key hook for purses
take pictures of your own
helpful hint - get a round one - no weird edges
A good scale for weighing your cat
More pictures below
Why would you want to do that?
- make sure the baby's growing on normally
- make sure breast-fed baby is getting enough milk
- monitor cat's health as he gets old
- make sure cat is sufficiently hydrated. Dehydration can lead to feline urinary problems
Solution: the Salter 914 baby scale is accurate highly rated and well priced
Pros:
- has a tare/zero function
- you can take the tray off and use it like a regular scale (up to 44 lbs)
- heavy base makes it sturdy
- accurate (at least mine is. Some reviewers have complained that theirs wasn't, although most said that theirs was if they mentioned accuracy at all.)
- rather attractive
Cons:
- $59 seems a bit much, but I didn't see any cheaper ones that got good reviews. I had been using a kitchen scale that goes up to 15 pounds to weigh the cats, but the platform was a bit too small. It was hard to get Twitch to stand on it, and Mr. Kitten--forget it. He doesn't have patience for that stuff.
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| Twitch has a lot of patience |
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| I like the grayish-white. It's sort of retro modern. |
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| with the tray off, it kinda looks like a bear |
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| Twitch at his cat station |
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| Here's the box |
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| Here's the crappy warning on the box. Buy through Amazon so returns won't be a problem |
P.S.
I really like my Escali kitchen scale. I don't blame it for not being a good cat scale. That's not what it's make for. It goes up to 15 pounds in increments of one gram. I've had it over a year and haven't changed the battery yet. Here's a pic and a link. It's great for making bread. Since it goes up to 15 pounds, I can put my KitchenAid mixing bowl on it and add all the ingredients.
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| photo credit: Amazon |
Snuza Halo monitor reminds you to breathe. Good for babies and adults with sleep apnea.
The problem: You're worried your baby might die of SIDS. Or you're worried you might die from sleep apnea.
The solution (or at least something that'll help): A device that measures movements of the diaphragm and sounds an alert if breathing stops.
How it works
The Snuza Halo clips onto your waistband. Every time you take a breath, the little rubber tip moves a little bit. If the rubber tip stops moving for 15 seconds, the device vibrates to stimulate you to breathe. If it goes to 20 seconds, it sounds and alarm and jiggles like a belly dancer.
What's good about it
- Uh, it helps keep you alive
- Small and lightweight
- If it loses contact with the body, it'll sound an alarm to let you know that breathing is not being monitored. (Strangely, some people complain about this and call it a false alarm.)
What's not so good about it
- The alarm isn't super loud
- The batteries don't last forever. (People complain because they had to replace the batteries inside of a year.)
- It takes weird 14250 batteries.
- The company that makes it swears up and down that it's not a medical device and it's not for the treatment or prevention of anything, especially not SIDS, and that you use it at your own risk.
Helpful hints:
- Get some extra 14250 batteries. (By the way, CR14250, ER14250, DL14250, they're all the same kind of battery. The first two letters designate the manufacturer.)
- Look at the directions on how to open the battery cover, page 11 in the manual.
Here's my Amazon Store where you can buy this item.
Full disclosure: I bought this item (two actually) with my own money. I have no connection to the company that makes. I am not part of the Amazon Vine program where companies send you free stuff. I don't get any free stuff. I researched the heck out of the product and read just about every customer review of it. I only review products that I have bought and that I like enough to recommend. If you buy through my store I will get a small commission through the Amazon Affiliate program.
More details also known as My Rant
I have severe sleep apnea. I stop breathing, or don't breathe enough, over 100 times per hour. I use a CPAP machine, which blows air into my nose, keeping my airways open. It's comfortable, I love it. If you're having trouble with your CPAP machine or want to learn more about sleep apnea, please click this article.
CPAP works 100% if you have obstructive sleep apnea, where the airway collapses and you can't get any air in. But some people have central sleep apnea where for some reason, their brains just forget to breathe. And some peole have mixed apnea.
Anyway, I've woken up a couple times in the last month to find that my CPAP machine had turned itself off. I thought there was a malfunction with the machine, but now I think I had stopped breathing for so long that the thing had shut itself off. So maybe I have mixed apnea.
I have the CPAP machine set to shut off automatically if I take the mask off. I guess the machine can't tell the difference between my taking the mask off and my just not breathing for 30 seconds at a time.
Kinda scary.
I mean, seriously, WTF? I'm already not breathing, so the machine shuts itself off so that I've still got the damn mask over my nose and it's even harder to breathe? And you'd totally think I would just open my mouth and breathe that way, wouldn't you? But I don't. I'm so stupid when I'm asleep.
