20-Plus Ways to Simplify Your Life

Clever solutions to invigorate, organize, and simplify the way you live

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At Home

The QardioBase 2 Wifi Smart Scale

Digital Trainer

Staying on top of your health and fitness goals can be tricky. The QardioBase 2 Wifi Smart Scale makes it easier, measuring everything from weight to muscle mass to fat composition and more. It also comes with its own app that chronicles your progress, even on the go. $140

Beauty Sleep

Sure, a good night’s sleep can do wonders for your face, but more importantly it can lead to a calmer, happier, healthier existence. Hitting the sheets early can strengthen the heart, diminish depression, and increase focus and productivity the following day. If you need help nodding off, try a sleep app like Pzizz. In addition to a series of recorded narratives and dreamscapes, it has a built-in alarm clock for scheduled wakeups. 

Containing Luxury render

Live Small

Living in a tiny home has been compared to staying at a hotel—all the comforts you need in one compact space. These pint-size pads not only yield a simpler quality of life, but they offer the bonus of mobility too. If you’re open to taking the leap, check out Palm City–based Containing Luxury, a company that builds high-end, turn-key residences from 20- and 40-foot-long shipping containers customized with unique features like full kitchens, luxury vinyl plank flooring, insulated impact glass windows, and more. Homes start at $39,990.

Courant Catch 3

Home Base

Save time in the morning by not having to hunt for your keys, glasses, or phone. Corral everyday essentials with the Courant Catch 3, an attractive nightstand necessity featuring a valet tray and a single-device wireless charger. $175

On the Menu Meal Planner

Shop Smart

Map out weekly meals with the On the Menu Meal Planner. The pad even comes with a detachable shopping list you can easily remove and take on grocery runs. $18

Prepdeck Gen 2 Plus

Prep Master

Cut down on cooking time by prepping like a pro. The Prepdeck Gen 2 Plus has everything you need to slice, dice, juice, and more—all in one compact station. Only 21 inches wide and 7 inches high, the Prepdeck includes food-safe containers, a foldout cutting board, BPA-free prepping tools like a juicer and mandoline slicer, and a mobile device stand for following recipe videos while you work. $129

Voice + Motion Dual Compartment Rectangular Sensor Can from SimpleHuman

Garbage Man/Can

Trash talking takes on a whole new meaning with the Voice + Motion Dual Compartment Rectangular Sensor Can from SimpleHuman. The sleek, stainless-steel receptacle has odor-eliminating pods, a separate compartment for recycling, and a “brain” that responds to commands. Just say, “open can” and the lid opens automatically, “close can” to shut, and more. $300

OXO Good Grips Triple Timer

Triple Threat

You can easily juggle three dishes at once thanks to the OXO Good Grips Triple Timer, an essential time-management tool when you’re cooking a multicourse meal. The timer boasts three ringing patterns, a lighted display and keypad, adjustable volume, and a stopwatch function. $27

Wardrobe Makeover

Clean out your closet and start fresh with these expert tips from Flor Ferranti, owner of The Simple Home in Port St. Lucie and Jupiter-based stylist and fashion influencer Holland Smith Paterno.

Take inventory. Excluding sentimental and off-season items, anything worn less than three times in the past year should be consigned, sold, or donated. If you’re on the fence, ask yourself if it brings you happiness. If not, discard it.

Optimize your space. Utilize storage bins, shelf dividers, jewelry and shoe organizers, and other space savers to keep things tidy.

Invest in key pieces. Paterno suggests these five versatile must-haves:

Boyfriend blazer: a gender-neutral basic that adds a touch of polish

Satin slip dress: Pair this day-to-night essential with a denim jacket, heels, and a clutch 

White button-up shirt: An evergreen requisite that goes perfectly with preppy shorts or a midi skirt

All-purpose knit sweater: Layering is key when temps take a dip

Go-to denim jeans: High-waisted, minimal rips, or relaxed fit, no closet is complete without a favorite pair of jeans

At Work

Say Yes to No!

