The Modern Materialist : Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick: One Clean Sweep

Steph Auteri — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:33:00 GMT

[Photo via]

My desk is a mess. And it's not just because of the spray of manuscript documents and post-its across the surface, or the books piled on top of my scanner, or all the gadgets — audio recorder, DSLR, Flip Mino — sprawled everywhere.

I think it's mainly because I've been eating cupcakes all morning, in lieu of a real breakfast.

And man are those cupcakes messy.

[$7, MoMA]

This mini desktop cleaner "glides and sweeps" across your desk.

Now if only I could find something for my keyboard...

Cheap Trick: Cold-Brew Your Coffee

Steph Auteri — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:19:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Yesterday, I had a fan set up three feet from me so that I could enjoy my morning coffee.

The day before, I stuck a freshly brewed pot of coffee in the fridge for an hour before pouring it over ice that still immediately melted.

Then my friend Charlotte — who always seems to have her finger on the pulse of everything — sent me this New York Times article about cold-brewed coffe.

It was here that I learned where I had gone wrong: "Without the bitterness produced by hot water, the cold-brewed coffee had hints of chocolate, even caramel." No wonder I had felt compelled to dump four cups' worth of my precious coffee supply after my unsuccessful attempt to cool it down. The hot water was ruining everything!

So last night, following the advice in the article, I mixed coffee grinds and water in a tall glass and covered it in aluminum foil, leaving it to sit on the counter overnight.

When I removed the foil this morning, the smells emanating from the glass were so strong and...delicious...almost like burying my nose in a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I ran the mix through a coffee filter and then poured the brew over ice, ignoring the article's advice about diluting the final product with more water. Ha! I laugh in the face of dilution.

It totally worked, people. It totally worked. And it's so easy.

If you'd like to simplify things even further, you can also pick up one of these:

[$30.51, Amazon]

The Toddy Cold Brew System requires no electricity (as it's, um, cold-brewing), and is made up of a brewing container, a glass decanter with lid, two reusable filters, and a rubber stopper.

Cheap Trick: Get Your Salad Fingers Dirty with Salad Hands

Steph Auteri — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:59:00 GMT

[$10, Sur La Table]

These salad hands include ergonomic, nonslip grips that make it easier for you to...um...toss your salad. The lips on the grip also rest easily on any bowl.

Funny how something so colorful and truly helpful could remind me of something so dark and creepy:

Modern Materialistas, meet Salad Fingers.

Better yet, meet Salad Fingers in action:

I apologize to those of you who are now disturbed beyond belief.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Related: Gremlins in Your Salad

Happy Hour: Don't Dial

Steph Auteri — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:50:00 GMT

Things I should not attempt doing when I am in the above state:

writing this blog
driving a car
cooking anything on the stovetop or in the oven
actually, I shouldn't be in the kitchen at all; I have a history of injuring myself when sober
making phone calls to any men, aside from my husband, who is required to forgive me for drunk dialing

[$0.99, iTunes Store]

Don't Dial is a new iPhone app that allows you to "block tempting contacts (for up to 24 hours) before [you] even buy the first round."

A version of BlackBerry is slated to be released by the end of the month.

Cheap Trick: Do Your Kitchen Gadgets Measure Up?

Steph Auteri — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:02:00 GMT

Are you getting the most out of your kitchen gadgets? How many of them can do double duty? I have these great bag clips/fridge magnets, which is nifty.

If you're not a potato chip kinda gal, you may get more use out of this multitasking product:

[$3.50, The Conran Shop]

This magnetic measuring spoon is double-sided, with a tablespoon and a teaspoon, each containing a halfway line.

[Via Ooh! Shiny!]

Cheap Trick: Nice Ice, Baby

Laureen Mahler — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:33:00 GMT

A little while ago, I told you about Glace luxury ice: the perfectly round, perfectly artesian, and perfectly snooty new way to chill your drink. And while I was completely scandalized that anyone would pay $8 for a cube of ice, I had to admit to myself that a 2.5" diameter ball of ice is pretty darned sweet.

Thankfully, I no longer have to (shamefully) shell out my cash for fancy ice:

[$16 + unlimited luxury ice, MoMA Store]

Cheap Trick: Carrying Your Groceries

Steph Auteri — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:22:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Back when I lived in Boston, grocery shopping was a tough one to figure out, especially for someone who was used to the suburban practice of driving to and from the supermarket.

