BUSINESS INSIDER 16

from SIMPLYkc Magazine November 2020

INFOCUS

“Voted Best Consignment Shop in the Pitch’s Best of Kansas City 2020”

Lulu’s Boutique is an environmentally friendly boutique featuring pre-loved designer and vintage fashion, handbags and accessories, locally made goods, gifts, and fine art. 6017 Johnson Dr., Mission, KS • 913.362.2442 facebook.com/LulusBoutiqueKC/

turtle bellies “A Chocolate Experience”

Cuorebella is an uncommon shop where you’ll find unique gifts, holiday decor, home accessories, fine cards, and stationery. Gifts are wrapped and ready to present. Hawthorne Plaza, 4953 W. 119th St., Overland Park, KS • 913.325.7354 • cuorebella.com

Local HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Savor the scrumptious sweetness of chocolate, toasted pecans, and the smoothest caramel in these adorable, handcrafted chocolate terrapins. Available in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and with or without pecans. The perfect gift and almost too cute to eat! Six terrapins in each box, individually wrapped to ensure freshness. $23.99 per box. turtlebellieskc@gmail.com • 913.579.3857 • turtlebellies.com

Elizabeth Jacob Home is a design-build studio. We do custom sewing and offer interior design and construction services for both residential and commercial spaces. In-stock furniture, lighting, decor, and art pieces are in the store. Design and construction services are by appointment. 7313 W. 95th St., Overland Park, KS • 913.677.1920 elizabethjacobhome.com

Since 2000, Enchanted Gifts has been helping people in Kansas City learn about the metaphysical side of life (New Age). We also carry statues (fairies, dragons, Greek Mythology, and other selections), incense, oils, tapestries, jewelry, stones, and other gift items. 2135 E. 151st St., Olathe, KS • 913.397.7491

Lingerie

We help ladies of most sizes find their “Sazzy” side by helping them find the perfect piece of lingerie! We also carry corsets, stockings, chemises, our own candle line, and other gift items! 7228 W. 79th St., Overland Park, KS • 913.603.9771 • sazzys.com

MAKE YOUR HOME A PLAYGROUND (INSTEAD OF A PRISON) IN 2020

WRITTEN BY SHANNON E. ROESGEN

With the weather turning colder, we are forced to seek shelter. This year, that means mostly staying at home, making it very easy to feel overwhelmed, claustrophobic, or frustrated.

Before the pandemic, spending more time with family was an item on many New Year’s resolution lists. Today, it is not uncommon to hear parents say things like “I’ve had a little too much family time lately” or “There are too many people here, and I need some space!” Even your dog may be thinking, Would you people leave me alone? I’m trying to take a nap! Here are some popular items that will hopefully keep this season brighter, lighter, and a bit more fun in your home.

Plants are so old, they’re new!

Plants are making a comeback during this pandemic. People are hungry to bring life and positivity to their homes.

Reba Hamilton, owner of Virgil’s Plant Shop, says, “For people stuck inside, plants provide natural growth and the colors of the outdoors, as well as something to care for—a sense of accomplishment when new growth is seen and the holistic purification of the air. Plus, plants make people happy, and we all need some of that right now.” Some popular plants include Sansevieria (snake plants) and Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ plants). “People are always on the hunt for good low-light-tolerant plants. These plants are low maintenance and low-light-tolerant, making them ideal for beginners and shady corners,” says Hamilton. They range from $12-$36.

HEOS speakers

HEOS is a wireless music system that

allows you to control and have access to all of your music from any room in your home. You will need a HEOS-enabled AV receiver or speakers and the free HEOS app. HEOS works with Amazon Alexa and provides the freedom to personalize a different playlist in every room in your home. A local mother of four who uses this product says, “We have them in multiple rooms. With the HEOS app, we can tune into any music service we have. We wake the kids up at 6:30 a.m. every morning by playing music in their rooms.”

Echo Glow: Multicolor smart lamp for kids

“I love, love, love this for my kids!” says Kelsey Trauer of Gardner, Kansas. “I program it to turn various colors to teach my kids when it is bedtime. I can program it from the Alexa app to turn purple at 8 p.m. to signal that it’s bedtime. It stays purple all night and turns orange at 6 a.m. to signal it’s almost time to wake up. At 6:15 a.m. it turns green, meaning it’s okay to get out of bed.” It can also be used as a disco light and has other fun light variations.

LED lights for your teens

Teenagers have a strong desire for privacy, and therefore spend a lot of time in their bedrooms with the door closed. Why not make their rooms a little brighter with some LED lights? LED lighting produces light up to 90 percent more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. It uses less electricity than regular bulbs and does not heat up as much. Many come with dimmers, which enables your teen to adjust the brightness as needed.

Air fryer for your kitchen

An air fryer is really a hot air chamber convection oven that suspends food and cooks it faster than a traditional oven by distributing heat more evenly. It will cook chicken breasts, burgers, or steaks to the desired temperature. Breading is never necessary, and meats come out cooked to perfection. Air fryers are also great for cooking vegetables. Most vegetables are finished cooking in about 10 minutes. Spray a little olive oil or avocado oil on green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, or baked potatoes and enjoy a healthy and easy air fryer-made dinner.

Upcycle old Mason jars for holiday decorations

Need a creative project for your kiddos? Turn Mason jars into sparkly holiday decorations with a safe and unsuspecting item from your medicine cabinet: epsom salt. Epsom salt transforms any Mason jar into a snowy, sparkly decoration that is safe and inexpensive for your kids to create. It is a fun activity that will keep your children busy—at least for a few minutes—so you can have a well-deserved moment to yourself.