Kids are a handful, aren’t they? I mean, you really do have to watch them every minute or they could probably obliterate the world (I mean that in the nicest way). And all before breakfast. It’s like they have this biological need to not just touch everything in sight, but eat/shake/destroy it. It’s not their fault; they’re curious. However, it can be somewhat distressing to live in a constant state of destruction akin to that of a massive earthquake.
If you or someone you know is a parent, then you need to own the Loopa Gyroscopic Toddler Bowls (ThinkGeek, $12.99). Seriously, there is no better parental companion than a spill resistant bowl because it drastically cuts down a child’s ability to demolish their surroundings while simultaneously enchanting them with its gyroscopic technology. The bowl is actually comprised of two bowls, an inner one weighted to always remain upright and an outer one to cover it, set inside a ring with three handle grips. What this means is that your little demon, I mean child, can twist and shake this bowl all they want and the contents will stay inside instead of all over your pristine white carpet.
Although this bowl is supposed to be for ages three and up, I have firsthand knowledge that even babies will enjoy it. Granted, it’s not so much a functional item for them as a constant amusement, but believe me when I say that they enjoy the shit out of it. You can quote me on that.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7″ x 3.5″ x 7″
-Weight: 6 oz
-Spill resistant with gyroscopic technology
-Inner bowl is weighted to always remain upright
-Dishwasher safe (top rack only)
-Not microwave safe
-For ages 3 and up
So I actually had a healthy lunch today – salad encased in a whole wheat wrap with a touch of lite honey mustard dressing. And I was feeling pretty proud of myself until the Snack Monster attacked me. For those of you who don’t know, the Snack Monster is that feeling you get a few hours after you eat a well-balanced meal. You’re probably not even hungry but you feel like if you don’t nosh on something right quick, you might just waste away into oblivion. That’s that handiwork of the Snack Monster.
Since you can’t stop the Snack Monster (seriously, don’t even try), you might as well prepare yourself for a snack attack with the Double Dish Snack Bowl (Vat19, $17.95). A snacker’s delight, this bowl is actually two bowls in one. The top bowl rests on a slight lip of the bottom bowl, allowing for a small amount of space between the two. With its three side openings, the bottom bowl allows the snacker to discard shells, wrappers, pits, etc. without making a mess. Since the top bowl rest directly over the bottom collection dish, you can leave it out all the time without having to worry about unsightly trash piling up.
It doesn’t matter how safe you think you are, the Snack Monster will always find you. He’s lurking behind every Taco Bell run and he knows no bounds. Be careful out there, snackers.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 1.5″ snack bowl inside 7″ x 3″ collection dish
-Discreetly collects and conceals trash
-Collection dish features three openings
-Available in white/stone or green/white
-Dishwasher safe
-Made of 100% melamine
It’s a constant work-in-progress, but I’m always trying to up my “green” mentality. Some things are easier to accomplish than others though. Like when I tried going vegetarian to offset my carbon footprint (not to mention save the animals) – that lasted a few weeks until I was staring at a delicious steak and I just had to have it. But it’s ok because I’ve switched over to those weird looking light bulbs and I’ve even stopped cruising around Main St in my stretch Hummer. Still, I feel like I really dropped the ball when it comes to food and my eating habits, so I decided to step it up.
One way I can shape up in the kitchen (besides becoming part of the Clean Plate Club) is to start composting. Enter the Freezer Compost Bin (Generate Design, $59.00), is a convenient and essentially effortless way to compost your table scraps. Unless you live out in the country (and most of us don’t), it’s kind of hard to wrap your head around composting. I mean, where are you supposed to be dumping all your biodegradable goodies when you live in a fourth floor walk-up? This bin allows you to toss in your food scraps and then store them in the freezer, eliminating the need to immediately dump them. As an added bonus, because the bin in stored in the freezer instead of on your counter, it doesn’t radiate offending smells that in turn attract flies. Seriously, does it get any easier than this?
If you think composting is crazy, just think about how much less trash you would be throwing out if you set aside your organic scraps in this bin. And for those of you out there who have to pay by the specially marked bag to get your trash hauled away, you know how important it is to reduce your waste.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11″ x 6″ x 6″
-Fits in all freezer/fridge combinations
-Eliminates odor and mess
-Push flexible bottom to empty
-Available in black (other colors coming soon)
-Made of silicone
I hate trying to decide what to have for dinner. If I don’t plan it out the week before, I either end up ordering take-out every night of the week or I eat every snack in the house instead of cooking a real meal. The issue here is that most of the stuff in my kitchen takes way too long to make, probably because it’s either out of a box or sitting in the freezer. There are actually only about three things I know how to cook that require little to no effort on my part. My favorite go-to meal is spaghetti because, come on, it really can’t get much easier than that.
I think the most annoying part about making spaghetti when you have to drain it. You’ve got this pot full of boiling hot water and you’ve got to dump it into a colander, without burning your hands. That doesn’t seem like a big deal because you can just put the colander in the sink, right? Well, you could, except when was the last time you actually cleaned your sink? Do you really want all those nasty food remnants from your sink to seep into your freshly cooked spaghetti? I didn’t think so. The Silicone Pop Colander (Amazon, $29.99) not only stores flat in your cabinet to save space, but it also features collapsible legs that keep its contents above the sink floor. And because it’s non-porous, non-absorbent, and dishwasher safe, you can be sure that your cooking won’t be tainted by those of previous meals. The only drawback is that you need a sink a bit on the larger side in order to fit the collapsible legs. I’m afraid those out there with double sinks won’t be able to partake.
Not only is spaghetti incredibly tasty, but it’s dirt cheap and it lasts forever. I could probably eat nothing but a box of spaghetti for a whole month. Ok, well maybe it won’t last that long, but you get the idea.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Collapsible design keeps contents above sink floor
-Space saving
-Withstands heat up to 250 degrees
-Non porous and non absorbent
-Available in red or gray
-Made of silicone
-Dishwasher safe
Ladies, do you feel like your man isn’t as attentive as he used to be? He used to take you out for romantic candlelit dinners at expensive restaurants for no reason at all, and now you can’t even get him to take you to Taco Bell for your anniversary! And that’s really saying something because there isn’t a man out there who can resist Taco Bell. Guys, it isn’t about the amount of money spent or the extravagance of the gifts, but about doing something nice for the special lady in your life. And if you really want to score some brownie points, make it something that she wouldn’t normally expect. Instead of taking her out to dinner (because any schmo can do that), why not make her dinner at home? Or maybe you could let her pick the movie instead of forcing her to watch NASCAR. And next time you’re tempted to buy her something shiny from the jewelry store, try thinking outside the box for once.
If you did, surely the first thing you’d come up with would be the Toilet Seat Night Light (Taylor Gifts, $19.98). I mean, what woman wouldn’t like a light up toilet? Isn’t the number one complaint from women that their partner always leaves the toilet seat up, causing them to almost fall in the bowl? Personally, I don’t understand why women can’t seem to see that the lid is up before they sit, but that’s just me. This is a gift that’s personal, one that shows that you really care about her and her tailbone. Using a sensor, the light is activated when someone approaches and automatically turns itself off when they leave. As if that wasn’t awesome enough, the light glows green when the toilet seat is down (signaling it’s safe to sit) and red when it’s up (proceed with caution).
I’m telling you, your girl is gonna love it. I’d bet good money that none of her friends have anything like it.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3″ x 1″ x 3.5″
-Uses sensors to turn light on upon approach
-Light glows green when seat is down
-Light glows red if seat is up
-Mounted to toilet
-Made of plastic
