White Apricot

You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to have dinner by candlelight. In fact, place candles, fuel cells or electric tea lights inside the FUZ Luminary and watch ordinary ambience turn extraordinary.This unusual candleholder, created by Josh Jakus of UM Bag fame, is a modern, inexpensive sculpture of sorts, made from recycled plastic that has been swirled and curled around a recycled wood base. Add Luminaries to your table for a romantic dinner, or scatter them throughout your home for your next party. They’re sure to ignite conversation! $19 each or set of four for $65 at  www.fuzfarm.com.

Be a Smart Cookie and Join the Club!

Here’s one club every “smart cookie” will want to join.  Why wouldn’t you when you can have amazing vegan cookies, brownies or fudge delivered to your door every month — or for that matter, delivered to a friend as one of the best gifts ever. Award winning online bakery Allison’s Gourmet offers a cookie, brownie or fudge of the month club that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth — but it may also have you stalking the mailman. Each exquisitely decadent vegan treat is made from the finest organic and fair trade ingredients, and shipped every month right to your door (or to someone you love a whole lot). Imagine the sheer pleasure of sinking your teeth into Amaretto Almond brownies, Peppermint Velvet fudge or Coconut Key Lime cookies — yum! Wheat free options are available too, so what are you waiting for? Join the club! $32-$38 per month (three month minimum required) at www.allisonsgourmet.com.

P.S. You don’t really have to join the club. You can do individual, one time orders too!

The One Step Makeover

We all get stuck in a rut sometimes — especially when it comes to home decorating. But, changing the look of your home doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. We found an easy way to update your home in seconds — simply change out your throw pillows. Put the dark colors or heavy fabrics away for the summer months and replace them with something lighter and brighter, like these adorable, yet sophisticated, Eco Art pillows from WabiSabi Green.

Choose from the botanical designs of the Leaf collection, the coastal themes of the Shore collection or the soothing symbols of the Zen collection. All of the pillows are covered in organic cotton twill and filled with your choice of silky organic kapok fiber or soft and fluffy ecofiber. Voila! Instant room makeover!  $68-$74 at www.wabisabigreen.com.

Forgive Us Father, for We Have Sinned

And now for our confession! We are addicted to chocolate! How could we not be? It is the only sweet to ever earn the title of “better than sex.” With so much evidence that chocolate can actually be good for you (in moderation, of course), we have been indulging our habit guilt free with the Saintly Sins collection from XAN Confections. Each Saintly Sins box tempts you with raspberry, pineapple and strawberry filled chocolates, made from the finest cocoa and natural ingredients. They are so rich and delicious, you won’t believe that each gluten-free, vegan piece packs only a scant 29 calories and one gram of fat! Who knew sinning could taste so sweet? See the entire selection of chocolates, which include dairy-free and other specialties at www.xanconfections.com.

"Dough" You can Bank on!

Admittedly, we’re foodies. So, when we find something incredibly yummy (and natural, of course), we have to share. Take our word for it – Get right over to your local Whole Foods Market and find Michael Gagne’s Robinhood Free Meetinghouse baked goods. We’re talking Five Herb Parmesan Biscuits, Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls and Brown Sugar Pecan Sticky Buns to die for from the chef of this five-star Georgetown, Maine restaurant.

The best part?  You can get them in the frozen foods section and they taste like they came from the best gourmet bakery in town. Great to pull out of the freezer and impress your guests for those last minute gatherings. Our editor can’t get enough of these decadent treats! Fortunately for her, all the products are trans-fat free and all natural. To see all the delicious choices and for e-tailers and retailers all over the country, visit www.gagnefoods.com. Pssst – Wild Maine Blueberry Turnovers coming soon.