Enjoy!
Felt Hangers:
I can't get enough of these. I think I buy a lot, but then I realize I wish I had more. Actually, I wish all of my hangers were like these.
From silk to cotton, spaghetti straps to wide neck tops, felt hangers hold up all kinds of clothes made with all types of materials. I don't need specific hangers for my tops with straps, nor do I need a specific hanger for my silk material clothes that easily fall off the hanger. Felt hangers are the solution to all clothes-hanging problems.
Plus, they don't take up very much space and good for small closet spaces! Find at Walmart, TJMAXX, Home Goods, Ross, and more.
Ottoman Storage / Coffee Table:
You can find this kind of item at TJMAXX, Home Goods, or similar. But I love this item because it serves multiple purposes.
It's a coffee table, a foot rest, blanket storage, and a seat.
The top lid of the ottoman is reversible. One side is patted leather material, and the other side is a hard wood surface to set drinks on.
Car Kit:
Having one of these car kits readily available has been useful during my spontaneous "emergencies" (for non life-or-death situations). I mean "emergencies" as in "Great, I just spilled ketchup all over my shirt!"
Check out which car kit ideas and items you need.
Key and Mail Holder:
This is an essential gadget for the entry hall / mud room. As soon as I walk in the door, I want to throw my keys somewhere nearby, as a sign of relief that the work day is over -- it's that "it's good to be home" kind of feeling.
I love having a compartment that will allow me to hang my keys for easy access when I am heading out the door, as well as a place to put my phone or mail.
Mini Spatula:
You might not think this would be helpful or useful by any means, but there have been multiple times where I am glad I had one around to use.
Mini spatulas are great for serving small portions (such as cookie bars, banana bread, cake, etc). They are also good for flipping over small food items on the skillet.
Microfiber Towels:
These are amazing. No towel I own can dry a wet dish, counter, window, hair, or anything else better than a microfiber towel.
They aren't as cheap as regular dish towels, but a great investment....especially if you hand wash your own dishes.
You can thank me later.
HDMI Cable Cord:
If you have a laptop with an HDMI cord access plugin, this is a great investment. And not an expensive one.
Also, if you don't have a "smart" TV that enables you to watch Netflix, Hulu, or other things that you can on your laptop, an HDMI cord will allow you to do this.
You can plug in your computer to your TV through the HDMI cord and watch Instant Play movies and sitcoms on Netflix, Hulu, and more.
Essentially, anything that can be seen/watched on your computer can be seen/watched on your TV screen.
Eno Hammock (outdoors):
You won't understand how this simple hammock type can change your life until you have tried one, relaxed in one, or slept in one.
There are one and two person hammocks that are super comfortable, super compact (the bag in the picture is the size of a football), super light weight, and super easy to assemble / disassemble. These hammocks are perfect for the park, lake, camping, hiking, or any other outdoor setting you want to go with trees or poles to attach it to.
I will no longer sleep on the ground in tents, nor read books on a blanket at the park. I bring this thing with me wherever I go. And they are becoming a trend!
Eddie Bauer Hanging Kit Bag:
This is the best traveling bag for all your toiletries, necessities, and beauty products. It is compact, has multiple storage components, and hangs so you can use it "hands-free."
I take this with me on all of my trips (big or small), and it holds everything I need for the time I am gone. I got it on sale at Eddie Bauer, but I would still pay full price for this life changing item if something bad happened to mine.
Mini Food Processor:
For small, quick jobs, I love to use the mini processor. I use it to quickly chop up onions, peppers, or other vegetables.
I also use it to make a quick recipe of salsa, guacamole, hummus, pesto, and even smoothies.
Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop:
What's so special about this gadget? Aren't all ice cream scoops the same?
NO. This ice cream scoop melts ice cream as you scoop, which allows for easy scooping. How? As soon as your hand grabs the handle, it radiates and heats up the entire spoon. Essentially, your hand heat makes scooping hard ice-cream much easier and likable.
...and you wonder why most ice cream shops have these metal scoopers.
Lawry's Seasoned Salt:
Not that this stuff is all that good for you (at least it has no MSG), but this stuff is the perfect seasoning for.....well, everything.
I use it to season meats, eggs, fries, vegetables, and almost anything I cook on the skillet.
You can't go wrong with this stuff.
Lawry's Garlic Salt:
I could even argue that this stuff is the perfect seasoning for everything, even more so than the Lawry's Seasoned Salt. There is not any other brand or type of garlic salt that tops this one.
