5 Products That Make My Life Easier

I hate those stupid articles that show up on your Facebook advertisements that have this exact title. They’re just clickbait, advertisement junk that have a good chance of giving your computer a virus as a cherry on top. Not to mention, the products they recommend are usually garbage.

That is why this post is my attempt to provide a real and honest version of the “Products I Like” type of article. I am not sponsored by any of the products in this post and I either bought all of them with my own money or received them as gifts.

I’ll provide a description for how each of these items has improved my life in some way, as well as a link for the best place to buy the stuff.

Maybe one or more of these things can make your life easier too! That would be cool. If you do decide to buy one of these things, it is important that you buy the specific one I am recommending. I have only used these exact models and can’t necessarily guarantee the quality of other brands.

Item 1: DASH Hard Boiled Egg Maker

$30 on Amazon (click photo for link)

I really like hard boiled eggs. They are a super tasty and healthy form of protein that can be added to a lot of meals or just eaten alone. They are also super portable — you can throw a couple of those suckers in your bag without any extra packaging.

However, I hate making them. Boiling water is obnoxious because you have to stand there and watch it. Then you have to worry about the eggs the entire time they are cooking. Half the time they come out completely overcooked and the other half of the time they’re raw.

Introducing the automatic egg cooker. This one is the “deluxe” version that can make 12 hard boiled eggs in one go. You literally just put the eggs in it, add a pre-determined amount of water, and push a button. After 15 minutes or so, it will notify you it is completed by making an incredibly obnoxious noise. It makes PERFECTLY cooked eggs, every single time.

Item 2: DOHM White Noise Machine

Sleep is something I value very much as a professional athlete. I am the type of person that really dislikes a dead-quiet sleeping environment because it makes the occasional sound — car driving by, barking dog, snoring girlfriend (kidding) — stand out like a gunshot.

Introducing the white noise machine. This little thing just makes a constant sort of “fan” sound that does a really nice job masking out the other pesky noises you might encounter on the average night of sleep. It also is something neutral for you to focus your attention towards if your mind is racing.

Long story short, it makes me sleep a lot better. If you have never used on of these then you probably don’t believe me, but I honestly have only good things to say about it.

Item 3: Waterpik Water Flosser

What percentage of people do you think actually floss their teeth every day? I don’t know the answer, but I can tell you that I couldn’t be bothered to use traditional floss when I was growing up.

I’ve had many trips to the dentist that followed this exact sequence of events:

Dentist: Have you been flossing your teeth since our last visit?
Me: Oh, yes. Every day.
Also me: *Gums start bleeding profusely the second the dentist makes contact with my gums, exposing me as a fraud*

The “Water Flosser” was the solution to my flossing woes. It is basically a pressure washer for in between your teeth. You just fill the basin with water and then blast away at your teeth for like 20 seconds. It is super satisfying and easy, unlike actual flossing. It also seems more hygienic since you don’t have to stuff your fingers deep into your mouth. My dentist approves as well.

Item 4: Oofos Clogs

$80 on the Oofos website (click photo for link)

Let me just put it this way. If Crocs were a car, they would be a Toyota. Pretty nice, reliable, cheap, but ultimately nothing special. If the Oofos clogs were a car, they would no doubt be a Lamborghini. They may be $30 more expensive than Crocs, but that is a small price to pay for how much better these are. They are WAY more plush and cushiony. They also have some serious arch support. Crocs can still work in a pinch, but these are the gold standard.

My primary use for the Oofos clog is as around-the-house footwear. Sure, they’re ugly — but who cares. If there is one thing I want you to take away from this week’s post it’s that your life will be significantly enhanced if you have a pair of super comfy shoes that you wear exclusively in your house. It is so much better than just being on your naked feet, especially if your house has a lot of hardwood floors. It’s pretty incredible how much of a difference it can make in your recovery just if you do this one thing.

Item 5: CycleOps Hammer Smart Bike Trainer

This is an expensive one — $800 from Brands Cycle (click photo for link)

Before I explain what this one is, I will say that you need to own a road bike in order to use this product.

This product is pretty incredible. You remove the back wheel from your road bike and attach the entire bike directly onto the device. You now have an indoor bike trainer.

Not only that, but this is a smart trainer, which means it can connect to your phone, tablet, or computer. This is really useful for 3rd party applications like Zwift, a virtual cycling game where you can ride on all sorts of virtual courses and ride with random strangers or your friends.

I cannot stress enough how huge of a tool this is in my training. I use it in so many different ways:

Indoor option during thunderstorms or rainy days
Indoor option if there is a Poor Air Quality Index (shoutout to Bozeman, MT)
Use it in the winter when you aren’t be able to ride your bike outdoors
Use it in the Fall when it gets dark outside super early
Bike without the hassle of having to create a route ahead of time or deal with potential flat tires
Zwift is actually really fun and there are lots of sweet workouts that you can do if you want a new challenge

$800 is definitely not cheap, but this is by far the best value option in this category. It has everything you want out of a bike trainer (trust me, I did a ton of research last year before investing in this one.) It hurts to spend that much money on anything but I have definitely not regretted it.

And That’s it!

Thank you so much for reading. Hopefully one of these items seems like it could be useful for you as well.