So I'm using the Snuza now. I got two, in fact. It's important enough that I need a backup. I'll be wearing two when I go to sleep. And I've changed the CPAP machine so it doesn't automatically shut off anymore.
A Hassle-Free Can Opener
The problem:
- You've got a junky old can opener.
- You don't want to waste counter space with a big electric can opener.
- You don't like having the lids fall into the can.
- You don't like getting your fingers dirty touching the can lid to throw it away.
- You don't like sharp edges in your garbage can.
The solution: The Kuhn can opener and lid lifter
What's so great about it:
- The blades cut the lid straight off. They never touch the food.
- You can reuse the lid to cover the can.
- You never have to touch the lid.
- The blades don't touch the food so they won't get dirty or rusty.
- It fits in a drawer.
- It doesn't need batteries or electricity.
What's not so great about it:
- It's manual. You still need a little strength to use it.
- The plastic tool for removing the cut lid seems a little flimsy, although I haven't had a problem.
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| The Problem |
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| The Solution |
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| Notice how the blades are cutting around the outside of the can |
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| Use the attached tool to pull off the lid |
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| You could even reuse the lid to cover the can in the fridge |
Sleep Apnea Kills
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| Here's someone resting peacefully without a CPAP |
If there's any chance you have sleep apnea, you need to get to a doctor, stat. Sleep apnea kills.
If you have sleep apnea and have a CPAP and aren't using it, well, no offense, but you're a putz. Read this article, man up, and start using the thing to save your life. It only takes a week or so to get used to it.
Seriously, think about the people who care about you. Don't have anyone who cares about you? That's even more reason to use the CPAP, so you can stick around and be ornery, dagnabbit.
It's also a good article if you just want to read about some cool apnea-related gadgets, learn how to be more comfortable with your CPAP, or want to learn about sleep apnea.
Are You In Pain at Your Computer?
The Tyler Twist is a cure for tennis elbow. Here's an article I wrote. It covers the Tyler Twist and talks about products and practices you can use to get rid of your pain.
There are gadgets to automate your work, books to help you improve your posture, a little info about nutrition and more.
Here's the link to my article on fighting computer pain.
Cat Gadgets!
The Six Best Products for Your Cat
in my humble opinion
and my cats' not-so-humble opinion
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| My litterbox better be spotless! |
The ScoopFree -- A smaller and cheaper alternative; the second best litterbox ever.
Feliway Pheromones -- This has probably saved me thousands of dollars. Maybe saved Twitch's life; he gets sick whenever it runs out. I don't let it run out anymore.
PetWell Water Fountain -- The cats love it. It's the quietest I've found although that doesn't mean it's as quiet as I'd like. It encourages the little ones to drink.
Heated Cat Bed -- I cannot tell you how much they love this. You cannot give a heated pad made for humans to a cat. It wil cause burns.
Frolicat Laser Toy -- The cats find the laser endlessly amusing. I don't. This gadget moves the laser around for them.
All these products are available on my cats' Amazon Store. The Internet is weird.
Links:
Here's a link to an article in Squidoo with more details about the best products for your cats.
And here's a link to a Best Reviewer list with two more awesome products for a total of 8.
The Rotadent electric toothbrush -- I keep crawling back to it
It took my money, it took my pride. I let it into my life, and then it died. I can't stay away because even though it's no good, it's sooo good. Am I living an Alicia Key's song? Or am I having a dysfunctional relationship with the Zila Rotadent?
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| Photo credit: Amazon The Rotadent Classic, now discontinued |
Flipping Rotadent. No other toothbrush can do what it does. (Great, now I'm a Whitney Houston song.) All other toothbrushes have widely-spaced bristles. It's like scrubbing a pot with a hairbrush, you leave stuff behind. The Rotadent brush head has tightly-packed filaments. The head rotates completely around like a Dremel tool. The pointy brush head gets between teeth. The flat brush head cleans tooth surfaces. No other toothbrush does this. Nothing cleans better.
Sounds great? No, it sucks.
First, the Rotadent costs around $130 dollars. Not so bad if it lasts for years, right? Sure, except for a lot of people it lasts less than a year. Mine was dead in six months. To be fair, other people say theirs have lasted six or more. Damn their eyes.
'Couple problems. First, it's not waterproof, so water gets in and corrodes the battery. Good thinking, Rotadent. Second, the battery gets a memory effect. You can't leave it charging all the time. But you shouldn't let it discharge completely, because that can sometimes ruin this type of battery for good.
