The Save-A-Blade: Too Good To Be True?

I saw this on a commercial last night and immediately Googled it this morning. The Save-A-Blade razor sharpener is supposed to sharpen disposable razor blades so that they can be used much longer than normal. It looks brilliant! Why has this concept taken so long to come about? Has there been some Gillette /Schick conspiracy that has suppressed any and all disposable razor sharpening technologies?

I'm seriously considering ordering this little item. We go through so many Gillette Venus disposable razors (for me) and Gillette Sensor replacement blades (for my husband) that the Save-A-Blade, if it works, would Save-Some-Bucks at the Maselli household. If it doesn't work I'm only out the $20, right?

Although, if anyone has tried this already and it's a scam, I would appreciate a heads up. I'm always skeptical of the whole As Seen On Tv shopping genre. Remember the Epilady? I can still hear the screaming in my head.

The Save-A-Blade costs $20 plus S&H.

Little Helpers

I was waiting in the doctor's office the other day, reading one of those women's magazine's full of recipes and relationship advice when I noticed a little article full of useful gadgets that I knew I should pass along to you, dear readers.

The Strapper is a little plastic clip-type device that is designed to pull the straps on a regular bra into a racer-back configuration. They can be used on bras, camisoles and bathing suits. From the testimonials on the site they also help lift and support. The strapper comes in several bra complimenting colors and they also have a Swarovski crystal embellished version. The site includes a You Tube video with instructions for using The Strapper. Singles are $5.99.

The Invisibelt provides a solution for that unsightly belt buckle bulge you get when you wear jeans and a fitted top. It is a clear, smooth belt with a flat buckle that is invisible (hence the name) when worn under fitted tops. $19.95.

Zakkerz are flexible fabric strips that contain specially designed strong magnets. They are used to create a temporary pant roll-up wrap that holds pants to a shorter length to wear with flat shoes. The inventors of Zakkers are sisters who were tired of ruining their nice pants walking to work through New York city. Their trousers were hemmed to wear with heels but they had to put on their sneakers to walk through the city, which caused their hems to drag on the ground. Zakkers allow you to roll your hem up so longer pants can be worn with sneakers, flip flops or flats. They come in a variety of colors, including denim, and run from $24 to $27.

Foot Petals Kick Dr. Scholls @#$%

OK, I have serious issues with foot scrunch. You know, you're wearing your most adorable and flattering high heels and everything seems OK when you're strutting around in your closet, but 30 minutes into a party your foot starts to throb. Or sometimes it will slip out of the back of your shoe when you walk. Or the back strap slides down (Thanks Banana Republic for two pairs of espadrilles that I can't wear because the straps won't stay up). Or the ball of your foot begins to hurt in such a way that your eyes water with each step you take. You name the type of scrunch, it's happened to me.



That's why I am so excited about Foot Petals. I wish I had known about these fabulous products sooner. They are Dr. Scholls meets Sex and the City. Foot petals are little shoe cushions designed to work discreetly with high heels. There are shapes and sizes designed to counteract every type of foot crunch that a stiletto heel can cause.


Foot Petals also has several other products that offer solutions for all those annoying issues that pop up with high heels. Ever taken sand paper to the bottom of your shoes because you were afraid you would slip and fall on slippery new soles? Apply Sole Stopperz to the sole of your shoe and you will never slip around in your new kicks again.


A basic set of Tip Toes or Haute Heels Foot Petals are $6.95. Or you could pick up a gift set like the Sole Solutions pack that comes with everything you need to keep your feet perfectly cushioned through a long day or wild evening out for $29.95.
Seriously, check these out. Available at Nordstrom, Dillards, David's Bridal, Zappos, or at the Foot Petals website.

The Most Awesomest Mother's Day Gift Ever

Give your Mom a custom engraved, personalized iPod for Mother's Day and you will be the "Apple" of her eye. The Nano allows you to add her favorite pictures as well as music. Apple will wrap it in a signature box and ship it for free. Order by May 2nd to ensure delivery by Mother's Day. Click here to shop.

