Friday, May 9, 2008
As Seen On TV
Being a pop culture junkie, I watch a lot of TV. Where would I be without reruns and retro commercials? But television is also a great place to find cool new Things. You can click here to see our entire stock of As Seen On TV Things, but here are a few of my personal favorites.
Protect your eyes with the Eagle Eyes® Sunglasses that were developed by NASA. They block all harmful blue, violet and ultraviolet light. You can actually see better with these glasses whether it's sunny, smoggy, hazy, or even overcast. They're polarized, so they're great for water sports and they weigh almost nothing.
I love new exercise gadgets, especially since I get bored with working out. The Ab Scissor machine is perfect for me. It's easy to use, the workout doesn't take a lot of time and you don't have to worry about pulleys and weight stacks. Plus, you can't do it wrong because the machine puts your body in the right position to work your stomach muscles. There are lots of Things from TV to help your health, like these Verseo Detox Pads, which contain an ancient herbal remedy that is said to draw toxins out of your body just by putting them on your feet at night. I admit I was skeptical, but I tried them out and I can say this: when you wake up, you'll be shocked at what the pads draw out of your body while you sleep.Leverage is everything when you're trying to lift heavy Things. I should know—my sister thinks the main reason I exist is to lift and move Things around her house.
I tried out these Forklift Straps last week when she wanted me to move some file cabinets. They really do make lifting and moving a lot easier and I didn't strain my back for a change! Of course, since I moved the cabinets, she wanted me to move her pictures and a couple of shelves, too. I tried out these Hercules Hooks because she has some pretty big picture frames and a shelf that is so heavy it was almost falling off the wall. I'm impressed with how strong they are, especially since you install them without hammers or drills. But I didn't do all the work. She helped out—she installed a Handyswitch™ all by herself. It gives you a light switch anywhere you want it without rewiring.
For fixing Things, try out our Mighty Putty epoxy. It seals leaks, fills cracks and works on almost any surface. You just mold it to the shape you need and then activate it. You can even sand and paint it when you finish your repair. For cleaning up, you have to try the reusable ZorbEEZ™ cloths. The amount of liquid they can absorb is really amazing. Like paper towels, they're made for household spills, but when was the last time you were able to dry your dog with a paper towel? For the car, we have this Simoniz Fix It™ Scratch Repair. I tried it on my car, which is white, and my dad's truck, which is blue. It's easy to use and it really works.
Finally, we found these little household helpers. The One Touch Can Opener opens any can, cutting the lid off from the side so there are no sharp edges. You just put it in place and press a button. And with the One Touch Jar Opener you can finally open jars without a struggle. The outer jaws clamp onto the jar while the inner jaws grab the lid and twist it loose. What's really cool is they both work automatically. Look, Ma! No hands!See you next week,
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
10:09 AM
Friday, May 2, 2008
Things To Keep You Safe
I've talked a lot about security in these blogs, but it's a fact of life that we can never be too careful these days. That's why our buyers are always on the lookout for Things to make you safer.
Check out our Camera Sunglasses…the latest in surveillance technology. The glasses have a pinhole camera that captures high resolution color snapshots. With the remote or the button on the frames, you can take pictures of your surroundings as you walk or drive. You can also listen to your favorite MP3 music with the earbuds and you can even control volume and track selections. The sunglasses are polarized and lightweight so they're great for everyday use or for outdoor activities like fishing. If I ever manage to catch a fish, I'll take a snapshot and post it here.
To help ensure your home and family are safe while you're away, hide this Mini Wireless Camera almost anywhere. It's perfect for monitoring children, caregivers, entrances, store rooms—anywhere you want to keep track of what's going on when you can't be there. It comes with a receiver that hooks up to a TV or to a DVR or VCR so you can watch what's happening in real time or play back recordings later. If you don't want to hook a camera up to your TV, our Wireless Camera and Monitor comes with everything you need and it's really easy to set up. The camera transmits picture up to 300 feet without wires so you can put it in any room. What's cool about this Thing is you can connect up to four cameras to a single monitor to watch what's going on in different areas of your home or office at the same time.
This new Stealth Camera is my favorite. I set one up in my living room and nobody even knew it was a camera because there are no pinholes or no cords--it's a plain black box that just blends into the background. You can set it to record video or set up the motion detector to take snapshots when something in the room moves. You can also use the remote control to manually start continuous recording. To play it back, you just connect it to your TV or insert SD card into your computer. It's never been easier to keep an “eye” on your home or office.
For staying safe at home, our indoor/outdoor Motion Activated LED Security Light automatically comes on when it detects movement. What's cool about it is the LED light bulbs. They never need replacing, so you don't have to worry about them being burned out when you need them. I have four of them outside my house and they really come in handy, not just for protection, but also when I forget to turn on my porch light. I just walk up to the door and the light comes on, making it easier and safer for me to get inside fast.
