Small Things (To Buy) That Make a Big Difference

I love recommending things I think are great. I made a whole website about it. But sometimes the things I get most passionate about are small, tiny even. The thrill I get out of finding a small, cheap, or simple solution to a problem? I can’t even explain it. It’s THE BEST. So, here are a few things that I get overly animated and excited about, because they’re small things, but they make a BIG difference.

Portable Charger/Charging Cords

I have no idea how people have low phone batteries. First of all, if you use your phone a lot, wouldn’t you want to be sure you could… continue to use your phone a lot? Also, it’s not hard to keep your phone charged!

FYI: If you have an old phone, sometimes it IS hard to keep it charged. Planned obsolescence and all that. I’m not picking on you, this isn’t about you, but also let’s get that phone sorted, yeah? You can’t live like this.

You need to keep your phone (and other devices maybe probably!) charged, so let me tell you the good news about power banks. These are everywhere - I’ve even seen them in that dollar section at the front of Target - but tech nerds say the best ones are from Anker. There are a lot of different models, but I have this one. It’s small, it holds three full phone charges, and isn’t expensive. If you are going to be out of the house for a long time, this is a must-have. plus, becasue it’s lightweight, it’s not a burden to carry it on you. The REAL trick is to get a short charging cord, so it’s even easier to tuck into a tiny bag or pocket. I have this one, and I just keep it on my Anker PowerCore at all times.

While you’re at it, stock up on charging cords for various spaces/needs. I have long charging cords next to my couch and bed, so that I have plenty of room to move around and still keep my tech batteries full. I have a shorter cord in my car, so that I can just put my phone in the cupholder near the USB outlet and won’t have a huge cord waving around when I’m not using it (I just keep it plugged in all the time) (Also don’t look at your phone while you’re driving, a short cord keeps you from looking at your phone when you should be looking at the road). I also have cords that live in my suitcase, so that I don’t have to go around the house grabbing charging cords (and potentially forgetting charging cords) before I take a trip. The Amazon Basics Apple cords are Mfi Certified, so you don’t need to worry about them hurting your devices or yourself, and they’re inexpensive enough that you can buy a wide variety of cords for all your various needs.

No-Tie Shoelaces

I have bought four pairs of these laces, I have them on every shoe possible, and I only learned you are meant to tuck in the excess part under your laces TODAY, when I went looking for a picture to put here.

I didn’t mention these in my post about arthritis hacks, but I should have! Switching out my shoelaces for no-tie options was such a game changer for me, I’m never going back. First I got these, which I reviewed here, but I’ve since discovered Lock Laces (I mentioned them here) and they’re my number one favorite. I have bought five sets of Lock Laces, because they are the only acceptable shoelaces for me. They make putting on and taking off your shoes fast and easy, and you don’t have to worry about your laces coming loose or your shoes getting uncormtable and needing adjusting. it’s the set it and forget it of footwear.

Clip-On Fan

I already raved about the clip on fan I got for my stationary bike, so I won’t go into how consider it to be a necessity during Peloton workouts. But lest you think this is ONLY for stationary bikes, let me tell you: It’s not. Most of the reviewers got it as a stroller fan! It would also be great for backseat passengers who cannot handle that lag time between the A/C being cranked up and it actually reaching the backseat (me, I’m talking about me). The clip is also a stand, so you can use this fan on a tabletop or the floor, not just places where you can clip on. I’ve definitely held it in my hand while I was doing stretches post-workout. AND it charges with a micro USB, same as the Anker PowerCore (and various other things) so you can just have one charging cord on your kitchen counter (or wherever) to charge All The Things.

Pop-Socket Super Stickers

This photo is from so many (two) phones ago. Eons, really.

I use a PopSocket on my phone, and now that I’ve been using one for years, I can’t imagine NOT having one. It makes it so much easier, particularly if you have limited dexterity in your hands. I even wrote a whole post about how PopSockets are secretly disability aids, which you can read here. But if you use a PopSocket a lot, and fiddle with it all the time, like I do, they lose their stickiness. I kept having mine come off, and no matter what I tried, it just wouldn’t stay on. So I bought these mega-sticky super stickers (formally known as 3M Sticky Adhesive Replacement Parts for Socket Base) and now that PopSocket is NEVER coming off. I followed the directions to the letter, after reading some reviews that said these stickers didn’t work. Yes, I left it to set for 24 full hours (just put a different case on your phone, it’s not that hard). But now my PopSocket is stuck to my phone case, and I’ve had zero issues with it coming loose, or shifting, or showing the slightest sign of becoming un-stuck (and these stickers come in an 8-pack, so I’m set for my next seven PopSockets).

