Internet Shop Girl

Here’s a holiday gift suggestion…

If you live in a noisy neighborhood, such as in the bustling city of New York, it’s hard to sometimes get the peace and quiet you’d like for your family. The city is full of loud neighbors and busy streets. But you can drown away all these noises with a more pleasant sound, using the Ecotones. It’s a device that helps diffuse annoying noises with the soothing and calming effect of rain, for example.

The Ecotones is a sound therapy machine that also helps with sleeping. It works in three ways:

• Adaptive - The Adaptive Mode is the most effective mode for masking irritating noises.  In this mode, Ecotones listens to the sounds around you and tailors its response to blend the noise into a tranquil SoundStory.
• Background - The Background Mode generates a pleasant background atmosphere as the sound level in your surroundings drops.  In this mode, Ecotones reduces its volume in response to a telephone ringing or to the sound of conversation and resumes normal volume as the room becomes quiet.
• Manual - The Manual Mode lets you select a constant volume level.  In this mode, Ecotones listens to the sounds around you and creates an ever changing SoundStory at a fixed volume.

Specifications:

• Audio Quality 18-bit high-fidelity
• Dimensions (w/h/d)  6.125″ x 7.5″ x 5.5″
• Speakers    3″ woofer, 1″ tweeter
• Case Volume    2.4 liter
• Frequency Range     90 Hz - 20,000 Hz
• Weight    3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
• Sleep Timer    Up to 120 minutes
• Power Requirements    5V 1A DC
• Headphone Jack    3.5 mm stereo
• Operating Modes    Adaptive, Background, Manual

The gadget may be purchased here for $299.95.

Take advantage of this offer free shipping offer from William Sonoma until the 24th of December. Certain items in the Cookware, Cutlery, Electrics and Vacuums are eligible.

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You’re going to be doing a lot of shopping this season. You’re going to be in a lot of dinners, parties and get togethers. You’re going to collect tons of receipts. And you are going to be so overwhelmed, you probably will forget where you put receipts for bills you’ve paid at this time. Where will you put it all?

For $10.00 this accordion style Receipt.catcher offers the most convenient and compact way to keep all your purchase receipts in one place.

The folder has about nine sections, so organizing them isn’t hard to do. Tabs are already arranged according to what one normally pays for:

• groceries
• atm
• transport
• clothes
• gifts
• electronics
• computer
• work
• blank (for your to label)

Because it’s so affordable, you can buy at least three and keep one at home, in the office or in the car. Then when the need arises, you can just collect it all when you’re doing your taxes. Easy and hassle free!

Via Spoonsisters

Keep your household clean and green with this GreenLemonaide Gift Basket. It is packed with a number of eco-friendly cleaning tools and cost saving items, including the following:

• an energy efficient power strip
• a tire pressure gauge
• a faucet aerator
• compact fluorescent light bulbs

It’s not just about cleaning using safe and products from chemical-free materials. It is also about using and conserving energy.

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I love the kind of free-spirited lifestyle Anthropologie exudes in the way they design many of their products. There’s a certain touch of shabby-slash-French chicness to it. It’s like shopping in a world of Pushing Daisies and Amelie. The items have a lot of personality and these are mostly just regular goods you wear or use.

They have different sections at Anthropologie, from clothes to accessories and bedroom items. But I’d like to point out the wonderful stash you can find for your kitchen at Anthropologie because these would surely brighten up your dining table, especially when there are guests to impress and entertain:

	Late-For-Dinner Plates Blasts from the past in mod melamine, these retro plates are covered in pop-art flora. Their large size easily accommodates your nostalgic favorites like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Set of four Melamine Dishwasher safe 1″H, 11″ diameter Imported Price:  $24.00
	Harvest Serving Set Hand carved and polished horn and bone bring natural beauty to a fork-and-spoon hostess set. A band topped off with a mother-of-pearl butterfly ensures they’ll always remain a pair. Horn, bone, mother-of-pearl Hand wash 12″L Imported Price: $20.00
	Saintpaulia Wine Glass Sip your favorite vintage from this flower-inspired glass; the fluted amethyst rim and vibrant green base recall delicacy and grace of African violets. Glass 8.25″H, 3.5″ diameter Hand wash Imported Price:  $12.00
	Far Afield Dinnerware Wildflowers, now growing tableside atop crisp white ceramic. Pick a bunch for your next brunch gathering. Porcelain Dishwasher and microwave safe Imported Price: $10.00-$14.00
	Far Afield Mug Wildflowers, now growing tableside atop crisp white ceramic. They look lovely holding hot earl grey and French pressed coffee. Porcelain Dishwasher, microwave safe 3.25″H, 4.5″ diameter Imported Price: $10.00

Check them all out at Anthropologie.

