Are you looking for a new way to decorate your place that doesn’t seem like the same old uninspired pieces of art hanging on a wall? I mean, sure a painting or two is nice every once in awhile, but it seems like everybody and their mother is all about modern art. What about something that you could take room to room on a moment’s notice, without having to worry about upsetting the current room’s decor? Sounds pretty good, right? What about if it was small enough to be ultra portable but big enough to occupy a vast amount of wall space? That’s what you need, for sure.
The Lumen Tree (Generate Design, $59.00) is perfect in that capacity because it’s functional art. I mean, just think about all the possibilities you have with a piece of art that can easily be moved from place to place, yet still retain its essence. At a height of only half a foot tall, this stainless steel oil lamp projects soft shadows on the wall when lit. The size of the shadow can manipulated by moving the oil lamp closer or farther away from the wall and the flickering flame allows the shadow to move about organically. Each odorless paraffin fuel cell burns for 17 hours, and with a four pack of fuel cells included, you should be set for quite awhile.
Besides the day to day artistic qualities of this oil lamp, wouldn’t it just be so cool to have for special occasions? I mean, just think about how cool it could be for a Halloween party to create an indoor haunted forest. I’m all about awesome Halloween parties.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 6″ tall; 2.5″ diameter
-Oil lamp shadow projector
-Available in four designs: Pine, Nest, Magnolia, and Cedar
-Includes four 17-hour odorless paraffin fuel cells
-Additional fuel cells sold separately
-Stainless steel with polyethylene base
How many times have you been out at the bar with your friends, waiting what seems like an eternity to get the bartender’s attention so you can grab a beer, only to have them put a less than full glass in front of you? I mean, does that seem fair? You haul your ass all the way down there, pay outrageous prices, and they stiff you. Yeah, I know, that’s what happens at bars all the time. You ask for a top shelf gin and tonic, and you get the gin from the liter sized plastic handle (aka the cheapest liquor known to man). You want a vodka and red bull? You’ll receive a glass barely containing watered-down vodka and a whole lot of sickeningly sweet energy drink. These kinds of injustices have been going on since the dawn of time (ok, maybe not that long, but awhile), but draft beer has always been sacred ground. Now these jokers out there think they can get away with an underfilled glass? This repression has to stop!
If you start packing the Beer Gauge (KegWorks, $2.95), then bartenders will have to stop skimping on your drafts. This handy credit card sized piece of plastic easily and accurately measures the amount of beer in your glass. Sure, maybe you think that’s a little crazy – I mean, how much beer can you really be missing? As it turns out, a lot. Because beer glasses start small and become wider as you reach the top, the majority of the beer volume is contained at the top of the glass. So let’s say that you get your beer and it’s got a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the glass. No big deal, right? It turns out, you’re actually missing 13% of your beer’s volume. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a lot when you’re paying about $5 for a pint. All you have to do is rest the gauge on the rim of your glass and you can instantly measure how much beer you aren’t getting for your money.
Just think about all the beer you’ve been missing throughout the years! You should probably just head on down to the bar right now and start making up for it.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3 5/16″ x 2 1/8″
-Same size as a standard credit card
-Fits in most wallets
-Made of rigid waterproof plastic
-Easy to use
-Useful conversion factors
I’m pretty lazy. I’m not ashamed to say it, I am a lazy person. Most of my day-to-day activities stem from my inability to get up off the couch. Subsequently, I own a lot of seemingly ridiculous gadgets that serve to aid my continually sloth-like existence. Basically anything with a remote that I can operate within the confines of my bed is my favorite thing. Television? Check. Laptop? Got it. Cell phone? You know it. There’s really not a whole lot you actually have to get up for nowadays, besides that pesky job thing (and that’s what sick days are for). The problem I constantly run into (not literally, of course, because that would require getting up) is that my drinks are constantly getting warm. I mean, having to drink a warm beer really takes the fun out of watching an all day SVU marathon, you know? One might even call it an outrage.
I don’t have to worry about frivolous interruptions anymore, now that I have the R/C Drinks Cooler (Firebox, $69.95) by my side. As my trusty companion, I just load her up with a 12-pack and some ice, and I’m set for the rest of the day. I know, you’re thinking that she sounds just like any other cooler you’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, but you’re wrong. Oh no, she’s so much more. She has wheels! Yeah, maybe you’ve met a few like that as well, but I’m telling you, she’s something else. She comes with a remote! Intrigued, are you? I knew it. This battery operated goddess comes with a controller that works up to 30 feet away. In case you don’t understand the magnitude of such a vast geographical distance, I’ll lay it out for you: You’re lounging in your temple, aka bedroom, when you reach down into your beloved cooler and come up empty. You’ve run out of beer! Any other man would fall to pieces at this very moment. He might give in to societal pressures and actually get out of bed. But not you, oh no. You’re stronger than that. You’re smarter. You’re a man with a remote-controlled cooler on wheels! And lucky for you, your roommate just got home. All you have to do to quench your thirst is call out to your roommate and steer your cooler into the kitchen, where it will promptly be filled with ice cold brew.
