Shop At Clares Blog

Jungle Butterfly Collection™ Travel Shoe Bags

2011-06-02T22:18:00.046-04:00

The Jungle Butterfly Collection™ is inspired by strong, sassy women who are tough enough to navigate through the everyday jungle.. . . Yet who also have a softer side, capable of gently alighting upon others, quietly charming with grace, elegance and beauty.

They are so cute and so practical and will keep your clothes clean and free of shoe dirt. The micro fiber suede Alova material is soft, durable, and perfect to protect all sizes and styles of shoes. The shoe bags have a double drawstring closure to keep them tightly closed while in your suitcase or while carrying them around. With a circular peek-a-boo window you do not have to guess what pair of shoes are packed inside, you can see them. Plus each bag comes with a matching cleaning cloth to brush off dirt and give your shoes an extra shine.

Available in four sizes of single bags and 2 sizes of double shoe bags these will accommodate your entire travel shoe needs. The double bags are designed to accommodate two pairs of shoes or a pair of boots or athletic sneakers. Each peek-a-boo window is accented with a colorful butterfly that adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the shoe bags. Whether you choose zebra, giraffe, or leopard or all three, you will absolutely love this collection.

Commuting workers love these bags and use them to carry their professional work shoes (aka heels) while they wear their comfortable walking shoes to get to work. Customers have used them for purposes other than as a shoe tote. Kids love them for carrying all sorts of kid-stuff and toys. The uses are endless for this collection of small, medium, large, and jumbo bags in single shoe bags or small and medium bags in the double shoe bag design.

Designed and sewn in Berks County, Pennsylvania, these Made in the USA shoe tote bags are a perfect addition to your travel accessories.

See the whole Jungle Butterfly Collection™ at ShopAtClares. Order these wild travel shoe bag totes for friends, family and all importantly, for YOURSELF.

Made in USA - Custom Ironing Board Covers

2010-07-13T14:19:00.013-04:00

Shop At Clares takes pride in offering products that fill our customers unique needs, so custom made ironing board covers - Made in the USA- are one of our newest ventures. After years of customers asking us to help them find replacement ironing board covers for their older or odd sized ironing boards, we decided the best solution for all would be to custom make the covers.

We tapped into the host of experienced seamstresses that are abundant in our Berks County, PA community. Our covers are expertly crafted from 100% natural cotton canvas duck (7.5 oz weight), with a nylon cord drawstring fitted with a cord stop for ensuring a taut fit. Sewn to fit your board, from a small sleeve board up to a board that is 20 inches wide; it can even be modified for a drop-down board with no back. Also, perfect for those of who prefer a cover that tightens with a drawstring instead of elastic edges.

The natural cotton cover is specifically made from a tracing of your ironing board surface that you send to us. Our seamstresses then cut and sew the cover to the exact dimensions of your ironing board. Use the cover alone, with your existing padding, or purchase an optional, 6mm thick fiber pad.

Of course, we continue to offer a wide assortment of ready made covers in a variety of sizes and patterns for ironing boards that can be fitted with a standard size and shape. Check out all of our ironing board covers, including custom made covers & pads, in our e-store.

Here are a few of the comments from customers who ordered our custom covers:

"Received the order three days ago. It was in good condition and as requested. Thanks for your efforts. I will do future business with your company and recommend you to my friends."

"The cover arrived this morning, so it's on and operating! Thanks so much for tackling this for me. It's just right!"

"Thank you so much for my ironing board cover. It fits so good it was so nice to put that on and have it fit perfectly. You did a great job. "

"Thank you for the excellent job on the ironing board cover! Also thanks for the friendly service. Keep up the good work."

"Best fitting ironing board cover I have ever had and I have had many! If and or when I need another one I will go back to Clares to replace it. Well worth the money...."

For more information or to place an order visit our website www.ShopAtClares.com or call us at 800.963.8112.

Admiral Miu Loves Blue

2010-04-02T10:15:00.010-04:00

.....blankets, that is!

This photo is too cute for words and those of you who have cats know how much they make us laugh and smile. This photo is from Lenelle, one of our customers who recently purchased several of our plaid Over-sized Wool Blend Blankets, including the blue one in this photo. We don't know if she is going to buy another blanket just for the cat or, like all true cat lovers, just relinquish it to Admiral Miu.

Look in our ShopAtClares.com store for more of these extra large lambswool/acrylic blend Wooly Bully#INDBLNK blankets that people and pets love - to snuggle, cuddle, and hide!

Accessorize Your Ironing Board for Safety and Convenience

2010-02-25T14:29:00.010-05:00

We know what you are thinking....not another blog about ironing! It seems we have been writing about this topic for most of the Winter, but what else is there to do to keep warm while watching the snow fall...again and again and again?

Ironing is something most of us hate to do, but we must do, unless we want to have that "slept in our clothes" look. Today's fashions are made from cool and comfortable fabrics such as cotton, rayon, and linen which are prone to wrinkling. Shop At Clares offers a variety of ironing accessories that will make this necessary task easier, quicker, safer, and a little more tolerable.

We love the ironing blankets by Household Essentials and Polder for travel and home use. These extra large ironing pads have an easy-glide, silicone coating which allows your iron to move with ease and a non-slip foam backing that prevents the blanket from moving while you iron. These pads are perfect for a quick touch-up without having to haul out and set up the ironing board. Although many hotels now provide in-room ironing boards and irons, the ironing board covers are usually scorched or full of starch. By laying an ironing blanket on top of the board you will have a clean surface to protect your clothes.

If you do a lot of sewing or iron a lot of shirts, then you may already know about the benefits of having a sleeve board. For those of you who do not, these are one of the best inventions, since the ironing board. Though not big enough to use as a table top ironing board, they are a great accessory for your regular ironing board. Household Essentials has designed one with a natural cover and foam pad that are installed over a sturdy wooden board. With no-scuff legs you can set it up anywhere, and it works well set on top of your own ironing board. Then, like your ironing board, it folds flat for easy storage.

Another important ironing accessory is a protective ironing pressing pad. These pads are a better solution than a dish towel for ironing delicate fabrics. No only do they protect your clothing from scorch and shine marks, they protect your iron plate from metal zippers and snaps. Household Essentials has designed one that is see-thru and machine washable. You should keep two of these on hand, so that while one is being laundered the other one can be used to protect your garments.

Safety is a big issue when using a hot iron and we highly recommend that everyone have an Iron Rest on their ironing board. Many of the boards being sold these days come with an iron rest already attached, and understandably so, as they help to prevent senseless accidents. These metal and silicone rests provide a safe place to park your hot iron to keep it from accidentally tipping and falling off of the board. If your ironing board did not come with one of these already attached, then our clamp on iron rest by Polder is something you really should invest in for both safety and convenience. The open, angled center of the iron rest has four heat resistant silicone pads that hold your iron in either an upright or angled position. The rail around the edge of the iron rest provides an added measure of safety, plus a convenient place to hang clothes after they have been ironed.

Need to tighten up your ironing board cover? Try using our set of elastic straps by Home Essentials. Each of the four suspender style straps is adjustable and tightly grip the opposite edges of your ironing board cover to pull it taunt giving you a tight and smooth ironing surface.

What to do about that iron cord, that always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! You can throw it over your shoulder or you can use a cord minder. Cord minders eliminate cord tangles and keep your cord from dragging through your freshly ironed garments. One of the best we've found is the deluxe foldable iron cord minder by Polder. This particular cord minder is 20 inches high and has a heavy duty chromed metal clamp that tightens with an easy-to-turn, threaded nylon bushing. There are nylon holders at the top and bottom of this cord minder for threading your iron's cord to keep it safely out of the way.

Another accessory we feel the need to mention, although not really used for ironing, are hangers. However, you need some specially designed hangers like the Bumps Be Gone bendable foam hangers. These hangers are great for drying shirts, tops, and even sweaters by letting them drip dry with less wrinkling. Their bendable arms can be shaped to fit small and large shirts alike, while the soft, rounded design prevents those unsightly dents that show up in the shoulders of your garments when they are hung on regular hangers. The extra thick arms allow for more air flow inside the garment for faster drying time.

To save time ironing pressing pants and jeans promptly remove them from the dryer, folding the legs together and hanging them by the cuffs on trouser hangers. We suggest the skirt /pant hangers by Honey Can Do, with non-slip grips to allow your pants to hang with minimal wrinkling. These hangers come in a soft-touch plastic style or a wooden style with a cherry or maple finish. If you hang pants this way in your closet, you will be able to avoid having to re-iron them before wearing.

View all of these great accessories in our ShopAtClares e-commerce store.

The Ups and Downs of Ironing Boards

2010-02-03T15:13:00.014-05:00

Ironing is a chore that you either love, hate, or tolerate. However, there is a sense of accomplishment when you have wrestled those wrinkles and have a clean, crisp shirt to wear. I remember our mom setting up the ironing board in front of the TV and spending a morning or two ironing everything from that week's load of clean wash (sheets and dad's t-shirts included). I also remember a point in time, when she hired a lady to do the ironing - guess she was tired of that feeling of accomplishment!

