So last night it was pretty warm in my house, like menopausal hot flash temperatures, so I thought I’d turn the heat down and crack open a window. You know, conserve energy, save the planet, that whole deal. Lo and behold, I woke up in the middle of the night so cold I thought I has turned into a popsicle. My teeth were chattering so hard that I thought I was gonna break a tooth, all because I thought I’d be nice to mother nature. Well, that and I thought because my house felt like jungle temperatures when I climbed into bed that opening a window seemed only logical. Foiled again!
Fluctuations in your core body temperature are known to disrupt your sleep patterns, something the Temperature Regulating Blanket (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95 – $149.95) seeks to remedy. No one likes going to bed in a perfect homeostasis only to wake up drenched in sweat, especially when you’re sharing the bed with someone else. Then it gets even more difficult to figure out the perfect sleep temperature so that everyone is comfortable. Inevitably, someone will wake up in the middle of the night completely miserable because of a preventable temperature issue. To that end, this blanket utilizes millions of invisible microcapsules along with the aid of NASA technology to keep you content while you sleep. How it works is that the excess heat from your body is absorbed by the blanket when you’re warm and then that stored heat is released when your body temperature drops. This makes it ideal of two people as the fabric will adjust to each individual’s micro-climate without disturbing the other.
Those NASA guys sure know their stuff. I mean, who else would have thought of using a blanket to cool themselves down? It’s either the dumbest or the smartest idea I’ve ever heard. I’ll get back to you when I decide which.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 108″ x 96″ (king)
90″ x 96″ (queen)
80″ x 96″ (full)
66″ x 96″ (twin)
-Available in 5 colors: oyster, white, sage, chocolate, and sky blue
-Adjusts to an individual’s micro climate
-Absorbs excess heat when hot, releases stored heat when cold
-Naturally anti bacterial
-Odor resistant
-Machine washable
-Uses patented technology developed for NASA
-Made of 50% Merino wool and 50% acrylic
Attention all lazy people out there! Would you like be somewhat active, yet still continue to exhibit sloth-like behavior? I can tell by your lack of response that you would. Sure, laying around and letting your muscle tone deteriorate can sound like boatloads of fun, but maybe you should get up every now and then. I’m not suggesting you go out and run a marathon or anything (terrible!), but a little movement here and there couldn’t hurt. Tell you what, how about we start with something simple? I’ll even try to make it a little fun for you.
The Magic Wand Remote Control (Firebox, $69.95) will give you just a dash of physical movement while still allowing you to retain your lazy roots. And it’s freaking awesome! Sorry, but it had to be said. I mean, it’s a remote control shaped like a magic wand – how cool is that?! And not only is it shaped like a magic wand, but you actually have to perform spell-like movements in order for the remote control to work. This is where your heart-pumping exercise comes into play. With 13 predefined gestures, this wand can learn up to 13 infrared codes from your existing remote. All you have to do is match the gesture to the desired command. So say you want to turn the volume down, you might roll the wand between your thumb and forefinger in a counterclockwise direction. You can control basically any infrared device, like your TV or stereo, just by letting the wand learn the commands. Pretty simple, right?
Now, I don’t want you overdoing it. Take your time learning those commands and if you feel yourself getting weak, let someone else change the channel for awhile.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 35.5cm x 2cm
-Remote control shaped wand
-Able to control television, stereo, or any other infrared device
-3 modes: practice, sleep, and learning
-13 predefined gestures
-Can learn up to 13 infrared codes from an existing remote
-Requires 2 AA batteries (included)
-Packaged in presentation box
-Instruction manual available for download
Maybe some of you out there are looking to tell that special person in your life just much they mean to you. Perhaps this is a huge step in your relationship because neither of you have told the other how you feel about each other. Could this be the very first time you are prepared to say the big “L” word to each other? If so, you’re probably planning something really romantic, right? I know, you’re gonna cash in on the whole Valentine’s Day thing, because what better way is there to conjure instant romance than a holiday that’s literally all hearts and flowers. The most important thing to remember when going for the big “L” is to make it special, and a one-way ticket to specialtown are the two u’s: unique and unexpected.
If you’re looking for a one of a kind way to drop the “L” bomb, then look no further than the I Love You Bean (Miles Kimball, $5.99). You’ve got everything you need in this kit to let the lovely lady in your life know that she makes you feel all warm and gooey inside. All you need to do is add water and sunlight (the recipe also calls for love, but I think you’ve got that one covered) to the sprouting cup full of soil mix and seeds. Then when the bean sprouts, the words you’ve been trying to spit out will magically appear on the beans: I Love You. It’s recommended for kids ages 4 and up, but I think it just might work in your situation as well.
