Snobject: Best Father's Day Gift Ever

Yes, I missed Father's Day this year--but if you missed it too, look sharp! This is the perfect gift to make it up to your husband, dad, or grandpa. Whiskey Stones, from Teroforma, are exactly what they say they are: little stones you use to keep whiskey cool.

Hold On! They're not just for whiskey. I don't drink whiskey! I use them in nice, girly framboise lambic, and alternately in lemonade. These little stones live in your freezer in a washable fabric bag. They are the RIGHT solution to keeping a beverage cool without diluting it. Ice cubes make your drink watery. Plastic ice cubes are, well, plastic. And warm drinks are yucky.

So grab some of these little (or big) stones for the man in your life, or for yourself. They're hand-crafted. They're eco-friendly. The packaging is ridiculously sweet, and the price is just right. Plus, they work. Whiskey Stones are awesome all around.

Snobject: Nike Thermo-molded Shoes. For Real.

"Seamless, one-piece vacuum-packed upper construction" of three of Nike's most iconic shoes -- the Air Force 1, Dunk, and Air Max 90. No stitches. I wonder what they feel like! Press releases say they'll be out later this year.

Yeah, That's Halloween Awesomeness.

I am a Halloween fiend. We built the freaking Chamber of Secrets in our basement this year. I love this.

A Castle of Your Own...

It's easy to walk through a room and think, I really need more furniture, or I wish I had more artwork to hang.  It's easy to forget about your walls.  Vinyl decals transform walls in an instant and bring a burst of personality to a drab room.  I especially love the kids motifs, which offer real style at a great price. And if you were ever a gamer, there are retro game decals here that'll make your day.  If you've never browsed the Blik catalog, do yourself a favor and check it out!

Skip the Pots this Year

Biodegradable plant pots abound! The Home Depot sells many of its veggie and herb varieties in peat pots, and also sells empties for those of you who start from seed. Local garden clubs tend to be even better about this. As the growing season gets underway, consider what you're buying when you choose your plants - who needs a bunch of cheap plastic plant pots?

Baby Needs Cool Kicks TOO!

Are you kidding me? Trumpette has the absolute coolest baby socks I've yet to see. I wish my boys could revert just so that I could put these socks on them for a while! Great styles for girls and boys, check them out!

ReUse? Yes, Please!

For awhile I was a recycling zealot. I really gave people a hard time when I couldn't find a recycling bin at their home. But the more I learned about recycling and it's limitations - only certain materials, only in certain amounts, and often while expending more energy than it takes to create new materials - I opened my eyes to the greater picture.

All of your stuff matters. Not just the stuff in the recycling bin. Think about owning something forever before you buy it - think about your trash can disappearing forever. If there's no trash, you have a lot more stuff than you thought! So, buy less, and what you do buy, plan to keep in your life.

ReUse is the more efficient, overachieving cousin of ReCycle. Think about objects as transitional tools - what holds your flatware one day may organize your garage tools a few years down the road, and end up housing seedlings or sorting sand in the sandbox. Check out MadLab, featured in this article, a local-to-me shop that produces beautiful examples of ReUse in MontClair, NJ.

10 Great Tools in Time for Christmas

You can get a special tool for anything these days - every small task has it's own glorified gadget - but with a good set of basics on hand you won't need 'em. With the work I do we have a lot of tools around, and here are some of my favorite, multitasking right-hand tools that are worth the storage space:

When it comes to a drill, don't waste your time with a lightweight. This is a tool to invest in, with a model like the DeWalt pictured, as a good one will last years and a cheap one most likely won't have the muscle you need. To accompany the drill - skip the infinite socket sets and extend your reach with a chuck extender like this one from Lee Valley:A handy Husky hex wrench set is the best stocking stuffer - never worry about keeping or better yet finding the many allen wrenches that enter our lives, and treat yourself to a nice round handle to hold onto at the same time. Measure twice, cut once - a speed square is still one of the most useful tools to have around - and it does double duty for arts and crafts.Any all-in-one tool kit will come with a basic wrench. That's a guaranteed way to loose some skin when you try to pry out an offending piece of hardware. Invest in a Vise Grip (this one's under $10)- you'll never use your old pliers again.

