Made Us Look: A Pen That Doodles Working Circuits

Wouldn’t middle school have been a lot cooler if our gelly roller pens could have made our notebooks light up? A whole generation may now have electrifying doodles with these Circuit Scribe Pens.

https://youtu.be/f2yp-Ee99Lk

Created by ElectronInks Incorporated out of lab of Professor Jennifer Lewis’ lab at the University of Illinois. These pens currently use the shells of Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Pens (yes, the same ones that decorated countless notebooks with names, kitty drawings, and emoticons before emoticons existed) to easily draw and doodle using their special electricity conducting ink.

The end result is a working electrical circuit on a plain old piece of paper! That means making a simple circuit just got a whole lot easier and requires far fewer wires and boxy pieces of specialty equipment.

The ink in the prototype pens is non-toxic, water-based, and silver in color. Each gelly roll pen is cleaned by hand before the special prototype ink is added to it and pushed to the tip using compressed air.

The truly special thing about Circuit Scribe is how easy it is to use. For the maker using it, it’s just like writing with a pen! And with their Kickstarter you also get the chance to have their reusable magnetic circuit parts and a special notebook. Oh and be sure to check out their illuminating “circuit stickers“!

Care to know how this spectacular ink is made? Check out this video!

Can you imagine all of the great projects you could use this for? Not to mention how useful this would be in classrooms to make the concepts of circuitry accessible. What would you use this for?

Listen up, coffee lovers! If running out of K-cups is enough to derail your morning routine, allow us to introduce you to a solution that’ll ensure you’re stocked with with the stuff 24/7. It’s called the WePlenish Java Smart Container, it’s launching today on Kickstarter, and we’re pretty sure it’s the coolest thing to happen to coffee since the Keurig.

WePlenish may look like any other coffee pod container, but it’s actually a smart vessel that orders K-cups/Nespresso pods and has them mailed to your door before you ever run out. Essentially, it’s like asking your roomie to grab some coffee at the store — without the whole asking part.

Instead, the system relies on sensors, an app, and Amazon: The container senses when supplies are running low, the sensors communicate with the app, and the app re-orders your fave coffee capsules from Amazon Dash Replenishment (a service similar to Amazon Prime). What’s more, the app saves your coffee preferences and uses the info to recommend personalized picks.

The gadget comes in either black or white and can be stored literally anywhere, thanks to it being battery-operated. We love how it looks sitting next to a coffee maker, but it’s ideal for tucking away neatly in the pantry, too.

You can snag the WePlenish Java Smart Container starting today for $40 at weplenish.com — or get the early-bird pricing at Kickstarter. Cheers to a lifetime of unbridled coffee consumption!

What do you think of the new WePlenish system? Let us know @BritandCo!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(Images via WePlenish)

Eating out as a vegan can be a true challenge, especially if you don’t exactly know that what you’re ordering is 100% vegan. Fast food faves like McDonald’s and Taco Bell are secretly packed with vegan items, and Starbucks is no exception. From oat milk coffees to satisfyingly savory snacks, you’ve actually got plenty of plant-based choices when you pull up at your local Starbucks.

Scroll on to explore every vegan Starbucks drink and food item you can add to your order!

Vegan Starbucks Drinks

Starbucks

1. Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado

This new-to-the-menu espresso drink combines brown sugar syrup and oat milk to balance out the punchy coffee notes.

Starbucks

2. Latte (Iced + Hot)

You can totally enjoy a latte at Starbucks if you're vegan. Their oat, almond, coconut, and soy milks are vegan, plus many of their syrups qualify as vegan, too, if you want to flavor up your drink. According to this Starbucks supervisor, all of Starbucks "clear" syrups are vegan and dairy-free. Starbucks' regular and white mocha sauces and caramel drizzle are also vegan and dairy-free.

Starbucks

3. Americano (Iced + Hot)

Starbucks' Americanos are just water and espresso, so you don't have to worry about any dairy being in there. Optionally, you could ask for a splash of non-dairy milk and pumps of your fave syrup.

Starbucks

4. Brewed Coffee (Iced + Hot)

Same goes for their brewed coffees, including iced coffee. Easily ask your barista to add in some non-dairy milk and a few pumps of syrup if you desire!