It is inevitable — kids learning to eat from the plate will play with their food, mix them up together or throw on the floor leaving their tiny baby dishes broken.

With a Stay Put Mat from Skip Hop, the plates and utensils are fastened securely. And this item is made of PVC-free materials, it’s safe for the baby and safe to use in the dishwasher or microwave.

• Plate has three compartments for meals with less mess
• Fork and spoon pop on and off for easy usage
• Food-safe materials. PVC-free and BPA-free
• Soft and sturdy skid-resistant place mat
• Happy-face cutouts make the plate easy to pop out from below
• Ages 6m+
• Designed by Scott Henderson
• Dimensions (inches): 12 wide x 8.5 high x 1.5 deep

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS
• Microwave dish at lowest heat level.
• DO NOT microwave place mat.

CLEANING & CARE
• Wash thoroughly before first use and after each use.
• Wash each piece separately. All parts are dishwasher-safe (top rack only); or hand was in warm, soapy water.
• Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
• DO NOT boil any part of product

Via Skip Hop

Missing the colors of spring? These pillows should help brighten up your room with colors and sunshine!

Olive Kids™ Flowerland Standard Pillowcase Flowerland’s pillowcase is white with dragonflies, butterflies, flowers and more. The pillowcase has a coordinating yellow and white plaid hem. The hem is folded and sewn, then bordered with a fanciful pink attached ribbon trim. 100% percale cotton with a 200 thread count. Standard pillowcase measures 20″ x 30″. Machine wash cold. Imported. Price: $9.95 Where to get it: Bed Bath and Beyond The same pillowcase is also available here for $39.00

Happy Flower Pillowcase Pillow case is white with colorful, playful flowers repeating. Hem of pillow case is a spring plaid in blue and green. Pillow Case Measures: 54 in. x 75 in. Fits standard pillow. 50/50 Cotton/Poly. 180 thread count. Washing instructions: Machine wash cold delicate. Tumble dry low. Price: $12.95 Where to get it: Blankets and More

Bouquet Pillow, pillowcase An attractive bouquet of flowers surrounded by delightful lace and frills, are set in sear-sucker gingham fabric. This ensemble brings elegance and charm into your baby’s nursery. This 4 piece set includes a comforter and matching bumper, fitted sheet, and crib skirt. All pieces are made with 100% imported cotton and hypoallergenic dyes. The bumper and comforter are filled with high quality polyfill providing softness and comfort. Price: $23.00 Where to get it: SweethPeaches

Waverly Monkeyin Around Tropical Brown Fabric Pillow Cover Monkey around with these tropical pillow covers decorated with jungle monkeys, fish, butterflies, birds, flowers, and foliage. A gorgeous pink and brown palette makes this design super chic! Price: $6.73 Where to get it: Puffy Pillow Products

How many times have you walked by those establishments that do calling cards and find their designs quite common and very tacky? Wouldn’t you just be better off going with a really simple and clean stock design? But even with the simplicity of it, you may still need the services of a professional rather than do one yourself. Especially when you want something that is letter pressed.

Mandate Press is that kind of professional. Their selection is very limited and basic. With only seven designs, you also have the option to create your own but they would require no photos. With only line art as the basic concept of the business card, the finish product comes out as minimalist, but really classy and clean. And your business card does stand out among a pack of colors, artsy and maybe even scented business cards.

For 1 box with 250 cards, the price is $95.00.

Mandate Press is a letter press shop based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They make any type of line art and fonts you’d like to have, using old traditional letterpress system merged with digital tools.

Aside from business cards, they are also into poster designs and invitations.

Some samples of their work may be seen here.

Via The Mandate Press

How difficult is it to slice even brownies? It does get messy sometimes and slices aren’t equal. But even if you aren’t the type to bake a lot, this pre-cut brownie pan set makes a perfect gift for someone you know who does. Or you can buy one to encourage yourself to start baking!

This slicer neatly portions out baked goodies, which then makes it possible for doing this:

See? Everything is rationed out properly. No one side has more nuts or sprinkles than the other.

This kitchen helper is only $25 at Amazon, and they have one for pies as well as round cakes.

