Problem-Solving Products

Do you forget your glasses or cell phone all the time? Do you try to make ice cubes, and wind up with ice chips?

For these and similar annoyances, you could use help offered on The Early Show Tuesday by Kris Connell of
Real Simple magazine.

She demonstrated several products that the magazine says make other products better.

CUPCAKE CARRIER, $15

PROBLEM: Cupcakes in transit can end up as upside-down cakes.
SOLUTION: Bake a dozen treats in the Oneida Cupcake Carrier's nonstick pan, then top it with an elevated tray that carries 12 more. Close the lock-tight lid, grab the built-in handle, and arrive with icing still on the cake.
TO BUY: Wal-Mart

JUICER, $18

PROBLEM: Too much squeezing for too little juice puts you in a sour mood.
SOLUTION: Slide the whole fruit (no halving necessary) on the Screwpull Citrus Juicer and you'll get every last drop. A strainer keeps out pesky seeds.
TO BUY: www.screwpull.com for store locations

ICE-CUBE TRAY, $10

PROBLEM: A tray full of ice can be tougher to crack than a Rubix Cube.
SOLUTION: The hard plastic Orka Freeze & Press Ice Cube Tray (available in six colors) has a soft side its silicone bottom makes it easy to pop out perfect oval cubes one at a time. To top it all off, the lid prevents spills on the trip from sink to freezer.
TO BUY: www.isinorthamerica.com

PICNIC TOTE, $28 to $36

PROBLEM: Juggling mismatched food containers leaves you feeling like a circus performer.
SOLUTION: Not merely pretty, Vivo Tiffin Boxes are made of durable melamine and lock together for easy, spill-proof transport and storage. No balancing act here.
TO BUY: Ellis & Co, 912-236-0111MESSAGE BEAN, $12

PROBLEM: You can't actually say it with flowers.
SOLUTION: Sprouting from the can it comes planted in, the Message Bean pops up in a week or two and bears a greeting like GOOD LUCK, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE or THANK YOU, which is laser-printed right on the bean. Odd at first, the little plants definitely grows on you.
TO BUY: www.spoonsisters.com

BIODEGRADABLE TRASH BAGS, $5 to $6 a roll

PROBLEM: Plastic bags caught in trees look trashy.
SOLUTION: Biobags are made of corn-based starches that degrade naturally, leaving no trace — or plastic polymers — behind. The packaging is compostable, too (because garbage shouldn't last forever).
TO BUY: www.drugstore.com

DOOR ORGANIZER, $15

PROBLEM: "Honey, have you seen my glasses?"
SOLUTION: The Doorganizer hangs on a doorknob so you can grab the essentials, like keys and phone, without having to depend on your memory. Also available in camel, orange and red.
TO BUY: www.containerstore.com

DOG-BONE TOOTHBRUSH, $12 to $20

PROBLEM: Scruffy has doggy breath.
SOLUTION: The Easy Brush has built-in bristles your dog can sink his teeth into, and it comes with its own paste. Chewing it can help remove plaque (but his teeth still needs cleanings from a vet). If only he'll sit still for a bath!
TO BUY: www.easybrush.com for store locations