I tend to drink more tea in the summer than I do in the winter thanks to the frostbite-inducing office air conditioning. That means that, year round, I’m on the look out for cute tea accessories. My newest obsession comes from Yanko Designs. The Tea Diver ($20) is based on the shape of a traditional Korean deep sea diver, Meoguri. Fill this little guy with your favorite loose leaf, dunk him underwater, and enjoy! –- Katie D.
I can’t believe I hadn’t come up with this one before — using loaf pans to corral the utensils in my kitchen drawers. I stole the idea from the teaching kitchen I worked at last year, which had dozens of drawers filled with every kind of tool imaginable, all sorted in loaf pans of varying sizes. I already had two pans just loafing (sorry, I had to) around my cupboards, so I put them to use. My utility drawer has never been happier! Now, I keep on the lookout for as many as I can find at garage sales, thrift stores, where they’re usually available for a song; much more affordable than regular organizing bins. And I’m set if I ever need to make a huge batch of poundcake! — Megan B.
As far as I’m concerned, summer movies begin and end with Jaws. Gripping and terrifyingly authentic, Jaws defined the summer movie blockbuster. It also makes me homesick. I grew up in New England and spent many summers on the beaches that the fictional monster stalked (da dun. . . da dun. . . da dun. . .). Lucky for me, Chicago screens the iconic film on the shores of Lake Michigan every summer. This year, I plan on including this shark koozie ($18) in my picnic basket to the screening. From etsy user Handamade, the adorable, button-eyed shark is a soothing reminder that not all sharks are man eaters- some of them just want to make sure your hands don’t get too cold while you’re holding your beverage! –- Katie D.
A decidedly Hawaiian twist on a cookout classic: Papaya ginger beer baked beans, at Coconut and Lime. Complete with Spam!
Right on the heels of our lowdown on hammocks, NPR explains the science behind why hammocks actually create easier and deeper sleep.
Badder Homes and Gardens inappropriately introduces The Hug chair, ingeniously designed for two seaters — or one person, and a laptop.
JennSki reminds us of one of our favorite super-simple quick-fixes: using tinfoil to remove rust from chrome.
Six unusual party decorating ideas, from using armchairs at the dinner table to tiered dessert stands for floral arrangements — at CasaSugar.
The new future of urban farming? Rooftop hydroponic towers — at the Huffington Post.
I’ve been watching my strawberries ripen on the vine S L O W L Y over the last few weeks, and it’s like torture. A few more weeks, and it’s harvest time, though. And what better to store my patiently awaited bounty in than this adorable red ceramic berry basket I spotted at Sur la Table? The design is based on the dare-I-say iconic fiberboard baskets we get at berry stands, but with much more permanence — and those air holes are perfect to keep those berries sweet and fresh — not mushy and moldy. Best part? It’s on sale for $3.99, which means I can grab enough to help contain my soon-to-be overwhelming blackberry harvest. — Megan B.
