1 week ago
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Things that aren't totally a necessity, but are still super fun.
1. A pair of LED stained glass bulbs to bathe your home in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Promising review: "I love these bulbs. They make any room all warm and cozy. Also a fantastic night-light for the little ones. :) Get you some!" —Amazon Customer
Get them from Amazon for $19.99.
2. A bottle of Bachan's beloved BBQ sauce that's truly a top-tier condiment. You'll want to soak everything in your fridge in this magical elixir.
Rebecca O'Connell / BuzzFeed
Bachan's is a Japanese-owned small business founded by Justin Gill. The sauce is inspired by his grandmother, Judy Yokoyama's recipe. Resisting advice to cut costs and water down this beloved sauce, Gill prioritized maintaining its integrity and only using clean ingredients. Their sauce is cold-filled, vegan, small-batch, non-GMO, BPA-free, and preservative-free.
I've tried this sauce and immediately made everyone I know try it as well. It's the kind of sauce that makes you go "oh...wow, oh WOW" when you taste it.
Get it from Bachan's for $10.99 or Amazon for $7.19 (there are also gluten-free, hot and spicy, and yuzu options!).
3. A fancy switch plate cover because HELLO everything in your home can and should be fancy as all heck.
Chelsea Stuart / BuzzFeed
Promising review: "These are absolutely beautiful! If I ever move, I'm taking them with me. You may think they're a little pricey, but they're REALLY heavy and far nicer than the stuff you find at the local hardware store. I bought the switch plate, outlet plates, and even a blank plate to cover an old electrical box left behind by DIRECTV." —Karebow
Get it from Amazon for $14.73+ (available in seven finishes).
4. A wall-mounted cat scratcher for design-lovers who want their cat to have a proper place to scratch. And by proper, I mean ✨aesthetic✨.
Amazon
Promising review: "This is no ordinary cat scratcher! It's sleek, well made, and takes up minimal space (which makes a big difference in our smaller home)! Our cat has been a complete terror lately, moving on from shredding our couch to literally tearing the paint off our walls. This seemed like the perfect fix, as it attaches to the wall. I rubbed some cat nip on it and set it down flat to get our cat used to it and then hung it on the wall a few hours later. So far so good, he seemed to take to it really quickly! This company just released this product, and I feel like my purchase really mattered. This has quality, style, and excellent customer service! I would 100% buy this product again and anything else they make!" —ANicholeG
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
5. A magazine rack that looks like a drawing that popped off the page. It'll be a sleek way to display magazines, letters, and — OK — clutter.
Amazon
6. A variety pack of hard candies spiced with traditional Mexican flavors that will delight the senses. Spicy, sweet, and tangy all come together to create flavor magic.
Tamalitoz is a Latinx- and Queer-owned business based in Texas. This ribbon-style candy is filled with a mild chili lime seasoning, making for a tangy, sweet treat. It was started in a tiny candy store in Mexico City by husband-and-husband team, Jack and Dec.
Promising review: "I once tried these after seeing them in a check out line, and now I am completely in love. They are the perfect mixture of sweet, spicy, and salty! Since I go through them pretty fast, this is a great way to get all the flavors for a good price at once. They do tend to get stuck together in transit, especially traveling in Florida, but I’ve never had trouble separating them by gently patting the bag. If these candies pique your interest, just go ahead and buy them!" —Katie
Get five bags from Amazon for $28.50.
9. An ingenious sandwich cutter and sealer so you can make your own Smucker's Uncrustables copycats at home. FINALLY we can all be reunited with the sadly discontinued grilled cheese variety.
Promising review: "These have been a GAME CHANGER in this house!! My son has always begged me for Uncrustables but my wallet didn’t agree with them. I LOVE being able to make them at home and customize them to exactly what they would like them filled with! I make two weeks' worth of sandwiches at a time and store them in sandwich bags in the freezer so in the morning during the school year we can just grab and go! Love them!" —Katherine Smaczniak
Get it from Amazon for $15.96.
10. A mini fisherman who sits on the edge of your pot and holds onto a single piece of spaghetti that you can take a bite of when you wanna see if the pasta is ready.
Amazon
Get it from Amazon for $16.95.
12. A Marshmallow Whip Maker loved by TikTokers thanks to its ability to turn your hum-drum cleanser into light frothy foam. Foam = easier to apply and less friction bothering your skin.
To use this, all you have to do is put a pearl-sized drop of your favorite cleanser at the bottom, fill with water up to the dotted line, and pump it until it creates foam.
