5 Things We Love

Sleeves add color to beverage containers

Drinkware has a whole new look and feel with Lifefactory, which offers beverage containers in protective silicone sleeves. The brand’s baby bottles, wine glasses and water bottles — great for smoothies on the go — come in an array of fun, bright colors. Water bottles in 9- to 12-ounce sizes are $15 to $25 at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Down to Earth. Stemless 11- or 17-ounce wine glasses are $22 and $27 per pair at Whole Foods Market. Visit www.lifefactory.com. — Nina Wu

App targets drivers who text

You may not always be able to control your teenager, but you can control their smartphones and the family car. So if you have AT&T, don’t hand over the keys until your teen driver downloads the free DriveMode app, which curbs the temptation to text and drive. The free app automatically starts when the vehicle reaches 25 mph and turns off when the vehicle is stopped. If someone texts or calls while the app is on, an autoreply message is sent letting them know their friend is driving.

OK, you’re already thinking that tech-savvy teens will be able to thwart DriveMode, but the app tells parents when it is turned off while the car is moving. (And you can always suspend their phone service — trust me, it works.) Right now the app is available only for Android and BlackBerry devices; find it at Google Play and the AT&T AppCenter and BlackBerry AppWorld. — Christie Wilson

Goody Spin Pins inconspicuously secure your hair

I have spent too many years envying those dancer types who can twist, flip and twirl their hair into a perfect bun without pins or clips. My thick, wavy locks were simply not made that way. With Goody Spin Pins, Ican fake it. Itwist the spiral pins into my bun, and they disappear while holding my hair securely in place all day. The clips come in different sizes and dark and blond versions. Ihaven’t seen them for sale locally, but they are available on amazon.com, with prices starting at $5.83 for two pins. Look for them the next time you need an add-on item to push your order into the free Super Saver Shipping zone. —Donica Kaneshiro

Pair compile history’s ‘Worst Ideas’

Ever look at something –a product, a real estate development, a public figure’s bad behavior — and wonder, "What were they thinking?" Michael N. Smith and Eric Kasum take a broad-brush look at blunders, bad choices and unintended consequences with "100 of the Worst Ideas in History" (Source Books, $14.99). Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward was a bad idea that resulted in the deaths of more than 20 million people in China. Closer to home, Americans are still paying for the ill-advised decision to deregulate the financial industry and the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq. New Coke and lawn darts are examples of bad product ideas: New Coke was replaced by Coca-Cola Classic in three months, and lawn darts have been banned in the United States since 1988.

Whether you agree with Smith and Kasum or not, they share their picks in bite-size servings. A list of sources in the back has suggestions for additional reading. — John Berger

Leave soggy cereal behind forever

Are you one of those people who hates it when your cereal gets soggy? If so, Obol offers the Never Soggy Cereal Bowl and Matching Spoon. The split-level bowl has separate compartments for milk and cereal. A barrier ensures the two will never meet until the eater is ready to put a spoonful of cereal into the milk. The dishwasher-safe, easy-to-hold bowl also can be used for other go-together items like milk and cookies, soup and crackers, and chips and salsa. Available at Brookstone for $19.99. — Michelle Ramos