Cha CHIng!

I went in for a cut and color today and Deanna my hair gal told me that Costco has CHI flat irons for $80. That is a pretty good deal for such a great flat iron. I went online to Costco.com and sure enough, there they are. Just for laughs I took a quick look at Amazon and they also a have a CHI iron for $82.18, plus free shipping. I will happily spend $80 to replace my Vidal Sassoon piece of crap for the CHI. Another flat iron I highly recommend is the Hot Tools. They are usually around $40 to $50 depending on the width. I had a 2 incher that I absolutely wore out. Check out Folica.com, they have the bigger 2.25 Hot Tools on sale for $16. If you need a big flat iron you should snap this up. That is the best deal I have ever seen for a flat iron.

Sweater 911

I hate it when I have a sweater or blanket that I love and it gets those little rough "pills" all over it. I do have a little sweater shaver that I use when the need arises, but more often than not the battery is dead when I need it. That is why I was delighted to see the newest little laundry saver from the gals at The Laundress. It is called the Sweater Stone. The Laundress says:

We know how frustrating it can be to see pilling on your knitted or woven fabrics. This is why we're introducing the Sweater Stone®--our favorite tool to remove unsightly pilling and renew the finish of sweaters, blankets, upholstery and more. The Laundress Sweater Stone® is an easy, convenient and environmentally safe way to remove pilling. Renew your clothes to that "just-bought" look. Save time and money on professional dry-cleaning.

Pretty cool, right? Definitely worth the $18 price, because it's not like you will wear it out.
If you have never looked at The Laundress website, take a minute to do so. It is one of my favorites . They have innovative laundry products in gorgeous packaging. Even if you hate doing the wash, you will want to pick up some supplies at this website (or if you are in NY you can stop into their store.) Save 20% at http://www.thelaundress.com/ until December 24th with coupon code PEOPLESTYLE.

Cat Genie or Cat Genius?

I must have this:



It is called CatGenie, an automatic littler box that uses permanent washable granules, and cleans itself, flushing away the waste. You never have to touch or scoop any litter! And it looks like a toilet, which is too cute. At $297 it sounds expensive, but if it really works the way they say, it is well worth it.

Putting in my Two Cents

Even though my children are still small, my husband & I already worry about teaching them good spending and saving habits. We have the traditional piggy banks in their rooms and make a big production when we deposit their money in the bank, but I worry what will happen when they realize Mom and Dad don't control The Mint and money isn't quite at our disposal as their young eyes may envision. Here's an item that may do the trick: The Money Savvy Pig. It comes in blue, green, red or pink and the ingenious thing about it is that it has seperate slots for saving, spending, investing, and donating! I can easily foresee that this unique piggy bank will teach my kids some valuable lessons and give them intelligent choices to make with their own dough. My husband, David, has already talked about matching their "invest" section with his own version of a "401-Dave"!

Guest Post by Jen P.

Kitchen Gadgetry Lust

I saw the most amazing thing on TV this morning. We were watching a cooking show where the host was making ice cream, and instead of using a traditional ice cream freezer, she had this awesome ice cream attachment for her KitchenAid mixer. It is basically a bowl that you freeze overnight, then attach it to your mixer as you would any other bowl, pour in your ice cream mixture, and set it to mix. A few minutes later you are eating home made ice cream.

I have been lusting after a KitchenAid mixer for several years, but now my desire is at fever pitch. My husband was watching with me, so hopefully I will be gifted with a mixer for either Mother's Day or my birthday next year. My best girlfriend received one as a wedding gift last year and I was soooo jealous. I can't wait to have my own gorgeous mixer one day. The ice cream attachment is $79.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

The other kitchen gadget that I have been dying to pick up is the Bialetti Mukka Express stovetop cappucino maker. Apparently you put the coffee in the bottom of the pot, milk in the top of the pot, set it on the stove and it brews a delicious, frothy cappucino in 5 minutes. No frothing wand, no fuss. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine. The Mukka Express is available at Crate and Barrel for $89.95

We Can All Be Safety Girls!