Saying no can be a profound act of self-care says Dr. Candice McCoy, owner of Healing House in Stuart. When it comes to establishing healthy boundaries, building self-worth, and making more responsible choices, a dissenting response may be the best response. The next time you’re tempted to auto-reply “yes,” ask yourself three things: Can someone else handle the request? Will saying yes move the baseline closer to my goals? And will the outcome matter a year from now? If your answers are no, you have your answer. 

TimeChi

Do Not Disturb

The TimeChi helps you improve work performance while cutting out distractions. Designed to block digital noise like email alerts, this mouse-size gadget has a built-in timer to clock performance, notifies others when you can’t be disturbed, and sends reminders to take breaks. $150

Moleskine Smart Writing Set

Take Note

The Moleskine Smart Writing Set makes even the most yawn-inducing work meeting a little more bearable. Everything written or drawn on the companion notebook is captured by a camera in the pen’s tip and transferred to a digital device where it can easily be edited, printed, or shared. $279

CGD London Give Yourself Credit Journal

Money Manager

Keep track of your work expenses, bills, and other finances with the Give Yourself Credit Journal. This handy tool is chock-full of insightful tips, tracking tools, a bill payment
calendar, and more. $46

Ritual Behavior

Getting in the habit of performing certain routines before bedtime can make your morning a lot more chill. Before you hit the hay, prep a nutritious lunch, preselect a killer ensemble, and group all of your must-haves—purse, laptop, bento box—in one spot so they’re ready to go.

On the Go

Schedule the Fun

Treat your fitness and leisure time like you do work appointments: Put them in your calendar. By literally scheduling things like meditation, workouts, and catch-up calls with friends, you are giving those plans more weight—and will be more likely to remember to do them and actually do them!

Apple AirTag

Total Recall

From lost dogs to misplaced luggage, anything the Apple AirTag is attached to can be recovered using the Find My app. $30

MoMA’s Touchscreen Mist Cleaner

Clean Slate

Keep your phone bacteria- and smudge-free at all times with MoMA’s Touchscreen Mist Cleaner. The tiny, colorful tube fits right in your purse and contains a spritzable alcohol cleanser that can be wiped with the built-in microfiber cloth. Easy peasy! $15

All-in-One Stackable Lunch Box Solution by Bentgo

Lunch Bunch

Modeled after ancient bento boxes, the All-in-One Stackable Lunch Box Solution by Bentgo combines two BPA-free nesting containers, a three-piece utensil set, and a sealing strap to bundle them all together and ensure contents won’t spill during transport. $25

 

Purse Pal

Stop your purse from becoming a bottomless abyss. One of “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” the PurseN Littbag Organizer is a lightweight, vegan leather bag insert with a dozen compartments and two bright LED lights to make retrieving contents a breeze. $42

Jen Van Horn. Photo by Zoe Grant
Jen Van Horn. Photo by Zoe Grant

Meal Prep

Jupiter-based holistic nutritionist and dietetic technician Jen Van Horn offers 5 tips for meal prepping like a pro

Create a plan. Each week, grab a calendar or use a meal template to jot down recipes for the days you plan to eat at home. Pick dishes that are easy to fix, will bless you with leftovers, and share common ingredients. Under each meal, note the items you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store.

Pack your pantry. Bulk up on pantry staples you can utilize in a range of dishes. Brown rice, for example, is essential for paellas and stir-fries, while black beans can be tossed into soups, salads, and chilies. 

Overcook. “Batch cooking” is the act of making a surplus of food that can be frozen and served later. Set aside some time to prepare a base recipe that can be adapted into different dishes, like a healthy side of veggies or a tasty sauce, and store as individual
portions in the freezer for easy heating. 

Think double-duty. For example, if you’re grilling organic chicken breasts for dinner one night, toss on an extra piece or two that you can pop in the fridge and use the next day to make tacos or chicken salad.

Be prepared. Take advantage of (healthy) prepared foods. A tasty, store-bought rotisserie chicken is the perfect reheat-and-eat option to go with sides you make at home and can be used in a variety of dishes like sandwiches and salads.

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