From the perfect T-shirt for all occasions to an ‘adult’ couch that won’t bankrupt you, here are the items that made our lives better in 2025.
Ready-made bone broth
My comfort foods are curries and soups, and I cook them frequently. But a key ingredient would often go missing from my kitchen: stock or broth. I would run out quickly, and maybe forget to buy it at the grocery store. So this year, I started getting ready-made bone broth in bulk from the local Toronto-based V’s Bone Broth. It comes in frozen cubes, saves on time, makes everything taste richer, and since this bone broth contains more nutrients and protein (six grams a cup) owing to its 30-hour boiling time, the health benefits are an extra plus. Now, I always make sure to have enough in my freezer for easy use in recipes – or to heat and drink on its own. Aruna Dutt, lifestyle editor
Kitchen tweezers for just about anything
“Oh wow, the new season of The Bear comes out and suddenly she needs chef tweezers!” my husband crowed after he first spotted my newest (and now favourite) kitchen tool: High-precision Dalstrong kitchen tweezers. Before you also start roasting me, hear me out: Tweezers are not just for fussy Michelin-starred restaurants, they belong in your kitchen, too. Imagine trying to pick up something small – say, a single blueberry from a bowlful – with all your fingers, and then attempting it with only using your index finger and thumb. That’s the difference between using regular tongs and kitchen tweezers. I can fish pickled banana peppers out of the jar without spilling out any of the brine and flip a teeny shrimp in the frying pan without disturbing its neighbour. When I was up at midnight decorating my daughter’s birthday cake, the tweezers helped me apply white sprinkle “seeds” to the piped strawberries without smushing the icing. They have become my detachable bionic fingers in the kitchen. Dakshana Bascaramurty, food culture reporter
The ideal T-shirt for active or daily wear
This year, I made one of the great clothing discoveries of my 71 years on Earth: Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Daily Shirts, given to me for Christmas by my sister, Maude. They’re stylish but functional, interesting but not outlandish, the kind of shirt you always look forward to wearing. I use them for hiking and rowing and running and skiing and golfing and any other physical activity I can dream up. But I have also started wearing them for every day, which, for a guy who was born wearing a button-down Oxford, is saying something. These T-shirts are weightless, they come in both bold and sedate colours, and they’re designed to actually cool you down when you get hot, so clever is their wicking and their slidey feel. Available in long or short sleeves, they’re slimmish in cut, but not so tight that you feel like a cannoli. I own two of each, and have given them to my closest pals as birthday presents. I am now their hero. Ian Brown, feature writer
A travel umbrella to beat the heat
When I travelled to the Mediterranean this past summer in the middle of a heatwave, I had no idea how punishing the heat would be. I hesitated to pull out my new pink Baodini UV umbrella while rambling through the cobblestone streets, thinking it would be like holding up a sign saying “tourist here,” but I soon realized the choice was either use the tiny solar shield or risk crumpling from heat exhaustion. It allowed me to press on and see Rome’s Colosseum and St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. I would use it again in a heartbeat. Danielle Adams, obituaries editor
Socks that do good, in more than one way
In strong competition for the saddest sentence uttered during this, my middle-aged mom era, is this banger: “I can’t wait to put on my socks.” But, no, it is actually not at all sad to love a pair of socks so much that one anticipates the feel of the cozy merino wool on one’s feet – warm, but not oppressive; soft as a pillow; not an itch calling out to be scratched. Comfort food for the soles! When a friend gifted me my first pair of Blue Sky Clothing Company’s Merino Wool Socks for Literacy, it was a revelation. But wait, it gets better: For every pair sold, the company donates $1 to local literacy programs. And so, this holiday season, you will find me bundled up with my Blue Sky Ladies Merino Wool Socks for Literacy (they also come in men’s and a higher, boot-friendly version), working my way through the pile of books that busy life has forced me to neglect. Sheer happiness. Marsha Lederman, columnist
A leaf blower that is easy (and therapeutic) to use
My kids call me a clean freak. I prefer to think of myself as tidy-obsessed. So, when I saw the ad for an outdoor blower that weighs less than one kilogram, has a sleek design and can blast dirt and debris at the press of a button, I knew I had found my dream power tool. It’s called the ZoomBroom (available at Best Buy for $279.99), and unlike high-octane blowers with a high-pitched, annoying screech, this zippy little unit almost purrs. I exaggerate, but it is refreshingly quiet. It is also cordless, idiot-proof, holds a one-hour charge and has become my new best friend. In the fall, we blow leaves. In the winter, we clean light snow off the car. In the spring, it gets rid of dirt around the pots I’ve planted, and in the summer, well, I use it just because I can. It makes me happy. People often stop me and ask, “What is that thing?” I answer them honestly, “It’s called a ZoomBroom and it’s my therapy.” Gayle MacDonald, lifestyle reporter
A knife sharpener for quick and manual upkeep
