If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Three Men in a Boat is a classic… and one of the funniest books I’ve ever read (and it’s available for free, so there’s no excuse not to read it too). What does it have to do with the screws in the photo? Well, one of the episodes in the novel concerns a certain uncle Podger who tries to nail a picture on a wall and proceeds to drop the picture, lose the the nail and the hammer and get mad at everyone except himself.

The story would have been much more boring with the MagWear Magnetic Wristband. A simple wristband holds a tray with a powerful embedded magnet which can hold nails, screws, needles and other metallic bits and pieces, making it virtually impossible to drop and lose anything. Although it can be put to good use in all situations, it can be a life saver for people working on ladders or under crawlspaces - or for hanging up pictures.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $16.99 on Amazon.com.

Via Fosfor

Lighting fires or cigarettes in the wind is at best difficult and at worst impossible. Or maybe I’ve just had really crappy lighters…

It might just be my lack of skills in the end, but a bad lighter doesn’t help. And something you get at the corner store for $1 is definitely not high quality. Now, a Zippo… The Zippo “Outdoor Utility” OUL Lighter, with a wind-resistant dual flame and water-resistant cap, sounds like the perfect tool for the job. It’s also got a LED light (which can be useful if you’re trying to get a fire going at night), a lanyard and it’s child proof.

It’s got pretty much everything covered, you only need a camping trip to test it out.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.95 on Amazon.com.

Via uncrate

I hope you were a nice son or daughter and already have a present ready for your dad. But, in case you don’t, here’s some suggestions you might find useful. It’s a bit late to be ordering online, but read on and you might get some last minute ideas.

5. If your father is into DYI and swears he can fix anything around the house, get him a Voice Recording Tape Measure. He won’t need to carry around that pen and paper (which he always loses anyway), because he’ll be able to record himself.

4. For the dad who is always in a bad mood in the morning, a Throw Alarm Clock. This clock requires physical violence to be turned off; it must be very satisfying to throw the troublesome noise making device to the floor. There’s 4 ball styles to choose from, so make sure you get the one for his favorite sport.

3. The Grilling Tool Light is perfect if your father likes barbecues. If he’s happily grilling something in the back yard and it gets dark, it might be a problem. Burnt meat and well done meat look the same at night. This flashlight for the grill makes sure dad - and all the guests - get to eat proper food.

2. Again for the fixer-dad. The Lil Guppie Multi-tool is a many-in-one tool for the crafty person, and it won’t make you stoop under its weight (have you ever tried carrying your whole toolbox with you, just in case?).

1. I don’t know about other people’s parents, but once every two days our house would get turned upside down: dad lost his remote. Now I moved out, so it doesn’t get on my nerves anymore, but I should’ve got him the Find One Find All key finder and remote locator. Any two devices from the range can find each other, so you can find your keys with your remote, or your remote with your keys, and so on. Just as long as you keep at least one of them in a place you can actually find it.

A guppy is a cute fish, but, like all fish, doesn’t do anything much. Swim around, eat, swim around, eat…

That is, unless it’s a Lil Guppie Multi-tool. “Tool” and “cute” don’t usually go together, but in this case the combination works. The designer(s) was (were) very ingenious. The fish’s mouth is an adjustable wrench, its tail is a flat screwdriver, while the base of the jaw is a Philips screwdriver and a metal knife extends from its jaw (pretty dangerous little fish…). It also has a bottle opener (the fin), carabiner (belly) and pocket clip.

I like this baby more than other multi tools I’ve seen - maybe it’s a girl thing, but if it looks nice in addition to being useful it wins my admiration.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.99 on ThinkGeek.com.

Kitchen gizmos rock my world. I have this unnatural urge to buy all sorts of things to make my cooking easier - even if I actually hate to cook!

However, I do make live on fries and, after melting one utensil, I decided that leaving them around the hot pan is a very bad idea. But the Silicone Pan Handle is making me change my mind. Its primary purpose is to keep the handle cool, but all my pans have handles that don’t heat up. Its secondary purpose is why I love it: you can rest your utensils on it, so all the oil will drip back and you won’t have any melted plastic/burnt wood on your hands (not literally on your hands, of course… hopefully).

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9.98 on ShopGetOrganized.com.

Via bookofjoe

I never had much contact with DYI until moving out of my parents’ house. Then a new world opened for me, a world populated by screws, hammers, paint rollers and IKEA.
I was pretty decent at everything, I didn’t break the furniture and the paint looked almost normal, but the clean-up part was a bitch. Vacuuming and gathering loose screws was one thing; cleaning the paint tray was another. So I took the easy way out and just threw it in the trash.

But see, I didn’t know the Shur-Line Teflon Metal Paint Tray existed, or I would’ve been first in line to buy it. I am still unsure how you are supposed to clean a regular tray, but this one makes it very easy for anyone: just peel it off. Because it’s teflon, the paint won’t stick too hard, so it’s much easier to remove.

The only issue is that if the layer is too thin, the process will be more difficult, so it’s really only recommended if you use it a lot (leave more paint to dry inside it/use it several times before cleaning).

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $8.99 on Amazon.com.

Via bookofjoe

All these picnic tools I’ve been writing about make me crave a steak so much… gah. Too bad it’s only Thursday…

Anyway, if you’re planning a late-night barbecue, the Grilling Tool Light is the thing for you. It’s deceptively simple: a lamp with an extra-strong magnet. You attach it to your stainless steel grilling fork (or your other tool of choice), adjust the bendable neck and tada! You can see what your food looks like instead of guessing if it’s done or not.

Very smart idea I have to admit, but I’m not so sure it’s worth the price, though. Depends on how much you plan to use it.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14.95 on Amazon.com.

Via TechieDiva

Once again, I gave an item a quick glance and decided it was not worth my time… but when I came back, I realized it could actually be very useful.

The 4-in-1 LED Light sounds like any other LED device: just a light on a stick, what’s the big deal? The important thing here is the magnetic base. I remember the last time I tried to poke inside my computer, hold the flashlight with one hand, the screwdriver with the other hand, pull the card out with the third… oops. And there’s probably a dozen other places you can find an use for this. And when you’re not in need of light, you can use the laser pointer.

I don’t get which are the 4 functions this can fulfill, but I think the main one alone is worth the $6.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.99 on GizFever.com.

Via OhGizmo!

I don’t like being in the kitchen much (how can those dishes pile up so fast?!), so I try to make the time spent there as efficient as possible.

The FridgeFork Condiment Fork is an instrument designed to make your (kitchen) life easier. It’s a piece of silicone than stretches over a jar and holds a fork, so everytime you want to fish out a pickle or an olive you will have the perfect tool at hand. When you’re done you can just leave it in the “holster”. Just don’t forget to wash it once in a while, at least… This gizmo is smart, but it can’t clean itself.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $6.00 on ShopFosters.com.

Via bookofjoe

A few days ago we featured a tool that helped you personalize your barbecue: the branding iron. Today it’s less about leaving your mark and more about having fun.

With the BBQ Sword you’ll look just like Zorro - that is, if Zorro stopped fighting crime and decided to go out with his friends to get some rest. It comes with a cardboard mask too, so you can rest assured that the families of those hot dogs you just killed won’t be able to track you down.

Idiot and useless? Yes. Fun? Damn, yes! And you can use it to poke the cunning thieves who try to get to the food before the others…

How much under $29.99?
A little: ~$29.30 on Firebox.com.

Via BoingBoing