{"id":8314,"date":"2026-10-07T23:45:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T23:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=8314"},"modified":"2026-10-07T23:45:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T23:45:22","slug":"what-small-inexpensive-things-make-your-life-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=8314","title":{"rendered":"What Small, Inexpensive Things Make Your Life Better?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Do you have a random hero object at home? Sometimes the small, un-sexy purchases \u2014\u00a0a kitchen timer<\/a>, dimmer switches<\/a> \u2014\u00a0are the ones that make the biggest difference. Here are our seven answers, and we\u2019d love to hear yours\u2026<\/p>\n

Joanna Goddard<\/a>, founder and editor:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Loop ear plugs<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cI\u2019m one of those people<\/a> who can find small noises \u2014 cracking knuckles, jingling keys, an unexpected sneeze \u2014 pretty unbearable, especially if I\u2019m trying to focus. Toby once sweetly told me he\u2019d drink water in the other room since it was my birthday. (Aww, sorry, guys!) But, these days, I wear Loop earplugs<\/a> while working from home, and they really work. (They also save me on planes and trains.) The good part is, you can still hear conversation; they just cut out that pesky background noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back-up batteries<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cIt seems simple, but one thing that saves me so much stress is having back-up packs<\/a> of every<\/em> kind of battery we use at home. That way, when the smoke detector starts chirping in the middle of the night, or the alarm clock or TV remote dies at an inopportune time, I never worry about whether or not we have replacements. I even keep the little coin batteries<\/a> that go in our car\u2019s key fob.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long lighters<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cI spent four decades burning my fingers while lighting birthday candles and reaching into votive holders, until Freddie<\/a> noticed one day and bought me a multi-purpose lighter<\/a>. What a game changer! Why did I wait so long???\u201d<\/p>\n

Paring-knife set<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cNow that I\u2019m the only adult<\/a> in the house and almost cook dinner every night, I really appreciate the set of four paring knives<\/a> that my cousin gave me. I always have a clean one ready for chopping onions, slicing apples, or cutting a chicken into pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vacation air freshener<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cIt\u2019s no secret<\/a> that I love the smell of Vacation sunscreen<\/a> (I\u2019m \u201calways banging on about it,\u201d as my English aunt would say), and their car air fresheners<\/a> are wonderful<\/em>. They smell of coconut and beaches, which is pleasant even (especially?) in the fall and winter. And while the fragrance isn\u2019t overpowering, it is enough to mask any lingering scent of the boys\u2019 discarded socks and forgotten banana peels. (I once found a peel so old that it CRACKED IT IN HALF.)\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Plus, three more from our editors\u2026<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Teer<\/a>, senior editor<\/a><\/strong>
Clip-on reading light<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cOur kids share a room, and clip-on lights<\/a> are the perfect bunk-bed lighting solution. Now my daughter can stay up reading without disturbing her little brother\u2019s sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jannelle Sanchez<\/a>, senior editor<\/strong>
Magnetic hooks<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cThese little hooks<\/a> are the size of a quarter, but can hold up to 30 pounds! My husband uses them to hold tools in the garage, and I use them on the garage door<\/em> to hang fun birthday banners for our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alison Piepmeyer<\/a>, partnerships director<\/strong>
Foldable tote<\/a> <\/strong>
\u201cI picked up a Baby Baggu<\/a> a few years ago, and I never leave home without it. It stays stashed in my purse, and I use it every single day, for a million different things: library books, groceries, muddy clothes, and all the random rocks my kids demand to bring home.\u201d<\/p>\n

What little everyday things do you swear by? We\u2019d love to hear.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. Five more inexpensive things that make life easier<\/a>, and Joanna\u2019s five holy-grail beauty products<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Photo by J.Anthony\/Stocksy.)<\/p>\n

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19<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

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Do you have a random hero object at home? Sometimes the small, un-sexy purchases \u2014\u00a0a kitchen timer, dimmer switches \u2014\u00a0are the ones that make the biggest difference. 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