The Safety Girl Roadside Emergency Kit is something every woman should be carrying in the trunk of their car. It is an adorable little metal case full of all the things you may need in an emergency, roadside or otherwise. It includes band aids, tampons and a blanket as well as chocolate and deodorant. Here is a full list of what the kit contains:

· Space® Brand Emergency Blanket
· Safety Matches
· 5 Bandages
· 2 Antiseptic Wipes
· Instructions to Change a Flat Tire
· Instructions to Jump Start a Dead Battery
· Emergency Contact List
· Accident Record
· Safety Girl Pencil
· Purified Water
· Ghirardelli Squares Chocolate
· Zox Breath Freshener
· Lip Moisturizer
· Gilead Aromatherapy Headache Remedy
· Shout Instant Spot Remover Wipe
· Dove Anti-perspirant
· Speedy Clean Cleansing Wipes
· 2 Dittie tampons
· Emergency Sewing Repair Kit
· Professional Nail File

I would rather they had included a can of Fix-A-Flat along with the tire changing instructions, but you could definitely purchase that on your own and stash it with the kit.

This kit would make an excellent gift for a best girlfriend, your mom or your sister (or for your wives, guys). In fact The Safety Girl website has a customer review from a guy that got the kit for his girlfriend, and put his contact info on the emergency contact sheet that's included, under the section "Someone who thinks I'm brilliant." He says that his girlfriend LOVED it.

There are other roadside emergency kits out there that are truly designed for serious roadside trouble. I found an Urban Road Warrior Kit at http://www.survival-supply.com/ that you might want to look into if you are heading to Reno in January, but it is not nearly as cute and has no chocolate.
The official Safety Girl website doesn't have any of the kits in stock, but Amazon (of course) has them here for $29.99. I also urge all of you to pick up a can of Fix-A-Flat and jumper cables to keep in your car this winter. Those are two items that have really come in handy for me a few times.

Be safe everyone!

I Hope I Don't Land on the Rhino

If you hate stepping on your scale every morning, dreading the number that appears, you may want to try the Animal Scale at Angry Retail instead.

Rather than hateful little numbers, the little needle points to animals of various sizes. At one end of the spectrum is a duck, at the other, a pig. I'm not sure how accurate it really is, but you'll definitely chuckle. More hilarious than the animal scale is Angry Retail's celebrity scale. You can be as light as Baby Jesus or Gizmo, or as heavy as Roseanne, Mr. Ed or King Kong.

This would make a great gift for someone who has a healthy sense of humor.

The only drawback about Angry Retail (what a great name) is the site is based in England and all prices are in Euros. So the scale runs 35 euros, which is about $50 us. Then shipping is another 17 euros and takes 4 weeks. Order now for Christmas!

Keeping My Sanity, One Product at a Time

Bath time with two little girls can be somewhat stressful. They particularly hate having their hair washed. I've tried several different things to lessen their anxiety about water and soap getting in their face and finally found this:

It is a shampoo rinse cup with an ingenious little rubber piece that fits right on their head and keeps the water from running down their faces. For us it works better than even the little bath tub visors because my kids are not really into hats, and my little one refuses to keep it on her head long enough to rinse out the shampoo. (The picture below does not accurately portray any child's bath time that I have ever been involved in.)

So we like the shampoo rinse cup.

This little device can be found online at One Step Ahead, and I have also seen it at Toy's R' Us, and surprisingly, at Wal Mart. I ran in for diapers a few weeks ago and spotted the shampoo rinse cup by the baby bath tubs. I snapped one up because we had literally worn ours out just a few days earlier.

One caveat about One Step Ahead...If you have a baby or babies you will find about 150 things that you must have immediately. You may end up spending a ton.