February 2012

goodstuff By Jeanette Der Bedrosian

Easy Energy-Savers

Did your last heating bill give you the chills? Belkin has some great products to help your family save energy, which is great for both the environment and your wallet. The Conserve Socket, $10, lets you choose a time interval and cuts power after the timer expires—perfect for space heaters and lesser-used lamps. The Conserve Smart AV, $30, is designed to handle all those TV hook-ups. The power strip detects when you turn the TV off, and it automatically turns off DVD players, game consoles and whatever else you have connected. belkin.com

PakNaks

Spruce up your child's backpack, lunchbox, headband and more with PakNaks, soft, rubbery 3-D decorations to personalize just about anything! Kids will love adding some flair to their school supplies, and parents will love the price. Each PakNak is just $4 and comes with adhesive and Velcro to enable mixing and matching styles. paknak.com

Up and Away and Out of Sight

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds families and caregivers to store medication and vitamins “up and away and out of sight.” Every year, more than 60,000 young children go to the emergency room after getting into medicines while an adult was not looking. The CDC hopes that by educating parents and caregivers, they can bring that number closer to zero. For a list of medicine storage tips, visit cdc.gov/features/medicationstorage/.

Twilight Turtle

Little ones will adore dozing off beside Cloud B Twilight Turtle and the starry night sky it projects. The night light's shell illuminates in three colors and transmits eight major constellations onto the ceiling, all while teaching children about endangered animals. The light operates on a 45-minute sleep timer, ensuring you don't run down the battery. $33 at cloudb.com.

A Penny Saved

Stash away lunch money, allowance or loose change from between the couch cushions in style. We're gaga for these kimono coin purses from the Textile Museum Shop. They're perfect for tossing into backpacks—or maybe even your own purse. If this style doesn't catch your eye, the shop also stocks a leather dragon coin purse that's sure to please. $10 – $16 at textilemuseumshop.org.