What little thing have you bought that you love?

[Oldh]

I know this has been done before, but let's have a nice cheerful thread about the little purchase that thinks it's a giant. I have just bought a really cute hob kettle that makes me happy when it whistles . I swear the tea tastes nicer too.

These little things are - as the advert says are the 'small tweak that could make a BIG difference'
cosy grips for duvets
I have had a set for years for a double duvet on a double bed and found they were just the thing to keep everything in place without feeling claustrophobic . I kick the duvet off my legs and then want it back again- but without these it disturbs my sleep while I retrieve the darned thing.
They also work with a king sized duvet on a double bed. I cant recommend them enough if you have a wandering duvet syndrome.

This napkin ring I bought for €2.
It looks Art Nouveau and is made of brass. A little nod to tradition every day.

We switched from paper to cloth napkins during lockdown and last Christmas I gave family a set of handmade napkins and a stainless steel Alessi ring each with boy, girl, cat, dog, tree, heart etc.

A Beswick pigeon in a charity shop.

“Fake cat” 😂. How very date you!?

She’s just silently plotting total world domination. Starting with sheep.

My lasagna dish makes me ridiculously happy. I buy the dried sheets from Tesco, and the dish is the perfect size to lay three of them out like this =l (obviously they're the same size unlike those symbols) and there are three of us in the house, so we each get a perfect sheet sized portion each. Amazing. Life changing (for sad people like me, anyway).

@Nnique I love your William Morris tins, where are they from?

If you're thinking of putting up a nestbox, it's really worth looking at the advice here: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/nestboxes/ as to best place to put them, cleaning etc Ours is on a fence and we found the next door cat sitting on the fence above it so we've now tied some prickly branches above it.

@EishetChayil

I bought some little plastic jobbies shaped like hands that you stick to walls or the corner of desks to hold cables.

Not to sound like an 8 year old boy but in Scotland "jobbie" means poo, so reading that you had bought little plastic jobbies, I imagined something very different! It took me a second to realise what you meant

Milk frother! Makes normal coffee every day feel like a posh coffee :)

Gorgeous Japanese incense sticks from Whole Foods (£3.50/box). Makes me feel comforted when I light it at bedtime.

I bought a big chunky cube-shaped Aleppo soap the other day and I love how it smells and how large and satisfying it is to use.

[quote MairzyDoats]@Nnique I love your William Morris tins, where are they from?[/quote]
Thank you! They were a present from DH. I think they were from Spode IIRC but it was quite a while back so I don’t know whether they still do them. It’s a set of three.

My knitting mug
My knitting key ring

I bought myself a second butter dish. I can move smoothly on to the next pack of butter, or start a nice new pat for visitors without rushing to empty and wash the old. A few quid to make life easier.

A boho throw for my bed. It was in the sale and looks far more expensive than it was

My list:

My electric throw from Aldi. Cheap as chips to buy and run, and so cosy.

My silicone scalp scrubber. I think it was about a fiver from Amazon and it makes washing my hair thoroughly so much easier. I use a tonne of dry shampoo and it scrubs my scalp clean.

Fidget toys. I have especially taken to my infinity cube, which pretty much never leaves my hand when I am teaching/in a meeting via Zoom. I have ADHD and I can't tell you how much it helps me to focus on the topic at hand and not wander off into a nonsense daydream.

A box of 200 compostable drinking straws. They look and feel like traditional plastic ones but they are made from a plant-based material that biodegrades. I'm autistic and I can't bear paper straws, I can't even put a metal one near my mouth, and I kept chewing my silicone ones to pieces I am SO happy to have "plastic" straws again! I wash and re-use so the box will last years.

Hmm... my list is turning into accessibility aids rather than small joys so, I'll round it off with my Bob Ross funko pop toy. I bloody love Bob Ross so he has pride of place on my shelf next to Baby Yoda and Lemmy from Motorhead

I cook a lot and so my moo moo kitchen timer is the best and I smile whenever I use it.

@ouch44 I’ve had no complaints at from my teens about any noise. I must ask them though I’m sure they’d have let me know.

This is the one I bought as it’s bendy too
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07PDGHPRB?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I thought of another thing that’s amazing. It’s a mini whisk and I use it for frothing milk or hot chocolate. It takes up hardly any room, easy to clean and it’s USB rechargeable too. A word of warning though if anyone buys it - it’s mega-fast and best to froth the milk or hot chocolate in a big tall jug as otherwise it goes everywhere.

www.amazon.co.uk/Dallfoll-Rechargeable-Adjustable-Cappuccino-Chocolate/dp/B07RMX9V5Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=10X296A4141U6&keywords=milk+frother+usb&sprefix=milk+frother+usb%2Caps%2C52&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1647780423&sr=8-3

Talking of cooking, a set of slender, rectangular shaped measuring spoons that fit inside spice jars. Such a little thing. Makes me so happy.

My crochet hooks and learning to crochet - the best little thing I’ve ever done.

@GreekOlive

My bird feeder. I just love watching the birds in the garden whilst I’m working. It’s mindfulness and happiness combined.

This ^, though it costs us a small fortune in the various feeds desired by our feathery scroungers

Also a very delicate morse code bracelet that DS bought me one Mother's Day. If you look closely it spells "fuck off", which I'm aware is very childish but makes me chuckle

@Spellfish

Little silicone spatula off eBay. Gets last bits out of tins, scrapes cake mix bowls so they don’t clog up the dishwasher, stirs non stick pans without scratching, gets the last bits of peanut butter out of the jar. I had to buy a second as I kept needing the first one and finding it was in the (running) dishwasher.

Oh @Spellfish that sounds like something I need! I have a lovely one from Wilko but it’s too big for jars and I can’t find a small one. Would you have a link please? 😘

Tiger bread bloomer for 26p in ASDA last night. Nothing pleases me more than reduced crusty bread. None left obviously. A few weeks ago I got 2 stew packs for 10p each - bingo!

An extendible backscratcher for about £2.

@Looubylou

Tiger bread bloomer for 26p in ASDA last night. Nothing pleases me more than reduced crusty bread. None left obviously. A few weeks ago I got 2 stew packs for 10p each - bingo!

Nothing pleases me more than reduced crusty bread