The first hour after you wake could set the tone for your entire day. So why not make your mornings as cheerful as possible? Here are our favorite gadgets for starting the day off right and putting smiles on our faces.
You Rule: The "Good Morning, Madam" Alarm Clock
It looks charming enough, but wait 'til you hear it. This alarm clock will make you feel like a million bucks from the very second you wake.
When the alarm rings, first you'll hear a subtle, delightful fade-in of birds chirping, followed by the voice of your personal butler. Each morning he'll wake you with a different message (the clock holds about 150!). We enjoyed hearing that Vogue magazine wanted our advice because of our remarkable style; that Victoria Beckham was at the front door, begging us to make a fifteen-minute appearance at her party, for which she'd give us a sportscar. This is a clock that'll make any gal feel like Beyonce, J-Lo, Madonna or Queen Elizabeth.
It also has a lovely night time feature, too. Just before bed, if you press the tiny rosette button on the front of the clock, your butler will lull you to sleep by reciting a relaxation meditation. And no kidding -- it really does chill you out, big time.
The "Good Morning, Madam" clock is made of wood with a handsome black lacquer finish, and the face is protected behind glass. At night, press a single button and a tiny light helps you see the time. It works reliably, runs on 3 AA batteries, and costs about $89. You can also purchase a "Good Morning, Sir" clock for your favorite prince.
For more information, visit Voco.
Breakfast Gets Cute: The Pop Art Toaster
Why settle for boring toast when you can have toast that smiles at you? Or smirks and says "Bite Me"?
We really got a kick out of the Pop Art Toaster. It makes fun designs on your toast using metal stencil plates that slip easily into the toast openings. The Lusso Chrome version comes with four designs: a smiling sun, hearts, a birthday cake, and "BITE ME".
It works easily enough -- the design plates slide right in and out. On the practical side, the toaster works reliably and has nice features. It allows you to adjust your bread's toasty-ness to one of 7 levels with a simple dial. It even has a "Frozen" button to defrost items straight out of the freezer (yum! think frozen toaster pastries!) and a "Reheat" feature that quickly re-warms your bread. There's also a slide-out crumb tray for easy clean-up. And we love the toaster's plump, curvy retro appearance.
The one wish we have for the Pop Art Toaster is this: if only there was a way to store the design stencils with the toaster. Maybe in the next version, you guys can include a pocket or a slide-out compartment where we can keep the plates close, but out of the way.
Still, we love the Pop Art toaster -- a stellar little kitchen goody we think every toast-lover should have. And at $39.98, it makes an affordable gift, even to yourself. To find out where you can get your own, go to www.poparttoaster.com.
Start Chill, Stay Chill: The Digital Zen Alarm Clock
Does it seem like you're constantly aggravated? Have you been told you need to chill out? That rude buzzing of your alarm clock is jarring -- what a way to launch a tense day! Instead, why not wake to tranquility and a sense of peace? The Digital Zen Alarm Clock by Now & Zen will make you feel serene and grounded right from the start.
This pretty little wooden box opens to a digital clock and houses a slim metal rod. When the alarm goes off, the rod emits a Tibetan bell-style chime that gives a gentle urge to wake. About 4 minutes after the first chime, another is heard. The chimes increase in frequency over the course of ten minutes.
The Digital Zen Alarm Clock was tested by two volunteer secretaries, who both agreed on the soothing quality of the chimes. "It wakes you, but it's so nice," Lisa said. Jeanne agreed, "I felt like I was waking up with the same kind of relaxation I feel when I fall asleep during a massage. I was alert, but it was like being whispered to, not yelled out or shaken to get out of bed."
Besides its alarm function, this clock has some other really nice features. You can program it to chime once on the hour, which the brochure suggests is a "mindfulness chime". If you meditate, you'll especially appreciate the countdown timer mode, which allows you to set the chime to go off after a certain period of time. The same progressive chimes that wake you in the morning will pleasantly nudge you out of a meditation.
The Digital Zen Alarm Clock runs on electricity and comes with a typical power supply to plug into your wall outlet. Its housing is available in three wood tones and sells for $109.95 -- a small price to pay for serenity.
To see the entire range of Now & Zen products, visit their web site.
Yummy in Your Tummy: Amy's Hot Cereal Bowls
When you wake up to a chilly morning, you might be tempted to pass on those healthy cereals in their cold, cold bowls of milk and just grab a cup of hot coffee. But then you'd be cheating yourself of nutrition and the delight of a yummy breakfast. Don't do it! Have one of Amy's new Hot Cereal Bowls instead!
Mmmmm, we love these! We were already fans of Amy's delicious, organic, no-prep frozen meals and soups, but we were really excited to try these. We sampled Amy's Multi-Grain and Rolled Oats Hot Cereal Bowls, and we had a hard time picking a favorite. What struck us most was how perfectly done these cereals turned out. Straight out of the microwave, they exemplified the ideal blend of textures -- hearty and creamy, not watery and bland. No guesswork! They were also more flavorful than instant oatmeal from the packet. We were delightfully surprised by the obvious difference. Amy's tasted less chemical and phony. They were rich, satisfying, seemed like home-made. One of our testers, Monica, said "This tastes like the kind of oatmeal you'd get in a gourmet bed and breakfast." Bingo!
So don't skimp in the morning. Make your tummy warm, happy and healthy. It's quick and easy, and inexpensive -- bowls are only about $2.29 each! What would you spend at that vendor truck, hmmmmm? Amy's Hot Cereal Bowls give you plenty to smile about, especially on their nutrition labels. Read them at www.amys.com!