In this day and age, we have several choices to make regarding what type of ironing board to purchase to meet our ironing needs. But first we must mention, the classic, in a pinch, old standby of a laying a towel on a table for an instant "ironing board". There is an upscale version of this primitive board, called an ironing blanket, which has a coated surface to protect your table from the steam and heat of your iron. However, if you are into ironing your towels, then this style would work for you, as you could do both at the same time.

Types of ironing boards on today's market include free-standing, table-top, over the door, built-in, wall mounted, and ironing centers. You need to consider how often you will use your ironing board, where you will be doing most of your ironing, and how much space is available for storing and using it. Price could also be a factor, but keep in mind that a quality ironing board should last forever, so your first board may be your only board. Naturally this does not mean that the table-top board you purchased for your dorm room will be your one an only, we are referring to the ironing board you purchase when you have set up a more permanent living space bigger than 12 x 12 feet!

Free-standing ironing boards are the most common ones found in American households. They are sturdy enough so they won't collapse while ironing, while lightweight enough to be easily moved from room to room. One advantage of these ironing boards is the ability to adjust the height of the board, whether to accommodate different users or to allow you to stand or sit while ironing. Another advantage is the amount of ironing surface, as these boards are usually wider and longer than any other type of board. These often come with an attached iron rest for storing your iron - hot or cold - while giving you a place to hang your newly ironed shirts.

Table-top ironing boards are perfect for college dorms, apartments, and RVs. The short legs allow it to be placed on a table, counter, or even the floor and they give the board a solid, sturdy base for ironing. Although they have a small ironing surface, they do the job for most ironing needs, just don't try to do a sheet on one. Advantages of these boards are that they are lightweight, easy to set up, and can be stored in a closet or under a bed. A favorite of ours is the reversible table-top board with a large rectangular ironing surface on one side and a sleeve board and tapered surface on the flip side. Several table-top models come with an iron rack that gives you a safe place to park your hot iron as you prepare your clothes for de-wrinkling.

Over-the-door ironing boards are popular for dorms and sewing rooms, but they have some safety issues that do not make them a good choice for most ironing tasks. The main issue with these is that even with the door is tightly closed, the board will have a little movement to it, which could cause the iron to fall over. Even more disastrous is if someone should open the door while you are ironing on the other side. Whether right handed or left handed, the position of your door and available space, may make it difficult for you to stand behind it to comfortably iron. These over-the-door models are not sturdy enough for heavy duty ironing, but they do work well in a pinch, if mounted properly and used with extreme caution.

Built-in ironing boards are becoming more popular to keep the less often used, but still a necessity, board out of site and out of mind. A built in board can either be mounted in a cabinet or in a drawer, which makes them easy to set up and put away. These ironing boards are smaller than a free standing board, but are very sturdy and functional for your everyday ironing needs. The cost of these boards varies significantly, based on the type of cabinet, material used for the cabinet, and the size of the board. If you did not have the luxury of installing a built-in board when you designed your home, there are cabinet enclosed boards from a variety of manufacturers that can be mounted against a wall in any room. Should you decide to rearrange your room, these can be removed and mounted on another wall or even another room. Although not impossible to remove, the custom built-ins are a little harder to rearrange.

Wall-mounted, stow-away boards are becoming more practical and more popular for apartments, homes, RVs and even hotels. These wall-mounted ironing boards are particularly convenient where space is limited, as they can be stored away flat against the wall and can be installed in confined areas, hallways, even walk-in closets. One important feature is that they can be mounted on any wall at any height to accommodate individual needs and are especially practical for people in wheelchairs or those who like to sit when they iron. They are huge time-savers, taking only a few seconds to open up and put away, avoiding the need to carry the board and unfold awkward collapsible legs. Wall-mounted ironing boards are strong and sturdy, and some manufacturers have designed them to swivel at any angle into a convenient position for ironing, which allows them to accommodate right-handed or left-handed ironing styles.

The final ironing board we would like to mention is more than a board, it is a mobile ironing center, a relatively new concept on the market and one of our favorites. Better Lifestyle has designed a solidly built unit that when folded up can be stored out of the way and out of sight under the disguise of it's full cover. The center has a full size board, with an iron rest, a laundry bag to store the clean laundry until ready to iron, wire racks to hold the freshly ironed clothing or ironing supplies, and a rack for hanging shirts and skirts after they have been ironed. Perhaps our mother would have ironed longer (and felt more accomplished) if she had one of these to wheel out in front of the TV.

Better Lifestyle, Polder and Whitney Design are the manufacturers of boards that we have chosen to sell on our eCommerce site based on quality, design, and price. The sizes, shapes, and styles that each of these manufactures has to offer are different enough to address the needs and likes of our customers.

See all of our "selling what we like and liking what we sell"
ironing boards in our ShopAtClares.com store.

Happy New Year ~ Happy Ironing!!!

2010-01-05T18:07:00.009-05:00

First and foremost ShopAtClares would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. For us 2009 went by too quickly and here we are another year older and wiser. Definitely older - maybe wiser!

We have decided to forgo the typical blogs about New Year's resolutions, especially if they have to do with the losing weight. We gave up on that one years ago. Barb has a sign on her refrigerator that says " I try to lose weight, but it keeps finding me"! What we have decided to do for our first blog of 2010, is to help our friends, family and customers make informed choices that will make their day to day lives easier. Don't panic, this is not a lecture about how to live you life - this is about how to choose the right ironing board cover.

A good ironing board should last decades, some even a lifetime and more. However, a cover will need to be replaced every couple of years. Covers come in many different shapes, sizes, materials, and patterns that are designed for a variety of ironing styles. Of course, choosing an ironing board cover is a matter of personal taste, but any cover should be smooth and permeable to heat and steam. How often you iron and what you iron will determine what kind of cover you need to purchase.You may also want to consider having different types of covers for your different ironing needs - this is especially true for people who sew or quilt.

Covers with non-stick or reflective surfaces have been designed to reflect the heat from your iron upwards from the cover and back into your garment. Not only does it speed up the ironing process, but with a lower heat setting on your iron you are less likely to ruin delicate fabrics. Another plus about these reflective surface covers is that they are stain and scorch-resistant, which not only keeps them looking nice, but makes them last longer. Although these are great for everyday ironing, our sewers and quilters do not like them for the main reason that fabric slides around and makes it more difficult to turn and press an edge.

Natural unbleached cotton ironing board covers are very popular for everyday ironing and very practical for sewing and quilting. Your clothes and fabrics will stay put and not slide around or off of your ironing board. These are usually a thicker material like canvas or duck cloth, very durable and washable.

Covers made of 100% cotton come in a variety of solid colors and patterns to add some spunk and class to your ironing board. Printed and colored cotton covers are usually made of a thinner fabric than the unbleached cotton covers. While some people love the florals, stripes, and patterns on these boards, others do not! One of the main complaints is that the pattern shows through the item you are ironing and makes it difficult to see what is still wrinkled.

Typically, the padding that comes with an ironing board cover is made from felt or foam and ranges in thickness from 4 mm to 8 mm. While both are good surfaces for ironing, foam provides a strong surface, which makes it easier to push your iron along the board, while felt provides a soft and smooth ironing surface with fewer bumps or puckers. More importantly you must be careful to purchase a cover and padding that is thick enough to prevent the mesh marks from the ironing board from showing up on your freshly ironed clothes.

Most covers are now being manufactured with the bungee fastening style, but you can still find the drawstring versions. If the iron rest is detachable, then the bungee style would be fine, as long as you can reattach the iron rest with the cover installed. The drawstring type allows you to adjust the tightness of your cover, and usually installs without any problems in-between the board and any iron rest. Whichever style you choose or can find, both can be tightened up with adjustable elastic garter straps that attach to the cover underneath your board and pull the underside closer together.

To read our complete guide for ironing board covers, check out our
How-To-Guide on our website ShopAtClares.com
or our How to Choose the Right Ironing Board Cover on wikiHow.com

Forget the Fruit... Here are Unique Stocking Stuffers to Delight Young and Old

2009-11-29T16:01:00.015-05:00

We admit it.... we used to stuff grapefruit and oranges in the bottom of our family's Christmas stockings. We had to do this, because there never seemed to be enough little presents to make the stocking look like the ones pictured on Christmas cards. This continues to be a problem every year, we get so caught up in the big gifts, that we forget about those little ones to fill that stocking. So we have come up with a list of unique ideas for practical items to stuff into those stockings that will delight all the good gals and guys....and will make your Christmas stockings look picture perfect!

Although more expensive than a grapefruit, one of Jonathan's Wild Cherry Spoons would be a memorable gift for any age. Some suggestions for the kids would be kid-sized cheaters chopsticks, a Spiral Sugar Spoon, or his famous Lazy Spoon for Kids. For the adults, there are so many choices - toaster tongs, Spootles, Lazy Ladles, folding salad servers, coffee scoops, chopsticks, and of course, his famous Original Lazy Spoon.

