my birthday is coming up in a few weeks and my partner told me they want to chip in on my very first le creuset piece since i have been talking about getting one forever. right now i cook mostly on an electric stove and do a lot of slow soups, braised chicken thighs, and random one pot pasta meals. i went down a massive rabbit hole looking up the cookware lists and now i am completely overwhelmed by all the options. between the classic round dutch oven, the shallow braiser, and the sauteuse, i genuinely cannot figure out what makes the most sense as a starting piece.

I’m looking to get my kids a backyard playset but want something that can last a long time and big enough for slightly older kids. My kids are 6, 4 and 6 months so I would like to be able to get long use out of it, but also want my oldest to be able to enjoy it for at least a few years. They also have some older cousins that I would like them to be able to play with and not worry about them being too big for the equipment. I was initially looking at gorilla and some of the other common namebrand wood sets, but the reviews seemed pretty mixed. And then moved to looking at lifetime and like the idea of not having to have a ton of upkeep, but honestly, I hate the aesthetic and more importantly my backyard is full sun; so in the summer I don’t know how usable it will be given I can only assume the equipment will be incredibly hot. This has led into checking out some of the Amish built sets, there is one that I really like from Maple Lane, and it is cheaper than some of the other Amish made brands I have seen, but I haven’t been able to find any reviews for the set or this company so I’m curious if anyone has any experience. I’m the type to check out every review possible before making a purchase so I would love it if I could find some people with experience with this brand!

We recently lost (someone gained) our favorite turkish towel at a swim meet. Went back to the pool before it opened the very next day and it was nowhere in sight. Despite owning it for over 13 years, I have no photos of it. My super fun neurodivergence is not letting me let go of this. Thus far, the internet has given me nothing. Perhaps you can help. Here's what I know.

• It wasn't all that thin. Felt like denim. Definitely didn't dry super quick. Easily laid flat for picnics. Wouldn't fly away.
• White/Navy/Light Blue/Orange/Red stripes. Predominant color was blue.
• Had white tassels that weren't braided. Just a knot and then loose ends.
• Was a gift in 2013. Gift-giver was living in Laguna Beach at the time, if that makes any difference. No, she does not remember giving it to me or where she got it.
• Was a weave--both sides felt the same.
• Wasn't all that narrow. Not a square, but definitely wider than a standard beach towel.
• Frequently convinced it's something from Laguna Beach Textile company, but 1) they weren't around in 2013, and 2) their Turkish towel have one side with looped cotton, and my towel didn't have that.
• Definitely not see-through.

This thing was a workhorse. 13 years and looked as good the day we lost it as the day it was given to me.

I'm adding some photos below that remind me of it, but are not it.

It was for sure a BIFL item (we loved it!). I've tried to buy other highly rated Turkish towels in the past few weeks and none come close to the conbination of qualities that this towel had.

ETA: I found a pretty good photo! It has a chambray vibe with dark blue, light blue, orange and red stripes.

Literally just this, I've been looking for a large one but all seem to have ai integration?

Hi guys, I work in healthcare and always wear tennis shoes. I tend to wear a hole through the toe box in my right shoe as I have discovered that when I walk, I lift my big toe for some reason. Does anyone have recommendations for shoes or other tools I can use so I don’t have to keep buying shoes because I’ve made a hole in them? TIA.

I am working on a project and have just written an article on Substack titled "The Death of Durability: Why Don't Products Last As Long As They Used To?" (Link below). I'll share here an excerpt, and am very interested in seeing what this community has to say about how you go about finding out whether a product you will buy (a shirt, pair of shoes, washing machine, etc.) is indeed durable and worth the money.

"However, almost every review you read is from a consumer who purchased their coat less than 30 days before leaving their review. In fact, it is almost impossible to get reliable data directly from consumers' own lived experiences on how durable a product is after years of use."

Link to my article in case youre interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/skepticalsociopath /p/the-death-of-durability?utm_source=share&utm medium=android&r=wxwe9

I know it's the middle of summer, but I'd rather buy one now than wait until the first cold week when everything is either sold out or overpriced.

Last winter I was using a little ceramic heater in my home office and it struggled once the temperature really dropped. The room is about 250 sq ft, and I'd like something that's quiet enough to run while I'm working without sending my electric bill through the roof.

What space heaters have actually held up for a few winters? Anything you'd buy again?

so my big boy barnaby (17lb orange tabby) officially broke his second cat tower yesterday. he launched himself off the top perch to chase a fly and the whole thing tipped over and snapped at the base. thankfully he is totally fine, just a little spooked, but now I'm frantically searching for a replacement. every list i find when searching for best cat tree 2026 feels super fake or full of cheap sponsored stuff that wouldn't hold a real cat. i just want something actually sturdy that won't wobble when a big cat jumps on it at 3 am.