Downsize old worn-out screwdrivers (yes they do wear out!) with a multi-bit ratcheting screwdriver like this one from Stanley, and get yourself a good old-fashioned level. Laser levels are pretty, but they often don't fit your application. A standard level is an excellent straightedge as well for cuts and routing. Chisels may also seem like an antiquated suggestion, but you'd be amazed how often you just need to knock a little bit off something to make it fit. Without a power sander, jigsaw, or sawzaw that may take an eternity - simple handheld chisels can take out most of the obstacles you'll encounter.Spare your fingers from a bashing with simple quick-release clamps. Any surface can become a worktop, but it's hard to hold what you're working on in place without a clamp or two. Clamps make your dining table roughly equivalent to a full-fledged workbench.Finally, for the handy person who has it all - give them a great way to store it. Tools are only helpful if you can find them! I prefer a mobile wheeled cart with plenty of shallow drawers for easy sighting of the tool you seek. Happy building!

Get Ready for Earthv2.0

This is a little bit of a stretch for what I normally write about, but the news just too darn exciting! There's a "100%" chance that another planet out there can support life - no biggie, i know - but for the first time we know where it is! Now we just have to get there...maybe a minor in aerospace engineering is well warranted, ID students! "Design what people need" is a mantra I prescribe to - and the challenges of intersolar-system research and travel will be one of the most exciting and imperative challenges on the table for designers for centuries to come.

Read more here!

Mobi-Mats Take You There

Who isn't familiar with the hot-as-hell sand shuffle? Trying to walk quickly while your flops fling sand and fly off your feet, with the ten bags you're carrying cutting into your shoulders and your common sense screaming Get Off This Sand NOW!!!! Mobi-mats change this entire experience. Now you can stroll or roll(handicap friendly!) down to the cooler parts of the sand, with no damage to the beaches....LOVE IT!!For more on the beach mats in particular, check out their parks&recs site. The mats can also be found on mobile airstrips and anywhere else you need a walkway in a heartbeat. Check out the construction detail - how often have you thought about using woven solutions?

Cardboard: not Just for Boxes Anymore

Designer greats have been making cool mod furniture out of cardboard for decades. Usually, it's a little pricey for cardboard - you're buying the design philosophy more than the item. But there are some cool things being made out of cardboard these days that are fun and affordable:
Studio David Grass produces some affordable and attractive furniture like this sweet stoolCardboard Design makes all manner of products, but my favorite are their kid's playhouses. My own little rocketeer has enjoyed his for years :)
You can also find lots of affordable kids items, like these adorable chairs & table on Orange Onions.

And then again, you can quite easily make your own stuff! Sites like TreeHugger and Instructables give you great links and step by step directions to put your pile of cardboard to good use - give it a second life as toys and furniture good for guilt-free wear and tear.

[Pictured above, Foldaway Bookshop featured on Fubiz]

Verdict: Water Bottle Buddies are...

If your dog craves crunching water bottles, these toys are for you. Water Bottle Buddies like those sold by Kyjen provide an adorable sleeve for your water bottle, protecting your dog from bottle shards. When the bottle's shot, toss it in the recycling bin.

The Good: I love anything that reuses the things we discard. Plus, you're eliminating stuffing from hitting the trash bin. Cuteness, economically priced under $10.

The Bad: These aren't as durable as they should be. Westminster Pet Products makes the sleeves you see below, which are extremely durable but could stand an infusion of cuteness.
The Verdict: Can someone please marry the two? Nylon sleeves should be able to achieve both cuteness and durability. Then this product would be truly excellent.

The Price of "Made in the USA"

I know most people wonder if buying "Made in the USA" really matters. It can seem like it's just another marketing ploy. It's also really hard to walk away from a similar item that costs hundreds of dollars less, just to buy a homegrown product.

