Unexpectedly brilliant purchases

[Parata]

Last year there was a thread where people were recommending purchases they made or gifts they got that were unexpectedly brilliant. I got sleep headphones based off that thread for my birthday, and they have honestly been amazing - have helped me sleep better as I no longer turn to my phone and doom scroll when I wake up, but just put on a podcast or a meditation session and drift off to sleep. (Also got an acupressure mat that has been much less useful).

As my birthday and that of my kids, and as well Christmas approaches, I was hoping it is time to make a new similar thread maybe we could all find the next thing that changes our lives.

My hips used to hurt until I started doing some pilates exercises for hip pain. They only take 5 mins.

Funnily enough, I do these every morning and it has improved but I am so stiff when I wake up that I just want to try everything I can to help it. Thanks for sharing these thoigh!

@Tiredallthetimeneedsleep

The Fibro site suggests this alternatively this could help

IKEA 365+ glass bowls with snap shut lids. These are oven safe and freezer safe, which saves me so much time and effort. If I want to make a big batch of something e.g. lasagne, I can prepare it in multiple containers, bake in them, cool them and freeze some, refrigerate some and serve some. To reheat, I can pop the dish from the fridge straight into the oven/airfryer/microwave. These are so amazing! No more stained containers, no weird plastic smell etc. They also stack nicely and are dishwasher safe. Unexpectedly brilliant in my opinion!

@Tiredallthetimeneedsleep

another possible?

@Parata We've got two of these ones https://amzn.eu/d/3QuV8Ma

I absolutely love them. Swapped to wood after our plastic ones degraded and we were getting tiny bits of plastic on our food and I wouldn't go back. It comes in a couple of sizes and one side is a chopping board or you can turn it over and it's a serving tray.

Those sound great

Spin scrubber. Cheapo one off eBay, rechargeable with a reservoir for detergents etc. Charge lasts ages & it got my manky floor & shower grout nice and clean after trying all sorts. It has a set of different heads. Great for disabled or elderly.

I have reported the post above. Disgusting cretin.

Egg boiler. Perfect eggs every time. Best £15 I’ve ever spent and it gets used almost daily!

@GameOfJones are they dishwasher safe? We’ve had a bamboo chopping board and it degraded so much that we were having splinters everywhere. Never had an issue with plastic like that. And are they heavy?

https://amzn.eu/d/d6VhJGs

These pegs are brilliant as replacements for the Ikea soctopus pegs… absolute gamechanger and so much less plastic waste.

Also…. you can just slot the spring part onto the fabric strip at the top of IKEA Drona boxes and they are the right way round to hold a note of whatever is in box.

Garlic twist. They mince garlic cloves in three seconds and are magic. Google garlic twist and it will change your life. I'm on my second in 17 years and swear by them.

Thanks, I've been looking for glass containers with glass lids.

@Barbadossunset We bought a brilliant knife in a cheap supermarket in Portugal about 10 years ago. It's our go-to knife (cost about 2 euros) and we've searched everywhere to try and find back ups. I have total control of how this knife works when using it. It's serrated and brilliant. Spent a small fortune but haven't found one as good as this cheapie. It's still works fantastically.

The nearest we've found has been the victorinix ones (well the rounded tomato cutter one).

Every time I'm in a foreign supermarket I check out their knives!

These sound amazing. Were they very expensive ?

@Barbadossunset We have this one in our collection. It's just ok. Not a patch on the 2 euro Casino supermarket one.

This beauty we only just got last week! You cut it to size and it absorbs all the wet/muddy paws AND can be washed in a washing machine! (my washing machine is too small but can take to laundrette).
We have one by the front door and one by the French doors in the kitchen where the dog comes running in & out. It’s been an absolute godsend and really does absorb more moisture than you think.

Tip: If you have any corners showing in a high traffic area, get some of that really strong double sided tape that’s clear with the white threads running through it and just pop some under the corners to stop it moving or people tripping. 👍🏻
https://petrebellion.co.uk/product/victorian-tile-cut-to-size-rug/

@ReadingTime

The Victorinix knives have arrived and I’m looking forward to a neatly sliced salad this evening. Thank you for recommending.

@ayepecking I think we got ours in France so it seems these extra sharp very reasonably priced knives are a European phenomenon. Certainly from now on if I’m abroad I shall keep a sharp eye out in markets and hardware/kitchen equipment shops.

Unfortunately the lids are plastic but there are also bamboo options. Sorry I wasn’t clearer!

@Parata I have had the plastic Joseph Joseph boards and loved them but they deteriorated quite quickly so I've bought these https://www.johnlewis.com/joseph-joseph-folio-bamboo-chopping-boards-stainless-steel-storage-case-set-of-3/p111530382

Had them about 3 months and would buy them again. When I was on holiday in an AirBnB (hate using other peoples chopping boards) I bought a cheap bamboo one from a supermarket. Am liking it too. It's smaller than JJ

Those looking for Muji laundry holders...they are still selling them. 3 different sizes. I'm about to buy one for leaving in our campervan as I keep forgetting to take the one I have. Great for hanging on back of bike rack when parked up.

https://uk.muji.eu/products/aluminium-square-hanger-16-pegs-7788

Linen bedding - I sleep soundly every night despite being menopausal
Eye Masks see above
DH loves the Bluetooth head phones
USB ports in normal household plugs
little hand held grater specifically for garlic.zesting and parmesan
Henry hoover for pets - don’t know why I persevered with Dyson for years
500 ml glass tankards - makes sure I drink enough fluids at my desk
£4.99 gardening snippy secateurs from Rightway. In fact everything in Rightway it’s my favourite shop

A magnetic, self closing fly screen for our back door.

I detest flies in the house - this wonderful and simple invention has reduced flying visitors to almost zero (they still get through the windows occasionally)
I love that I can leave the door wide open, when I’m cooking, when it’s a nice day & the kids can come and go into the garden without having to keep opening and closing the door. It still lets a nice breeze through too.

Stackable, airtight glass containers for the fridge.
They were not the cheapest, I think they were about £9 each, but they are absolutely worth it. They are brilliant for keeping fruit in (makes it last so much longer) and all leftovers go in one. We have far less food wastage now.

agree. I've stopped using plastic as much as possible. Wood chopping boards are my first choice, for most stuff, but needs rinsing by hand after every use & I clean with bicard & lemon every now & then - this is preferable to microplastics. I have a glass & a stainless steel chopping boards for meat - these can go in the dishwasher
Love them!