I use it to season meats, eggs, fries, vegetables, and almost anything I cook on the skillet.
You can't go wrong with this stuff.
Cookie Scoop:
I saw this gadget for super cheap at Michael's one day near Christmas and thought it would a good stocking stuffer. Turns out, this item is a life changing kitchen gadget that I will forever continue to use.
It's not that scooping cookies was ever time-consuming or annoying to do, but this cookie scoop makes the perfect size and shape of cookie dough onto the baking sheet every time. Plus, you don't get your hands sticky (or any germs mixed into the cookie batter).
Using the cookie scoop is also at least 2-3 times quicker than using a spoon or your hand...and allows for proportion control, which means more cookies get baked!
Best Wine Bottle Opener:
When it comes to opening a bottle of wine, you don't want to mess it up and 1) get cork grinds in the wine, 2) accidentally push the cork in the bottle, 3) have to try multiple times to get the cork out, 4) messing up the cork --if you save them for crafts, or 5) hurt yourself.
This type of cork screw (a lever corkscrew) is the best of the best. It's the best type for ease of use and effectiveness of getting the cork out quickly, without fail.
Cup Sponge or Scrubber:
If you hand wash cups or have to wash out cups before you put them in the dishwasher, this is the best tool for making sure the hard-to-reach areas inside of the cup gets washed.
I can't get enough of these. I think I buy a lot, but then I realize I wish I had more. Actually, I wish all of my hangers were like these.
From silk to cotton, spaghetti straps to wide neck tops, felt hangers hold up all kinds of clothes made with all types of materials. I don't need specific hangers for my tops with straps, nor do I need a specific hanger for my silk material clothes that easily fall off the hanger. Felt hangers are the solution to all clothes-hanging problems.
Plus, they don't take up very much space and good for small closet spaces! Find at Walmart, TJMAXX, Home Goods, Ross, and more.
You can find this kind of item at TJMAXX, Home Goods, or similar. But I love this item because it serves multiple purposes.
It's a coffee table, a foot rest, blanket storage, and a seat.
The top lid of the ottoman is reversible. One side is patted leather material, and the other side is a hard wood surface to set drinks on.
Having one of these car kits readily available has been useful during my spontaneous "emergencies" (for non life-or-death situations). I mean "emergencies" as in "Great, I just spilled ketchup all over my shirt!"
Check out which car kit ideas and items you need.
This is an essential gadget for the entry hall / mud room. As soon as I walk in the door, I want to throw my keys somewhere nearby, as a sign of relief that the work day is over -- it's that "it's good to be home" kind of feeling.
I love having a compartment that will allow me to hang my keys for easy access when I am heading out the door, as well as a place to put my phone or mail.
You might not think this would be helpful or useful by any means, but there have been multiple times where I am glad I had one around to use.
Mini spatulas are great for serving small portions (such as cookie bars, banana bread, cake, etc). They are also good for flipping over small food items on the skillet.
These are amazing. No towel I own can dry a wet dish, counter, window, hair, or anything else better than a microfiber towel.
They aren't as cheap as regular dish towels, but a great investment....especially if you hand wash your own dishes.
You can thank me later.
If you have a laptop with an HDMI cord access plugin, this is a great investment. And not an expensive one.
Also, if you don't have a "smart" TV that enables you to watch Netflix, Hulu, or other things that you can on your laptop, an HDMI cord will allow you to do this.
You can plug in your computer to your TV through the HDMI cord and watch Instant Play movies and sitcoms on Netflix, Hulu, and more.
Essentially, anything that can be seen/watched on your computer can be seen/watched on your TV screen.
Eno Hammock (outdoors):
You won't understand how this simple hammock type can change your life until you have tried one, relaxed in one, or slept in one.
There are one and two person hammocks that are super comfortable, super compact (the bag in the picture is the size of a football), super light weight, and super easy to assemble / disassemble. These hammocks are perfect for the park, lake, camping, hiking, or any other outdoor setting you want to go with trees or poles to attach it to.
I will no longer sleep on the ground in tents, nor read books on a blanket at the park. I bring this thing with me wherever I go. And they are becoming a trend!
This is the best traveling bag for all your toiletries, necessities, and beauty products. It is compact, has multiple storage components, and hangs so you can use it "hands-free."
I take this with me on all of my trips (big or small), and it holds everything I need for the time I am gone. I got it on sale at Eddie Bauer, but I would still pay full price for this life changing item if something bad happened to mine.
For small, quick jobs, I love to use the mini processor. I use it to quickly chop up onions, peppers, or other vegetables.
