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Double Rainbow
Can’t decide what jewelry to pair with your outfit du jour? Not to fear: Local artisan Nicole Pagano crafts dichroic glass — which reflects several different colors — into wearable art. Slip on one of these rings to coordinate with a hard-to-match ensemble or to add a burst of color to a monochromatic look. • $12
Creekside Adornings, Palenville 518-678-0587
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Bowled Over
Holiday-themed home décor is cute… until New Year’s Day. Make the most out of your decorations with a whimsical bowl. Crafted in Spain, these delightful dishes come in 10 colors and are constructed entirely of recycled glass. Use them year-round for serving treats, or fill them with fresh flowers, potpourri, or decorative stones. (They’re available in larger sizes and as platters, too.) • $10
The Cross Eyed Owl Gift Shop, Valatie. 518-758-6755
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Jazzy Jammies
Double-brushed Portuguese flannel feels oh-so-soft on your skin (and oh-so-warm under the sheets). Pick your favorite bright pattern — including playful raspberry flake, above — and off to dreamland you go. • $148
Neiman Marcus, White Plains. 914-428-2000, www.elizabethcotton.com
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Celtic Chic
Make like the stylish Irish with a hand-knit sweater. Woven from Merino wool — universally regarded as the finest and softest on the planet — this cozy cardigan features Aran stitching and a draped collar with single-button closure. • $110
Danu Gallery, Pearl River
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Ride On
Whether you’re rolling along the road or trekking through the mountains, a ride on a sleek-but-tough Kona Sutra bicycle will help you get in shape while taking in the Valley’s natural beauty. • $1,500
Overlook Mountain Bikes, Woodstock
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Luke, I Am Your Flash Drive
Gadget geeks and sci-fi fans alike will dig these funky little USB drives by Mimobot. This inches-tall Darth Vader comes equipped with 2GB storage capacity — enough to save your most important data (or favorite Yoda lessons). Look out for tokidoki- and Hello Kitty-themed drives, too. • $29.95
Dream in Plastic, Beacon
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Spin Cycle
When it comes to your music collection, vinyl is classic, but MP3s are just more convenient. With this battery-operated, portable USB turntable by Crosley, you can play your records anywhere, but also convert them to MP3 format. (Just because you can bring your record player to a coffee shop doesn’t mean you should.) • $130
Darkside Records & Gallery, Poughkeepsie
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Heartwarming Holiday
Set during the Great Depression, the charming children’s story The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel (Random House) tells the tale of a boy who wishes for a home for his family. When friends and volunteers build one 90 miles north of New York City, he plants a pine cone to commemorate their help. The pine cone grows into a tree that eventually becomes the Rockefeller Christmas tree — and, after the holidays, is used to build another family’s home. • $17.99 at local bookstores
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The Beer Snob’s Beer
The brewers at Boston Beer Company (makers of Samuel Adams) recently collaborated with Germany’s Weihenstephan Brewery (said to be the world’s oldest brewery) to concoct Infinium, a limited-release Champagne-like beer. Light enough to pair with dinner, but sparkling enough for a New Year’s celebration, there are plenty of ways to enjoy this brew’s fruity, spicy aroma and floral/citrus taste. • $19.99
Half Time Beverage, Poughkeepsie
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Hot Pot
We all have those friends or relatives who says they wish they had more time to put together a wholesome meal. With this rice cooker, making hearty dishes — from lentil soups to sweet potatoes to steamed veggies from the removable steam basket — is easy and convenient. (And so is the cleanup.) • $79.99
Visit www.krupsusa.com for retail outlets » Want to win this rice-cooker? Click here to enter our “Best Recipes” contest!
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Tea Party
Curling up on a cold evening with a hot cup of tea just got more enticing with these organic holiday blends. Go global with Holiday Chai’s hearty assam tea spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, anise, and ginger. Or have your own white Christmas with Winter Spice, a white tea that contains cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Bonus: each blend comes with a recipe on the box, such as Winter Spice Pancakes. • $6.99
Mother Earth’s Storehouse, Kingston; visit www.numitea.com for other retail outlets
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Clean Conscience
Bath accessories by Eco-tools, which encourages women to “look and live beautiful,” are made of Earth-friendly materials. This dual-sided cleansing pad has an exfoliating loofah on one side and a recycled pouf on the other ($2.99); other items include a recycled-plastic mini bath sponge (99 cents) and a bamboo-handled bath brush ($4.99).
Visit www.eco-tools.com for retail outlets
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Holiday Greetings
After moving to the Valley, Chicago native Natalie Wargin created a series of illustrations based the natural landscape — birds, plants, animals, and foliage — in her new home’s surroundings. Three years later, she offers these images as greeting cards for the holidays and other special occasions. And to help protect the environment she loves, they’re made from sustainable forest products and printed with vegetable-based inks on recycled paper. • $3.50 each, $12 for a box of 10
Call 845-750-4573 or visit www.nataliewargin.com for local retailers
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Smooth As a Baby’s…
Keep baby’s skin healthy with products from the Dolphin Organics line of all-natural soaps, shampoos, and lotions for children. Based in Pound Ridge, the company ensures its products are free of sodium benzoate, parabens, artificial fragrances, and other harsh chemicals. • $9.49
Nature’s Pantry, Newburgh: 845-567-3355; Fishkill: 845-765-2023
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Trim the Fat
Even the most enthusiastic gym-lover can relate to those days when the thought of one more repetition is agonizing. These gym towels offer motivational mantras — such as “No excuses,” “Healthy. Strong. Happy,” and “10 more reps and the cupcake is history” — to get your glutes in gear. • $9.95
Online at www.wordstosweatby.com
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Best New Restaurants in the Hudson Valley 2011