I had a Big Wheels as a kid. Now, kids today get this super cute and stylish Plasma Car by Bel Bambini. It comes in a rainbow of juicy colors, including pink, red, purple, blue, green and yellow. As I was doing research on the Plasma Car, I also came across the old (now new again) Radio Flyer InchWorm. Anybody remember the 1970 InchWorm jingle?! Ahh, to be a kid again. 
This is probably inspired from my trip to the dentist yesterday, but I love going to the dentist for a good teeth cleaning. My teeth always look so bright and sparkly afterward. I like to keep that sparkle as long as I can, but being an admitted green-tea-oholic, the tannins tend to stain my teeth quickly. Always on the look out for a good whitening toothpaste, I recently tried SuperSmile whitening oral rinse created by Dr. Irwin Smigel, who happens to be known as the "Father of Aesthetic Dentistry." 
This weekend we are headed to the coast to enjoy the remaining days of summer. We typically pack an assortment of goodies to eat throughout the day. The last time we made the trip to Bodega Bay, we stopped off at our favorite Whole Foods Market to pick up some items as well as some forgotten paper plates and utensils.
As a kid, the best part about going back to school was the shopping trip for school uniforms and a new lunch box. The lunch box always seemed to define my connection to what was popular at the time. I had my Holly Hobby, an assortment of Hanna Barbera-themed boxes and then I think I even had a Star Wars lunchbox, or was that my brother? Either way, lunch boxes were a symbol of style, a conversational piece at lunch time, and often packed with goodies and love from mom. Scouting for some Extraordinique items for Back to School this week, I came across EM Tanner Designs, who brings back the lunchbox in a fun and funky way.
Since we have lots of nieces and nephews headed back to school this week, I thought I would feature these personalized retro-inspired lunchboxes so the kids can "kick it old school." 
Stocking our Extraordinique fridge with Light Weight, I've got to say the Pink Grapefruit and Acai Pomegranate are a guilt-free, calorie-burning, preservative-free alternative to diet soda and other sugary juices and "sports" drinks.
In addition to Light Weight, Function also has drinks to boost your immune system, improve your mood, and ease sore muscles after a workout.
This weekend we enjoyed a new creation from TCHO chocolate fondly labeled "Fruity." Pairing our sampling with a nice cabernet, some summer fruit, cheeses and nuts, TCHO's Fruity is a very smooth dark chocolate that has a bittersweet "fruity" undertone, like berries and a hint of cherry. It was delicious with the sweetness of pear and strawberries and rolled beautifully on the tongue with the cabernet.
This
summer, I have been looking to do something fun and dimensional in an
entry way to enhance the space. I have been looking for something with
versatility and personality. dVider decals seem to provide that simple
and artistic solution that can be added for any occasion and refresh
your room's personality in style.
With this post, dVider stickers, in my opinion, can speak for themselves.
"We don't want to take over the world, we just want to share our stickers with it." - dVider
Website | Where to Buy ]]>
I must confess... I am addicted to tea. I drink tea hot, cold, fermented or sparkling. I love rich, strong teas. Green tea, white tea, flavored tea and herbal tea. I drink it as a pick me up and also to relax. I drink tea for digestion, to get a good night sleep and I always reach for tea to help fight a cold. I think I can write about chocoloate all day and have plenty of posts here on Extraordinique to prove it. There's my favorites, like Mariebelle, Vosges, TCHO Beta, and the tasty cacao nibs by sweetriot. Now, to add to my addiction, I've found Alice Chocolate. In their own words, Alice is the "definitive Swiss chocolate experience."
Inspired by Lewis Carroll's famous tale, Alice in Wonderland, Alice is seeking to become a classic brand icon reknown in the world of distinguished and luxury chocolates.
Alice chocolate has a sleek and distinct, sliding case that makes the presentation rich and sexy. The chocolate itself comes from fair and sustainable sourcing from unique ingredients like wild-growing, Criollo, which is harvested manually, deep in the Amazon rainforest. Each bar of Alice chocolate has 68 percent dark Wild Amazonian Criollo.
Extraordinique!
