I love cheese. If I had to pick only one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would have to be cheese. Think about it – what isn’t better with some cheese on it? Also, what are your favorite foods? Chances are, they are comprised of cheese in some capacity. I always have cheese on hand, usually in hand if you know what I mean.
With a love for cheese as great as mine, a capable grater is a must. The Grip Grater Multi-Position Cheese Grater (Amazon, $24.99) really ups the ante because it offers three possible positions. Three! That’s two more than most graters! When not in use, the grater folds flat for easy storage – great for small kitchens or big kitchens overrun with a plethora of cooking gadgets. Grating can be achieved in one of two ways: arms together offers the traditional hand-held option while arms out allows you to grate over a bowl or dish. Non-slip grips on both the arms and under hinges prevent the grater from sliding around in either position, so it’s really a matter of personal preference. For me, it’s gotta be arms out because you can shred block after block of cheese without feeling the burn. But that’s just me.
You don’t like cheese? As Liz Lemon would say, “That’s a dealbreaker.”
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8″ x 2.5″ x 6″
-Multi position cheese grater
-Three positions:
-Folded for storage
-Arms together (hand held grating)
-Arms out (grating over dish)
-Includes 2 grater plates
-Non slip grips on arms and under hinges
-Stainless steel plates with hard plastic frame
Remember disposable cameras? You needed 27 (or if you were lucky, 29) exposures just to get one good picture. It’s not like now when you can repose over and over until your spastic friend finally has their eyes open (alright, that’s me). A friend of mine recently busted out the disposable camera at a party the other night and when I asked her about it, she said that she likes having actual photos where you can’t take a million just to get the perfect one. Hmmm…
For those who want to have their cake and eat it too, there’s the Portable Handheld Scanner (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95) – the cake in this scenario being the tangible photo and eating it being the digital copy. It doesn’t just stop at photos though; you can scan anything! Photos, magazines, documents…pretty much anything you can think of. Ok, well you are confined to the limits of the microSD card, but this scanner supports memory cards up to 32 gigabytes in capacity and you can get 180 scans per charge. Each scan is saved onto the memory card as a JPEG file, as either high or normal resolution, and the scanner is both PC and Mac compatible.
Not for retinas.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 10″ x 1.25″ x 1″
-Weight: 7.5oz
-Cordless portable scanner
-Up to 180 scans per charge
-Color image sensor
-High (600 dpi) or standard (300 dpi) resolution
-JPEG images save on microSD card (not included)
-USB cable included
-Uses 2 AA batteries (included)
-Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Mac compatible
It might seem like I have a lot of gadgets, probably because I do. If you’re a technology addict like myself then you know that it doesn’t matter how many gadgets you have, it matters which ones you don’t. There are some electronics that I would love to own, but I’m not made of money (neither is my mother, just ask her) so I can’t afford to buy them. I’ve always wanted one of those bladeless fans. I don’t know why, it’s not like a bladed fan doesn’t do the trick. I just want one. But I can’t justify spending a couple hundred dollars on a fan when I could use it for things like food and electricity.
If your technological aspirations far outweigh your monetary value, sometimes you have to compromise. The USB Bladeless Cooling Fan (SkyMall, $19.99) utilizes the same awesome science as those big bladeless fans except it’s a fraction of the price. Oh, and also smaller. But other than that, the two are pretty much the same. Bladelessness still means ultra-quiet and easy to clean, not to mention incredibly safe for youngsters and klutzes alike. As an added bonus, this fan consumes half the energy of a conventional fan so you’re once again single-handedly saving the planet.
It’s almost like you’re part of the Avengers. Almost.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 6.8″ x 5.1″ x 10.7″
-Portable electric bladeless desk fan
-USB cable included
-Smooth air
-Quiet
-Easy to clean
-Energy saving
Why does it seem like there are never enough outlets? Is it an actual problem with the home’s construction or is it our overreliance on technology? Either way, it’s definitely a problem in my house (and I bet yours too). I’m constantly having to unplug one charger just to plug in another, which basically means I can never find my phone charger when I need it.
The Plug Out Plug Organizers (Perpetual Kid, $7.49) are here to rescue your many cords from obscurity! The silicone plug organizer attaches to the wall via stain-free adhesive and serve to keep your plugs handy even when they’re not in use. Each set comes with two plug organizers so it’s up to you to choose where your problem plug areas are. Even if you don’t suffer from technological dependence (liar), you can still use these organizers to keep track of the electronics you unplug when they’re not in use to save money/energy.
I’m considering fully converting to Apple products, if only for the simplicity of one cord to charge them all.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ x 0.75″
-Store plugs near outlet when not in use
-Set of 2 plug organizers
-Stain free adhesive
-Choose from black/white or orange/green
-Made of silicone
Don’t get me wrong, I love technology but it seems like there’s a new gadget every week. I can only carry so many things with me at one time before it becomes a burden and I’m basically under house arrest due to gadget overload. If I can actually manage to get out of the house with my geek bundle, then I have to deal with the issue of readiness. What good is a smartphone if it’s not easily acceptable? Does an iPod play itself? Well, kinda but that’s not the point here.
I tend to fill my car’s cup holders with knick-knacks, trash, and well, cups so there’s not a whole lot of room left for anything actually important. The MagicPad (Latest Buy, $11.95) creates a safe space for your precious gadgets seemingly out of thin air. This stick pad attaches to most surfaces (as long as they are clean, smooth, and dry) and does so without any harsh adhesives. How? Well, that’s the magic part! Once you’ve selected the perfect spot for this pad, you’re all set to stick your items to it. That’s it – no other set-up required. Your objects will stick to the pad without any special devices or magnetic contraptions. If for some reason the pad loses its magical stickiness, all you have to do is wash it in warm water to reactivate it.
Apparently you can also use this stick pad vertically, but that just makes me nervous. I drop things on my own all the time – I don’t need any help in that department.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Stick pad for small items
-Sticks to most surfaces
-Sticks without adhesive
-Wash in warm water to reactivate stickiness
-Heat and cold resistant
-Made of elastic rubber material
