I need some holiday gift ideas (that I will probably gift to myself as well)!

  • hope
    80•2 years ago
    • A bidet attachment.
    • For me, an under-the-sink trash can that hands on the cabinet door has been a huge QoL improvement.
    • A back scratcher.
    • Much more situational, but our back gate has a padlock that was originally different from our house keys. Kwikset actually sells “programmable” padlocks so now it is the same key as our front door, which makes life a tad easier.
    • A computer mouse that fits my hands.
    • Enough phone and laptop chargers to not have to constantly go to another room to grab one.
    • @grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6•2 years ago

      Kwikset actually sells “programmable” padlocks

      Pretty much all locks are re-keyable. Kwikset’s “smart key” system is different only in that you don’t have to buy new pins and take the lock apart to do it.

      (I’m switching from Kwikset to commercial-grade Schlage because I wanted to upgrade the durability of my interior locks and wanted the exterior ones to match, so I’m about to find out how much more difficult normal re-keying is. Wish me luck!)

      • @bpm@lemmy.ml
        2•2 years ago

        Normal rekeying is pretty easy, if you’re careful - push out the core (the “follower” will hold your spring pins in place), dump out the old key pins, swap to the new key, and put in the new key pins, replace the core. Even when I’ve completely screwed it up (pushed the follower too far so the springs came out, mixed all the key pins together so I had to work out which was which, and more) it’s not been more than a 10-minute job.

      • @tabularasa@lemmy.world
        1•2 years ago

        Washes your bum after using the toilet. Saves toilet paper. Gets your rear cleaner. This is a great suggestion. No power needed, just hooks right into the plumbing. I have this one . Bio Bidet Bidet Attachment for Toilet, White, Non Electric

  • @eezeebee@lemmy.caEnglish
    70•2 years ago

    Rechargeable batteries. They have paid for themselves many times over by now. Less guilt about throwing away dead ones, too.

    • @Contramuffin@lemmy.world
      1•2 years ago

      This, entirely. I remember back 10, 15 years ago, rechargeable batteries were trash. Gave them a second shot recently, and I’m genuinely surprised. They’re as good, possibly even better than, non-rechargeables

  • @Contramuffin@lemmy.world
    47•2 years ago

    Here’s an unusual one - an M.2 SSD to USB adapter.

    Most, if not all, laptops come with SSD’s nowadays, and they’re usually pretty easy to take out from a laptop. Gather some old, broken laptops, and take out their SSD’s. They’re so much faster than USB flash drives, I prefer to use SSD’s where possible. Plus, it helps with e-waste

    • aname
      15•2 years ago

      I wish I had the money to upgrade my laptops often enough that even my previous one had an m.2 ssd

    • @whofearsthenight@lemm.eeEnglish
      3•2 years ago

      Could even make this a little simpler - if somehow you’re not using an SSD at least as the primary boot, please god change that immediately. $50 can easily get you 512gb, often even a TB.

    • Virtual Insanity English
      2•2 years ago

      I’d be careful with that suggestion. Some external readers will only read SATA M.2, Dube will only read NVMe M.2.

      Ideally you’d want I’ve is each or one that will do both for maximum compatibility.

      Though most drives do seem to be NVMe now.

  • @Justfollowingorders1@lemmy.ml
    41•2 years ago

    This is stupid. But socks and underwear. All new socks and underwear.

    I love throwing out all my old ragged socks and having a bunch of brand new pairs in the drawer.

  • @CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
    37•2 years ago

    Electric teakettle if you use an older style stovetop one. The lowest end ones I’ve seen are only like $15, and work pretty much as well as some nicer ones, just don’t look as pretty, but they’ll boil water faster than the stove will. Even if you don’t make tea or similar, if you ever eat things like pasta that are cooked in boiling water, you can heat the water in the kettle first and then transfer to the pot to make things slightly faster, and use less gas if you happen to have a gas stove.

  • @fossilesque@mander.xyzOPEnglish
    36•2 years ago

    Adding mine:

    • Lunch
      5•2 years ago

      Didn’t know of PineTime, how is it for training?

      • @venji10@feddit.de
        2•2 years ago

        Well, you have a relatively good step counter imo (disclaimer: I haven’t used other smartwatches before, can’t compare) and a basically useless heartrate sensor. Other basic functionality is decent

  • @PunnyName@lemmy.world
    31•2 years ago

    • Aeropress for the coffee people who want something easy to store and clean.

    • Portable Bluetooth speaker. I have the Anker Soundcore 2, and use it all the time in my studio apartment.

    • Deli containers for food storage.

    • Electric mixer. It will save you a lot of strain if you often mix by hand.

    • Water filtration system of your choice. I use ZeroWater.

    • Humidifier for those dry months.