Another problem. I would find that when I'd press the bristles against my teeth, the dang motor would cut out. I could use the flat brush head (great for cleaning tooth surfaces), but I couldn't use the pointy brush head (magnificent for cleaning between teeth). So I put the thing under the sink, along with all my hopes and dreams. After a month or so, I got a brain wave. Maybe it wasn't the motor--maybe it was the brush head! So I stuck a different pointy brush head on there and it worked great. But it needed a charge. I think I might have got fancy and tried to fully discharge it before charging it again. Whatever I did, I bricked it. Which leads me too...
The warranty sucks. The warranty is only good if you buy it from a dentist. I did, but I didn't register the product within 30 days of purchase so when the thing broke it was like, suck it up, sucker, and thanks for the $130. From what I hear, I was lucky to even get through to somebody on the phone. At least they didn't make me wait for 20 minutes and disconnect me like others claim has happened to them.
I should have researched more. Yeah, their crappy "lifetime warranty" was no good, but I probably had an implied warranty under state law. (Honestly, why did I even go to law school?)
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| Photo credit: Amazon The Rotadent Plus |
But getting back to my rant, the toothbrush, when it works, is awesome. And now, here's the best part--it's discontinued. It's still available online but since I'm ordering through my dentist, I have to get the new Rotadent Plus, which has even lower rating on Amazon than the original. But I'm still gonna do it because this hateful, two-faced lout of a toothbrush is just that good.
I hate myself.
Mother's Day 2012 Gift Guide
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| Photo credit: Amazon |
Well, f*** all, Mother's Day 2012 is coming up
It’s that time again, time to appease the woman who carried you for nine months/chose you from the orphanage and otherwise wore her fingers to the bone, just so you could have a better life, you ungrateful wretch. Get her a gift, and make it a good one so she’ll know didn’t waste her figure and youth on nothing.
All kidding aside, a special day is coming up and it’s an occasion to express true gratitude and love for that most special of all ladies. Here are some home gadget gift ideas for every budget.
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| Photo credit: Amazon |
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| Photo credit: Amazon |
Laser parking helper (around $20). This goes on the wall of the garage and plugs into an outlet. When Mom pulls her car in, the friendly red dot on her dashboard will show when she’s parked perfectly. Fun, useful and eliminates parking frustration.
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| Photo credit: Amazon |
Hot water pot (from $30 to $170). This very simple device keeps a pot of water at near boiling, and ready to use at any time. If Mom’s a tea drinker, she’ll enjoy this time-saving luxury. The Rolls Royce of hot water pots is the Zojirushi hybrid.
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| Photo credit: Amazon |
Zap yourself hairfree with a home IPL laser device
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| Photo from Remington website |
The way it's used is simple but laborious. You take the rather
clumsy wand, press it against your skin, and zap
yourself. The treatment window is less than 1 inch by 1/2 inch, so you can
imagine it will take a long time to treat yourself. It can take up to three
treatments to see any results.
Who this is good for
This can only be used by light-skinned people and it will only work on
dark hair. You will also need patience and endurance. The treatment is tedious and pressing the button over and over can become uncomfortable.
Please note these limitations: You cannot use it above the neck because the light is so bright. It
can damage the eyes, and you cannot effectively shield your eyes if you use it
above the neck because the light will travel through your flesh. You are not
supposed to use it in the genital/anal area.
Pros
- It works.
- It appears to be foolproof. You are unlikely to injure yourself if you follow the instructions.
- It's probably safer and gentler than having IPL done
professionally.
- Any type of IPL can reduce skin sensitivity
- Some people will find this painful, especially if you use it where you're not supposed to
Helpful hints
- If you decide to use a topical anesthetic, don't use too much. There have been cases where people have died after using too much.
- Be sure to recalibrate the device for each body area you plan to do.
- Follow the directions closely.
- Use eye protection.
For more info on how to be a scent-free, hair-free but not necessarily neurosis-free uberhuman, click here to read about Hollywood Bodies.
iPad Screen Protector - Crystal Clear Protection
Who's this good for
Anyone with an iPad will want something like this. It protects the iPad screen. Maybe the Gorilla glass doesn't really need protection, but who cares? The iPad is your baby. And there's no reason not to have the added protection. This film is invisible and does not interfere with the iPad's functioning, if it's installed correctly. And there's the rub. Read on.
Pros
- It is absolutely invisible when installed correctly.
- It is almos frictionless. The iPad's screen is maybe just a little bit smoother without the protective film, but it's hard to feel any difference.
- It doesn't collect fingerprints noticeably more than the iPad's unprotected screen.
- It cleans easily. Just a little water and a wipe with a microfiber cloth is all you need. Perhaps it even cleans easier than the unprotected screen.
