Don’t get me wrong, I love technology but it seems like there’s a new gadget every week. I can only carry so many things with me at one time before it becomes a burden and I’m basically under house arrest due to gadget overload. If I can actually manage to get out of the house with my geek bundle, then I have to deal with the issue of readiness. What good is a smartphone if it’s not easily acceptable? Does an iPod play itself? Well, kinda but that’s not the point here.
I tend to fill my car’s cup holders with knick-knacks, trash, and well, cups so there’s not a whole lot of room left for anything actually important. The MagicPad (Latest Buy, $11.95) creates a safe space for your precious gadgets seemingly out of thin air. This stick pad attaches to most surfaces (as long as they are clean, smooth, and dry) and does so without any harsh adhesives. How? Well, that’s the magic part! Once you’ve selected the perfect spot for this pad, you’re all set to stick your items to it. That’s it – no other set-up required. Your objects will stick to the pad without any special devices or magnetic contraptions. If for some reason the pad loses its magical stickiness, all you have to do is wash it in warm water to reactivate it.
Apparently you can also use this stick pad vertically, but that just makes me nervous. I drop things on my own all the time – I don’t need any help in that department.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Stick pad for small items
-Sticks to most surfaces
-Sticks without adhesive
-Wash in warm water to reactivate stickiness
-Heat and cold resistant
-Made of elastic rubber material
I am a note-taking fiend. If there’s a list to be made, I’m all over it. Whether it’s to-do, grocery, or packing, I’ve got it covered. The problem with making so many lists is that you might as well be chopping down a whole forest with the amount of paper you’re wasting on a regular basis. So if you can help it, try not to kill all the trees.
Instead of making an old fashioned paper list, why not try the Blackboard Door Planner (Not On The High Street, $50.16)? You can plan out your days with ease and, more importantly, without harming the planet. The set includes five reusable blackboard pieces separated by day as well as a set of chalk sticks that allow you to write on and wipe off. Simply place the self-adhesive pieces on your surface of choice (door, wall, counter top) and you’re ready to list away!
Please note, these lists are obviously not portable so you’ll still have to think of another planet-saving alternative to paper. I have faith in you.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 172cm x 57cm
-Contains 1 blackboard planner and set of chalk sticks
-Write on and wipe off
-5 separate day pieces
-Pre applied application tape
-Made of low tac self adhesive vinyl
I recently read an article that said multitasking doesn’t exist. When you think you’re multitasking, your brain is actually focusing on one thing at a time. More accurately, you’re probably doing one thing well and totally messing up the other one. Have you ever tried talking on the phone while typing? It’s pretty much impossible – I usually end up typing what I’m saying instead of what I meant to write. If you want something to get done, you’re better off doing it without any distractions.
This is especially true if that something is carrying anything fragile or breakable as you are most certainly going to fall if you try to overload yourself. I know, I dish the advice but I’m never gonna take it because there’s no way I’m making multiple trips when I can stack and tilt myself into one. The Beverage Caddy with Handle (Taylor Gifts, $19.98) sees your need for efficiency and raises you a sense of security. Instead of grabbing everyone’s drinks by smooshing them together waitress style (seriously harder than it looks), simply stick them in this caddy. It has slots for 11 drinks that are deep enough to both hold your bevs as well as ensuring that they won’t tip over if you jostle the caddy a bit. You can fit just about any size cup or glass in here, but I think you’re out of luck with the Big Gulp.
If you have more than 11 drinks to carry, congratulations! You win the friend contest!
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 14″ diameter
-Holds 11 drinks
-Accommodates all cup sizes
-Deep drink wells
-Made of plastic
I’m at that age where I’ve started to replace my adolescent items with ones of a more mature variety. For example, I recently started drinking wine with more purpose than simply to get wasted but I still feel like a college when sipping out of a colorful plastic goblet. So I went out and bought a few actual wine glasses – nothing fancy, yet streets ahead of my old college dishware.
Just because I’m graduated from plasticware to actual glass doesn’t mean that I’m actually gonna hand wash it so the Tether Stemware Saver (Amazon, $9.26) is a must. Sure, you could take your chances and put your precious wine glasses anywhere in the dishwasher, but who’s to say your mugs or other glasses won’t start pushing and shoving once you close the door? Better safe than sorry with these flexible dishwasher attachments that slide over your dishwasher’s posts on one end and clip onto the wine glass stem on the other. Because they’re flexible yet sturdy, these tethers are suitable for both top and bottom dishwasher racks (depending on the size of your stemware and the fullness of your dishwasher).
Wine not?
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7.7″ x 1.4″ x 3″
-Flexible dishwasher attachment
-Pack of 4
-Hollow base slide over dishwasher post
-End clasp clips onto wine glass stem
-Top or bottom rack dishwasher safe
When I first started to cook, I did everything the hard way because I didn’t know any better. Did you know that if you put an onion in the fridge that you won’t burst into tears when cutting it? Now I feel like I can’t even step foot in the kitchen without a bundle of time-saving gadgets to help me out. Maybe that makes me a lazy cook; I prefer to think of myself as excessively efficient.
The Garject Garlic Press (Uncommon Goods, $35.00) doesn’t seem like anything too extraordinary at first glance. I mean, I already own a garlic press, why would I need another? Well, trust me when I say that this garlic press kicks your garlic press’s ass. To begin with, you can press multiple cloves at once without even peeling them first (everybody knows that’s the worst part). Once you’ve jammed the cloves in the press, you squeeze the press like you normally would to push the garlic through a network of tiny holes. If there’s any garlic still stuck on the outside of the press, simply use the spring-tension bar to scrape it off. When you’re done pressing your clove(s), open the press and eject the residue with the press of a button. No need to poke around there with your fingers – let the press do all the work!
This is one imPRESSive garlic press.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7.6″ x 1.75″
-Press multiple cloves at once
-No need to pre-peel garlic
-Scraper removes pressed garlic
-Eject garlic peel when finished
-Wide reservoir
-Study handles for leverage
-Easy to use
-Top rack dishwasher safe
