I frequently forget to bring my phone charger with me when I go on a trip. You’d think it’d be something I’d remember to pack, seeing as my phone needs to be charged daily. Oh no, I always end up rummaging through my bag at the end of the day, only to come up empty-handed. The problem with a charging cable is that you usually only have one of them, so transporting it from one place to another is usually a hassle. My charger is plugged in behind my bed – I am way too lazy to unplug it for a short trip.
I’d much rather invest in something like the Credit Card Sized Cell Phone Charger (Hammacher Schlemmer, $29.95) because then I’d never have to wonder if I remembered to pack the right cable. This phone charger is small enough to fit inside the credit card slot of a wallet, micro USB cord and all! Compatible with most Android and Blackberry smartphones (as well as traditional dinosaur-age cell phones), the charger is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can fully charge your device before requiring a power-up itself. Sure, a charging cable doesn’t take up that much room, but it’s way easier to forget in a time crunch. This baby never has to leave the comfort of your wallet, ensuring that your smartphone never has to go without power.
I am addicted to wallet-sized gadgets. Would it be wrong to start carrying two wallets, one for gadgets and the other for actual purchasing properties?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.25″ x 2″ x .25″
-Weight: 1 oz
-Cordless cell phone power hub
-Fits inside wallet credit card pocket
-One cell phone charge per hub charge
-Micro USB cord
-Available in brown or black
-Compatible with most Android and Blackberry smartphones
-Recharges in 1 hour via USB adapter
One of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to face as an amateur chef is my own laziness. Sure, a home cooked meal made from scratch sounds delightful but it’s a lot of work. More ingredients mean a better melding of flavors as well as more preparation and opportunities to make a mistake. I mean, I know the difference between teaspoon and tablespoon but you’d be surprised how many times I grab the wrong one when I’m frazzled in the kitchen.
What I need, what I’m always looking for, is a product to make cooking less intimidating. The Sink Drainer Cutting Board (Uncommon Goods, $32.00) marries an organic bamboo cutting board with a silicone strainer and I can instantly breathe easier. I don’t have to worry about dropping all the vegetables I just chopped into the sink when I transfer them from the cutting board to the strainer because it’s built right in. The whole thing fits over your sink so you can slide your vegetables or meat directly into the strainer as you go. Usually I end up doing this in batches because my cutting board is too small to sustain an entire meal’s raw materials. Because this cutting board is meant to be used over the sink, it’s quite large and could be a bit tricky to store – something tells me it won’t be spending that much time tucked away though.
It’s probably a good idea to get a jump start on your Father’s Day shopping, so if Dad isn’t into cooking you can still find a bunch of other great ideas at Uncommon Goods.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 24″ x 12″ x 0.8″
-Cutting board with integrated strainer
-Fits over sink for easy chopping
-Wash in warm soapy water
-Made of silicone and organic bamboo
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
Sometimes I wish we could all go back to using those first cell phones. You know, the ones you used to actually make phone calls instead of check your email, play games, and watch videos. It was so much simpler then; if you wanted to make a call, you made a call. People weren’t ignoring the person sitting next to them whilst playing that every same person in a game of Words With Friends. Furthermore, we had phones that actually worked. Half the time when I try to make a call now, my phone freezes or cut me off mid-sentence.
I know, I don’t have to have a smartphone – I could just use the most basic phone out there. Except I can’t because I’m totally spoiled now. So I’m pretty much stuck in my predicament, but at least the Retro Wireless Handset (Perpetual Kid, $39.99) lets me feel like I’m using an actual phone instead of some touchscreen wonder. It looks and feels just like a retro handset, but it functions like a Bluetooth accessory. This handset features a rechargeable battery that provides up to six hours of talk time as well as up to 75 hours of standby time. That’s all well and good, but the real draw here is that the handset is wireless with a 30 foot range so you chat with ease. Oh, and did I mention that it’s almost compatible with Internet applications like Skype and Google Talk?
Sure, you don’t *need* it, but don’t you *want* it?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Includes handset and charging cable
-2.4GHz wireless technology
-6 hours of talk time
-75 hours of standby
-30 ft talk range
-Rechargeable battery
-Compatible with Internet applications