Wooden spoon wax is not something people pick up for themselves. This little tin of first aid for your wooden spoons and utensils would make a welcome gift for any cook. The coconut oil and beeswax concoction that Jonathan's Spoons offers not only protects and enhances the beauty of any woodenware, but it smells so good - similar to a pina colada!

Everyone should get a new toothbrush at least once a year, so why not at Christmas? An eco-friendly toothbrush by Radius is perfect for the kids, adults, and seniors, even those with dentures. The Original design toothbrush comes in adult and kid-sized versions, with an ergonomic handle that makes it easy to grasp for comfortable brushing. Plus, these are eco-friendly as the cellulose handles are made from trees and processed from sustainable yield forests. Their Intelligent Toothbrush has a built in timer and wear meter, with an easy to grip and grasp handle.

D-Fuzz It Sweater and Fabric Combs have been around forever, but not everyone has one or even knows about them. These little combs are ideal for making your pilled sweaters look like new. I have had mine for over 40 years and it still works like it did when it was new. Absolutely simple, no motors, and no batteries required!

Kitchen Timers sound boring, but are so useful that you should rethink this gift idea. The portable digital timers allow you to walk anywhere around your house, while you are baking, and still be able to hear the timer and get to the oven before your brownies burn!. I don't know about you, but the volume on my oven timer is too low to be heard when I am multi-tasking in the laundry room or vacuuming the rug in an upstairs bedroom. There are also some very cute, upscale, wind up timers in the shape of a chicken - they too are portable and a great conversation piece.

Some greatly appreciated items for stocking stuffers (at least for the ladies) are any of the products from Hollywood Fashion Tape and Foot Petals. The Red Carpet collection of double-sided clothing tape comes in a cute little purse-like box and can be used for a variety of fashion issues. A Take Along Tin of double-sided clothing tape strips fit nicely in any size purse, and has more uses than just for gapping blouses and loose hems. Their Tag Tamers are for both young and old, who can't stand those itchy and scratchy clothing tags found in the neckline of tops. The full line of Foot Petals cushions for shoes will fit in one Christmas stocking. With wild animal prints, pink hearts, soft butter cream - to name a few colors - these cushions for your toes, heels, and arches will be a welcome addition to any shoe wardrobe.

Now, for the men - how about an instant read BBQ thermometer? These are compact, reliable, easy to read and they fit nicely into a Christmas stocking. Of course, these can be used in the kitchen, too - lucky you if you have a man-chef. Thinking of food, naturally brings wine to mind, so a gift boxed waiter-style corkscrew by Picnic Time will certainly be a welcome gift. We do not recommend stuffing a bottle of wine in the stocking (too heavy), but a gift certificate to a local winery would tuck nicely into it.

Here's a idea for everyone in the family - a sheepskin seat belt cover! Put one of these in each stocking and you can keep those oranges in the fruit bowl. This thick and soft cover makes the shoulder strap on a seat belt more tolerable for adults and kids. They easily and securely attach with a Velcro closure to prevent the seat belt strap from digging into the shoulder and irritating the skin.

Then again, if you don't have enough to fill up the stockings....get out the oranges and grapefruit and maybe an apple or two.

Find all of these and much more in our ShopAtClares e-commerce store:
Jonathan's Spoons
Radius Toothbrushes
D Fuzz It Sweater Combs
Kitchen Timers
Foot Petals
Hollywood Fashion Tape
BBQ Thermometers
Corkscrews
Sheepskin Seat Belt Covers

Holiday GiftsThat Senior Citizens Will Not Forget

2009-11-10T21:32:00.019-05:00

What gift to give grandma and grandpa is a dilemma that faces all families at the holidays. They have everything, need nothing, have limited space, but love to feel that someone cares enough to take time to find the perfect gift for them. We have some suggestions for practical gifts for the elderly that will not be forgotten after the holidays.

PikStiks are one of the handiest tools ever invented, for both old and young. These enable you to retrieve items from the top shelf of a cupboard or closet, without standing on a chair and pick up items that are on the floor or out of reach, without having to get up from the sofa. Our dad lives at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown and suggests these to his friends and neighbors as a must have for every household.

Tag Tamers by Hollywood Fashion Tape are a wonderful gift for all senior citizens because they keep scratchy clothing tags from irritating their sensitive skin. Yes - you could cut out the tags, but there is always a little left at the seam and even that can be more irritating than the whole tag itself.

Sheepskin seat belt covers are usually not something you think of as a gift, but these are so comfortable that they will thank you over and over for these covers. While on sheepskin ideas, a sheepskin wheelchair pad is perfect for someone who is wheelchair bound. However, these can also be used on a living room chair for extra comfort and warmth and make great gifts for pets to take a cat nap or use as a dog bed.

Wall mounted ironing boards by Better LifeStyle are not only a space saver, but a labor saver for the older generation. As we get older and wiser there seems to be less and less items that we feel we need to iron. We get tired of putting up and taking down those clumsy ironing boards just to iron a shirt!

Fleece blanket throws by Room It Up are always an appreciated gift, especially when paired with a book or movie. A fleece blanket is lightweight, easy to fold, easy to wash, and keeps you warm and comfy on those long, lonely winter nights.

Sliding cabinet organizers are such a great addition to any kitchen, that we feel compelled to mention them as a holiday gift idea. We know this may seem like a weird idea, but think about it for a while. The variety of Glidz cabinet organizers would help all older people with storing and retrieving cooking pots and cleaning supplies, without having to get on their hands and knees to try to find something in the back of the cabinet. Of course, someone would have to help with the installation of these, but think how wonderful it would be for them to find and reach everything.

Shopping cart trolleys were originally designed for people who walk to the corner grocery store or frequent farmer's markets - like city folks and many Europeans. But they are not just for hauling groceries, they are perfect for transporting laundry to the laundry room or outdoors to the clothesline, for hauling groceries from the car to the house, and for moving a pile of stuff from one room to another.

All of these suggestions are for gifts that will surely be appreciated by senior citizens, however, they should also be considered as practical gift ideas for anyone on your holiday list. Make this holiday gift giving season one that your family and friends will thank you for all through the year.

Shop for all of these gift ideas and many more at our Shop At Clares e-commerce store.

Practical Holiday Gifts for Children is Not an Oxymoron!

2009-11-04T19:05:00.017-05:00

When we were kids, every year we got a new pair of pajamas for Christmas, practical, yes - appreciated, no - at least not back then! ShopAtClares.com has unique practical gift ideas that your kids will love, maybe not right away, but certainly after they have played with those "As Seen on TV" toys for a couple of minutes.

Lap Desks by Room It Up are not only practical for sitting on the floor or couch and doing homework, but are sanity savers in the car. The built in cup holder can be used for snacks, a drink, or crayons so that the kids can entertain themselves on those long boring trips. They are kid safe and lightweight enough for even a toddler to carry it around.

A Folding Step Stool by Whitney Design - yes we said step stool. Barb's grandchildren have found so many uses for this stool that she had to buy a set for her house and a set for them to use at home. Lightweight and easy to fold, they carry these around the house to reach the bathroom sink to brush their teeth or the kitchen sink to help with dishes. But the best is when they use their imagination and the stool becomes a table for a dolly tea party, with an old dish towel as a tablecloth, a garage for a toy fire truck and a place for action figures to crawl in, out, and on top of! Then when it is quiet time, they make great little seats for watching their favorite Disney Shows.

Cheaters Chopsticks for Kids by Jonathan's Wild Cherry Spoons do not seem like something a kid would want for Christmas, but what an accomplishment when they have finally managed to pick up a piece of hotdog or macaroni. Even picky eaters we have fun and forget the purpose of the meal, to eat food! One day Barb's granddaughter, Grace, wanted to pull the weeds out of her patio planters, so to keep her busy and develop her fine motor skills, she gave her a set of chopsticks and told her to start picking out the weeds. She had so much fun and was very disappointed that there was no more weeds to pull. Jonathan has also designed a kid-sized Lazy Spoon for kids who love to help with cooking and baking, even if it is just pretend - they have a spoon just like mommy and grandma (or daddy & grandpa).

Pop-up Spring Form Laundry Hampers are not just for laundry! These easy to open hampers can be used for storing toys, stuffed animals, balls or just about anything that you need to put out of sight. Empty one out and it makes a great cave to crawl into and read a book or just to hide away for a quiet moment or too. Dollies love to sleep in there and action figures can plan their next set of maneuvers. Warning: adults should not try this - the hampers aren't big enough and the kids always find you anyway.

Hanging Jewelry / Crafts Pocket Organizer has so many uses for kids toys that we are only going to mention a few and your imagination can do the rest! Keep in mind that not only does it teach kids how to organize, but lets them have fun while picking up the play room. Easy to hang on a wall or in the closet to keep them out of sight and out of mind from little hands that should "not touch my toys"! Here's our short list: Hot Wheels, Polly Pockets, miniature farm animals and dinosaurs, Star Wars and Playmobil Figures, Disney Fairies, magnetic letters and numbers, Legos, sports cards and .... the rest is up to you.

