I love the summertime, don’t get me wrong, but I could do without all the insects. There’s nothing better than hanging out with friends, barbecuing up a storm, and enjoying the sun – except for the bugs. It’s like they know when you’re having a good time and they’re just waiting for you to turn your back so they can attack. You can slather yourself up with bug spray to ensure they won’t devour your flesh, but what about your precious food? Is there no saving it?
The Giant Food Umbrella (Taylor Gifts, $9.98) is exactly what it sounds like: a giant umbrella for your food. The umbrella design allows you to place the cover over an entire table of food without having to worry about your food being subjected to the elements while you chat with friends, finish grilling, or even hang out indoors for a bit. Made of nylon mesh attached to a metal frame, this cover is sturdy but probably won’t help you if it rains (bummer). Then again, who’s hanging around in the rain?
It’s your job to make sure there aren’t bugs inside the umbrella before running off to frolic in the sunshine.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 17″ x 49″ x 27″ (open)
-Covers food to keep away bugs
-Button press open
-Made of nylon mesh with metal frame
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Besides eating some tasty tacos, most people are out enjoying an adult beverage or two in honor of the holiday. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little imbibing as long as it’s done responsibly. This of course means not having too much to drink and not drinking while driving, but it also applies to safe beer holding. Are you practicing safe beer holding? Are you sure?
The Beer Pouch Sweatshirt with Hood (Vat19, $29.95) nestles your beer close to you while leaving your hands free to, um, hold things (like tacos). You could certainly just hold your beer, but there are a lot of dangerous factors involved in beer holding. Did you know that you could get frostbite from a super chilled beer? I didn’t either (probably because it’s not true), but if you want to err on the side of caution, you can stash your beer in the conveniently insulated beer pocket of this sweatshirt. The pocket also boasts an elastic band at the top to keep your beverage snugly burrowed inside. I’m not saying it’ll protect your brew from a gang of ninjas or a rogue cartwheel, but it’s pretty close.
If you’re not a big alcohol drinker, don’t fret. It’s not like this pouch can sense nonalcoholic beverages (wouldn’t that be awesome though?). You can just as easily use the insulated pocket for soda, water, or even a cup of soup. Whatever floats your boat, man.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 6″ (pouch)
-Sweatshirt features drink pouch
-Elastic band on top of pouch
-Insulated liner inside pouch
-Available in M, L, XL, and XXL
-Only available in grey
-Made of 90% cotton/10% polyester
As convenient as taxis are, they’re not always the best option. There are a lot of reasons why it might be easier to crash at a friend’s place rather than calling cab. For example, you probably spent all your cash at the bar so you’re unlikely to even be able to afford chauffeured transportation. Also, like my friends who live in the boonies keep telling me, not everywhere is cab friendly. Did you know some towns even stop cab service at midnight? I’m just going out to the bars at that time! Lastly, just because you called for a cab doesn’t mean it’s actually coming. I once waited over an hour for a cab that never came and ended up hitchhiking home. True story.
Instead of laying your money (and possibly life) on the line, wouldn’t the Crash Pad (Taylor Gifts, $99.98) be the better option? This portable bed fits easily in the trunk of your car when you need to transport it to a friend’s house for the night or underneath your bed when you get back home. Portable and lightweight, you can cart this thing pretty much anywhere and you’ll always be guaranteed a place to sleep that night. Whether you’re camping out in the woods or on your friend’s kitchen floor, you’ll be sleeping comfortably because this sleeping solution features all over padding and a built-in pillow. Sure beats sleeping in the bathtub, doesn’t it?
I wish I had one of these when I was staying the night at a friend’s dorm in college. Have you ever slept on a concrete floor? It’s about as comfortable as sleeping on a concrete floor.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 75″ x 35″ x 3″
-Includes storage case, carry strap, and attached pillow
-Padded all purpose bed solution
-Ideal for homes, dorms, RVs, etc
-Fits easily in closet, car trunk, or under bed
-Portable and lightweight
Some people call me a penny pincher, a money miser, or even cheap. But I prefer the term frugal because I think my efforts to save should be encouraged, rather than ridiculed. One of the easiest ways to offset your costs is to bring your lunch to work. A lot of you out there think that brown bagging it has to mean a sad little sandwich, the highlight of which is the crusts cut off. I’ve got news for you: there’s a whole big bagged lunch world out there.
The Box Appetit Lunch Box and Lunch Bag (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $25.95) not only lets you carry your lunch in style, but it has everything you need to enjoy a delicious meal on the go. For starters, you’ve got a lunch bag that does the obvious (holds your lunch) but it also doubles as a placemat or sitting mat. Now that you’ve got a comfortable lunch setting, you can open the lunch box. This guy has both an inner and outer bowl, allowing you to keep the contents of your lunch separate from each other. While this is perfect not only for separating microwavable contents from their cold counterparts, it’s also great for OCD’ers who hate to have their food touching. Salad enthusiasts, rejoice! There’s a separate sauce container with a lid so your days of choking down soggy salad greens are over. To top it all off, the set even includes a fork so you’re doing your part to rid the lunch world of disposable plasticware.
Get ready to be the coolest kid in your cubicle village.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Includes outer bowl, inner triangular dish with lid, sauce container with lid, fork, and lunch bag
-Available in white/lime or white/blue
-Pack a complete lunch in one bag
-Keeps contents separated
-Lunch bag doubles as placemat or sitting mat
-Lunch bag is waterproof
-Microwave and dishwasher safe
-Made of polypropylene and copolyester (BPA free)
I’m really trying to be more environmentally friendly. I’ve mentioned in the past that there are a lot of obvious little things that you can do to decrease your carbon footprint, the number one being recycling, but I like to look for the less than obvious choices. Sure, I could buy a bunch of those fancy lightbulbs for my house, but I’ll still have quite a ways to go in the saving the world department.
That’s why I like the Flip ‘n Charge Solar Powered Flickering LED Candles (Vat19, $23.95) – not only are they helping to decrease our reliance on traditional power sources, but they’re also pretty awesome. Everyone knows that solar lights rock, yet not everyone uses them. Why not? Because solar lights are usually relegated to your yard. However, this set of two candles harnesses the energy of the sun to yield eight hours of simulated flickering candlelight after charging for only three to six hours. Each LED candle is outfitted with solar panels on the base that act as an on/off switch; flip the candle rightside up to turn on, flip the candle upside down to turn off.
Let these babies charge up on your windowsill and you’ve got a guaranteed light source should your power go out during the next major snowstorm (*cough* Tuesday *cough*). Or maybe you’re trying to throw a low-key, yet romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for your sweetie – what’s more romantic than some eco-conscious candlelight?
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ diameter x 3.5″ tall
-Set of 2 solar powered LED candles
-Flip over candles to recharge via solar panels on base
-Flip rightside up to turn on, flip upside down to turn off
-LED bulb flickers light real candle
-8 hours of candle light per charge
-Full charge typically takes 3-6 hours
-Indoor/outdoor use
-Frosted shade design
-Water resistant
-Unscented
