadians who, according to a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid for IKEA Canada, do not recycle their CFLs.
A clever idea that looks great and makes sense. Removable peel and stick chalkboard panels! Perfect for use in kids’ rooms, workrooms, and the kitchen - anywhere you want a surface on which to make quick reminder notes and lists, or give children their very own small place to scribble and play. Available in black, purple or green. The same company that makes these also sells wall tattoos in the shape of flowers, butterflies and trees. For more information, go to 
On Saturday, Nov. 3rd and Sunday, Nov. 4th, consumers can bring in a string of incandescent Christmas lights to any Home Depot store in Ontario and get a discount on new LED lights, which use 80 to 90 per cent less energy than traditional light sets. There are lots of stores launching similar programs, so ask your local hardware dealer if he/she has anything similar in the works. 
It’s 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday and you’re regretting the last-minute dinner invitation you made to your boss/mother-in-law/neighbour, having just remembered that your housecleaner has the week off. So you a) phone your would-be guest and say that a sudden onset migraine is forcing you to cancel, b) exhaust yourself with a frantic attempt to tidy up or c) disguise the disarray by dimming the lights and bringing out some beautiful candles and your favourite holder.