At first, I ringed my arms with multiple bag handles before setting off toward my apartment, ending up with nasty-looking bruises all up and down my arms. Then, I invested in a mini shopping cart, but it was tough to get that one up the stairs to my apartment when it was full. I finally settled on Peapod (delivery).

Now, my biggest struggle is getting the groceries from the trunk of my car up to my third-floor unit.

While the Baggler won't make things any less heavy, it could certainly make things less awkward:

[$4.49, Organize]

[Via Outblush]

Cheap Trick: Coloring in the Cracks

Steph Auteri — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Coloring is fun! But Sharpie isn't all about fun and games, people. Sharpie can be serious (and seriously helpful):

[$3.53, MisterArt]

These touch-up wood markers from Sharpie are handy for when you get a scratch in your furniture. I feel as if my discovery of these Sharpies is fate as, just this past weekend, I had to borrow a similar product from my mother for the coffee table in my living room. Which looks as if it's been through hell and back. (Thank god it's just from Target.) I plan on stocking up on these for the next time I gouge the table.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Cheap Trick: Make Draining Less of a Strain

Steph Auteri — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:02:00 GMT

While I'm aware that not everyone destroys their entire kitchen and injures themselves every time they cook, I'm still thinking you should check this out.

Because if it exists, that means I'm not the only one who spills perfectly good food into the sink every time she tries to drain something.

[$8.95, The Spoon Sisters]

Kitchen klutz, meet the can strainer.

Cheap Trick: Wash Your Mouth Out with the Correct Soap

Steph Auteri — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:56:00 GMT

I have six types of soap in my bathroom, and god forbid I mix them up. In order to keep things simple...

[$2.98, Deep Discount]

...a bar for the butt, and one for the face.

[via Consumer Whore]

Related: The Junk In His Trunks

Cheap Trick: Be a Frisbee Champion

Steph Auteri — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:05:00 GMT

[Photo via]

A reader in-the-know called me out on the ineffectiveness of the Sno Baller. I'm betting that the following item's effectiveness is just as dubious:

[$3.58, dealextreme]

The cute poop crap frisbee is, allegedly, designed to trick competitors into "dropping the ball" by grossing them out that thegiant plastic turd on top of it.

Ridiculous! Except for the fact that I sorta don't want to touch it either, despite knowing that it's fake.

[Via Gizmodo]

Cheap Trick: Remember to Enjoy Your Day

Steph Auteri — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:15:00 GMT

Afraid of forgetting all that there is to do, go, see, enjoy?

These Be Creative Sticky Notes make it easier for you to mark up your go-to listings pages, magazine, and catalogs in a way that lets you easily find the important stuff again.

[$2.95, CB2]

[via Apartment Therapy]

Cheap Trick: Be a Snowball Fight Champion

Steph Auteri — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:22:00 GMT

[Photo via]

I've always hated snowball fights...the sting of a well-packed snowball hitting it's target...the chill drip of frost oozing into your collar and down your neck...

Now I just hate snow. And ice, of course. And all of winter.

Still, I love how this product reminds me of the scene in Elf where Will Ferrell totally rocks that snowball fight:

The Sno Baller "makes perfect snow balls fast."

[$6.85, Vacation Gadgets]

Cheap Trick: An Itch That Won't Quit

Steph Auteri — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:26:00 GMT

Got an itch you can't scratch? Well, I've got the mother of all back scratchers.

Yes.

This is actually made out of a real cactus bud.

Which forces me to imagine lacerated backs and such, which is scary.

But here it is.

[$9.95, Back Scratcher World]

[Via Gizmodo]

Related: Scratch That Itch

Cheap Trick: Great Ideas

Steph Auteri — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:02:00 GMT

I know you're full of it...um...them. Big ideas. Money-making ideas. Great ideas. To ensure that you don't forget them...

...pick up this Great Ideas notebook. I suggest keeping it on your bedside nightstand, or next to the shower. Where all my best brainstorming occurs.

[$5.95, CB2]

Related: Achieving Work/Life Balance

Cheap Trick: Kabob Basket

Steph Auteri — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

My cousin Tony was in town this past weekend, and over the course of the past few days, he played chef for my family. On Friday, he made shish kabobs and, aside from the dried-out plantains, I found them delicious.

He used wooden skewers and then balanced them on the edges of several baking pans before sliding them into the oven.

Chefs.com apparently has an easier way, but...doesn't this defeat the purpose?

