Buying fresh herbs can get expensive rather quickly, but when it comes to freshness of flavor, there really is no compromise. Growing your own herbs is a great way to maximize savings, but if you lack a green thumb (or don’t lack overzealous cats), getting the little sproutlings to grow up nice and tasty can be a difficulty. Any way you harvest your herbs (at the store or in the garden), you are going to need a way to store them.

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We are in the eye of the leftover hurricane right now. With the turkey and cranberries finally absent from the dark recesses of the fridge, suspect foods in various states of freshness have finally become a thing of the past. But then, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the fridge, along comes more feasting.

The Swing Out Fridge Tray exposes those dark corners and does indeed make it safe again for the midnight munchies. With a revolving disc that slides out away from the base, the fridge tray gives easy access to whatever may be lurking in the back of the fridge. Employ this handy kitchen gadget and you’ll save yourself from any plastic-wrap or tinfoil surprises that may be uncovered some time in late January.

This is either a great idea or a horrible one… probably a horrible one. A platter of food at your side while driving can only be a distraction, and considering some of the drivers out there, that cannot be a good thing. However, we all know nobody is pulling over to safely eat a fast food meal anyways, so you gotta put those fries somewhere (before they stick to your insides). Might as well be the Car Swivel Tray. Except, the fact that it takes over the cup holder seems more than a bit dicey. Sure, it features a “non-skid surface”, but that’s not gonna hold back your super-sized cola when you slam on your non-skid brakes. Now I know cola all over your jeans is a distraction–driving or not.

Feeding your child with the tried and true ‘airplane’ method is all fine and good (it is tried and true for a reason), but for serious food fun it may be time to think of a more grounded approach. The Child Puzzle Tray by Wendy Boudewijns for Royalvkb practically guarantees your kid will be distracted at feeding time. Considering children and how they generally feel about their veggies, that’s probably a good thing. Plus, it all just fits together so nicely when done. Available at Unica for $66; no ‘vroom’ sounds included or needed.

It’s not an artist’s palette, but after using this you can pretend you are one. Developed by a restaurant in Japan, the Stemglass Tray allows for easy carrying of up to seven wine glasses at a time. Complete with thumbhole for easy steadying, the wine tray encourages responsible drinking; it looks as if one gets too tipsy the whole thing comes crashing down.

Of course, this is designed for restaurant use, so there should be no problem with the waiters drinking on the job, since they’re all starving artists anyways. I’m sure they’re getting their drink on when attacking the canvas after work. Oh wait, waiters are often struggling actors, right? We might have a problem then.

(Boing Boing via TokyoMango)

Most likely your kitchen sink top has various soaps, scrubbers and sponges standing by ready to do their duty. There’s no escaping it; you need these items to maintain a kitchen. However, there is no reason why these little pieces of choredom have to constantly stand guard, openly mocking you and your sink full of dirty dishes. If you’re not going to get to those dishes until “later”, then you might as well hide away the cleaning implements too.

The Sink Front Tip-Out Trays conveniently transform those false drawers under your sink into handy storage space. Available in either 11-inch or 14-inch sizes, each set includes a tray and mounting hardware. Simply remove the false front and install with the included hinges. With the cleaning supplies now safely out of sight, it will be that much easier to procrastinate about last night’s pile of dirty dishes.

(Via Book of Joe)