I used to read a lot, as in a book a week. Sometimes I would even finish a book in a day because I was simply too enthralled to think about putting it down. With the exception of a recent foray into Harry Potter (I read all seven books in about a month), I’ve been pretty lax about my reading. It’s not like I’m trying to fill a quota or anything, but I think the easiest way to get excited about literature again is to just dive in.
Soon to be my favorite new reading accessory, the Book Rest Lamp (Generate Design, $79.00) is super cute. Yes, it’s a house-shaped lamp that gives off just the right amount of light for a bit of bedtime reading, but it’s also a book rest. Instead of having to stick a bookmark in every time you need to put your latest tome down, why not gently set it down on top of this soft beacon of light? Granted, you’ll eventually have to resort to a bookmark if you want to read on the go and it’s unclear exactly how long you can leave flammable materials on top of a heat source without starting a fire.
File this one under “Exercise Common Sense” and we’ll all be fine.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4.5″ x 5.9″ x 5.7″
-Frosted glass lamp/book rest
-Light output is 600 lumen
-Light bulb included
My place is looking kinda sad as of late. There are a quite a few imperfections on my walls that need fixing but I simply don’t have the time/energy/money/experience to deal with them at the moment. Luckily I have an easy solution for this: cover them up. Now, I’m not gonna go all college dorm room and throw a bunch of tapestries on the walls, but something has to be done.
Because I’m just as much a sucker for a good deal as I am for a quirky product, the Instantly Antique Wall Decals (Plasticland, $24.95) are my kind of wall art. As part of an exceptionally priced package, you get 35 full-color removable and restickable decals. A lot of these sticker frames are starting to show up lately, but this set has more than just a few frames – you also get hand-drawn wall art to supplement the set. So what if your flimsy walls won’t support a proper shelf? You can look arty with one of these decals instead! Also, while a lot of sticker frame sets include merely different sizes of the same type of frame, here you get varying sizes, shapes, and even colors.
I don’t know why anyone hires decorators, this is totes easy.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12″ x 12″ portfolio
-Hand drawn accessories and frames
-Includes 4 sheets of full color decals
-35 decals total
-Removable and restickable
-Child safe polysheeve
-Made of phthalate free vinyl
As I get older, holidays get a little less special for me. One thing I can always count on to lift my spirits around the holidays is dessert. Oh man, the desserts are so worth it. My favorite has always been cookies because you can snack on them throughout the day (they make an excellent breakfast) and they’re pretty much single servings. The only problem I can see with holiday cookies is that they aren’t around in between holidays. I’m not saying I want to be eating Christmas cookies year round, but a little festivity never hurt anyone.
The Letter Pressed Cookie Cutters (Perpetual Kid, $17.99) bring a bit of sparkle to an otherwise normal looking cookie. Each cookie cutter is double-sided so you can cut out the cookie shape with one side and press the letter shape into the cookie with the other. There are 26 letter cookie cutters as well as an ampersand and exclamation point. Now, I know what you’re thinking – ransom notes. Sure, it would probably decrease the seriousness of your point, but it would also probably put the recipient in a fantastically good mood and therefore more likely to comply with your demands.
Ransom notes: Not just for hostage situations anymore.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Set of 26 letters plus ampersand & exclamation point
-Double sided cookie cutters
-Punch out shapes on one side
-Imprint letters on other side
-Packed in reusable plastic storage trays
-Hand wash only
-Made of durable food safe plastic
Christmas is a great holiday to go completely over the top without really offending anyone. What, so you put up a ton of lights on the outside of your house and the inside looks like Santa’s village? Awesome! Don’t tell me, you bought your friends and family way too many presents? Well, golly gosh I guess that’s alright. If you’re self-conscious about the sheer volume of Christmas spirit in your life, then you’re doing it wrong.
Nothing put the “holly” in “holiday” quite like the 8-Bit LED Holiday Wreath (ThinkGeek, $9.99). It’s so much better to invest in a wreath you can have year after year instead of one that dies immediately after Christmas, but the faux ones can be such a bummer. I mean, maybe from a distance it looks like the real thing but up close it’s a mess. If you’re gonna go fake, you might as well get something with pizazz to spare. This wreath features an 8-bit design and is decorated to delight any gamer. The six yellow coins have a flickering LED light in each that alternate to create a dazzling light show for your front door. And because this wreath runs on batteries, you can hang it pretty much anywhere – inside or outside!
If you like this, you’ll love the 8-Bit LED Jack O’ Lantern!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 10.5″ x 13″ x 1.125″
-Old school style holiday wreath
-Flickering yellow LED in each coin
-Uses 2 AA batteries (not included)
-Made of durable EVA foam
Now that we’re almost halfway through December, it’s time to really get into the holiday spirit. I bet most of you have had your decorations out since Thanksgiving and there are probably only a handful of people out there without a Christmas tree already up. I’m not talking about your traditional Christmas embellishments – this is so much more festive.
What would the Christmas season be without the Chew-By-Numbers Christmas Tree (Perpetual Kid, $14.99)? Everybody knows that your Yuletide spirit is directly connected to how many pieces of gum you can successfully chew and assemble into a piece of art, so why not make that piece of art for the holidays? This gum-lovers set includes a GumArt board with a paint-by-numbers tree design on it as well as 32 pieces of gum to stick on it. As you can see by the photo, it’s not as easy as it might at first seem. I mean, look at the light string! Take a gander at those snowflakes! This is serious art!
I’m gonna go ahead and suggest this as a one-time-only type of deal. Please don’t save this gum board year after year because unlike wine, it will only get more disgusting with time.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 5″ x 7″
- -Includes: GumArt board, 32 pieces of gum, gum reference guide, and instructions
- -Use chewed gum to make art
- -Fun for the whole family
