ICE

With the recent rash of cold weather across the country, a new ice scraper would have come in handy in more than one location. Better late than never, the Rosendahl Ice Scraper is a surprisingly stylish way to get into your car after a storm. It features hard plastic for chipping through ice and moving piles of snow on one side, while the other side is made of soft rubber to allow you to easily defog windows. Designer Eric Baggers worked with physical therapists to ensure that the scraper would be easy to handle and cause no strain to hand, arm or shoulder during use. Price: $29.

[via core77]

What child wouldn't love to have an ice skating rink in the back yard? Hammacher Schlemmer has a 37-foot portable ice rink that can be set up anywhere and is perfect for practicing for winter sports or just skating for fun. The frame keeps the water in the rink even if the temperatures get too high to sustain the ice, ensuring it will be ready to go whenever the weather gets cold, and the rigid PVC at the bottom protects the rink from skate damage if the ice gets too thin.

If only I had had one of these to put in the yard growing up! Actually, it wouldn't have helped me to become a more accomplished figure skater because, portable though it is, it still needs to be below freezing to properly form the 2.5-inch thick ice layer and that is something you can't necessarily count on in most of California. Price: $700.

This set of frosted glasses (4) and matching ice bucket looks to have been carved from ice, and although they were not, that is the only way that they could be more environmentally friendly than they are. The glass is recycled and is processed with an electric furnace powered with wind energy. Designed by Andi Kovel, the pieces are all handmade in Portland. Price: $987

It's a stone, it's an egg, it's... actually a sort of metal ice cube designed to chill your drinks without the diluting effect that ice has. The Piet Hein Drink Cooler is made of seamless stainless steel and has a liquid core, which hardens when the egg is frozen and allows the cooler to actually cool your drink. They are no larger than ordinary ice cubes, so the only potential downside is that you might have to pay a bit more attention to what you're doing when you toss ice into glasses. Price: $31 each.

[via Uncrate]

Considerably safer than any real one you might find floating in a fog bank in the North Atlantic, BloggingBaby cited this Inflatable Iceberg as one of the best pool toys you can have. The iceberg measures 20' x 14' x 14' and is made of commercial grade PVC, with commercial grade valves that allow for relatively quick deflation and long-lasting inflation, though an electric pump is recommended. Once side has a 14' climbing wall, while the other offers a smooth slide down to the water. There are only two drawbacks. First, the iceberg takes up the majority of most non-olympic pools and prevents the pool cover from fitting properly. Second, the bikini girls are not included. Price: $6,000.

Is it already time to start thinking about holiday entertaining? It must be, since retailers are well on their way through fall and into winter goods. The Mauviel Copper Champagne Bowl would make a fantastic presentation at just about any party from now through New Year's. It is a 15 3/4"x8" unlined copper bowl that is meant to be used to chill bottles of champagne or wine for serving. The outside of the bowl, as well as the base, is finished with a clear, protective varnish to preserve the shine of the copper and the bronze handles on either end make it easy to transport. The bowl can hold up to 6 bottles of wine with ease. Price: $299.

While the Cool Ice Jewels are a nice touch of icy bling for drinks, sometimes something a bit larger is needed to really add flash to a party. Ice sculptures are nice, but they take lots of planning. It's so much easier just to make one at home using an ice mold. Simply fill up the mold and use it as a centerpiece, filled with candles or flowers, or as a serving bowl for fruits and ice creams. Just like a full-blown ice sculpture, it will catch the eyes of all your guests, like a giant diamond on the table. Use food colorings to add jewel-like colors to the tablescape, or freeze flowers or fruits right into the mold. Price: $29.99.

Bagged ice is the norm for parties, if for no other reason than it is convenient. But not only do the bags not look particularly stylish, but the ice is nothing to write home about either. The "cubes" are more like chips and melt too quickly into the drink. The point of all this is that it is much more satisfying to have one or two large cubes of ice that will melt slowly - and it doesn't hurt if they look fantastic in the glass, too. Form and function are the two selling points for the Cool Jewels Ice Tray ($8.95) from Z Gallerie.

I wouldn't hesitate to add a few drops of food coloring to enhance the jewel shapes of the ice, but looking like giant, clear diamonds doesn't sound too bad, either.

[via productdose]