Little things for the house that make life easier - I’m doing a shop

[Dollywilde]

Right. I’m getting my act together. As I once again realised we’d run out of little clippy things for reasealing food packaging, it also occurs to me I keep meaning to buy an extra long iPhone cable so I can use my phone when it’s charging in the living room (I can rest it on the table but can’t look at it while sat on the sofa which is pissing irritating and means I’m constantly on 3% battery). I do try and avoid amazon so as not to help Jeff Bezos and his sickening wealth but sod it, I’m going to sit down this afternoon and do an Amazon shop for all those little things that make life easier but I never get around to buying. Basically all the stuff my mum used to go to Woolies for when I was little (RIP Woolies, gone but not forgotten)

So far my list is:
Kitchen clips
Extra long iPhone cable
Lighters - if I can buy them online? (I don’t smoke but I’m a candle obsessive and I am always running out of long matches)
An oven liner, threw mine away a couple of months ago as it was rank and now I need to clean the oven base instead which is much harder than running the liner through the dishwasher - sigh

Please could you suggest other things I need but can’t think of right this second? Much appreciated

I have two magnetic labels stuck on the fridge when not in use, one says dirty one says clean, for the dishwasher. I hate dirty dishes stacked ontop only to find the stuff inside is dirty

We recently got a second garlic crusher, as ours always seemed to be waiting to be washed when I needed it.

Rechargeable batteries and battery charger
A long Very Useful box for wrapping paper

Gin cabinet for all the gin I’ve been bought and another fridge for the chutneys 🤣

Another lakeland one, their tatay cold meat storage boxes are brilliant:
www.lakeland.co.uk/63100/4-Tatay-Cold-Cut-Food-Storage-Boxes---Coloured-Lids?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhK_72rnx7QIVkWDmCh0PdgbeEAQYASABEgKIZ_D_BwE&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!453010017043!!!g!!&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIhK_72rnx7QIVkWDmCh0PdgbeEAQYASABEgKIZ_D_BwE:G:s

I have full spectrum daylight bulbs in the area i dress/apply makeup because I can’t see jack sh*t in the four hours of daylight we get in the winter, game changer, no longer look like this

This thread is so addictive. Add on the brabantia peg bag that has a proper clip and can live outside through rain and shine keeping all the pegs safe.

I was going to suggest the long neck lighters (usually people had for cookers) but I bought one for lighting the bbq bags, so much easier than matches

As an extra, put colour catchers in laundry bags so they don't get into and clog/break your washing machine. I actually use a nappy pin to pin it inside the laundry bag so it doesn't just scrunch up into a ball and less efficient

Ah yes I've been watching motivational you tube blogs on decluttering and organising. I've looked at storage but so far bought batteries (realised xmas day we were out of triple A's ) and a battery tester as I've got loads in the kitchen drawer of destiny to sort through! This will be a game changer in our house...simple things!

Butter dish
Bottle stoppers
Pan and pot protectors
New Kitchen towels
Shoe polisher

One of mine has been a wrapping paper storage bag. I got one from The Range a few years ago after Christmas and it is fantastic as stores paper, bows, tags, ribbon the lot. They are huge. And if super organised keep a pair of scissors and sellotape in there too!!

tea towels - i can never bloody find one despite always hanging it on the oven door. Now every single one as gone! They are like socks in this house.

drawing pins
sticky tape
blue tack
the charger socket adapter things - they are fab!
nail files - can never find one even though i put i new packet in the kitchen drawer.

@littlepurpledragon good shout about the battery tester. I have recently seen battery storage bags/containers. I didn't realise if loose they can potentially spark and start a fire. But these storage things they all have a little foam slot each to store them. Actually need to check as think some did come with a tester

Lakeland Stayfresh Longer bags.

Label maker

A jam spatula - small little thing that gets every last scrape of jam, peanut butter etc out of a jar - I got mine from muji years ago and it’s my prized possession.

Sugru- great for lots of things, check their site

Wine stoppers - seem to lose them over the years

I should add - it’s not a jam making spatula it’s a jam spatula for getting every last morsel of food out of a jar- like this www.mynewsdesk.com/sg/edits-inc/blog_posts/leave-no-delicious-morsel-behind-muji-jam-spoon-review-38150

Rubber broom, fabulous for getting hair etc off carpets and prevents vac rollers from clogging up. Also a rubber hand brush for the stairs.

Don't forget to buy stamps before they go up on 1 January!

@Sarcobaleno welly thing = boot jack 😬
@Dollywilde not on amazon but pincinox stainless clothes pegs. Great investment. Had mine 6 years so far. Wasted so much on different types over the years.
Lifetime guarantee on steel and no springs etc to break!

Wooden toast tongs. After many years of burning my fingers and swearing at the burned bits inside the toaster I invested £5 and can honestly say they are marvellous.

@Borridge

What happens if you do, ArabellaScott ?

Fire risk! The transformers in chargers can get very hot, and if faulty they are a huge fire risk. I didn't realise for ages, used to think charging overnight was very efficient. I now turn everything off.

Fire risk! The transformers in chargers can get very hot, and if faulty they are a huge fire risk. I didn't realise for ages, used to think charging overnight was very efficient. I now turn everything off.

If you get good quality ones (£15+) from reputable shops, they tend to be ok. I have tried and will never use again the cheap ones from Amazon or fake Apple charger leads. These do overheat or cause the device to overheat.

@Dollywilde If you don't want to buy from Amazon, buy from eBay instead!