    • PC gamer? Use emulators for older console games? Get an Xbox controller for those non mouse and keyboard games (Journey et. al were on sale recently).

    • Canister vacuum cleaner. I use Bissell Zing (about $75), but they’re better than bagless vacuums.

    • Plants for literal quality of life. https://www.thespruce.com/easy-houseplants-hard-to-kill-4141665

    • justhach
      14•2 years ago

      I cannot recommend the Aeropress enough. It makes such great coffee at its price point. Its quicker and less wasteful than a lot of other popular single cup options coughKeurigcough

      • korok
        5•2 years ago

        Yes, I love my aeropress!! With enough dialing in I can usually make a better cup of coffee with a pourover setup that better expresses the differences of specific beans. But the aeropress makes a darn good cup of coffee every time without going through all that hassle. I use mine almost daily.

        • @ForgetPrimacy@lemmygrad.ml
          2•2 years ago

          I have been trying to decide between an aeropress or pourover. Maybe I’m ignorant of something, how is the pourover a larger hassle?

        • justhach
          5•2 years ago

          I have had several french presses, and I can say with certainty that the Aeropress is way easier to make a great cup of coffee with than any french press I have tried.

          Can you make great coffee with french press? Absolutely! But it requires the proper grind, water temp, and timing it to prevent over or under extraction. Aeropress is a lot more forgiving.

    • @Craig@lemm.ee
      6•2 years ago

      Deli containers are a game changer. Never have to search for a lid that fits.

  • @chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world
    29•2 years ago

    Instant Pot (on sale): There is legitimately so many things you can make in these. Many of them do sous vide too, which is one of the best ways to cook meat.

    Powered ratchet: For anyone who works on their own vehicles, a cheap powered ratchet is a godsend. I bought one for oil changes and car repairs and it’s my most used tool in my bag. I’m mad I spent so much time without one. Walmart’s Hyper Tough brand powered ratchet is $40 and holds up very well. Extended reach one is often on sale for $50-55.

    E-Ink reader: Another often on sale item. If you have someone who loves books, having an entire library in your pocket with a built-in backlight for night reading that’s also easy on the eyes is a great thing. Coupled with Calibre and some…sourced epub files…and you can read a lot for free.

    Vacuum sealer: Never have freezer burned stuff again. And keeps things fresh in the fridge longer. Also works great for sous vide for the above-mentioned Instant Pot.

    • @Justfollowingorders1@lemmy.ml
      4•2 years ago

      If you have decent freezer space, there’s no excuse to not use a vac sealer. I have so many friends that constantly removed about meat prices but don’t take advantage of buying meat on sale in bulk. With a vac sealer, you can really get ahead. Also processing and preparing your own meat products (burgers, sausage).

      We also vac seal soups and broths!

      • @Nugget@lemm.ee
        3•2 years ago

        How do you vacuum seal things with liquids? Mine says absolutely no liquids, like if it gets a single drop of moisture on it, the company will come shoot me

        • @Justfollowingorders1@lemmy.ml
          3•2 years ago

          That’s odd, mine actually has a “moist” mode. It has a little cavity where any juice that get sucked up go. You just have to empty it often if you’re doing alot of meats that are juicy. As for soups, I do one of two methods, freeze over night in a Tupperware, then remove from Tupperware and Vac seal or ill just let it cool and vac seal, which might leave a small air gap, but I haven’t notice it effect the soup like it does meat.

  • @whofearsthenight@lemm.eeEnglish
    27•2 years ago

    So many things in your house that are probably pissing you off:

    • it’s very easy to replace an outlet that doesn’t hold a plug or is a little off for whatever reason.
    • ditto light switches
    • door handles and shit. We hated the jank handle on our patio door that barely worked and required specialized training to get to lock. $12 for a new one, that was much more aesthetically from this decade. (that said, some lock lube, which is a thing, goes a long way)
    • ditto for the various shitty faucets in this house (or any slightly older house.) You can get a ton of bathroom fixtures for under $30.
    • hinges. Unless you’re trying to re-hang a safe door, you’re going to be under $20.
    • faucet diffuser. They just screw on. Have you lived in your place for more than a few years and haven’t replace them? Just do it, it’s like $4 a faucet.
    • doorbell. Smart doorbells can easily be had for under $50. A little easier often than replacing the traditional bell because you usually have a plug in chime rather than something wired.
    • a can of sprayfoam. Seal that area that is letting in air. Trim it with a box knife, chances are you won’t know the hack exists.
  • @hamsammy@lemmy.world
    24•2 years ago

    I haven’t read all of the comments on here, but here are mine that are more beauty related that improve my quality of life:

    • a bottle of oil makeup remover and face cleanser, specifically the DHC Cleansing Oil that you put on your dry face, rub lightly all over and then rinse off. Gone are the days of drying out your face and creating more waste with makeup remover wipes.

