Sometimes a little hot or cold in the right place is all you need. I’ve wanted one of these since I was a kid and saw Olive Oyl (you know, Popeye’s girlfriend) use one to cool her feverish head on Saturday morning cartoons. I had no idea they’d turn out to be as practical as they are nifty – and much more stylish than Miss Oyl’s model.
Retro Ice Bags from Gal Pal retail for around $16 at www.gal-pal.com. The latex-free rubberized fabric bags hold 16 ounces of ice and water, or hot water from the tap. They have a wide mouth so they’re easy to fill, and a water-tight cap.
If you’ve got a headache, sinus pain, cramps or you klonked your shin against the desk drawer again, they’re way less trouble than an ice-filled baggie (plus you don’t need to wrap them in a towel) and lots easier than those hot packs you have to warm in the microwave.
Being re-useable makes them totally eco, and the comfy fabric prints – with everything from martinis and polka dots for moms to zoo animals and rubber ducks for kids – make them a nice cheer-up when you’re not feeling your best. Yes, you could take easy-swallow-coated ibuprofen tablets or use a high-tech gel pack that self-cools, but sometimes less is more.