Already thinking about spring cleaning? (Good for you, you’re better than us.) Clear out those dust bunnies and replace them with the season’s hottest products. We shopped around and found a few things–from groovy handbags to gourmet peanut butter–that you shouldn’t do without.
Go nuts
You don’t have to eat blah toast. Not when there’s P.B. Loco, a Twin Cities-based brand known for its creative take on peanut butter. We love the Asian Curry Spice, which is like Devon Avenue in a jar. $6.95/16-ounce jar at pbloco.com.
Squeal deal
Saving money for spring break? Drop your spare change into Coink, a ceramic piggy bank designed by Scott Henderson. The cute, 8-inch-tall bank deserves to be prominently displayed, serving as a constant reminder that a penny saved is another step toward getting that poolside mojito. $36 at Virtu, 2034 N. Damen Ave.; or virtuchicago.com.
Take a shine to this
Is looking for something in your purse like trying to find a needle in a haystack? Thankfully, Solas Fashion’s Healing Clutches light up inside when opened. The cool, ethereal glow helps you locate items in a flash. AA batteries needed. About $160 at PS: Accessories, 1127 N. State St.; or solasfashion.com.
Indoor harvest
The AeroGarden is the world’s first kitchen garden appliance, and, amazingly, it grows plants in air instead of earth or water. Plug it in, and a “humid growing chamber” makes everything from tomatoes to chili peppers to salad greens flourish from tiny seeds. $149.99 (includes seed kit) at Sur La Table, 52 E. Walton St.; or aerogrow.com.
Watch it
Watches with thick leather straps are big for spring. Our favorite? Swatch’s Top Relief model (above). This cuff-style, chronographic wonder tracks the date and includes a stopwatch function. $150 at Swatch stores; or swatch.com.