Wall Hooks and Hanging Racks by Regal Art & Gift, though not something to play with, these are so cute and colorful that kids will want to hang up their clothes and toys. With pets, bugs, birds, reptiles and fish there has to be one that will delight your young ones. Think bedroom, bathroom, hallway, even on the inside of a door or closet. Just be sure to hang them kid height so they can reach them all by themselves

The Collapsible Market Baskets by Room It Up are lightweight, easy to carry, and hold lots of anything. Put in a blanket to make a dolly bed, pack up some toys to take along to grandma's house, stash some snacks for the playground, take to the grocery store to let them help with the shopping, or find some bean bags to toss into them. And of course, you can use the market baskets for a picnic at the park or beach - which is way more fun than playing with toys.

A Fluffly Fleece Throw by Room It Up is a great gift for those little nappers - young and old. But is even a better gift when paired with a book - the older kids can snuggle up in a chair and read, while the younger ones can snuggle up on grandma's lap and listen to their favorite storybooks - over and over again!

See all of these practical gift suggestions in
ShopAtClares e-Commerce store.

Regal Art & Gift's Colorful Decor to Brighten Up a Dreary Season

2009-10-18T16:11:00.028-04:00

Do you know what a group of turkeys is called? Some use the term flock, some say gang, but according to WikiAnswers it is a rafter of turkeys. So, we suggest you add a rafter of turkeys to your yard or garden with our cleverly designed Jiggle Wings Turkey Stakes. They look especially cute stuck in a bale of hay - which can then be recycled into your vegetable garden as compost and a weed inhibitor.

Considering time as a cherished commodity - we are always looking for ways to decorate for the Fall holidays and preserving as much time as possible to share with family and friends. Regal Art & Gift has a unique selection of colorful Fall and Thanksgiving decorations that are easy to put up, easy to store, and can be used from the beginning of October to the end of November. Not only does this save you time, but it saves you money and allows you to recycle them from year to year without looking like they have been used before!

Orange pumpkins can be spotted in the fields of Berks County, PA around September. Many are left there for families to enjoy the thrill of picking out their own pumpkins or get harvested to be sold at local roadside stands. The orange metal art pumpkins that we offer for sale, look almost real and can displayed both indoors or outdoors. They even have a place for a candle to shine through the cutout swirls.

Make a sculpted metal art turkey the centerpiece of your dining room table or anywhere you have a space that needs a little character. Place a candle inside for a beautiful glow - even without the light within, this is a beautiful piece of art. Better yet, place a couple of our lantern pumpkins around the turkey for a bigger and brighter Thanksgiving display.

In our area the gardens look very dreary this time of year, but we spruce them up with some colorful mums, cute garden stakes, whimsical jiggle wing stakes, a bale of hay, some cornstalks, and a scarecrow or two. Speaking of scarecrows...we must admit that our Regal Art & Gift crows are too cute, so we don't want to scare them away. Plus the scarecrows are too good looking to scare anything away, but they certainly make our garden a lot brighter.

Welcome your family and friends as they come to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with one of our welcome signs hung on your fence, in your foyer, or on a special holder for your yard. In fact, we suggest that you keep several signs on hand, to change like flags, for the different seasons and holidays.

Find these Fall and Thanksgiving metal art decorations,
plus many more from Regal Art & Gift, in our ShopAtClares.com store.

Haunting Halloween Easy Decorating Ideas

2009-09-22T19:39:00.023-04:00

Leaves in hues of red, orange and yellow...witches, vampires, ghosts, bats, skeletons, pumpkins, and scarecrows are the signs that Fall and Halloween are upon us. We grew up in Towanda, PA, nestled in the heart of the Endless Mountains, where the colors of Fall abound! It was such a beautiful time of year, even though we knew that the whiteness of snow would soon follow. Although the colorful leaves and white snow paint a pretty picture, there is a lot of work to cleaning up those gifts from Mother Nature. We were young and naive and for a 50 cents would rake the leaves or shovel the snow.

Fall Festivals and Halloween celebrations are also a big part of the beautiful Fall season. Back then, we made our own costumes and could safely go around the whole town gathering candy and homemade goodies. Everyone made decorations for their homes and the stores even had window painting contests. The Halloween parade was a huge deal with floats made by every school and community organization, bands from high schools throughout the county, and kids, adults, and animals marching for prizes. Oh, the good old days!

Things are very different nowadays, with store bought costumes, trick or treating only in the safety of your neighborhood, and very few towns having a parade. Thankfully, people still decorate with pumpkins, black cats, bats, corn stalks, monsters, witches, spiders and ghosts. Some people even put up their Christmas decorations before the snow and cold weather arrive and the towns start to take on a magical glow from all the lights and decorations.

Though no longer homemade, one nice thing about the decorations people use today is that they can be recycled from year to year and left up longer than the decorations of yesteryear. Regal Art and Gift has designed some fun and colorful characters and decor that are durable enough for the outdoors, but elegant enough to grace the inside of your home and even be a centerpiece for a table.

Welcome your guests and trick or treaters, with a welcome sign that can be hung on a sign post, a fence, a wall, or a door. Keep several with one for each season of year, then you will have a beautiful display that is easy to update with each holiday or season. Spook up your foyer or front of your house, with some colorful and cute pieces of 3-D wall art.

Decorative garden stakes come in many sizes and shapes and can be "planted" in your garden or yard or can be displayed on your porch or in your home, in a special stand. The jiggle stakes and jiggle wings stakes, and they do jiggle, can be grouped together in your yard or stuck in a planter to peek out amongst the leaves. If you have a big pumpkin that you'd like to spiff up, then stick some of the jiggle stakes into the top of the pumpkin, for a cute outdoor decoration on your porch or front yard.

With three sizes of pumpkin lanterns you can make a beautiful display that will last forever. There is room for battery operated candles to make your pumpkins light up and delight young and old, while not being a fire hazard. Add a sculpted 3-D metal black cat to your pumpkins for Halloween, then pack up the cat and leave the pumpkins out for Fall and into Thanksgiving.

No matter how you celebrate or how you decorate, Halloween is just one of those fun holidays that gets us ready for the whirlwind of the continuous celebrations between the end of October into the New Year.

Shop for all of these haunting (but cute) decorations
in our Shop at Clares store.

Tailgating - A Sport Within A Sport

2009-09-02T16:34:00.025-04:00

We are talking about the parking lot parties at sporting events and not referring to an annoying and dangerous driving habit! No longer reserved for pre-game celebrations, these food fests continue during and after the games, with some people never setting foot in the stadium. And why not, sometimes the tailgating parties are better than the games, especially if your team is losing? Foods can range from burgers and soda to caviar and champagne - it doesn't matter what you serve, but always take a little more than you think you need, as you will surely meet some friends to share your fare. Plus you will be eating all day, especially if there are delays or overtime involved in your sport.

Coolers come in all sizes, shapes, and materials. We like the coolers on wheels and love them even more when they include complete table service, but we adore the Vulcan Portable Tailgating Grill Set by Picnic Time with a cooler, a grill, and BBQ utensils all packed on one wheeled cart. As far as BBQ utensils, for tailgating purposes, you will need tongs, a fork, and a turner. Having these tools in a handy carry case is especially nice for safety and ease of transportation.

Although commercials would lead one to believe that sports fans only drink beer, this is definitely not the case (pun intended). Beer, wine, cocktails, soda, and coffee all need to be considered as refreshments and all need to be portable. For the beer, wine coolers, and sodas Picnic Time has a Neoprene Insulated Six Pack Tote that will allow you to move around the parking lot and take your drinks with you. The wine and liquor bottles are more difficult to travel with, but anything from a single bottle tote to a six bottle carrier on wheels will make that job easier. Picnic Time has designed the Manhattan Leatherette Case that has the martini glasses and bar accessories packed neatly inside. Thankfully, MIU France designed elegant and practical stainless steel wine and martini glasses that won't break should you get too excited and knock them over. For the coffee lover, the best thing is Picnic Time's Shoulder Tote Java Express Set for 2, which is especially nice if you don't like drinking out of Styrofoam. Besides keeping your coffee hot it can be used for those non-party times... called work.

Chairs should be portable, comfortable, and functional - Picnic Time makes the ultimate sports chair that meets all of these requirements. With attached side tables and a pocket organizer for storage and these chairs are sturdy enough to hold a 300 pound sports fan. Should you need extra room to set out food, a portable folding picnic table does the trick and you can use the seats for serving or for sitting.

Along with seating, you will need a couple of blankets with a waterproof backing to use for warmth, as a cushion, as a tablecloth and as a cover in case of rain or snow. For those ticket holders sitting on bench style seats take along a padded stadium seat or a folded blanket for your bottomly comfort.

