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
One of the perks of having a small kitchen (perhaps the only perk) is that I don’t have to go very far to clean up my dishes at the end of the night. I would probably go crazy if I had to clean up a proper kitchen space or, heavens to betsy, a dining room. Even now I usually try to grab as many things as I can carry all at once so I don’t have to make another trip. Imagine if you could manage that without the constant fear of breaking all your dishes?
The Table Tidy Tray and Bin (Not On The High Street, $48.99) has space for your dishes as well as silverware so you can carry clean ones to the table and dirty ones away from it. The plates stack on top of a rubber grid that keeps them from jostling and the silverware fits neatly in the side bin. When you’re ready to clear the table, scrape the scraps into the bin itself and replace the cover. Then put the silverware business-end down into the side bin and restack dirty plates onto the rubber grid. One trip to the sink/dishwasher and you’re set!
Now only if there was a way to integrate glasses into this!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12.5cm x 27.5cm x 24.5cm
-Easily carry dishes to and from table
-Rubber grid for plates
-Side bin for silverware
-Waste bin underneath rubber grid
-Made of plastic and rubber
I’m actively trying not to eat everything in my kitchen right now. I never subscribed to the idea that if I didn’t buy it, I wouldn’t eat it – I’m an adult, I’ll do what I want! If that means running out to Target at midnight to buy a small red velvet cake to eat in one sitting then so be it (True story). I just need to know that there are options should I decide to indulge, and then I’m usually ok. The trick is knowing how to satisfy your sweet tooth with a taste instead of the whole shebang.
Why bother with low calorie desserts when you could have a tiny slice of heaven? The Just A Slice Cake Pan (Perpetual Kid, $9.99) houses eight individual slice cutouts so you can cook as many or as little slices of dessert as you want. This pan is perfect for friends or couples who can’t agree on dessert flavors because you can bake a slice of each! If you use a boxed cake mix like myself, this pan will make sixteen individual slices. Or exercise amazing self-restraint and bake one slice of cake when the mood strikes you.
It might seem like a waste to bake only one slice of cake, but that’s poppycock. Sometimes, one slice is all you need.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 1.75″ x 10″ diameter
-Individual slice cake pan
-Makes 8 slices of cake per mold
-Makes 16 slices per box of cake mix
-Colors vary
-Made of 100% silicone
I recently became an avid wine drinker. Sure, I used to imbibe at holidays and special occasions, but it wasn’t something I’d buy for myself on a regular basis. I suppose I should give credit where credit is due: Cougar Town. Just trying watching that show without a giant glass of wine in your hand – I dare you.
One thing I had to learn the hard way about wine consumption is that it’s not just the quality of the wine that matters, but also the temperature. No one wants to drink a glass of warm wine, yet anyone who’s tried to drink an ice cold goblet of vino knows that’s no picnic either. The Corkcicle (Perpetual Kid, $21.99) strikes a perfect balance between the two without sacrificing flavor. Instead of hauling out a messy ice bucket (which can makes wines way too cold) or *gasp* throwing an ice cube in your glass (which will only water down your bev), this wine chiller fits perfectly inside the vino bottle itself. Attached to a cork stopper is a long plastic icicle filled with non-toxic freeze gel – simply freeze and stick inside your favorite fermentation for the perfect cool down.
Nothing says romance this Valentine’s Day quite like exquisitely chilled wine.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12″ (with cork)
-Easily chill wine
-Doesn’t water down
-Reusable
-Non toxic freeze gel
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
