Compiled by Nicoline Greer
ZIGI POP Maureen Lynch has gone stone crazy. The NCAD craft design graduate has been using brilliantly coloured garnet, amethyst and blue topaz in her new Zigi Collection. This collection is a departure from her previous sculpted work to a more liquid form - she says she has found her lines softening since the birth of her two children. The collection includes gold or silver pendants with or without a polished semi-precious stone available in two sizes, matching stud earrings, cufflinks and a cocktail ring with a stone. Stockists include: Angles, Westbury Mall, Dublin 2; Enibas, Schull, Co Cork; The Design Centre, Kilkenny; Bijoux, Dawson Street, Monaghan; The Bay Tree, High St, Hollywood, Co Down.
DECORATE On Thursday, November 25th and Thursday, December 2nd, Garden Works - the home ware and garden centres - are holding demonstrations on ways to decorate your home for Christmas, concentrating on table settings, your front door, how to make a swag for your chimney piece and so on. They will be held in the restaurants of each of the two Garden Works stores, with wine and finger food on offer. Visitors are requested to make a €10 donation to the Niall Molloy Township Challenge in South Africa. It's good to know Garden Works will also deliver your Christmas tree (prices from around €39). Garden Works, Malahide, Co Dublin (01-8450110) and Dunboyne, Co Meath (01-8252022). Eoin Lyons
CLUBBING IT The Odessa Club is not a night club: it's a new members' club designed by Peter O'Kennedy and owned by Jay Bourke and Eoin Foyle. Opened last weekend, it offers somewhere to eat and drink away from cramped nightclubs. The tone is understated: you can talk, hang out and relax for €279 per year. Dublin isn't really used to private clubs, but the place looks set to be a success thanks to O'Kennedy's intimate and comfortable interior. Located above the Odessa restaurant, the club operates separately with an entrance through an unmarked door. The first flight of stairs leads to a reception room and restaurant and up again, there are two floors of large living-room style spaces. Odessa-style food is served with prices mostly between €10-€14. Internet facilities are available and members can hire the screening room. Apparently, a membership committee screens applicants, but today is a good time to take a look because designers Leigh Tucker and Antonia Campbell Hughes are holding a clothing sale in the club from noon to 5 p.m alongside Italian label Scuploi. The Odessa Club, 13 Dame Court, Dublin 2, (01-6707634). Eoin Lyons
BOOKISH BABIES When is it too early to start reading? Never, according to the Barnardos Children's Resource Centres. They have produced a guide to 40 books suitable for babies aged 0-5 years, which has reviews from, among others, Mary Kingston, Albert Reynolds, Cathy Kelly and Sheana Keane, who gets a kick out of seeing the enjoyment her own four-month-old gets from being read to. Even from a young age, they say, reading can help to open imaginations and teach new words and ideas. All the books listed will be available in public libraries. Available from Barnardos National Children's Resource Centres throughout Ireland and from Cow & Gate's freephone careline - 1800-570570. Last year, the guide was so popular that Barnardos ran out of supplies so, this year, it is available to download from www.barnardos.ie and www.cowandgate.ie
NO BATTERIES REQUIRED Go back to the days of hiding under the sheets with a book or a radio, and this little wind-up radio comes into its own. It has a built-in torch, is battery-free and when you crank it up for one minute, it plays for up to an hour. Perfect for when you are drifting off to sleep. It was developed in the US, where it was a hit during hurricane season. The Eton FR200 costs £24.95 and comes in blue, pearl, bronze, yellow or red. From: www.etoncorp.co.uk, 00-44-23-92313090.
WEED AND FEED Gardeners might be shocked to learn that they have been trashing and burning good food for years. Weeds are the ingredient of the moment and provide food for free - and are full of goodness. Vivien Weise's lovely new book has the answer for all inventive cooks and gardeners: rid the flowerbeds of fat hen, lesser celandine, daisies and plantain and put them in the pot for your supper. Dead nettle aubergine spread or dandelion potato salad, anyone? Cooking Weeds by Vivien Weise, is published by Prospect Books, £9.99 (in UK)
CHILD'S PLAY Amelia Aran's children's furniture is a smart alternative to the usual stuff. Its simple, natural look is the result of a Spanish design sensibility. The range includes cots, beds, wardrobes and bedside lockers. You can personalise the furniture by choosing from a range of colours and finishes and they have a collection of textiles, such as curtains, bed linen, cushions and towels which complement the furniture. There is also a new collection of baby accessories including bags, bottle holders, travel bags, changing mats and blankets all made in the Amelia Aran fabric of your choice, with or without a plastic covering. You can get a hamper of the accessories as a present for newborn babies that can either be delivered to the hospital or to the home. Amelia Aran, 71 York Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. (01-2805877)
SPREAD THE MONEY AROUND Spread betting is not for the novice punter. But, if you are searching for a present for the person in your life who loves a bit of a flutter, Delta Index has the perfect present. Their Christmas package includes a free €100 bet if you open an account of €400 before December 23rd, a free training course in financial spread betting, a textbook on how to trade in the financial markets, and the chance to win a Mini Cooper convertible. Spread betting is a bit complicated to get your head around at first, but essentially involves betting on what way the market goes - so you can benefit if the market goes down as well as up. To claim your bonus, guidebook and training course see www.deltaindex.ie (01-6675100) or Freephone 1800-923-510.
PHIL AND TED'S EXCELLENT BUGGY Phil and Ted's E3 buggy could help you to de-stress during the frantic shopping weeks ahead. The buggies are something of a phenomenon in New Zealand, where they are known for their versatility and special features. The range is now in Ireland for the first time and includes a unique double buggy which can accommodate two children under the age of four. The price is €499, and the buggy is available from specialist independent nursery stores countrywide - call Joanne O'Grady on 087-9595816 for stockists.