Shopping & Services picks

Daiso kitchenware: so affordable, so adorable!

Daiso kitchenware: so affordable, so adorable!

PHOTO BY BRIAN BRENEMAN

Did you see our advice on how to dress to avoid heat death this summer? If not, might want to check this out.

71. Order delivery from Edible Pedal to offset your carbon footprint while you blast the air-conditioning

72. Adopt a cat (video)

Front Street Animal Shelter

If you’re reluctant to leave the A/C to wade through the stifling heat and check out animals in need of adoption, there’s good news. Front Street Animal Shelter is killing it with the cute Facebook posts. There aren’t many crappy moods that can’t be cured by a video of cats playing in a ball pit or one showing a litter of puppies snuggling with each other. Our current favorite is the subtitled video of the snooty kitten who hates being touched. “Unhand me human!” indeed. 2127 Front Street, (916) 808-7387, www.facebook.com/
FrontStreetAnimalShelter
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RFH

73. Carry that load

Sacramento Tote from Display: California

The farmers market. Sunday picnics along the Delta. An evening River Cats game. So. Many. Festivals. All those places to go, all that gear to carry. Tote it in style with a sturdy, roomy California market bag from Display: California ($68). It’s sold in association with APOLIS’ 17th Local + Global project, which employs crafters and artisans in rural Bangladesh. Emblazoned with the 916-friendly phrase “Sacramento California USA,” it’s made of a natural jute material (with a waterproof lining) and sturdy leather straps. Which basically means it’ll hold a summer’s worth of stuff. 3433 Broadway, (916) 822-4925, www.displaycalifornia.com. R.L.

74. Buy things older than you are

Folsom Antique Fair

Sometimes to move forward … you need to look back. The Folsom Antique Fair, now in its 49th year, draws up to 10,000 people to historic Folsom, all looking for that big bargain a few decades in the making. It’s a great chance to shop around for gifts that are outside the typical wares, and have a little more age and character. Admission is free, so you can save money for that antique you just have to have. Just remember, it has to fit in your apartment when you get back home. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. September 18 on Sutter Street in Folsom, http://tbcashows.info/
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W.C.

75. Grow your garden

Heirloom seed library at the Sacramento Public Library

Hungry for fresh-tasting veggies? Got an eye for pretty flowers? Skip the nursery and let your garden flourish with free heirloom seeds, courtesy of the library’s Colonial Heights (4799 Stockton Boulevard) and Rio Linda (631 L Street in Rio Linda) branches. Choose from various flowers, bushes, herbs and vegetables. Those already rich with an abundant heirloom harvest are encouraged to share their seed bounty with the library. www.saclibrary.org. R.L.

You can’t get something for nothing, unless it’s a free shade tree from SMUD.

ILLUSTRATION BY HANS BENNEWITZ

76. Invest in vinyl

Records

Records, the little music shop on Broadway, is way cooler than you might think. Prince shopped there with Andy Allo once. Comix legend Robert Crumb designed the logo. It’s also where I got a Rodney Dangerfield VHS double-movie pack for $2 and at least half of my David Bowie and Black Sabbath stashes on the cheap. Pick up some classic wax while independent record stores still exist. 1618 Broadway, (916) 446-3973. A.S.

77. Practice the art of bathing

Mizayaki Bath House and Gallery

Walnut Grove may not be the first destination you think of when it comes to rest and relaxation, but that’s probably because you’ve never been in a proper ofuro, a Japanese soaking tub. Restored from its original pre-World War II construction, this historic bath-and-boarding house offers hot and cool baths, a steam room, meditation areas, a tea room and an art gallery that pays homage to the area’s turn-of-the-century Japantown. Prices vary, 1250 B Street in Walnut Grove, (916) 776-4290, http://miyazakibathhouse.com. D.D.

78. Stock up on cuteness

Daiso

Daiso is a Japanese “dollar” store chain, which recently opened in Roseville. The prices are more like $1.50 for everything, but what things! Banana holder! Cutest tissue packages! Seriously, the best earbuds! Adorable animals on everything! It may seem like cute overload, but there are a lot of useful products to buy, especially in the kitchen section. Take an afternoon to slowly peruse the aisles and think about how smart the Japanese are for inventing that helpful thing. Wait, this brilliant thing, too. Wait, a whole store of them? 1151 Galleria Boulevard in Roseville, (916) 771-0367, www.daisoglobal.com. G.G.

79. Get a shoe shine and a chair massage, and then eat all the dip samples at the California State Fair’s vendor expo

80. Embrace your shady side

Free trees from SMUD

Shade: Grow it, don’t throw it. The Sacramento Tree Foundation and SMUD will give up to 10 free shade trees to SMUD customers to plant around their homes. Trees can dramatically lower summertime cooling costs and make your yard more beautiful. A community forester will come to your house and help you select the best planting spots for your trees, or you can use SMUD’s online ordering system. (916) 924-8733, www.smud.org/en/residential/environment/shade-trees/. B.C.

81. Go back (or forward) in time

Time Travelers' Bazaar

This fourth annual event features “vendors from around the globe and throughout time.” Picture wares catering to every niche of geek culture: steampunk, vampires, Dr. Who, anime and so on. Whatever your “thing” is, someone here will be wearing it, selling it or ready to talk about it at length. Dress up and bring your wallet. Free; noon to 6 p.m. August 13 at Great Escape Games, 1250 Howe Avenue, Suite 3A; www.facebook.com/events/1681707022102701. B.C.

You should play outside this summer, but how can you survive the heat? By sporting at night, of course!