I always love a good morphing gadget. I mean, why buy two things when you can buy one multi-purpose item? In addition to taking up less space, it’s nicer on the wallet (not to mention just good sense).
This Trivet Set (Generate Design, $39.00) is right up my alley. In case you don’t know (and some people don’t), a trivet is used as a barrier between a hot dish and your countertop. Some of us lazy/poor people just use a pot holder, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m already jazzed that this set includes not one, not two, but three trivets of varying colors so imagine my delight when I realized that each trivet can be repurposed into a coaster or dish drainer! The secret here is the flexible silicone they’re made of which allows them to be easily molded into another useful shape. When you look at it that way, it looks like you need some trivets in your life.
A trivet for all seasons! Well, three of them at least.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 10.2″ x 8.7″ x 1.6″
-Set of 3 trivets (black, orange, red)
-Also functions as coaster or dish drainer
-Made of silicone
I was off yesterday so I decided that it would be a good day to cook something a little more involved than my traditionally half-assed dinner creations. And since it was bitterly cold out, I thought stew would be the perfect meal for such an occasion. I got out all my ingredients and started with the potatoes. In no time flat, I had turned my kitchen into a trash receptacle. There were potato peelings all over the counter, the floor, even myself. Sure, I could have dragged my trash can to where I was and peeled the potato hovering over it, but I’ve lost many a potato that way.
The Counter Edge Cutting Board with Collapsible Scrap Bin (Amazon, $24.99) allows you to go about your cooking preparations without turning your kitchen into a compost heap. The cutting board itself features an L-shaped design that easily fits over sinks or counters and has non-skid feet to ensure that it stays put. The removable scrap bin attaches to the edge of the cutting board with a seal between the two so that even liquid rich foods won’t leak out onto the floor. The bin’s four cup capacity is more than enough for most cooking preparations and the set is designed to collapse for snug storage. You might have to get accustomed to standing a little further back from your vegetables, but at least clean up will be a breeze!
In case you were wondering, my dinner was stew-licious.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11.5″ x 15.5″ x 1.8″
-Integrated bin collects scraps
-Board fits over sink and counter
-Bin attaches to board
-Bin has 4 cup capacity
-Collapses for easy storage
-Dishwasher safe
-Patent pending design
I’m trying to be good about eating breakfast every morning because when I don’t I just get grumpy and I don’t want to do anything. I like a no muss no fuss breakfast, so I usually go with cereal. Or at least you would think that was the easy way out, but how am I supposed to deal with the soggy cereal epidemic we have on our hands? I can’t let my cereal sit for two seconds before it’s rendered inedible by it lactose counterpart. Something has to be done, for the good of breakfast cereals everywhere.
An answer to my plight at last! The EatMeCrunchy Cereal Bowl (Latest Buy, $13.95) lets you have your cereal and eat it too! The secret to this bowl’s plan is a hidden removable shelf within the bowl that separates milk from cereal until you’re ready to mix the two. Only a small part of the bowl lets the milk and cereal mix, until then you keep your cereal dry on higher ground. When you’re ready to eat a bit, just slide some cereal into the lower portion. Amazeballs!
Don’t even tell me you’ve managed to eat a whole bowl of corn flakes without a serious case of the soggies because that’s just nonsense.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 6.7″ x 2.4″ x 5.7″
-Keeps cereal from getting soggy
-Removable shelf inside bowl
-Dishwasher safe
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
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to work. This is never an easy thing to do after a long weekend, much less an extended holiday break. Whether the break is long or short, I think the key to productivity is caffeine. I can safely assume that I’m not alone on this one.
The appeal of caffeine is that it perks you up when you’re feeling less than perky, so it should go without saying that anything that can give your morning a jump start is a good thing. The Morning Mug (Generate Design, $29.00) manages to brighten your day without being overly cutesy or in-your-face about it. At first glance, this ordinary black mug has a white sleeping face printed on it, but that all changes once you pour your hot beverage of choice into it. Coffee or tea (it doesn’t matter as long as it’s hot) will change this black mug to a white one with a new facial expression printed on it. Much like yourself after getting a caffeine jolt, the mug will display a look that can only be described as serene alertness.
Isn’t it nice to have someone to wake up? Especially when that someone know not to disturb you until you’ve had your coffee.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.75″ x 3.25″
-Mug changes color when hot
-Cold mug is black
-Hot mug is white
