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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Most useful item purchased in lockdown

829 replies

CoRhona · 18/02/2021 17:51

...or items?

Mine have been:

  1. A large transparent command hook that I put on the side of a chest of drawers to hang my hairdryer on (I tried lots of other sticky hooks before but that was the only one that actually worked)
  1. Buying all the same clothes hangers so DD's clothes look tidier
  1. A large kitchen sink tidier which has instantly made the kitchen side less messy

I am on a constant mission to improve our living spaces, so AIBU to ask what yours have been?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
NiteWotcha · 19/02/2021 05:22

No ta!

MrsMackesy · 19/02/2021 05:35

Not quite what the OP had in mind.
Well done Nite Flowers

MrBullinaChinaShop · 19/02/2021 06:50

Prescription for anti depressants.

Silkiechickscat · 19/02/2021 06:50

DS has always wanted fluffy chickens so we got some silkie chickens and he totally adores them, opens their coop in the morning, feeds them and gives them water and puts them to bed at night. Bought a beautiful painted chicken house for them from Flytes of Fancy which has been great. They do lay eggs but tiny eggs. They often snuggle together and the one puts it wing around the other one.

Also smeg milk frother which is used daily and has made lots of lovely milky coffees and hot chocolates.

A new laptop proved essential for DD.

Pascha · 19/02/2021 06:55

A pen stylus for homeschool. No more waiting for their turn to use the computer for maths, the answer can be written straight on to the worksheet on their tablets.

Elpheba · 19/02/2021 07:00

@babybythesea it’s the ember 2. It’s £99 most places- I think DH got it from firebox when they had 10% off. I’d never have spent that on myself but it is amazing- used it 4 times a day for the last 60 days and counting!

ittakes2 · 19/02/2021 07:01

Washable n95 mask

Genuinedrizzlecake · 19/02/2021 07:12

Soundproof windows? Sounds useful but ££

Laptop for homeschool
Wine subscription from Bottle Bazaar
Disney+
SADLamp
Exercise equipment!

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 19/02/2021 07:16

A house with a pool. It makes me happy every day.

cautiouscovidity · 19/02/2021 07:17

@Diamondella Eufy do camera doorbells too! We have one and it's fab. Much better than Ring because they're not owned by Amazon because there's no monthly subscription to access the recordings, they're all stored on an SD card on the chime unit:

uk.eufylife.com/products/e8222

CupoTeap · 19/02/2021 07:20

@KitchenFairy

A cable organiser bag - I’ve emptied all of the tangled up chargers, cables and earphones and I’ve sorted, chucked away, and put them away neatly labelled in an organiser bag. Now when someone says “Anyone know where the kindle charging wire is”, I know.

I’m awaiting a delivery of packaging clips for the kitchen, I’m sick of the cupboards and freezer being full of spilled rice, peas, pasta, fruit, etc.

Please can you link to the cable bag?
Juliancoped · 19/02/2021 07:21

Heated rollers. Make my scraggly grown out hair look much nicer.

MoonMallow · 19/02/2021 07:22

Ooh can you link to which hook and tidier @CoRhona ? I want to copy!

RosesAndHellebores · 19/02/2021 07:24

@KitchenFairy another request for the link to the cable organiser please.

I use pegs for frozen peas. Pasta and rice come with a sticky label on the outside for sealing.

Duggeehugs82 · 19/02/2021 07:29

I brought a milk frother in first lockdown and i love it , i also brought the proper sugar free syrups to put in my lattee and have saved so much , well also couldn't buy them anyways

Grimbelina · 19/02/2021 07:35

@Diamondella I second the Eufy doorbell like cautiouscovidity, the costs are so low and the quality excellent, a (better in my opinion) alternative to Ring. They also do fantastic cameras which only need charging every 6 months/yearly depending on the model. They all work off of a hub so your data is much more secure and no on-going costs.

AliTheMinx · 19/02/2021 07:41

As I am working from home in the kitchen now, I became sick of everything in it! have therefore been constantly updating accessories in it throughout lockdown and have made some great purchases to make it look tidier and more grown up. Purchases include:

Joseph Joseph cutlery drawer organiser - such a clever design. Can fit loads in but it's all super organised in compartments and a better use of space. Have chucked out the old-fashioned wire tray.

Hsve also binned the old-fashioned mug tree, and moved my mugs into the cupboard to give me more work surface space.

Joseph Joseph extendable dish drainer - an absolute game changer! Love it. Stylish and practical.

