Scented soap may not seem like the very height of gift-giving originality, but it’s really nice to have a stack on hand as a hostess present or to give out to the ladies when you’re on the hook for a crowd. And the fragrances from the Red Hook soap and flower shop Saipua are just delish: beautifully packaged, bright, fresh, vibrant, yum. The $10 bars come in Lavender Oatmeal, Peppermint Pumice, Winter Citrus, Salt Water, Mango Butter, Coffee Mint and more. Saipua is open today until 6 and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon at 147 Van Dyke St., conveniently located for that last-minute Fairway Run. The squares are also on sale for $12 at A. Cheng at 152 Fifth Ave. in Park Slope, which is open until at least 5 on Christmas Eve.
25 gifts under $25 No. 24: Soaps from Saipua
Loads of cheap eats at Ikea this weekend
you meat eaters sure love weird food
Not to overdo it on Ikea coverage this week, but here’s a very enticing reason to overdo it at Ikea tomorrow: the Swedish emporium of stuff white people like hosts a kräftskiva, an all-you-can-eat crayfish party at only $9.99 per person and $2.49 for kids under 12 (it’s limited seating so purchase advance tickets). Plus, did you know kids eat free at Ikea through Sunday? And, in case you’re still unsure of what to expect at a furniture store doubling as a cafeteria, Gothamist runs down Ikea’s under-appreciated culinary delights. For instance, every Wednesday is Rib Night, offering a half rack of baby back ribs, fries and cornbread for just $7.99. Don’t get sauce on your Boliden.
Bar of the Week: It’s B61!
This is the 28th in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we head down by the water to where the trains don’t go for a returning favorite, B61.
Photo by Ultraclay.
B61
187 Columbia St. at Degraw St., Red Hook
What it is: An easy-going prelude to dinner upstairs, or post-lude to a hard day’s work.
Why we love it: It’s definitely a bit secluded, but the views through the enormous windows make you feel connected to Manhattan, and the regulars at the bar make B61 as a whole feel like a microcosmic Brooklyn. 
This weekend: spend $100 at Ikea and eat for free
This here Oppdal bed is big news.
If you’ve been putting off a trip to Ikea for Billy bookshelves, this weekend they come with gratis gravlax. Yep, if you spend $100 or more, you get to eat in the cafe for free — so says the Ikea web site. BTW, the new 2012 Ikea catalog just came out, and if you can’t wait to find out what Torva, Tived, Isala and Oppdal (left) refer to, here’s a link.
Brokelyn Bike Tour: Splashy Red Hook edition!
Red Hook, a neighborhood lost in time. Photos by Meghan Doherty.
It’s been a bit overcast, but Sunday is going to be sunny and eighty-motha-flippin-two degrees: What a perfect time to go on a bike ride together, for real this time. We’re going to a place where no subway dares to go, where only a bus (that takes forever), fisherman and cheap-furniture lovers venture. Sunday at 11am, come join me and the Brokelyn crew for a wonderful breezy bike ride to Red Hook. Never been? Here’s your chance! No money? Us too! Even if you’re saving the ride for a later date, check out our second installment of Brokelyn Bike Tour: Sunny, splashy Red Hook.
Fab Brooklyn field trip: Erie Basin Park
A happy Erie Basin Parkgoer. Photo by Timothy Krause.
For no reason in particular, it’s double-shot-of-Ikea Friday! Even if tonight’s lingonberry meatballs aren’t your thing, you have all summer and beyond to explore Ikea’s adjacent Erie Basin Park, as it’s officially called, one of the most underutilized outdoor spaces in Brooklyn. We discovered it recently, and now no trip for particleboard shelves is complete without at least an hour lolling amid the reedy something-or-other grasses or taking a round-trip cruise on the (hello! free on weekends!) Ikea water taxi.
More free summer movies to get hooked on
Don't be a loner/rebel. Bike over to free Red Hook movies with a friend this summer!
Have you loaded up your summer calendar with all these rad happenings listed on our free summer events page yet? There’s already loads of free music and movies, but here’s another big one to keep an eye on: the Red Hook Summer Film Series last night released its schedule of free outdoor movies, which start July 12 and include such family popcorn favorites as The Karate Kid (Macchio version, of course), The Iron Giant, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and … Highlander. Popcorn is available for $1 a bag and other local food vendors will be at the waterfront site. See the full schedule and details below.
Half off plants at Liberty Sunset’s going out of business sale
Liberty Sunset Garden Center, photo by Marie Viljoen.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got the gardening bug BAD this year, and here’s a little good news/bad news for all you would-be green thumbs: the beloved Liberty Sunset Garden Center in Red Hook is having a massive going-out-of- business-sale and we hear that just about everything is half off. Our friend and occasional contributor Marie Viljoen from 66SquareFeet blog has the full story and some glorious photos: She found “figs, citrus, roses, blackberries, more raspberries, kiwi vines, many hardy trees, like magnolias, birches and maples, and a lot else besides.” Bring cash, and be prepared to wait. Here’s more from Marie, including the coordinates.
Bar of the Week: Brooklyn Ice House
This is the twelfth in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week the spotlight is on the Brooklyn Ice House, where the friendly Red Hook waterfront vibe is in full effect.
BROOKLYN ICE HOUSE
318 Van Brunt St. between Pioneer & King, Red Hook
What is it: This Red Hook staple is a neon-lit beacon of hope on an otherwise “where the f am I?” stretch of Van Brunt Street.
Why we love it: It’s the answer to the question people are always asking: “what there is to do in Red Hook? Plus, cheap beer, pulled pork and a spacious backyard to chill out.
Bar of the Week: Rocky Sullivan’s!
This is the tenth in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we’re showcasing Rocky Sullivan’s, a Red Hook respite with a top-notch pedigree for Irish pub lovers.
ROCKY SULLIVAN’S
www.rockysullivans.com
34 Van Dyke St at Dwight St, Red Hook
What it is: Authentically Irish, this pub serves as the perfect place to escape after spending too much money at Fairway.
Why we love it: Everyone who works there is awesome, and let’s be honest: we’ve been dreaming of their roof deck since Thanksgiving.