Any chef will tell you that a dull knife is a dangerous knife. Thankfully, you don’t need fancy chef skills to use the Kitchellence 3-stage knife sharpener, a handheld gadget that is small enough to fit into a cutlery drawer and doesn’t require batteries or a plug. When the blade of my workhorse Henckels starts to dull, I can get it back into prime working order in about three minutes. I pop on the protective glove and run my knife through slots 1, 2 and 3, which work to repair, sharpen and polish the blade. I give the knife a rinse, dry it off and voilà – I’m slicing through delicate tomatoes in no time. Julia Child would be so proud. Lara Pingue, programming editor
A paddle board that fits on my back
I’ve wanted a paddle board for years, but the logistics of owning one seemed impossible. This is why the Funwater Inflatable paddle board is easily the best thing I bought this year. It comes in a backpack – admittedly, a pretty big one, but easy enough to lug around – and can be pumped up and ready for cruising in a matter of minutes. A hand pump comes with the board, but I highly recommend a portable electric one to make life easier. Once fully inflated, the board is sturdy and, to my untrained eye, no different in quality from any other stand-up paddle board I’ve ever been on. I can take it down to Lake Ontario on a short bike ride from home, and I keep it in the trunk on summer drives just in case there’s an opportunity to go paddling. It is literally an adventure in a backpack. Dave McGinn, education reporter
An adult sleepover camp to feel like a kid again
How great does this sound: Jumping off a dock to swim in a lake that’s still warm under the October sun. Limitless coffee and nourishing meals, prepared by someone else, to fill your bellies after archery practice. Bunk bed conversations by flashlight about books and family, jobs and health, the importance of catching our breath. These were a few of my favourite things at a fall women’s weekend at one of my favourite places: a YMCA camp in Ontario’s Muskoka region. It’s one of several adult getaways some Y locations offer throughout the year. It’s not for everyone (one friend balked at the fine print, “We have to bring our own sheets!?”) but for me, this was the best $300 I spent all year. Permission to feel like a kid again? Priceless. Idella Sturino, advice and service
A milk frother to level-up my drinks
I’m the kind of person who must have a beverage in my hand at all times – coffee, tea, sparkling water, coconut water, electrolyte water etc. Since snagging this café-calibre milk frother this year, I’ve started making fun and fancy drinks at home, such as matcha and hojicha and superfood latte mixes from Canadian company Landish. The Dreo BaristaMaker frother has dedicated settings for plant-based milks as well as for temperature and speed, plus two inserts, so you can customize your beverage. Now my daily drink feels like a little treat, and the few minutes it takes to prepare provide a nice microbreak in the workday. Plus, the countertop contraption is sleek and compact, so I don’t go into a rage every time I have to shove it back into an overstuffed kitchen cupboard. Haley Steinberg, senior style editor
A clothing steamer for small spaces
For years, I couldn’t fit an ironing board in my small apartment, and all my poor shirts would be left wrinkly and unused in my closet. On desperate occasions I would iron with a pot of boiling water on my kitchen counter. But when I finally bought a Beautural handheld clothing steamer on Amazon this year after months of grumbling, it was an instant life-saver. Now I can de-wrinkle my clothes to my heart’s content, and actually put my overflowing closet to good use. Jacob Dube, community editor
A discount card for avid readers
Literature has been a balm for my news-wired brain. I recently finished my 84th book this year (not counting audiobooks). And for most of those, I have my Reader Reward Card from McNally Robinson Booksellers to thank. It only costs $25, and you can then renew it annually for $15. It entitles you to great discounts at any location of Canada’s largest independent English-language bookstore chain. (Yes, it doubles down on books already marked for discounts.) My card makes me feel just that little bit better about inflation-era prices. It also keeps bringing me back to the bookstore. Don’t live close to a McNally? I’m so very sorry for your loss. But try asking your closest local indie bookstore for a loyalty card. You never know what adventurous worlds that tiny request will unlock. Temur Durrani, national reporter
A Waterpik to convert this floss-hater
I am, generally, an honest person – except when visiting the dentist. To the question about my flossing habits, I always answer yes/usually/trying to. In fact, I have been at best a sporadic flosser. My middle-aged teeth are in reasonable shape, but some recession of the gums spurred me to floss a little more. My dental hygienist suggested a Waterpik water flosser. I am not one for gadgets but feeling somewhat cornered, I made the purchase. The box sat unopened for some weeks. I finally relented and gave it a go. It is like a toothbrush, powered by a noisy motor and attached to a small container of water. It produces a satisfying blast of water to expel all that is lodged in periodontal crevices. The (real) truth? I use it every day. David Ebner, justice reporter
A swaddle that helped my newborn sleep