I bought the Electronic Watchdog for my aunt when she was thinking of getting a dog for protection. It gives you all the advantages of a watchdog without the hassle of taking care of a pet. Plus, it can “see” through walls and doors. When an intruder is 15 ft. away, it barks intermittently and then barks louder and more frequently if the intruder draws closer. It also has a built-in siren so you can set it to bark and then sound an alarm. My aunt loves it.To protect yourself in public, this Street Safe DVD by Paul Vunak, who taught the U.S. Navy SEALS his system of hand-to-hand combat, is a fast easy way to learn real-world self-defense. Paul teaches you how to deal with attackers twice your size. Even if you've never been in a real fight before in your life, you can use his techniques with confidence after just a few hours of instruction.
Until next week, stay safe.
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
10:46 AM
Friday, April 25, 2008
Indoor Fun
Last week I talked about Things to do outside. This week, I thought I'd give you a few ideas for the days when spring showers make it impossible to have fun outdoors.
Our buyers have come up with some cool new games this year.One of my favorites is this plug and play kickboxing game. To get ready to fight, all you have to do is plug it in to your TV, DVD player or VCR, strap the kick sensors onto your legs and slip the "gloves" onto your hands. The game uses real-time body motion to simulate kick boxing with the virtual opponent. But maybe boxing isn't your bag. Our virtual baseball game lets you play baseball indoors. The console connects to your TV and the wireless bat shows the power of your swing while the run pad shows how fast you run. My nephew loves both games. I do, too. They're fun and they're a great indoor exercise.
For less taxing activities our touch screen video poker or touch screen chess games are perfect. The poker game is a lot like the machines found in casinos right down to the sounds, automated scorekeeping and flashing lights when you hit the jackpot. It has seven different games so you never get bored. If you like to play chess and want to get better, there's no better way than our touch screen game. It's so sophisticated it's almost unbeatable. It has 56 levels so you can start at the beginning and hone your skills. Play against the computer, with a friend or use it to solve chess problems. Or for a lower-tech chess game, our South Park chess set has all your favorite characters including Chef (King), Big Gay Al (Queen), Cartman (Knight), and Kenny (pawn, of course.)
My nephew's favorite of our new board games is Gremlins. Just like the movie, you battle Stripe and his horde of Gremlins for control of Kingston Falls. It has hilarious weapon cards to use against the Gremlin tokes, like a snack tray or the Peltzer juicer. And the "Feeding After Midnight" event card can send everyone back to start or cause more gremlin tokens to appear.Of course, there are the old favorites, too. Our tabletop versions of the Space Invaders™ & Frogger™ arcade games are just like you remember with multi-level play and authentic sounds and graphics. And a new twist on old arcade favorite is this Mario Kart Race Set where you race Nintendo® characters, Mario and Donkey Kong against each other on a slot car track.
I like to play pool, but I don't have room for a full-sized table in my house so I got one of these mini pool tables. It really does play like the real thing. It's a lot more sturdy than most tabletop models so it doesn't tilt. The wood grain finish, felt top and ball return makes it feel like a real pool table. Finally, for a more relaxing but still challenging game, we have the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. With 24,000 pieces that make up an incredibly detailed picture, titled "Life," it's more than enough to keep you busy on a rainy spring day. It comes in 4 packets of 6,000 pieces that you can assemble separately and then connect in sections, or you can make it really challenging and mix all 24,000 pieces together and piece them together as a whole.Happy gaming! I'll see you next week,
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
9:32 AM
Friday, April 18, 2008
Get Out There!
Spring is my favorite season. It's finally warm enough to get outside. Sure, there's yard work to be done and cleaning and all that, but I'd rather go out and play with my nieces and nephews. While my sister pounds dust out of carpets and launders the drapes, I'm "babysitting" outside with my newest finds from the Things warehouse.
I bought three of these motorized bumper boats last year--one for each of the kids and one for me. It's pool float with a motor and steering wheel—it goes about two miles per hour. It's also super heavy duty. I've run mine into the side of the pool more times than I can count and it just bounces right off. The key to maximum fun is having two or more of them in the pool at once so you can run them into each other.
We have lots of new radio-controlled Things for outdoor fun, too. Check out this radio controlled hopper helicopter. Its twin rotors spin in opposite directions to create a very smooth flying helicopter. It has a weighted fly-bar for a stable, ready-to-fly chopper. Even if you don't have experience flying RC helicopters, this one is pretty easy to operate. It's probably the best one I've seen for this price. If radio controlled copters are too much for you, you can try this Stunt Copter. It's a cord-launched copter so it doesn't need batteries or controllers. You just launch it and wait for it to return to you like a boomerang.
