An affordable stick vacuum, pastel highlighters and a hotel room door lock


From CB: I got the Elf Halo Glow Liquid Filter and it’s so nice! Before that I was using Maybelline Instant Age Rewinder 4-in-1 Glow Makeup as an alternative to full foundation, which is also quite good, but not as amazing as this. Elf Halo Glow can be used alone or under foundation and it just makes your skin look glowy without being sparkly like other products I’ve used. I used it all over my face and am surprised at how well it works – it really lives up to the hype and makes my skin look fabulous. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.

An affordable stick vacuum that’s as powerful as more expensive brands

From CB: My German Shepherd sheds so much and I would love to own a Dyson, but the stick vacuum model I was looking at was astronomically priced at $750! I did some research and ordered this stick vacuum from trusted brand Shark for just $159. This is a corded vacuum that comes with multiple attachments for picking up pet hair. It has over 9,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say it has excellent suction, makes vacuuming easier and has easy to swap attachments. “We love this vacuum. Works great on solid surface floor and short-pile carpet.” “This lightweight vacuum does great on my carpet, rugs and hardwood floors. Perfect for picking up all that holiday glitter and tree or decor fallings around the house. No more having to use my hand or other tools to empty the carpet/dirt debris around either the filter or motor. The XL cup is separate and very easy to detach and empty.”

A meat thermometer that’s so popular it consistently sells out

My meat thermometer from 2017 stopped working so I bought a new one. I got this Kizen thermometer that we featured back in October. It comes with batteries and it has a magnet so I stick it right on the fridge! It’s easy to use, seems accurate and is on sale for 20% off. I wanted to feature it earlier but every time I check it’s sold out. This has over 70,000 ratings, 4.7 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. Most reviewers like it as much as I do. “Thermometer works great, is simple to use, and is accurate. It can be used for anything you are cooking or baking, from -58° to 572° F.” “We had needed to replace our old meat thermometer and this one showed high ratings. So we have it a try and so far very pleased! The most shocking was it came with a backup battery, which is truly worth it right there!”

A hotel room door lock for peace of mind while traveling and at home

We were talking about this hotel room door lock in our Celebitchy Zoom this week and two of us have them. (We’ve featured this product before but I thought it was worth mentioning again.) One of my friends said hotel staff opened her door without knocking and that’s why she got this. This lock protects against hotel staff and thieves breaking in. Many people use them on their apartments to avoid maintenance people coming in unannounced. It has almost 15,000 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really works. “Today early this morning I was getting out of the shower and guess what? A key turned in my lock but the door would not budge. I ran to my peep hole and I could see it was the same guy from the carpet service. I told him to back up before I use my weapon and he claimed ‘He just stopped by to apologize again.’ I’m in the process now of reporting this to the police.” “This thing actually works, and works far better than my expectations. I’m a large person (6’4, 400lbs.) and I tried to push the door in from the outside while my wife placed this inside. Not only could I not open the door, it didn’t even budge.”

Portable soap works better than hand sanitizer

How many times have you been in a public restroom that doesn’t have soap? I’m frequently out and have to use hand sanitizer instead of washing my hands as there’s water but no soap available. These travel soap dispensers come with 200 strips of soap film and can be stored in a purse or backpack. They’re so affordable at only $8 for four little cases. They have almost 5,000 ratings, 4.5 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People say they’re super convenient. “They fit in your pocket and they lather up really well. Very handy if you are somewhere that doesn’t have soap. Highly recommend!” “The soap sheets worked perfectly. I think I handed out about 10 of them to strangers who were at the sink at the same time that I was. They were so thankful and thought they were the coolest thing.”

A silicone pot handle cover to avoid kitchen accidents

From Hecate: I’ve often gone to turn a pot on the stove only to burn my hand because it was roasting hot. That’s why I need one of these pot holders to save me from my own stupidity. It’s safe to use up to 475° and has an anti-slip grip. Just don’t use it over an open flame. But it’s a good grade silicon, so it should last you a while. It comes in red, black or blue and only costs $6. It has over 33,000 reviews and 4.4 stars on ReviewMeta. People say they are easy to use and effective, ”It is easy to clean and easy to use. I have yet to end up with blistered knuckles or palm since I started using the handle to move the pans around so that is a win in my book” And they love their efficiency, “I love my cast iron skillet, and hate burning my hand on the handle. Regular potholders are unwieldy and ineffective. Oven mitts are worse. These keep my hands unflustered and well cushioned.” Most reviewers talk about using them with cast iron pans, which I get. But these would protect the coating on other handles as well.

