This is the type of invention we love. An elegant solution to a common problem.

Pacifier weaning. Probably not something you think about often. Until you're dealing with a screaming, runny-nose toddler who wants the bubba/binky/whatever you call it. There are some problems associated with prolonged pacifier use so at some point, it's time to wean 'em off.

“No one sleeps until I get my damn artificial nipple.” 
—toddlers everywhere

Bye Bye Bubba is a three-tiered step-down system to help wean children from pacifiers. Over three weeks, it makes sucking less enjoyable for children, until they “self-select to abandon, or parents opt to remove the pacifier.”

We are aware some of this information is giggle-inducing.

Seems like a good idea, that could work and be very helpful.

Check out their kickstarter.


The Nutty Jar comes to us from Zach Day of Zigoo Pets in Cincinnati Ohio.

-Time Out-
Cincinnati is actually named after a glorious Roman elite named Lucious Quinctius Cincinnatus for his historical victory and civic virtue. He was called upon first as consul and later as dictator to lead a tumultuous Rome to victory over invading armies. Two weeks after seizing victory he renounced his absolute power; solidifying his place in history.
-Time In-

Having pets is a blast when you have energy and didn't just get home from work and need to clean the house and do laundry, I mean all the time. Needless to say to pet owners it is quite nice to be able to appease dog's energy while you tidy up before your trip uptown to the dog park!

Enter Nutty Jar. Kongs and other stuff-ables are old standbys, you can stuff 'em with about anything, freeze them and they are pretty tough too, but, they can be a nightmare to clean. The nutty jar includes a simple screw cap for easy peanut butter loading and features a central hole designed for dogs to slowly lap up the creamy, sticky and time-killing peanut butter. I forgot to mention how easy it is to clean by simply unscrewing and cleaning

The Zigoo team offers a variety of durable and original products and I think the Nutty Jar is a solid addition; hoping it gets funded and becomes available in some big box retailers (if that is there goal). 

Check them out at kickstarter to support the product or head over to zigoo to see all of their product offerings.

Having a dog means a few things: you appreciate the opportunity to sleep in just as much as any human being owner (parent) and you are well aware of the intricacies of walking a dog, things non-dog owners just don't understand. A few of these include pulling or refusing to move in general, leash biting, etc! As a responsible owner you research what to do to alleviate some of these stresses but as an average person you only follow through for a couple days.

The Leash Tamer is a simple idea but provides so much utility and it comes to us from guys with dogs who understand the usefulfullnes of a leash like the one they created.
It is stretchy. You get a little more lead than you think and without the added stress of holding back a super strong bungie.
It's got multiple lengths. I think this is my favorite feature, countless times I'm out with the pup, grabbing the leash and folding it over to have a shorter lead; sighting a squirrel can often derail this strategy. Having purchased an Easy Walker Harness (a  miracle in my opinion), this doesn't happen as much, but it is still quite nice to be able to, on the fly, change the lead length. I think this, as demonstrated on the kickstarter video below, also offers an advantage for dog walkers and multiple pet owners. A ten foot lead easily folds in half offering two, 3-5 foot stretchy leads.
It easily attaches to objects. This is another fun benefit of the multiple lengths. Stopping in the coffee shop or grabbing a quick snack has never been easier. A typical leash requires tying a knot (hope you've been practicing your clove hitch knot!), or looping the whole leash through the hand loop and then reconnecting it to the dog. With the Leash Tamer, you simply loop around and click to the length desired, it may just be the easiest way to secure your pet to a tree, a pole, a bike rack, a homeless guy, a fire hydrant, a street sign, a bucket of water or even a mattress (just kidding about the homeless guy). 


Check them out on kickstarter or LeashTamer

Besides the soft spot in my heart for doggies, I also have a profound love and respect for well designed and simple products. The DEN Do Good Dog Bed comes to us from Brooklyn, New York with raw materials and labor sourced ethically and domestically right here in the good Ol' US of A. The bed's design features an easily removable yet durable denim outer and a "zippered [polyfill] insert for easy washing". Upon launch, the bed's come in three colors, dark, faded and gray denim and in a variety of reward brackets. Check out the kickstarter for more information. If all goes well you'll be able to pick up or gift your favorite color on the DEN Do Good Dog Bed website linked below, or in select local brick and mortar shops.

