I don’t know when it happened, but it’s safe to say that it has. It’s official, I’ve fallen victim to Janitor Keys. Don’t pretend like it hasn’t happened to you – and if it hasn’t, it’s only a matter of time. Somehow, I just seem to accumulate keys, whether they’re my own or they belong to a friend. I’ve got keys for my house, my garage, my car, my girlfriend’s car, her house, my parents’ house, etc. There seems to be a never ending list of places or things that require a keyed entry. Not only that, but they all have to look the same. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Why would I want to be able to easily tell which of the many keys on my key ring opens my front door when I’m standing in the pouring rain in the wee hours of the morning after walking home from the bar?
With the Glow-in-the-Dark Key Toppers (X-treme Geek, $3.95), there’s no way you’re gonna confuse your keys again. For one thing, this set consists of six key toppers, all of which are different colors so you can easily differentiate them from one another. That in itself is a major step up from my current situation, where I’ve hard to cover one of my keys with painter’s tape because it’s exactly the same as the key right next to it. But what’s so great about these key toppers? They glow in the dark! That’s right, you’ll be able to pick out the key you want, even in the dark! Seriously, how many times have you ladies out there been digging through your purses trying to find your keys? These key toppers will emit a glowing beacon of light, automatically guiding you in the right direction. Besides being super useful, their skull design will give you instant badass street cred.
Are you seriously mulling this over? I mean, the key toppers rock, the price is right, what more do you need? And it’s a perfect way to jump start on your Halloween spirit.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Set includes six key toppers
-Glow in the dark
-Skull design
-Colors include white, pink, purple, blue, green, and yellow
-Made of soft, stretchy silicone
It seems like it’s been ages since I’ve experienced a decent night of drinking and general debauchery. Maybe I’m just getting older or I’m a little more mature than I used to be, but the usual drinking games and drunken antics aren’t doing it for me anymore. I need something new, something different and exciting to perk up my weekend social gatherings. I want something that when my friends come over and see it, they won’t be able to believe their eyes. They will stand, chins dropped in awe, rendered powerless by the sheer magnificence of such an item. It’s not too much to ask, right?
Thanks goodness for the Spin N Shot Roulette Drinking Game (Drinkstuff, £15.98), or I would still be searching in vain for that majestic essential party accessory. Ok, so the appeal of this thing should be fairly obvious because it combines gambling and drinking, two things that go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you like gambling, you could be tempted to just take the easy way out and get some card games going on. That’s cool, but maybe you want to switch it up every now and then, so it would be good to have a back-up. Enter a roulette wheel and you’ve got a whole new party aesthetic happening. I don’t know if I’d want to play roulette Vegas style because it seems way too easy to lose the house, but if you’re playing for shots, then I don’t really see the harm. Each shot glass corresponds with two or three numbers, so you have a greater chance of your shot “winning” each time you play. If you’re hardcore, you could just refill the shot glasses as you go, or if you have any sympathy for your liver, you could just leave them empty after the first number is selected. There are a total of 16 shot glasses on the wheel, which means you could invite 15 friends to a crazy Vegas themed party.
I never really was a big Vegas fan. I mean, I like the whole idea of gambling and boozing in the afternoon, but that’s really only fun for a couple of hours. After that, unless you’re Bill Gates, you’re flat broke and the seeds of a hangover start to set in. And that’s just depressing.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 290mm (diameter)
-Contains a roulette wheel, 2 balls, and 16 shot glasses
-Each glass corresponds with 2 or 3 different numbers
-Delivery only available in select countries
I’m a big movie fan, but I’m getting a little tired of having to shell out a ton of money just to watch a flick. I mean, going to see a movie at the theater can run you about $10 a ticket and then another $20 just for a drink and some snacks. I could go rent a video, but even that gets a little steep after awhile. It’s about $5 a movie, which is better than going out to the theater, but then you have to worry about paying late fees. Yeah, Blockbuster allegedly got rid of their late fees, but not really. If you read the fine print, you just have an extra week. I don’t need to have to remember when my movie is due back on top of everything else I got going on in my life. So what do I do? I use Netflix. Netflix, for those of you who don’t know, is the shit. No late fees because there are no due dates. Keep any movie for as long as you want. If it takes you a month to watch Batman Begins, so be it. You get to pick the monthly rate you want to pay, based on how many movies at a time you want to rent. Ok, so that’s not even the coolest thing about Netflix. You can stream movies and TV shows online directly to your computer using your Internet connection for no extra charge. So if you decide that you want to watch a movie last minute or you happen to be talking about a particular episode of your favorite show, you can instantly watch it. Pretty righteous, huh?