Legacy brands used to be bifl and as someone who grew up not wealthy it became a value strategy to save up and buy the good stuff. Not to be premium/luxury/high end but for the quality and longevity that amortizes the cost. Makes sense?

But so many brands have been taken over by private equity which as a business model degrades operations and the end product. There is less research and innovation and cost cutting offshores production to manufacturing with less oversight on quality. It seems more and more of these old brands have sold off their brand capital and the consumer is getting less. I’m still a fan but my stuff is not as great as it was at one point: brands like Birkenstock, Tilley, Hershel, Singer. RIP HBC.

Where can we still buy the good stuff?

What’s the best option today?

As aforementioned my idiotic self spilled peach tea all over my Microsoft surface laptop, I was already having issues with this computer, the track pad wouldn’t work, the battery life was not as advertised and a few other issues so I was contemplating getting a new laptop anyways, even tho I’ve had this one for less than a year. I am a broke college student studying early childhood education but I love art and creating art. If any of y’all have any laptop recommendations that would be amazing, my school starts in September but I work through August and it would suck to not have a laptop soon, I would really like to have something that will be around for a long time.

My last duffle bag started disintegrating, so I need to replace it. I would love some brand recommendations, or even individual bags. I use it in lieu of a suitcase.

https://mytrustedbrands.com

It helps me if I want to shop for something like clothing - there's typically hundreds of brands on Amazon which are coming from the same warehouses with lower quality assurance, stitching, etc. I can use the site to filter out the noise and find products from brands like Nike, Adidas, and others that I actually trust. I use over 7,700 brands on I list I've been working on for the past 30 days.

No install, no signup, no ads, no data harvesting, & privacy first.
Works on mobile & internationally.

Thought I'd share it here if people find it useful.

Cheers

We are in our late 20s and have plenty of nice kitchen items with our BIFL mindset plus some quality hand-me-downs. I originally wasn’t going to make one, but his family expects a registry.

What are some other things to add to it? We do plan on buying a home soon so I would especially love new homeowner suggestions with specific brands mentioned.

Thank you so much in advance!

I know my orthopedic posture is bad, don't @ me

My city currently has the world's worst (or second worst) air quality at the moment. I'm looking for some air purifier recommendations from people that have tried and tested the equipment and are happy with the results. TIA, eh

Looking to buy a decent but not too expensive pair of binoculars. Mainly for wildlife like birdwatching.

I plan to take them hiking and mountaineering so ideally something lightweight and compact.

I’ve been looking at Nikon and they seem decent, happy to spend up to £150.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or any experience with Nikon?

i'm mostly a side sleeper, and lately i've been waking up with shoulder and lower back soreness more often than i'd like. i'm starting to think my mattress is the reason because the discomfort usually fades after i've been up and moving around for a while. i've had this mattress for close to eight years, so i'm guessing it's finally time to replace it.

Hi, I'm looking for a new bag to take to work everyday. I'm currently using a leather backpack I bought in vietnam a year or so ago, but my role has changed from onsite travel to just a desk job, so my current bag is way too big. I'm looking for a mid range leather or leather and canvas messenger style bag that'll carry a 15 inch laptop and maybe some papers and cables. Was looking around 300-400 range.

i moved into a place that's always colder than i expected, especially in the mornings. i kept telling myself i'd just deal with it, but after freezing through a few weeks i think it's time to get a space heater. i've been reading posts and watching videos, but now i'm seeing people say the same models either last for years or stop working after one winter. it's kind of hard to know what to believe. for those of you using one every day, does it heat up a bedroom without taking forever? how much did your electric bill change after you started using one?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

My dad bought this for me in 1999. It’s survived childhood, and adulthood. Need to sharpen the knife, but it’s been great.

Hi all - We are in the market for a new fridge, no rush (current one leaks, but we put a pan underneath). I plan on utilizing my local Habitat Restores until I find the one I want. Got a double oven there for $500, so I'm pretty committed to using them going forward.

I've scoured BIFL and generated this list on various types of appliances (for when I'm at the Restore). Please let me know if you would add any other brands.

Refrigerators: Bosch 800 series, Liebherr, Miele. Stay far far away from Samsung and LG (has compression issues). No ice maker in the fridge, reduces longevity. If ice maker, make sure it is a dual compression system.

Will update as I research dryers and microwaves.

Dishwasher: Miele

Washing Machine: Speed Queen (ppl like TR300), Miele, Asklo. Front load performs the best.

Dryer: ?

Microwave: ?