Product Features

• Create perfect brownies every time with this 4-piece baking set from Slice Solutions
• Set contains 11-by-7-inch baking pan, removable bottom, divider, and rack
• To use, pour batter into pan and place divider in before baking; rack aids in cooling and brownie removal
• Pan can be used without the divider, as a regular baking pan
• Great for brownies, snack cake, cornbread, cereal treats, and more

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To spice up some of the basic things you use around the house, there are quite a lot of unusually cute items on Fredflare. I found this set of cloud hangers over there. I don’t know about you but something as cute as this may help me clean up and organize the closet a lot more. These hangers are made of plastic and comes in three colors — blue, white and pink. It’s perfect for the kids’ closet, right? The cloud hangers are approximately 15″x8.5″. It’s around $14 a set.

I also found this set of toothpaste contained in a palette and comes with unconventional flavors — lemon, banana, chocolcate, peach, orange and caramel. There are about 18 flavors found in small tubes good enough to carry during short travels. The palette is made extra special because of that pretty smiley face. It costs about $7.

All these items are from Japan.

Aren’t these construction utensils great ideas for the picky eaters or little boys learning to eat on their own? Make feeding a fun time with these attractive utensils. It’s a lot useful when veggies are in the menu. With the help of these fork and spoons, kids will learn to love eating those as much as playing in no time.

The whole set is made in plastic and comes with a fork lift fork, front loader spoon and bulldozer pusher. It is also dishwasher safe so cleaning it up won’t be a problem.

But this one is obviously reserved for the boys. I wonder what they’ve come up with for little girls? Or girls can also use this, I guess it isn’t gender specific, just because it has trucks and all.

Available for $19.95 @ What on Earth

You’ve heard about how nutritionists and dietitians advise us to chew our food slowly to help with our diet, right? Apparently, the same concept is also applicable to dogs. Chewing slowly makes for healthier and happier pets, according to this medical finding. It says it also helps eliminate “gastric torsion” or bloating. We humans know what that feels like and dogs are supposed to feel the same, too.

So, this is the idea behind this dog bowl (pictured) which you notice comes with partitions to set the food in portions. Here’s a video comparison between two instances where the doggie eats from a traditional dog bowl and this fancier one called Dog Pause:

What do you think? Is it an amazing product or a pretty useless product for $17.95?

I’m honestly quite amused by the idea we can teach dogs some table manners! I dare say, this bowl should be a lot helpful to humans, too!

I have to say that I’m not good with using chopsticks. I can use them if I have to.  But I’m not exactly thrilled to be using them. And if given a choice, I’d stick with the fork and spoon.  There’s no need to embarrass myself.

I know not everyone is adept at using them. Although, I also have to say that there are times when I think that to be able to eat and enjoy an authentic Japanese or Chinese dish, one really has to use them.

But it’s good to know there is an option for people like me. I think this easy to handle chopsticks is a genius! And with its six assorted colors, using chopsticks is made so much more fun.

This one currently goes for $6.99 a pack at Pop Deluxe.

How much can you remember from your lessons in chemistry? If you’d look at periodic tables today, would you even recognize or remember how it’s read? I only know one or two — H20 and CO2 — and that’s about it. I imagine it’s the same for most people who aren’t exposed to things like this on a daily basis.

It’s a good thing I still don’t have a high school or college student living in the house. Or else I’d be a poor help. If you have one though, nothing can put your budding chemist right on track with this periodic table shower curtain. Imagine, if this is the one he’d see everyday, he’s got the table memorized and understood in no time! And without even trying!

Although, it may be perceived as nerdy, it’s still quite a colorful bathroom essential. For aesthetic reasons, I think it passes, too.

Frat houses, sororities and college dorms dwellers may also benefit from something like this, don’t you think?

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What’s your first aid kit like? Do you even keep a first aid kit at home?

Admittedly, mine doesn’t have the right supplies. I have an abundance of analgesic medicines in one can which I keep inside a side drawer. In it are also some band-aids (for cuts I do to myself while cooking, and that happens quite often actually!) and a stack of other medicines for common ailments. But that’s about it. I don’t have everything neatly organized, too. When I need something, I rummage through the can. Sometimes, it is really a waste of time when my finger is already bleeding profusely!

Klutz like me need something like this one, the Intelligent First Aid Kit.

Not only is everything properly labeled, color coded and neatly packed — the kit also TALKS!

It provides an easy to follow instruction and I think that’s really helpful when you’re already in a state of panic and you’ve forgotten how to go about basic first aid.

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