Mom's Gadgets

Living in a state where we are required to maintain hurricane kits as a family, you always want to make sure you pack things that will work when you need them. Flashlights are a staple, but what happens if you have no electricity for a week or more, your batteries that you bought will begin to die. This is why I always love to have a few crank flashlights on hand.

This is a rechargeable flashlight that allows bright light whenever you need it. How it works is you crank the arm that is folded in the back and one minute of cranking will give you over a half hour of light. Another great feature is being able to choose between LED setting or energy saving, depending on how much light you actually need. What is best of all is they claim to last over 10 years. This should be a staple to any hurricane kit.

A couple of years ago for Christmas I got the Tassimo Beverage system. I really liked the coffee, latte and teas this machine made, but there were a few design flaws. Whenever you made a larger cup of coffee, water would spill out leaving you to wipe up each time. Also it was fairly loud which kept me from using it when I had to get up early. Well good news, Tassimo has a newly designed system that works like a charm.

The single serve coffee maker heats up quicker, is quieter, and does not leak all over the counter like the older model. They all redesigned the water reservoir with a built in filter. Tassimo has also increased the types of coffees and teas they offer. Starbucks and Seattle’s Best is one the more well known coffee and tea brands they offer. Tassimo claims is the only hot beverage system to perfectly brew Starbucks coffee. I have tasted the coffee and I believe them!

I am always grabbing a water bottle as I run out of the house to run my errands. I use to waste so many plastic water bottles and came to realize I am causing a huge waste. Because I drink so many bottles in a week, I needed to find a way to reduce the waste of water bottles. I have recently found the Bean Canteen. It is the green friendly alternative to water bottles.

It is made of stainless steel so your water never has an after taste and always tastes refreshing. I have also found it cools quicker in the refrigerator. This can be used with juice and other cold drinks. Unlike plastic bottles, this canteen will not retain any flavors or odors from different drinks. The thing I like the best is that it fits in my car cup holders. It is dishwasher safe and comes in many different sizes and colors. This is a great alternative to the plastic water bottles.

Photo credit: Sanja Gjenero