Living

As the holiday décor gets tucked away for another year, we have an opportunity to give an easy refresh to our homes and our selves, to kick off the New Year in style.

Sad news: Barbara-jo ( sic ) McIntosh, owner of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks , has announced that her well-loved and much-acclaimed cookbook store will be closing on Feb. 28 after 20 years in operation.

Fat Mao 217 E. Georgia 604-569-8192 FatMaoNoodles.com Open daily 11:30am-9pm In certain – or, actually, most – circles, Angus An can do no wrong.

Vancouver International boat show runs now through Jan. 22 at B.C. Place and Granville Island

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ve rarely had a salon facial that impresses. They’re usually pleasant, but their effects tend to last just a few days – and apart from the (very satisfying) extraction phase, I can do most of the steps at home.

It may be only mid-January, but we’ve already found the year’s best and most innovative beauty product. On Feb. 1, Clarins will launch its 4-Colour All-in-One Pen ($44, pictured below).

In addition to the almost 300 individual restaurants offering exclusive menus as part of the 17th annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival (Jan. 20-Feb. 5), there are numerous special events vying to sate the city’s appetites.

We’re not talking makeup trends here (FYI: ’80s, glitter and braids). Rather, these are our predictions for products and categories that will be making waves through the next year – the high-tech, innovative, space-age stuff we can’t wait to try.

This year 284 restaurants are taking part in Dine Out Vancouver Jan. 20 to Feb. 5

I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for about a year and a half. It’s amazing. We’ve never had a real fight and we’re very patient with one another. However, I have a problem that I can’t seem to get over: I’m addicted to dick pics.