Viking, the makers of those gigantic shiny ranges, has been hard-hit by the economic slowdown and the slow migration away from domestic products. They're diversifying their business to try to survive - offering matching cabinets and cooking classes to try to stay in your lives. The one thing they can't do is explain to consumers that there really is a difference between imported and domestic products. You can't see it, but I can, and here are some things you should question before you buy a cheaper model:

• Is that really metal? Cheaper models use plastic coated with metal, much less durable
• How thick is that metal? If you don't like dents, you might want to ask how thick the sheet metal is - in other words, what gauge is this metal? Thicker is better for safety and durability. Similarly, you want thicker gauge wire for the racks inside a range.
• Are those buttons for real? Thin shiny plastic panels won't look so hot in a few years, physical switches are always a plus.
• How serious is the hardware? Look at the door hinge. Big thick metal parts are better than thin or even plastic parts. The oven door is a common failure point for ranges.

If you take the time to become familiar with some of these terms and materials, the differences between high and low-end will become apparent. Often a cheaper model will save money upfront, but the pricier model will last significantly longer. Hopefully, there will always be a place for Made in the USA, and Viking for one says they're going to "build in America no matter what."

What is TRASH, really?

My son put two and two together the other day and asked me, "Mommy, where does the trash GO?" Good question. I explained what I do know about the modern trash system, and he seemed fine with that. Later on he asked me who lives at the "landfill." My earlier explanation must have conjured up images of a town on top of a giant mountain of landfill, in an awful country called Trashland, where people don't throw anything away because they live with it all.

Well, the sad truth is that place does exist, here and there hidden in areas people don't visit on purpose. There are some people who have to live with the refuse the rest of us create, often in poorer parts of the world. That's such a depressing thought that it really motivates me on a daily basis to do the right thing. After a decade in product development, privileged to the dirty secrets behind making, selling and trashing the things we use, this is the bottom line:

Don't bring it into your home: buy less, avoid packaging and bags, use refillable systems and concentrates, make your own when possible (cleaning products for example), provide restaurants with your own containers for leftovers or takeout (recycling is imperfect, do it but don't rely on it - reducing is the best policy!)

Don't let it leave your home: reuse anything durable (get creative, list things you need and things you have and see what matches!), compost, garbage disposal, use as many glass, metal, ceramic, and wood products as you can (especially food storage containers like my favorite Pyrex shown below)

Snobject: Fruitscapes

Stefano Giovanonni's Fruitscape for Alessi. Shiny, swoopy and seductive. I can't resist the high polish and ambiguous form which incidentally holds fruit in place quite well.

Snobject: Nutcracker by Bruno Christensen for Menu

Falling soundly into the category of desirable objects, this nutcracker by Bruno Christensen for Menu may also work well!

"makes cracking even the hardest nut fun and easy. made by bruno christensen, the unique design makes it equally easy to use. just place the nut on the metal plate and cover it with the rubber dome. give the dome a light tap and the nut will be ready to eat, with the shell cleanly removed and ready to be thrown in the bin. the solid stainless steel base, domed top in black rubber and non-slip rubber bottom to protect against scratched table tops, all bear witness to attention-to-detail for appearance, quality and practicality. the real genius of this nutcracker is the ribbed metal fitting on the underside of the dome that ensures that only a light tap is needed to split the shell."

Snobject: Blik Surface Graphics

I love vinyl wall decals. We have them in our son's room, and they were much much easier to put up than the pattern I painstakingly stenciled on our walls in Chicago years ago...check them out at Blik. This is Bunny Family Anomalies:

And, you can vote for new patterns based on Threadless original T-shirt designs, which for almost 10 years has offered a social venue for designers to submit their original shirt designs with the potential for a real pay-off.

Three Ideas that are Better Than this One

New Babyglow garments change color with your baby's temperature, and they've snagged an $18.5M contract for the inventor. At $33/pack of two they'll also snag quite the profit margin if parents buy into this latest paranoia product. This is the Babyglow story:

Mr Ebejer, who had his idea while watching a documentary about babies, began the search for an ink pigment with heat-sensitive molecules.

He spent six years and £700,000 working with scientists to develop-the pigments to embed into cotton babygrows.

The Babyglows come in pink, blue and pastel green, all of which turn white as soon as the baby's temperature rises above 37c/98.6F.

I don't buy it. My boys turn to molten lava when they sleep, at least the part of them sandwiched against the mattress, so they'd be white every night. These outfits basically guarantee you'll be taking your baby's temperature all the time. I'm not thrilled to see yet another product trying to make parents dependent rather than empowering them to trust their instincts. There are products that help, and products that hobble. This is the latter.

