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
I don’t want you to think that I’m one of those yahoos that doesn’t even know how to do their own laundry because it simply isn’t true. I might not follow all the traditional washing rules (I don’t separate my whites), but I do know the basics. One thing I didn’t understand until a few years ago was that sometimes throwing everything in the dryer is the same as setting it on fire out back. The result? An overpriced pile of trash.
If you want your clothes to retain their quality and perhaps even extend their lifetime, then you should be using a drying rack. I’m not saying you can’t put anything in the dryer, but you should be a little more discriminatory. That being said, drying racks tend to take up a good amount of space, space that most of us don’t have. The Wall Mount Expandable Dry Rack (Taylor Gifts, $19.98) provides an ample drying area without occupying too much space. How does it do it? Simple – the rack compresses flat when not in use. Just mount the rack to the wall of your laundry room (or any room, really) and open it to reveal five expandable bars when you’re ready for some air-drying action.
Psst! Air-drying = less energy use = lower utility bill
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 18″ x 7″ x 17.75″
-5 expandable hanging bars
-Compresses flat
-Space saving
-Easy to mount
-Made of plastic
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
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
I can never make up my mind. If I’m trying to choose between two things, it never fails that as soon as I decide on one thing that I’ll immediately wish I chose the other. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who suffers from this affliction. The obvious solution is to make sure that the choices you make can easily be changed later. Tattoos are a definite no.
Now, I know that a comforter isn’t exactly a life choice, but they can be expensive so it’s probably best to think this one over before you lay your money out on something you’ll hate six month later. The smart option is to get a generic comforter and dress it up with a duvet cover – bonus points if you choose the Doodle Duvet Cover (Not On The High Street, £45.00 – £70.00). Not only will this duvet cover allow you to alter the look of your current comforter, but you can further alter the look of the duvet cover itself! The duvet cover has a note paper design, complete with red margins and hole punches so it’ll feel just like doodling in class. Using the included doodle pens, you can draw on the duvet cover until your heart is content because it’ll all come out in the wash. Like your design? No prob, just don’t wash it for awhile. Mess up your drawing? Throw it in the washer and it’ll come out good as new.
You can write the great novel without even having to get out of bed!
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 140cm x 200cm (single); 200cm x 200cm (double)
- -Semi permanent doodle blanket
- -Looks like notebook paper
- -Includes 8 wash out doodle pens
- -Designs stay until washed out