The Roku Digital Video Player (Roku, $99.99) allows you to watch your streaming videos through your TV instantly. You don’t need any special device to stream Netflix to your computer, but you do have to download their program. It’s totally free, so that’s not an issue, but for those of us with less than stellar computing devices, it’s not gonna go well. Also, who wants to sit around and watch movies on their dinky little computer screen when they could be watching them on a 42″ 1080p plasma LCD TV? Exactly my point. This device lets you jack into your Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and Major League Baseball to instantly stream using your Internet connection. It’s super easy to set up, so you don’t have to go through hours of set up time. Plus, since there’s no subscription fee or anything like that, you could take this thing from your house over to a friend’s to watch a movie, as long as they have Netflix, Amazon On Demand, or Major League Baseball. It was rated the #1 streaming device by Netflix members, so you know it’s a good deal because people who love to watch movies don’t mess around when it comes to quality electronics. And hey, if you don’t go crazy over it, there’s a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.
You know what I love about streaming movies online? You can watch a whole season of a show in a day or two and it costs you basically nothing. I mean, let’s say that your Netflix monthly bill is $10 and the average season of a show is about 10-20 episodes. Because Blockbuster makes you rent each season’s disc individually, you could be potentially be paying about $20 just for one complete show’s season. If you stream it, you’re paying about half that, and if you’re a movie buff like I am, you’re watching a lot more that just that one season of a show. It’s not rocket science here.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 5″ 1.75″
-Weight: 11oz
-Power Input: 5V, 1.5A provided by included AC adapter
-Easily connects to your TV
-Pause, rewind, or play anytime
-Connects easily to wired or wireless Internet
-No subscription fee required
-Over 50,000 movies & TV episodes available to watch instantly
-Connect to services like Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and Major League Baseball
-Rated #1 streaming device by Netflix members
-30 Day Money Back Guarantee
I really enjoy cooking. I’m not saying that I’m some kind of master chef, far from it actually. Most of the delectable dishes I prepare come out straight out of a box and are of the “just add water” variety, but that’s still cooking, right? I’m just not a “from scratch” type of person. There’s always way too many ingredients to buy that you just know you’re never going to use again. I mean, mustard seed? What is that about? Regardless of my cooking skills level, there are a few meals that I can really hammer out. Being of Irish descent, one of them is a traditional meat and potatoes stew. Now, I know that making a mess while cooking is pretty much a given, but there’s got to be a way to reduce the kitchen destruction I’ve got going on.
That’s where the Tate Otama (Generate Design, $25.00) comes in. I know, you’re probably mystified as to what I’m talking about, but stay with me here. The name is Japanese and translates to “standing ladle,” which is exactly what it is. I mean, how is it possible that it took someone this long to come up with such a no-brainer concept? Making a ladle with a flat bottom isn’t that far fetched. Personally, I hate having to stir my stew and then lay the ladle on the counter. Then you come back later to stir it again, and there’s this gunky mess congealing to your counter. Yeah, I could buy a spoon rest, but that to me is a waste of money. I could just use a plate or a bowl if I really wanted that. Now, with this ladle I can just stir my stew and stand it up on the counter. Sure, I’ll get a little bit of a residue on there, but the majority of stew goodness will stay in the pot where it belongs.
Let’s see, we already know I make a pretty tasty stew, but were you aware of my banging pasta salad skills? That’s right, pasta salad. Sure, you think it’s easy, don’t you? I bet you buy that stuff at the deli that’s been sitting out there all day, too. I may be a “just add water” chef, but at least I’m trying.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3″ x 3.25″ x 11.7″
-Flat bottom
-Easily accessible when in use
-Easily stored
-Available in white or black
-Dishwasher safe
-Made of plastic
Picture this: it’s Saturday night and all your friends are on their way over to your place to pregame before heading out to the bar. You’re trying to think of something you guys can do while you’re waiting for the bar scene to heat up. You could just sit around and nurse a few beer, but no one’s gonna get a good buzz going that way. Shots seem like a better way to get a good base for a night out at the bar, but you don’t have enough shot glasses for everyone. You did, but last weekend someone can home from the bar and decided that shot glasses were evil and needed to be destroyed. They’re gonna be here any minute, so you’d better think of something fast!
Quick! Grab some apples and the Shot Carver (Perpetual Kid, $12.99), and we’ll have you in business in no time! Maybe you’re wondering how a few pieces of fruit is going to help you out in such a desperate time. Well, this handy gadget basically cores out the middle of the apple so that you can use it as a makeshift shot glass. Pretty nifty, right? One might say it’s awesome to the core. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Anyways, you’re not limited to using apples; pretty much any fruit that you have lying around the house would do. Pears, peaches, plums, and even something else that doesn’t start with the letter “p” are also acceptable. Even if you weren’t sans shot glass, this would be a great party idea because you could make your own flavored liquor. I mean, maybe you mean to get that sour apple vodka, but the liquor store closed before you could get there. No problem, just core out an apple and pour some Grey Goose in there.
If you really wanted to go all out, you could use the carver as a means to infuse fruit. Specifically, you could core out a section of watermelon and shove a bottle of liquor in there. Just let it sit for a few hours and you have a delightfully alcoholic fruit for dessert. Mmm, nothing says summer picnic like boozed up watermelon. Just don’t let the watermelon drive – I’m pretty sure there’s some intoxicated fruit law out there.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Creates natural shot glasses
-Twist and turn to create shot slots
-Works with apples, pears, and other fruits
-Can be used to infuse watermelons
