We really need to start banding together and helping out the environment more. I mean, we’ve basically just been abusing it since the dawn of time and it’s just now occurring to us that maybe we need to rethink that. So how should we go about saving the planet? An incredibly easy way to make a dent in our pollutants is to recycle. Yeah, it seems like small potatoes when confronted with the abundance of smog and the rise of global warming, but it could really make a difference. Just think, if everyone in the world committed to recycling, the result would be magnanimous. Alright, so talking about recycling is effortless, but how are you supposed to put this idea into action? I’ve got one way that requires little effort on your part…
All you have to do is invest in the Beer Bottle Clocks (Drinkstuff, £14.96) and you’ll be one your way to making our planet beautiful once again. I know what you’re thinking, that there’s no way buying a clock is helping the environment. Well you know what I have to say to that? Falsity! These clocks are made from recycled glass bottles, which means that instead of sitting in a parking lot or an overflowing landfill, they’re hanging on your wall as functional art. Pretty nifty, huh? There are three different beer styles/brands to choose from, which include Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Guinness. Each clock is unique because it’s made from an original beer bottle that has been melted down to the flat shape of the clock in question. So you could go ahead and buy one for every room in your house in you wanted, and they would each be just a little different. The clock runs on one AA battery (not included) so it’s not going to cost you a fortune to operate it either. Plus, each clock is gift boxed so you just know it would make a great gift for any one of your drinking buddies.
And even before you start, I’m not an idiot. I know that just buying a recycled clock isn’t going to magically make the world all better. It’s more the principle of the idea, that just because something is reused doesn’t make it any less desirable or useful. And if more people were receptive to the notion of recycling, maybe it could be the catalyst that prompts a larger change.
I’ll take that apology anytime.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 220mm x 90mm x 40mm
-Weight: 300g
-Three designs: Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Guinness
-Recycled glass bottles
-Each clock is unique
-Original beer bottle labels
-Uses 1 AA battery (not included)
-Gift boxed
-Eco friendly
-Delivery only available to UK
Ok, so when was the last time that you really had fun while you were cooking? Hmm? Were you about 12 or younger? That seems to be the time when it was exciting to create new delicacies, usually consisting of things like sugary cereal and chocolate syrup. Remember that time you learned how to make Orange Julius and egg white omelets in home economics class? You were so proud of the way you separated those egg whites without getting shell pieces in the bowl. Ah, those were the days. Now it’s just all cooking for convenience and getting something edible on the table each night for dinner. You know, it doesn’t have to be that way. No, you can have fun again, and I’m going to tell you how.
All you need to make mundane cooking fun again is your good friend, the Alli-Grator (Perpetual Kid, $12.99). This guy is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. If you don’t get a kick out of this, then you are clearly dead, which is all the more frightening because that means you’re a zombie. We’ll talk more about how to get rid of humorless zombies at another time. Back to this amazing kitchen accessory – I mean, seriously, how awesome is this? Jaws closed, the Alli-Grator looks just like an alligator with its chompers on full display. But open it up, and you have a fully functional grater with stainless steel cutters. The alligator’s face turns into a useful sturdy handle, which you’re sure to appreciate if you’ve ever had to grate a block of cheese. Add to that the fact that the whole shebang is dishwasher safe, and I think you’ve got yourself a stellar addition to your kitchen tools collection.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to help out with dinner when they could have the opportunity to handle a quality apparatus such as this? As far as I’m concerned, the biggest problem you’re going to have is figuring out how to incorporate it into your dinner prep every night. Let’s see…tacos with grated cheddar on Monday, pizza with shredded mozzarella on Tuesday, Chinese stir fry with a hint of fresh ginger on Wednesday, lemon chicken topped with lemon zest on Thursday, horseradished kielbasa and pierogies on Friday…
I think we got it covered. See you later, Alli-Grator.
5 out of 5 reptile stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7″ x 4″
-Unfold jaws to use
-Return to closed jaw position to store
-Easy to hold handle
-Stainless steel cutters
-Dishwasher safe
I think you’ve realized by now that the same old boring decor is just not going to cut it. I mean, why in the world would you buy something generic, like a lamp, from the local consignment store when instead you could proudly display a magnificent piece of art? Exactly. It’s no contest. But how do you choose what kind of lamp best suits your personality? This is no easy task, and therefore should not be taken lightly. Pun intended.
The OFFI My Pet Lamp (Design Public, $59.00) is both stylish and functional, especially if you happen to be a fan of animals. There are four different lamp animal designs offered, including Dachshund, Siamese, TerriBear, and HoweePup. There are six colors to choose from for each of the four styles, all of which as intensely cheerful as a Crayola crayon. For some reason, only the TerriBear and HoweePup lamps come with a washable marker that allows you to write on the lamp, but if you plan on loving your new family addition just the way it is, that shouldn’t be an issue. Whichever lamp you choose to adopt, each is made of a non-toxic odorless plastic and requires a 12v replaceable bulb. Please don’t exceed this wattage because that would just be downright stupid, seeing as both you and the plastic lamp are extremely flammable.
