Welcome to #WeWant, a weekly selection of the stuff OnMilwaukee.com editors and staffers love.
Wash it: Scrubba Wash Bag
If you’re like me, you always find yourself one pair of socks, underwear or T-shirt short on a trip. Sometimes short all of those. Attempting to wash your clothes in the sink is messy and time-consuming; a better solution is the Scrubba Wash Bag, which also doubles as a very nice dry bag. The concept isn’t newfangled, but the implementation is. You throw a few garments into the bag, then add a bit of laundry soap and water to the pre-determined lines, let out the air, then scrub. The plastic nodules on the inside of the tough microbial TPU rubber bag serve as a washboard, and if you do it right, you’ll have clean clothes in less than three minutes. Of course, you can do it wrong, too: on my first try, I packed in too many clothes, and the deflation nozzle needs to be squeezed just so in order to get it flat. Rinsing and drying are extra tasks, too, so the Scrubba works better in a hotel room where you have clean running water than, say, at a camp site. At $55, it’s not cheap, but the dry bag for storage makes it a good investment for frequent travelers. It packs up very small, weighs only 5 ounces and dries quickly. What’s not to like? -- Andy Tarnoff
Eat 'em: Shotcaller and Word. organic candy bars
You have to admit it, a lot of "organic" branded treats seem more like penance than pleasure, but not so these two candy bars from Legit Organics. While they're not branded as such, Shotcaller -- with peanuts, caramel and nougat, covered in milk chocolate -- is rather like Snickers, and Word. -- chocolate, caramel and nougat -- is a twist on a Three Musketeers (which doesn't have caramel). And, in fact, these organic versions with no hydrogenated oil, no artificial ingredients and no GMO ingredients, are just as tasty. The only problem is after I eat one, I immediately want another and that's no good for my waistline. -- Bobby Tanzilo
Read it: "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler
Here’s one thing that you should know about me: I love Amy Poehler -- not in a creepy, stalkerish way, of course. I mean, what’s not to love? From her waffle-loving, driven goofball role as Leslie Knope in the tremendous NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation" to her deliriously funny bits on "Saturday Night Live," she is quite a comedic force. Now, she has written a book titled "Yes Please," which had just hit the bookshelves last week. The book is a varied collection of stories, poetry, photographs, lists and advice. With chapters titled "Plain Girl Versus The Demon," "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," and "The Robots Will Kill Us All," I’d only expect this to be zany, but also full of hilariousness and heart. I’m excited to start reading this … if and only when I’m not buried in homework. -- Colton Dunham
Mill with it: Microplane Herb Mill
I am somewhat obsessed with kitchen utensils and gadgets. So, this herb mill is right up my alley -- and I must have it. I go to TJ Maxx and wander down the kitchen aisle wanting all of it. A simple twist of the wrist -- and you have chopped herbs? I'm going to try this baby out for sure. -- Carolynn Buser
Open with it: Jac Zagoory skull opener
"The skull to me is reminder to live life! The skull admonish the walking dead (those unconsciously walking through and past their true desires in life) to wake up and take responsibility, have gratitude and gusto for the gift of the here and now (the only time on this beautiful earth that we are truly guaranteed), which is aptly called the PRESENT" - Jac Zagoory Designer.
This beautiful piece of craftsmanship is the perfect functional conversation piece. I was given the opportunity to demo it Halloween weekend (perfect since they're skulls). I haven't had the need for a bottle opener for the past 5-plus years as my tungsten wedding band (to the dismay) of my wife has served as the perfect bottle opener. So when I got the chance to use this creation of Jac Zagoory -- I jumped at the opportunity.
The opener skull sits on a post and swivels. This created a bit of a learning curve to perfect the opening technique. It took a six-pack before I figured it out. This is a piece of art, so It's not something I'm going to carry around, but it definitely has a place on my bar. My ring has gotten a lot less "work" since I brought this opener home (to the delight of my wife). -- Brandon Kelly
Take it everywhere: Droid Turbo
I hate to say it, but it's time to replace my Galaxy Nexus. I was offered a chance to test drive Verizon's new Droid Turbo for a weekend and just like that I have a new #wewant. My main issues with the Galaxy Nexus are battery life and photo quality. As it happens, these are the Turbo's greatest assets.
The battery boasts a 48-hour life under normal use. I got about 38 with periods of very heavy use: streaming video, music, keeping the screen on (and on max brightness), and working through the phone's hotspot. When the battery runs low, the Droid Turbo comes through with a turbo charge, giving you eight hours of life with just a 15-minute charge. The camera is a silly 21-megapixels and captures 4K video, which blows my phone (and just about anyone else's) right out of the water. I found the camera to be very responsive and was able to keep up high quality photos quickly, even with the rapid shutter option going.
I don't replace my phone often, so the Kevlar/Gorilla Glass build is a big plus, as well. This is the first phone I've looked at as a serious replacement, and I think I'm going to have a hard time finding one to top it. -- Nick Barth