Ok, so maybe I forgot to mention a third requirement for professing your love – cheese. I’m not kidding, the cheesier the better. Sure, the ladies all like to pretend that they aren’t into the cheeseballs, but it’s simply not true. Take any sappy romantic chick flick and you’ll see exactly what I mean. There’s always, without fail, some sort of ridiculous scene in which the knight in shining armor declares his love for the leading lady. It’s never anything easy or laid back. Some examples:
When Harry Met Sally: Guy runs through the streets on New Year’s Eve to get to girl before the new year to spout big long speech about all the reasons why he loves her.
Say Anything: Guy holds up boombox outside girl’s window playing the song they first consummated their love to.
Dirty Dancing: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”
Love Actually: The entire movie.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Includes sprouting cup, soil mix, and seeds
-Just add water, sunlight, and love
-“I Love You” will appear when bean sprouts
-Great for kids ages 4 and up
-Not available for shipment to Canada
I can’t stand it when it’s raining out. I’m one of those people who would almost rather it was snowing than raining because I see it as less of a hassle. Sure, if it’s snowing then that means it’s probably freezing out and just generally unpleasant, but there’s something about the rain that makes me crazy. Maybe it’s the way all the worms come out onto the sidewalks while it rains and then end up all dried out and shriveled up. It could be how when you get caught in a rainstorm, you know that you’re going to have to go through your entire day soaking wet because your clothes are never going to fully dry. Or maybe it’s simply that the rain is dreary and turns the whole day into one giant bummer.
Whatever the reason, rainy days need something to perk them up, hence the Colour Changing Umbrella (Generate Design, $49.00). Basically your average everyday umbrella, albeit with a few raincloud designs, this telescopic umbrella doesn’t seem like anything special. I mean, it sure doesn’t seem like anything that’s going to cheer you up when the skies get gray. But in actuality, those rainclouds are on the right track to brightening your day. See, when those rainclouds are printed with special ink that changes from white to bright colors. What causes this fantastical change? Water, silly! You essentially need it to rain for the special ink to yield color. That’s one point for the rain clouds.
There is one exception to my hatred of rain and that’s when it happens with sunny skies. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it’s scorching hot outside and you’re wishing it would rain, and then it actually does? It’s pretty awesome.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9.95″ x 1.97″ x 1.97″
-Telescopic umbrella with colour changing print
-Special ink is white when dry, changes colour when wet
Sometimes, you just need a reason to have a party. There’s no special occasion you want to celebrate or any spectacular milestone that you’ve reached, you simply need to participate in a joyous occasion. I find that a spontaneous party is highly enjoyable, one might say even more so than a strategically planned event. I mean, say you’re having an absolute shit week at work – would a party make everything all better? Probably not, but I bet it wouldn’t hurt. It would get your mind off the mistakes you made during the week and give you a chance to unwind with friends as well as new potential acquaintances.
I’m not saying that decor has to play a big role in a spontaneous gathering, but I don’t think it could hurt matters when trying to get everyone in a festive mood. The illoom Balloons (Drinkstuff, £8.99) do an absolutely perfect job of exuding merriment without looking like you’re trying too hard to throw an awesome shindig. While balloons are standard party fare, they’re usually reserved for going away parties, birthdays, retirement, surprises, and things of that nature. For a regular get together, balloons can be a bit much. So what makes these balloons worthy of an everyday bash? They light up. Each balloon contains a colored LED light and will last up to 15 hours. All you have to do to activate the lights in the balloons is pull at tab and inflate, your choice whether you want to go with helium or good ole air. Each pack comes with 15 balloons and a variety of colors.
It’s been awhile since I’ve thrown a decent party, but I have to say that my favorite are costume parties. Because my favorite holiday is Halloween, it makes perfect sense that I would leap at the chance to have a theme party. The problem with theme parties is that you’ll always have your fair share of party poopers and you need give a substantial period of notice for your guests. One theme party that will always work last minute? ’80s party. Seriously, who isn’t hanging on to their Members Only jacket waiting for this one to happen? Just me? Ok, fine.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Set of 15
-Each pack contains 3 of each color: blue, green, red, white, and yellow
-Can be inflated with helium or air
-Each balloon contains a colored LED
-Balloons last up to 15 hours
-Pull tab and inflate to activate
-Safe for use with children above 36 months
-Patented design
-Perfect for parties and special events
-Not available for delivery in United States or Canada
