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We’ve started collecting all of our year-long suggestions along these lines with the tag Little Things. Check them all out here!)
Kat’s Little Things
Kat is the founder of Corporette; you can read about Kat and all of Kat’s posts here.
The Bug Bite Thing
Not to brag, but mosquitoes LOVE me. I’ll be sitting at a table or walking outside with several other people in my family and I’ll be the only one to walk away covered in bug bites.
They may love me, but I HATE being itchy. I also hate covering myself in bug spray, and even those little repelling bracelets are too smelly. (And I never remember to charge my Thermocell when I need to.)
We bought this Bug Bite Thing a while ago, but this was the first summer I used it, and I have to say I really like it — no chemicals or anything involved. The idea is that if you can get to your bug bite quickly (I’d say I’ve felt relief if I got to it within 48 hours) then you can suck the itchy part out of the bug bite. Here’s the description from the website:
Bug Bite Thing is a suction tool that alleviates the itching, stinging, and swelling from bug bites and stings. How? It extracts the insect saliva/venom left behind under the skin. When you remove the irritant, your body stops producing the reaction. A chemical-free solution for bites and stings? It’s a thing!
An important note is that the Bug Bite Thing is a two-in-one kind of thing — you can flip it around to adjust to the area you’re sucking, with a smaller head perfect for bites on your finger or things like that.
(If you are like me, note that mosquitos are also weak fliers — so a fan helps a lot!)
Filthy Olive Brine
I’ve written before of my love of martinis — I used to be an “up with a twist” kind of girl, but lately I’m preferring them dirty. If you also prefer your martinis extra dirty, you may be aware of the problem: you take out a few olives for your martini, then add some juice to your glass… and now your olive jar is sadly low on juice.
My husband prefers his martinis extra extra dirty, so I finally broke down and bought this Filthy Olive Brine, cute little pouches that are JUST “premium olive brine.” We’ve bought them several times at this point.
Kate’s Little Things
Kate is the Editor of Corporette; you can read all of Kate’s posts here.
KitchenStar Pizza Cutter Rocker
We used one of those typical wheel-y pizza cutters for years (something like this KitchenAid one) and it did the job just fine, until the blade eventually became dull. After way too many times struggling with it (and realizing we no longer own a knife sharpener), I did some googling and found out about this rocker style of pizza cutter.
I bought this one, and it works great! The blade is very sharp, so it cuts quickly and easily. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe and comes with a cover for safe storage.
We bought the 16″ size, which is labeled as “most versatile size option,” for under $25 at Amazon. The other sizes are 12″, 14″, and 20″.
Uniball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen
These are my very favorite pens, and they have been for years. But to quote LeVar Burton, “You don’t have to take my word for it”: They were also recently dubbed “the best everyday ballpoint pen” by Wirecutter, and they have 4.8 stars on Amazon with 3,000+ reviews.
I love these pens because you never have to scribble to get the ink going, they’re comfortable to hold, they write smoothly and don’t smudge, and they make a stronger/thicker line than most ballpoints. Whenever I use a different pen when one of these isn’t handy, it’s just not the same!
I buy these pens from Amazon.
Ann’s Little Things
Ann writes our morning posts at CorporetteMoms — you can read all of Ann’s posts here.
LightDims Light-Blocking LED Covers
I thought I was the only one who cannot stand tiny LED lights in hotel rooms. Apparently, I am not the only one.
These blackout stickers make those tiny, distracting lights disappear. Each sheet includes a range of precut shapes that you can stick over those annoying lights. Just slide one into your suitcase for a better night’s sleep.
These LED light blocking stickers are less than $5 at Amazon.
Elizabeth’s Favorite Little Things
Elizabeth writes our morning posts at Corporette; you can read all of Elizabeth’s posts here.
Slob-Proof Touch-Up Paint Pen
These tiny paint pens have been a godsend for doing touch-ups on my kitchen cabinets, hallways, door frames, and any other surfaces that a klutzy human might find themselves crashing into. You just fill them up with leftover paint and the seal keeps it fresh until you need it. I have these loaded up and ready to go with my cabinet, trim, and wall colors, and I use them way more often than I would have predicted.
These refillable pens are available at Amazon in packages of two and five. If you have more than two colors in your house, go ahead and spring for all five.
Balloon Buddy Electric Air Inflator
Without a doubt, the best under-$20 purchase I’ve made this summer is this balloon inflator from Target. We had a milestone birthday in our house this summer, so I resolved to be the kind of mom who surprises her kids with elaborate decorations on their birthdays. I used this nifty little machine to blow up dozens of balloons and used this tape to throw together a festive balloon arch in less than 20 minutes.
Balloon Mom might be my whole personality now.
The inflator is $15.99 at Target.
(You can read about Elizabeth’s experience being a foster mother as a single woman here.)
The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame
I’ve been working with a dietitian for the last year on improving my nutrition and gut health, and I’ve discovered that the key to feeling my best is making sure I’m getting enough protein and fiber during the day.
These tiny bags of roasted edamame from The Only Bean make for a delicious 3 p.m. snack and have 11 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber each. The buffalo flavor is my favorite, but the sriracha is a close second.
This 24-count variety pack is available at Amazon.