Do you ever see something for sale in the store and wonder “why did it take someone so long to come up with that idea? It’s brilliant”? Like the silicone baking mats you can buy almost anywhere now. Silicone is heat resistant, makes a great non-slip work surface for you to cook/bake on, and can go straight into the dishwasher. Baking gets easier with a little oil on a silicone baking mat which keeps stuff from sticking. I don’t think a whole silicone bake set is necessary but I have invested in two sizes of cookie mats (one for the counter as a work surface and one for a cookie pan), a spoon and a spatula. I hate when the plastic end of the spatula starts to flake from getting burnt and metal spatulas are not good for your non-stick cookware — silicone has neither of these problems.

Here are some more items I thought were pretty useful:

Think Geek sells this electrical outlet that spins 360 degrees so you can plug those big bulky plugs into them and still be able to access the other outlet. Good Housekeeping called this one of the top ten good buys of the year. How handy would this be for your hairdryer?!

Cupron a manufacturer of bedding designed this pillow case ($45.99 and up at Cupron.com) that is supposed to rejuvenate your skin within the first four weeks of use. Apparently natural copper heals in the case will prevent wrinkles and improve your skin’s overall appearance while you sleep. Now why couldn’t I think of that.

Painting your house but hate the clean-up? I know I do. You can rinse and rinse but getting your brushes clean is a pain in the rear. Some smart cookie at Easy Clean Paintbrush came up with this idea where you can screw your brush onto the end of a hose and run water through it for only a minute for a clean brush. Saves time, water and money spent to replace brushes you have destroyed by letting paint dry on them.

This one is a great idea for a lazy person.  If you really must use disposable cutlery and plates for picnics, bamboo cutlery is definitely the way to go. Branch sells disposable utensils “designed for elegant entertaining, indoors or out”.   They are unbleached, and FDA-approved food-safe. After disposal, they will biodegrade within 4-6 months. Each package of utensils includes 8 sets of fork, knife, and spoon. I still think you could bring silverware and just wash it later… but at least this is better than plastic.

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