I got a new coffee table the other day. Oh man, you should have seen this thing, it was beautiful. I say “was” because about five minutes after I had that table in my living room, it was scratched. I don’t really know how it happened, but I’m guessing the culprit was one of my coasters. See, I bought a coaster set specifically so that my new table wouldn’t get scratched, but I can be a little cheap so of course I bought the most inexpensive set I could find. I guess you could say that was a mistake.
A wiser, yet still pretty cost-effective, choice would have been the Rewritable Magnetic Coasters (Vat19, $9.95). A set of four, these coasters will not only keep your table free of scratches and moisture-rings, but also help you and your friends keep track of whose drink is whose. Each coaster has a dry erase section on the front so that you can write you name on it, thereby distinguished your drink from all the rest (and without any of those silly charms or coozie outfits). Because the marker is dry erase, it comes off with a little bit of water and elbow grease, but won’t budge if a few drops of condensation come its way. These coasters also feature a recessed magnet, so you can store them on the fridge when not in use – perhaps writing handy little notes or grocery items on them?
The memorial service for my coffee table will be held this Saturday at 3pm.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3″ x 3″
-Magnetic coaster with rewritable top surface
-Includes coasters and dry erase pen with small magnet to keep on fridge
-Set of 4
-Felt bottom with recessed magnet
-Erase pen with wet cloth
-Reusable
The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means: winter weight. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with putting on a few pounds to keep your warm through the cold nights, but you’ve got to keep an eye on your waistline. The winter months tend to make people feel like hibernating bears and then when spring arrives, the reality of their situation becomes clear. In short, people get lazy and fat once the weather starts to change. The best way to stay fit throughout the year is to keep exercising. Yes, I’m aware this means you’ll have to go to the gym. I know what I’m asking, and I think you’re ready.
A lot of factors are important in motivating a continuous health regime, including a buddy/support system, eating right, and the correct equipment. The Kangaroo Water Bottle with Storage (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $16.95) is one of those things you might not think you really need, but you’ll be happy as a clam once you have it. Think about how much effort it takes to get up and go to the gym – you’ve got this huge gym bag that you’d really rather leave at home because you’ve stuffed it to the gills with crap you don’t even need. The only things you need at the gym are a water bottle and possibly some tunes, and that’s it. Unfortunately, you do still need your keys, your gym ID, and maybe a few bucks in case you want a power bar. This water bottle fits the bill, with a generous storage compartment built-in that can hold all of the above. In addition to this awesomeness, it also has all the great features that should come standard on a water bottle: it’s leak and spill proof, 100% BPA free, Autoseal technology, and a flip up handle with carabineer. As if that wasn’t enough, this baby can hold 24 ounces of liquid, which means you can get through a whole workout without hitting up the water fountain.
Even if you’re not gonna take my advice and work yourself from flab to fab (yeah, I said that), this is still a great water bottle for everyday use. You can take it to the office, to your kid’s soccer game, or even stash it in your car – basically anywhere you think you might be parched, you could use this water bottle.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Capacity: 24oz
-Water bottle with built in compartment
-Compartment can store ID, money, key, and more
-Flip up handle with carabineer to clip onto items
-Measure markings to gauge water intake
-100% leak proof and spill proof with autoseal technology
-Autoseal button and spout cover
-Wide opening fits ice cubes
-High impact resistant
-Top rack dishwasher safe
-100% BPA free
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching – are you ready for the delicious food eating marathon? Make sure you stretch first and pace yourself throughout the day. Don’t fast before the big day, that’s a rookie mistake that’s sure to hurt your chances of gobbling the most turkey. Your best bet is eating small amounts of food in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Since it’s already Tuesday, there’s not a lot of training time left, but I still have faith in your eating abilities.
One thing you might want to do is prepare your palate for the bevy of comfort foods it is about to receive by giving it a sampling. You can’t really get a taste of your turkey before Thursday (and sandwich meat is not gonna cut it, even if it’s fresh from the deli), so why not try the Thanksgiving Dinner Gumballs (ThinkGeek, $3.99)? You can experience the best that Thanksgiving has to offer in the days leading up to the holiday and, best of all, you won’t have to worry about spoiling your appetite because it’s just a gumball. With 22 gumballs per tin, there is an assortment of three different classic Thanksgiving flavors including turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Nothing beats a portable Thanksgiving dinner!
Remember Willy Wonka’s magical chewing gum that was a three-course meal? It didn’t really work out so well for Violet, so maybe it’s better to separate your chewing gum flavors by their different meal stages: main course, side dish, and dessert. Unless you want to turn into a giant blueberry…
5 out of 5 turturkeykey stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.25″ x 2.5″ x 0.75″ (tin)
-Approximately 22 gumballs per tin
-Three different flavors: turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie
Don’t get me wrong, I love my animals, and I’m sure you feel the same way. But aren’t you a little tired of everything your home being covered in stray hairs and clumps of fur? I’ve gone so far as to declare a personal vendetta against tumbleweeds of cat hair because they are impervious to sweeping, and therefore impossible to eliminate. It doesn’t even matter if your animal hardly sheds because it only takes a small amount of hair to cake your sofa, carpet, clothing, etc. Eventually, it looks like you live in a pet shop.
There are tons of tools out there that promise to help eliminate pet hair problems, but so few of them do the job as well as the CarPet Pet Hair Remover Brush (Gizoo, £6.95). Most products out there do a decent job but require a multitude of repeat purchases to keep using them. Instead, this gadget removes pet hair efficiently and easily with just one washable tool. That’s right, when the remover gets full, you can rinse the hair right off it and it’s as good as new. No sticky sheets of paper to buy when the roll runs out or throwing the whole contraption away once it gets full. It works on carpets, upholstery, and furniture – just wipe it over the surface and the remover’s rubbery bristles instantly attract unwanted hair.
If I added up all the money I spent trying to get rid of pet hair, I would be incredibly sadden when I realized that I could have bought an expensive dinner for two or quite possibly even a new big screen TV. Instead, I got a few dozen lint rollers. Doesn’t seem like a fair trade, does it?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Rids your home of unwanted pet hair
-Just wipe surfaces clean
-Works on furniture, carpet, and upholstery
-Instantly effective
-Washable
Calling all James Bond fans: don’t you wish that gadgets that 007 carts around were actually real? There’s no denying that James Bond is a master spy (not to mention a whiz with the ladies), but do you think he would be all as cool as he is if he didn’t have all that tech savvy helping him out? Let me put it this way – wouldn’t stock in your social status skyrocket if you owned something even as simple as exploding dental floss? I bet it would.
So maybe you can’t own one of James Bond’s actual gadgets, but the Watch Phone (Things You Never Knew Existed, $134.98) comes pretty darn close. It looks like a regular analog wrist watch, and it is, but it’s also a fully functional cell phone. Now, you’re not gonna get all the other doodads like you do with the iPhone or the Droid, but you will get a cell phone attached to your wrist. With the ability to both send and receive calls, the watch works by inserting your SIM card. The watch features six speed dial slots as well as a locking keypad and signal indicator. You can talk for up to six hours using the included hands-free headset.
This would be a totally boss way to thwart some bad guys – they think they’ve rendered you defenseless because they took away your cell phone. Little did they know it was only a decoy and your real phone is on your wrist!
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9.5″ adjustable watch band
-Analog wrist watch that dials and receives phone calls
-Includes watch, watch band, headset earbuds, USB cable, and instructions
-Accepts most SIM cards
-Built in battery, microphone, and speakers
-6 hours talk time
-Up to 120 standby hours
-6 speed dials
-Locking keypad
-Hands free headset
-Signal indicator
-Charges via USB
