ever since I mentioned how my brother was disappointed with Band of Brothers, a few people have piped up about how frustrated they were with the packaging for the Sex and the City single season releases.

i don’t own the show so i can’t say for myself, but my reliable sources have vented about how the plastic digipak would break apart at the folds shortly after opening.

Amazon’s product pic of season 2 here:

well i can definitely see how this can fall apart, and even more so how annoying it can be, because there is no slipcase or any other support to hold it together in the event of breakage. apparently this has been happening for some time now, but it doesn’t seem like HBO is going to do anything about it. probably because they figure people are going to buy the fancy collector’s set. it’s bad form though.

This isn’t a new package, but still one of the most unique:

Toblerone, the famous swiss chocolate does a great job with their branding by keeping their packaging in the same iconic shape as their nougat filled candy. Not only is it elegant, but as an equilateral triangle it’s very compact and easy to ship and stack.

i’m very sensitive to scents, and definitely am one of those people that hate having perfume sprayed in my face when going through the cosmetic counters in stores. i do like smelling nice though, so i was really happy to find a scent i liked in solid form from L’Occitane:

what i like about it:

- i have a lot better control of how much to put on, and where, instead of spraying into the air and waving about.

- it’s less intense than dabbing liquid on.

- no more choking when i breathe in particles.

- no more risking bothering other people as this spreads far less than sprays. 

most importantly:

- it’s much easier to carry as it’s compact and won’t leak.

Nearly half a serving of water (Approx 4 fl oz, a single serving is 8) is neatly stored in these sealed cups on a flight from London.

Doesn’t it remind you of grade school days when you got a sealed plastic cup of apple or grape juice from the cafeteria? Do kids today still get those?

i always find same products in different packaging fascinating, it definitely says a world of things about different cultures and countries.

for instance, here’s two packages for the same type of cartridge from Nintendo’s Game Boy Advanced handheld system:

they are different games but the same physical product. on the left is the US package, and on the right is the Japanese package. there is a definite difference, and one isn’t better than the other, but i love how they are both very distinct from each other.

as a girl i do prefer the Japanese version and i like the slim look, but i have to say when it comes down to it, they both take up the same amount of room on my shelf.

can you guess what this is?

 

you can twist it off from the middle, and inside is…

lip balm! and it’s, you guessed it, apple flavored.

it’s actually very fun to carry around. and very tasty.

duanwu jie just passed a few weeks ago, it’s a Chinese holiday also known as the Dragon Boat festival.

during the festival the main food is zongzi, which is sticky rice stuffed with sweet or savory fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, tied and then steamed. the result is a fragrant, neatly wrapped meal full of tasty goodies.

zongzi with red bean filling

it’s also the perfect “bag lunch”, since everything is wrapped so neatly and self contained. you just heat it up, take it with you, untie, unwrap and eat. the rice is sticky but you use the leaves to avoid getting your hands dirty. when you’re done, throw away the leaves–they’re biodegradable!

of course zongzi isn’t the only kind of portable food in the world. there’s also tamales, banh te, and onigiri. do you know of any others?

*all photos courtesy of midtownlunch.com

the other day i finally decided to stop by the new midtown eatery that opened called CRISP. i have to say that during the time it was still under construction with only the sign outside installed, i would have sworn it was another salad joint. and interestingly enough, nowhere on any of its marketing materials, signage or website does it refer to what it really is: a falafel place.

unfortunately i did not take any photos (thus the shout out to Midtown Lunch–great blog btw), but the packaging for their sandwiches are interesting to say the least.

for one, they call their sandwiches “the handbag sandwich”, which is prepared and then sealed in a cardboard box with an orange tear tab in the middle. when you’re all snuggled up at your desk, the idea is to just pull the tab, lift off the top section and eat the sandwich holding the bottom section. which is helpful for people like me who are excellent at making a big mess.

going off on a slight tangent: the other interesting thing is their drink cups, which are made from “totally biodegradable” corn resin plastics. i’m marveling at this because it’s plastic. it’s durable. it’s corn. it’s hard to justify it now because the current economic troubles we’re facing now with skyrocketing food prices, but it really is neat stuff. here’s hoping we come up with a great compromise for everyone.

in the ever increasing competition of over-priced sandwiches in midtown manhattan, Pret A Manger is one of the joints that’s multiplying faster every day. just earlier today i noticed the Nine West store near my office gone and gutted, with scaffolding hiding the interior and large boards decorating the exterior heralding yet another pret.

i do have to say though, their boxed sandwiches, while not original, are fun to carry around and definitely convenient.

the round circle on the side is a sticker that seals the lid shut. you just unstick, fold the lid back and eat.

i didn’t see a recycling logo on the box, but it would be ideal if they find a way to use eco-friendly packaging. god know you’re paying enough to cover that already.

I wrote an entry a while ago about the changing looks of milk gallon containers.

Well interestingly enough, the NY Times had an article recently talking about the very design change:

A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug, adopted by Wal-Mart and Costco, seems made for the times. The jugs are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores, and it costs less.