- It doesn't interfere with the iPad's touch sensitivity.
- All protective films of this type are extremely difficult to install it perfectly.
- You gotta get rid of dust. Any dust under the cover will create bubbles.
- Vacuum and dust your work area and then leave the area untouched for several hours. If possible, run an air cleaner.
- Wear rubber cloves.
- Turn the iPad off (so the screen is black) and check for dust one last time before installing.
- Look at the directions and make sure you're attaching the correct side to the iPad.
- Take your time.
Purse hooks - keep your purse clean and off the floor
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| "How did I ever live without a purse hook?" |
The purse hook
The purse hook is the gadget you never knew you needed. Costing from $5 to $30 on Amazon, it is a very simple gadget that lets you hang your purse off the edge of a table or desk. It's keeps your purse safe, clean and in easy reach.
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| the Zoohook |
Purse hooks range from the simple to the extravagantly decorated and some even boast hidden mirrors.
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| the Clipa bracelet-style hook |
Pros
- Your purse stays clean because it's off the floor. Imagine putting your purse down on a restroom floor and then putting on your kitchen table. Ugh!
- Your purse is safer because you can see it; it's not under your chair where it can be stolen.
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| the Fumi bracelet-style hook |
- Some purse hooks are much heavier than they should be--probably all the bling
- Some are kinda pricey
- Check how much a purse hook weighs before buying
- If you buy a purse hook with fancy fake stones, be aware that they tend to fall off. Cheap metal also tends to tarnish.
Electric meat smoker makes it easy - do some grilling while you're chilling
It's just a large, aluminum tub. The heating element sits in the bottom. Above is a rack where a small amount of wood chips creates the smoke. Above that goes a metal bowl that catches the moisture dripping from your meats. There will be a lot of of it. On top that are two racks for your food.
It's large enough to smoke a small turkey or two chickens on one rack, and you can fit full rack of ribs on the other.
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| The Old Smokey Electric Smoker |
Pros
- Simple
- Effective
- Smoke is contained
- Moisture is retained
- It's expensive for what it is
- It will probably arrive with a couple dents
- It's large, so it's cumbersome to store and clean
- It's is a closed unit; there is no airflow. It keeps meats very moist, but some say it is not really a smoker
- Get a temperature gauge. You'll need it to do a good job.
- Put this outside, on a level non-flammable surface and don't leave it unattended.
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Click here to read the review on Examiner.Com
Grind your own flour - it's the cool new thing
Grind you own flour - it's what all the cool kids are doing
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| The Victorio Grinder |
- want to have freshest, most healthful and nutritious grains
- like to do something useful while they exercise away the pounds
- need to think twice before they bake
- would like to try out milling their own flours before investing in an electric grain mill
- It does what it says--it grinds grain
- Good blend of price and quality
- Good capacity
- The metal part of the machine is sleek and attractive
- It's small and can fit in a drawar
- It wobbles a little. It would be better if it had a wider base so it would be more stable on the countertop
- The plastic hopper is kinda ugly.
- The wooden handle is uncomfortable.
- It only grinds when you turn it clockwise; it you turn it counterclockwise, it doesn't do anything. Maybe that's just the way grinders are.
- It's a little messy--I mean, you are grinding flour.
- Click here to read the review on Examiner.Com.
- Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day - an easy, no-knead way to have fresh bread whenever you want it
- Einkorn wheat -- the most ancient wheat available, delicious and high protein. You can buy it here for about $4 per pound.
- Farro wheat - also called emmer wheat, another ancient grain. Click here to buy it on Amazon. It's about $6 per pound.
Garage Gadget - Park like a Terminator with a Laser
Laser Parking Helper
Tired of accidentally parking in your living room? Sick of breaking your garage door when you send it smashing into the backend of your car, which you've left hanging out of the garage? If so, the MAXSA Park Right (about $17 on Amazon) is for you. Just mount it on the ceiling or back wall and when your car gets close, a laser beam starts up. Pull your car up until the laser beam hits the part of your dashboard you have designated corresponds to an acceptable parking job and you're set.Who's this gadget good for
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| MAXSA Park Right |
Pros
- If you install it properly (up high at the front of he garage), it works perfectly every time.
- You need AC power so you can plug it in.
- Park your car perfectly before you install the device. Install it so that the laser points to the center of the dashboard.
Click here to read the review on The Examiner.
emWave Relaxation device
A Gadget to Help You Meditate
The emWave Personal Stress Reliever ($150 - $230 on Amazon) trains you to relax. The way it works is you hold it in your hand (or clip it to your ear) and breathe along with the colored lights. When you breathe in a way that pleases its electronic mind, it makes happy beeps and flashes blue lights. When you breathe in a way it disapproves of, you get a sullen silence and red lights. If you're so-so, you get neutral beeps and green lights.