Anti-frizz spray for silky smooth hair

From Hecate: Color Wow dream coat spray is all natural and sulfate, gluten and paraben free. It promises to take a frizzy, wild mane and tame into Instagram worthy locks. And by the customer reviews, if you follow the instructions, it does just that. The only catch is the product is heat activated so you need to use some form of dryer or iron for full effect. But once styled, it lasts for up to three days. The spray has almost 54,500 reviews with 4.3 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. It is $27, but it’s a professional product and it lasts a while. People love it, “I am obsessed! I have tried a LOT of hair care products over the years. Some leave my hair greasy, some sticky, some just don’t work. On and on….this product? PERFECT! My hair is so silky and soft and static free yet not at all greasy and not at all sticky.” And even better news, the spray has no scent, “I love that it leaves no scent behind. My husband in particular struggles with any strong smell.”

Cool pastel highlighters make studying a little easier

From Hecate: I have so many highlighters it should be embarrassing, if I had any shame. And while I have them in some cool jewel tones, I don’t have any pastels, like these Alohaster highlighters. And now, even with a full highlighter drawer, I’m thinking I need one, possibly both sets. They’re only $11 for a set of six. And since they are on sale for $8 this week, maybe I *can* get both. Not only are the colors cool, they have the chiseled tips, which make highlighting neater. I guess I’m already sold, aren’t I? They have over 8,000 reviews with 4.7 stars from ReviewMeta, so I’m not alone. They don’t cover up like darker highlighters, “They are light and don’t cover up the letters, do not bleed through Bible pages and the colors are perfectly aesthetic and not obnoxious.” I realize you may not be highlighting bibles, but that rice paper is tough to highlight, so it’s good to note that these work on it. This person even used them on older material, “I can use the tan and brown on browned old mass market paperbacks and have a hierarchical difference between my highlights, which is really nice, because I tend to highlight A LOT of my books.”

Thanks Lisa for the tips! As an Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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25 Responses to “An affordable stick vacuum, pastel highlighters and a hotel room door lock”

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  1. Tess says:

    Shark vacuums are the best! They work better than Dysons in my opinion. I’ve had a few of both at home and office and would choose a Shark any day. The cord is a pain but the Dyson is not as nimble or powerful and the wheels scratch! Now Miele has come out with a cordless stick and it’s pretty fabulous – same price as Dyson however a lot better in every way (but looks maybe). I’m a bit obsessed with vacuums.

    • BeanieBean says:

      I love my Dyson! 😉 I lucked out & was able to get its cheapest model on sale at Target at 40% off!

    • SpankyB says:

      I had a Dyson and it broke. First time using it. I hated that thing. Got a Shark and I love it. I think it works better than Dyson, also.

      • CityGirl says:

        My Dyson broke right after I bought it too and it was super expensive. I’ve been using Shark ever since and only brushless Sharks at that. Never going back.

    • Bean says:

      Always bet on Shark/Ninja. I’ve loved every one of their products.

    • TheVolvesSeidr says:

      I’m so disappointed in my shark. I went from the OG animal (it kicked ass for 15 years) and nothing compares to that animal. It was amazing. The shark is a pita. It also doesn’t fit underneath one single piece of furniture I own. If I could go back, I would pay the $600 for another dyson.

  2. dawnchild says:

    We’ve had the Add-a-lock for years and use every day on our rental door to secure because the landlord won’t put in a chain…and if we did, we would have to pay for a new door when we leave.
    My kid used it in college to secure her doors with no locks (this was an Ivy if you can believe it) …it was a room giving on to a fire exit, but neighbouring male students would regularly wander in.
    We travel with them too. Attest to their efficiency!
    Be aware that it works on doors that swing in, not out.

    • Christine says:

      Would it work for french doors? I just watched the add a lock video, and it is not helpful.

      • dawnchild says:

        Not sure about French doors, @Christine.
        If one of the double doors is closed and locked in place with a slide bolt to the floor/frame, then the other one can be held locked in place with this lock, PROVIDED they open inward, of course. The Add-a-Lock prevents the door opening inward only.
        The locking mechanism’s pretty intuitive once you get it…insert the metal toothed part into the hole in the strike plate in the door frame (where the deadbolt will rest), close the door so it latches (with the plate of the Add-a-lock sandwiched in between door and frame); and then put the plastic piece into place so it rests against door preventing it from being opened from the other side.
        Hope that helps a bit.
        We have a few that we use and I recommend it all the time.

