I know I talk a lot about how accident-prone I am, but I just want to clarify that that doesn’t mean I’m messy. In fact, I’m quite a neat person (not in an obsessive-compulsive way, just a not living in filth way). Still, from time to time I have been known to wear my lunch on my clothes. I’m not proud of it, but it occasionally happens to us all. That being said, anything that makes my life (and laundry days) easier is a plus.
Maybe it’s because I eat lunch at my desk pretty much every day, but I think the Soup & Crackers Mugs (Vat19, $9.99) are the cat’s meow when it comes to dishware. First off, you’re getting two bowls for a super steal of a price so that’s pretty awesome. Each bowl has a space for soup and a space for crackers, separated so your soup stays hot while the crackers stay dry. Sure, you could do the same thing by carrying a sleeve of crackers, but for us clumsy people this is a godsend. And if soup and crackers isn’t your thing, just think of all the other stuff you could put in here: ice cream and toppings, chips and dip, or any liquid/dry combo you can think of.
If you were a real caffeine freak, you could use these mugs for coffee but I think that’s just a tad too much java for one person to handle at any given time.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7.5″ x 4.25″ x 2.5″
-Capacity: 16 oz
-Set of 2 bowls
-Holds soup and crackers separately
-Dishwasher and microwave safe
-Made of ceramics
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
While I am a fan of the Christmas season, I don’t usually go overboard with the decorations. Naturally, I have a tree and I hang stockings, but that’s about it. Although I might not be all about the holiday, my favorite Christmas adornment has to be the lights. I would love nothing more than to display an obnoxious amount of Christmas lights outside my place, but unfortunately I don’t have an outdoor power source. Stupid electricity!
With these Solar Powered Christmas Lights (Taylor Gifts, $19.98), it doesn’t matter if you have outlet nearby because you can put them anywhere! I mean, you’d probably want to hang them outside since they are powered by the sun’s rays, but I guess you could bring them inside after “charging” them for awhile (although that seems like a lot of work). This string of 50 lights runs off its solar charge, which lasts about eight hours, and automatically emits lights once in the dark. Another added bonus of solar lights? No overly inflated electricity bill!
Thank you, Mr. Sun.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 26′ length
- -Solar powered lights
- -String of 50 lights
- -No outlet needed
- -Runs about 8 hours
Are you ever in the car thinking, “Gee, I’d love a cup of coffee right now” but there’s not a Starbucks in sight? Probably not because Starbucks is everywhere, but it would still be nice to be able to have a piping hot cup o’ joe whenever, wherever you wanted.
Although I’m not sure about the safety issues here, I’m still totally down with the Car Kettle (Latest Buy, $17.95) because it is the epitome of mobile brewing. Yes, there are a plethora of coffee shops, but why pay a bundle for one cup of java when you could make four cups yourself? This electric kettle plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and takes just a little bit longer than your standard tea kettle to heat up a pot of hot water. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you can also use this baby to make tea or even soup! The set includes two cups and a strainer (for coffee grounds or loose tea) so you can even use this kettle to entertain via automobile.
Please please please don’t kettle and drive – it’ll be just like when that woman spilled McDonald’s coffee in her lap except you’ll have no one to sue but yourself.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 10″ x 3.7″ x 3.7″
- -Make hot beverages in your car
- -Includes kettle, 2 cups, strainer, and mounting bracket
- -Plugs into cigarette lighter
- -12V DC suitable for automotive application
- -Makes 4 cups (up to 550ml of water)
- -Ideal for hot water, instant coffee, tea, or soup
Have I mentioned how klutzy I am? I’m sure I have, but in case you forgot here’s a refresher: I run into everything ALL THE TIME. My arms and legs are covered in so many bruises you’d think I was a cage fighter in The Octagon. As if that’s not painful enough, I also usually manage to mangle quite a few of my belongings on a regular basis just by existing. Nevermind the physical turmoil this is causing, but it’s getting pretty expensive replacing my gadgets and such.
Smaller items are most likely to meet their end as a result of my clumsy ways, so what I really need is something savvy like the Vintage Fold Up Wayfarer Sunglasses (Krudmart, $15.00). These sunglasses are ready for you to accidentally slam into a wall with them folded up in your pocket. See, it’s the folding that protects them from damage, unlike a traditional pair of sunglasses that would crumble into a million pieces of you looked at it wrong. I’m not saying that these things are indestructible, but they do have a leg up on the competition. I mean, they were manufactured in the 80s and 90s – what else would you expect?
Don’t try this with the sunglasses you already own. I promise, it will end badly.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Foldable sunglasses
- -Produced in 80s and 90s