Use the links below to view our favorite Tailgating Products:

Wine & Spirit Totes
Coffee & Tea Thermos
BBQ Grills & Utensils
Coolers & Totes
Sports Chairs
Picnic Tables
Waterproof Blankets
Portable Cocktail Sets

How to Survive Your College Dorm Space...Rather Lack Thereof!

2009-08-20T10:25:00.021-04:00

Space saving and storage solutions for the college dorm....think closet organizers, under-the-bed storage, shoe racks and decorative key and wall hooks. The Shop at Clares team has decades of experience with those little dorm rooms! To prepare yourself for this venture, we recommend that you move into your home closet for about four weeks prior to arriving at school. We promise that this will help make your dorm room seem HUGE.

First and foremost...you can't take it all. Don't even try! Pack light and only the bare necessities and we all agree that the cell phone, iPod, and computer are necessities. If you have a laptop, rather than a desktop computer, then you are even further a head in the space game.

The ultimate solution for extra dorm space is bed risers that allow for extra storage underneath your bed. Corrugated plastic storage boxes are a durable and colorful way to store any of your belongings under your bed. If you are lucky enough to have a loft bed, several of these boxes can be stacked on top of each other. Students have used them to lug clothing to and from home, because they fit nicely in a trunk or back seat of the car. Then when they get back to school they just slide them under the bed - no need to unpack.

Clothing...Only bring the clothing for the current season with you. Switch out tank tops for sweaters when you go home for the holidays. If you have to store clothes at school, but won't need them for a couple of months, then vacuum storage bags will save you tons of space. They can be stored in the closet on a shelf or on the floor, or even under the bed, while keeping your clothes dust and dirt free.

Shoes...storage for these comes in all sorts of styles: hanging pocket organizers, under the bed boxes, revolving shoe trees, stacking shoe racks and of course, the easiest...thrown in the bottom of your closet. Crocs and flip flops do well when thrown in a box, such as the corrugated storage boxes we mentioned earlier. Other, more organized solutions for shoe storage are pocket style hanging shoe organizers and stacking shoe racks. The pocket shoe organizers are also great for storing fashion accessories, such as scrunchies, scarves and belts.

Accessories...While we are thinking about closet organizers, a hanging pocket jewelry organizer takes up less space than a jewelry box and gives you easy access to your earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. When heading home or traveling, just pack the whole organizer - your jewelry will stay in place and be ready to hang up at your destination. Also, a belt hanger with hooks or arms is for more than just belts...scarves, necklaces, ties, and small purses fit nicely on these, while taking up very little space in your closet.

Wall space...somewhere amongst all the pictures and posters plastered on your wall, you should have some sort of wall hooks for keys, towels, and clothing. Our key and wall hooks can be mounted without putting holes in the wall, thanks to adhesive mounting products. Not only will these hooks add some color to your wall space, they will help to declutter your living space.

After you graduate and get your first real job, all of these space saving and organizing ideas will easily transition to an apartment...which is another story in itself. Most of these survival products are listed in our Shop At Clares e-store.

BIG Laundry Solutions for the LITTLE Dorm Room

2009-08-01T11:05:00.030-04:00

Shop at Clares has laundry solutions for the little dorm room - hampers, indoor drying racks, portable ironing boards and more to help you take care of your laundry while in the dorm and away at college. We have decades of experience with those little dorm rooms! To prepare yourself for this adventure, we highly recommend that you move into your home closet for about 4 weeks prior to arriving at school. We promise that this will help make your dorm room seem huge.

Taking laundry home every weekend for your mom to do is not a solution! First of all, you will need a place to throw the dirty laundry and the floor is no longer an option, since you will no longer have floor space. We have a variety of laundry bags and hampers that are popular with the college crowd as well as our post graduates! Many of these easily transport to the laundry room or fold up to store out of sight.

Hopefully you know the ins and outs of how to wash your clothes. If not you will have to take it as an elective or find a neat freak to do it for you. Should you chose the do-it-yourself laundry path, we have some suggestions about how to avoid the frustrations associated with doing laundry. Be forewarned that clothing left in a washer or dryer in a shared laundry area may not end up back in your closet! Take a text book with you and study while waiting for your laundry (sorry, we had to throw that in).

Little loads of wash cost just as much as the full loads, so we recommend that your share the washer with a friend. Place your smaller articles of clothing like tops, hosiery and underwear in mesh wash bags. Not only does this make sorting your clothes easier, it also cuts down on the wear and tear of your clothes. Mesh bags come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and have many other uses, such as washing sweaters.

Save money and time by air drying your clothes. The question is how to do that when you don’t have a yard and your dorm room is already crammed with real essentials for college. The answer is portable folding drying racks! These are very economical, easy to setup, take up very little space and fold-away to store in your closet or under your bed.

Finally, the necessary evil – ironing. In a dorm this seems almost impossible, but believe us, there are ways. An over the door ironing board is one solution, but our favorites are the tabletop ironing boards and if you are really strapped for space, clear off the desk and use an ironing blanket.

We welcome other college laundry solutions from those who have been there, done that, and survived. To check out these solutions and find other great ideas go to our Shop At Clares e-store.

2009-02-18T11:51:00.019-05:00

New Year's Resolution not working out like you had planned? Well that makes two of us. I promised myself that this year not only was I going to exercise but I was also going to eat better. I decided not to follow a specific diet plan but to watch my portion sizing and to try and eat as balanced meal as possible. I found that portion sizing can actually be trickier than what I had originally anticipated. I love sitting down to a huge meal but my eyes are ALWAYS bigger than my stomach and I end up on uncomfortably stuffed every single time.

So, much to my dismay I decided that I needed to start weighing my portions. This seemed to be the only unbiased way to accurately portion my food versus my previous method of - "Yeah, that looks about right." Sigh. I decided to go with this Kitchen Scale 2-Pound Digital w/ Add Weigh in Stainless by MIU France because I liked the bowl size of the scale... I also like that it weighs up to 2 lbs for the days when I am really hungry ;). Hopefully my new found method will work better than the last.

Another method that helps me control my portion size is cutting my food into smaller pieces. Eating more pieces of food always makes me feel like I am actually consuming more food - especially when it comes to meat. To save myself the trouble of endlessly sawing through some of my favorite meats and vegetables I decided that I needed a quality knife set. Enter: Cutlery Knife Forged 17 Piece Set w/ Beechwood Block also by MIU France. Knowing that it is not going to take me hours to cut through my fillet makes my new method possible because let's face it, by the time dinner is ready I am starving (this may or may not have something to do with my last meal's portion size - oh the irony).

Let me know if, like me, you are also trying to monitor your portion size. Maybe we can form some kind of support group for one another because this stuff is hard!

2009-02-09T14:04:00.010-05:00

Oh what a beautiful morning... Oh what a beautiful day...! I don't know how you could not be excited about this wonderful weather that Mother Nature has shined down on us for the past couple of days. Going from windchill temperatures below zero to mid 40's and low 50's within a matter of days has dramatically improved my mood. With the introduction of the "warm" weather it seems as if we all can't keep my mind off of spring. Visions of outdoor get togethers and sipping drinks by the pool have clouded our minds - How do we shake it?

May I suggest satiating your premature spring daydreams by purchasing year round goodies that are especially fun to use outside in the spring. Plastic yet chic Tervis Tumblers, for example, make a nice accessory to your everyday dishes but are also wonderful when used outdoors. I constantly found myself telling my kids til I was blue in the face "No glass cups are bottles near the pool!" My kids finally listened when I introduced the beauty that is the Tervis Tumbler to their vocabulary. My kids have found that these cups not only are funky and fashionable but they keep their cold drinks cold in the hot sun. I can't tell you what a relief it was to finally convince them that glass and pool liners do not mix. Oh and if the butterflies are too foofy for you - don't worry Tervis offers hundreds of possibilities and you can even custom-design your own.

Another way to keep your plastic bottles cold? A cooler.. I know, I know - you were expecting something far cooler (no pun intended). Our coolers are pretty nifty, however, because they aren't your everyday clunky box cooler that weighs 50 lbs. No sir, our Coolers by Picnic Time are lightweight and easy to carry. This Cooler Zuma Insulate Backpack Beach Bag is as easy to carry as a backpack (because it is one) and keeps your drinks and snacks cool as a cucumber. This cooler backpack, like the tervis tumblers, are perfect for pool and beach excursions. The is divided into two sections: the top mesh section (with drawstring closure) is designed to hold clothing, towels, etc. The bottom section is an insulated cooler (featuring Thermo-Guard) that keeps food hot or cold for hours.

I hope I helped satiate your springtime daydreams because according to Puxatawny Phil you will be dreaming for a while. Stupid Groundhog.

2009-02-03T14:08:00.006-05:00

The US economy's downward spiral has proven to significantly affect not only our nation's citizens but many worldwide. In response we must learn to live within our means and unfortunately cut back on things that we didn't used to consider luxuries.

