Hey, everyone! I’m taking over Stuff We Like this month to talk about my household staples. My partner and I bought a house about a year ago and these are the things we’ve purchased and get a lot of use out of, or would rebuy in a heartbeat.
I’ve broken down items by category: Organization, Kitchen, Office, Apparel, and Miscellaneous
NB: Some of the links are affiliate coded, so if you use them, we may earn a commission – and if you don’t use them, that’s totally cool, too. Thanks!
I also want to mention shopping through the Rakuten portal – now that I’ve turned my husband onto Rakuten, we’re using it more and more frequently. Many of the stores have kept their increased percentages. I have a referral link good for a $30 cash back bonus when you spend $30. You’re welcome to use it and get extra cash for yourself! (NB: I booked a tour on Viator for my family and got 10% back – that was pretty great.)
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Organization
4-Pack of Foldable Organizers (Small), $8.99
These backets come in small and large. I love these things, especially if you need a temporary container for a craft or sorting project. When you’re not using them, they fold down and can be stored somewhere.
2-Pack Tiered Organizer, $45.99
Our under the sink spaces are pretty small and we don’t really have space around the sink for more than hand soap and a few other things like toothbrushes and face wash. The two tiers help maximize the space we have for extra soap or cleaning products. I also like that the bottom area slides out, so I don’t have to reach around blindly for things in the back.
4-Pack Large Stackable Storage Drawers, $35.99
We mainly use these in our pantry for things we can’t stack, like baking goods (flour, sugar, etc.). The clear plastic is also super helpful in seeing what’s stored. I personally hate having to root through boxes or drawers.
Kitchen
All in One Vegetable Chopper, $39.99
Most times, I don’t mind chopping things myself. But for more difficult tasks like finely diced or sliced, or things that require a mandolin, I prefer using this. It also comes with a safety glove. I also think this is great if you want to make a quick chopped salad. Just chop all your veggies into the drawer, pour in your dressing, and eat it out the container.
4-Pack Snack Containers, $18.99
Do you miss Lunchables? Want to make your own but with better stuff? I love these things. Putting my own little snack packs together has been a great way to get my nutritionist-recommended snack breaks into my day. If you need an incentive to get a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack in, I highly suggest building your own snack boxes.
I will never miss an opportunity to cutesify my home. My only problem with bag clips in general is that I never seem to have enough. (Or they wind up in a forgotten pile on my partner’s desk.)
We’re a big rice household, which means we typically stock up at Costco. This holds almost an entire Costco bag and keeps it safe from pesky bugs. It dispenses around a cup at a time, though not always on the dot.
If you need your drinks ice cold, please treat yourself to a Yeti. I drink seltzer, but the second it gets a little room temp, I abandon it. My partner refers to them as my “fallen soldiers.” I pack this puppy full of ice and my water will stay cold for hours. Even overnight.
Ramen Broth Concentrate, $12.99
This is a pantry staple for us. My partner makes a lot of ramen and hot pot with whatever veggies, tofu, or pork we have on hand. It comes in a variety of flavors and is gluten-free!
Office
Bluetooth Thermal Label Printer, $69.99
Like a true millennial, I don’t own a printer. However, I picked up a new hobby earlier this year (Disney pin trading!), and I frequently trade pins via mail. It got annoying having to print stuff out at the office and tape it to a package. This little printer has been so easy to setup and use. Love this thing!
6-Pack of Retractable Boxcutters, $6.99
These get such a workout in our household. We have them in our respective offices and our kitchen. Long at the days when I try to open something with my nails or a steak knife.
I have two of these! One is in my office and holds my current craft projects. I have friends who own something similar and use it for their current TBR pile that they can roll around to whatever comfy spot they’ve occupied. The other one I own (which is an older one and from our former apartment) holds all my bath time goods: a jar of bath bombs, bath scrubs, etc.
