Most useful item purchased in lockdown

[CoRhona]

...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?

Did my DNA and signed up to Ancestry.com- addictive!

@AshMeri and @MrsMackesy which garden swings did you get?

Shiatsu back massager, air fryer, cordless vacuum, steam mop, milk kettle/frother, chrome cast and adoption fee for rescue dog

Oh, I’d really like a garden swing. My parents bought one last year but it wasn’t very heavy and every time there was a gust of wind, it moved!

@Cattitudes I stayed up all night last year and managed to get an Aldi double egg chair swing thingy. I spent many an afternoon curled up in it dozing over the summer although I will confess to occasionally suffering with motion sickness in it!!

For the DC we got a TP triple swing which meant they spent hours swinging next to eachother and chatting.

Appuskidu and cattitude

We bought a 'songo' from cacoonworld. We love it! It's hanging from a tree in our garden but they also do frames. I thoroughly recommend them.

Thank you Ashmeri, we got two single Aldi egg chairs last year which we love. Looking for something for teens so probably TP won't cut it! Trying to decide between swing seats and garden sofa type thing.

@Cattitudes - our 3-4 seater swing is a heavy wooden one, made by a local company. You can attach a canvas roof to it and bench/scatter cushions. It takes 2-3 people to move it. You can plant climbers in pots to grow up either side or even over the top or - if you want to leave it in one position - in small beds next to it. We wanted one that could be left up and outside all year round. Search for 3 seater wooden garden swing and see what comes up, or ask a local joiner - they might be glad of the outdoor work at the moment. Also good as a garden day bed for teenagers - or parents with a book and G&T, given the chance! One DC has threatened to sleep out in it overnight with the plastic cover on, like a swinging tent! I think the cover leaks, so they might get a surprise if they do or a nocturnal visit from wildlife, but we haven't really used it - just left it open to the elements as the cover was too much of a faff getting on and off regularly.

PS The swinging is very nice. I imagine myself on an open porch in America or somewhere.

2nd hand PS4 and old TV out of storage for teen's bedroom. Helped so much with social interaction with her friends. We've never allowed gadgets in bedrooms (she's nearly 17!) but this is probably the most positive thing we've done for her

Chromecast with Google TV - total game changer. Not only for the TV but Zoom etc are amazing on big TV and also for online exercise groups etc

New lighting - Real neon lamps, mathmos projector with all the slides - makes looking at the same four walls much more interesting and bearable. And I've listened to much more music as I need visuals and these are excellent

Mini sander with extra bits - new look furniture without actually buying new furniture

Mine was actually a Christmas present for the kids but I feel like I was anticipating this lockdown as it's been invaluable.

A Raspberry Pi 400. And a webcam.
It's a cheap all in one desktop kit that is lovely and small and light. You can plug it into any telly or monitor and the computer bit is built into the keyboard so you can take it everywhere - just have to carry the keyboard and mouse.
It has made home schooling a breeze as it has all of the word/ppt/excel/database stuff built in. So much more intuitive for young children then Chromebooks. Just plugged in the webcam for Google meets. Is great having video chats on our big TV. I even took it into work and connected it to the projector so they could watch YouTube and BBC bytesize videos super big. It's just brilliant and we haven't even thought about any of the programming stuff that it's actually made for.
Less than £100 and so much more functionality then the tablet they were using before (and still have to for half the time).

Decent pans and kitchen knives

My Kobo Clara arrived, I can use overdrive to borrow books online now the library’s shut.

Not sure if other Council libraries do this, but membership of a Greater Manchester Council Library allows access to eBooks and audiobooks. also Press reader which gives you access most UK newspapers and endless magazines as they appear in print. Also newspapers worldwide. They made it possible to join online, so the actual libraries being closed wasn't an issue. I have been kept well entertained and informed throughout. Many thanks to Manchester libraries!

An extra set of cutlery

@Havlerr

Oooh I love these kind of threads! I’m another emotional lockdown shopper for sure So far I’ve bought:

Our first house
A milk frother for coffees and hot chocolates
A tuff tray for DD (who is only a baby still but hoping to get a lot of use out of it over the years)
An air fryer
A proper office chair with back support for WFH
A sturdy hanging storage thing for the bath to house all our shampoo etc which actually screws into the tiles so isn’t flimsy dropping bottles everywhere
Wellies
Baby sling with good support
Ring alarm and doorbell

Those who have purchased a rubber broom for hair - is it a small brush type or a proper broom that you need? Postpartum hair loss has meant my carpets are currently housing more hair than my head!

Mine is proper broom size and I got it from Lakeland years ago to replace the usual one expected to break soon. It didn't but after reading on here I realised what I had and immediately set to the hall carpet. It is amazing how much dog hair is left behind after vacuuming. I got loads off the stairs yesterday after wetting my fingers, then a cloth, after carpet burns. In some ways wet fingers worked better but not the best fun.

SunshineCake get a rubber broom that everyone raves about. About £12 on Amazon at the mo. You wont look back. No more kneeling, no more sore fingers and a disgustingimpressive pile of icky at the end of it!!

Massive bottle of vodka

Rubber brooms can be purchased for less than £5 in B&M!

I'm awaiting delivery of my shiatsu massager. 8 stops away!

Any recommendations for brilliant garden chairs (reclining please)

@Chewingle

Any recommendations for brilliant garden chairs (reclining please)

*2. I'm desperate for some with minimal shed storage space needed. I'm looking at these ones as a maybe: www.mountainwarehouse.com/reclining-chair-with-sun-shade-p23970.aspx/Navy/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GB+Whoop+-+All+Products+-+Mobile+-+SHOPPING+UK&utm_term=&utm_content=s|pcrid|335870785598|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|slid||product|030058034001|&gclid=CjwKCAiAyc2BBhAaEiwA44-wW9yNgEKDgsx4RpDbLYuPCBjChrjHDGQcdr49lzaEUfVlwd45knXZXhoCsR8QAvD_BwE

They look great
Zero gravity one - any experience any one?

These chairs are sturdy & comfortable. I used mine most of last year instead of the garden furniture. I usually use this when camping

@joesev

SunshineCake get a rubber broom that everyone raves about. About £12 on Amazon at the mo. You wont look back. No more kneeling, no more sore fingers and a disgustingimpressive pile of icky at the end of it!!

I've got one but I'm not sweeping the stairs while stood up. I fall down them enough. I find the brush wasn't necessarily enough hence the using a wet cloth etc.

Hotel Chocolat velvetiser (used with Café Direct Sao Tome hot chocolate and also to make matcha lattes)

Gousto food deliveries

Pizza oven tray with holes

Board games (Catan, Scythe, Pandemic, Architects of the West Kingdom and more)

Sennheiser speakerphones for everyone in the family