Fire safety is no joke. The best method to keep you and your loved ones safe is prevention. Making sure your house has the necessary safety measures in place, such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, is pretty easy to do. I mean, WWStBD (What Would Smokey the Bear Do)?
If you’re going to invest in a safety precaution, why not at least make it enjoyable a la the Chick-a-Dee Smoke Detector (Generate Design, $79.00)? You could go for a boring old smoke detector, but this one is both functional and cute (another two-fer!). This bird-shaped gadget acts just like a standard smoke detector in that it will emit a sustained 85 decibel sound when smoke it detected. However, it differs in that it also replicates a chick-a-dee-dee call when a threat is first detected, making it a lot more pleasant during those all too often false alarms due to intense cooking experiments. With the bird perched on a branch, you can either mount the bird directly to the ceiling or use the branch itself as a mounting system for a more authentic look.
Also known as the Rockin’ Robin’s cousin.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7″ x 7″ x 4.75″
-Creative smoke detector
-Bird call at first sign of threat
-Sustained 85 decibel sound at smoke detection
-Control light flashes once a minute
-Battery included (1.5 year lifetime)
-Available in white and white/black
-3 year warranty
One time I was driving from my place to a friend’s house after work, which was about a three hour drive, and I really had to pee. I mean, really had to go. I was probably about 10 miles or so from his house, but I didn’t think I could even make it that long so I pulled over at the next exit and hoped there would be a bathroom nearby. Well, I was in luck because I found a bathroom, it just happened to be in a sketch city gas station. The minute I got in there, I knew I would have preferred to pee my pants. Not only was it disgusting, but I almost got trapped in there and I had left my phone in the car. All signs immediately began to point to panic.
Obviously I (barely) survived, but it made me think twice about randomly selecting public facilities. Since you can’t always choose the cleanest restroom, it pays to be prepared for the worst with the Public Toilet Survival Kit (Perpetual Kid, $4.99). Although this kit won’t make the bathroom any less creepy, it will prepare you to deal with its grossness. Inside the metal tin you get a toilet seat cover (a luxury that gas station bathrooms do not have), two antiseptic wipes (in case you touch anything), and a pair of latex gloves. Better safe than sorry!
The only thing missing from this kit is a mini roll of toilet paper. Chances are, if you’re in a nasty ass bathroom, there isn’t anything but a tiny scrap of toilet paper mocking you from the naked cardboard roll. Do yourself a favor and stash some in this kit.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.75″ x 2″ x 1″ (metal tin)
-Always be prepared for public restrooms
-Includes 1 toilet seat cover, 2 antiseptic wipes, and 1 pair of latex gloves
-Great for travel
When you’re in college, it seems like just about every night is spent out at the bar. Sometimes, it can get a little out of hand and before you know it, you’re stranded out in the middle of town without a way home. What’s to do then but call a cab, right? Well yeah, that would work if you could remember where you lived. I mean, it’s pretty hard to get home in one piece if you can’t communicate coherently to the driver. So you could either live at the bar (trust me, you don’t want to do that) or you could figure something else out.
That “something else” option will most likely be the Dear Cab Driver Cocktail Bar Napkins (Kegworks, $8.95), as it doesn’t interfere with your unhealthy habit of drinking until dawn. Arm yourself with this handy fill-in-the-blank napkin, and you’re sure to get home safe (as long as you have an understanding cab driver, that is). I’d recommend filling out the pertinent information before you get to the bar, or at the very least before you start drinking. This napkin has it all – your address, payment location, and even an expression of gratitude. Do your cab driver a favor though and don’t put your money in your boxer shorts or thong because that’s mega gross for everyone.
The key here is not losing this napkin before you call the cab, and that’s a pretty big hurdle.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5″ x 5″
-Includes 100 informative napkins
-Made of paper
I try to be responsible and keep all my important documents in one place so that in case there’s some sort of emergency like an earthquake or hurricane, I’ll be prepared. That being said, my most important bits of information aren’t exactly safe in terms of theft. Gee, I wonder if someone could steal my identity if they had my passport and every other bit of residential proof they need to become me on paper? Well, the joke’s on them because I’m gonna start locking that shit up.
You can stick all the important documents you like in a fireproof safe or in a safety deposit box at the bank, but nothing is as securely portable as the Mobi Safe (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $13.95). Just large enough to protect the essentials, this safe comes complete with a 4-digit combination lock and a vinyl coated aircraft steel cable. So you could even tether this safe to your wrist if you felt that such a drastic action was necessary. Personally, the combo lock is enough peace of mind for me.
Why trust a sketchy hotel safe when you can lock up your cash in this thing instead?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Portable safe
-Holds small objects like phone and cash
-4 digit Combination lock
-Vinyl coated aircraft steel cable
I don’t mean to brag, but I am a fantastic packer. I can pack 10 days worth of clothes into a small suitcase that could pass for carry-on (very important these days, what with baggage fees being so outrageous). As amazing a packer as I am, even I sometimes fall victim to the perils of overpacking. The funny thing is, I tend to overpack when I’m just staying for the weekend versus a long trip. I don’t know what it is, but the shorter the trip the more likely I am to jam 17 shirts into my bag before debating whether to bring my entire movie collection.
I feel the worst overpacking happens when going to the beach because you actually might need all of the things you’ve packed. Sunscreen? Necessary. Sunglasses? Necessary. Book? Necessary. Music? Necessary. Towel? Ultra necessary. Too bad that your towel takes up the most space or else you’d totally be able to get by with just one small beach bag, right? The Pocket Towel (Latest Buy, $22.95) makes packing for the beach easy with a magical towel that is small enough to fit in your pocket. Inside its handy little pouch is a nearly full-size bath towel made of ultrafine microfibre that can absorb three times its weight in water! You could probably fit at least two dozen of these super absorbent pocket towels into the same space as a regular beach towel. Plus, instead of putting a soggy towel back into your bag just so it can soak everything else inside, you can simply fold it and put it back in its storage pouch.
A towel like this might also be helpful when you find yourself caught in a torrential downpour (like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately) without an umbrella or poncho.
4 out 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 2.2″ (folded); 48″ x 24″ (unfolded)
-Weight: 3.9oz
-Full size towel in convenient travel form
-Absorbs 3 times its weight in water
-Neoprene storage pouch included
-Available in blue, green, or red
-Made of ultrafine woven microfibre