Many rescues who are not adopted early on move through a series of shelters and rescue groups with nowhere to call home and nothing to rely on. Sadly, this leaves them with nothing but themselves and their own scent as the sole source of comfort. DEN gives them more than just a soft place to curl up, but something that is theirs, that they can count on.

As always, I believe the best ideas are inspired through users and doers trying to find a better way to get something done. The designer Christina Megill offered up her design from personal experience trying to find an affordable and well designed bed for her pup.

At the time of writing the DEN has about 30 days to go and has already fulfilled a quarter of its funding goal, so go check them out today, get a well designed dog bed at an affordable price while also helping out a pup a little less fortunate, seriously though, who's dog doesn't need a bed in every room?

Show your support on kickstarter, dendogbeds or follow on instagram!

Minimalism is a beautiful thing, not much to say about this one except I love the possibilities and the almost non-existent footprint.

The Clamp works by mounting the apparatus to the wall via two screws, like a standard mounted bracket. The genius of the design permits just about anything flat to then be mounted on the wall. The Clamp's instructions are straightforward, screw the Clamp to the wall, add in shelving or whatever is desired to be mounted, screw in the threaded minimalist rod until tight against the bottom of the mounted shelf, table, book or random flat thing. Just like a vice grip, the device pinches the mounted object between the clamp itself and a threaded rod that is tightened to satisfaction.

Check it out on kickstarter

This one is fresh to Kickstarter but a long time coming to anyone who has ever spent the day in and around the pool. You sit by the pool for a bit building up a sweat, or you float around a while until you are ready dunk yourself to get refreshed... But what about when you want to enjoy the pool and outdoors but you're just plain hot and don't want to be in the sun?

Enter Pool Buoy. We all love hanging in the pool in the summer with a nice cool drink and some excellent sunglasses. The pool Buoy allows you to stay in the pool, but put your drink down in a floating cup holder and hang in the refreshing shade, all without having to get out of the pool.

The set up and storage are simple and quick, what else do you need to know? If you have a pool, it is about time you take out your wallet and give your money to Mr. Jeremy Sloan, the Pool Buoy's creator.

Support/check out the Pool Buoy on kickstarter or on PoolBuoy

As a mechanical engineer who concentrated in energy and power systems, I LOVE seeing thermodynamic consumer products, heat powered products in particular are near and dear to my heart. Seeing the Egloo on indigogo immediately puts a smile on my face and here is why you should smile also.

Heating and Cooling makes up around 50% of ALL of the energy costs in America, I am not kidding. A heat source capable of operating off the grid on a few tea candles is a great product for many reasons, the cost of course is a good place to start. Considering natural gas, oil, and electricity availability as well as where you live make determining the cost of heating your home more complicated than most people dare to wonder about, but having a heat source capable of providing on demand radiant heat is pretty awesome. Cold home office or bathroom, maybe a dorm room or even apartment could benefit greatly from a little radiant heat.

I am not sure this becomes a mass market, big box retail 'appliance' at least not here in the states, but I definitely see it garnering a boutique and tribe following. YouTube, for example, is littered with upside down ceramic pot arrangements taking advantage of radiant candle heat. Honestly, it was about time someone turned it into an actual consumer level product. Bravo to the team at Egloo and good luck, I know there is already a community behind these alternative heating methods and I see a bright future ahead!

Check them out at indigogo or Egloo


Below I did some back of the envelope calculations on the heat energy stored in the wax (actually did it for a heat engine) but it still applies here and the efficiency is much better!

Science Ahead:

Energy available in the paraffin wax: 19k btu/lb
Average amount of wax in a tea candle: .6-1 oz
Translated to Imperial units: .0375 lbs (.6oz)
Energy per candle: 735 btus
Average burn time: 3-5 hr
Heat Rate: 185 Btu/hr
Power: 50 Watts
Price per candle: Approx 12 cents


So in summary, 4 candles per heater quadruples the above numbers. In this case, the energy from the flame is going to nearly 100% heat (tiny amount to light and possibly sound), which means this device is about efficient as any heater that is not a heat pump (the only way to get above 100% efficiency). It follows a single egloo is about equivalent to a 200 Watt heater and costs 48 cents to run for 5 hours (about 9.6 cents per hour). So looks like Egloo's math checks out, for about 10 cents an hour you can warm your hands or heat a small room a little bit, but not cook meat (inside joke from the indigogo video).