I need some holiday gift ideas (that I will probably gift to myself as well)!
A cole n mason pepper mill & toss in a bag of tellicherry peppercorns.
Yes! I bought the small mill off Amazon during the lockdowns, and it’s the only way I consume pepper at home now. And virtually every grocery store sells whole peppercorns.
Absolutely worth it.
Add to that kosher salt and any wide / semi deep container that can hold about 2 cups of salt for ease of pinching. You can get a cellar specifically made for salt if you desire, but those vary from person to person.
Snorlax squishmallow. It’s our secret
So many things in your house that are probably pissing you off:
- it’s very easy to replace an outlet that doesn’t hold a plug or is a little off for whatever reason.
- ditto light switches
- door handles and shit. We hated the jank handle on our patio door that barely worked and required specialized training to get to lock. $12 for a new one, that was much more aesthetically from this decade. (that said, some lock lube, which is a thing, goes a long way)
- ditto for the various shitty faucets in this house (or any slightly older house.) You can get a ton of bathroom fixtures for under $30.
- hinges. Unless you’re trying to re-hang a safe door, you’re going to be under $20.
- faucet diffuser. They just screw on. Have you lived in your place for more than a few years and haven’t replace them? Just do it, it’s like $4 a faucet.
- doorbell. Smart doorbells can easily be had for under $50. A little easier often than replacing the traditional bell because you usually have a plug in chime rather than something wired.
- a can of sprayfoam. Seal that area that is letting in air. Trim it with a box knife, chances are you won’t know the hack exists.
You can also soak your faucet diffusers in citric acid to remove built-up limescale.
These are the things I’m glad I got back then and would get again if they broke, that fit the price category:
- an onion comb for dicing
- shoehorn with a long handle
- 3 stage knife sharpening station
- wireless phone charger (no more fiddling in the dark with the cable)
- magnetic keychain holder (from AntPocket tools)
- Unicorn Beetle Pro phone case and belt holster (if you’re on board with the aesthetic)
- a pair of Klim earbuds (wired, with foam tips)
Unicorn Beetle Pro
Tbh, their stuff used to be fire but on some phonws the cases are just too brittle. I went through three of them on my Note 20 Ultra, all cracking in the same way (in the corners), before giving up and switching to a UAG case
I ditched UBP for a Spigen case. It’s the only case I’ve found that has a low profile built in lens cover/shutter.
I use a mous case. Works like a charm.
Definitely the opposite of making life easier but I love the stone mortar and pestle I got. I’m using it regularly not only to grind up spices like pepper or basil, but I also make pesto for pasta or rice dishes.
Activated charcoal shoe deodorizer bags
bidet, electric water kettle, air fryer, pour over coffee, USB desk fan, portable electric heater, air purifier doubling as white noise maker, melatonin, metal tongue scraper, quality kitchen knife / sharpener, fleece Sherpa lined sweatshirt hoodie, wool socks, weekend at Bernie’s type sunhat, portable water purifier, ceramic pans,
I recently got a sling bag for my EDC needs. It weights 1.2 kg loaded. the same as whole backpack that I used for years. It is quite good for if I need to go light but I want to grab some stuff and pockets are already filled to the brim with stuff.
Rechargeable batteries. They have paid for themselves many times over by now. Less guilt about throwing away dead ones, too.
This, entirely. I remember back 10, 15 years ago, rechargeable batteries were trash. Gave them a second shot recently, and I’m genuinely surprised. They’re as good, possibly even better than, non-rechargeables
+1 for rechargeable batteries. I love my Panasonic Eneloops!
I made soup containers for my family last Christmas, went down really well! Got glass containers from IKEA, layered lentils, beans/herbs/pasta/seasonings in a decorative way. Looks pretty, throw in a pot when lazy!
This is such a cute personalized gift idea, I love it! Can the containers be put in the freezer?
Maybe? I’ve never heard of freezing dry ingredients before as they are usually shelf stable, shouldn’t need to put in the fridge or freezer
Do you have any recipes? That sounded really awesome!
First time trying to add an image! Hopefully works! I did several different varieties, bought green split peas, yellow split peas, red lentils, kidney beans, pearl barley, powdered stock, dried herbs, and I added a separated bag of macaroni so it can be put in later in the cooking method. Super easy, dump it in a pot and add water, add pasta when almost done!
If someone you know has/if you have kids: car vaccumn. It’s thoughtful, useful, easier than stopping by the gas station just to clean out the family truckster, and you can find them for around $25 at Walmart.
Two items I don’t see in anyone other people’s replies:
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A dual-wall stainless water bottle like a Hydroflask. It’ll keep water ice cold all day.
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Pop Socket, never drop your phone again.
Pop Socket, never drop your phone again.
Also never fit in your pockets again
It does occasionally catch on the inside of my pocket when I take it out, but usually it’s not a problem. And the extra grip is worth far more to me. I have literally never dropped my phone since I got one, and I can use my Pixel 6 Pro with one hand easily. I would never go without one.
I wish my particular flavor of annoyance could get past this point because it does seem helpful, but I’m even further and can’t really stand a case unless I’m doing something specifically that warrants it.
It’s a compromise I’m willing to make. Valid critique though.
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Air fryer. I got one on a black friday sale for like $30 and it paid for itself within a week for the amount of effort, time, and oil saved to fry stuff.
$35 gets me twelve bottles of soylent, which I use as twelve days I get to skip breakfast but still be well fed.
Smart plugs! These outlet switches come in packs of four for about $25 dollars. Once installed and set up in the app, you can automate them with scheduled timers or turn them on or off remotely. They will also integrate with Home Assistant, Google Home, and Alexa.
