Products I love
These are favorite products I have purchased over the years that I love. I am not an Amazon affiliate, so I have not provided links that would auto-update.
I love sharing what I think are good products, worth the purchase. I may update it at times.
Use the scroll bar to see the full list.
KeySmart Classic - Compact Key Holder and Keychain Organizer (up to 14 Keys, Black)
This is a must for my everyday carry items. Most importantly, it keeps keys from ripping holes in my pockets. I have my door fob added and have my Apple air tag hanging with my car fob. But when I am not driving, I only take this.
Motanar Professional Grooming Scissors - Personal Care Facial Hair Removal and Ear Nose Eyebrow Trimming Stainless Steel Fine Straight Tip Scissors Men
I have used so many different tools for grooming. As I get older, it seems my nose and ear hair is multiplying. This serves much better than any electric trimmer I have owned. I would be lost and grossly hairy without it.
Pilot EasyTouch Retractable Ball Point Pen, Medium Point, Black (Pack of 12 Pens)
After I found this pen at work, I now keep a stock of boxes of them incase they ever stop making them. It has happened! This is the just the right ink, like a gel without the mess and lines not too thin, just bold enough.
Rhodia 13200C - Stapled Notepad N°13 Orange - A6 - Small Squares - 80 Detachable Sheets - 80G Clairefontaine Paper - Soft, Resistant and Waterproof Card Cover
My husband introduced me to these pads. I like to doodle house plans, hence my love of squares instead of lines. But these are much more pleasant to use over post-its that more quickly become garbage. The paper from these pads easily tear out to become stand alone notes I can carry around and I sometimes keep them for later reference.
Dyson 302198-02 AM09 Fan + Heater, Iron/Blue (Refurbished)
I like many others, love the design of Dyson fans. They are far easier to clean and they just look nice in a room. However, living in hawaii, you quickly learn they are not as effective as fans much smaller, yet more powerful. The one thing that I liked about this one is the heater function. That was helpful when I lived in Portland, however, here in Hawaii, I will likely never need it.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits
& Break Bad Ones
Even though I have only established one habit. It is likely the one that will save my life as I get older. I now religiously walk for a hour and a half a day, or every other day. I find myself automatically waking up now and on autopilot. Similar to when you drive the route to work on a day off by accident. This exercise is no longer a burden as much as it is something I have to directly avoid doing the habit.
Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer Duplex Printing
After owning many ink printers. Never again. Also, I despise HP tactics to lock users into buying their supplies. I rarely print things these days, but having a laser printer makes it convient when paper is needed.
CRAFTSMAN Tool Chest with Wheels, 26" Width, 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Cabinet with Organization and Paper Towel Holder, Black (CMST32752BK)
I am most definitely a modernist. When I moved into my industrial style condo, this seemed like the perfect furniture. A way to lock away valuables when away on vacation as well as when having parties when you may not know some of your guests friends that they bring into your home.No I learned the hard way losing DVDs and Watches over the years.
Artemide Tolomeo Reading 100W E26 Aluminum Floor Lamp with Base
I have always admired these task lamps from the first time I saw them as a teen. They were ridiculously expensive, but when I move them to provide light to a task, they are precision.
mDesign Plastic Stackable Kitchen Storage Organizer Bins with Pull Out Drawer for Cabinet, Pantry, Fridge, Freezer, Shelf, Refrigerator Organization - Lumiere Collection - 2 Pack - Clear
I will be honest, I would not buy these again, but I wish something like them was available like the lucite drawers that I have purchased in the past. Being able to organize and see what you have saves so much time.
Bamboo Serving Trays with Handles for Food – Set of 3 Bamboo Nesting Trays – Ottoman Décor & More – Entertain Guests, Serve Breakfast in Bed and More - Natural Color
Bamboo is superior for using in the kitchen. These trays can be used for organizing things on shelves as well as bringing goodies to your lover.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, Brushed Stainless Steel, BOV900BSS
By far one of the best purchases made. We rarely use our big oven. Do not buy cuisinart, they are designed to break.
Birkenstock Unisex Arizona Essentials EVA Black Sandals - 37 N
Slippers in Hawaii is a staple wardrobe. These are all rubber, look good in a nice restaurant, but also work in the surf at the beach and can be washed off at the beach shower.