A gorgeous Alessi spoon rest (as essential, obvs!)- looks like a work of art!

A lovely huge, solid stainless steel utensil holder, which looks very stylish. I've upgraded all my utensils that weren't stainless steel, grey or chrome, so that everything matches now. I even swapped my plastic egg slice to a chrome one!! Have chucked out the old wire utensil holder, which looked a bit dated.

I bought new crockery and cutlery sets, and chucked out the old stuff that was looking a bit tired. Have bought cupboard plate stackers to help organise my crockery cupboard better. Everything is now beautifully organised and easy to access. To match the crockery, i bought a coordinating salad bowl, oven server dish and tapas taster spoons. All from Linea in the House of Fraser sale. Everything is a simple white design, so won't date. The cutlery is fabulous, and was from Wayfair. Excellent quality for a bargain price. A good investment.

A ceramic egg tray to display my eggs!

An olive oil cruet to display

Some cereal storage boxes, which make my cupboards look much more streamlined.

I found some great bargains on Ebay. New John Lewis modern napkin rings and new stylish napkins and matching table runner from Anthropologie. I also found a beautiful vase and a faux flower arrangement for a table centrepiece, so the tabje looks a bit.more refined now (when not covered in my work things and my son's homeschooling paraphernalia!).

I got sick of the uncomfortable huge chunky dining chairs, so upgraded them for some modern minimalist chairs, which were a bargain on Amazon. I love them, and they make the dining area look more spacious.

I treated myself to a White Company diffuser, which smells divine. I bought it in the sale.

A proper spaghetti jar.

A set of Joules cake tins.

Also in the Linea sale, a lovely hammered silver party platter and coordinating nibbles bowl.

Matching spotty Emma Bridgewater tea towel and apron.

A small lemon tree, which is doing brilliantly on my kitchen window sill.

A small grey storage cupboard from Dunelm to store all of my laundy powder, liquid tabs and fabric softener, etc. Practical and stylish, and such a bargain.

A lovely Habitat plant (from Sainsbury's) on a wooden stand.

I am so happy with how much better the kitchen looks now. It somehow just seems more streamlined and grown up.

freeingNora · 19/02/2021 07:42

Is anyone else making lists reading this thread GrinShockBlush

Instapot
Breadmaker

We've changed the way we buy food we do the crowd farming and buy in bulk from bother, with fresh food coming from Lake District farmers and wellocks home delivery service for fresh vegetables. Saved a ton and the food quality is amazing

Gusto subscription

New Wellies

Amazon Prime

Anatomiser for disinfecting and relaxing smells in equal measure

And for the children

New printer and ink subscription
Twinkl
Audible
Disney +
Netflix

And for me

A king sized bed and some lovely white company bed linen it's was a blow out moment but I love it and can sleep really well

Ideasplease322 · 19/02/2021 07:43

I second the heated throw.

I had COVID and spent two weeks feeling pretty miserable. The cereal heating made my cough worse. The heated throw was lovely

Ideasplease322 · 19/02/2021 07:43

Central heating 😂😂

Silkiechickscat · 19/02/2021 07:53

Is anyone else making lists reading this thread

Yes I've just added a house with a swimming pool to my list Grin

Bluewavescrashing · 19/02/2021 07:53

I've thought of more!

Snow boots for cold walks
Mountain Warehouse waterproof duvet coat
Fake Oodie-amazingly cosy and only £18
North Face tent slippers, they are like little padded jackets for my feet and are so cute.
Egg chair for the garden
10ft framed pool
Garden games-massive jenga and chess
New decking for garden and a good quality sun lounger
New bedding in brushed cotton
Pyjamas
Lucy and yak alexa trousers
Cosy jumpers
Ugg boots
Really cheap branded sportswear for DD in the sale at JD and Sports Direct as she's grown so much.

Silkiechickscat · 19/02/2021 07:55

Actually ours was probably the new thatched roof.

ByeByeMissAmericanPie · 19/02/2021 08:10

Merino thermals
Açai trousers - worth every penny. No sooner they’re out of the w/m I’m putting them back on.
acaioutdoorwear.com/
Instant pot

And gin. Obvs.

ByeByeMissAmericanPie · 19/02/2021 08:11

Icebreaker merino thermals or any other merino thermals I can lay my hands on

Instant pot

Açai waterproof and breathable walking trousers. Not the cheapest but on a price per wear basis, worth every penny. No sooner are they out of the washing machine, they’re back on me!

acaioutdoorwear.com/

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