Small Things To Make Life Better
Alternative title: cheaper but lovely gifts to give at a surprise white elephant party.
These are some relatively cheap, relatively small things that make life just a little bit better. None of these are affiliate links or paid reviews - I just really like all these.
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Loop Earplugs
I’m religious about volume safety, perhaps because I have mild tinnitus. So I like to have earplugs available wherever I go, especially for concerts or loud parties.
Luckily, Loop Earplugs are perfect - I have a pair of the Experience. For $35 USD you get stylish-but-effective earplus that come in a keyring-sized carrying case.
Fun fact: paradoxically, these actually let me hear better during loud conversations; because of they way they’re designed, they block out ambient noise more efficiently, so even though your conversation partner is quieter, they’re louder relative to the ambient noise.
Peugeot Pepper Mill
Freshly-ground black pepper really does taste just a little bit better than store-bought pre-ground pepper. A sprinkle of fresh pepper is an easy way to make a good meal great.
Unfortunately, the plastic pepper grinders sometimes found in the grocery store are… not great. Much better to buy one from Peugeot, as recommended by Kenji in The Food Lab. They’re $60 USD or so, which is admittedly on the pricey end, but think of how fancy you’ll feel when you grind a touch of pepper on your pasta.
Saltcellar
Another way to feel like a fancier chef is to sprinkle salt with your hands instead of pouring it from a box. The easiest way to do that is to get a saltcellar and fill it up with nice chunky kosher salt.
I use this one from Amazon, which was only about $10. It’s reasonably quality, with a magnetic latch for the lid, and it holds plenty of salt.
Milk Frother
A milk frother can come in handy for a surprising number of drinks, from lattes to matcha to protein powder. That also makes them a great gift for anybody that likes coffee or tea drinks - they’ll certainly find a use for it eventually.
I’ve bought at least three of this $20 Foodville milk frother as personal or white elephant gifts, as well as the one I use myself.