I am so freaking sick of all this snow! It actually wasn’t too bad of a winter, just a little snow here and there, possibly a notable storm or two. Then Phil had to go and see his shadow, and all hell done break loose. First there was one terrible two-day storm and then the next week you would have sworn it was Groundhog’s Day because the same damn thing happened all over again. So now it doesn’t matter if it snows again anytime soon because we’ll be too busy shoveling all that other snow for the rest of the winter season. I just know that it’s going get deceptively nice out and then one day we’re gonna get a freak snowstorm right in the middle of it.
Luckily, the Shuellas (Latest Buy, $49.95) can help all you ladies out there prepare for any such occasion. Designed to wear over shoes or high heels, these boot-shaped items are basically umbrellas for your feet. They easily fold up into an included carrying pouch to fit in your purse until you need them, then all you have to do is slide them on over your current footwear, affix the Velcro straps, and you’re good to go. With slip free soles on the bottom, you won’t have to worry about slipping and sliding in icy conditions. Also, these bad boys feature reinforced PVC soles on the inside to prevent wear, which is especially important for all your high heel wearers out there. Made of 100% waterproof material, you can just throw these on over your professional footwear when you’re hoofing it to the office and take them off once inside, with no damage to your expensive shoes. There’s even a towel included so you can wipe down the shoe protectors after use.
I know, they look a little hokey and the price may seem a bit steep, but I’m actually fully behind this product. I mean, how much does it suck to walk around in wet weather when you’re unprepared? You’re pretty much guaranteeing that you’re going to suffer through the way with wet socks – that’s not a pretty picture.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Includes one pair of Shuellas, carry pouch, and a towel
-Designed to wear over shoes or high heels during wet weather
-Available in women’s sizes 8, 9, 10
-Available in black or pink
-Slip free soles
-Velcro straps for quick and easy use
-Reinforced PVC soles to prevent wear from high heels
-Made of 100% waterproof material
There’s nothing like coming home to a tasty dessert after a long day at the office. Sure, some people might be more interested in a strong drink, but I like to go with dessert. Why? Because I feel like one drink leads to another which leads to another and that leads to another…you get the point here. Pretty soon, you’re smashed on a weekday and you’re sleeping through your alarm the next morning. And since that means that your day is only going to get worse from that point on, you’ve basically set yourself up for an entire week of alcoholism. Whereas, if you chose dessert instead of booze, you might just show up to work a little bloated the next day.
If you’re going to go the dessert route, then might I suggest the Prepara Volcano 4-Piece Pop Set (Wrapables, $11.95)? It looks like standard popsicle mold set, but it’s tweaked just enough to make it a bit more appealing. For starters, you get four molds in the set, but they’re not all attached, so you can make one, two, three, or all four at a time. Also, the mold itself leaves a small reservoir that allows for additional toppings to be added later. So if you’re using it to make mini pudding pops, maybe you want to had some whipped cream and sprinkles in there. Or perhaps you made some fruit slushies and you want to garnish each with a maraschino cherry – the sky’s the limit. But best of all, there’s a built-in “Sippin’ Lip” that catches any potential runoff from your popsicle.
Now, if you can’t let go of your after work martini routine, then perhaps you can spice it up a bit. Maybe with an alcoholic slushie? I hear they’re the new Jello shots.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4.75″ x 3″ x 2.75″
-Four molds
-Mold leaves reservoir for additional toppings
-Built in Sippin’ Lip
-Each mold holds approximately 3oz
-100% BOA free
-Made of plastic
We’d all like to pretend that it’s not going to happen, but pretty soon we’re just gonna have to face the facts: it’s starting to get cold. Sure, we’re still technically in the fall season, but the weather is going to rapidly shift from the chilly to freezing any day now. Then it’s only a matter of time before you look out your window in the morning and you see your car covered in a light dusting of snow. And it’s only going to get worse. For some of your unfortunate souls, you’ve already been hit with the winter beast known as snow. For others, there’s still time to prepare for its coming.
