Of course there are several things that keep us sane(ish) in life. Coffee, exercise, quiet time (aka: your commute to and from work), date night, the outdoors, etc. What about those things we don’t necessarily need but that make our life easier to navigate? That’s what this post is about. I’m not trying to paint the whole misguided “If you were stranded alone on an island what one thing or person would you want with you?” scenarios. I’m talking about this scenario: “If you were you on any given day and you could pick a few things that you actually use and are in your purse/gym bag/car right now, what would they be?” In my case, I have six of these things (so far). They don’t necessarily make me a better mom but I do think they make me feel less discombobulated/manic/confused/stressed/ill equipped, in general.
Please share: What things make your life “better”?
Miss A Knife Kit
This bad-girl was given to me at my son’s baby shower by a mother of two who obviously knows her stuff. Like the fact that sometimes your day boils down to needing a Swiss Army knife on crack! It boasts 16 different tools including a pill box, flashlight, needle and thread (Pfft! As if I’ve ever used that one.), safety pin (surprisingly handy), tweezers (for retrieving weird stuff my kids stuff into various holes everywhere), a corkscrew (Hellooooo! WinnerWinner!), a nail file, scissors, and a pen, among other things. And yes, mine is pink. Yours doesn’t have to be, they come in many colors. As this post gets published, overstock.com is sold out but I hear that happens a lot with this item so keep checking back.
Go Fit Weight Lifting Gloves
(Target)
You don’t have to lift psycho-sized weights to justify a pair of these. Plus they’re not that expensive. These save my hands from getting tired during a workout even if I’m lifting moderate weights. I sometimes wear them when I do Pilates or yoga too because they keep my hands from sliding around. I used to scoff at people who wore gloves as though they were a frivolous accessory. Turns out these are pretty clever! I got mine in the Target store but you can also find them on the website.
Fitbit
Yes, I’m that nerd who wears something on my waistband everywhere I go. But they make cool ones you can wear on your wrist, too. I love the Fitbit – it tracks all my steps for the day and factors in my calorie burn. I can even track my sleep if I’m ever so inclined to wear it to bed. It syncs up with your computer or phone so you don’t need a bunch of wires every time it needs a charge or to check your data. I use the Fitbit app on my phone which also allows me to log exercises I do outside of walking and running. Plus, if you’re a fan of the MyFitnessPal app it syncs with that as well.
Card Organizer
Someone who understands me very well gave this to me a long time ago and it’s been a lifesaver when it comes time to find a random gift card, points card or other seemingly-useless-until-you-suddenly-need-it card. This thing makes me look organized! And until I look at the rest of my purse, I believe it.
Gymboss Interval Timer
My last post was about HIIT workouts and how much I love them because they’re total time savers. This timer is what I use for those. It’s also handy when I’m doing sprint intervals on the greenbelt (it’s got a vibrate mode which keeps other people from getting freaked out). It makes my home workouts that much easier because I set it beforehand and therefore don’t have to watch the clock. Luke likes it because it beeps and Mom doesn’t want him to play with it. So, naturally, he spends the entirety of the workout trying to eat it.
Psst! For a quick HIIT workout check out this post!
To-Go Wine Glasses
(Gas stations everywhere, USA)
The answer to the prayer I might have made! How clever are these people who read our minds about needing a travel-sized, single-serving glass of wine that doesn’t taste like the cardboard it usually comes in? I can’t tell you how many times Von and I have needed/wanted/wished for these things! They are almost like collector’s items in our house. Because we need more junk…
Do you use any of these above things?
