I’m all for pranks, especially when pulled on known pranksters. There’s just something about scaring the bejesus out of someone for your own personal benefit that appeals to me. Of course, it helps if the person in question has done the very same thing to you in the past because then there’s a sense of accomplishment when you one-up them.
The trick is to catch your mark at where they’ll be most vulnerable so that even if they suspect you’re plotting against them, defenses will be down. Using this bit of advice as a guideline, the best place to stage a prank is clearly the bathroom. The Toilet Monster (Perpetual Kid, $16.99) is the perfect accessory for a bathroom prankster. A creepy monster popping up out of the toilet is sure to scare the pants off anyone and this green goblin is no exception. Attach the monster to the lid of the toilet seat via suction cups, close the lid, and wait for your prank to play out.
Great green globs of greasy grimy gopher guts, indeed. This thing is nasty looking and sure would scare the crap out of me (luckily, I’d be the bathroom).
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Toilet prank
-Attaches via suction cups
-Reusable
I hate to go to a friend’s house empty-handed. Even if they insist that I don’t need to bring anything to a dinner party or backyard bbq, I feel strange showing up without some sort of contribution. Now, I like to cook, but if you are without that skill set in your arsenal then you probably stick with my favorite backup: booze.
It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are, if you bring warm booze to a party that’s just unforgivable. Save yourself the public floggings and embarrassment by not just chilling your beverage of choice, but making sure it stays cold. The Wine Bottle Cool Wrap (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $6.95) is like a koozie for a wine bottle. Because the wrap attaches via velcro straps it fits just about all wine bottles and it comes in a variety of fun colors. All you have to do is pop it in the freezer for a bit and it’s ready to keep your vino nice and cold.
Pair this wrap with a bottle of your favorite vintage and you not only have a delectable drink, but also the perfect hostess gift. For those of you who don’t know what a hostess gift is, it probably doesn’t matter because no one’s inviting you anywhere anyways.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7″ x 13.5″
-Wine bottle koozie
-Freeze koozie to keep wine chilled
-Fits most bottle sizes
-Attaches via velcro straps
-Available in blue, red, pink, green, and clear
Is there anything that Dad loves more than a DIY project? Well, maybe you, but it’s still pretty close. Poor, Dad, though. He has so many home improvement projects and so little time. It also doesn’t help that his tools keep disappearing just as he needs them. Isn’t there something you can do to help him?
Your dad will be the master of all home improvements with the Digital Measuring Tape (ThinkGeek, $19.99)! Sure, you don’t really need to have a digital measuring tape to measure something, but it’s a heck of a lot easier than using a standard measuring tape. For one thing, this gadget has five different measurement formats to choose from that will be shown on its large and easy to read display. It even automatically turns on and off, simply by extending or retracting the measuring tape.
You might want to GPS this thing because someone is bound to be amazed by its awesomeness and walk off with it.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3″ x 2.75″ x 1.3″
-Digitally displays 5 measurement formats:
-feet inches fractions
-inches fractions
-inches decimal
-feet decimal
-centimeters decimal
-Tape length is 16′
-Automatic on/off
-Uses 2 LR44 batteries (included)
-Available in black or white
It’s summertime and that means one thing: grilling. I don’t care if you’re a hardcore carnivore or a straight-up vegetarian, you’ve got to enjoy the deliciousness of a grilled meal. For a lot of us, it’s hard to get a quality grill experience going because we’re simply not that good at it. Even if you consider yourself an expert grillmaster, there’s always more to learn.
For all the novices out there, the aFire Mini Grilling Planks (Amazon, $11.46 – $11.86) will give your grilling an edge that rivals even the best grillmasters. These grilling planks come as a set of four and are available in four different types of bark that yield varying tastes. It couldn’t be easier to use them as all you really have to do is soak them, set on the grill, allow the smoke to enhance your food, and enjoy. With a high natural oil and flavor, each hand selected grilling plank imparts a smoky flavor and aroma to the food cooked on it. What’s really great is that they work with both gas and charcoal grills, so you can use them just about anywhere.
Don’t you want Dad to be the cream of the crop when it comes to grillmasters?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7″ x 2″ x 6″
-Set of 4
-Available in black cherry, cedar, golden alder, or sugar maple
-Imparts smoky flavor and aroma to foods
-Higher natural oil and flavor
-Hand selected
-Sustainably harvested
-Easy to use: soak, heat, smoke, and enjoy
If your dad is anything like mine, he spends most of his free time tinkering on outside projects. Whether it’s tending to a rose garden or building a brand new koi pond filtration system, it’s a fair bet that your dad is the outdoorsy type. The biggest problem with spending most of your time outdoors is the unpredictable weather that threatens to ruin tools, iPods, and precious blueprints.
I can’t help you with the first two, but if your dad wants to make sure his notes are intact then he should check out the Rite in the Rain (Firebox, £7.99 – £17.99) notebooks. Using 100% recyclable paper, these notebooks are chock full of all-weather writing paper. What that means is that your dad can scribble away and not have to worry about the pages getting wet and ruined. All he needs is a traditional pencil (or a fancy all-weather pen) to write his notes with and he’s all set. Available in either journal or field formats, each notebook is outfitted with a Polydura cover. The main difference between the two formats is that the journal has 64 basic ruled pages while the field notebook’s 160 pages are in a graphing format.
I guess there notebooks would be good for shower notations, too.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-All weather writing paper
-100% recyclable paper
-Use traditional pencil or all weather pen
-Available in Journal or Field
Journal:
-Dimensions: 4 7/8″ x 7″
-Side wire spiral binding
-Polydura yellow cover
-64 pages (32 sheets)
Field:
-Dimensions: 4 3/4″ x 7 1/2″
-Sewn binding
-Heavy Polydura yellow cover
-160 pages (80 sheets)
