Del Monte's brand new Fruit Chillers line is sure to be a hit with both kids (and adults) this summer, even though it is a little on the cold side right now in most parts of the country. The Chillers are individual sorbet cups, but there are a couple of things that set them apart from the average individually portioned kids dessert. The first, and most important, thing is that they are made with real fruit purees, rather than concentrated juices that have artificial colorings and flavors added to them. In fact, there are no artificial flavors in them at all and they contain 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C (150% in the mango flavor) and 3/4 serving of fruit, based on the nutrition pyramid. The other interesting thing about these is that they are not found in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. They are packed sealed and unfrozen, so you can simply pop them in the freezer before you are ready to eat them. The Chillers are fat free and contain about 190 calories per 4.5-ounce serving.

We have seen a couple of interesting mugs in the past, but the design of this one really strikes a chord with me because I drink quite a bit of tea. This tea bag mug is designed with a pocket built right into it for your tea bag - a convenience when you prefer to use a sturdier mug for hot drinks in the evenings, rather than a cup and saucer. If you're not into tea, or brew yours with loose-leaf tea instead of bagged, you can put the pocket to use in other ways. It can be used to hold packets of sugar or sweeteners when serving to guests and can even hold a small cookie or two. But ultimately, this is a nice, large mug for a tea-lover and probably a must-have for those who really love Lipton or other bagged teas.

Although they are a little bit tacky, these "Undress me" mugs are still a fun idea to get your day started in the morning. No, it doesn't have anything to do with getting undresses. There are his and hers versions of the mugs available and each one has a naked man or woman on the inside which is revealed as you drink down your coffee. It's not going to give quite the same effect if you prefer lighter beverages, like tea, so you might want to stick with coffee, hot chocolate of a similarly dark beverage.

I'm not really sure which demographic they're targeting, but I suspect that there are a lot of college-age men and women who wouldn't mind having one at the breakfast table. And now that Folger's is targeting that demographic but seems to have renounced their claim to being the "best part of waking up," they have to have something to look forward to in the morning.

An alternative lifestyle deserves alternative dinnerware and the Piercing Collection of dinnerware certainly qualifies. Not only do the pieces feature black-and-white tattoo-inspired designs, but the cups and bowls are actually pierced with small metal rings. The overall look is edgy and getting dishes with tattoos or piercings is certainly easier (and probably cheaper) than doing either to your own body. The dishes were designed by Barbara Schmidt, are made in Germany and are dishwasher safe.

Only the mugs and bowls seem to be available right now and both are sold separately. You can buy several and make a matching set, or just use one mug at the office to surprise your coworkers. Just make sure there's a good coffee machine wherever you intended to use the mug because, due to the piercing, it cannot be put into the microwave.

After getting all that Pink tea from the Republic of Tea, it's probably a good idea to have something to drink it out of and, since we're already looking at a lot of pink-themed things for breast cancer awareness month, why not a pink ribbon cup, as well? While buying one tea cup at a time isn't the most practical way to outfit a kitchen, it's nice to be able to get one to support a cause. The Pink Ribbon Tea Cup is another product where a portion of the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and its connection to the charity extends beyond the color outside cup to the little pink ribbon within.

We think that a cup like this would make a great gift set when paired up with some favorite teas. The teas mentioned above would be a good choice, but other purveyors, including Adagio, will give you a wider range of tea options to choose from, although coffee is always an option, too.

The Lap Mug is a mug designed to nest easily and securely in your lap, so you can use it anywhere without needing a table nearby to set it on. The uniquely shaped base can even be used to wedge the mug in between couch cushions if you need to get up.

While the idea behind these cups is an interesting one, they just don't seem terribly useful for a variety of reasons. First, the mug still needs to be supported as it sits on your lap, so shifting to reposition yourself is out of the question, as is sitting in any way that doesn't keep your thighs close together. Second, the cup must be carried when you get up or move. It can only be set on a table or floor if it is mostly, if not entirely, empty. Finally, the designers seem to have forgotten that an ordinary mug can rest upon your lap quite easily, though it needs support to keep it in place, as well.

To celebrate their 35th anniversary, Starbucks is serving drinks from cups bearing their original logo for the month of September. The logo (top right) shows the Starbucks mermaid in full, complete with split tails and bare chest, unlike the more streamlined version that is usually seen in their stores.

BloggingBaby mentioned that a Seattle area school saw some problems with the more detailed logo. The principle or an elementary school in Kent, Washington has asked teachers to make sure that the logo on their coffee cups is completely covered up if they bring it into school. A spokeswoman said that the principle "thought that it could be distracting for students."

Some students, like one 12-year old, said that students would definitely talk about the logo if they noticed it and said that the rule was a good idea. Parents in the area largely thought it was unnecessary, especially considering the very small size of the logo on the cups, and commenters at BloggingBaby felt the same way. Schools, they felt, have bigger problems to worry about than an inch high drawing on a coffee cup that isn't particularly scandalous.

There are any number of reasons that someone might have unsteady hands, from sheer clumsiness to a serious medical problem, but among the many difficulties that could result from such an affliction, the inability to hold a cup steady is a serious one. Not only is there the risk of burns from hot liquids, but it is just purely inconvenient. A new device called DrinkSteady from HandSteady holds cups with a rotating rubber grip mounted within a plastic frame. Once the cup is in the gadget, the suspension between the grip and the outer frame actually holds the cup steady for someone to drink from, regardless of how their hand might shake. It works with mugs, cups and even wineglasses. DrinkSteady can also be used in cars, trains or airplanes - where outside turbulence might affect the steadiness of a cup.

The gadget won the 2006 Design for Disability Award, as well as several other honors, but will not be retailed for at least another year and the company is looking to make sure there is interest in the product (perhaps to reassure investors) before going forward with production. If you think it's a good idea, you might want to drop them a line and let them know.

And, if anyone has ever had the pleasure of watching Keeping Up Appearances, no doubt you know that Elizabeth, Hyacinth's neighbor, could certainly benefit from one of these.

Don't forget to stop by a Starbucks between 10-12 today, March 15th. If you didn't catch our notice last week, Starbucks is hosting a Coffee Break. Every Starbucks will be giving out free tall-sized, 12-ounce regular coffees to anyone who drops by.  This may not apply to Starbucks locations that are in supermarkets or bookstores, because they are not operated by the Starbucks corporation, but licensed to the stores they are located in - so make sure you are at a regular Starbucks location. If you are nice to the baristas, they may even have some samples of their favorite pastries to pass out!

I would like to thank Hershey's for finally deciding that filled Kisses were a good idea. Over the past year or so, they have released many varieties of the tiny treats, including Caramel and Dulce de Leche, in addition to special edition Kisses, which have included Cherry Cordial and the excellent Toffee and Almond. But I must say that the new Peanut Butter filled Kisses might just be the best of the bunch, particularly for peanut butter fans. The peanut butter is incredibly creamy, without being gooey or granular and overly sweet, as it is in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The ratio of chocolate to filling is just right and the size of the Kiss makes it perfect for grabbing by the handful for an afternoon treat. Overall, these are an exceptional variation of the original Kiss and I, for one, hope that Hershey’s keeps them around for a while.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]