Now, I know these little lamps look a bit juvenile, but you’ve got to admit that they are just downright adorable. I mean, you could lie and say that you’re getting one for your niece, but we both know that you’re just gonna keep it for yourself. Come on, can’t you just picture that baby TerriBear on your nightstand, watching over you while you sleep and keeping you bedbug free? Shh, you don’t even have to say anything. I have the same relationship with my Siamese lamp.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions:
-Dachshund: 6″ x 13.5″ x 20.5″
-Siamese: 8.75″ x 20.25″ x 9.75″
-TerriBear: 9″ x 11″ x 9.25″
-HoweePup: 11.5″ x 11.5″ x 9.5″
-Each lamp pet available in 6 colors (shown below)
-TerriBear and HoweePup come with washable marker to write on lamp
-Each lamp made of non toxic odorless plastic
-Lamp is low voltage
-Uses 12v replaceable bulb (not included)
-Cord and adapter are UL approved
Are you one of those people that just can’t seem to get out of bed in the morning, no matter how hard you try? Do you hit the snooze button more times than you care to disclose? Do you fantasize about traveling to exotic locations and staying in fancy hotels, just to abuse their wake-up call service? Let’s face it, if this sounds like you, a normal alarm clock is not gonna cut it. You need an alarm clock that is going to go above and beyond the average wake up routine. I mean, that whole intensely annoying noise is enough to rouse your usual light sleeper, but how about us snooze addicts? What’s to stop us from exploiting our alarm clocks, only to curse them when we realize we’re late to work for the third day in a row? We need something that’s going to save us (and our jobs) before it’s too late.
Gather round sleeping enthusiasts, and bear witness to the magnificence that is the Flying Alarm Clock (Firebox, $29.95). Never before or since have you observed such an effective tool for punctuality as you have with this item. Not only does this alarm clock sound an alert so shrill that it’s just about guaranteed to make you bolt out of the house without even getting dressed, but it also contains an ingenious backup system. I am of course speaking of the propeller attached to the top of the clock. And no, it’s not just for show (although, it is fo sho, if you catch my drift). Ok, so picture yourself out and about on a Thirsty Thursday such as today. You get home around 2am or so, and you know that you’re gonna have a tough time peeling yourself out of bed tomorrow morning. So you go ahead and set your trusty new alarm clock for 7am, depending on its timely alerting capabilities. Before you know it, it’s 7am! Any other morning, you would just hit your snooze and roll over. Nope, you’re getting up on time today. Why’s that? Well, that horrific alarm is going to continue to sound until you catch the propeller that’s flying around the room and return it the alarm base. You read that right, you have to capture a propeller or else you’re never going to get that alarm sound out of your head.
The basic idea here is that since you have to actually force yourself out of bed and track down a flying object, there’s no way you’re getting back into bed after that. I mean, it is a pretty smart plan because once you’ve accomplished such a spectacular feat as getting up, there’s really nothing you can’t achieve.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 4″
-Propeller launches into the air and flies around the room when alarm sounds
-Propeller must be returned to base to dismantle alarm
-Uses 4 AA batteries (not included)
-Do not use rechargeable batteries
Don’t you just hate when you have to go unpack groceries into your pantry? You know, the one that’s in that little crawlspace underneath the stairs that doesn’t have enough room for a light. So you’re down there with a bag full canned goods in one hand and a flashlight in the other, just trying to make sure that you don’t mess up your roommate’s carefully calculated system. It really makes you think about how it would be so much easier if you could just move your pantry, but since that isn’t gonna happen, maybe you’re thinking about how you’d just settle for being able to see two feet in front of your face. Yeah, that sounds like it would be just swell, doesn’t it?
Well be prepared for your dreams to become a reality with the Magnetically Switched LED Micro Lights (ThinkGeek, $6.99). With these teeny little lights, you can have amazingly bright light in just about anyplace you can think of, no matter how small the space. What makes these lights so portable? They’re wireless. That’s right, so don’t have to look for an outlet to plug these into, so you can put them in a closet, underneath the stairs, or even in a drawer without a problem. What you have to do is place the light where you want it, then put the magnet on the opposite side of the light. When the light and the magnet are close to each other, the immediate proximity caused the light to turn off. When you separate the two, the light turns on. So if you put the magnet on the inside of a closet door and then placed the light parallel to it inside the actual closet, then the light would automatically turn on when you opened the closet door because of the space between the magnet and the light. Pretty cool, huh? You can mount the light and magnet using double-sided tape, Velcro, or basically anything sticky. The only downside to these lights is that they run off watch style batteries, and that they need three of these batteries per LED light.
If you’re as clumsy as I am, then you’re totally gonna want a set of these. Actually, you’ll probably want to bulk order them in an attempt to reduce your overall klutz factor. Here’s hoping.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Two pack includes: two LED lights and two magnetic pieces
-Uses 3 watch style batteries per LED light
-Mounts via double sided tape or Velcro
-LED lights are wireless
-LED lights are super bright
-Able to position light to suit your needs
