Aug 14, 2023
25 Things To Do Jobs You Didn't Know Existed August 2023
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
A cat patio, Taylor Swift Little Golden Book, half an umbrella, and 22 other products that'll solve everyday (and not so everyday) problems.
BuzzFeed Staff
Promising review: "A friend showed me this product and WOW! It is much more than I thought it would be! First, it makes cleaning your fan blades easier than ever. Fitting the attachment to the pole is simple, and cleaning the blades is even simpler. The dust stays mostly trapped inside the collector while it works on both sides of the blade at once. No more tired arms, dusty mess, or wasted time.
Second, the flexible dusting attachment is even MORE useful, and an obvious must for this straightforward product! You can go to town removing dust from all your high-up-dust-collecting-surfaces with ease and confidence.
Third, the build quality is much more substantial than I thought it would be. It's built well. The fittings are snug and secure, and the pole is sturdy and very comfortable to hold. Great design. Will be purchasing another for my grandmother who has difficulty cleaning her fans in Florida!" —jeremy k
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three styles).
Just push it up against a flat surface and attach it to an umbrella base.
Promising review: "This half umbrella is just what I needed for a small patio where we sit! I never knew they made half umbrellas! What a great idea! It's perfect!! And you would never know that it's half of an umbrella by looking at it. It's great for those areas where you want it flat up against house or wall. A+ — love it!" —jitz
Get it from Amazon for $78.09+ (available in two colors).
Pick up a sturdy rust-resistant curtain rod while you're at it!
Promising review: "These curtains are AMAZING! Beautiful and elegant. Hangs beautiful, very light blocking, keeps rain out of our tiki bar, we can sit out there in the rain, and keeps the heat in on a cool fall evening when we have the fireplace on!" —Sara Bushendorf
Get it from Amazon for $11.95+ (available in 10 sizes and 15 colors).
This bestselling wonder is by Free Period Press, a queer- and woman-owned business that makes adorable stickers and paper goods! It's also made from recycled paper to help you achieve your resolution of living a LITTLE more sustainably. There's even an activity at the beginning to help you brainstorm habits to track, and each month starts with a themed page (for example, "sleep," "gratitude," and "finances") with some words of wisdom and a suggested habit to try.
Promising review: "I wanted to reduce stress and nail down some habits, and I've always done better when I can see progress tangibly. I'd been eyeing this calendar for some time, but was unsure if it was worth the money. I decided to go for it. SO glad I did. It has some 'homework' pages at the beginning to help you focus in on your goals, but mostly it's the cleanness and ready-to-go nature of the monthly calendar pages that have worked for me. It's helped me be more disciplined AND narrow my focus so I'm not worrying about doing everything under the sun each day. I liked it so much that I bought a second one for a friend. Another friend saw me using it and also made a purchase. I'm really happy I made the leap." —Flight of Stars
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
If you get swollen feet you're gonna love these, because they're a cinch (literally and figurative) to adjust! The best part? Your shoes will *never* get untied, no matter how long your next run is.
Promising review: "I purchased two pairs for my running shoes (49-year-old man). They work very well, and I have put a bunch of miles on them. No more tying and untying, just slip it on. I like how they keep unified tension across the entire laces from top to bottom. I have had no issues with the lace lock at all, it snapped in well." —Scott
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 13 colors).
Promising review: "I'm 49 and a lifelong athlete and fitness trainer. I train a lot, and I also spend a great deal of time driving. I am struggling with piriformis syndrome in my right leg, plus I have an old knee injury in my left leg. I also sleep only on my side at night.
Sleeping with a pillow above my knees has worked okay and has helped, but it is hard keeping it in place. I bought this to try, and it's awesome! It stays in place, is very comfortable, and has helped my issues in reducing stress in my legs enormously. It was a little thicker than I expected it to be, and took a little getting used to, but now it's great. Having the strap has been really helpful, because it stays in place when I switch from sleeping on my one side to my other side during the night." —Christine T. Mitchell
Get it from Amazon for $30.39.
Promising review: "These are amazing! We use them for so many things! For positive messages and romantic nights, they are amazing for leaving around the house! You can also stick them to paper and restick the same ones over and over again! They seem to never lose their adhesion! Everyone I’ve shown these to fall in love with them!" —Faith
Get a pack of 10, 50 sheet pads from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in seven sizes).
