Start thinking about Hanukka gifts

A gift packages may contain citrus fruits, wine, chocolates, olives, cookies, nuts, etc.

By EVA BEN-DAVID
hanukka gift 88 (photo credit: )
hanukka gift 88
(photo credit: )
If you want to wish your relatives abroad a happy Hanukka or New Year, the gift boxes of the Ben Ezer Plantations make a wonderful present. Citrus fruits are still something Israel takes pride in, and besides the fruit, your gift packages can contain wine, chocolates, olives, cookies, nuts, etc. You can also send Ahava beauty products with ingredients from the Dead Sea. The boxes are sent to Europe, the US and Japan, and gift packages without fruit go to other destinations (some states in the US, California for example, won't allow you to send fruit). The gift packages are not cheap, but the prices include shipping and delivery; a package called "orange dream" for example (14 kilos), containing citrus fruit, a bottle of Castel wine, chocolates, cookies, marmalade, dried fruit and a room fragrance, is NIS 479. To order, call 1-800-890-000. With the change of weather, your kids might catch cold more easily. To alleviate the symptoms, SupHerb has several natural medications such as Flutone (NIS 48.80 for 150 ml.) or Flutone Cough (NIS 50.70 for 200 ml.), to treat and prevent the symptoms of the flu, or E.N. Formula, syrup to treat and prevent earaches and ear infections (NIS 56.20 for 200 ml.). To treat a cough or cold the conventional way, purchase Triaminic, a known name in the States, in four different flavors; a 118 ml. bottle is NIS 25.90. If your plastic garden furniture, or a plastic toy, is broken, you can try to fix it with Loctite Plastic Epoxy, a material for bonding and repairing plastic surfaces. The Loctite Plastic Epoxy comes in a convenient tube with syringe tips, and can be used for ABS, fiberglass, hard plastic, and PVC. The bond sets in seven minutes; the price for a 25 ml. tube is NIS 19. With the arrival of the rainy season, you've probably searched for umbrellas that are still functioning. Cute umbrellas for kids and adults are made by Keds and Just. The Keds umbrellas, available in a variety of colors, come decorated with a picture of a cat, and the Just umbrellas are decorated with cupids, hearts, etc. You can get the umbrellas at the Tik HaTikim, Mashbir Mahsanei Ofna, Mashbir Letsarhan, Kravitz, or Just stores for NIS 29.90 to 49.90. If you want to purchase a cute book for your young (grand) child and help a good cause at the same time, the Yellow stores (at Paz gas stations) are the place to be. Here you can get the books Aaaarrggghh Spider and Why? (in Hebrew) for only NIS 25 - a 50% reduction - and the profits will go to Akim, an organization helping the mentally disabled. The sale will last until the end of November; you will also receive a bookmark with the purchase of your book. Sometimes your teenager wants to watch a movie or play a Playstation game without being bothered by anyone. The Bedmate, sold by Aminach, works in combination with the Extreme beds, and is a multimedia combination of an LCD screen, speakers, television, DVD-player and Sony Playstation; the Bedmate looks kind of funny, but maybe this is to the taste of adolescents, and it sits on wheels so it can be moved to the side when not in use. The Bedmate is operated by the same remote control that raises the Aminah bed. Be prepared to fork out some money for this gimmick: the Bedmate is NIS 9,990. Palmolive has a new-and-improved version of its Palmolive dishwashing liquid called Palmolive Oxy Plus. Palmolive joins the trend to add "active oxygen" to products; this supposedly improves the cleaning qualities. Palmolive Oxy Plus comes in the fragrances Alpine Purity and Marine Purity, and is NIS 13 for a 750 ml. bottle; until the end of the month, it will be sold at the introductory price of NIS 9. Adidas now has a series of anti-perspirants for women, especially designed for the athletic types. The deodorants come in the form of a spray or a roll-on, and are available in Intensive (with 24-hour protection), Sensitive, Pure, and Fresh. The price for a 200 ml. spray or a 50 ml. roll-on is NIS 26. Shegem children's furniture stores are known for furniture that combines several functions in one, ideal for small rooms. The newest piece of furniture, which recently won a prize at a furniture show, is the Tik-Tak closet; this closet has parts that pull out and serve as a desk, a set of drawers and a chair, with a drawer in the bottom. When finished with the homework, everything can be pushed back inside, thus saving space. The Tik-Tak closet also has a built-in stereo system; the price is NIS 5,900. Israeli artist Michal Negrin has designed very elegant and romantic body tattoos, the kind you can apply by holding them against your skin and wetting them with water. So if you want to adorn your arms or ankles for a special occasion, or just because you feel like it, this is now very easy. The Michal Negrin body jewelry tattoos, marketed by Dornat, are available in the Michal Negrin stores, in Steimatzky, and in selected gift stores for NIS 19 apiece. Colgate has a new toothpaste that promises freshness and protection for up to 12 hours, helping against 12 different problems. Colgate Total 12 prevents plaque, diminishes gum problems and tartar, and fights bacteria, among other things. It's available in Advanced Fresh, Whitening, Clean Mint, and Mint Stripe; a 100 ml. tube is NIS 20, but until the end of November it will be sold at NIS 15. Combing lice and lice nits out of your child's hair is an unpleasant job to say the least. A new lice comb called Lusi, imported from Denmark, has a special mechanism that makes it a lot easier to clean the teeth after each stroke; you can pull up part of the teeth, divided in two parts, and all the "dirt" stays at the end of the comb, and can easily be removed. The comb is made of plastic, and therefore is also easier on the scalp, since the metal teeth of other combs can sometimes hurt. The Lusi lice comb costs NIS 34. SuperPharm's private label Life now also has hygienic pads, which are about 15% cheaper than other brands. The Life hygienic pads come in normal, super, and super plus; the price for a single package is NIS 17, and a twin-pack is NIS 30. New multi-purpose Dove Rich Moisturizing Cream can be used as a body cream, and is especially suitable for dry skin such as that on the elbows or knees. It smells wonderful, like all other Dove creams, and is a good body moisturizer, especially during the winter months. 150 ml., packed in a round box, is NIS 34.