Blog Posts by Daily Grommet

WBuy Toddy Gear microfiber screen cloths here.e spend so much of our day peering at screens -- smartphones, tablets, e-readers and TVs -- isn't it time we see that world more clearly? The Toddy smart cloth is a safe, stylish way to take the oily fingerprints, smudges and smears off your screens and lenses, without harsh liquid cleansers. It's double-sided, with a plush microfiber side for cleaning and buffing, and a silk microfiber side for polishing. Each Toddy cloth is also treated with an antimicrobial coating to resist bacterial growth that can lead to mold and mildew.

Todd Gabel, Toddy GearThe founder of Toddy Gear is entrepreneur Todd Gabel, who envisioned cloths that look as good as the cool gadgets they're keeping clean. The dapper prints and hip colors mean you'll never mistake your Toddy for some tired, old rag in a cleaning closet. These cloths look more like a part of your wardrobe (some guys even use them as pocket squares) than a cleaning accessory. That's just what Todd intended. After all, we invest a lot in our electronic

SkinnyShirt, Julie KalimianIf you love the classic look of a collared shirt under a sweater but you're not a fan of feeling uncomfortably bulky, you're going to be thrilled with Julie Kalimian's creation, dubbed the SkinnyShirt.

This ingenious shirt has a stretchy, knit body paired with a woven cotton collar. From the neckline up, the shirt appears to be a classic button-front collared shirt. But below the neckline, it's all about comfort. Imagine your favorite stretchy, comfy camisole -- that's how the SkinnyShirt feels. In fact, that's just how Julie came up with the first prototype for the SkinnyShirt. She asked her local tailor to merge one of her collared shirts and a camisole.

Skinny Shirt undershirt with collarThe idea really took off when Julie tapped into her network and connected with Alexandra Shuman, a designer at Michael Kors who helped take the SkinnyShirt from concept to closet. Julie achieved the smooth, slimming result she had envisioned. Paired with sweaters, dresses, jackets, tank tops and short-sleeve tops,

Sage, lavender, chamomile and coconut oil sound more like ingredients in a facial cream than a household cleaner, Better Life green, gluten-free, non toxic cleaning products. but that's the beauty of these incredible cleaners from Better Life. More than 99% of the ingredients used in Better Life's products are natural or derived from natural, renewable resources. There's nothing toxic. No sulfates, ethoxylates, petroleum-based ingredients, or volatile organic compounds.

Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs, Better Life You won't miss that stuff, that's for sure. Better Life's cleaners do the same job (even better, we found) as traditional products, but without the harsh ingredients. Founders Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs made sure no one has to sacrifice performance in order to get ingredients that are safe to use around children and pets. With their creative cleaners, you get it all.

Better Life has a cleaner for every mess. We love the witty names as much as the products themselves: What-EVER is an all-purpose cleaner; Better Life green, gluten-free, non toxic cleaning products. Even the Kitchen Sink gently scrubs and shines kitchen/bath

Zipbuds tangle resistant earbudsLife gets messy, but your headphones don't need to be. These earbuds put an end to the perpetual problem of tangled headphone cords, and they do it with a zippy design (literally).

Zipbuds tangle resistant earbuds What makes Zipbuds unique is the zipper-integrated cabling. Made from Kevlar braided nylon, the zipper is substantial enough to resist knots and strong enough to hold up to a heavy workout. When you're listening to music, you can unzip the cord to get more slack between the two earbuds or zip it up tighter for a snug fit. Zipbuds are designed to block peripheral noises while maximizing audio quality and minimizing harmonic distortion. Plus they come with three eartip sizes, so you can choose the fit that's right for you.

The creators are Erik Groset (whose great-grandfather invented the ice cream cone-making machine) and Robin DeFay (who spent five years as a professional poker player). The two childhood buddies started brainstorming about portable audio products while they were in college

Edie and Geo Johnston, Maine MedicinalsDid you know the elderberry has the highest concentration of antioxidants of any berry in the world? It's no surprise to Edie and Geo Johnston, who run the largest organic elderberry orchard in the U.S.

Anthoimmune Elderberry Syrup. The mother-son team founded Maine Medicinals with a mission to create plant-based medicines and herbal supplements from organic, sustainable sources. Today we're featuring their anthoimmune Elderberry Syrup, which combines elderberries, elderflowers and wild Maine blueberries (grown by Geo's sister Lindsay) to deliver a powerful antioxidant punch. The syrup is designed for everyday use, to promote immune strength and help fight flu symptoms. You can take it straight (elderberries taste a bit like figs) or add it to a beverage, such as tea or a smoothie.

The natural benefits of elderberries have been lauded for centuries. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, touted the health-giving Anthoimmune Elderberry Syrup.properties of elderberries back in the 5th century BC. With Edie and Geo's elderberry

Lifestyle Crafts' DIY letterpress machineImagine crisp, graphic impressions that are sunken into the fibers of thick paper and brought to life with vibrant inks. If the classic beauty of letterpress stirs your inner craft-lover, this Grommet's for you.

Michelle Rasmussen, Lifestyle Crafts. Lifestyle Crafts has made it possible to practice the art of letterpress at home, with its DIY kit. It has everything you need to print beautiful invitations, note cards, stationery and more. The tool that does the heavy lifting... er, heavy rolling... is the Epic 6, designed by Michelle Rasmussen. To create your custom projects, you roll inked printing plates through the Epic tool, which applies pressure to form impressions on the soft, thick letterpress paper.

Buy Lifestyle Crafts' DIY letterpress machine here.The Letterpress Combo Kit comes with the Epic 6 tool, plus die cutting tools, printing plates, packing mats (for controlling the depth of the letterpress impressions), inks and paper. You can also choose additional inks and themed sets of printing plates designed for occasions such as weddings,

Kate Castle Some cutting boards are all about form, acting as an attractive backdrop when you're serving tasty morsels. Others are all about function, designed to withstand sharp blades and discourage bacterial growth. Thanks to Kate Castle, who told us about today's Grommet, we've found some that do double duty.

Antibacterial wooden cutting boards. Prep cutting boards and cheese platters are beautifully rustic and thoroughly utilitarian. Each one is handmade in Australia from a solid piece of Camphor Laurel wood that has been air and kiln-dried and sealed with grape seed oil. There's nothing more to it -- no glues, dyes or anything artificial. Camphor Laurel is an ideal species for food preparation products because naturally occurring elements in the wood have been found to reduce bacterial and fungal growth and minimize cross-contamination risks.

Mick Zulpo, Prep Prep is a family business run by Mick Zulpo, an Australian expatriate who lives in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Mick's father, Peter, lives in Queensland, Australia, and

Most of us have a stash of old alkaline batteries just waiting to be recycled or, even worse, headed for a landfill. It's time to rethink and recharge.

Lou Lentine, Renu-it Lou Lentine, founder of Viatek, told us about a way to bring old alkaline batteries back to life, safely and without overheating or short-circuiting the cells. Lou explains that an alkaline battery can be renewed by cleaning the cells. The renewing process doesn't add anything to the batteries, but it works to improve the internal structure of the cell so you can keep using it, over and over again.

The Viatek Renu-It battery charger His smart charger is called the Renu-It Disposable Battery Regenerator. It can regenerate not only alkaline batteries but also nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) cells. The Deluxe model can handle five sizes (AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt).

It's a simple, convenient solution that's easy on the environment and easy on our wallets.

Buy the Viatek Renu-It battery charger here.

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