    • if you prefer just water and no oil, a simple soft makeup remover towel is a dream, removes makeup with just getting the cloth wet and then gently rubbing on your face and eyes. Buy a pack of like 12 or something as you shouldn’t use the same towel more than once to clean your face - the bacteria it gets on there can actually make your skin worse if you use it multiple times before washing.

    • sunscreen! Omg if you don’t moisturize or use sunscreen you’re doing yourself a disservice. Do yourself a favor and make it easier by gettinga 2-in-1 moisturizer+SPF. Good brands being dermatologist recommended CeraVe or flight attendant/aesthetician recommended Kiehls. Honestly, throw in some lip balm from them too or their overnight lip mask where you put it on before bed and wake up with super soft and non-chapped lips - a lifesaver especially when you’re sick and end up mouth breathing all night.

    • a microfiber dedicated hair towel - immediately after your shower wrap up your hair in this for like 5-10 min and then your hair won’t be sopping wet and will be less frizzy from the lack of scratchy towel drying. Bonus, you get to look cool in a hair wrap.

    • an eyelash growth serum, my favorite is Babelash. Gone are the days of falsies or weak thin lashes that don’t keep debris out your eyes. Put this on your lid lash line religiously every night for a week then alter every other day and then after about 3 weeks you should see results and then use as-needed. Stuff is amazing and you can get a two-pack at Costco even - just don’t buy the ones off Amazon as it’s a knock off formula and you’re putting stuff near your eyes so be mindful about that.

    • nail cuticle oil, my fingertips get dry and I end up picking them. Not to mention how much healthier your nailbeds will be when you start using this. Put some on your cuticles and then rub it in - I do it mindlessly while I’m watching TV or something. Helped me get my nails back after biting them for decades.

    • a cozy pair of soleless slippers, I prefer the brand “snoozies!” I wear those all the time I’m in the house and love that I can even put them on the couch or wherever as I don’t go outside with them. Alternatively, a good pair of slippers with a sole you wear to get the mail with if you are in chill mode and don’t wanna put on actual shoes for small outdoor tasks.

    That’s all I can think of right now, but those are some of my favorites for smaller daily life improvements.

  • @CylustheVirus@beehaw.orgEnglish
    21•2 years ago

    Kitchen scale. Baking is much better with weight measurements instead of volume. Also useful for calculating calories.

    Headlamp. Having light where you don’t need to hold a phone or a flashlight is great.

    Digital meat thermometer. No more guessing.

    USB charging hub. Charge many devices at once.

      • @Zoop@beehaw.org
        2•2 years ago

        To my brain, that sounds like what someone would call their penis while jokingly trying to get their partner to take their temperature.

        “Open up for the thermomeater babe, gotta make sure you don’t have a fever!”

        …I was referring to taking a temperature orally, but I guess they could mean rectally, too, lmao

    • @glob@lemmy.mlEnglish
      6•2 years ago

      I’ll second the meat thermometer. I bought one a little while ago and find that it prevents me from overcooking things out of an overabundance of caution.

      • @Justfollowingorders1@lemmy.ml
        2•2 years ago

        No more dried pork chops or chicken! I probe everything I eat. I also used a “Meater” to cook our Thanksgiving turkey, came out ridiculously juicy.

    • @akai_android@programming.dev
      4•2 years ago

      I bought a scale to start measuring my coffee a couple years ago and only recently realized I could be using it for cooking. Was definitely a game changer

    • zeekaranEnglish
      1•2 years ago

      Why stop with one head lamp? I have so many flashlights and head straps.

      • @CylustheVirus@beehaw.orgEnglish
        2•2 years ago

        Yep, got one. They’re lovely and read in one second and are extremely accurate, but a simple 4 or 5 second reader will do the job just fine for most applications. Those can be had for around 25 USD.

  • magnetosphere
    20•2 years ago

    A red nightlight or two somewhere between your bed and the bathroom. Red doesn’t wake you up as much or destroy your night vision. Ideal for trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

  • @Nugget@lemm.ee
    20•2 years ago

    Great topic idea! Here are some of mine, I’ll add links later:

    • Heat resistant cooking gloves. These are basically oven mitts, but because they’re gloves, you can keep them on while cooking. I’ve gifted a few pairs of these and everyone loves them!
    • A percussion massager is great for getting out muscle knots. Foam rollers too.
    • Collapsible creates for the car and around the house - mine are made by InstaCrate
    • A refillable oil sprayer so that you can buy any oil you want and evenly coat a pan. Great for searing and air frying
    • Stainless steel pots are amazing. IKEA sells a set that’s around $50. Totally dishwasher safe, heat tolerant, just all around easy peasy
    • Costco membership