Three ideas that could use this functional concept but are much better than this one, because they save you time rather than freak you out:

1. Bath Water Buddy - help parents know if the bath water is in the right temperature range
2. Perfect Sip Bottle - confirm that milk you've heated separately is the right temp before baby takes a sip
3. Safety Spoons - some of these exist, and can warn you if you've nuked the baby food a tad too long

Snobject: iSi Basics Flex-it Measuring Cup

I first spotted these cups on a BB&B endcap last fall. Amidst the sea of silicone garbage on the market, this product is a simple, useful, and appropriate use of the material's inherent qualities. It definitely deserves a "why didn't anyone get this on the shelf before?"

Find them here

So We're Having a Baby

The truth is that I lead two lives. On one hand, I'm a product developer--I spot the trends, find the answers, and get products on the shelf at the right price. I enjoy my work immensely. It's challenging, risky and often very rewarding. But outside of the bubble of product development I'm a parent. And when I tell other parents what I do, I'm often riddled with questions--not about the joys of the creative process, or how cool it is to get free samples, but the alarming and ever-growing list of safety concerns about the products surrounding our families.

Parents have been barraged with exposes in the past year, leading to a new level of awareness among consumers about product safety. Slowly, they are coming to realize what most people in the industry have known for decades: very little is done to monitor, test, and protect against the sale of harmful goods in the US. The truth seems outrageous, and the shocking examples keep piling up:

• On August 2, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled approximately 967,000 toys, including Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and other licensed characters. In addition, on August 14, 2007, Mattel recalled approximately 253,000 toy "Sarge" cars. On June 13, 2007, RC2 Corporation recalled approximately 1.5 million "Thomas and Friends" wooden railway toys. There also have been a number of smaller recalls for a variety of children's products this year.

• Dozens of environmental health organizations in the United States and Canada are calling for an immediate moratorium on the use of a chemical, bisphenol A - or BPA - in food and beverage containers, including baby bottles. They say a new study found that, when exposed to heat, baby bottles release a chemical that, researchers say, has been linked to obesity, diabetes and developmental problems in lab animals. This is still under debate.
  

• During the past decade, phthalates have come under fire for their threat to the developing human reproductive system, particularly in young boys. Phthalates can slowly leach from products, and children typically ingest them by hand-to-mouth contact, or by chewing on a toy. California has passed a law banning the sale of these products ahead of nation-wide rulings by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and most large retailers pledged last year to cease selling products with phthalates by Jan. 1; some phased them out in advance. Major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us and Target last year began removing children's products with phthalates from their shelves nationwide.

The first question most parents ask is, "Why are they allowed to sell this stuff?" The presumption among consumers has been that products are inherently safe, and that there must be some oversight already in place. What they are now learning is that product safety in the US is reactionary. Once a problem manifests, and the source is found, we have tools in place to recall or remove harmful products from the shelves. This is the status quo. Outraged parents say that's ridiculous, unbelievable and completely unacceptable! Why is this allowed to happen?

The simple answer is that the market is driven by consumers and their values in regard to product purchases. The market has been heavily focused on cost-cutting and marginalization to achieve the pricing values that consumers have come to expect. Our eyes have been on the bottom line. The type of structure that would need to be in place to guarantee the safety of products before they hit the shelves is simply cost-prohibitive. Currently, we reserve this special treatment only for the things that can kill us rather than just harm us--medical equipment, electronics, pharmaceuticals, etc. The extra attention is reflected by the relatively high cost of these items.

As consumer values change, the market will change to reflect them. If we're willing to accept higher prices, then there will be more accountability. How that accountability is enforced will take time to evolve, but individual businesses will respond if they want to stay ahead of the curve. Americans have always valued honesty and integrity. Proactive brands will benefit from that perception during a time when consumers aren't sure who to trust. And in the end, the proof will be in the pudding, or rather, the prices.

As a product developer, I'll guide my clients to make the most responsible choices the market will bear. As a mom, I hope I'm happy with the results.

For a list of Lead-Recalls from the CDC click here
For a guide to BPA-free baby bottles click here
For environmental, health and safety info about BPA click here