      • Christine says:

        Thank you, dawnchild!

  3. BeanieBean says:

    I don’t use highlighters a lot, but from time to time I want one & don’t have any here at home (I’ve used them at work, but now work from home & forgot to ‘borrow’ some from the office). I’ve been hesitant to buy any–because I don’t really care for those neon colors & sometimes they’re too dark–but these look perfect! Ok, I’m sold.

  4. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    I think I’m going to try those soap sheets. I hate jacking with soap dispensers. And my hubs has been studying relentlessly for his certs and uses highlighters basically redacting the damn page. These lighter colors could help lol.

    Oh and does anyone successfully use the heat activated defrizzers? Would hair dryer heat work? Because I let my hair dry naturally. I bought some expensive stuff at the salon. It smells wonderful but I haven’t used it lol.

    • Antonym says:

      @Mabs – I use the ColorWow and it works well. It has kept my naturally curly hair smooth and straight in multiple humid locations (S. Texas and east coast). I recommend it.

  5. Becks1 says:

    oh I’m going to try that Halo Glow filter. My Maybelline 4-in-1 is almost out (and I do love that one, its so easy.) so if you say this is better I’ll give it a try.

    • Whyforthelove is says:

      You won’t be disappointed Becks1. When it first came out it sold out so fast it was out of stock for 3 months. I absolutely love it for a nice glow without looking like a sparkly glitter bomb. The Elf Halo Glow is amazing

  6. Seraphina says:

    Thank you for the door lock mention – my kids have started to travel alone and this is great.
    It’s a sign I need to buy these highlighters. I just started to learn about bullet journaling (could not find an agenda that fit my needs) and these pastel looking highlighters are something people use a lot. Thank you!

  7. Whyforthelove is says:

    I cannot endorse getting a hotel lock enough. About 10 years ago I was traveling for work when the hotel I stayed at booked someone in my room at 11 pm. Thankfully it was a family and I had the latch on, bit they opened my door a few inches until the latch caught and were as freaked out as me. I never travel without a lock now. I may get this one as a spare. Having someone given a key to come into your room while you are asleep will scare you straight about being cautious. You can imagine the things I had to say to the front desk the next morning. I was so freaked out

  8. alsf says:

    Thanks for the follow up on the elf, when I looked at it on the store I thought maybe it wasn’t for all over glow but only highlighting.

    Adding the soap and lock to my summer travel list with the compression packing cubes.

  9. Ginny says:

    Wow, I am so glad to know about the door lock! Just this past weekend we were staying in a hotel, and a staff person tried to enter our room without knocking. It freaked me out so badly, I proceeded to not sleep for the rest of the night :-/

  10. Just Chelle says:

    My hubs and I have three cats and a dog. We also have a fully carpeted house (ugh). We bought a cordless Dyson five years ago and it’s been great. However, my MS has gotten progressively worse and it’s now difficult for me to vacuum our entire two-story house at one time. So, I bought this Shark vac on a whim as a Christmas gift to myself so I have a dedicated cordless vac upstairs. OMG. It works as well – if not better – than the Dyson. The amount of cat hair it sucks up is pretty remarkable. WORTH EVERY PENNY.

  11. Jen says:

    I have two of those thermometers and they’re excellent. They’re water resistant which is great as I use one for aquarium maintenance. It’s always getting wet and is fine. You can also set an alarm so it beeps when it hits a certain temp. Best thermometers I’ve ever had.

  12. tealily says:

    I’ve never seen something like those portable soap sheets. Cool idea!

  13. Kathryn says:

    Great finds! As always

  14. Sshark_29 says:

    I have a shark upright I got at Costco and a roomba that I run daily. Was unsure about the roomba originally boy I was wrong, it goes under my bed, couch etc and goes for over an hour way longer than I do. I don’t use my upright much unless I forget to Roomba. I’ve got 2 dogs and a cat, it keeps up fine I just have to remember to empty it, I’m thinking of upgrading to a self emptying which is hilarious but my Uber clean sister with kids and animals swears by it. I love these posts.

  15. Bad Janet says:

    The Wow dreamcoat and the Shark are legit. Loooove those products