The Snow Windshield Screen (Things You Never Knew Existed, $8.98) is designed to help make your winter weather life easier. While a lot of people have garages, and some are even lucky enough to be able to store their car in them, there are a lot of us who just have to deal with the elements. Which means that whether there’s a snowstorm or a thin layer of hail, we’ve got to get up extra early to scrape it off our cars in the morning before heading out to work. With this screen, all you have to do is place it on your windshield and you’re protected from precipitation in all its glorious forms. Now, I should be more specific: you do have to put this screen on your car *before* the weather starts, or else it’s not going to do you any good. But if you can follow that little piece of advice, then you’ll be pretty freaking excited the next day when you just pull the cover off to showcase a completely clear windshield.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve showed up late to work because I forgot it snowed the night before or I went out to my car and wasn’t expecting it to be encased in a sheet of ice. If you can believe it, my boss never seemed to warm up to my weather related excused. Crazy, huh?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 82″ x 28″
-Tuck ends in doors to secure
-Suctions to windshield
-Stores conveniently in pouch when not in use
-Made of durable PVC
As the last days of summer elude us and we delve into fall, sometimes it’s nice to take advantage of an unseasonably warm day. You can’t just let it pass you by – you have to make the most of it! There are a few things you can do to fully enjoy an unexpected stretch of the sun’s rays. You could open up all the windows in the house and let the warm breeze in. Maybe take your kids to the park for a picnic or an afternoon game of Frisbee. Or even the simplest of things, you could enjoy a delicious cold treat. It’s getting to the point where tea, cocoa, and other hot beverages will become commonplace, so the days where you can sit down with a bowl of ice cream or a popsicle are numbered.
The Tovolo Freezer Jewel Popsicle Molds (Wrapables, $9.95) are a perfect warm weather accomplice. Not only are popsicles a fun little treat, but this mold is awesome because it allows you to create six frozen ring pops. Sure, ring pops are a little messier than traditional popsicles, but they’re a thousand times more enjoyable. There’s just something about the convenience of a treat that fits snugly on your hand. Anyways, since the molds are of the ring pop nature, each pop is shaped like a gem. Yeah, it’s a touch cheesy, but I like it (and I know you do too). Each pop has an insulated sleeve, so once you take the set out of the freezer, they won’t immediately melt. Also, the bottom tray helps prevent spills and such while your pops are setting up in the freezer.
I know it seems silly to make your own popsicles when you could just go out to the store and get some, but it’s just not the same. I mean, you could go the health route and say that making your own popsicles with fruit juice is better for you than those high fructose corn syrup laden pops, but I think it’s just the act itself of making them on your own. You can make them any way you want. You have the power! What more could you ask for?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 6.5″ x 4.75″
-Set of 6
-Makes frozen ring pops
-Insulated sleeves
-Made of plastic
Halloween is my favorite holiday. Easter was always kinda lame unless you were had a big sweet tooth, St.Patrick’s Day is just an excuse to get loaded (I’m sure you could find another one without it), and Christmas loses its luster once you become an adult. So what does that leave, but Halloween! Sure, some might say that the beginning of September is a bit too early to be thinking about October 31st, but I beg to differ. Any Halloween enthusiast knows that both a good costume and a rocking party take time to plan. I mean, paper-thin store bought costumes and a couple of bowls of stale candy corn do not a Halloween party make.
The key to a successful party is in the details. For example, the Illuminated Pumpkin Ice Cubes (Sur La Table, $12.95) are crazy awesome, especially because they are something your guests wouldn’t normally expect. I mean, ice cubes that light up? That’s like some sort of futuristic party item, isn’t it? Nope, it is very real. Complete with an on/off switch, this set of three ice cubes can be set to solid or strobe illumination action. They’re made of food safe acrylic, so it’s not like they’re one of these great ideas that isn’t exactly practical. You know, like “light up ice cubes that are made of toxic materials so you can’t put them anywhere near a beverage” aren’t as cool as you might think. Oh, and they’re even dishwasher safe so you can just throw them in there with the rest of the party ware at the end of the night, because I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I hate to do dishes.
I think my favorite part about these ice cubes (besides the obvious fact that they light up) is that they look like little replicas of those leaf bags people put on their front lawns. Like I said, the details make the party. Now if only they came in little light up skulls, then we’d really be in business.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Set of 3
-Comes with on/off and solid/strobe button
-Place in freezer to chill cubes
-Ideal for holiday entertaining
-Dishwasher safe
-Made of food safe acrylic