Let's start with one of the most obvious cut backs; going out to eat. As much as I love a Mad Mex burrito I have learned that eating out is one of those things that I simply can no longer afford to do on a regular basis. My solution? I now cook the majority of my meals at home making sure to leave a little bit left over for my lunch the next day. Since grocery prices have skyrocketed just like everything else I would like to suggest growing your own fruits and vegetables. Whether you have a nice plot of land outside or room in your apartment for a nice potted plant - growing your own vegetables can prove to save you hundreds on your grocery bill (not to mention avoid all of those pesky pesticides). Before I started growing my own vegetables I had no clue how to garden (refer to the November 20th post if you don't believe me). However this Garden Tool Set Apron w/ Pockets proved to be a simple and effective solution to my gardening woes. I now can enjoy vegetables with my home cooked meals without paying the grocery store's absurd prices. Unfortunately I can not offer and advice on farming livestock.

Another way to save mega bucks is unplugging that dryer and allowing your clothes to hang dry. Electric and Gas dryers consume a lot of energy in order to do something that can be naturally done over time. With this Retractable Outdoor Indoor Clothes Dryer Clothesline one can choose between indoor and outdoor drying. I personally prefer indoor drying due to my inexplicable fear of insects and wild animals.

The good news is by changing our lifestyle we are doing more than saving money. We are also saving the environment. Growing your own pesticide free food helps save those furry (and not so furry) friends that I am terrified of. When you hang dry your clothes you are also doing the earth a great favor by saving on energy... Seems like a pretty simple choice to me.

Valentine's Day Picnic anyone?

2009-01-26T14:06:00.017-05:00

The oh so dreaded Valentine's Day is in a few weeks and we are going to treat you, dear valued customer, to some creative and meaningfully non commercial ways to celebrate with your special someone. I don't know about you but I dread nothing more than going out to dine at my favorite restaurant on a widely celebrated holiday. Not only are we normally forced to wait long after our reservation time but once seated we are then given a "holiday menu" featuring limited overpriced options. After ordering we then learn that it will be impossible to savor this overpriced meal due to the restaurants overbooked seating chart and over aggressive wait staff.

Over the years I discovered that dining in on these wonderful holidays prove to be the best, most intimate way to celebrate. If you are lucky enough to live in a place with temperately warm weather year round an outdoor picnic is a great way to sweep your significant other off of their feet. If you live in the bitter cold like I do - an indoor picnic set up on your living room floor proves to be the perfect compromise. What's that?... You don't have the time or resources to prepare a picnic? Have no fear our Picnic Time Line has come to your rescue with these great products that will remedy your Vday woes.

This Picnic Backpack Capri w/ Wine Duffle Set For 2 is so divine it could make a back alley romantic. This set contains all of the dishes and tools that you will need to make your evening simply fantastic.

But I don't know how to cook you say... Duh, the whole idea of a picnic is simple and fun food. The following picnic foods would surely win my heart.

1. Sliced fresh fruit and vegetables
2. Using the included cheese tray and knife to create a delectable spread of dairy
3. Pack a thermos (see below) of canned soup in the Thermo-Guard insulated pocket
4. Store bought cookies of chocolate
5. Wine - lots of wine...

If you don't have faith in your picnic abilities may I suggest coffee in the park or by the fire (gas fire places are just as acceptable). Your significant other will be blown away by this Coffee Tea Shoulder Tote Duffle Doppio Set for 2 because nothing says I love you like a thermos full of caffeinated goodness (also good for storage of soup mentioned above).

If you don't heed my advice on staying away from the crowded restaurant on thisValentine's Day... All I have to say is- Godspeed.

Making Your Garden Look Fabulous (for the green thumbless)

2008-11-20T13:51:00.009-05:00

I have never had a green thumb nor will I ever, but I certainly do envy the people that do. I sincerely do not understand how one manages to keep their garden true to a Monet painting year round-- it will always be a mystery to me. As for my landscaping abilities... I don't have the time, energy, or talent that it takes to plant and maintain a sanctuary Esq garden.

Instead of fretting over the perfect garden - I use decorative accessories to not only jazz up my boring garden but also hide many of it's flaws. This Realistic Frog Figurine, for example, acts as a focal point for my garden. It in fact takes some of the attention off of my less than perfectly pruned bushes. It also suggests the idea that my garden is maintained enough to be inhabited by animals (little do they know...) My frog never needs to be pet, fed, or watered.. him and I have a fabulous relationship.

In addition to my green friend (who helps make up for my lack of green thumb) I also like to decorate for the seasons. No, I am not referring to the tacky blow up Santa and plastic deer- but rather, decorations like this tasteful Snowman Outdoor Garden Stake Serving as a taller focal point, Mr. Snowman also helps remind my garden gawkers that it is in fact winter and plants can't live in the cold! Sheesh.

For those of you that I will forever envy - my applause goes to you. Our garden decorations will only further beautify your masterpiece of a garden. These products don't have to act as a distraction method - it just simply works that way for my barren garden. As a peace offering to prove the lack of my animosity for your success I present you this Garden Tool Set ...but don't ask me how they work.

Holidays with the Family

2008-11-16T21:22:00.011-05:00

With the holidays just around the corner all I can think about is the grueling preparations that need to be made. Much to my dismay my house has become the family venue for all of the major Holidays ie, Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I love having my family get together in the comfort of my own home, the preparation can be unnerving. Yes the cleaning can be rather tedious especially when you are making sure not to leave anything for the newest additions to our family to stick in their mouths. For me however, the next step is even worse; the food preparation and service. Make no mistake about it, my family is rather glutenous on the holidays which means lots and lots of food and drink.

Waiting for all of the dinner food to cook normally seems to last for eternity. Thus making my family's favorite part of the meal (beside the wine)the "pickies". Whether it be chips and dip, veggies, or cheese you can bet the my family will be wolfing it down until the minute we sit down at the dinner table - enter a necessity to our holiday celebration this Cheese Cutting Mariposa Bamboo Board w/ stored Wine and Cheese Tools This set is perfect for our family being that it combines two of our favorite things. It saves me a lot of stress on the holidays knowing that I already have the appropriate tools for my family's favorite "meal".

For those of you that enjoy your sit down meal more, we also offer many cooking aides to make your time in the kitchen as painless as possible. This Kitchen Meat Thermometer Digital Speed Read Instant Read ,for example, will ensure that your Thanksgiving necessity , the turkey, is cooked just right. Without this product my family has set may turkeys afire (one of the reasons why we have learned to love the pre-meal goodies so much). Along with the burnt turkey my family's Thanksgiving meals have suffered many casualties over the years including lumpy mashed potatoes, watery salad, and bland vegetables. As much as I love my family, none of us were blessed with the ability to cook. Luckily companies like Polder and MIU France have come to our rescue over the past couple of years by making products like this Potato Ricer which has saved my family from swallowing whole potatoes. We offer many products by MIU France and Polder for those of you who like to make your cooking experience a lot easier (or for families like mine make cooking possible).

...cheers to a stress free Thanksgiving and Christmas- well, maybe I wouldn't go that far

Travel with Organization and Class

2008-11-10T13:31:00.012-05:00

Sitting at your desk dreaming about your next exciting vacation?... aren't we all. In fact it's been so long since we've had a vacation a trip to my in-law's house is even starting to sound appealing (just kidding mom and dad I love you). As exciting as the idea of a vacation sounds the preparation can be the pits. Even though the flight and hotel arrangements can be a nightmare, I have to admit my least favorite part of traveling is packing. Packing is one of the few activities that makes me loathe being a woman. Unlike men, we can't throw in some socks, underwear and a couple shirts and be ready to go. No, we have to pack our shower gels, hair tamers, cosmetics, bling, and the list could go on and on. Not to mention the dismay on our faces when we open our suitcase to spilled perfumes and foundations.

Well ladies, fear not--- Whitney Designs and Room it Up have come to our rescue. First and most importantly let's keep your jewelry (aka bling) safe and sound within your mess of a suitcase. I used to be infamous for eternally keeping one earring in hopes that the other would come back looking for its lost mate. Not anymore. Now that I have this Travel Jewelry Portable Roll Case none of my earrings have to go to bed alone at night. Featuring six zippered pockets this travel jewelery case solves one of our many packing woes.

In the case of traveling, cleansers and cosmetics us women always have issues with loose powders and liquid messes finding each other. The answer: a multi-pocket travel case that can keep powders and liquids contained in case of an inevitable spill. Cases like this stylish Cosmetic Toiletries Hanging Travel Case by Room it Up keeps your spilled messes from mingling with each other.

Depending on how long your trip is, this case could double for cosmetics and toiletries. However, if you tend to err on the excessive side when it comes to these kind of things we would also recommend our Insulated Travel Train Case also by Room it Up for your bigger items.

You are now free to daydream equipped with all of the necessary, yet stylish organizers.

