The Cat’s Meow

I love modern items. They’re clean, sleek and simplistically unassuming. The natural progression from how things used to be to where they are now seems a natural progression. For instance: Vintage cars are breathtaking; painted buttercup yellow and robin’s egg blue, with delicate chrome detailing to outline the car’s wings, whitewall tires and windows.

But I’ve have always had a sweet spot for vintage pieces. Cars, absolutely. Hats, most definitely (seeing as how I have an unhealthy collection). But I also love retro appliances. Over the past handful of years, KitchenAid has become very well know for selling vintage inspired mixers, blenders, and the like. But what if small pops of red and chrome doesn’t cut it for you? What if you’ve always wanted that robin’s egg blue refrigerator your grandparents’ had when you were a little kid.

Luckily for you, Big Chill has gone full on retro and since 2001, bringing 50’s inspired refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers to kitchens everywhere! These pieces are immaculately designed, offering eight standard color options, as well as four different refrigerators- a standard and studio size, retropolitan model with a bottom slide out freezer, and an under the counter option! As functionally modern as you’d need, with all the yesteryear charm you could hope for, Big Chill has defrosted my chilly modern heart with a little old-fashioned love.  

Just in case the 8 standard colors weren’t what you were looking for, you can custom order any of these

Why Didn’t We Think of This Before?!

I’ve heard that the philosophy behind Apple’s packaging, is that when the consumer looks at the product and the box it comes in, they think, “Yes.  This is meant to be in that”.  Very often, we take for granted the thought process that’s put behind what seems to be the perfect packaging, or even the most obvious of products.  Well duh! umbrellas should have an open & close button.  And of course the ketchup bottle should be facing upside down… it’s how we poor it anyway.  It’s so blatant, but it took years before someone thought to make those changes to these products.  Inherently smart inventions are often so taken for granted, that we easily forget the times before they were made.  With that in mind, I am happy to introduce the latest product invention that falls into this category.

The Cane Stay is a wonderful widget that keeps your cane upright, in place, and where you need it.  Immaculately designed, this rubber-like gadget easily attaches to the shaft of the cane, thus allowing its user to rest the cane against a wall or corner, hang off the back of a chair, table top, counter, or be wedged underneath.  The invention of this product has made leaps and bounds in the medical field, finally aiding those who are unable to walk a distance to reach their canes, or bend down to pick up a cane that has fallen.

The best part?  The Cane Stay works on household tools as well!  Say goodbye to brooms, rakes and shovels falling over, because the Cane Stay holds them up too.  And if you can think of another use for the Cane Stay, send an email to the company, and if approved, it will be added to their website!

Because Good Coffee is So Much More…

This post is dedicated to my fellow coffee addicts.

For all those out there as reliant upon their daily coffee as I am, it’s safe to assume that like me, your coffee experience has long passed the initial phase “in need of good coffee”, and moved to the next phase: “in need of a good coffee mug to transport your good coffee”.  That being said, I am once again on the hunt for a fantastic travel coffee mug- one that will not only house my coffee, but offer a bit of something extra as well (because who said coffee mugs had to be boring).

I had purchased a mug this summer; its top had a folding straw that when pushed down, locked the top into place and kept your coffee from spilling.  Unfortunately when popping the straw up, the pressure change in the cup would (sometimes) cause a bit of coffee to shoot directly at you.  Needless to say, that mug was tossed and the hunt for a new one began.  Here are the contenders:

The Electronic USB Travel Mug

|| Its USB attachment works on both PCs and Macs to keep your beverage hot.  Also comes with a 12V car adapter. ||

 

The Canon Zoom Lens Coffee Mug

|| Modeled after the Canon 70-200mm Canon telephoto zoom lens ||

 

TimeMug

|| Eco-friendly and dishwasher safe, this mug keeps you in check and on time when you’re the go. ||

 

Brugo

|| Perhaps my favorite mug of all, Brugo’s lid has a 3-position drink mode “Lock, Sip, Tip & Cool”.  This allows for each individual sip to be cooled, keeping the rest of your beverage hot- just the way it should be. ||

 

Change for the Better No Longer Means Boring

Imagine: You’re on the subway.  Maybe your’re heading home after a long day at work, or maybe you’re just trying to get somewhere on time.  You know taking the stairs is better for you, but who are you kidding- the escalator is directly next to them, and you’re either too tired, or too lazy to pass them up.  Lets face it.  In the never-ending Stairs vs. Escalator battle, the escalator usually wins.  But not anymore.

Brought to us by Volkswagon, The Fun Theory presents us with this idea: Fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviors; be it for themselves, the environment, or something entirely different.  All that matters, is that it’s change for the better.

Please have a look around their site, and enjoy their inventive ideas as much as I have.

http://www.thefuntheory.com