As I get older, I’ve stopped going out and getting all crazy in my downtime. Instead of going to a crowded bar at midnight and fighting to buy overpriced drinks, I’d much rather stay at home with a glass of wine. I mean, not only am I spending money but I’m also being healthy because red wine has many restorative properties. Yup, that’s why I’m drinking it, for the health reasons.
Regardless of your reasons for drinking the vino, there is one universal problem: the drip. Every time I pour a glass of wine, I fall victim to the drip. The drop stains counter tops and tablecloths with wild abandon – it must be stopped! The DropStop Wine Pour Spout (Vat19, $3.99) is a flexible disc that, when inserted in a wine bottle, cuts off the flow of liquid as soon as the bottle is lifted. Why is that important? That, my friends, is the key to defeating the drip. You get two discs per set and each disc is reusable as well as certified food safe. Simply roll the disc into a cylindrical shape and insert half of it into the bottle. Voila! Instant no-spill spout!
As an added plus, you won’t have to deal with constantly uncorking and re-corking the bottle.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 2.75″ diameter
-No more wine spills
-Includes 2 discs per set
-Flexible to fit any size wine bottle
-Reusable
-Certified food safe
-Made in Denmark
Do you have pets? I do – two cats. I love those little furballs, but they are the main source of my constant need to clean. Maybe if I had carpet instead of hardwood floors it wouldn’t be so obvious that their tumbleweeds of hair blow through my house like it’s a ghost town. I wonder how they cleaned up in the old west?
I bet they wish they had the Broom Groom Broom Cleaning Dustpan (Amazon, $12.99) for occasions such as these. The worst thing about sweeping has got to be the gross stuff that gets stuck between the broom bristles – if you leave it there your floor won’t ever get clean, but who wants to touch that? This dustpan solves that problem by integrating rubber teeth into the back panel so all you have to do is pull the broom through them to clean. A built-in foot pedal on the handle keeps the dustpan in place whilst cleaning to further ensure a hands-free experience.
I could probably make a whole new cat out of the hair I’ve swept up just this week.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12.2″ x 14.5″ x 3″
-Hands free broom cleaning
-Rubber teeth clean broom bristles
-Foot pedal built into dustpan handle
-Made of plastic with rubber accents
As a master chef, or rather a cooking enthusiast of the novice variety, I make a lot of messes. You can try all you want, but you don’t usually have time to be meticulous whilst cooking. I can deal with the fact that I generally need to hose down the kitchen after a particularly tasty meal. What I really hate is trying to scrub off cooked on grease from my counter top and stove – it’s a pain in the ass.
Unless you want to stop cooking splatter-inducing foods entirely, you’ll have to come up with a better solution than a top to bottom scrub down at the end of the night. The Non Stick Splatter Shield (Taylor Gifts, $8.98) will keep your cooking surfaces safe with its handy folding design. Simply place the splatter guard around the dish you are cooking and the mess will be contained within that area. That means you’ll pretty much only have to clean that one section instead of the whole stove. It also means that if you’re cooking a separate dish on the adjacent burner, it won’t be covered in unwanted splatter.
The shield itself is obviously open on one side to allow access to the stove top so that means that while your stove is splatter-free, you are not. Perhaps you could invest in a welder’s mask?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9.5″ x 8″
-Splatter guard
-Nonstick
-Wipe clean
-Made of coated metal
I was making dinner last night and I made a giant mess. This is basically the norm except I was using a new recipe so I was extra sensitive to any missteps. Needless to say, when I broke an entire egg onto the counter I was less than pleased. You people think I’m kidding when I go on and on about kitchen gadgets that make life easier, but I need all the help I can get.
Less mess is always preferred, which is why the Cut & Collect Chopping Board (Latest Buy, $33.95) is a cooking enthusiast’s dream. I tend to cut up all my veggies for the meal at once, which is a great tactic except there’s never enough space to do that. I end up with carrots spilling out onto the counter next to dirty onion skins and it just drives me crazy. This cutting board features an integrated drawer, so you can slice and dice, then slide the pieces into the drawer for safe keeping. If you prefer, you can also use the drawer as a waste bin and save yourself multiple trips to the trash can. The drawer pulls right out so anything you put in there is easily emptied at any time. The cutting board itself is dishwasher safe (my fave) and has non-slip feet so it won’t slide around while you’re chopping (also a plus).
You know how Rachel Ray uses a trash bowl while she cooks? Rachel Ray ain’t got nothing on me.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11.8″ x 8.6″ x 1.4″
-Cutting board with integrated drawer
-Slide food directly into drawer
-Removable drawer for emptying
-Non slip feet
-Available in green or white
-Dishwasher safe
Hair styling is no joke. It is seriously an art – I mean it. If you’ve ever tried to replicate a certain hairstyle that you’ve seen in a magazine or that someone has even created on your own head, you know that it’s not as easy as it looks. There are all sorts of potions and products out there to turn curly hair into sleek strands or pin straight hair into corkscrews as well as quite a few heat-infused styling contraptions. Put them all together and you’ve got a recipe for success, if you can corral all these implements.
Yes, stylists benefit from being able to fully visualize their workspace without having to tilt their head, but they also have a place for everything so they’re never scrambling to find a clip while a hot iron starts smoking. Organization is key and you can achieve that with the Hot Iron and Hair Dryer Holder (Hammacher Schlemmer, $39.95). Instead of setting your scorching hot flat iron on the counter (where it’s sure to leave a mark), why not set it off to the side with this clip? Not only are your saving precious counter space so it’s easier to maneuver while getting ready, but you probably won’t accidentally bump into the business end of said styling tool (although a burn completes just about any look). The spring-loaded clip fits onto most surfaces and features a rubber tip that will stay in place without ruining your counter or table.
Girls in my high school used to blame hickeys on curling iron burns. Not sure how many people actually bought that.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8.5″ x 3.25″ x 5″
-Secures styling tools
-Keeps hot implements off countertops
-Frees up counter space
-Convenient access
-Spring loaded clamp
-Grips surfaces up to 1.5″ thick
-Made of plated steel with chrome finish