Be Kind to Your Shoes with Foot Petals

2008-11-06T09:47:00.013-05:00

Record high temperatures have been gracing the east coast for the past couple of days. Although we love the wonderful spring-like weather in November, it makes us leery of the delayed inevitable; a not so smooth transition to the cold and snowy weather. Our answer? Prepare for the cold weather now despite the current temperatures. This way, we will not be so shocked when Mother Nature and Jack Frost decide to become chummy once again.

For the women who refuse to trade in their stilettos for our recommended Wooly Bully Boots we have another solution for you! Besides using your 4 inch heal as an ice pick (which I have found to work pretty well) we would like to offer a more conventional option. These Sole Stopperz made by Foot Petals will keep you from sliding around in the ice and snow. Not only will they add traction to your shoes but they will also keep you from falling on your butt and making a fool of yourself. Although considered an insurance plan for inclement weather, Sole Stopperz will also help you walk with confidence and poise in any type of weather. So if you are clumsy like me this product will save you from many embarrassing moments. '

In addition to Sole Stopperz, Foot Petals makes a fabulous line a other products that add comfort to you shoes and protect your feet from blisters. All of these things are imperative in the winter weather when feet tend to be dry and apt to discomfort. The Killer Kushionz variety of Foot Petals protect the entire bottom of your foot while making your day much more cushy and comfortable.

So I ask you again - please be kind to your shoes and I promise they will return the favor!

Keep your life organized with Day-Timers

2008-11-04T12:22:00.018-05:00

It's November already which means that the New Year, year 2009, is right around the corner. It feels like just yesterday the mania over Y2K was hitting every news outlet possible and infesting our homes with madness. Yep, that's right NINE years later... here we are ready to ring in 2-0-0-9! What are your resolutions? One of mine is to actually take down my Christmas tree this year -- Yes, I know... I don't need to hear it from you too, I have heard it enough from my kids already.

Regardless of what your resolution is, we have the perfect solution for you to make it happen... organization, organization, organization. Keeping your life organized is the absolute key to all your resolution success. Planning and documenting your day makes it possible to figure out when you have time for this upcoming year's "promised" activities. Want to exercise more (don't we all)?.. Write it down alongside picking kids up from soccer practice and cooking dinner! Seeing it all on paper makes your day seem so much less overwhelming than you may think.

The good news? We can help you out with the organization aspect. Bad news? We can't help you with the exercise part (unless you plan on bench pressing one of our ironing boards, which I by the way do NOT recommend doing). Here at Shop At Clares we sell top of the line Day Planners ,made by Day-Timers,that will prove to be the answer to your organization woes.

All of our Day-Timers are of the highest quality made with leather. If you already have one of our awesome Day-Timers then you are already ahead of the game and only need to purchase the Planner Refills for 2009. Don't worry boys (or shall I say men) we offer a variety of colors and designs, white and plain being one of them.

Morale of the story? You can accomplish those challenging New Year's resolutions equipped with one of our handy dandy Day-Timers! I'm sorry, no more excuses.

Eco-Friendly Car Runs on Recycled Vegetable Oil

2008-11-02T13:22:00.020-05:00

One of our favorite parts of our job is hearing customer's stories of how our business has enriched their lives. Sandie, a customer from Las Vegas, has provided us one of the most interesting stories that we have received to date. Sandie recently purchased a Sheepskin Steering Wheel Cover from our Wooly Bully line for her 1985 Mercedes Benz. She had problems finding a steering wheel cover to fit her 17" wheel, so she contacted us to have one custom made. Sandie explained that her steering wheel gets really hot in the Vegas sun and that a sheepskin cover proved to be the perfect fix.

Seems like a pretty mundane story right? Wrong! Although Sandie's car appears to be a normal ride, Sandie and her husband actually have joined the "go green" movement and converted their car to run on waste vegetable oil. In her email to us Sandie explained exactly how the process works. She and her husband were granted permission from 3 or 4 Asian restaurants to pump waste vegetable oil from their grease traps, as often as they want AND for free. (makes us wonder how much oil our food is actually cooked in when we eat out-YUCK). After filtering the oil to rid it of any impurities Sandie and her ride are ready to go go go. Amazingly the car manages an average of 20mpg and the only difference that she notices is a faint "deep frying" smell when the car is first started. Think of all the money Sandie and her husband save on gasoline alone! With all of the money their car saves them they could treat it to some more Sheepskin Accessories. After all Sandie, your car does deserve it :)!

We love Sandie's ingenuity and we are so happy that we could contribute to her cutting edge efforts to save the environment. We all could learn a little from Sandie's story and hopefully someday this will be a standard feature on new cars. Along with her informative email Sandie also sent us an important disclaimer to keep in mind if you decide to convert:

I guess our next question for Sandy is where she scored that awesome bumper sticker. I would almost switch my car's fuel options just to get me one of those :).

Is it Really Snowing Outside?

2008-10-29T14:38:00.024-04:00

We got our first reminder of why moving down south seems to become more and more appealing as the years go by. Living in Eastern PA can prove to be a challenge for those of us who love the warm weather and great outdoors. We can even tell Lucy is starting to feel a bit slighted now that the store door remains closed and her afternoon walks are being replaced by warm car rides. All of it's just a pleasant reminder that it's once again time to whip out your winter boots and warm jackets -sigh-. We even saw some snow today brrr. The good news for us though is that we sell a plethora of cold weather accessories that can help beat the winter blues.

Our Wooly Bully line has a lot to offer in the way of keeping all of us warm this winter. Because these genuine sheepskin products are made locally they can be customized to your measurements and specifications. From mittens, boots, and coats our fuzzy and furry products will not only keep you warm but you will look stylish while you are wearing them.

My personal favorite are our Eskimo Boots with Decorative Bands. However, I understand how they might be a little on the extreme side for some of you. We do have some less *glamorous* choices that are equally as cozy and comfortable for those of you who aren't quite as bold as I am :). Made of sheepskin inside and out, our boots prove to keep feet toasty and warm in the cooollldd inclement weather.

Along with keeping your hands warm and toasty our mittens also protect your hands from drying and cracking. Wooly Bully mittens not only have natural insulating properties but they actually wick moisture from you skin and act as a natural lanolin moisturizer - win, win right? Lucky for Teya and Lucy, these mittens even make it possible for us to hold on to their leashes during their fewer and far between walks.

If you don't want to heed my winter warning I thought I would inform you that the Farmer's Almanac is calling for one of the worst winters in quite some years! Happy Bundling!

It's August - It's Football Season!

2008-08-06T08:27:00.021-04:00

It's that time of year that our families live for - football season. College or professional, we watch it all. Janet and her family are Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers fans, while Barb and her family are Philadelphia Eagles and WVU Mountaineers fans. As you might expect, this makes for some friendly football feuds a couple of times a year.

So it should not be any surprise that we offer so many football / sports related merchandise, in keeping with our theme "Selling what we like and liking what we sell!" The football sports metro seat shown in the photo is one of our favorites. We also have these seats in a basketball, baseball, and soccer style, along with solid colors of red, lime, black or blue.

Football would not be the same without tailgating, so naturally we have some ultimate sets and necessities for those occasions. Some of our most popular sellers are the Portable Tailgating BBQ Grills and Grill Sets, along with our Portable Folding Picnic Tables. The grill sets have everything you need to cook your favorite tailgating meals over gas or charcoal. These sets keep everything all together, ready to go, weekend after weekend.

Refreshments are also an important part of the football experience. Whether it's coffee, hot chocolate, soda, wine or beer, we have just what you need for your favorite liquid refreshments. Our Coffee & Tea Duffles are perfect for outside or inside the stadium and for the workday, too! For our soda and beer lovers we recommend our coolers, some are wheeled carts, some are electric, some have complete table service, and some are just coolers. For our more spirited liquid lovers we have wine & cheese totes and portable cocktail sets.

Beside the food and spirits, another necessity is the stadium blanket, which can be used alone or in conjunction with a stadium seat. We have so many styles that are perfect for all kinds of outdoor activities. Use them as a seat cushion when the weather is good - wrap up in one during those freezing, snowy games - or flip them over and repel rain with the waterproof bottom.

Some of us will be utilizing these items at a bowl game and some of us will not!
Let's see what the season brings and ------ Let's go Mountaineers!

Inflatable Hangers – Don’t Leave Home Without Them!

2008-06-21T07:40:00.015-04:00

Recently, Good Morning America featured several must have travel items to make your vacation easier and cheaper. With the airlines beginning to charge travelers for checked bags, overweight luggage, water, and maybe, soon to be toilet paper!

Anyway, the discussion went.....that if you pack several of these inflatable hangers in your suitcase, you can pack LESS clothing. They recommend taking easily washable clothes, washing them in your hotel room, and hanging them on these specially designed hangers. They hang nicely over the shower curtain rod or on one of those hotel style clothes dryers that some hotels have inside the shower.

ShopAtClares.com has been selling these for years and will continue to sell them, because we love them and our customers love them. The “plump” design allows clothes to dry faster and without those ugly hanger creases at the shoulders. They are especially great for drying swimsuits (although the hangers seem bigger than some of the swimsuits we’ve seen)!

