
Li Hing Kettle Korn
A friend saw this at a craft fair and gave it to us. My children and I fought over it. The package was gone in an afternoon. My birthday is coming up and this would make a fabulous gift. Based in Alameda, California. Click here for their website.
Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Pretzels.
Another sweet/salty/crunchy snack. Available at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but only during the holidays.
My Aunty's Snowballs
Buttery sugary melt-in-your mouth cookies. We are lucky enough to get these every year. Perfect with coconut-flavored coffee. Or any coffee.
Its It
Santa left me an empty Its It box in my stocking. At first I thought that I was definitely on the not-nice list. However, I discovered three new-in-package Its Its as I was searching for some chicken to thaw. Back on the nice list!

I am old-school, write-it-in-pen-on-paper for keeping my life in order. I usually get a feng shui datebook from my husband or other very kind business-traveling friends at the Shanghai Tang store in the Hong Kong airport. This definitely falls into the "very difficult to find" category.
So for 2013, it's Moleskine Star Wars version. 20% off at the local Kinokuniya bookstore too! Click here for locations in the US. Be advised that the US Kinokuniya site still uses a lot of Japanese.

This was a gift from a colleague who was on a business trip to Japan. Highlights each of the four seasons.
Not to eat with, but just to look pretty, and to remind you of the change of seasons.

Japanese tradition celebrates the calendar New Year, not the lunar New Year. We will, of course, celebrate Lunar New Year next month on February 10th.
But for this week--Happy New Year of the Snake to all!