Little Perfect Somethings - Agraria TasselAire

I stopped by Saks this afternoon and came across a great new product from Agraria called the TasselAire. Agraria makes wonderful home and personal care products and it doesn't disappoint with the TasselAire. The TasselAire elegantly diffuses fragrance throughout your home. You simply hang it on a doorknob or any other convenient spot in your home. There are eight gorgeous fragrances and my personal favorites are Lemon Verbena and Riviera Pear. The TasselAire is the perfect housewarming gift and can be purchased at Saks, Neiman Marcus, or Agraria for $35.

If you have a great product or service that you would like to be considered for inclusion in our "The Perfect Mother's Day Gift Guide" please email Blog Submissions.

Lois Loves - Ichendorf double walled oil/vinegar carafes

While flipping through the most recent O Magazine, I found the coolest housewarming gift. A new homeowner who loves to entertain will certainly appreciate the Ichendorf double walled oil/vinegar carafes. The carafes are made of handblown glass and appear to have one container floating inside another. The sleek, modern design will add a touch of class to any table. Why not get all three? $19 -$24 at Unica Home.

Lois Loves - A Picnic Trunk

So, I took a little break from posting the last couple of days to enjoy the great weather. As I basked in the sun this weekend, I thought to myself, this is the perfect weather for a picnic in the park. But, before I planned a picnic, I had to buy a picnic basket. I knew I would have no problem finding an inexpensive wicker basket. But, I decided I wanted something classier. I was pleasantly surprised to come across the Picnic Trunk by Neiman Marcus. I love the Picnic Trunk's flyout table. The Trunk also comes with two glasses, two stoneware plates, cutlery for two, cotton napkins, a corkscrew, tablecloth, and salt and pepper shakers. The Picnic Trunk is absolutely perfect for an afternoon picnic in the park. $150.

Lois Loves - Space Saving Wine Racks

If you live in a NYC apartment like I do,
you just don't have a lot of space. I'm
always looking for space saving items that will help keep my apartment organized and reduce clutter. For awhile now, I've contemplated purchasing a wine cabinet or wine rack, but I've found that my choices are restricted because of space constraints. Recently, a friend mentioned that he bought the Mint Wine Knot Rack as a birthday gift for a friend. I fell in love with the design of this wine rack and immediately looked into purchasing it. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who fell in love with it, because it's out of stock at every store I contacted. But, I wasn't deterred, I decided to search for more unique, space-saving wine racks. I was ecstatic when I came across the Puzzle Wine Rack by Gideon Dagan. This fun and modern wine rack is made of ABS polymer and comes in a variety of colors. A single unit stores nine bottles, but multiple units can be assembled to create different rack sizes. $59 for one unit.

Lois Loves - Housewarming Gifts Under $50

Nowadays, its customary to bring a gift to a housewarming party. Finding a nice housewarming gift is a fairly simple task. However, I find that most housewarming gifts tend to be run of the mill. Why not leave your mark on someone's new home with one of these unique gifts?

The Cityscape picture frame makes a great centerpiece. Recipients can use it to display pictures of family, friends, vacations, or anything that suits their fancy. And it's only $13.95.

The Casablanca Lantern from Z Gallerie beautifully displays candles and adds pizazz to any room. $29.95 and $39.95.

Welcome someone to their new home with the "Home Sweet Home" cookie bouquet. $25.10 - $87.95 (price determined by number of cookies purchased).

Lois Loves - Cleaning Services

So, I wake up this morning, take a look around my apartment, and groan. My apartment is in chaos. I know I'm going to have to spend a few hours this weekend cleaning and organizing my apartment. Its a constant struggle to keep my apartment tidy because of the long hours I work. I've toyed with the idea of hiring a cleaning service, but, I admit, I'm a bit hesitant to do so. I'm not quite sure where this hesitation comes from. I have no problem using other services which help make my life easier. I often use Fresh Direct, an online grocery store that delivers your groceries to your door, and Bubbleworks, a pick-up and drop-off laundry service. This morning, I decided to do a little research into cleaning services. I ran an Internet search for cleaning services in the NYC area. I found tons of cleaning services, and learned that some of these companies even offer gift certificates. What a great gift idea for busy professionals, new mothers, or older adults. You can search your local yellow pages for cleaning services in your area and call and see if these companies offer gift certificates, or, you can do your own Internet search. Here are a few cleaning services in the NYC area.

Zen Home Cleaning markets itself as a non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning service. The company charges $35 an hour for first time customers, with a four hour minimum. The company's website doesn't mention gift certificates, but why not call them up and see if you can pre-pay for someone else to use their services. They offer House Cleaning, Spring Cleaning and Professional Organizing. 212-462-2566.

Makai NY serves all five boroughs. In addition to House Cleaning Services, they also offer several Special Services, including Construction Cleaning, Grocery Shopping and Cooking, and Party Set up and Clean up. Makai NY offers gift certificates in denominations of $60.00. 877-282-8050.

Miracle Maids also operates in all five boroughs. Their services include Residential Cleaning, Organizing Closets, Move in/Move out Cleaning, and Laundry and Ironing. 718-369-9000;212-543-1212.

Lois Loves - Cook in Pink

I have a little confession. I LOVE the color pink. I think we could all use a touch of pink in our lives. Ok, ok, so pink isn't for everyone but I think you'll change your mind once you've seen these great pink kitchen appliances and tools. You can pick one or a combination of these products and create a themed gift. They are perfect for the fashionista chef or as housewarming gifts!

For almost a year now I've been obsessing about ice cream makers. Every time I think I'm ready to bite the bullet and purchase an ice cream maker a little voice reminds me that I don't have room for anymore kitchen appliances in my tiny New York City apartment. However, after "stumbling" onto the Cuisinart Pink Classic Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, I think I'm gonna have to give in - I'll find the room for this appliance!!! The Cuisinart ice cream maker retails for $39.99 at www.surlatable.com.




An ice cream maker is a great gift but you've got to sweeten the package. The Zyliss ice cream scoop is the perfect accessory. (Zyliss ice cream scoop, $9.95 at www.surlatable.com.)


Every woman loves to feel like a real chef (well at least some of us do). What better way to feed her ego than to give her a personalized chef's apron. You can get a personalized or monogrammed apron for $34.00 at www.williamssonoma.com.




Another great personalized gift that's perfect for the baker in the family is Williams Sonoma's Personalized Silicone Spatulas. You can get a set of three spatulas for only $22.50.









Ok, so I own a handheld mixer, but I wish I had seen this cutie first. Got to www.amazon.com to purchase the KitchenAid 7-speed Ultra-Power Hand Mixer, $64.99. Its perfect for an aspiring baker with a tiny kitchen.

Graduates of tiny kitchens will definitely appreciate the KitchenAid Artisan 5qt Stand Mixer. You can purchase the KitchenAid Mixer from www.amazon.com, $299.99.



Tea time anyone? Brew water for a perfect pot of tea with this perfect pink kettle. (Le Creuset Pink Whistling Kettle, $60.00 at http://www.surlatable.com/)

If pink is still not your thing, maybe you'll be be inspired to know that purchasing a product from KitchenAid's pink product collection supports the Cook for the Cure program; a program created to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the fight against breast cancer. For more information visit, http://www.kitchenaid.com/content.jsp?sectionId=457.