Here’s another great idea we learned from our international travelers for packing less clothing. Because it is difficult and expensive to launder clothes while traveling abroad, they buy disposable apparel shields to use on their shirts, tops, and dresses, so that their clothes will stay fresh and perspiration stain-free. Of course, this is also another great idea for domestic travel and for everyday use! These shields help to keep those ugly white perspiration stains that can discolor the fabric and are impossible to remove.

Go Green! Moerman Drying Solutions

2008-03-29T11:55:00.008-04:00

Go Green - Let the Sun and the Breeze do the work! We are so excited to offer the complete line, by Moerman, of natural indoor and outdoor drying solutions. The Moerman Laundry Drying System helps protect our environment by using the sun and breeze to dry your laundry. Plus these products are fun, they are colorful, even a little sassy! Hang you clothes on pink clothes line, or use your outdoor dryer that is powder coated blue with a yellow clothesline. After all who says that laundry has to be boring?

Laundry is, by far, not our favorite subject but it is a necessity to deal with. When done the result is clean and dry clothes ready for the next go around. However, did you know that a typical electric dryer is one of the biggest energy consumers in your house, using up to 5 kilowatt-hours of energy? This energy hog puts an extra burden on the environment and on your budget. Moerman has provided us with an alternative, a complete range of indoor and outdoor dryers that are not only attractive, and state-of-the-art design but that are also affordable and environmentally wise.

Moerman is an industry leader, with their products being number one in Canada and Europe. The Legacy Outdoor Dryer is the best selling dryer in Canada. With their entry into the USA, you now have he opportunity to purchase these wonderfully designed, top-quality dryer products. Please enjoy!

She Said YES!

2008-03-25T16:34:00.007-04:00

Boy did we run into a snag with Ed's order and had to jump into action to make a marriage happen! (Bet you did not know we offered those services?) The cheese board that he ordered was out of stock. He had this romantic proposal dinner planned and we just had to get him a cheese board. Without a thought, we upgraded him to the gorgeous Mariposa Cheese Board from Picnic Time and made sure it arrived before the weekend. And guess what?

"I just wanted to let you know that it is official! I proposed and she accepted! We had a very nice picnic at the beach in Los Angeles, and she loved the the NEW cheese board. As I went to "pull" the wine out of the basket, I gave her the ring and proposed. Thank You So Much for sending me that new board."

Let the Sunshine In

2008-03-15T17:16:00.009-04:00

Here is a great picture from Mindi. She purchased a large sun by Regal Art & Gift. In her words, "I absolutely love it. It's fantastic. Thank you. I've a attached a photo for you. Now I can have sunshine all year long. "

It is one of the 100's of stunning and whimsical hand-painted metal wall hangings, standing sculptures, hanging hooks and key hooks we offer by Regal. Our customers, including Mindi, rave about how nice these items are. Of course we agree. We have suns, geckos, American flags, dolphins, cactus, kokopellis and more.

Meet Lucy

2008-03-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

Meet Lucy . . . one of our most popular Shop At Clares team members! Folks visit our retail store just to see her. Barb even made a sign for the window, showing whether Lucy was in or out.

But Lucy is not all that innocent. She claimed one of our gorgeous sheepskin rugs as her own. And she decided that one of our beautiful picnic baskets from Picnic Time was her own personal chew toy. Janet's mean and nasty German Shepard, Teya, was sent in to teach this problem employee a lesson. Gosh, that worked real well! Teya and Lucy instantly bonded and now go for long walks together.

Janet had to put her financial foot down and Lucy is now working extra hours to pay for these items. Help Lucy get out of debt. For every Shop At Clares order made, we will apply 1 penny to Lucy!

Cow Sorting Anyone?

2008-03-08T22:11:00.015-05:00

We had a customer call today inquiring about using one of our digital timers for scoring and timing cow sorting contests. I did everything I could to not laugh . . . but cow sorting? We are country folk here in PA and have lots of cows and are very aware of some events like cow tipping (which we do not at all endorse) but have never heard of cow sorting. Well, Janet does sort her"Cows On Parade" figurines, but we don't think that counts.

So after a few chuckles on my part (luckily our customer had a sense of humor), the customer explained that it was an extremely popular event. There are 10 cows, each with a number on their back and the purpose is to get the cows from one pen to the another, in order from 1 -10 within 30 seconds. So I googled cow sorting and found a great U-Tube video of just this very sport. If you are interested check it out.

Need a New Trashcan?

2008-03-08T14:29:00.009-05:00

So how about needing a new trashcan. One of our customers ordered a top of the line, Polder outdoor trashcan from us because her son used the old one as a mode of transportation. He decided to curl up inside and tried to do a barrel roll. He's the one sitting in the picture, but check-out the 18 month old. Oh boy is she in trouble!!

She says she has 4 boys and just takes it all in stride. Kudos to her! She did share a bit of wisdom with us and we think the quote is worth repeating:

"If this is the worst thing that happens to me today...it's still a really good day!" You've just got to figure out ...how big a deal things are. How much...in the big picture...it really matters!

On the Road Again

2008-03-06T14:31:00.007-05:00

This customer's story is not as funny as it is cool. A customer called and ordered one of our wide Whitney Design ironing board covers for his wife. He was particularly concerned about how long it would take to deliver, so I was thinking it was a present. However, that was not the case. They have no permanent home, but instead live in a travel trailer and he needed to determine where to tell us to ship it to. Gives new meaning to the phrase travel iron.

They are not retired. His job used to keep him traveling in airplanes and hotels almost all of the time. So they pulled up roots and moved into a travel trailer. No more planes and hotels. He takes his home and his wife with him as he travels around the country on business.

Happy to say we shipped the cover and they will receive it before they pack up and moves to next location. Just can't wait to get on the road again . . .

St. Patrick's Day - one of our Favorites

2008-03-01T00:54:00.018-05:00

Ahh the month of March. March has one of our favorite holidays, St. Patrick's Day. Clare is about as Irish as you can get. After all, County Clare is one of the great counties in Ireland. St Patty's Day is such a nice holiday because you really do not have to decorate or purchase gifts (but feel free to purchase gifts at our store) or make a big dinner. You do get to drink green beer and act silly, watch parades and pretend you are Irish, even if you are not.

Saint Patrick's day, March 17, is in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isles, as Ireland is known. It is truly a day of celebrating Irish history, ancestry, traditions and customs. Did You Know? Over 34 million Americans are of Irish descent. That's almost nine times the population of Ireland!

We do not offer anything that is made in Ireland, but we do have many customers who live there. Our Irish friends purchase all sorts of items from Hollywood Fashion Tape to Day-Timer Planners. We would love to offer things that are made in Ireland, but it is not that easy to make an Irish connection.

Janet's daughter, Michelle, and Michelle's significant other are traveling to Ireland in April. They are mixing business with pleasure, lucky souls. Janet has asked Michelle to see what is interesting to resell here in the USA. You never know? Maybe soon we will have that Irish connection, so check back in our store periodically.

Thanks Mom

2008-02-27T00:03:00.009-05:00

Today is a memorable day, although not a joyful day. It is the first anniversary of the death of our Mom. Betty Jane Clare was a great lady . . . and she raised great daughters (us of course). She always encouraged us to do anything we wanted and thought we could do.

When we first took our business on-line, I think she thought we were a bit crazy. (Although she loved her email, my Dad was never truly successful at getting her to understand computers). But after some time she really got into our on-line business and even tried to help. After all, the store has her name in it, Shop At Clares.

We just wanted to remember the day and thank her for being our Mom. We miss you.

Pink Woolie Wompers

2008-02-16T06:38:00.013-05:00

Boy, did I ever stick my foot, or at least our pink
woolie wompers, in my mouth with our customer Michael. He emailed us about getting a pair of these and said his wife wanted know if they could be worn outside, like to a shopping mall. She also wanted them to be big and fluffy with longer pink fur and have pom-poms added.

Woolie wompers are a traditional style Indian moccasin slipper that are made of genuine sheepskin. What a fun name, Woolie Whompers! They are made from only one bottom piece that is gathered and stitched to shape to your foot and one top piece. They adjust to your foot with a rawhide draw string. These soft and cozy slippers wrap around your feet for unbelievable comfort.

Well our wompers are custom so we wanted to oblige. A few emails later, I inquired about what size his wife's foot was. His response was a bit off the mark. "No maam, these are for me. My wife insists I wear them and I am a men's size 8".

Go figure. You know the old saying about ass-u-me?

Your Wish List for Shop At Clares

2008-01-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

As we start the year with our brand new, Shop At Clares blog, we want to thank our customers and friends for their incredible support over the past year. It has been your suggestions that have helped us to decide what to offer in our on-line store and help make it one of the best on the web.

And we continue to solicit and value your suggestions. What do wish you could purchase from ShopAtClares.com. Simply add a comment to this post and we will do our best to make your wishes come true.