Starbucks

5. Nondairy Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

This vegan cold brew drink is crafted with non-dairy cold foam that's flavored with salted caramel – and it's delish!

Starbucks

6. Nitro Cold Brew

A plain nitro cold brew from Starbucks is fully vegan and dairy-free. You can choose to add a splash of non-dairy milk, if you wish your sip to be a bit smoother and creamier.

Starbucks

7. Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

This one's a classic: shots of espresso get shaken up with ice and brown sugar syrup to create a frothy foam, then the drink is topped off with oat milk to cut the bitterness. It's quite a delectable order, even if you're not eating fully vegan.

Starbucks

8. Starbucks Refreshers

All of Starbucks' fruity Refreshers are vegan. Plus, you can can add lemonade, tea, other flavor inclusions like strawberry and peach to add some extra oomph.

Starbucks

9. Iced Black Tea

Their refreshing iced black tea is certifiably vegan, too.

Starbucks

10. Iced Green Tea

If you prefer green tea, Starbucks' offering is vegan-friendly. If you tend to take your tea a bit sweeter, just order it with however many packets of your preferred sweetener, and your barista will add it in.

Starbucks

11. Lemonade

You truly can't go wrong with a lemonade!

Starbucks

12. Hot Teas

Starbucks' hot teas are totally vegan, too. If you want to make them fancier, ask for an additional splash of your go-to non-dairy milk!

Vegan Starbucks Foods

Starbucks

1. Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Now onto the food! First up is Starbucks' oatmeal, which you can fancy up with nuts, berries, and brown sugar. Make sure to order it with water to ensure it stays vegan.

Starbucks

2. Plain Bagel

Surprisingly, Starbucks' bagels are also vegan.

Starbucks

3. Everything Bagel

The plain and everything bagels will work for any vegan eater.

Starbucks

4. Avocado Spread

Plus, you can order your bagel with a side of this delicious avocado spread for a nutritious boost!

Starbucks

5. Spicy Falafel Pocket

This 100% vegan snack pocket is new to the Starbucks menu, but it's already become a fan-favorite amongst vegans and non-vegans alike.

Starbucks

6. Chipotle Almond Dip

You can order the Spicy Falafel Pocket with a side of this fully-vegan Chipotle Almond Dip (AKA Bitchin’ Sauce). Yum.

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Raise your hand if you love doing laundry. Anyone? If you’re like most of us, then anything that cuts down on your loads of wash is huge. That’s where our new favorite towels come in. Brooklyn-based Silvon is crowdfunding a new collection of towels that help eliminate bacteria so they stay fresh — and stink-free — for way longer.

The organic cotton towels (up on Kickstarter now) use silver to work their magic. Thanks to the precious metal’s antibacterial properties, bacteria cells are destroyed, keeping them off your body — and keeping that unmistakable musty smell away from your soft, clean towels.

Silvon’s towels aren’t totally magic. The company recommends washing them once every one to two weeks. That may or may not be more often than you wash them now, but Silvon says their product is proven to stay cleaner and better-smelling in the meantime.

You can choose from hand towels, face towels, bath towels, bath sheets, or a bath mat. Prices range from $29 for two face towels to $229 for a Super Set (two each of the bath towels, bath sheets, and hand and face towels, plus one bath mat). Silvon also has a line of silver-infused bed sheets ($130+) it successfully Kickstarted in June of 2016, if you want to lighten your laundry load even more.

While you can order the towels now, you won’t be able to get your hands (or other body parts) on them until February. Since people are clearly fascinated with the promise of these towels, Silvon has already blown past its $20,000 Kickstarter goal.

Want more scoop on home linens? Follow us on Pinterest!

(Photos via Silvon)

What is it about family sagas that seem to make book clubs more interesting? Maybe it's because we know interpersonal relationships can be a little dysfunctional. It could be that we still don't know how to communicate with the people we love the most. Even if we love our parents and siblings, reading about other families' fictional twists and turns gives us a rush of adrenaline.

So it's no wonder Jenna Bush Hager's January book club pick feels like something we can read without putting down. It's full of complicated relationship dynamics, love, and reconciling one's identity with their past. You can say it's the perfect read to kick off your 2025 reading goals!

