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What is ONE item that changed dramatically and surprisingly your home life for the better

288 replies

Bookbooks · 17/04/2023 06:18

Looking for inspiration to start the process of tidying up (all aspects of) my life.
I already posted another thread related to this.
As an individual, I am very organised and perfectionist. I love order, cleanliness and tidiness. BUT, my house/ life rarely looks the part. I want to sort out my life once and for all so that it is always either spick and span or easily back on track.

On this thread I'd like to ask you what is ONE item (big or small/ expensive or cheap) that, when you acquired, changed your home life for the better so dramatically and surprisingly that you honestly wonder how you were able to cope before it graced your life.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Moonshine5 · 20/04/2023 18:07

Costco is Disney for parents lol

Branchingout2000 · 20/04/2023 18:17

@ThatFraggle 😂

FreezyWater · 20/04/2023 21:36

Vipers... Meet the new man in my life 😁

What is ONE item that changed dramatically and surprisingly your home life for the better
Notfeelinglikemyselftoday · 21/04/2023 18:30

Lasouthpaw · 17/04/2023 19:45

Having a garage. What a huge different this makes to our lives, it's our first one and I'm so glad I insisted we only buy houses with garages from now on.

Our shoe cupboard. We have a basket by the door for everyday shoes but the rest live in a neat IKEA shoe cupboard.

And for a little thing- our key rack by the front door. We never lose our keys, they go straight onto it and thats it. I was inspired by Frasier, he always put his.keys in a dish by the door everytime he came home.

You want to be careful how close. Some thieves fish keys off hooks through the letterbox using long wire rods

Lasouthpaw · 21/04/2023 18:44

@Notfeelinglikemyselftoday I don't think they could. For a start, you can't see it at all so they wouldn't know it was there. And it's behind a pillar and high up so would be quite a feat if they did.

**

Oldnproud · 21/04/2023 18:49

My weighted blanket - and moving into the guest bed to use it because it wasnt practical on the shared double bed. I sleep so much better now that I am sleeping alone!

neerg · 21/04/2023 18:51

Using the shopping list function non Alexa has been amazing for us. My husband and I just shout stuff out as we run out and we have it for when we do the 'big shop'. It's been great for us!!!

handslikecowstits · 21/04/2023 19:05

A Ninja power blender - a noisy beast but very powerful, bigger than my coffee grinder and capable of blender wet stuff as well as dry.4

Electric knife sharpener - a god send as I wasn't sharpening my knives properly doing it manually.

Bookbooks · 24/04/2023 11:45

Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your experience. On Friday I started forcing myself to drink more water (used to drink very little water) as I want to build this very healthy habit for life. I tried several times in the past but failed; God willing not this time. So far so good.
I also ordered a new Bialetti moka maker to replace my 2 others which have developed problems.
Baby steps but still very important.
I hope this thread helped/inspired at least some of you to start positive change in your life.

OP posts:
LilyDivine · 27/04/2023 11:44

As a result of this thread I am buying a tabletop dishwasher. Smile

ScottBakula · 27/04/2023 13:11

I am also considering a table top dishwasher, which one have you gone for @LilyDivine ?

I have also bought a yoghurt maker from lakeland that makes soft cheese too .
I haven't used it yet but will report back when I have .

ASGIRC · 27/04/2023 14:20

My Smasung Family Hub fridge. Its an american style fridge, with plumbed water dispenser (and ice maker), which has a tablet.
I can listen to spotify, watch youtube videos of recipes, answer the phone (it connects via bluetooth, like a cars hands free system), and it has a shopping list app, where I can write my shopping list and it connects to my phone.
I can also look at the inside of the fridge from my phone

It is a Ferrari of fridges and I am not sure how I ever lived without one of these!

slamfightbrightlight · 27/04/2023 15:43
back to the future october 21st 2015 GIF

I can also look at the inside of the fridge from my phone

Woah

LilyDivine · 27/04/2023 16:37

Comfee td305 on Amazon. I can't actually recommend it yet because it hasn't arrived yet.

Bookbooks · 27/04/2023 18:51

@ASGIRC wow, I like the sound of it. How much did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?
@slamfightbrightlight 😂
@LilyDivine congrats! I hope you'll love it!
@ScottBakula please do! I have the yogurt option on my instant pot but never tried it.

OP posts:
Wherethewildthymeblows · 27/04/2023 18:59

A water softener. I live in a very hard water area and the limescale in the bathroom was unbelievable. I spent a fortune on limescale remover and even then the deposits built up into thick crusts. Now I just buy salt and tip it in the water softener. The kitchen tap has to hard water so kettles still dont last long but cleaning the bathrooms is so.much easier.

ASGIRC · 27/04/2023 19:00

@Bookbooks it wasnt cheap! I think retail price was about 2300 euros, but it was on offer at the time, and Samsung had a 400 euro cashback campaing, so it ended up being about 1700.
Worth every single penny, I tell ya!

@slamfightbrightlight hahah indeed!!! It has a little camera on the door!

ScottBakula · 27/04/2023 19:24

@ASGIRC , does it keep your food cool and fresh too? 😂😂😂😂😂

ASGIRC · 27/04/2023 19:31

ScottBakula · 27/04/2023 19:24

@ASGIRC , does it keep your food cool and fresh too? 😂😂😂😂😂

I didnt care about that part so much 😂😂

(its pretty spacious inside, though! Keeping many many food items at a low or frozen temp! 😂😂)

ScottBakula · 27/04/2023 19:48

Good to know it dies the refrigeration bit of been a entertainment center 😄

Caroparo52 · 30/01/2024 15:59

A Decree Absolute

HowDoTheyGetThroughLife · 30/01/2024 16:02

hippygirllucky · 17/04/2023 07:00

I stopped trying to separate socks for everyone in my house (we all wear roughly the same size sock), got rid of them all and bought 20 pairs of plain black socks. They all get washed and live in a big fabric clothes storage bucket in a wardrobe. No more trying to match socks, no more losing one in the washing. Everyone just grabs two black socks from the bucket. Seems simple, but soooo effective and saved so much time.

I used to do that when my sons lived at home - they and my husband all just helped themselves to 2 black socks from a basket

coodawoodashooda · 30/01/2024 22:34

sashh · 19/04/2023 04:37

It's a modern version of a hay box. The traditional hay box is, well a box lined with hay or other insulation and you put the pot in and cover with more insulation.

If you have a coolbox you can make one by just adding insulation that could be hay, old jumpers, an old duvet cut up.

https://www.milkwood.net/2015/07/06/thermal-cooking/

I've wondered about this. Thank you.

internallydyingfromhormonalshite · 30/01/2024 23:08

Heated blankets.

internallydyingfromhormonalshite · 30/01/2024 23:08

Electric*

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