Promising review: "This thing is the bomb. Does exactly what it advertises — makes a thick whipped cream/foam out of washes, making it economical as well as fun. It can 'soften' harsh washes to make the concoction gentler on skin. It's also great for mixing washes if you have two or more you'd like to combine for different effects. And of course, a little goes a long, long way with this puppy. For the price, it's a steal — if you're into this kind of thing. Definitely give it a try if you're not sure. It's a really cool device." —KnockKnockMe
Get it from Amazon for $8.
13. A clown phone case with a 3D red nose that doubles as a phone grip — practical and silly!
CloverDecal / Etsy
14. Honey gummies bursting with flavor and antioxidants. Good luck not eating the whole bag in one sitting!
Rbel Bee Sweets
Latine-, woman-owned small business. Founder Joline RIvera created these honey gummies after discovering she was insulin-resistant.
I'm a huuuuge fan of these! They have a strong honey and fruity flavor, and the consistency is perfect. If you love sweet, chewy treats, you should definitely check them out.
Get six packs from Rbel Bee Sweets for $29.94.
16. A humidifier that looks like a little dog ready to blast off into space in their reindeer rocket ship. Why isn't this a movie yet?
It can last up to 10 hours and has seven LED colors.
Promising review: "I can honestly say I was shocked to find this little gem, especially for the price. I have used it daily since it arrived at my doorstep. I’ve been taking it back and forth from home to work, but I will Instead buy a second one, and most likely a couple more as gifts, as Christmas is around the corner." —Helen Quigley
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in four colors).
17. Magical Flames — a cool invention that turns your boring old fire into a rainbow fire. Camping has never felt so rave-like.
Amazon
Promising review: Mystical Fire Colorant is amazing. For a really fun experience, get some of these for your next camping trip. As if a campfire needs improvement... but this stuff is really neat. I'd say the adults love it even more than the kids. We only used one packet and the colors were so good — seems like they lasted at least 20 minutes. There was even color left in the ashes the next day. We will never go camping again without several packs of Mystical Fire on hand." —TeNe
Get it from Amazon for $16.20+ (available in five styles).
19. A pair of hooking bear pins that help shrink the waistline of jeans that are a little too big. Plus, they just look really cute holding paws! I want what they have. :')
20. A pair of fishnet socks with bow-backs that are a-bow-t to make every outfit way more edgy and chic.
Amazon
Get a pack of five pairs from Amazon for $15.99.
21. A moon phase trellis so your plant has an attractive ladder to climb as it grows.
Promising review: "These work perfectly for small plants. They are sturdier and more attractive than the plastic ones." —crazy great granny
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two sizes and also a leaf shape).
22. A kitchen s'mores maker that'll bring the best part of camping indoors, thus eliminating the need for camping at all. Indoor people, rejoice!
It even comes with two roasting forks!
Promising review: "We have been really enjoy this little s'mores maker — it's not big, doesn't take up a lot of space, but does exactly what it's meant to do. We can't build fires or anything like that around where I live so this was our next best option. It's worked out great for us, only thing is it only has two of the little roaster sticks, so if you have multiple people roasting you would need something else to use to stick your marshmallow on." —Debb
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
23. A purrfectly adorable spoon almost as fun as those color-changing ones that came in cereal boxes.
Amazon
Promising review: "Absolutely loved this! Although it was a little bit too short for most of my mugs, I wasn't even bothered by it, as it was just the cutest thing ever. The only irritating thing though, it's so small that I lost it immediately! Definitely planning to buy another (or a couple more) soon!" —Miya Peason
Get it from Amazon for $3.59.
24. A cleansing jelly ball that smells like watermelon and cloudberry, because liquid cleanser is sooo last year.
Amazon
Dallas & James Skincare Co. is a mom-owned small business that sells skincare products.
Promising review: "I am on my third purchase of the Watermelon Dream line. I am someone who has struggled with skincare lines for years. I have severely sensitive skin that in my 30s still also likes to act up like a teenager. I had used it over the summer and at the time felt like I hadn't noticed a difference. So when I ran out, switched to something else I had lying around and boy did my skin feel BLAH. After like a week I went online and bought the whole line again plus the mask. My skin is soooo much happier and now I am all in. The smell is light, not overpowering but still there and very good." —Stephanie
Get it from Amazon for $28.