If flying Things isn't your thing, how about some water toys? Our radio controlled hydrostorm boat flies across the water. It can do up to 20 mph! It's pretty impressive to watch. It has twin propellers and it runs off a rechargeable batteries. The controller is really easy to use and has a range or up to 150 ft. Now this Thing is completely ingenious. It's a radio controlled fishing boat. I'm not kidding, you can actually catch fish with this Thing. It even includes tackle! You just attach the tackle to the boat and set it on the water. Just watch the bobber--when it dips, steer the boat to shore see what you caught. It will handle a fish up to two pounds. It even has prop guards to help prevent tangles in line or weeds. I love any Thing that makes fishing fun or easier.
Speaking of fishing, I had to have the pen fishing rod. It looks like a fountain pen, but it's actually a working fishing rod. It blows people away. Wait until you see the looks on people's faces when you start fishing with your pen. I'll admit, I've never caught a fish with it, but that's probably not the pen's fault. I have several expensive fishing rods and I never catch anything. At least the pen makes it a little more fun to feed my bait to the fish.
For Things that are just plain fun to play with, we have this geyser tube and giant bubble kit. You've probably seen the dozens of demonstrations of the soda geyser on the Internet. It's a remarkable Thing that works with Mentos candy and diet soda. You just put 6-8 Mentos in the plastic tube, place the tube over the mouth of a two-liter soda bottle, pull the trigger and run. To make huge bubbles that last long enough to float up the sides of buildings, use this special bubble kit. With the specially designed bubble maker and the “secret bubble recipe,” (soap and water) you can make bubbles within bubbles, donut bubbles and chains of bubbles.
It's time for some fun in the sun. Grab your favorite Things and get out there!
Until next week,
Bobby
We have lots of new radio-controlled Things for outdoor fun, too. Check out this radio controlled hopper helicopter. Its twin rotors spin in opposite directions to create a very smooth flying helicopter. It has a weighted fly-bar for a stable, ready-to-fly chopper. Even if you don't have experience flying RC helicopters, this one is pretty easy to operate. It's probably the best one I've seen for this price. If radio controlled copters are too much for you, you can try this Stunt Copter. It's a cord-launched copter so it doesn't need batteries or controllers. You just launch it and wait for it to return to you like a boomerang.
If flying Things isn't your thing, how about some water toys? Our radio controlled hydrostorm boat flies across the water. It can do up to 20 mph! It's pretty impressive to watch. It has twin propellers and it runs off a rechargeable batteries. The controller is really easy to use and has a range or up to 150 ft. Now this Thing is completely ingenious. It's a radio controlled fishing boat. I'm not kidding, you can actually catch fish with this Thing. It even includes tackle! You just attach the tackle to the boat and set it on the water. Just watch the bobber--when it dips, steer the boat to shore see what you caught. It will handle a fish up to two pounds. It even has prop guards to help prevent tangles in line or weeds. I love any Thing that makes fishing fun or easier.Speaking of fishing, I had to have the pen fishing rod. It looks like a fountain pen, but it's actually a working fishing rod. It blows people away. Wait until you see the looks on people's faces when you start fishing with your pen. I'll admit, I've never caught a fish with it, but that's probably not the pen's fault. I have several expensive fishing rods and I never catch anything. At least the pen makes it a little more fun to feed my bait to the fish.
For Things that are just plain fun to play with, we have this geyser tube and giant bubble kit. You've probably seen the dozens of demonstrations of the soda geyser on the Internet. It's a remarkable Thing that works with Mentos candy and diet soda. You just put 6-8 Mentos in the plastic tube, place the tube over the mouth of a two-liter soda bottle, pull the trigger and run. To make huge bubbles that last long enough to float up the sides of buildings, use this special bubble kit. With the specially designed bubble maker and the “secret bubble recipe,” (soap and water) you can make bubbles within bubbles, donut bubbles and chains of bubbles.It's time for some fun in the sun. Grab your favorite Things and get out there!
Until next week,
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
8:50 AM
Friday, April 11, 2008
Go Green for Spring!
Spring has sprung here in Florida! But even if the snow is still flying where you live, it's never too early to start getting ready for spring. Our buyers have come up with some pretty cool Things to celebrate the beginning of the outdoor season.
Have you ever wanted to grow your own tomatoes? I have, but I just don't have the space for a lot of plants or the time to keep up with weeding and feeding. Enter the Topsy Turvy™ tomato grower. This ingenious Thing lets you grow up to 30 pounds of tomatoes without any hassle. You just put a plant and potting soil in the grower, hang it up and add water. Hanging in the air eliminate fungus and bacteria and you don't even need pesticides. Now I'll have fresh tomatoes all season with no digging or weeding.