[$9.99, Chefs]

Yup. Skewerless kabobs. Does this seem...wrong to anyone else?

[Via GearCrave]

Cheap Trick: Travel Wipes

Steph Auteri — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Oh nonono, not those types of wipes!

[$7.95, The Spoon Sisters]

Cheap Trick: Getting There

Steph Auteri — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Sometimes I feel as if I'm living in the dark ages, because I don't have a GPS unit for my car. It's just like when I was little, and my parents were just about the last people to switch from rotary dial to touch-tone phones. And then it's also like me not switching from cassettes to CDs until my freshman year of college.

Since I had my husband hide my credit card from me, I've determined that the following GPS unit is the only one within my price range:

[$6.50, Perpetual Kid]

Cheap Trick: This One's for Tatum O'Neal

Wendy Atterberry — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

If you haven't already heard, Tatum O'Neal was arrested last night on Manhattan's Lower East Side for buying crack cocaine. In an effort to ease some of the stress she must surely be feeling, I found something that will help her out and eliminate at least one of her problems:

These adorable pouches made from recycled Ramen noodle bags are the perfect place to stash her drugs and they're so unassuming, no one will suspect a thing!

[$7.50, Etsy]

Cheap Trick: Insta-Romance

Wendy Atterberry — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Question: How can you turn this simple wine bottle into instant romance once the wine is already gone?

Answer:

[$8.95, Patina]

A wine bottle candelabra!

Cheap Trick: Retro Alarm Clock

Wendy Atterberry — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:00:00 GMT

I'm a morning person — early to bed, early to rise. In fact, I was up at 6 am this morning and it's not like I have a 9-5 job I've got to get ready to go to. So, why up so early? Well, borrowed from Steph, here are the top five things that I wake up for in the morning:

Mr. Softee. No, it's not a euphamism for what you think it is — I'm talking about the soft serve ice cream sold on every other street corner in New York. There's nothing like a morning stroll with a Mr. Softee. Best breakfast ever.
Two word: Weekend Sale.
Cat on my head
Well, someone has to write the first post of the day
First beer of the morning

Obviously, I don't have any trouble getting up in the morning, but that's not going to stop me from getting this really cool retro alarm clock next time I go to Pearl River. Can you believe its only $9.95?!

[$9.95, Pearl River]

Cheap Trick: Five Under Five

Wendy Atterberry — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

[$4.99, Urban Outfitters]

Last week's Ten Under Ten went so well, I'm following it up this week with a Five Under Five. You can get everything in this post with a fiver or less. These cool aviator sunglasses for $4.99 start things off — follow the jump for more cheap finds.

[$3, Burt's Bees]

[$5, The Weekend Store]

[$1.95, CB2]

[$3.99, Old Navy]

Cheap Trick: Ten Under Ten

Wendy Atterberry — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

[$10, Tenbills]

Hey, we made it through another work week — hooray! I thought to celebrate, we could do something a little special with Cheap Trick and not just feature 1 thing under $10, but 10 things under $10. Yep, it's the first Ten Under Ten. And to kick things off, we've got these cool Robot Rebellion t-shirts from Tenbills for, you guessed it, a mere ten bucks. After the jump, nine more cool things for your home, body, and whatnot for under $10.

I love this lipgloss from Sephora.I have a couple and keep them in different purses for glossy lips on the go.

[$9, Sephora]

Pretty silver leaf votive holder: class up your joint!

[$6, Anthropologie]

Oh my God, this stuff rocks. Ladies, get this citrus blend soap for your guys and cozy up — it makes them smell hm-mm-mmm.

[$8.50, Anthony]

Super cute tea towels — perfect for spring!

[$9.76, Patina]

This hat is more than half-off and "tops off" a spring look (I couldn't resist).

[$9.99, Urban Outfitters]

Lovely-smelling cheer blossom hand cream.

[$10, L'occitane]

I'm sure you can think of plenty of occasions when thing ring would come in "handy."

[$9, Fred Flare]

Rechargeable LED flashlights.

[$8.99, Perpetual Kid]

Prett, pretty salad plates.

