Polish Posters
One of the countless hazards of lifestyle journalism is that you end up spending sizeable sums on the very things you're writing about. This happened to me recently, when I was putting together a story about movie posters and stumbled upon the highly addictive www.polishposter.com. Call me pretentious, but I've always been rather fond of non-English posters for well-known English-language films (kickstarted by my girlfriend's exceptionally cool Frühstück bei Tiffany print). And the delights on this website here ticked all the boxes. Within weeks I had splashed out on a minimalist Polish poster for The Great Dictator and a somewhat non-minimalist, insanely coloured cartoonish print for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, both heavy in consonants and cool in design. There are dozens of others for sale that are equally amazing, but with equally amazing pricetags that I'll undoubtedly be ordering at some point in the future instead of food and water. Why not take a look yourself? I dare you.
* Alex Ritman
Nike Free shoes
For as long as I can remember my gym shoes have been flung, if not banished, to the back of my wardrobe. Practical though they were, these unsightly and seemingly indestructible white plastic clodhoppers were starting to shrink and grey after one too many cycles in the washing machine.
And so it was upon a shopping trip to Dubai's Mall of the Emirates that I invested Dh595 in my first pair of snazzy sneakers: Nike Free shoes. Feather-light with a completely pliable sole, they are designed to let your feet move more freely than traditional athletic shoes. The blurb says they actually improve muscle strength in your feet over time as you are forced to walk and run in an altogether more natural way. Hand on heart, they have changed my workout routine entirely, for not only do I leap out of bed each day at the prospect of wearing my new shoes, they are as close as you can get to barefoot running without the froglike footwear.
However, be warned: these trainers are not for the shy or retiring. As I traverse the corridors of my gym in a Nordic blue pair with day-glow yellow trim, they scream "look at me!" and I have to admit I smile when people enviously do.
Nike Free shoes are available at all good stockists across the UAE. For more information visit www.malloftheemirates.com or www.nike.com
* Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane
Tig Notaro
Earlier this summer I became obsessed with a new female comic, Tig Notaro, loving her dry humour, attention to detail and impeccable timing. Yet, although Notaro's career is on the upswing, her personal life has been anything but. Earlier this year, she battled a life-threatening stomach infection, lost her mother, broke up with her partner and was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Just days after that scary news, Notaro was scheduled to perform in Los Angeles - and she went through with it. The result, which immediately went viral, is sad and funny and uncomfortable and riveting: a baffled, scared woman proving the show must go on in more ways than one, without a trace of self-pity. The comedian Louis CK, who was there and left as gobsmacked as everyone else, has just put the show on his website and it's like nothing else I've ever heard. Notaro is using her portion of the proceeds to fund her treatment and donate to breast cancer research. LIVE is available for download from www.louisck.net for US$5 (Dh18.4)
* Ann Marie McQueen
Bio-mex cleaner
I bought this all-purpose cleaner from Lakeland with the intention of decluttering my house. Lakeland claims that this non-abrasive and organic powder - "a secret of the hotel trade for years" - can be used on practically any surface. It can clean sinks, pots, pans, windows, baths and toilets! Well, that just sounds great, doesn't it? It has already proved to be worth more than its weight in gold by buffing all my jewellery up to a fabulous shine. Things I had lurking away because the silver had dulled or gone black returned to their shiny best with very little effort. It is quite dear, but quickly proves its worth it when you deduct all the other cleaning products from your grocery list that it can replace.
I got mine at Lakeland, Mushrif Mall for Dh79.
* Felicity Campbell