The Nail Clippers.

I enjoy a tidy, short, and well-manicured fingernail - it makes playing stringed instruments easier, typing on a keyboard less annoying, and to me, looks better. Long has it been since my convenience-store nail clippers have shoddily clipped my nails, leaving sharp angles that have to be filed down, followed by hangnails a few days later. And I've always complained about them, while doing nothing about it.

Klhip to the rescue!

I got an awesome surprise present in the mail from my sister-in-law (thanks Lisa!), which had the aptly-named "Ultimate Clipper" from Klhip inside.

Made in USA out of stainless steel, this little clipper will undoubtedly last a lifetime (and is warrantied as such), and if it wasn't weird to call nail clippers a family heirloom, these would totally be in my will, cause they're that awesome and will last for that long.

Klhip has won a bunch of design awards, both as a product and as a company, however what I really care about is how this little guy clips m'claws - and boy, does it. The "backwards" lever is actually the way it should be, as it provides pressure right over your nail. That makes the sharp blade's work even easier and the cuts all the more smooth and clean - thus making filing all the less necessary... which is almost a bummer, because I like filing my nails.

They fold up to be pretty compact, and come with a handy awesome tin or a superfluous leather sleeve (sorry, vegan habit to bash the leather).

I only hope Klhip comes out with a bigger toenail clipper soon, as my toenails are already jealous of their fingerly friends!

The Cat Fountain

First, let's get some things out in the open: if you don't like cats, stop reading this, and go have some alone time, and think about things. Cats are small and fuzzy, and like to snuggle, and quiet, and like to play, and loyal and smart. And also, there is Maru. I love me some canine companionship too, so don't get all "there's two types of people in this world: dog people and cat people" on me, cause that's not true. Once upon a time, I thought it was, but through a series of happenstances, I became a cat owner, and since then a double-cat owner and I now realize the truth: there are two types of people in this world: pet people and lame people, and that is that.

Ok, moving on...

Our cat fountain finally went bad. It served us for many years, but the cheap pump finally died, and just in time, as it got grungy even between regular cleanings and it never looked as good as the day I got it. So out I went on the search for a new cat fountain. My go-to source for everything awesome (Etsy) led me to Thirsty Cat Fountains, owned by Keith and Jackie Davitt, out of New York. They're all hand-made, one-of-a-kind ceramic cat fountains, with a cool cord that comes out the side of the fountain (instead of dangling over the edge), and completely safe and sanitary.

Not only do their fountains look great and work really well, but most importantly, our two cats absolutely love drinking from them. The water pump is adjustable, so we usually have ours on a low and quiet "bubble", but for the photo, I decided to put on the supplied copper spout to give it more of a proper "fountainy" kind of look.

These fountains are so much easier to clean than anything else on the market: three simple pieces... the ceramic bowl, the ceramic pump hide, and the pump. And filling it up couldn't be easier - just pour water into it - done! No inverted bottle or weird plastic hard-to-clean reservoir here - just a simple bowl, with water in it.

Pros:
- They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, to fit your feline's tastes in decor.
- They're handmade in the USA by two awesome and friendly pet people.
- They look way better than any and every other cat fountain out there.
- They sound like a peaceful mini waterfall.
- Cats love drinking out of it!

Cons:
- You thought there were going to be cons? Nope. Sorry... these are 100% Pros.

If you have a stale old bowl of water for your cats, buy a Thirsty Cat Fountain, and watch how much more your cat(s) will enjoy drinking fresh circulating water. And if you have a plastic water fountain that is a pain to clean, possibly contains icky BPA, and looks less than awesome, buy a Thirsty Cat Fountain, and watch how much better you'll feel about yourself.