Learn more about Jenna Bush Hager's 2025 book club pick and fall in love with one character's journey of self-discovery.

Amazon

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Penn should be excited about advancing her education at the University of Edinburgh, but she can't stop thinking about the secret her parents have been keeping from her. For some reason, she believes she'll uncover it while she's in Scotland because Lord Lennox — her father's friend — is in the area.

Her hunger for the truth leads her to Lord Lennox's estate where she she starts mingling with his family and even discovers love in this moving novel.

@readwithjenna/Instagram

Jenna Bush Hager's Thoughts About The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

Jenna Bush Hager thinks readers will love The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus because "it's a rich novel" with themes of "friendship and motherhood" (via Instagram). It's so good, she's sure "it will sweep you off your feet (via Instagram).

We hope you enjoy reading about Penn's journey in The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus and encourage you to check out Reese Witherspoon's January book club pick next!

Trader Joe’s loves to keep us on our toes when it comes to their new arrivals. We’re constantly monitoring the aisles to discover all the new TJ’s sweet treats and savory snacks they launch – and these 7 new picks for January 2025 are not to be missed! All of these Trader Joe’s products will run you less than $5, which only makes sealing the deal on your grocery bill easier.

From delicious dips to a very enticing new frozen meal, these are the 7 best new Trader Joe’s finds you absolutely need to try in January 2025.

Trader Joe's

1. Teensy Candy Bars

These tiny little candy bar bites ($2.99) resemble Snickers in the best way possible: layers of nougat, caramel, and peanuts are enveloped in a delicious chocolate coating for maximum snackage. We're gonna have to resist eating the whole bag! TJ's even suggests using these bits as decoration for other desserts, like sprinkling some on a scoop of ice cream or baking them into some cookies.

Trader Joe's

2. Olive Tapenade Hummus

Trader Joe's array of dips is simply too good to resist, and this newcomer hummus ($3.49) is no exception! It's a tub of "smooth and nutty" hummus topped with a tapenade comprised of black olives, manzanilla olives, capers, and olive oil to give it a salty effect. It's gonna taste so great as a dip for crackers or as a spread on a Mediterranean pita wrap.

Trader Joe's

3. Organic Concord Grape Jelly

This squeezable grape jelly ($3.49) is nothing short of nostalgic. Trader Joe's says it's "super smooth, joyously juicy, and potently purple," which immediately has us sold on making PB&Js every day now.

Trader Joe's

4. Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Oh, yeah. Bring on the spice with these spicy nuggs ($3.99) that make the perfect easy meal no matter the time of day! Made from all-natural chicken breast and rib meat, breaded with wheat, rice and corn flours, then covered in hot sauce and lightly fried, TJ's has their texture down to a tee. You can easily cook 'em in the air fryer, oven, or microwave before chowing down!

Trader Joe's

5. Crispy Potato & Poblano Pepper Tacos

These halved and fried frozen tacos ($4.99) will totally crush your Taco Bell cravings, since they come together super quickly and contain flavors with mind-blowing authenticity! Each taco is filled with a blend of seasoned mashed potatoes and some "ever-so- slightly spicy" poblano peppers that'll work so well with any dipping sauce, from TJ's salsa to their creamy Jalapeño Sauce.

Trader Joe's

6. Strawberry Mini Hold The Cone!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Trader Joe's is debuting a new flavor ($3.99) of their classic Hold The Cone! frozen dessert: strawberry! These tiny, chocolate-covered cones are lined with even more "rich" chocolate on the inside, then packed with strawberry ice cream, which TJ's says is crafted with plenty of strawberry purée.

Trader Joe's

7. Caesar Salad Dip

Trader Joe's shoppers have said this new Caesar Salad Dip ($3.69) makes a perfect girl dinner addition– which, if you get it, you get it! The tub starts with a "creamy" base that's then loaded up with Caesar-seasoned sour cream, mayo, anchovy paste, Parmesan, and finely shredded Romaine for the crunch. It's best enjoyed with crackers or veggie sticks to dip, but you could also smatter fried chicken or seared steak in it for some ahh-mazing flavor!

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