I’m always looking for handy dandy quilting and sewing gadgets that make life easier.  I don’t necessarily invest in them all, but share ideas with others and like to hear what they’ve found, too.
Here are 13 that seem interesting:

Yo-yo maker
Mini quilt display stands (shaped like room dividers)
Needle sharpener
Compact travel sewing machine
Seam ripper and thread cutter combined
Pre-wound bobbins
Buttonhole spacers
Bendable sewing machine mini light
Sharpener for rotary cutter blades
Lazy Susan spinning carousel for holding thread
Wax pastels for enhancing landscape quilts
Rotary cutters to prepare fabric for hand stitching
Easel caddy for sewing/quilting tools

What are some of your favorite tools and gadgets?

It’s not very often that I’m rendered speechless by a new product on the market, but this one has left me sitting at my desk feeling conflicted.

The PooTrap is, as the site says, a Magic Poop Collector that you attach to your dog’s butt using nylon straps and a U-shaped bracket (of course there are different sizes). The purpose is to automatically catch your dog’s doo before it even hits the ground, thus making for a supposedly easier pick-up during walks or outside playtime.
First off, I think it’s an interesting gadget. I understand why the creators came up with it. …read more

It’s been a long time since my cats have had the opportunity to get up high enough to survey their domain. In old apartments and past houses they were able to get up onto cabinets or closet shelves, or in the case of Sage, right up onto the door itself (I need to dig up those pictures).

We’ve considered getting a cat tree that they can hang out in, but we can never seem to find just the right place where one would go, so we put it off.
Today I came across these “cat clouds,” wall-mounted shelves made especially for cats …read more

I don’t know why I got so excited when I saw this Margaritaville DM-3000 Tahiti King of Frozen Concoction Maker. Maybe because it’s Friday?
If your life is always a party or you own a club, pub, tavern, whatever, then this Margaritaville DM-3000 is probably what you need. And pay for coz well, it ain’t cheap.

Look at that bad boy. Whewwww. I suddenly feel thirsty all of a sudden. How about you? Here are the details :
# 700 watts of combined shaving and blending power
# Brushed nickel-plated accents, stainless steel trim and bamboo wood finish
# Extra-large …read more

Those who have walked their dogs at night know what a pain it can be to see where you’re going, especially if your street isn’t well lit in the first place. Trying to juggle your dog’s leash and a flashlight can also be tricky, and you risk either dropping the light or letting go of the leash just to have a free hand.

The Leash Light is a handy little gadget that actually attaches to your retractable leash with a strip of Velcro, taking care of two issues at once. For the responsible pet owners who bring their own little doggy-doo …read more

Do you forget things when you travel?  Are you constantly running back to your room to retrieve a left behind item?  Are you spending hours on the phone after a trip trying to locate something left in a hotel room?  Do you need to get credit cards reissued because you can’t find them and think they may have been lost or left behind?
At some point, it’s bound to happen to all of us, but implementing a few good habits can help keep your panic in check, and minimize the need for you to retrace steps to find out where …read more

Travelers often find that they use their cell phone a little bit more when they’re on the road than they do at home.  Whether it’s calling to check on things at the office, talking with family and friends back home, picking up voice messages, or texting friends and sending photos to let everyone know that you’re some place very cool, it’s easy to see a few minutes of air time turn into several hours.
If you have no limit on your cell minutes, or have someone else paying the bill, it probably doesn’t matter.  But the last thing you need …read more

Working on the road doesn’t have to mean being stuck in your hotel room!  With CompuShade you can sit on the balcony, by the pool, or even on the beach, without the sun glare obliterating your laptop screen.  Yes, you can get your work done and still enjoy sun time!
CompuShade is a foldable hood that attaches to the lid of your laptop.  It’s small in size and doesn’t add a lot of weight (about 7 ounces).  When opened, it surrounds your laptop, forming a 9 inch darkened, glare-free tunnel for you to work in.  An added benefit is that it …read more

Southern cuisine queen Paula Deen was on the Today Show earlier this week, live from International Home & Housewares show in Chicago.
Paula talks about changing the look of your kitchen by changing what you put in it, instead of doing a whole makeover. This year’s trend, she says, is all about color and that red is currently the #1 choice for colored pots and pans.
She also mentions some fun kid-sized tools, specifically for gardening, and of course she’s found some fun stuff for the 8 dogs in her life, too!
I especially like the new foil bags the Paula talks …read more

I came across these electric boot warmers recently, and it took me a bit to figure out what they do…they dry your wet and freezing boots.
Great gadget. The only problem is that here in the eastern portion of the U.S., the temperature hasn’t been cold enough outside to cool off a beer…never, mind freeze one’s toes.
Why is the weather so spooky this winter?

Maybe there is something to this global warming thing… just ask the poor Polar Bears if they need boot warmers!
Polar bear image: Time.com