When we brought our newborn home from hospital in September, in an awestruck haze after 60 hours awake and incapable of blanket-swaddling, my wife and I opened a sleep-sack sample pack we had been gifted. We pulled out a zippered one with “wings” that suspended a child’s arms next to its head. I put little Tareq inside, snapped a photo and texted it to my family with a sleep-deprived note: “He is sleeping soundly in his gingerbread man prison.” Reader, he did not sleep soundly that night. But he eventually did, thanks to what we now affectionately still call “the prison.” This inscrutably structured Swaddle Up sack, from the Australian designer Love to Dream ($44.95 online), keeps babies in what I have since learned is a natural position to help them drift off in comfort. We’re about to buy our third. Josh O’Kane, business of arts reporter
Stickers. Lots of them
As The Globe’s theatre reporter, I am out of the house five to six nights a week. As such, I have been experimenting with hobbies that help me enjoy the limited evenings I get to spend at home. Collaging, as it turns out, has been the perfect craft for me – I have hundreds of theatre programs in need of a second life. And on a recent trip to Stratford, I finally purchased the book of stickers I’ve been pining for since May. The Antiquarian Sticker Book is a lovely hardcover tome filled with thousands of paper stickers. The illustrations are whimsical and pretty, and I have been impressed by the quality of the stickers. At $36.99, the book is a bit of a splurge, but it is a lovely little luxury as I get better at the art of collage. (I’ll admit, as well, that more than a few of the decorations have ended up on my laptop case.) Aisling Murphy, theatre reporter
An ‘adult’ couch that won’t bankrupt you
There’s a great joke from comedian Mike Birbiglia about buying your first couch. To paraphrase: In your 20s you find a couch on the street, take it home to your roommates and everyone is excited. It’s free because it’s someone’s literal garbage. In your 30s, you go to buy a real couch and realize … it’s how much? This year, I bought my first adult couch. Finding something that was aesthetically pleasing, comfortable to sit on and wasn’t going to cost a full paycheque was quite a task. After months of looking, I ended up going with the Sven Charme Tan Sofa from Toronto retailer HCD. Was it more money than I wanted to pay? Yes. But anyone who comes to my apartment tells me how great it looks and assumes I paid a lot more. Plus, it’s the perfect size for an afternoon nap, can easily accommodate two people cuddled up and is sturdy enough that I won’t have to get another couch for years to come. Graham Isador, healthy living reporter
The earbuds of freedom
After years – too many! – of dealing with cords and loose-fitting earphones and glitchy connections and too much – so much! – distraction from the outside world, I finally embraced AirPods in my life. Not those off-brand ones you see at airport bookstores or in mall kiosks. No: real-deal noise-cancelling Air Pods Pro. And they are life-changing. I’ve never heard music so clearly in my life, and suddenly I actually look forward to taking phone calls. I can go anywhere, do anything, listen to anyone and anything. (And shut out everyone else I’m not interested in hearing.) It’s a small thing, but a life-changing one. Barry Hertz, film editor
A sweater for on or off the slopes
Can a sweater change your life? Not really. Maybe? It certainly can put you into the right frame of mind to face life. It can also signal your other life – the one that feeds your soul instead of putting food on the table. It’s why I wear a very plain yet subtly chic black wool knit from Helly Hansen’s Bliss line ($220). The brand that has been clothing ski patrollers around the globe for decades and creating waterproof sailing wear since the 19th century flexes its fashion muscle here. My sweater has two white stylized snowflakes bookending three letters: SKI. It’s cozy, yes, a sidecut helps it drape nicely over jeans or baselayers, but mostly it telegraphs that I’d rather be on the slopes, or maybe I’ve just come off them. And that always makes me smile every time I slip it over my head. Catherine Dawson March, editor
A digital picture frame
I have always dissed digital frames – after all, I’m a print person, a photo editor and I will have none of anything I can’t touch. But I haven’t printed photos to put into a photo album or book in more than 10 years. All my digital photos, thousands upon thousands of them, from birthday parties to funerals and everything in between, sit on old laptops or floating on a cloud, moments and memories existing somewhere out there but never here. So, I caved this fall and bought an Aura picture frame, the largest, most expensive one at $400. It is the best thing I’ve bought all year, maybe in years. On my kitchen wall, every 30 seconds I see a life in pictures, every single day. And I love it. Theresa Suzuki, photo editor
A charger that saved me from buying a new phone
One hot and sticky Monday morning in June on my walk to work from the train station, I fumbled my cell while waiting to cross at a red light. I watched, stunned, as it slipped through a sewer grate and disappeared. Thus unspooled an incredible series of events and small kindnesses, from the city worker who popped open that blasted sewer grate two days later and found my phone sitting in the muck, to the Apple salesperson who suggested when I had charging problems because of moisture in the port that I use the $55 MagSafe Charger instead. With a new screen protector and case (and many, many disinfecting wipes), it’s worked just fine ever since. Lori Fazari, editing team