Both my partner and I have one of these in our offices. Theirs holds a ton of tech stuff with cords, battery packs, and spare computer parts. Mine is sectioned off by craft like cross stitch, pin stuff, mailing supplies, etc.
Apparel
This section is mainly just a callout to the Baleaf leggings, which I know others have recommended on the site. Their fleece lined leggings are a winter staple for lounging and they have a pair of hiking joggers that work well as a “workwear sweatpant” for me.
Miscellaneous
We’re people who love to have a sensory object while we’re sitting at our computers, especially during work from home meetings. I have some slime collections, but this cube is way less messy and I can leave it out.
4-Set of Microfiber Wristbands, $6.99
When I wash my face, having water run down my arms to my elbows is a fucking sensory nightmare. These cuffs prevent that. I keep them with my skincare headband.
I’m absolute slut for candles. If I’m home, especially at my desk, I’m burning a candle. (Bonus points if it’s a crackling wood wick!) I definitely prefer to do a little maintenance on my candles so they burn more evenly. Trim those wicks, people!
Our three cats love cat TV. We’ve set these up near their cat trees in our offices. We live near some woods, so we always have plenty of visitors. So far, the suctions have held up well!
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What about you? What are your household staples or things that have really improved your household quality of life?
I have and love those microfiber wristbands — really helps save my pj tops! And I will be buying those foldable baskets (but in the large size) immediately for a very nerdy and fun reason — to carry drinks and food back from Ren Faire booths and other big events to wherever my family is sitting. This means whoever is doing the munchies run doesn’t have to worry about spillage and/or make multiple trips.
@LittyN: They are SO USEFUL! Please protect the munchies at all costs.
I love how open people now are about sensory issues. I always assumed I was just high-maintenance for finding water down the arm so offensive!
Yeah I am also fascinated by lots of these newish workarounds for sensory issues. I just… I don’t wash my face? Like I shower, don’t get me wrong, but that whole skin care at the bathroom sink deal? No deal. I *might* be able to manage it with those genius wristbands but then what about water going down your neck? Ugh. No. I don’t never touch my face if I can possibly help it. The upside to makeup being a sensory nightmare is I don’t have the sensory struggle of removing it. And it saves a lot of money!
I have no organizational recommendations because I have no organization.
My best ever purchase for the home is definitely a schmancy bidet seat, which is kinda hilarious because now I am thinking my ass is cleaner than my face. But for real, the point of civilization is plumbing, I mean sure art is great too but plumbing. The toilet seat itself is adjustably warm, as is the water, there are different angles, and pressures… it makes a regular toilet seat seem like a hole in the ground.
Our household runs on zippered pouches (search JARLINK on Amazon). They’re translucent so you can see what’s inside but sturdier than ziplock bags. We use them for my child’s toys and puzzles and art supplies that have lots of pieces, for supplies for my foster cats, for organizing my locker at work, for packing when you need less space than a whole packing cube…
I bought a silicone Kitchen Gizmo Snap N Strain Clip On Strainer for Pots and Pans from Amazon. My husband, the chef, likes it. I, the one who washes the dishes, also like it as it’s far easier to clean than our traditional colander.
My absolute must have for the kitchen (apart from the obvious sharp knives and wooden spoons)are small silicon spatulas, 21cm/8″ long, with the spoon bit 5cm/2″ wide at the handle end narrowing a little to the bottom. Perfect for scraping out smaller bowls, cartons or tubs of food and in a pinch even stirring cooking food. We have five because we use them that much, we even take at least one when going on self-catering holidays, that was how we discovered they made good stirrers, the let had NO wooden spoons not any spatulas nor anything you could sir with except metal utensils and they had provided non-stick pans. We also have some even smaller ones perfect for getting the last bit out of jars. I was brought up by someone who herself was brought up during the Great Depression and started her married life during the food rationing of WWII, she hated food waste and instilled that in all of us, she would have adored these spatulas.