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OK, so right up front, this cool contraption stopped me in my tracks. I want one or at least want to take one for a ride... and soon! I just came across this totally radical scooter / sports "vehicle." Called the Easyglider, this "vehicle" brings a whole new meaning to "people mover." Whether you want to take a leisurely cruise down a parkway or get x-games with inline skates or a skateboard, it seems like the creative minds at Easyglider wanted to design an innovative way to get people from here to there - you apply your own style.
I've got to believe these will become increasingly popular among the "cool kids." Now available in 50 countries, including the U.S., I can't wait to see these around town!
Check out this segment on TV's Beyond Tomorrow to view the Easyglide in action! It kind of puts it all in perspective.
]]>Patio umbrellas tend to come in your standard colors and styles, but to designer and owner of WW & Co., Alison Childress, patio umbrellas don't have to all look the same and can be fun, vibrant and unique. If you like to entertain or just enjoy your own tranquil outdoor living space, give it some flare with a uniquely designed umbrella. You can be festive with "Flamenco" or classic with "Lattice." I personally love the Gerber umbrella, which according to Cottage Living is WW& Co's best seller.
WW & Co. produces high quality outdoor cushions, market umbrellas, and other outdoor fabric accessories by combining great design, unique fabrics, and superior components with the highest quality construction techniques.
]]>Recently, I have been searching to find more of these folios as I have added on and need more to organize and file. I have had no luck until I came across a great boutique, MaiDo on Santana Row.
MaiDo is perfect for people who love art supplies and cool paper products. They have everything from pineapple-scented erasers to high-end albums drafting kits, portfolio supplies and every type of fun, whimsical, artistic and structural binder/folder product you can imagine. I was in "organizational heaven."
Taking in everything they had, not only did I find single pocket and muli-tabbed folios, I found them in every color, pattern and style I could think of.
Unfortunately, MaiDo does not have their own website, but if you are in the Bay Area, you can find them on Santana Row in San Jose or San Francisco on Market at the San Francisco Center.
MaiDo imports and carries a wide array of products from Japan, from fine stationery, gift boxes made from beautiful, traditional Japanese washi paper, high-quality paper notebooks, as well as an extensive selection of writing utensils. Some of their products are even one-of-a-kind or rare items that are difficult or impossible to find anywhere outside of Japan. MaiDo is quite...extraordinique!
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I was drawn to these sweet-smelling and sophisticated soy-based candles at my favorite store, Anthropologie. I stood before a wall of beautifully presented candles searching to buy an "E" for Extraordinique, which is infused with Eucalyptus & Sweet Basil. Unfortunately, they were out of the E, but I bought the L for the sweet smell alone -- made up of lemon verbena and lavender. From A-Z, each of these candles are aromatic and burn cleanly. It's sophisticated packaging and design goes well in any powder room or living space. I think I'll have to try every one of them in the alphabet! I think they make great personalized monogrammed gifts for any occasion as well!
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With such a diverse collection of beautifully hand-crafted glass jewelry made by the most skilled glass artisans of Italy, Yummi Glass is yummy indeed!
I would love nothing more than to do this entire post in pictures to show you some of my favorite rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and cuff links. 
I would describe many of these pieces as exquisite, classic, sophisticated and fun. And, oh yeah, extraordinique!
I feel like I've been on a never ending quest to find a shampoo and conditioner that keeps my hair and scalp healthy. We live in an area that has hard water, so a good shampoo and conditioner are often essential, especially for my color-treated hair.
Getting ready for my day this morning, I thought, I must really, really love Terax. I have 5 bottles of it in my shower from their classic Delicato Shampoo for daily use and Bosco Shampoo, which I use once a week for my scalp. I have one and a half bottles of the Crema Conditioner and I just started to use the Hydrate Botanica, which is a leave in conditioner as well.
Looking on the counter, I realized I also have the Finishing Spray (which I actually don't recommend - it's an aerosol and has a very strong smell). I won't purchase it again until it goes in to a spray pump and they diffuse the smell. It's really very strong.
Acknowledging that I had all of these Terax products, I realize that I really have an affinity for these products. I'm the type to try, test and explore anything in the salon or beauty store, so to have consistently bought so many of one brand of hair care products, means I'm hooked.
If you give Terax a try, let me know what you think. I'm hooked.
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