Surprisingly useful purchases

King-sized pillows for my queen-sized bed. I actually bought a 2nd set, so 4 pillows total. Very nice for lounging. King-sized pillow cases, surprisingly expensive, though.

A mattress warmer to preheat the bed on cold winter nights.

bamboo tongs for the toaster oven.

no more burned fingers!

Awl and grommets- good for attaching stuff to stuff.

Laundry mesh bag, which is, of course, useful for laundering delicate items - Someone here mentioned using it in the dishwasher to clean small items. It's great for oven knobs and other small items that are hard to clean thoroughly with sponges or brushes.

Corn on the cob holders.

Thanks ladies!

earrings

Caftans!

Instant pot!!

Illegal Asian child.

Our whites have never been brighter.

R6 You frau.

Work gloves. Useful for yard work, which I seem to have a lot of since I bought my new place.

r6=Ann Miller

Chalkboard eraser - This might actually have been a hint from Heloise. I keep one in the glove department to wipe condensation off the inside of the windshield and driver's side windows. No streaks

R15 "glove department"?

how many gloves do you have in there?

A plain white rectangular platter, about 14" x 9". It couldn't have been more than $15, and yet I used it all the time. It's great for putting out condiments or for serving soup and a sandwich.

Hospital straws aka “bendy”

This little cup I use when I’m brushing my teeth to rinse.

My Wagner cast iron skillet. I love this pan!

Prevents build-up of surface soap scum/residue.

Had no idea you can also cook with it.

Thermos; purchasing coffee requires a conversation. I’m not chatty when I’m ordering coffee.

A serrated letter opener. Weirdly, they seem to have nearly disappeared in the last few years - the only new ones I see are thin cheapie ones made by Westcott. But I have several better quality ones that I bought years ago, and I use them almost daily to open boxes, tear into packaging, remove plastic and other similar tasks. The long handle makes things easier and cleaner, the serrated edge has more oomph than a smooth one and the risk of cutting yourself is much less than using something with an actual sharp blade.

I bought a Saucier which is a pan that is designed mainly for reducing sauces because it has really high flared out sides and round base for easy whisking and quicker evaporation. Well I though I would only use it once in a blue moon, but I soon discover I can use it for almost anything. Soups, Sauces, Pasta, Scrambled Eggs, even 2 chicken breasts. Plus it so easy to clean without sharp corners, fewer splatters with high wall and my favorite feature of all is the edges are rolled so that I can pour directly from the pan without it dripping all over the sides like a typical straight edge pot.

A LONNNNNNNNNNNNNNG shoehorn. What a find at Dollar Tree, probably 24 inches tall, makes slipping into shoes a breeze.

Ivy League degree.

My big bulbous clutch pearls. They are like stress balls, prayer beads and a hand massager all rolled into one.

An immersion blender!

I don't cook as much but when a sauce comes out lumpy -- break out with the immersion blender -- problem solved.

Need to blend something hot -- not need to place in a mixing bowl -- break out with the immersion blender.

Cleaning it is super easy too -- just run it under the faucet.

I meant to say:

no need to place it in a mixing bowl

A second denture cup. No more crowding of the upper and lower plates in one!

I found a small Swiss Army knife in a drawer one day. It only has a couple basic things like knife, scissors, pen, tweezers. I keep it in my pocket and use it every day!

A Tupperware orange peeler

Numerous glasses cases .

R33, do those work? I hate peeling oranges.

A padded lap desk with room for my Macbook and a slot for my phone. I work from home and tend to flop down wherever, whenever - it’s like a little desk I can carry anywhere I want.

A triple-spout measuring cup. I’m not left-handed, but it is so much easier to pour sideways while I’m stirring or whisking something with my other hand.

Microwave spatter cover. Really cuts down on mw cleanup.

^^Oops. Sorry. Bad link. But you get the idea...

"But we're nothing like the fraus we mock daily! NOTHING I tell you!!! YOU show me a frau who can even pronounce the saucier at R25!! GO AHEAD!!!"

Hondas. I've had three in the last twenty years. None have needed to be traded - someone's still driving the first one.

The plastic/felt "dots" that stick to the bottom of lamps, picture frames, anything that sits on good wood and can scratch the finish.

A leather mouse pad. Granted, useless if you're always on the phone. If so, a Vaja case for it: Argentine leather. Both look (and feel) marvelous.

Face cloths. Buy new, nice, not-gray face cloths every year. Penney's had all cotton, plain white face cloths for two dollars a dozen on Black Friday.

Pet food can covers. They're great if you don't feed your dog or cat an entire can of food at one time.

[quote] If so, a Vaja case for it: Argentine leather.

A case made out of an Argentinian's vajajay?

R43 I just spit coffee on myself.

Double-headed dildo.

Glad Press'n'Seal

A sous vide cooker. It's great when you're preparing 2 inch slabs of filet mignon. Got it for a $50 sale price on an Amazon black Friday sale.

[quote] [R33], do those work? I hate peeling oranges.

Yes, they do. Make a cut in the middle of the orange going around in both directions. Easily remove the peel in those sections. You can use the tool to separate more difficult peel from the flesh.

Affresh stainless steel wipes - removes fingerprints and water spots from appliances.

Hmmm. I haven't seen Affresh yet. I've been searching and searching for something that would clean/shine our stainless steel appliances well, to no avail. I recently tried Weber Grill Stainless Steel Cleaner, and it works amazingly well on our indoor appliances!

I bought Affresh wipes at Home Depot.

Sheila Shine works great to polish stainless steel. It’s been around forever.

These to avoid splatters in the microwave.

Glasslock. The quality original.

Plastic is too dangerous. I don't want to grow breasts.

epsom salts. cheap and works great in the tub for sore muscles, hemorrhoids and healing wounds

R16, Silly, but I laughed out loud!

R20, And that was a surprise, why?

Whores.

For a little extra, they'll clean your real kitchen.

The Tawashi: Japanese palm bristle pot and dish scrubber.

They're like $2 and last forever and actually perform as advertised!