Tablet Stand

I am an avid cross stitcher. My favorite evening wind-down activity is to put on a TV show and work on my latest stitching project. in 2020 I really plussed my stitching setup. I got a frame, needle minders, Q snaps, and grime guards (all of which are pictured and linked in this post). But I was still using printed out patterns. This was never a huge deal for me, but it also wasn’t a huge deal that I did all my stitching in-hand. I needed better system to match my swanky new setup. There are many apps out there for pattern keeping and tracking, but I just uploaded my patterns to Google Drive and I bring them up on my iPad while I’m stitching. I set my iPad up on this $10 tablet stand, on my couch arm table, so I just need to glance to the side to see my pattern. I already have my iPad set to never go to sleep, but if you wanted to try this, you’ll need to adjust that setting so you don’t have to keep tapping the screen to keep your pattern visible. This small change has made such a big difference. I no longer have to flip through pages, hold them together to see where the pattern goes from one page to another, or deal with a bunch of bent, worn out pieces of paper from a project I’ve been working on for months. I now just keep my tablet stand in my cross stitch basket, and I’m thinking I might need another one for when I want to see a recipe while I’m cooking or watch Dickinson in my bed.

Extras

This is one of the greatest life hacks I’ve ever learned, and I learned it from my mom. She instilled this idea in me mainly in terms of clothing: If you like something, buy two of it, or buy it in every color. Just have MORE of that thing that you love so much. I have taken this idea and run with it, and now I have a stockpile of extras. I wash my sheets regularly, but I switch out the pillowcase I sleep on more often, both becasue I sleep with layers of lotions and potions on my face, which end up on my pillow, and also because I’m paranoid about gunk on my pillowcase clogging up my skin. Two or three times a week, when I wake up and I’m making my bed, I just take the pillowcase off, and replace it with one of the extra pillowcases I have in my bedside table. And for an added layer of ingenuity, don’t just go buy pillowcases willy nilly. Wait till Target has 30% off bedding (my sheets are from Target, but this theory applies to any retailer) and THEN buy your extra pillowcases. This is not an argument for simply buying MORE, it’s for buying smarter and making your life easier.

I also have an extra set of dog food/water bowls, so that I can put Hero’s bowls in the dishwasher but not be beholden to the wash cycle, and can wash my dishes whenever and also feed the dog on time.

Find a hair tie or clip you like? Buy a lot of them. Then you can misplace/break/loan out your hair doodads without a care in the world.

Do you have a favorite pan you love to cook with? Or a favorite utensil (mine’s this one, mentioned here)? Buy a second one!

Anything that you move from place to place because it has a lot of uses, or you reach for it often? Get more of that thing. Flashlights. Chapsticks. Tylenol bottles. Headphones. Those are just things I have in many places around MY house, your needs might be different! Assess your needs and think of what would make life simpler.

The point of your spreadsheet is that it makes sense to YOU. I guess I’m just afraid of you thinking I have multiple laundry rooms, when actually I have multiple baskets in a cabinet above my washer and dryer and YES I DID number them.

If you want to go NEXT next level with your stash of extras, take an inventory and put it in a spreadsheet. I did this recently and I am so glad I did. It took about an hour to set up, and I have referenced it countless times. My spreadsheet is on Google Sheets, so I can access it from my phone, iPad, or laptop. I have the item (Clorox wipes, shampoo, Tums, I have all kinds of stuff on this thing), the number of that item I have in my stash, and where in my house it is. If I’m at home and realize I’m out of hand soap, I can find out where I put the new bottle, BUT the real power move is that when I’m at the STORE I can quickly look up if I need something. Say I didn’t put mouthwash on my shopping list, but there’s a great deal on mouthwash and I might want to take advantage of it. I just pull up my spreadsheet, and see that I have three mouthwash bottles at home, because I stocked up during the last sale, OR that I have none and wow, good thing I have this spreadsheet. It was a much smaller time investment than I thought it would be (I set aside an entire afternoon to build my spreadsheet. I did not need half that time), and it is infinitely useful.