I don't need an iPhone. I'm not into flat-panel TVs or fancy hi-fi sound systems. My iPod is an old "black and white" scratched model, and I had to replace the headphones because my toddler flushed the old ones down the toilet. I'm not much of a gadget freak, but there are some toys I can't do without. Primarily kitchen utensils, vintage tin boxes, maps and the contents of my tool box. I have a thing for hardware paraphernalia, yes. I waltz into a hardware store and have diffculty leaving empty-handed. I once bought a cordless drill set and a paint stripper, and the guys at the cash register thought I was either darkly sexy, or else a serial killer in dire need of disposing of a body; because they couldn't stop staring, mouths agape.

I have recently come across two very interesting items, while surfing the web. They are useful, fun and downright genius.

Anyone who has had to go through the feeding ritual with a baby or toddler knows how aggravating a fussy eater can be. You often have to resort to flights of fantasy (and literal ones too) just to get them to open their mouths.
So the first solution is get them an "Air Fork One," a fork shaped like an aeroplane that provides a much needed prop (no pun intended) for finicky eaters. Mealtime will become fun, feeders making jet noises and flying the load straight in.
The second genius idea tool I will be getting E. is a 3-piece cutlery set designed like construction vehicles. Each piece is shaped like some kind of cool digger, so the tot can have a ball excavating mashed potates, bulldozing peas or spearing carrots with a forklift.

E. will finally get to play with his food without being scolded. And mommy can relax, flying her own food over her maps.

How did I start? Survival. It all started with me sucking formula from a graded bottle. I then matured to stuffing handfuls of seafood risotto in my 2 year-old mouth, and now that I have grown into a skilled eater, I have reaped numerous satisfactions in the kitchen and generated a bad relationship with my scale. It reads oddly high numbers, especially after gastronomic epiphanies and wine tasting classes. I am a slave to my palate.
Why would I quit, you ask? As an enthusiast gourmand and proud glutton, I will never quit, whatever the midriff consequences. My addiction to the delectable governs me. I pledge my loyalty to the oyster and the tagliatella. I worship the simple tuber and the sophisticated truffle. I pay obeisance to the heirloom tomato, the noble garlic and complex extra virgin olive oil. I am one with the calamari and the bufala. My deep-burrowing Italian roots intertwine with the origins of my past-life Aztec adoration for chocolate. Unhindered, I stand by my vice, feeding its craving and honoring it exuberantly three times a day.