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valentinesflowersBuy some flowers on Valentine’s Day and make a child’s wish come true.

 

If you’re still not sure what to by your loved one this year on Valentine’s day, then why not buy them a bouquet of flowers with a “touch of magic”?

 

A donation will be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Switzerland for every bouquet of flowers, costing Fr. 60.-  or more, bought from the Fleuriste des Augustins in Geneva.

 

So if you buy some flowers on Valentine’s Day, not only will you be telling the person you love how much you care, you will also be adding a touch of magic to the lives of children with life threatening medical conditions. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Switzerland helps to turn children’s wishes into reality, making their experience truly magical and memorable.

 

According to the foundation, a "wish" is a child's answer to the question "If you could have anything in the world, go anywhere, be or do anything... what would you choose? What would you do?" A wish can provide a magical moment in difficult times, and children are often energized by a wish, by imagining it, describing it, planning and anticipating it. A wish can encourage a child to see a future to fight for and then to fight on.

 

 

 

So if you’re not sure where to buy your flowers this year, head on down to

Fleuriste des Augustins

12, place des Philosophes

1205 Genève

022 320 70 80

www.lesaugustins.ch

 

Website: www.makeawish.ch

Valentine windowIf you are looking for something special to buy your loved one on Valentine’s Day this year, you may like to head on down to a new papeterie, which opened in Carouge at the end of last Summer.  

As a special offer to our knowitall.ch customers, La Libellule Papiers & Co. is offering anyone who brings a printed copy of this article into the shop a free Valentine's card for all purchases over Fr. 40.-.  The offer applies only on the 11th and 12th February.

Situated in the heart of the old town, the new paperterie offers a wide range of greetings cards, many of which are made by the owner, Nathalie Christin, herself.  The boutique also includes a large selection of writing paper, photo albums, notebooks, pens and pencils etc.

For those looking beyond Valentine's Day, the shop provides a personalized stationery service, including birth announcements, wedding invitations, business cards, and boxes to hold your letters – in both traditional and modern styles.

PapeterieTo get a better picture of the full range of Nathalie’s products, visit her website: www.la-libellule.ch.  If you don’t have time to head down to the shop, the carterie section of the website is definitely worth a visit (very entertaining!), and will allow you to order cards online.  Personalized birth announcements can also be prepared on the website.

LA LIBELLULE PAPIERS & CO
10 rue Saint-Victor,1227 Carouge.
Tel: +41 22 342 41 40
Mobile:  +41 79 948 64 10
Website: www.la-libellule.ch

buyclub2By Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman, Editor of Know-it-all passport

I spend a lot of time on my computer so when I found out about BuyClub I was excited. Here was a place where I could try new things, new experiences, at a discount, while sitting at my computer! But would it work? I decided to give it a try before passing judgement.

Here’s how it works - taken from the website, www.buyclub.ch

1. See today's deal: Each day a discount coupon for a great local restaurant, spa, or activity is put on sale. (Today's deal is 40% off your daily pass to Aquaparc - 4.2.2011)

2. Get it : Buy the coupon online, and it will be emailed to you 24 hours after the deal ends.

3. Use group-power: The coupon is activated, and you're charged for it, only if enough people buy it. If not, then you're not charged and no one gets the coupon.

4. Enjoy the discount: Print the coupon, show it at the venue, and enjoy the great place you discovered!

My first trial was a voucher for Fr. 100.- at the Restaurant des Bastions in Geneva for only Fr. 50.-. No catch; it really meant I could order anything off the menu up to Fr. 100.-! Too good to be true. Usually these kind of vouchers require that you take some preselected menu with half portions or are only valid between 03h-04h in the morning, but not this one. I went with my husband 2 weeks ago at 20h on a Friday evening! We made sure to let the restaurant know that we had the BuyClub coupon when we reserved. We were given a good table (naturally, we were concerned they might sit us next to the toilets), and again, we showed the coupon as soon as the menus were brought (you probably have guessed by now that I have had a bad experience in the US). They honestly didn’t care about the coupon at that point.

Cakes cardTo make way for their new 2011 stock, Forget Me Not Cards is offering 50% off all its remaining Christmas items as well as many of its non-Phoenix greetings cards for other occasions, during January.  The cards can be viewed at the Card Room in Chamby - simply call or email Liz Andrews before (details below).

Customers wishing to receive a copy of the new 2011 Phoenix brochure, should also send an email to Liz, simply saying "YES" and adding their name and address.  Cards can be viewed or ordered anytime from her website at www.phoenix-trading.eu/web/lizandrews.

Liz is also inviting customers to host their own Cards & Coffee or Evening.  Customers can expect to receive free cards in return for hosting an event.  Alternatively, if you live in France,  you may like to consider becoming your own Phoenix Trader.  It's a simple way to run your own business around the family and other commitments.  You can choose how busy you wish to be, and can develop a useful part-time income or a more lucrative full-time business.

For further information on Liz's special offers or on how to become a Phoenix Trader, contact:

Boot cardLiz Andrews,
Forget Me Not Cards
Rte de Chaulin 74B,
1832 Chamby
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.phoenix-trading.eu/web/lizandrews
Tel: + 41 21 964 5091
Mob: + 41 79 376 3079

Mini pizzasDo you want to throw a party but are put off by the idea of spending all that time in the kitchen preparing all those little nibbles that everyone loves so much at this time of year?  

Well you don’t need to panic.  Here are a few ideas for quick and easy apéritifs, with ingredients that have all been sourced from local supermarkets.

The emphasis is on simplicity – none of us want to spend hours creating gourmet dishes at this time of year.  So read on… and if you have a few ideas of your own, please send them in to us and we will add them to the list.

Mini pizzas (contributed by Jenny Jeffreys)

Toast nature pour canapés (e.g. Carrefour own brand)
Tube of tomato purée (e.g. Panzani Sauce Tomate from Carrefour)
Mozarella cheese (e.g. Galbani Mozzarella Maxi from Carrefour)
Sliced tin mushrooms (e.g. Carrefour discount Champignons de Paris)
Some pepper and chives to garnish (e.g. Carrefour Herbe aromatique: Ciboulette)


Spread the purée on each slice of bread.
Put a slice of mozarella on each piece.
Add a few sliced mushrooms on top.
Grate some pepper over the top and add a couple of pieces of chopped chive on top.
Just before your guests arrive place them under the grill. Must be served warm.
(n.b. Don’t prepare too early otherwise the bread can go a little soggy!)