City Tins
CityTins is a smart way to support the local restaurant scene, discover new cuisines and save money. Inside each $30 box are over 20 standard-size coasters, each with a photo of a different local restaurant or restaurant combo. On the reverse of each coaster are details on how to save $10 on dine-in or $5 on take-out at establishments, along with addresses, websites, and other information. of contact.
The list of Twin Cities restaurants is impressive and includes some of my East Side favorites such as The Lexington, Holman’s Table and Parlor. We easily redeemed our coaster at Waldmann’s Brewery in St. Paul near our home and didn’t have to explain the concept or ask our server for the discount when the bill arrived. Don’t know where to dine? The box also comes with a fun spinner listing all the participating restaurants. Choose a place, Twister style. Gift the box or a few coasters to others to share the savings. The Twin Cities Restaurant Edition artwork that appears on the cover, spinner, and additional coasters was created by Minneapolis artist Adam Turman, but there are other places to choose from online, including the markets of Madison and Milwaukee in Wisconsin and the restaurants of Palm Beach in Florida. citytins.com
City Tins
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SnoShark
The SnoShark snow removal tool is perfect for midwesterners who love their big gadgets. Touted as “two tools in one” (right under the Ice Scraper label), this oversized paddle pulls or pushes snow away from your vehicle. Turn it over and clean the windshield and windows with the scraper edge. There is a clear warning that SnoShark is not a shovel, so don’t call it one. This non-abrasive one foot flat panel contains an antifreeze additive and the handle is adjustable from 20 inches to 39 inches for longer reach.
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Made with zinc alloy and stainless steel parts, it weighs less than two pounds, but I still found it a little bulky and oversized for my use. And starting at $54.99, this tool is more of an investment than the lightweight brush and scrapers most of us stock in our vehicle. But those standard brushes mean more time spent in the snow cleaning the car, which some may pay a premium to avoid. snoshark.com
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Honey leather cleaner and conditioner
We have a special leather sofa that needs attention, so I was really excited to test this toxin-free product with rave reviews. I also appreciate the backstory; it’s a family business launched more than 50 years ago by a grandfather who was looking for a product to save his postman shoes. Leather Honey offers a water repellent system for damaged goods, but unfortunately our furniture appears to be beyond repair. We can’t quite figure out what happened to our AirBnb’s sofa, and guests who left it in a mess didn’t provide any insight. It almost looks like someone smeared glue on each cushion and then laid a blanket over it to dry. These are not scratches or tears, but rather fluffy fibers. Anyway, I applied both Leather Honey cleaner and conditioner with the smooth, blue application cloth, although neither was able to fully restore our damaged couch. It’s time to call in the professionals. I applied the combo, reasonably priced at $46.99, to a different leather couch for an air freshener and was happy with both products and plan to use it for general upkeep. leatherhoney.com
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CMY cubes
As I have already admitted, we are a puzzle family. And the more colorful, the better. So when I first read about CMY Cubes I mistakenly thought it was like a Rubik’s cube puzzle, only clear. It’s not, but it’s still captivating. Basically, this 2-by-2-inch cube is a transparent block that has cyan on two of the six surfaces, magenta on two others, and yellow on the remaining two surfaces, so when you rotate the block it changes color at every angle. For $29.95, it’s a colorful ball that we keep on a windowsill to display, and kids like to handle it like a tactile toy, although it doesn’t have any moving puzzle pieces or rotating parts. There is nothing to solve or create beyond a multitude of color combinations. Marketing copy describes it as a way “to excite your curiosity, expand your imagination, and feed your sense of wonder.” The art lover or science seeker in your life may appreciate the simplicity of the many color combinations they can create, and the company offers the product in a number of sizes and shapes beyond the cube to six sides, like the octahedron and the dodecahedron. cmycubes.com
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