Apple 2021 iMac All-in-one Desktop Computer with M1 chip: 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 24-inch Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Matching Accessories. Works with iPhone/iPad; Silver
Probably my most favorite computer I have ever used. The performance of the M1 chip rocks my world. As well as Apple's integration of all my other devices. I use a windows laptop for work sometimes and get annoyed that I need to be a technical admininstrator rather than just getting the task at hand done.
Rimowa Original Lufthansa Edition Cabin, Silver 35L
This is the maximum size for carry on. I needed something that I could secure my belongs on my trip to Japan and decided to make this adult investment in hopes of using it on more long distant trips.
Sigg Metal Box Plus L Alu, Lunch Box with Food Separator, Aluminum, BPA Free - 47oz, Gray
These boxes keep tea bags secure from bugs when camping or while storing in the kitchen. You can use them for a myiad of uses. They have been my favorite choice for tea storage.
Fjallraven, Re-Kanken Recycled and Recyclable Kanken Backpack for Everyday, Black
My husband bought me this when it was only available in Japan. An all black label Kanken backpack. All the regular bags have a big brown obnoxious label on them.
Samsung T7 Portable SSD - 1 TB - USB 3.2 Gen.2 Externe SSD Titan Gray (MU-PC1T0T/WW)
These are by far the nicest looking drives. Small enough to fit in a pocket (not recommended for pockets). Also one cable provides the power and data transfers. As well being super fast on my M1 Mac.
LUXE Bidet NEO 185 - Non-Electric Bidet Toilet Attachment with Self-cleaning Dual Nozzle and Adjustable Water Pressure for Sanitary and Feminine Wash (White)
This is a MUST BUY. I am going to be blunt, if your not using a bidet you are a poop smearing heathen. Honestly, it's disgusting not to be washing yourself off after defacating. There is no excuse since they are cheap and anyone that can twist a cap with a wrench can install within minutes.
Jenna Natural Round 17.75" Stacking Stool, Set of 4 by Linon
I bought a set of these stools when I was just a teen. I am still using them after 30 years. They have been step stools to get things off tall shelves, changing lightbulbs, painting walls, seats for unexpected guests, coffee tables and currently night stands and a table for a fan.
Braun Classic Analogue Alarm Clock - BC12W
Simple modern clock that I use on my desk because my computer or phone screen is not always on. Changing the battery on this is much easier than a wall clock.
DNC Back Scrubber for Shower Soft Silicone Bath Body Brush with Long Handle, BPA-Free, Hypoallergenic (Black)
This is for reaching the middle of my back. But I found out it also is a great overall body massager as well. I am happy that I bought the black version since you can quickly tell it's cleaned off since the white soap shows up if not.
Theragun Prime - Electric Handheld Massage Gun - Smart App and Bluetooth Enabled Percussion Massage for Athletes - Deep Tissue Muscle Therapy Device with Quietforce Technology (Black - 4th Generation)
Bought this for my Bae. It seems indespensible.
UNAGI Model One E500 - Dual Motor Folding Electric Scooter - 15 mph - 28.5 lbs - Sea Salt White
If you live somewhere that has a dealer that will repair and replace the wheels for this. This is absolutely the best scooter for performance. I previously commuted 3 miles to work using this scooter. I would store it at my desk, it would even fit under it. We had to purchase a different scooter due to the cost of shipping the entire scooter from Hawaii for tire repair.
Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA, PlasmaWave and Odor Reducing Washable AOC Carbon Filter Medium , Charcoal Gray
After extenisve research we settled on buying this to eliminate neigbors exessive smoke habit from destroying our lungs. Thankfully, this unit totally elminated smoke. So we bought for every room. Note, all of our windows are glass shuttered jalousies. If your house is more airtight and circulates, you may not need more than one.
Zassenhaus Cast Iron Spice Grinding Set with Beech Wood Lid, 3" Grinder, Black
I fell for the influencers promotion. But we tend to use alot of spice here in Hawaii. Probably do not use it as much as expected, but there is a satisfaction when using it.