[$8, Elsewares]

Cheap Trick: Hairapy

Wendy Atterberry — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

It's been over a year and a half since my terrible accident. It was a regular haircut like any other. When the stylist asked if I wanted to try a "creative cut," I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Sure, why not?...Just don't give me a mullet or anything." Twenty minutes later, to my ultimate horror, I looked like this:

I was mortified. It wasn't just a mullet, it was a Mul-let. I got an honorary diploma from the class of 1984 with that thing. Obviously, it could not stay. So, I chopped it all off:

Eek, it was so short! But so much better than the mullet, and it wasn't like I could put the hair back on anyway, so I accepted it...and immediately started growing it out. I've experimented with different short styles as it's grown out, sticking with particular ones for a few months at a time, but these days it pretty much looks like this:

It's been difficult moving on from the accident. Healing is indeed a long, slow process, but lately I've been feeling like I've put the past behind me once and for all. I'm beginning to open myself up to stylists again, to trust my hair in their hands. It hasn't always been easy, but along the way there was always something I could count on to help me through those dark days:

These pretty hairpins definitely saved the day on more than one occasion.

[$7, Starving Artist Bazaar]

Cheap Trick: Guess What II

Alex Zalben — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Okay, Materialistas... You guys got our last "Guess What" in a snap, so this time, we've made it a little harder... Literally. This little item is just under $10, and is definitely NOT a needle case. Put your guesses in the comments section, and we'll update you once someone guesses it correctly!

Update: Because they may have been able to post comments without seeing the other people's correct guesses, first, I'm going to give it to Becky, Jill, Jen, and Amber, with a slight edge towards Becky for guessing it about ten minutes before everyone else. You guys got this in record time, btw.

It is, in fact, a potato masher; specifically, a Chef's Planet Simply Mash Potato Masher, and you can get it from Amazon.

Man, you guys are good.

[$10, Amazon]

Cheap Trick: Apple Coin Purse

Wendy Atterberry — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Every winter when I pull out my big coats and stick my hands in the pockets, it's like a little archaeological study in what my life was like a year earlier. An old movie stub, a matchbook from a fancy restaurant, a Boston bus pass — they all remind me of events I'd totally forgotten. Now, as I pack up the winter coats for next year, I can't help but check the pockets one last time before stuffing them in a plastic tub under the bed. I think the findings say a lot about this winter: a few broken pieces of a peppermint, a shady headhunter's folded business card, the title of a self-help book scribbled on a diner napkin, 3 dimes, 4 nickles, and 13 pennies (not even 1 quarter!). Thank God next year will be different. For one thing, I'll at least have a cute coin purse.

[$9, Doe-Sf]

Cheap Trick: Guess What

Wendy Atterberry — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

I'm curious how many of you can guess what this $6 product is used for? Leave your guesses in the comment section and the first person to guess correctly will win bragging rights for all eternity. Once there's a correct guess, I'll update with a link.

Update! After the jump.

Annie guessed right — it's a needle case! Cute, huh? I'm sure you could use it as a little pill case or what have you, but its intended purpose is for needles...sewing needles.

[$6, The Small Object]

Cheap Trick: For the Crazy Cat Ladies Among Us

Wendy Atterberry — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Five signs you might be a crazy cat lady:

The ratio of cats to people in your home is greater than 1:1
Your cats have email addresses and regularly write updates and send photos to your friends and families
You refer to your cats as the "grandcats" when talking to your parents, as in "Do you want to talk to the grandcats?" (which you say before you hand one of the cats the phone...)
You have a cat voice you adopt whenever a cat is within a one mile radius of you (you know what I'm talking about...)
Cat hair...everywhere!

If 3 or more of these signs fit you*, you may need one of these:

[$3.50, Patina]

* and if all five signs fit you, well, welcome to my world.

Cheap Trick: Metal Owl Necklace

Wendy Atterberry — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Check it out — I won this awesome vintage owl necklace on eBay yesterday. It's 3 inches long, with beedy little rhinestone eyes, hangs on a 24 inch chain, and looks, yeah, I'll say it: fierce. It was a one-of-a-kind, so I can't point you to a store where you can get your very own, but I did find one that's pretty cool in its own right and at less than 9 bucks, it makes a great cheap trick. Check it:

[$8.90, Forever21]

Cheap Trick: Lick and Fold

Wendy Atterberry — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:34:00 GMT

It's cheap, easy, and likes to be licked. It's also a throwback to a age when people took a little more time expressing sentiments to one another. Most of all, it's just pretty cool. Find out what it is after the jump.

It's ingenious fold and mail stationery. Write, lick, stamp and mail — not envelope is necessary. Each paperback comes with 40 sheets and costs a mere $8.95. Sure, that's more expensive than email, but it's so much more fun.

[$8.95, Fly-Bird]