For the sake of your sanity, just put on your SleepPhones Headphones (ThinkGeek, $39.99) already! I mean, if you could easily drown out the annoyances of your surroundings, why wouldn’t you want to? Featuring an ultra-comfy soft headband that can double as a sleep mask, these headphones plug right into your mp3 player, iPod, radio, etc. Unlike with ear buds or standard headphones, you can sleep contentedly because you won’t even feel them through the headband.

These headphones work well for ignoring people at work too. Just don’t tell your boss I said that.

5 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

The problem with puzzles today is that even if the puzzle itself is challenging, the pictures are so lame. I mean, how many times can I put together a picture of snow covered trees or a cat hanging on a branch? Zip Code Puzzles (Firebox, $34.95) are a completely different story. Instead of regurgitating the same old photo options, these puzzles are made to order according to your personal choice of geographic location. Using an extract from the U.S. Geological Survey, a 400 piece puzzle is produced according to the zip code you provide. In the center of the puzzle is a house-shaped piece that represents the address location and the puzzle itself spans six miles east/west and four miles north/south of the center point. The map displays buildings, main roads, water features, and even some local establishments so that each puzzle is unique.

I don’t know who wouldn’t want to put together this puzzle. I would totally commit to putting every last piece of this puzzle together, glue it in place, and then frame it for display. That’s not weird, right?

4 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

The Car Swivel Tray (Things You Never Knew Existed, $12.98) will keep your food close at hand without letting it end up in your lap. Using a cup holder inset, the tray is anchored in place so it’s where you need it when you need it. The jointed arm not only swivels from side to side, but can also be adjusted up or down to suit your needs. The tray’s textured surface keeps items from sliding around your gear shifter while you drive. And when you’re done eating, you can push the tray over to the passenger side so it’s out of your way.

I’m just a teensy bit worried that gadgets like this that make it easier than ever to multi-task while driving will encourage all the idiots out there to pay even less attention to the road. I mean, just because you can talk on the phone, email, shave, change radio stations, and drive all at the same time doesn’t mean that you should.

4 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

With the Knork 4-pc Set (Amazon, $24.99), neither my friend nor myself will feel odd for not using a knife at mealtime. Plus, it’s one less utensil to put on the table (and to wash later). The Knork features a finger platform in its center that allows the user to press down on it and use a rocking motion to cut food. The outer prongs of the Knork aren’t really all that sharp, but curved instead, making the Knork safe as well as easy to use. Because both outer prongs utilize this technology, the Knock is ideal for everyone regardless if they’re a righty or a lefty. If you know someone who suffers from a disability or medical condition that makes it hard for them to use both hands while eating, this is the perfect solution.

While the Knork is perfect in just about any situation, don’t think that you’re gonna be able to cut cans or your shoe with it. It’s not some silly knife from a crazy infomercial or your first job as a door-to-door knife salesman. Seriously, why did you think you’d be able to make $18.00 an hour so easily? That’s just stupid.

5 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s been a long week and I need to conduct some further testing on this bottle opener.

5 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

So I guess you could say that I’m on the market for a new solution, hence the Pet Zoom Sonic Pet Trainer (Walter Drake, $14.99). Instead of yelling at my cats until my voice is hoarse, I could just use this device because at least one of them is actually effective. Can you guess which one? The device functions by emitting a high frequency tone when a button is pressed. This tone can only be heard by your dog or cat, kind of like a dog whistle, and it’s super annoying. Effective up to 20 feet away, you can use the device the next time your cat is walking all over your kitchen counter or your dog is chewing on the edge of the coffee table.

As with any training tool, if you abuse its power it ceases to be effective. So please don’t misuse this device because your animals will seek revenge. True story.

5 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

The best way to find out what your pet’s been up to all day is to stick the Pets Eye View Camera (NerdSeven, $39.95) on their collar. Because this webcam-like device attaches to your pet’s collar, it records their daily activities from their own viewpoint. You can set the camera to shoot every one, five, or fifteen minutes and it can store up to 40 photos internally. So next time you want to know who’s responsible for chewing up your homework, Scruffy or Whiskers will have the photographic evidence to solve the case.

Personally, I’m not sure how well this will really work out. I mean, I bet my cats are sleeping all day. I would probably come home expecting to uncover some great mystery, only to find that Whiskers hasn’t moved from the couch all day. If I sound jealous, it’s because I am.

3 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

If I’d had the Ice Cream Maker (Perpetual Kid, $24.99) in my kitchen, I wouldn’t have spent the rest of the evening salivating over the thought of popsicles and ice cream cones. Instead, ingredients permitting, I could have sauntered into my kitchen and whipped up a batch of my own ice cream. Unlike the ice cream makers of old, this one doesn’t require you to inflict carpal tunnel syndrome on yourself whilst constantly churning its contents. With just the push of a button, you can create two different ice cream flavors in this maker. All you have to do is mix your ingredients (recipe book included), pour them into the maker, push a little button, and put the whole thing in the freezer. That’s it. Seriously.

I’m really trying to cut back on my kitchen gadgets (they’re starting to take over the place), so I have to wonder if this one is really worth it. I mean, will I really eat enough ice cream to justify the purchase? Seeing as my beverage intake skyrocketed once I got Keurig, I’m thinking it’s a fair bet to say I’ll be living off an ice cream diet.

3 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

If you’re like me and you’re gonna put yourself in situations with the potential of bodily harm, you might want to invest in a pair of Dual LED Safety Glasses (ThinkGeek, $19.99). I’m not saying this is all you’ll need to protect yourself from injury, but it’s a good start. While they look like normal safety glasses (albeit a lot trendier than the ones you donned in shop class), they actually exceed the ANSI Z87+ high impact standards. Translation: safety just got safetier. In addition to being safer and considerably more fashionable than most safety glasses, this scratch-resistant pair is also outfitted with an LED light on each side of the frame. With 99.9% protection from harmful UV rays and an optically correct viewing area of 180 degrees, these glasses are sure to help you get any DIY job done without a trip to the emergency room.

The LEDs have a 48 hour battery run time, which has got to last as long as the job you’re doing. If not, it’s time to stop. Seriously, put down the hammer. Take a break. People don’t even play Wii for that long without stopping.

4 out of 5 stars.

Specs:

I already try to turn off extraneous lighting when it’s not in use, but one place I don’t like to skimp is on outdoor lighting. I hate coming home to a pitch dark house and not being able to see my path to the door, but I also hate killing the planet. Luckily, the Solar Lighted Walkway Tiles (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95) doesn’t make me choose between the two. Sold as a set of four tiles, each one features a solar panel protected by tempered glass. This solar panel powers four inlaid LEDs, which are rated for 20,000 hours of lighting. The tiles themselves are actually made of PVC, but designed to look like flatted hardwood so they’re 100% waterproof and won’t rot or fade. Because they interlock on any side, you can lay the modular tiles out in any pattern you wish, connected or otherwise.

So instead of leaving a light on all night because you don’t know when your son will be getting home from a friend’s house or if your husband is going to be working late, you can just put a few of these tiles out. Not to mention, your yard will look pretty snazzy and everybody will applaud your eco-activism. I don’t really see any downside here.

4 out of 5 stars.

Specs: