Are you cheese fanatic? Of course you are, I don’t know why I would even ask such a silly question. Cheese enthusiasts know that the best cheese is a fresh cheese, it doesn’t matter if you’re simply snacking or creating a tasty dish. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone uses pre-shredded cheese in their cooking. I mean, you couldn’t put forth the effort and a little bit of elbow grease to personally shred that block of cheddar for the bean dip? That’s the definition of laziness.
There should be no excuse for this level of sloth-like behavior when a device like the Powered Cheese Grater (Hammacher Schlemmer, $59.95) exists. Struggling to shred that block of Parmigiano-Reggiano? No problem! All you have to do is toss your cheese of choice into the pepper mill-sized cheese grater and it’ll do all the hard work for you. Using interchangeable blades, this cordless battery powered grater can shred up to two kinds of cheese at one time. You know what that means? Blended cheeses, my friend.
That’s right, my biggest pet peeve has to do with cheese. What, like it’s weird?
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7.5″ x 3″
-Can shred two kinds of cheese at once
-Interchangeable blades
-Includes lid for storage
-Cordless battery powered (includes AC adapter)
-Operates for 25 min on 4 hour charge
-Hand wash
What if your life were more like a comic book? Everything would be all “pow!” or “wham!” or perhaps even “splat!” every time you did anything. Wouldn’t that be awesome? And it would basically go without saying that you would be the star, the superhero if you will, of your life story that other people would line up to read about.
If all that seems a little far-fetched to you, then you obviously haven’t seen the Comic Strip Picture Frame (Perpetual Kid, $17.99). True, it won’t make you a superhero that everyone dreams about but it can turn a series of photos into one fantastic storyline. The frame is sectioned into six photo holders in a comic strip style that lets you tell a linear narrative using just photos. Wait, did I say just photos? I meant to say photos and awesome speech bubble stickers! That’s right, you also get 45 speech bubble stickers that affix to the frame and let you literally put words into people’s mouths. Heck, even the dog has something to say in that story to the left!
Calling all nerds and the women who love them: Buy. This. Now.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8.5″ x 10.75″
-Includes frame, 45 speech bubble stickers, and pen
-Six sections
Some people call me a penny pincher, a money miser, or even cheap. But I prefer the term frugal because I think my efforts to save should be encouraged, rather than ridiculed. One of the easiest ways to offset your costs is to bring your lunch to work. A lot of you out there think that brown bagging it has to mean a sad little sandwich, the highlight of which is the crusts cut off. I’ve got news for you: there’s a whole big bagged lunch world out there.
The Box Appetit Lunch Box and Lunch Bag (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $25.95) not only lets you carry your lunch in style, but it has everything you need to enjoy a delicious meal on the go. For starters, you’ve got a lunch bag that does the obvious (holds your lunch) but it also doubles as a placemat or sitting mat. Now that you’ve got a comfortable lunch setting, you can open the lunch box. This guy has both an inner and outer bowl, allowing you to keep the contents of your lunch separate from each other. While this is perfect not only for separating microwavable contents from their cold counterparts, it’s also great for OCD’ers who hate to have their food touching. Salad enthusiasts, rejoice! There’s a separate sauce container with a lid so your days of choking down soggy salad greens are over. To top it all off, the set even includes a fork so you’re doing your part to rid the lunch world of disposable plasticware.
Get ready to be the coolest kid in your cubicle village.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Includes outer bowl, inner triangular dish with lid, sauce container with lid, fork, and lunch bag
-Available in white/lime or white/blue
-Pack a complete lunch in one bag
-Keeps contents separated
-Lunch bag doubles as placemat or sitting mat
-Lunch bag is waterproof
-Microwave and dishwasher safe
-Made of polypropylene and copolyester (BPA free)
Are you ready to ROCK?! No really, are you ready? Chances are, you’re not. It’s not your fault, these things happen. You think you’ve got your setlist packed, but then you get to the gig and it’s nowhere to be found. That one’s a pretty easy fix. Forget your amp? Good luck with that.
Sure, you don’t need a guitar pick to properly shred your axe, but it certainly helps. The problem with guitar picks is that they’re so small, they’re easily lost. The PickMaster Plectrum Punch (Gizoo, £19.95) means you’ll never have to buy another guitar pick again! I mean, why waste your money on something when you could just as easily make it yourself? This handy gadget works just a like a hole punch to cut plectrums out of any plastic or stiff cardboard. Were you going to cut up your old credit card? Why not make it into a guitar pick meant specifically for you! Not only will your plectrums be the most unique out there, but you’ll also save the environment by recycling your old plastic.
What are you waiting for? Get out there any start making thousands of recycled guitar picks! Just make sure the credit card you’re destroying is the expired one, not the new one you got in the mail today.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Cut plectrums from old card or plastic
-Works like a hole punch
-Easy to use
Seriously, what is up with this weather? Spring is allegedly officially upon us, yet it’s miserable outside and even snowing in some places! I’m especially upset by this bitterly cold start to the season because I was planning on saving some money by turning my thermostat down. Those few days of sunshine and warmth were just a tease!
Instead of cranking the heat up to 80 degrees and pretending you’re on a tropical vacation (trust me, you’ll never get rid of the sand), why not try making you home more cozy without the high cost? The Instant Chair Warmer (Taylor Gifts, $14.99) attaches to any chair and uses your own body heat to instantly warm you. That’s right, no batteries or electricity needed because the soft fleece-like outer shell of the chair warmer traps your body heat and reflects it back to you. And unless you’re a cold-blooded reptile, that’s a balmy 98.6 degrees of delicious body heat for you to snuggle up in.
What I wouldn’t give for a sofa-sized blanket of this material!
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 60″ x 27″
-Traps body heat to warm you instantly
-No batteries or electricity needed
-Save on energy costs
-Secures to chair with elastic band
-Mylar backing and fleece like outer shell
-Made of acrylic fleece