Who should get it
A gadget lover with a lot of extra money who is bored with the idea of "breathe in for a count of four, breathe out for a count of six."
Pros
- This is a sophisticated device. It analyzes breathing and heart activity and helps get them optimally synced.
- The sensitivity is very good, similar to the Stress Eraser (about $130 on Amazon), a device that does much the same thing
- It can take your bio readings through your fingers or via an ear clip
- Cheap plastic-y looking
- Annoying beeps and lights
- You can seriously just "breathe in for a count of four, breathe out for a count of six" and save your money
- Come on, just breathe in for a count of four, breathe out for a count of six.
Click here to read the review on Examiner.com.
No more scooping -- the CatGenie is a toilet for cats
A Toilet for Cats
The CatGenie ($270 on Amazon) is an ingenious toilet for cats. Your cat does his business and after ten minutes the bowl slowly spins, and the rake picks up any solid wastes, plunking them into a little bin. Then water fills the bowl and the impeller in the bin breaks up the waste so it can go through a tube into your toilet where you flush it away.
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| photo from Amazon |
Installation is fairly easy. You need to attach a tube to the toilet and you'll need to plug the CatGenie in for power. You also need to attach the included water line to your toilet's incoming water. No special tools are required, just a wrench and patience. The only difficulty is in manuevering the unwield thing into place.
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| photo credit: Chris Hugh |
Another problem is that it's not entirely reliable. Sometimes the tube gets clogged and the dirty water won't drain. It's easy to fix, but until you do, you've got poop soup and the cat has nowhere to do his business. Nowhere nice, anyway. If he holds in his pee, he can get a bladder infection and bladder infections in male cats are a life-threatening emergency. If he doesn't hold in his pee, he makes a mess. In either case, you really need a backup potty.
Third problem, as mentioned, the tube gets clogged. To fix it, you just shove the end of the hose (the part that was hanging into the toilet) against your faucet, run the water and blow out the clog. It's no big deal, but isn't super pleasant or sanitary.
Last minor problem, when the CatGenie cleans itself it will drain foamy poopy water into your toilet, leaving nasty looking stains. You'll need to clean your toilet more often to keep it looking okay.
Overall
Despite a few negatives, if you've got the space and the money, this is a great, great gadget. The best way to do this is to have two of them.
Helpful hints
- Read the directions. Seriously. I had the hose installed not-quite-right for over a year. It had too tight a kink in it, and it was clogging up.
- Write down or take a picture of the serial number before you set the machine up.
- You really need a backup litterbox. I got two CatGenie. Expensive, but very worth it to not have to scoop.
Links
Click here to read a review of the ScoopFree automatic litter box, another super pooper scooper
Motion-activated cat deterrent: Scat, cat! Get off the counter
Chase those cats away--with technology
Tired of cats jumping on tables and knocking over your Faberge eggs/Waterford crystal/meth-making equipment? Well, if you bring to bear the latest in human technology there's a small possibility you might teach the cat to stop it.
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| photo credit: Amazon |
It's the Contech StayAway Pet Deterrent. (About $45 on Amazon) It's basically a motion-activated spray canister. If a cat (or you) come in range, it'll spray, or squeak or spray and squeak. The spraying (it just sprays air) really startles the cats, since it sounds like an angry cat hissing. They'll learn to avoid the area, at least as long as the device is there.
Who should get it
Everyone with a cat. You'll want to teach your cats to stay off the stove. If you're all fancy and germ phobic, I guess you might want to keep them off the kitchen counters and dining table, too.
Pros
- It really chases the cats away. Pretty fun to watch.
Cons
- Pretty expensive. You might try the Ssscat (about $25 on Amazon). Both are rated 4/5 stars.
- It would be nice if the device instilled healthy guilt and the fear of a righteous power, but it doesn't. The cats tend to learn that it is the device, not their own evil doing, that is the enemy. If you take it StayAway, well, away, the stinkers go back to their old subversive habits.
- You will get sprayed way more often than your cat will. It's harmless, but it gets old pretty quick. Perhaps it amuses the cats to see you sprayed with your own device.
Helpful hints
- Try to hide or camoflage the thing. Maybe you're cat will learn the general rule, "don't go there." Rather than the more specific rule, "don't go there until the human removes that thing or the battery runs out." Good luck outsmarting your cats.
- Get breakables and spillables out of the area. This is gonna scare the pants off your cat and he's gonna run like mad. Because cats are drama queens.
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