Becoming a homeowner has taken up a good chunk of my time this past year. From the unpacking and organizing to the furniture shopping and decorating, it has kept me busy but I’m excited to have a little less on my plate this year. Sharing my decorating and home tour posts with y’all has been so much fun and today I’m sharing five of my must-have household items, items that just make our lives easier at home. Whether you’re creating a wedding registry or about to buy your first home, I wanted to share a few items that I have found myself reaching for over and over again.
ONE | Roll-up Dish Drying Rack
Instead of drying your dishes on a rack or mat beside the sink, opt for this over-the-sink drying mat. I give full credit to Ryan for finding this at the store. We have a pretty big sink so this helps us utilize the space above it while allowing for more counter space. It’s easy to wipe clean and conveniently rolls up for storage.
TWO | Dyson Cordless Handheld Vacuum
This thing… amazing!! We have a regular Dyson vacuum for the big jobs but I use this handheld so much more. We use it for quick spills on the floor, on our couches, and it’s perfect for stairs. The charges lasts a good amount of time and it’s super easy to clean. Can’t recommend this enough!
THREE | SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror
This was a bit of a splurge for a mirror but 100% worth it- I use it every day (and catch Ryan using it too!). There are several versions of this mirror but I went with the 10x zoom/travel size and it is perfect for applying eye makeup and tweezing eyebrows will never be the same! The light is a game changer. You can get big savings if you get it from Bed Bath & Beyond because they always offer their 20% off coupons.
FOUR | Phillips Hue Smart Bulbs
We had Hue lights in our old condo and have several of the bulbs in our new house as well. Phillips Hue is a smart bulb system that connects to your phone so you can turn on a light from just about anywhere. You can also connect with Alexa, Google Home, etc. We can control our bedroom lamps from our app and our entry light downstairs comes on once we’re in a certain radius from home. If we traveling, we will set the lights on a schedule to come on at a certain time at night. If you get the colored bulbs, you can pick them to be any shade of the rainbow (we just have one of these). You can also get the regular white ones and control the color, warm white to bright white, and intensity of the light as well.
FIVE | Ring Video Doorbell
Last summer, I wrote a whole post about Ring that you can read here. This doorbell has been one of the best purchases we made for our house. I love that whenever someone rings the doorbell, I get a notification on my phone and can even answer and take to them through the phone, whether I’m at home or not. It also picks up motion so you’ll always know if you have a visitor or a package at your door.
I’d love to hear from you guys as well- what are the items that you simply cannot live without at home?? Let me know in the comments below!
We just got the handheld dyson and it really is a game changer! I vacuum every day now LOL! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
I love that drying rack, it’s genius! Ring is an absolute necessity!! Great home products!!
XOXO
Cathy
How much of an adult am I that I’m geeking out over the handheld Dyson?! I need that in my life!
PS- Your photography game is on point with these photos!
I love everything in this post, I have the mirror but everything else is going on the shopping list. I definitely need that doorbell.
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These are such great picks. I love the whole over the sink mat. I might have to get one of those and I have also been on the market for a new hand held vacuum so I will keep your recommendation in mind. Thank you for sharing.
I have the Ring doorbell — love it a lot. The sensor mirror looks cool, too.
I’m not going to be a homeowner any time soon, BUT I will be getting married and moving into an apartment this year, so I’ll have to keep some of these ideas in mind! Thanks for sharing. They’re all such clever items to own!
Oooh what a great list! Bookmarking this!
The Hue lightbulbs are our #1 one favorite thing in our house right now. We go visit places and get thrown off when we use a light switch… we are so used to Alexa or the app!
I want that Dyson hand held vacuum! I’d use it all the time!
Greta
I love that sink mat to dry dishes! I need to get one of those. Its so annoying to clean the counter top after washing dishes.
xoxo, Hannah
I love your recommendation and I completely agree with these. Such great must haves!
Totally agree about the cordless Dyson — we have the pet version and it is the only thing that keeps me sane when I see little tufts of pet hair rolling around, or when we’re about to have guests who will probably wear black and I know they’ll sit on the couch and lord help me I don’t want them to stand up with an entire backside lined with pet hair! LOL.
Also thanks for your review of the Ring doorbell, we are thinking of getting this for my Mom.
My favorite thing about this post is the drying rack! I absolute hate ours! May have to look into it lol xo
Okay, I love this post! I totally just ordered that drying rack for my kitchen too.
xo, Emma
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The Dyson handheld and SimpleHuman mirror are two of my favorite house gadgets. I also have to add our Nest Thermostat and Smoke + CO Detectors, because I LOVE those too!