By LAURA TAUBColorful Glassware(photo credit: Courtesy)COLORFUL GLASSWARELeading glassware brand Luminarc introduces colorful beverage glasses that are ideal for a relaxed summer garden party. Salto and Funny Flowers are two of the patterns in the glassware line. Funny Flowers is adorned with a relief of flowers and comes in a range of attractive colors. Salto has a more traditional shape but now has several new colors.Luminarc puts the glassware through a thermal process that renders the glasses more dishwasher-safe. NIS 80 to NIS 140, for a box of six.SHOWER POWERA bracing shower is just what we need during the summer months, often two or three times a day. The new Spa Gourmet shower gels by Palmolive come in the enticing summer scents of French vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. We liked the vanilla gel with the added scent of mango. The chocolate shower gel has a dash of pampering almond oil. NIS 17.90.CLEAN WATER The Spiral Bar, the new compact countertop water filter by Electra, solves the problem for those who want to use a water filter and dispenser but have a small kitchen or live in a rented apartment. According to the company, the spiral UV light filters 99.9 percent of the bacteria found in water, and the coal filters heavy metals, chlorine and dirt, providing clean, odorless water. The water we sampled came out clean and tasted like bottled water. Great for drinking, cooking and making hot drinks. No installation is required. Spiral Bar comes in several colors, has a sleek design, and the filter needs a replacement only once a year. For more information and prices, call *8191.101 FLORAL FRESHThe new floral-scented laundry detergent by Colon 101 includes microcapsules that release the scent over an extended period, keeping laundry smelling fresher longer than other products of its kind. The powder promises to remove 101 different kinds of stains, such as food, juice, makeup, mud and children’s paints. Tip: To keep clothes smelling fresh, keep a small cloth bag with the detergent in the closet. The new powder is sold in 3, 5, 6 and 7 kg. bags. NIS 30 to NIS 65. www.colon.co.il SORBET ON A STICKWell into the ice-cream season, Feldman has launched a new category of ice pops, Fruit Shake, with up to 40 percent fruit, no artificial coloring and no added preservatives.There are two kinds: one with yogurt and fruit, one with just fruit, in refreshing flavors such as mango, passion fruit, pineapple, coconut and berries. Sold in family packs of four to six units, these are enjoyed by kids and grown-ups alike.The fruit pops cost NIS 8 for one and NIS 34.90 for six; the yogurt ones cost NIS 8 for one and NIS 25 for a pack of four.BUBBLING WITH FLAVOR When one is stressed out or tired, chocolate can always raise one’s spirits. The Milka brand now has several new flavors. Bubbles, with bubble-shaped parts instead of cubes, comes in milk chocolate and white chocolate with nuts, NIS 9.90. Other favorite flavors include Oreo cookies, strawberry yogurt and caramel.COOL SHADESBlenders, the fashionable sunglasses that started as an extreme-sports accessory from California, have come to Israel and have already won the hearts of our fashionistas.While the unisex shades are designed to stay on even when running, surfing or doing any other kind of sport, it is the funky design that has made them so popular. The hardened polycarbonate polarized anti-glare lenses are a bonus. NIS 110 to NIS 245.Available at sports shops and online at www.blendersisrael.co.il.FRESH FROM THE FIELD Moshavnik will bring fruits and vegetables straight from the field to your home at competitive prices. The initiative, started six months ago by farmers Avi Yaacov and Natti Turkiya, stemmed from the idea of offering fresh produce straight from the grower to the customer. The produce is brought by farmers in the early hours of the morning to a central warehouse, where it is selected and packed by hand. Orders can be placed online at all hours of the day.Other products in the online store include gourmet items such as high-quality olive oils, honey, gluten-free pastas and organic foods. Prices are lower than at most supermarkets. Check them out at www.moshavnik.co.il.A NEW LOCK ON SECURITYIf you are planning to travel by air any time soon, you may have to leave your suitcase unlocked or be subjected to authorities breaking the lock for security purposes. But you can avoid this problem by using locks made according to the American TSA standards, the only ones allowed here and in the US.Memsi now has a collection of these locks that can be opened only with a code or with a master key, avoiding the need for them to be broken. The Israeli Air Authority recently announced that these are the only locks it approves, and officers may break other locks if need be. NIS 29 to NIS 45 at Memsi stores.HAVE A COOKIEThe new cookies by Lahmi, in flavors such as butter orange, cinnamon, raspberry jam and chocolate chip, are now available in bags rather than boxes.The cookies are delicious and small enough to eat (just one) without too much guilt. We especially loved the jam strudel ones and the butter orange with almonds. The bag makes it easier to take to work and share the sweetness.PURE CHICKENChicken is the most popular kind of meat cooked in most local homes on a daily basis.But in many cases, the chicken we buy is pumped with antibiotics and chemicals. Recently, a new company called Meshek Artzi entered the market of naturally grown chickens, and the difference can really be tasted.Overseen by the Tadmir Group, which invested more than NIS 2 million in this new line, the chickens are fed with vegetarian natural foods enriched with pro-biotic and organic supplements, raised in low-density coops and inspected regularly and closely by veterinarians. The meat is marketed fresh and clean. Prices vary according to parts, from NIS 49.90 for thighs or breast to NIS 29.90 for a whole chicken and NIS 39.90 for a small (650-850 gr.) young chick.Available at Eden Teva Market stores, Shufersal, Bitan, You and Tiv Ta’am stores, as well as delicatessens.SMART CHARGECharging your smartphone, tablet or laptop is one of the hassles of modern life. At home, it often means that there are cables running everywhere, with electrical extension boxes all over the place. A new Israeli invention of an integral charging USB socket will fit in next to other regular sockets and will allow for faster charging and a more organized look.The socket, developed by Waisbord, can be purchased separately or as part of a whole socket unit. NIS 150 and up.Available at www.orsale.co.il or electrical shops.PEST CONTROLSummertime brings many infestations into the home, and keeping bugs away from the kitchen is no easy task. Bug Off is a new, odorless roach and bug spray that promises to keep insects away for longer while being less toxic to humans than other such products. The makers promise that it will effectively keep bugs and ants away for up to three months. The product is more effective than others thanks to its ability to penetrate cracks and remain there longer. NIS 34.90.Available at do-it-yourself stores.For more information, go to www.unikmaoz.co.il.