Planting trees is a proven way to help the environment, and these Grow Your Own Elm and Pine Tree kits make it easy. The Siberian Elm is known for its hardiness, even in droughts and cold winters and the Austrian Pine is the an urban-tolerant tree that resists road salt damage. These trees will grow virtually anywhere. And, a portion of all proceeds from the sale of these U.S. made kits is donated to reforestation charities around the world.
If plants aren't your Thing, why not try raising some bugs? Our Praying Mantis Kit lets you raise your own praying mantises. The kit comes with a net habitat and accessories. Just mail in the coupon for the mantis egg sac and you're on your way. Praying mantises are known for their hunting and camouflage skills. With this kit, you can raise these little critters in your own home, watching them hatch, grow, and hunt for food in an authentic but controlled habitat.
Finally, we have two tees you can wear to go green. You can either be “serious-green” in our Conserve Energy tee promoting clean transportation or you can be “silly-green” in the Give A Toot tee that promotes “alternative” gas emissions. Either way, you're stylishly promoting a healthy planet.Well, I've got some spring cleaning to do. See you next week.
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
11:23 AM
Friday, April 4, 2008
Exclusive Tees
It's hard to say when and where the T-shirt was born. Wikipedia says “claims reach at least from California to Britain, and from 1913 to 1948.”1 From its humble beginning as an undergarment, the T-shirt has become a staple piece of clothing in most Western cultures. According to Wiki, the first American company to decorate T-shirts with designs was Tropix Togs, a Miami company that was the original licensee for Walt Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Davy Crockett. Of course, now everyone's expressing themselves with T-shirts and you can even print and apply your own designs at home.
Since everyone around here has a great sense of humor, it only made sense to us that we should get in on the act. So we've come up with several exclusive T-shirt designs to help you let people know what's on your mind. We have something for every personality and every mood.
For days when you're feeling sarcastic, check out these tees: “Tact is for people...” and “I'm not good at empathy...”. When you're feeling irritated, you can wear this tee. At least people can't say they weren't forewarned. We also have tees for days when you're disinterested or disgruntled or dormant.
Do people tell you you're opinionated? Are you proud of it? How about this one: “I'd agree with you...” or this one: “I'm not opinionated...” Both of those also make good gifts for friends who can't or won't refrain from telling you what they think. In fact, all our shirts make great gifts. I have a friend who's a total cynic, but he'd never admit it. I got this “...everything just sucks” t-shirt for his birthday. Amazingly, he actually laughed out loud.
We also have some mischievous and funny tees. One of my favorites is the evil twin shirt. Since the shirts are cheaper if you buy two or three, I also picked up this one for a friend of mine who swears like a sailor and always makes the most inappropriate jokes at the most inopportune times. I wonder if he'll take the hint? And I got this miracles shirt for one of my golfing buddies. Oddly, he seemed less amused than my friend the cynic.Whatever your mood, outlook or personality or whether you're buying for yourself or your friends (or both), we created our exclusive t-shirt collection to help you express yourself.
Until next week,
Bobby
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shirt
Posted by Bobby at
11:27 AM
Friday, March 28, 2008
"Things" New Web Site
I missed writing my blog last week because I was busy with our brand new web site! I'm sure you've already noticed the new look with more room for lots of cool Things on the home page. But I want to tell you about a few of the features we've added that you might not have seen yet.
Want to know if a Thing is in stock? Now you will—instantly. If we're temporarily out of it, we'll tell you when it will be back in stock. Sometimes we have to discontinue Things that we can't get right away, but that doesn't mean they're gone forever. Now when you see a discontinued Thing on our web site, just enter your email address and we'll let you know when we have it again.
We have a lot of Things that come in different colors or styles. For example, our college watch. With our new web site, we can post pictures for every team. Just mouse over the small pictures to bring up a larger one. And we've added the stock and pricing information to each style, too. That comes in handy for Things with different prices for different sizes, like T-shirts.
I always read customer reviews when I buy something on the web. I want to know if other people like the Thing I'm thinking about buying. Now you can review all of our Things, too. Loved the fart machine? Tell us about it! Tell us how you used a prank or practical joke and how it worked – or if it backfired! And our new wish list makes it easy to keep track of the Things you find interesting and might want to buy later on. Just add the Thing to your wish list and we'll save it for your next visit.
I'm always dying to know when a Thing I've bought will arrive. I'll check on my package progress at least once and sometimes twice or three times a day, especially if it's a gift that I've waited until the very last minute to order. (Who? Me?) Now you can track your package right from our web site, too. Just look up your order and follow the link to see where it is.
We think our new site makes shopping for Things a lot more fun and a lot easier, too. We hope you like it!
See you next week,
Bobby
Posted by Bobby at
10:16 AM
