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I’m a big fan of honey. A little bit in chai tea, on bread, with plain yogurt, etc… I go through a small jar so fast it’s silly. Now, I’m thinking this set from BioDidactic Designs might just outperform the plastic squeeze bottle that’s near its end, plus it’ll look a lot nicer on the counter or tabletop.

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One tiny hole on this heart shaped salt shaker reminds you to take a little less…
designed by Bormann & Serman.

Also available from odc-paris for €39.

Whether you have breadcrumbs on your table or eraser shavings on your desk, this brush and dustpan set will make short work of cleaning up. Made by the Iris Hantverk company (they employ visually impaired craftsmen in Sweden).

Small oiled beech wood dustpan and horsehair brush.

Rarely are dishes and such labeled ‘fun’, but this bowl and cup set are decidedly so for their squishiness. No worries of breakage, you can shove this food grade silicone set in a bag or backpack and know that if you need a vessel for food or drink you are entirely prepared. I’d think they’d come in handy whether you’re on a camping voyage or at the office kitchen.

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Happy New Year! Have a safe celebratory night if you venture out (or stay in, for that matter)… we’ll return to posts as usual on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.

Shown above: 5-piece stainless steel champagne gift set, $49.95 from CB2

Knight and Queen bottle stops? Yes, please. Add these to your list of perfect stocking stuffers.

Designer : David Weeks
Made of wood and cork.
Measurements : H 3.5″ x Dia 1″

From our archives (originally published October 2, 2007), for your gift list consideration…

This is one of the more interesting champagne glasses I’ve come across in my many days of perusing online retail stores.

“Besides the visual beauty, there is another extremely convincing argument: your drink simply doesn’t warm as fast as it would in a normal champagne glass as you are not touching it at all and if you really want it cold, chill the glasses in the freezer and create an amazing visual presentation…”

Handmade, 1.5″ (3,8 cm) wide and 9.25″ (23,5 cm) high

Set of 2.

From our archives (originally published December 1, 2008), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

I think as far as wine decanters go, this one is incredibly elegant…might be the perfect gift for a wine lover.

67 oz., Glass, Oak.

How many times have you juggled your glass of wine with a small plate of hors d’oeuvres, wishing fervently to not to make an ass of yourself by dropping either (or both) when the inevitable shaking of hands/introductions are made? Such awkwardness can be avoided; these plates hold your wine glass for you, allowing a free hand to feed your face or shake the hand of some new acquaintance. Though, may I suggest not bringing one of these to someone else’s party, rather, that you get some for your guests, and hope that they’ll have the ‘ah-ha’ moment and do the same for you at their next soirée.

Maybe some of these animals tend to lean towards the ‘slightly creepy’ category, but nevertheless, I’d say they could be a perfect smallish gift this holiday season. Just be sure to get the recipient’s birth year (which could prove difficult) and then match it to the correct animal of the Chinese Zodiac (find their sign here).

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These cork trivets are made to look just like toast, which is a cute thing for the breakfast table (unless you have really bad eyesight). Right now it looks like the ‘side order’ of 2 pieces is out of stock, but the ‘half loaf’ of 6 pieces is available.

Approximately 4″ x 4″ x 3/8″

With all the soirees you have planned for the upcoming holidays, you might want to get a few of these Typo plates. Could be fun to match the plate to your guest’s initial, perhaps? While the full set of 26 plates is pretty cost prohibitive (£569.00), a few here and there scattered about the table would do enough to keep things colorful.

Also, apparently this is an exclusive for this UK retailer, so apologies if you’re elsewhere…
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If you’re a devout follower of Jesus of Nazareth, just think of how much better your life will be with this salt and pepper grinder. Every time you need some extra spice, you’ll be reminded of your beliefs. Nice, right? I’m not one to lean towards any particular religion, but man, I sure do appreciate religious iconography, especially when it comes in this form.

‘Winebreather’ sounds like some sort of derogatory name you’d call an oenophile, but, in fact, it’s the name of this decanter. Place the decanter mouth-to-mouth with a wine bottle, flip it, and then watch as the wine washes down the sides of the decanter, partially aerating it. I’m not sure if it would qualify as a magic trick, but there is something nice about watching wine slowly move from bottle to decanter, sort of like an hourglass.

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These colorful bowls remind me a bit of Loyal Loot’s Log Bowls, except made in sustainably harvested mango trees. I can’t imagine any room or tabletop these would look bad in. Each measures 6” in diameter and are available in white, blue, or green.

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