As technology advances and our gadget addiction increases, we start to carry around a lot more stuff day to day. It used to be that you only needed your keys and wallet before you left the house – nowadays you’d be lucky to get out of the house without your pockets dragging along the ground because of all the stuff you’ve shoved in there. You think it’s just cell phones that we can’t live without? Now it’s e-readers, smart tablets, and portable gaming systems. And it’s only gonna get worse.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with our technology dependence (well, maybe a little), but we have to smart about it. There’s no way we can constantly cart around all this stuff, which is why the two-fer is the greatest investment since sliced bread. The Makeup Mirror Phone Attachment (Taylor Gifts, $19.98) may not be groundbreaking, but it’ll certainly lighten your load. For the ladies, it’s a mirror attachment to touch-up your makeup (fellas, it wouldn’t hurt you to look in a mirror once in awhile either). When you’re not using the mirror it doubles as a kickstand, making it easy to watch your favorite videos or take self-portraits.
They say the stuff you own ends up owning you. If that’s true, I have a lot of owners.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ x 1″ x 7″
-Kickstand and mirror
-Attaches to smart phones
-Made of plastic
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
Our friends over at Perpetual Kid have some truly awesome stuff, so we thought we’d do a top 10 list just for them!
Top 10 Salt & Pepper Shakers
I used to live a fairly gadget-free lifestyle. It’s not like I didn’t own any technological toys, I just wasn’t consumed by them. Now it seems like I can’t go five minutes without checking my phone, playing a game online, or responding to Facebook update (much like everyone else I know). What’s the worst part about being a slave to technology? Well, you’re pretty much guaranteed never to be satisfied, but more importantly the battery life on these gadgets blow!
I know someone who’s never without their iPad so I can only imagine how often it has to be charged – I’m thinking on the daily. The Solar Charging iPad Case (Hammacher Schlemmer, $199.95) will only encourage you to use your iPad more because you won’t even have to dig out that power cord anymore. Not only does the case protect your beloved Apple product, but it provides up to ten days of use without a standard charge. How’s that possible? Solar power, that’s how! This isn’t just any solar power though – the case uses organic photovoltaic ink to convert both indoor and outdoor light into electricity. I mean, who’s gonna leave their iPad outside all day so it could catch some rays? Now you can simply switch on a lamp and your techno-wonder will charge up in no time.
Angry Birds forever!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11″ x 8″ x 1″
-Weight: 1.5lbs
-Solar powered iPad case
-Provides up to 10 days use without charge
-Powered by organic photovoltaic ink
-Converts indoor and outdoor light into electricity
-Built in stainless steel stand
-Built in HDMI output and USB port
-Compatible with iPad2 and iPad3
A long time ago, I realized that I needed to have a calendar is plain sight or I would never be able to keep track of the days. Sure, I also use it to write down appointments or birthdays, but it’s mostly there for a quick reference. I find it a lot easier to zero in on the correct date when I’ve marked off all the days gone by. However, I can’t stand doing this to a normal calendar because then it just looks messy and sad.
Instead of defacing your important calendar, why not get one for the express purpose of fun? The Bubble Wrap Calendar (Generate Design, $29.00) joins practicality with an innocent pastime: popping bubble wrap. Seriously, who didn’t love to pop bubble wrap? Now you can actually have an excuse to pop one bubble every day to mark the passage of time. The calendar lays out all twelve months of the year and their respective days on one sheet. Each bubble includes the date and day of the week as well as any applicable holidays, with weekends bolded for quick reference.
Please try to restrain yourself and not pop all the bubbles at once. I know, it is really hard.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 48″ x 17.5″
-Pop a bubble for every day
-Weekends bolded for quick reference
-Type set in Helvetica Neue
-Keep calendar out of sunlight and heat
-Made of thick paper and plastic