Are you one of those “active” people? Someone who enjoys getting out of bed in the morning and doing things out in the world? Incredibly enough, you too could benefit from said cooler. I mean, you can’t work all the time, right?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 13 1/2″ x 11 3/4″ x 11 3/4″
-Capacity: Holds approximately 12 bottles/10 cans
-Battery operated
-Controller works up to 30ft away
-Features four sure grip wheels
-R/C Cooler requires 6x C batteries (not included)
-Controller requires 1x 9v battery (not included)
I hate how even though the economy sucks, people still expect you to pay ridiculous amounts of money for the simplest of things. I mean, seriously Starbucks? Have you been out in the world lately? There is just no way that I’m shelling out $3.90 for a small latte. Ain’t happening. And that’s really tough for me to say because I love my caffeinated morning beverages, especially that perfect cup of coffee. Sure it doesn’t seem like a lot, but when I buy coffee I can’t just buy one. Oh no, I consume about 3 or 4 large cups during your normal 8 hour work shift. That’s like $20 a day, just on coffee! So I tried to brew it at home and take it to work with me, but I always end up wearing it during the car ride because the travel cup I have sucks. Basically, I’m broke and all my clothes smell like dark roast. Help!
The Brugo Mug (NerdSeven.com, $19.95) has heard my prayers, taken them under advisement, and has produced a truly spectacular travel beverage device. Yes, I am aware that it looks just like any other travel mug out there. May I ask, do your other travel mugs have patented Perfect Temperature Zone technology? Based on your raised eyebrows, I’ll take that as a no. The way it works is that the interior of the mug has two different chambers. The bottom chamber is closed to outside air, which allows your coffee to stay boiling hot. The top chamber is the Temperature Control Chamber, and its purpose it to instantly cool your java before it hits your lips. I know, it’s hard to imagine another morning where you won’t be driving, go to take a sip of your morning brew, and burn the shit out of your tongue, but you’ll just have to adapt. And hey, maybe charred facial flesh is your thing, so the mug has got that covered too. The lid is fitted with three usage settings: Lock, Sip, and Tip & Cool. The Lock feature protects your car and clothing from accidental spillage, while the Sip feature lets your bypass the Temperature Cooling Chamber. Last but not least, the Tip & Cool feature is that glorious bit of craftsmanship that will forever change your coffee drinking experiences.
It’s not just coffee that’s outrageously priced these days. I mean, have you see how much people expect you to pay for a cup of hot tea? I could go out and buy an entire family-sized box of tea bags for the price they want for a cup. And don’t even get me started on the hot water charge!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Capacity: 16oz
-Double walled insulated cup
-Patented 1oz temperature control chamber
-3 position drink mode selector
-Fits most cup holders
-No slip bottom
-Stainless steel and chrome finish
-7 colors to choose from: cobalt, flamingo, mediterranean, midnight, ruby, spring, and orange
-Hand wash only
-1 year manufacturer’s warranty
I love to bake. I mean, I have an unhealthy attachment to making sugary bits of deliciousness. I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m some master pastry expert though – I only bake things that come out of the box. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy cake from scratch as much as the next guy, but there is no way that I’m spending all that time, money, and energy on something that I’ll probably end up burning because I was too busy watching TV to take it out of the oven on time. Doesn’t really seem worth it, you know? Anyways, the point is that I like to bake. Whether it’s cookies, cupcakes, or brownies, I’m all over it. I have to say though, I think cookies are the most fun. I’ll bet you’re just itching to know why…
Take one look at the Dino Puzzle Cookie Cutter (Perpetual Kid, $6.89), and you’ll have your answer. Sure, cookies are amazing by themselves, but add a little extra oomph and people are powerless to resist. I mean, who doesn’t love Christmas cookies? Yeah, they’re probably tasty, but I bet if they were shaped like trees or snowmen you would want to eat them even if they tasted like sawdust. The problem with Christmas cookies is that they only come around once a year. Then you have your miscellaneous cookie cutter holidays, like Valentine’s Day or Halloween, but they’re few and far between. Nope, it’s time for you to step it up and what better way to do that with a puzzle cookie cutter! Just think about the looks on your friends’ faces when they see this giant cookie sheet sized Brontosaurus in front of them – talk about awesome!
I think this is just a win-win situation here. I mean, you get an easy puzzle to do, and when you’re tired of putting it together, you can just take it apart and eat it. Not to mention, who wouldn’t want an edible dinosaur puzzle? I can just see it now, cookie puzzles as the new cake alternative. I like it.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 13″ x 8″
-Fits any standard size cookie sheet
-Brontosaurus shape
-Includes glazing and finishing instructions
