Oh man, am I tired today! I don’t think I slept at all last night, due to some noisy neighbors who decided to do home improvements into the wee hours of the morning. I can’t fault them for trying to finish the job they started that afternoon, but when it starts to cut into my shuteye, that’s when I get a bit peeved. Not enough to actually get out of bed and tell them to stop, but still pretty miffed. Have you ever tried to sleep through an annoying sound? It gets to be all you can hear. And even if it does miraculously stop, you get paranoid and start to think you hear it even when it’s completely silent. It’s enough to mess with anyone’s head (and sleep cycle).
For the sake of your sanity, just put on your SleepPhones Headphones (ThinkGeek, $39.99) already! I mean, if you could easily drown out the annoyances of your surroundings, why wouldn’t you want to? Featuring an ultra-comfy soft headband that can double as a sleep mask, these headphones plug right into your mp3 player, iPod, radio, etc. Unlike with ear buds or standard headphones, you can sleep contentedly because you won’t even feel them through the headband.
These headphones work well for ignoring people at work too. Just don’t tell your boss I said that.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Comfortable headphones for bedtime
-Plugs into any standard media player
-Soft headband can double as a sleep mask
-Drowns out unwanted noise while you sleep
As I mentioned yesterday, I have a couple of pets. Specifically, two cats (dogs aren’t really conducive to small living spaces). And while I’m pretty sure they’re not doing a whole lot in my absence, I know they’re not angels all of the time. I can’t do a whole lot about it when I’m at work though, so when I get home I have to make sure that I’m all about the discipline. While a stern word or two usually does the trick, sometimes I have to break out the big guns. Water guns, that is. The only downside to squirting a cat with water is that it doesn’t always deter them. I could squirt one of my cats repeatedly with a water gun, but all I’ll end up with is an oblivious animal and a wet floor.
So I guess you could say that I’m on the market for a new solution, hence the Pet Zoom Sonic Pet Trainer (Walter Drake, $14.99). Instead of yelling at my cats until my voice is hoarse, I could just use this device because at least one of them is actually effective. Can you guess which one? The device functions by emitting a high frequency tone when a button is pressed. This tone can only be heard by your dog or cat, kind of like a dog whistle, and it’s super annoying. Effective up to 20 feet away, you can use the device the next time your cat is walking all over your kitchen counter or your dog is chewing on the edge of the coffee table.
As with any training tool, if you abuse its power it ceases to be effective. So please don’t misuse this device because your animals will seek revenge. True story.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4.5″ x 2″ x 1″
-Discourages bad habits in pets
-Emits high frequency tone to reinforce verbal commands
-Effective up to 20 ft away
-Uses one 9V battery (not included)
-Lightweight
-Safe and effective
Do you ever wonder what your pets do all day when you’re not there? I don’t. I mean, I don’t have to wonder because I’m pretty sure there’s a fair amount of sleeping going on, only to be interrupted by doing things they’re not supposed to do. I know this because I come home to paw prints on my countertops and napkins hit off the top of my refrigerator. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the reason why my cats are so tired when I get home is because they’ve been running around my house and exhibiting general tomfoolery in my absence. Still, it might be nice to have some hard evidence so that the next time I’m chastising my animals, I know exactly which one is to blame for the current state of disarray in my home.
The best way to find out what your pet’s been up to all day is to stick the Pets Eye View Camera (NerdSeven, $39.95) on their collar. Because this webcam-like device attaches to your pet’s collar, it records their daily activities from their own viewpoint. You can set the camera to shoot every one, five, or fifteen minutes and it can store up to 40 photos internally. So next time you want to know who’s responsible for chewing up your homework, Scruffy or Whiskers will have the photographic evidence to solve the case.
Personally, I’m not sure how well this will really work out. I mean, I bet my cats are sleeping all day. I would probably come home expecting to uncover some great mystery, only to find that Whiskers hasn’t moved from the couch all day. If I sound jealous, it’s because I am.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Resolution: 640 x 480
-Camera can shoot every 1, 5, or 15 minutes
-Stores 40 photos internally
-PC and Mac compatible
-Rechargeable Li ion battery included
-USB cable included
-Only use flat collars at least 3/8″ wide to prevent choking hazard
Last night I heard the melodic sounds of the ice cream truck passing through the neighborhood. I was torn, because ice cream seemed like a really good idea right about then, but it was 10pm and just a little bit creepy for the ice cream man to be out that late. So I didn’t rush out to get a fudge pop or a King cone, choosing to instead pine away for an ice cold treat within the confines of my own home. It seemed like the safer choice, given the circumstances, but I was still left unsatisfied.
If I’d had the Ice Cream Maker (Perpetual Kid, $24.99) in my kitchen, I wouldn’t have spent the rest of the evening salivating over the thought of popsicles and ice cream cones. Instead, ingredients permitting, I could have sauntered into my kitchen and whipped up a batch of my own ice cream. Unlike the ice cream makers of old, this one doesn’t require you to inflict carpal tunnel syndrome on yourself whilst constantly churning its contents. With just the push of a button, you can create two different ice cream flavors in this maker. All you have to do is mix your ingredients (recipe book included), pour them into the maker, push a little button, and put the whole thing in the freezer. That’s it. Seriously.
I’m really trying to cut back on my kitchen gadgets (they’re starting to take over the place), so I have to wonder if this one is really worth it. I mean, will I really eat enough ice cream to justify the purchase? Seeing as my beverage intake skyrocketed once I got Keurig, I’m thinking it’s a fair bet to say I’ll be living off an ice cream diet.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9″ x 4″
-Includes ice cream maker and recipe book
-Recipe book includes sherbet, sorbet, and ice cream recipes
-Makes ice cream with the push of a button
-Make two different flavors at once
-Needs 4 AA batteries
-Made of plastic
I’m doing my best to be more eco-friendly, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating because I don’t know what to do. I mean, I already do most of the things that people suggest as easy ways to reduce my carbon footprint, so where am I supposed to go from here? I was at the bank today and there was a commercial talking about how turning off the water while brushing your teeth saves 80 million gallons of water per day (figure may be slightly exaggerated). Great! Except I’ve been doing that for years. It’s like saying that you can lose weight with little to no effort if you just stop drinking soda – but I don’t drink soda, so what about me?
I already try to turn off extraneous lighting when it’s not in use, but one place I don’t like to skimp is on outdoor lighting. I hate coming home to a pitch dark house and not being able to see my path to the door, but I also hate killing the planet. Luckily, the Solar Lighted Walkway Tiles (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95) doesn’t make me choose between the two. Sold as a set of four tiles, each one features a solar panel protected by tempered glass. This solar panel powers four inlaid LEDs, which are rated for 20,000 hours of lighting. The tiles themselves are actually made of PVC, but designed to look like flatted hardwood so they’re 100% waterproof and won’t rot or fade. Because they interlock on any side, you can lay the modular tiles out in any pattern you wish, connected or otherwise.
So instead of leaving a light on all night because you don’t know when your son will be getting home from a friend’s house or if your husband is going to be working late, you can just put a few of these tiles out. Not to mention, your yard will look pretty snazzy and everybody will applaud your eco-activism. I don’t really see any downside here.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11″ sq x 1″ each
-Weight: 1.5 lbs
-Set of four tiles
-Modular tiles interlock on any side
-Solar panel protected by tempered glass
-Four inlaid LEDs on each tile
-LEDs are rated for 20,000 hours
-100% waterproof
-Made of PVC fashioned to look like slatted hardwood