I also use it to make a quick recipe of salsa, guacamole, hummus, pesto, and even smoothies.
Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop:
What's so special about this gadget? Aren't all ice cream scoops the same?
NO. This ice cream scoop melts ice cream as you scoop, which allows for easy scooping. How? As soon as your hand grabs the handle, it radiates and heats up the entire spoon. Essentially, your hand heat makes scooping hard ice-cream much easier and likable.
...and you wonder why most ice cream shops have these metal scoopers.
Not that this stuff is all that good for you (at least it has no MSG), but this stuff is the perfect seasoning for.....well, everything.
I use it to season meats, eggs, fries, vegetables, and almost anything I cook on the skillet.
You can't go wrong with this stuff.
Lawry's Garlic Salt:
I could even argue that this stuff is the perfect seasoning for everything, even more so than the Lawry's Seasoned Salt. There is not any other brand or type of garlic salt that tops this one.
I use it to season meats, eggs, fries, vegetables, and almost anything I cook on the skillet.
You can't go wrong with this stuff.
Cookie Scoop:
I saw this gadget for super cheap at Michael's one day near Christmas and thought it would a good stocking stuffer. Turns out, this item is a life changing kitchen gadget that I will forever continue to use.
It's not that scooping cookies was ever time-consuming or annoying to do, but this cookie scoop makes the perfect size and shape of cookie dough onto the baking sheet every time. Plus, you don't get your hands sticky (or any germs mixed into the cookie batter).
Using the cookie scoop is also at least 2-3 times quicker than using a spoon or your hand...and allows for proportion control, which means more cookies get baked!
Best Wine Bottle Opener:
When it comes to opening a bottle of wine, you don't want to mess it up and 1) get cork grinds in the wine, 2) accidentally push the cork in the bottle, 3) have to try multiple times to get the cork out, 4) messing up the cork --if you save them for crafts, or 5) hurt yourself.
This type of cork screw (a lever corkscrew) is the best of the best. It's the best type for ease of use and effectiveness of getting the cork out quickly, without fail.
Cup Sponge or Scrubber:
If you hand wash cups or have to wash out cups before you put them in the dishwasher, this is the best tool for making sure the hard-to-reach areas inside of the cup gets washed.
This is especially important for those who have wine and champagne glasses, or reusable water bottles.
The sponge fits inside any size of cup.
If you hand dry cups, there are also tools just like this but with a microfiber surface for drying inside the cup (instead of sponge for cleaning).
Microwave Cover:
For all of those dishes that you microwave that can easily pop and splatter all over the inside walls, this is the perfect solution.
It's a microwaveable plastic cover that is large enough to fit over a dinner plate, and tall enough that it won't touch the food on your plate.
No more fear microwaving messy dishes, such as chili, tomato soup, and spaghetti.
Kitchen Trashcan with a Lid:
There's nothing grosser, in my opinion, than a trashcan that smells and proudly shows all of it's waste inside. I prefer to keep it hidden.
For me, having a trash can with a lid on it (with or without a stepping component) is a keeper.
Why? 1) It hides the nasty, rotten smell, 2) keeps fruit flies from swarming over the trash and vastly multiplying by the second, 3) keeps the pets out of it, and 4) hides all the waste so you don't have to look at it every time you walk by.
Wet Swifter:
Wet swifters quickly clean up your kitchen floor after a days worth of preparing meals.
From spills, to crumbs and dirt marks, the wet swifter will wipe it up with ease.
The sponge fits inside any size of cup.
If you hand dry cups, there are also tools just like this but with a microfiber surface for drying inside the cup (instead of sponge for cleaning).
For all of those dishes that you microwave that can easily pop and splatter all over the inside walls, this is the perfect solution.
It's a microwaveable plastic cover that is large enough to fit over a dinner plate, and tall enough that it won't touch the food on your plate.
No more fear microwaving messy dishes, such as chili, tomato soup, and spaghetti.
There's nothing grosser, in my opinion, than a trashcan that smells and proudly shows all of it's waste inside. I prefer to keep it hidden.
For me, having a trash can with a lid on it (with or without a stepping component) is a keeper.
Why? 1) It hides the nasty, rotten smell, 2) keeps fruit flies from swarming over the trash and vastly multiplying by the second, 3) keeps the pets out of it, and 4) hides all the waste so you don't have to look at it every time you walk by.
Wet swifters quickly clean up your kitchen floor after a days worth of preparing meals.
From spills, to crumbs and dirt marks, the wet swifter will wipe it up with ease.