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Playful Chef Cooking Kits

Price: $39.99. (Specify whether you want a red or denim apron and a kit aimed at ages 3-5 or 6 and up)

What it does: Makes cooking a fun and educational experience for kids and adults.

How it makes your life easier: This adorable set will make your pint-size chef feel at home in the kitchen and teach her valuable lessons in hygiene, safety, math and science -- without her even knowing it! Each kit comes in a translucent backpack filled with a child-size adjustable 'tool belt' apron, mixing bowl, baking pan, whisk, spatula, spoon, three-minute wooden sand timer, kitchen scissors and color-coded measuring spoons and cups. It comes with five laminated 8- by 11-inch recipe cards for treats such as brunch souffle, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, chocolate lava cake and a fruit yogurt parfait. Each recipe is laid out with simple, child-oriented tips for planning ahead, making a shopping list and prepping tools and ingredients. It also gives helpful hints for properly measuring ingredients (such as leveling off dry flours for more precise measurements), safety measures and the value of using the senses in cooking. Kids will find the mini icons and color-coded directions a great help and confidence booster. My 7-year-old son could not wait to get cooking -- even as we talked about fractions while making muffins!

Who would use it: Aspiring chefs, day cares, churches, play centers, camps, cooking schools; anyone with little hands who likes to eat (and play) with their food. This would make a great birthday or Christmas present.

Where to get it: www.playfulinc.com.

joyce clark hicks joyce.hicks@newsobserver.com or (919)829-8908

A fine time for wine

October is prime time for taking in the state's beautiful fall foliage and visiting North Carolina's Wineries. So grab your sweetie or a friend for a fabulous day trip to three vineyards in the Yadkin Valley. On Oct. 25, a chartered bus will depart from North Raleigh's Stonehenge Shopping Center on Creedmoor Road at 8 a.m. and will return at 7:30 p.m. The $35 transportation fee includes a morning and afternoon snack of mimosas, orange juice, cheese, crackers, water and pastries. Side tours, tastings and tip are not included. Seating is limited to 47 passengers, so register early for a spot. (The cost will increase if fewer than 47 people sign up) Go to www.trianglesonsofitaly.org for complete details.

Pat off unwanted pet hair

From the cute, but not-so-practical files come these adorable pet hair removal stickers from Mrs. Grossman's stickers. Pouf! (Pat Off Unwanted Fur) sticker sheets are described as a portable and colorful array of stickers specifically marketed for removing pesky pet hair from your clothes and furniture. At 4 inches wide by 3 inches deep, they can be tucked into a pocket or purse for use on the go. A co-worker who tried the stickers found them intriguing, but not very practical. He noted that since shedding is rarely an isolated incident, he had to repeatedly remove and replace the sticker over his shirt and pants leg to get the job done. An adhesive roller seemed a more logical solution, he said. Still, if you'd like a cute way to remove the occasional errant hair, Pouf! stickers might be the magic you're looking for. Pouf! stickers come in 6 designs, include 20 stickers per set and can be ordered for $3.99 at mrsgrossmans.com

Nature sighting

"We sure did enjoy our morning glories on the mailbox post (this summer). Simple flower... but so majestic."

Jeff and June Eason

North Raleigh