Fellow Gen 2 Ode Brew Grinder - Burr Coffee Grinder Electric - Coffee Bean Grinder with 31 Settings for Drip, French Press & Cold Brew - Small Footprint Electric Grinder - Matte Black
OK, I absolutely love this grinder. It is fairly quiet. It is quick. Easy to maintain. And damn, if it is not the most beautiful coffee grinder. The fact that it has such a small footprint on the counter really makes a difference in our tiny kitchen.
OVALWARE Paperless Stainless Steel Pour Over Coffee Filter – Reusable and Permanent Coffee Cone Dripper for Ovalware, Chemex, Hario and Other Carafes
This was a must for me. I hate buying filters and throwing them out. I just quickly use my soap scrubber and pop it back on the carafe for next use.
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle - Pour-Over Coffee and Tea Kettle - Stainless Steel Kettle Water Boiler - Quick Heating Electric Kettles for Boiling Water - Matte Black
OK, I totally fell for the hype. Honestly, if you need to just make coffee, just get yourself a reliable and inexpensive pour over Bodum kettle. Very disappointed at the build quality of the Stagg kettle. However, it does a fantastic job of heating water precisely that you can get really great results when making different types of tea that require specific temperatures. Unfortunately, not a year after purchase, the lid broke and it was revealed it was only held together with three corners of bent metal, which obviously will break and need to be replaced. Yet another company building products designed to break.
Reusable Paperless Towels - Value Pack of 24 Paperless Paper Towels! - 100% Cotton, Super Soft, Absorbent, Washable and Made To Last - Cut Back and Waste Less with our Cloth Paper Towels! By ZeroWastely
We were buying so many paper towels it was ridiculous. What is amazing about these towels is you can roll them on your existing towel rack. The different colors are important so you know which one was used last for reference, or if you want to assign different types of uses by color.
HODA Coasters for Drinks Absorbent Felt Coasters with Holder The Best Coaster Gift Set of 10 - Square
I love these coasters. We also use them as trivits for hot pots on the kitchen counter. As well at our desks for any drinks we have or just to protect the desk when placing any things that might scratch the desk finish.
Navatiee Collapsible Folding Wagon, Wagon Cart Heavy Duty Foldable with Two Drink Holders, Utility Grocery Wagon for Camping Shopping Sports, S2
When living in a condo, a collapsable wagon is a must. But we also use it when our dogs get tired on long walks, or when taking them shopping. Or like most locals, using to haul beach chairs and other items.
Advion 68663 Arena 12ct Bag Cockroach Bait Station, White
This has been a favorite we buy often. It does an amazing job keeping the roaches at bay. Especially when you have neighbors that have children that are crumb leaving zombies.
Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags, Guaranteed Leak Proof and Extra Thick Waste Bag Refill Rolls For Dogs, Lavender Scented, 270 Count
We love this brand so far. I can also attest to their disintegration ability, having left a bag in a coat pocket they I had not worn in years (living in Hawaii) and found the bag had become a pile of green flakes.
Lion Coffee, Original Roast, Whole Bean, 10 Ounce Bag
I was introduced to this coffee when I moved here and loved it. Then I found out the company was originally established in my home state of Ohio and moved to Hawaii to produce their own coffee.
Tide Original HE Turbo Powder Laundry Detergent, 95 Oz
Being from Cincinnati makes me a brand baby of Proctor and Gamble. I just need to convince my husband that powder is better than liquid and he does not need to add so much to the laundry. But I have found that Tide can eat away at cotton fabrics. I have since upgraded much of my clothing here in Hawaii to better, longer lasting fibers.
Dove White Cream Bar 4.75 Oz bars
My aunts and mother that used Dove most of their lives. Always had the softest skin. Being of Irish decent, using regular soaps dried out my skin to irritation.
Neutrogena Beach Defense Water-Resistant Body Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 70, Oil-Free & PABA-Free Fast-Absorbing Sunscreen Lotion, UVA/UVB Protection, Oxybenzone-Free, 6.7 oz
This has been my staple sunscreen here in Hawaii. I am currently reviewing sunscreens for use around the eyes and lips, since this product is a bit too strong.
Crest Cavity Protection Toothpaste Regular - 8.2 Ounce (Pack of 4)
My husband keeps buying other brands and I hate them. Gels are a scam and do not provide the protection and cleaning as regular white paste.
