Spot Cool Stuff laments the general direction children’s toys have taken away from requiring imagination. Surely, part of the issue has been the proliferation of online gaming websites aimed at kids.
But if websites have been part of the problem maybe they can be part of the solution? That’s the idea behind the Israel-based start-up Shidonni.
Shidonni has a variety of fun, imagination-enhansing online games for children. Kids can draw animals, for example, upload the drawing to the Shindonni site, and then have their animal creation roam around the virtual Shindonni world for others users to see.
And here’s our favorite part: On Shidonni you can take a child’s drawing of an imaginary creature and then turn it into a real life stuffed animal!
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Browsing through the items on Light In The Box might not be quite the adventure and bargain offered by markets in China. But it isn't far off.
If you’ve traveled to China and been to an electronics or fashion market there chances are you’ve been struck by two facts:
1) How cheap the prices are (relative to North America and Europe); and
2) How many products are available there that aren’t in your home country.
To take advantage of these facts you could travel to China with extra room in your suitcase. Or, you could shop at what might be Spot Cool Stuff’s single favorite online store: Light In The Box.
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House remodeling and decoration has been part of owning a home for as long as there have been homes to own. (Even back in the caveman days we can imagine Mrs. Caveman working to remodel the fire pit area while Mr. Caveman sought to improve his spear storage area.) In today’s real estate market fixing up a current home is an especially desirable option when compared to the difficulties of selling your house and buying a new one.
Here are our favorite websites for finding a contractor, finding home remodeling inspiration and finding new home furnishings:
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Almost everyone knows Amazon.com for its bargain deals on books and electronics. Amazon is also a good source for discount groceries. We like their DRM-free MP3 store (even more than iTunes). And we love their Amazon Kindle. But Amazon also has a surprisingly large selection items that defy categorization, from the odd to the downright wacky.
Here’s our look at some of the weirdest items for sale on Amazon and the solution they provide to some of life’s most common problems:
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You might already know about The Onion’s clever and hilarious fake news stories. Their website and magazine runs spoof articles with headlines like Local Woman Devotes Life To Doing God’s Busy Work and Area Grandmother Tries Indian Food. But you probably didn’t know that The Onion has an online store with equally funny products including an array of t-shits, gag gift boxes and anthology books of Onion satire. Get your “Cheat To Win” yellow bracelet or “Stop Staring At My Tote” tote bag.
GO TO THE SITE (free shipping on orders of $50 or more through this link)
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You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to obtain a good bottle of wine. But at most stores you do need to know a lot—or at least engage in a lot of trail and error—to be able to distinguish the value vintages from the glorified bottles of grape fruit juice. Not so at the Wine Legacy. They’ve pretested all the wines they carry to insure each is a work of quality. (We’d like to know where we can apply for that job). So all you need do is choose the grape type, region or price you’d like, read the detailed description of the bottles the Wine Legacy suggests and order the one(s) that fit your fancy knowing that you can’t make a bad choice at this win store. Cheers!
GO TO THE SITE
Your mother always told you that homemade gifts were the most special. But she probably didn’t specify whose home they had to be made in. So if you aren’t handy, or are short on time, Etsy is the perfect place to purchase that special gift. Or, if you are handy and long on time, Etsy is the perfect place to sell that special gift.
Etsy is a bit like eBay in that it connects buyers and sellers. Except Etsy only deals in handmade crafts and vintage objects. And the goods for sale here have a lot more style than most of those on eBay. And the user interface is much more friendly. Even if you don’t want to buy anything it is worth checking Etsy out for an example of how good an online store can be. Search for artworks by color, through a time machine of items other Etsy shoppers have perused, find a home manufacturer by location, or request to have an item handmade especially for you!
As good as many of the crafts on Etsy are, the best part of this website might be its community spirit. Registered Etsy users can communicate through chats, forums and emails, team up on group projects, even take part in online workshops and classes. Many people have made friends—and more than a few have found a spouse—through this site. You might come to Etsy looking for that special gift but come away with a whole lot more.
GO TO THE SITE
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The problem with buying clothes online: it is hard to know what will fit without trying it on. This is especially true for women who are relegated to choosing between a handful of clothing sizes. To the rescue comes My Shape, a woman’s apparel store where you can shop by shape not size. Site visitors can choose between one of seven body shapes and then shop from there. Or use their cool personal shopper, which asks questions about your style and budget, gets your exact measurements, and then recommends outfits that will fit your taste as well as your body.
GO TO THE SITE
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