Most of the time when I eat ice cream, I eat it straight out of the container with an iced tea spoon. This habit totally wigged my first boyfriend out and he always insisted that I scoop what I wanted out of the carton and into a bowl. After he moved out, I reverted to my old habits, cozily wrapping a folded kitchen towel around the container as an insulating handle. I come by this particular tendency honestly, as that's just the way we always did it in my house while I was growing. It's akin to the how my mom's family used to eat cheesecake when she was growing up. Her mom would plunk a frozen cake down on the kitchen table and everyone would sit around it with forks, picking at the defrosting edges.

However times are changing. I need to worry about things like portion control. One thing might make using a bowl for my ice cream a little more appealing is this specially designed, insulated ice cream bowl from Zak! Designs. Brightly colored for maximum allure, it keeps your dessert cold while protecting your hands from getting chilly.

via Turkey Hill

Do you take reusable shopping bags with you when you do your grocery shopping? The first step is to start keeping the bags in the trunk of your car. Eventually, even if you forget that they're there for the first few times, you'll gradually get into the habit of bringing them into the store with you. Some grocers will give their shoppers a discount for bringing in their own bags, but even if they don't, you'll probably get the warm and fuzzy feeling of self-satisfaction from helping the environment.

Once you're in the habit of bringing in canvas bags, it shouldn't be much of a stretch to add a cooler bag to your collection, which will keep frozen foods, fresh produce and refrigerated products protected from the heat of the car - an especially useful feature for a hot summer day or any time that you have a long commute. This particular insulated bag is helpfully labeled, and has sturdy wooden handles that make it easy to carry.

Far above a paper bag in terms of design and functionality and probably much cooler than anything you carried while in school, the Lunch Tote from Built NY might just be the ultimate lunch bag. The two-compartment tote is made of neoprene rubber and is fully insulated to keep both hot and cold foods for hours at a time. The smaller compartment is designed as a drink holder, so it is ideal for a water bottle, thermos or a canned drink. When it is fully unzipped, it can act as a placemat, which is useful if you don't know what's been on that table before you or if you simply prefer to set your food out neatly when eating. Because it is flexible, not only can it hold just about any size of container, but it can be stored flat or rolled up when empty. On top of that, it is also machine washable, which makes for easy cleaning. Is there anything not to like?

These insulated six-pack holders are perfect for road trips. Unlike a cooler or ice chest, they take up no trunk space, but still keep drinks nice and cold. They'll retain heat for hot drinks, too, but I can't think of too many bottled hot drinks that you'd want to carry around. The totes ($20) can hold both bottles and cans, since the neoprene pockets are stretchy, and the ergonomic handle makes the holders to carry if you want to take it to a ballgame or on a hike.

But I'm sure you don't need my suggestions to come up with places that you'd like to take a six-pack to, right?