I share the contents of my heart quite regularly in this space. Less so my bathroom and kitchen cupboards. In the new year (does January 26th still qualify as new?) however, I want to share some nifty things I’ve come across.  And then I’ll share something that makes my heart fill with joy.

The first is The Drain Claw, an uncommon gadget solution inspired by a common problem — clogged drains.  According to their site, it was developed by a real estate investor who wanted to unclog bath drains without the use of dangerous chemical drain openers. It’s little more than  bit of Velcro® attached to a long and snaky plastic coated wire. Simple, yeah, but did you think of it? Best of all, it works.

Wiggle The Drain Claw waaaayyyyyyyyyy down your drain and then slowly pull it back out. Voila!  All kinds of sludge that you don’t really want to think about has wrapped itself around the Claw’s Velcro® doo-dad.  Does it work in standing water?  Yep. And as a monthly maintenance gizmo, it’s a find.*

Moving to the kitchen now (wash your hands first!), there is the VeggiChop. I found this in my favorite catalog: Isabella. Remember the yoyos we used to play with? You pulled a string to set it spinning and singing? VeggiChop is kind of like that minus the music.

Place what’s to be chopped in the little chamber. Put on the lid, pull the big ring and send those fierce and frighteningly sharp little blades a-spinning. Voila! Veggies all chopped. Fingers safe. Just take exquisite care in washing this little gadget.*

Third on the list is the heart warmer — a book created by my good friend and artist Deborah Hecht in honor of her mother’s 90th birthday. Marjorie Hecht Simon is a watercolorist whose work is simply breathtaking. Still painting, Marjorie draws inspiration from life around her, from past travels with her dear husband of blessed memory, and from visual vignettes she composes with exquisite sensibilities.

Debbie scanned and arranged images from a lifetime of her mother’s paintings in a beautiful keepsake book as a gift to her talented mom. When I saw it I wanted a copy for my own. You might, too. The site isn’t set up to let you peek inside, but if you enjoy landscapes, flowers, interesting sill lifes and sweet children at play, you can order this retrospective book with confidence that from the first page to the last you will be sighing with pleasure and wonder.

And that’s it for my three hits for the new year! And if you have a gadget or gizmo that makes your life easier, let us know.

* Disclaimer: I have received no remuneration or samples of these products and accept no liability should they not perform as anticipated.