25. A paw-shaped chair cushion, because who doesn't want to be lovingly cradled in a kitten's paw?
Amazon
Promising review: "I freaking LOVE this paw cushion! This paw cushion absolutely saves my butt. It's not super thick or as filled as you might hope. But I read reviews and was prepared for that. A little extra padding would be great but even without it this cushion is soft and comfy! It's still worth every dime. It's perfect if you have one of those hanging indoor/outdoor rope chairs, too! This cushion is soft and cute and comfortable. Buy yourself this thing. You deserve it." —mandarabbit
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in two sizes and nine colors).
26. A bubble wrap calendar that gives you one bubble to pop each day. Good luck not popping a whole year's worth in one go!
Amazon
Promising review: "We've had this bubble wrap calendar several times over the years. Each bubble is large and makes a pretty satisfying POP that can be heard for feet (or even yards!) away! We hung the calendar in the hallway by our bedroom and the bathroom so it's easy to see multiple times during the day." —Giant Sis
Get it from Amazon for $24.95.
27. A six-pack of ramune soda so you can try a bunch of flavors at once. Sadly the best flavor, lychee, isn't in the lineup but pineapple also sounds really enticing!
Amazon
If you've never had one before, ramune soda comes in a glass bottle with a marble lodged in the top. You push the marble down to open it, then drink with the marble caught in the neck of the bottle.
Promising review: "These drinks were the best. They came safely packaged and were ready to be opened. Each flavor was a whole new different sensation for my taste buds. They were all very good." —Gerardo
Get them from Amazon for $26.44.
28. A mystical wireless phone charger for anyone who prefers fantasy over the sci-fi reality we live in.
Amazon
Magic = unexplained science! This spell circle works with iPhones 11 and up, and Samsung Galaxys S8 and up.
Promising review "Product works great, looks cool, gives my nightstand a bit of magical flair without being so ostentatious that it keeps me up at night unlike some other magic circle chargers. AFAIK the runes mean nothing, the only word I can make out along the outer circle is futharc, which is the name of the Norse rune alphabet and is comprised of the first six letters of said alphabet. Most likely the rest of the letters are merely the rest of the alphabet in sequence, the literal rune equivalent of 'ABCDEFG' and so on. Overall, a good find. I am satisfied." —Kevin
Get it from Amazon for $44.98+ (available in four colors).
29. An ironic Dracula garlic crusher ready to mince several cloves with a simple twist of his head. I'd wager this is easier to clean than a traditional garlic press AND it's cute.
Amazon
This little blood-sucker is 100% food-safe, BPA-free, and dishwasher safe!
Promising review: "I was getting very tired of the garlic presses that turn garlic into a mush and require incredible force to mash the clove into unrecognizable oblivion. This is far easier and turns the garlic into pieces rather than mush." —C. Pearlman
Get it from Amazon for $22.95.
30. A plug-in mushroom light that offers a warm, color-changing glow so your home feels like a magical forest. Time to invite over the nice badger couple next door and drink dandelion tea!
Promising review: "I LOVE this night-light. It's in my bathroom and is a lovely addition. It turns off the second the lights go on which is nice that I don't have to worry about accidentally leaving it on. Super cute and the little itty-bitty lighting element does a good job lighting, just enough so I don't have to turn the main lights on in the middle of the night." —1Thand
Get it from Amazon for $5.97.
31. A giant pack of stackable resin rings so you always have at least five different rings for every outfit.
Promising review: "I got these for a gift for someone, and they are just adorable! The colors are bright, and the quality is good. They came packaged in a pretty pink box too. I would recommend, and would buy again for a gift." —Sarahf
Get a pack of 25 from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in three different sets).
32. A portable toddler cup with a handle and reach-through lid that makes snack time easy and mess-free.
34. A pair of lightweight chunky hoop earrings offering a classic look that goes with seriously everything.
Promising review: "OMG I’m obsessed with these earrings. They’re so pretty and lightweight. I never usually order earrings off Amazon but decided to get some since I saw them on TikTok. They’re great quality and I usually can’t wear fake jewelry since it makes my ears itch like crazy. This one didn’t do that at all. Another problem I have is earrings being super uncomfortable to sleep in but this one doesn’t do that either. I’m going to literally get every single size they have since I love it so much. Highlyyy recommend." —Ziyana Iyer
Get it from Amazon for $13.95+ (available in four sizes and three colors).
35. A Capri Blue Volcano candle that's commonly burned in Anthropologie stores. Now your home can smell just as nice.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