Promising review: "This product works exactly as I'd hoped and is now neatly under my desk without taking up so much room that I bump it or knock it off when I sit down. Adhesive stuck on easily and feels very sturdy. Remember to be realistic in terms of the weight of objects you put in these drawers (i.e. don't fill it with heavy items and then get upset when the adhesive wears down quickly). Pens, paperclips, sticky notes, earbuds, and scissors all fit in mine and I will definitely buy these again for our other desks." —Shopping Mama
Get a set of two from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in three colors).
Promising review: "My whole family is a fan of The Office, so when I was searching for a magnet we could use on our dishwasher, this was the hands-down winner. Does it go with my farmhouse decor? Nope, not at all. But it does get the attention of two teenage boys. Had I gone with something a bit more my decor style, I can guarantee you it would not be as useful. I mean, we all would much rather see Prison Mike staring back at us than suit and tie Michael Scott, right? And there is only one way for that to happen...clean out the dishwasher!" —R. Funk
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
Promising reviews: "Did you see them on TIkTok? Oh, they are the ones! The 'white' is an off-white, just so you aren't surprised. But this off-white is darker/different than other companies I've purchased from ... we were beginning to flirt with the idea of beige. Still comfy though!" —Rae S
"Every time I wear these people ask where I got them and are intrigued 😂. I wear these every day! The material was harder/not as cushy at first but after breaking in they’re soft and cushier. Also can be cleaned/disinfected easily if I wear them out and get them dirty. Sizing is accurate." —Genie Isaacs
Get it from Amazon for$32.95 (available in women's sizes 7–11.5 and eight colors).
Promising review: "Super great coasters for my car. Love them, makes me feel happy whenever I look at them or people use them and comment." —Molly
Get a set of two from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two styles).
Promising review: "My daughter is a professional groomer and she absolutely loves this dryer. Uses at work daily. It's as good as a $300 one she was using before." —Nancys notes
Get it from Amazon for $79.50 (available in two colors).
Promising review: "These have worked great! I like bamboo sheets, which are slippery and the corners always came up. Since I started using these my corners haven’t come up and the sheet stays relatively wrinkle-free." —Beachyfun
Get them from Amazon for $14.99 (available in five colors/styles).
YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage solutions.
Promising review: "This product does exactly what it's supposed to and does it well. In under 15 minutes I took my nightmare lid drawer and turned it into a functional, convenient storage space. The dividers were simple to install and provided flexibility. Slowly but surely I am getting my tiny, chaotic kitchen under control, and this got me a huge leap closer." —S. Hawthorn
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in five styles).
Promising review: "I have very thin and light body hair, so any form of removal (shaving, waxing, etc) usually leaves me with a lot of ingrown hairs. I've tried body scrubs and washcloths and neither really do a great job. I saw this product recommended by a dermatologist on TikTok and thought I'd try it — it's amazing! I also have very sensitive skin, and this mitt doesn't leave my skin irritated at all. However, absolutely do not use this mitt on your face, neck, or other sensitive areas, it would be way too harsh.
I like to use this mitt first when I get in the shower, then use a body wash (a gentle chemical exfoliant) and follow up with body lotion for dry and sensitive skin. This whole routine is fragrance free and leaves my skin feeling very soft and moisturized." —Kat
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (also available in a set of two).
Promising review: "I have trichotillomania and really love these little guys. They help refocus my habit and the pull is very satisfying and realistic. I've had to repurchase already, and I'll reorder more in the future. Can't recommend these enough, as I've been searching for this type of tool for a long time." —Danika Hill
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in a variety of styles).
Check out a TikTok of the stuffed waffle maker for inspo!
Promising review: "I bought this after I saw a video on TikTok, so I had an idea about the yummy waffles I could make. First waffles were stuffed with apple pie filling. Second ones scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese. Just amazing!!! The only way you could make this better is to send a chef!! I definitely recommend watching a video on TikTok or YouTube to inspire you before you start!!" —Adirondackdarling
Get it from Amazon for $49.99.
Promising review: "I had previously ordered hooks for siding, and I couldn’t use them. But these are great!! They are easy to 'slide' into the siding and are pretty sturdy, too. I am using three of this set and have hung different objects with them. The heaviest was a long welcome sign! You won’t be dissatisfied by ordering them." —Cheryl
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $6.90 (also available in larger multipacks).
