PUNKT SIMPLE PHONE
// punkt.ch
What is the opposite of a smartphone? Maybe not a dumb phone, but something simpler. Consider the Swiss-made MP 01 phone from Punkt. This is a beautiful mobile phone designed exclusively for core phone functions: calling and texting. With no status updates, notifications or multiple alerts, the Punkt phone focuses on the things that matter. The MP 01 has a simple text-based interface with no animations or colours to distract you. The physical keyboard has dedicated shortcuts for common tasks. Punkt offers excellent audio and long battery life as well as distraction-free hours of time when you will forget about your phone because you’re not calling or texting. The Punkt MP 01 sells for about $300.
SOUP AND SANDWICH TRAY
// uncommongoods.com
No one actually needs a soup and sandwich tray. I get that. You can eat soup from any bowl, and you can put your sandwich on any plate. But come on. Take a good look at that bowl of piping hot tomato soup, and the buttery grilled cheese sandwich next to it. There’s something childlike and wonderful about this silly serving tray. Somehow you know your soup and sandwich will taste better. Canadian winters are long, and we need all the warmth we can get. What kind of meal do you want to greet you when you come in from the cold? It’s your call. The Soup and Sandwich Tray Duo sells for about $40.
INDOOR SNOWBALL FIGHT
// amazon.ca
In the dead of winter it’s hard to imagine a time when you will wish for snow. But it will happen, and when it does, will you be ready? Snowball Anytime makes a set of warm and fuzzy fake snowballs designed for indoor snowball fights. Each three inch snowball is soft enough to ensure the safety of small children and most furniture, but firm enough to hit your opponent with a satisfying smack. When they get dirty, you can just toss them in the washing machine. If you want to go all out, Snowball Anytime also sells inflatable forts and hand-held shields to take your snowball fight to the next level. Think happy thoughts of the warm summer months ahead then stock up for a future indoor snowball fight. Snowball Anytime packs start at about $40.
36 SEVEN JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016