If you follow Mashable Shopping’s coverage, you know that we live to bring you the best product recommendations we can find based on countless hours of online research. But, what about the stuff that we buy for ourselves? The stuff that made it into our shopping carts? Well, we’re here to tell you about those things, and we’ll be back every month to do so again.
Here’s what the staff bought in January 2021.
“I wanted a clock for my desk at home, so I bought this vintage clock on a spring from Case Study Objects. I don’t know why it’s on a spring, but I have no complaints — it fits my top two criteria for home goods, which are ‘beautiful’ and ‘kind of stupid.'” —Chloe Bryan, Deputy Shopping Editor
“I really love jewelry and recently lost one of my favorite gold rings, so I was looking for a replacement and came across this small business that had a tiny but great (and affordable) selection of pieces. I got a gold signet ring and I love it.” —Dylan Haas, Shopping Reporter
A new pedal for the collection
“Since being in quarantine, I’ve been playing my guitar a lot more often. I wanted to start expanding my collection of pedals, so I picked this one up so I could achieve some fun volume swells. It also has a built-in ‘wah’ function, so I can do my best Jimi Hendrix impression (or at least try to).” —Dylan Haas, Shopping Reporter
“I thought I could get away with just a broom and a Swiffer because I have hardwood floors in my apartment, but boy was I wrong. After I got a rug, I decided it was probably time to buy a vacuum cleaner, and the amount of dust and hair it picked up the first time I used it was honestly horrifying. Now I vacuum religiously.” —Miller Kern, Shopping Reporter
“After living in my ‘new’ apartment for three months, I’ve finally gotten all of my living room furniture. The last piece was this fun, gold coffee table. The lower storage gives me plenty of room to display cute coffee table books.” —Miller Kern, Shopping Reporter
“I’ve been a fan of Big Bud Press for a while now, but I’ve never actually bought anything until recently. I saw this jacket on their Instagram and it spoke to me. I love pink and I love strawberries, so I knew I had to have it.” —Miller Kern, Shopping Reporter
“This is officially my third a ‘TikTok made me buy it’ purchase. I had been contemplating getting lash extensions but horror stories of people’s real eyelashes falling out led me to search for yet another alternative, because I simply can’t be asked to glue false eyelashes on every day. I’ve been using the GrandeLash-MD serum before bed for almost a year now and can see such a difference in length. It’s most obvious when I put on mascara, of course, but I’m more impressed with the body my lashes have with no makeup.” —Leah Stodart, Shopping Reporter
The cutest puppy bag you’ve ever seen
“This month we welcomed a new puppy (a mini dachshund named Paulie) into our family and along with all the treats, toys, and pee pads we bought, we also snagged this stylish shoulder bag for carrying the little guy around. Our street in Brooklyn can be hectic, especially with foot traffic, so we’ll need to tote Paulie in this safe and comfy bag to make the trek to quieter avenues. Luckily he fits in perfectly and securely and doesn’t seem too bothered by it. He even went on a short bike ride with me! The bag is comfortable, easy to adjust, and even has a handy pocket on the strap to store your phone. Follow Paulie’s adventures on Instagram at @paulie.thepeanut.” —Bob Al-Greene, Senior Illustrator
“My girlfriend and I have been staying with her parents for the past month, and we forgot to pack a crucial element of her bedtime routine: the Bed Buddy. It’s a testament to this product’s appeal that we didn’t think twice about purchasing another. It’s a reliable and no-frills heat pad that Molly uses for neck pain and stiffness. Just throw it in the microwave for two minutes and then place it around your shoulders to begin the heated soothing. It’s also got handles so you can stretch it a bit and apply extra pressure to work out any aches and pains.” —Bob Al-Greene, Senior Illustrator
“For a long time, I kept putting off getting a larger bottle to satisfy my huge consumption of tea. I managed to catch this on sale and the insulation is amazing! It also comes with an infuser and definitely will be great to carry around when traveling becomes normal again.” —Elvie Mae Parian, Associate Animator
“We’ve spent the last month or so completely redecorating our bedroom, because what else is there to do? We had basically finished, but something was missing. Interior design might not be my strong point, but even I could see that it was desperately lacking a statement cactus. We quickly settled on a Candleabra Cactus, and even though it’s not quite as monstrous as I had hoped, it does the job. The site states that ‘more die from too much care and watering than from neglect,’ which is music to my ears.” —Joseph Green, Commerce Editor, Mashable UK
“I’ve slowly been creating a work-from-home space that I feel good in and was looking to get some prints for the walls. I stumbled upon this artist via Instagram and had huge heart eyes. Once I found their Etsy page, I was a goner. The hardest decision was picking which ones to order.” —Lily Kartiganer, Assistant Growth Editor
“One of my friends in the UK told me about the transforming power of Ella Risbridger’s cookbook ‘Midnight Chicken,’ and I would say if there’s one Pandemic Cookbook, this is it. It’s not so much a cookbook as it is a guide to helping you find joy again, albeit by transforming ingredients that seem ordinary into concoctions that will nourish and feed the deepest parts of you. Nothing is too complicated or too extraneous, and Risbridger’s prose is witty, moving, and at times heartbreaking. I cried during the first chapter, and subsequently made the roast tomato and garlic soup, which seemed to cure an unnamed grief I didn’t know I was carrying. —Tulika Bose, Associate Producer
“I decided to up my mask game with a pack of KF94 LG Airwashers. KF94 masks have a comfortable design that keeps the filter away from your face, and while the LG-branded masks are expensive, I wanted the confidence of a solid South Korean brand, which is the world’s leader in air conditioning.” —Sascha Segan, Lead Analyst, Mobile for PCMag
“My home office became a little more fun with an Elgato Stream Deck Mini. This little pad of LCD buttons can each be programmed with complex macros. They’re mostly used by streamers and gamers, but I’m loving how I can now take a screenshot and crop it with one button, or summon and rearrange my calendar.” —Sascha Segan, Lead Analyst, Mobile for PCMag
“I bought the iPhone SE for both of my parents, as it’s the right size (not too big) and user friendly for them. It’s similar to the iPhone 6, which they had for 6 years, and it’s been incredibly easy for them to get used to it. It’s also budget-friendly, and took me 10-15 minutes to set up.” —Gigi Wong, Audience Development Analyst