Number of players: 2-6
Recommended age: 12+
To play, one player reads a description of a death from a card and the other players decide if they think the death is real or made up. If you're correct, you get to move a step further to safety, if you're wrong, you have to move the grim reaper one step closer to you. I own this and it's a hoot and a half!
Promising review: "This is the best board game we've played in years. The game is packed with hundreds of stupid deaths and yes, that's sad, but they are hilarious and my family and I had a fun time laughing throughout. The trouble is trying to work out which are real and which are made up. It was surprising to know that some of the deaths are actually real. To win just keep ahead of the grim reaper who's chasing you round the game board. This is a real family game…where everyone gets to play and laugh out loud." —Nickelet11
Get it from Amazon for $23.57.
I own this book and it's one of my favorite coffee table conversation pieces!
Promising review: "I love it. The book is so funny I kept showing it off to everyone. It's full of beautiful photos with humor." —Katelyn
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
Promising review: "It's perfect. Very easy to put together. Two people make it slightly easier, but it's still easy for one person. We will be altering ours to include a cat door through a window. Shipping was fast." —Sayward C.
Get it from Amazon for $329.99+ (available in two colors).
Check out a TikTok of the magnetic cups in action.
Promising review: "Perfect for several kids. We have all different kinds of cups. But even my 3-year-old can get off the side of the fridge and then fill it herself, and it’s a game changer. We tell them to pick the color you want, and that’s your cup for the rest of the day. Love it. 🥰" —Tiffany Gebers
Get a set of four from Amazon for $25.95+ (available in three sizes).
Check out a TikTok of the touchless paper towel dispenser in action.
Bonus: if you don't grab the paper towel, it sucks it back up for safekeeping!
Promising review: "Do we need it? No. But it might be my favorite unnecessary gadget purchase of all time. It leaves our counter tops uncluttered, the no touch sensor lets me grab a paper towel with dirty hands, and I feel like we use less paper towels overall. It’s easy to install, easy to program, and easy to replace the roll." —Mlc
Get it from Amazon for $119.99 (available in three colors).
Get it from our Goodful shop for $48.
"I have this book (as pictured above) and by that I mean the second I saw it available for pre-order I added it to my cart faster than you could say "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." As the parent of a 1-year-old, I have many Little Golden Books in my home. However, this one is just STUNNING. I'm a big fan of Taylor (obviously) but was really enamored by how beautiful the pages are. I was so excited to read this lil' biography with my son and teach him a little more about someone I adore. (Which it does a great job of doing in a pared-down way!) It's a short book, looks cute on my desk, and is a hit for bedtime story time. What more could you want???" —Heather Braga, BuzzFeed Shopping
Get it from Amazon for $4.78.
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Promising review: it makes cleaning your fan blades easier than everNo more tired arms, dusty mess, or wasted time.You can go to town removing dust from all your high-up-dust-collecting-surfaces with ease and confidence. Promising review:Promising review:Beautiful and elegant. Promising review:I wanted to reduce stress and nail down some habits, and I've always done better when I can see progress tangibly.It's helped me be more disciplined AND narrow my focus so I'm not worrying about doing everything under the sun each day.Promising review:I like how they keep unified tension across the entire laces from top to bottom.Promising review:bought this to try, and it's awesome! It stays in place, is very comfortable, and has helped my issues in reducing stress in my legs enormously.Promising review:Promising review:Pens, paperclips, sticky notes, earbuds, and scissors all fit in mine and I will definitely buy these again for our other desks.Promising reviewDoes it go with my farmhouse decor? Nope, not at all. But it does get the attention of two teenage boys. Promising reviews"Every time I wear these people ask where I got them and are intrigued Also can be cleaned/disinfected easily if I wear them out and get them dirtyPromising reviewPromising review:Promising review:Promising review:Promising review: I saw this product recommended by a dermatologist on TikTok and thought I'd try it — it's amazing!this mitt doesn't leave my skin irritated at all. This whole routine is fragrance free and leaves my skin feeling very soft and moisturizedPromising reviewthe pull is very satisfying and realisticPromising review: First waffles were stuffed with apple pie filling. Second ones scrambled eggs with bacon and cheesePromising review:They are easy to 'slide' into the siding and are pretty sturdy, too.Number of players: Recommended age: Promising review:Promising review:Promising review:Promising review:But even my 3-year-old can get off the side of the fridgeWe tell them to pick the color you want, and that’s your cup for the rest of the day.Promising review But it might be my favorite unnecessary gadget purchase of all time. I feel like we use less paper towels overall.