The best of...doing the dishes
Consumer
Automobile
“One handsome devil of a crossover,”
the 2021 Buick Envision is “arguably the
best-looking Buick in recent memory.”
Rebuilt from the ground up, the compact
SUV that helped revive Buick fi ve years
ago now also has a cabin that achieves
“near-luxury feel.” With its wider stance
and new platform, the Envision can hold
its own on the road with any Acura, Infi niti,
or Lincoln. “It’s not going to wow you in
any one area, but it accelerates, stops, and
handles respectably.”
Car and Driver
Still, “it’s tough to get excited behind thewheel of the Envision.” In fact, “it’s diffi cult
to get excited about the Envision at all.”
Though it now delivers a suitably tranquil
ride, it “doesn’t handle with much verve,”
and its cabin is marred by such “ques-
tionable” features as a dashboard turned
theatrically toward the driver. The Envision
is attractively priced, but “it’s more of a pre-
mium pretender than actually premium.”Autoblog.com
But the Envision “isn’t meant to carve cor-
ners; this is a Buick, after all, not a BMW.”
And considering that Buick was “little more
than a punch line a mere decade ago,”
we’re impressed by the overall package.It’s “the real deal,” a “genuinely attractive”
compact crossover that has a chance to
become the volume seller in the division’s
fast-improving lineup.28 LEISURE
Tip of the week...
How to be heard as a customer
Best apps...
For developing better habitsAnd for those who have
everything...
With the pan-
demic making it
harder to see a
dermatologist for
laser treatments,
today’s “buzziest”
beauty products
are concentrated
anti-aging potions that the forever young
can use at home. Many of the serums are
packaged as components of multistep
regimens, and La Prairie’s Platinum Rare
Haute-Rejuvenation Protocol is “one of
the most luxurious of the bunch.” Caviar
and platinum are signature ingredients,
and because the compounds applied are
so potent, a user should undertake the
30-day regimen only four times a year. Rich
in peptides and tissue-growth factors, the
formula delivers “serious results.”
$1,980, laprairie.com
Source: Bloomberg BusinessweekQTrack down the boss. When a company
lets you down in a big way, aim high to seek
redress. To identify and reach a decision
maker in a large firm, try Googling the com-
pany name plus “VP of customer service.”
You want VPs or higher and should direct
your written complaint to several people.
QCrack the code. Higher-ups can also be
found through company websites and Linked
In.com, while online tools such as Clearbit,
Lusha, and RocketReach can often attach
any name you find to an email address.
QTry the press office. Press releases posted
on the company site often list executives’
names and also a person to call in media
relations. Because “no company wants bad
press,” getting heard there may help you.
QUse social media. Grievances aired pub-
licly on Twitter or Facebook attract attention,
especially when you tag the company. If you
go that route, though, “stick to the facts.”
Source: The Washington Post
QHabitBull “gives you a good idea of every-
thing that a decent habit tracker can be.”
Whether you’re trying to jog every day or quit
smoking, “you’ve got plenty of support.”
QStreaks is popular and effective because it
simply encourages you to “keep your daily
habit streaks going.” The $5 iOS app comes
“packed with charts and statistics.”
QGoalify is more demanding: “This app
uses reminders, tips, and schedules to make
sure you’re succeeding.” Friends can join in
“for an extra level of accountability.”
QHabitica gamifies the habit-tracking pro-
cess, “turning your efforts to read every day
or to always tidy up into a game—complete
with characters, levels, and challenges.”
QGrow Habit Tracking is an “uncluttered”
Android-only app that “uses an illustration
of a growing tree.” Allow your new habits to
lapse and your trees “have to start sprout-
ing from scratch.”
Source: WiredThe 2021 Buick Envision: What the critics say
A near-luxury compact, from $31,800Skura Style Sponges
Not just an ordinary
sponge, a Skura resists
bacterial growth and
the resulting odors. It’s
made of a quick-drying
polyurethane foam
that’s treated with an
anti-microbial agent,
and its durable scouring
side always rinses clean.
$12 for 4, skurastyle.com
Source: MarthaStewart.comOxo Soap-Dispensing
Sponge Holder
You may never have
to see a messy soap
bottle again. Place a
sponge in this clever
holder and press down
to get a squirt of soap.
The water from a drip-
ping sponge is caught
by a separate basin.
$18, oxo.com
Source: Popular ScienceCasabella
Waterblock Gloves
“Durable yet fl exible,”
the best dishwashing
gloves around have
cotton lining and will
keep your hands bone
dry. They also fold at
the cuff to prevent dish-
water from dribbling up
onto your sleeves.
$8, containerstore.com
Source: BonAppetit.comJoseph Joseph
Dishwashing Tub
A soaking tub reduces
water use and wash-
ing time. This well-
designed tub is smaller
than a sink, which
leaves you space for
rinsing. It has handles
so you can move it
around and a remov-
able strainer plug.
$20, bedbathandbeyond.com
Source: NYMag.comWilliams Sonoma
All Purpose Pantry
Towe l s
No other kitchen towel
can beat these “big,
thirsty, long-lasting”
wonders, made of low-
lint Turkish cotton with
terry cloth on one side
and waffl e weave on
the other. They’re sold
in sets of four.
$20, williams-sonoma.com
Source: TheWirecutter.com