A CANDLE IN THE WIND

Is it really 2010? When I was a kid I thought cars would fly by the year 2010, we'd live in glass bubbles in the sky, summer vacations would be spent on the moon and high fashion meant wearing nothing but spandex and Reynolds Wrap. So, I was a little off in my predictions. Hey, I'm not Nostradamus but I did go shopping at Nordstrom this holiday and was surprised by some of the innovative, interesting gift ideas I found. The first part of my vacation was spent in sunny Southern California where my parents have retired to the (often windy) desert oasis of Rancho Mirage. One of my favorite things to do when I visit is to have sunset dinners by the pool and sip a nice glass of wine while watching the sun dip behind the mountains. Unfortunately, the often unpredictable winds whip up and can ruin a candle light dinner. That is, until I met my match. In my wildest dreams I never imagined I'd purchase, let alone suggest to others, artificial accessories (plants, flowers, etc.) but these flameless candles blew me away when I saw them. While product quality varies (retailers from Nordstrom to Target carry these) I found my favorite at Restoration Hardware (www.restorationhardware.com). Each flameless, battery-operated candle has a guaranteed life of 1,000 hours (per battery), look and feel like real candles and are incredibly inexpensive thanks to great after-Christmas sales. So, while I can't see into the future I can figure out how to eat by candle light in the wind!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Two minutes (if ordering online allow 7 days for shipping)

COST: The set from above came from Restoration Hardware and ranged from $13-$30 but you can find them on Amazon.com, Target, etc.

STRESS LEVEL: Lighting up on a cold, windy night: LOW