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Back-to-School Hacks from Wirecutter Parents

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Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio Technically, summer doesn’t end until September, but many kids go back to school as soon as early to mid August. In this episode, we’re celebrating the back-to-school season with practical, real-world advice from Wirecutter parents. From clever routines to must-have gear, our editors and writers share their favorite shortcuts for making school mornings run just a little bit smoother. Whether you're packing lunches for elementary schoolers or sending a teenager off to college, these tried-and-true tips will help your family ease back into the routine. Products we recommend: Eleanor recommends Name Bubbles Wynne recommends the Tin Can wi-fi phone Christine recommends a water bottle cleaning set Lauren Sullivan recommends the L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bag Andrea recommends Dawn Powerwash Dave recommends the Plan Ahead Week Board from Lovevery Tracy recommends th...

The 59 Best Anniversary Gifts by Year

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Your love is always an occasion worth celebrating. Traditional anniversary conventions suggest giving gifts of increasing material value, starting with paper the first year and gold after half a century. The traditional gifts for each year are as follows: First anniversary: paper Second anniversary: cotton Third anniversary: leather Fifth anniversary: wood Seventh anniversary: copper Ninth anniversary: pottery 10th anniversary: tin or aluminum 11th anniversary: steel 15th anniversary: crystal 20th anniversary: china 25th anniversary: silver 50th anniversary: gold Should you decide to follow those customs, we have some modern suggestions for any year, such as a stunning crystal vase and a couples card game. Plus, we’ve rounded up excellent presents for any relationship milestone , paying no mind to tradition, from a retro image viewfinder to a pair of delicate diamond hoops. Whatever you choose, getting personal is key — consider references to your firs...

This Cat Tree Is Worthy of Your Living Room. It’s Also Wildly Expensive.

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As a lifelong caretaker of cats and the former editor of Wirecutter’s pets coverage, I’ve seen my share of hideous cat trees. The classic styles tend to be eyesores — hollow cubes wrapped in carpet remnants perched atop sisal cylinders. The overall effect is a child’s haphazard block sculpture grown to disconcerting proportions. Finding attractive pet furniture is a tough task. Even Wirecutter’s top picks for cat scratchers aren’t particularly cute (though they work great, and the guide is getting a rewrite with new picks soon). Mau — a company that specializes in cat accessories meant to appeal to design-minded people — fills this gap with visually striking options that put to shame any cat tree you’d find at a big-box pet store. Along with my two cats, Pyke and Holt, I’ve been long-term testing Mau’s Cento cat tree since 2023. And I can confidently say that it’s worth the hefty cost — but only if your cats like it as much as you do. Luckily, you get a 45-day t...

We Tested All of the Skin-Care Products at Trader Joe’s. Some of It Is Actually Great.

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You get your snacks with punny names, party-hosting dips, and frozen comfort meals at Trader Joe’s, so its beauty products may raise a few eyebrows. But its budget beauty products — including a rose facial mist and a marula oil — often go viral online for being dupes of more expensive counterparts. It’s all incredibly enticing. But I must also be realistic. Trader Joe’s beauty products range from $4 to $12, so I’m not looking for the miracles or heavy glass packaging that I’d expect from luxury products at Sephora. I am, however, seeking pleasant textures and products that work — without angering sensitive skin. Just like Trader Joe’s snacks, the products in its personal-care aisle tend to change. But for one month, I focused on testing its core skin-care offerings, and I got some help from two Wirecutter beauty experts, editor Rory Evans and writer Abbie Kozolchyk. I tracked how the products worked on their own, under makeup, in a dry office, and even during a h...

We Recommend Dozens of Yamazaki Picks to Organize Small Spaces. Here’s How We Use Them at Home.

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For years, Wirecutter’s home-decor experts have been testing products that can improve the function and flow of small spaces. And one brand in particular comes up again and again: Yamazaki Home. There’s a reason why so many of Yamazaki Home’s products work well in petite bedrooms , kitchens , bathrooms , and entryways . Designed with compact Japanese homes in mind, these no-frills items are functional yet still pleasing enough to keep in plain view. And because of their pared-back, neutral aesthetic, Yamazaki Home products can fit into almost any space, no matter the style. For all of these reasons, many Wirecutter-tested Yamazaki Home coat hooks, shoe racks, and kitchen organizers have become favorites among our staff. We’ve rounded up some (though not all) of our best-loved Yamazaki Home products that make small-space living just a little easier. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/4bdDXpY via IFTTT

The 4 Apps That Help Us Get Stuff Done

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Just making it through the day can feel like a Sisyphean task when you’re juggling daily duties, appointments, work assignments, and personal obligations. Mastering your to-do list on top of all that can feel like putting a hat on top of a hat. At Wirecutter, we’re no strangers to tackling chaos. Our writers and our operations staff constantly juggle long-term projects, routine meetings, and complex logistical tasks in order to make the best recommendations for our readers. Over the years, to organize projects we’ve developed systems for just about everything (even intricate spreadsheets ). But keeping all of that in line is possible only with a little support. Here are our favorite to-do list apps — and one tried-and-true analog approach — that have helped us retain control over our routines and keep chaos at bay. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/r2dQYw7 via IFTTT

The Best Security Key for Multi-Factor Authentication

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Losing control of an online account to a digital intruder is a nightmare scenario. Multi-factor authentication is the best way to safeguard an account, because once MFA is enabled, an attacker can’t access it even if they have your username and password. A physical security key is the most secure MFA option, since it’s a dedicated authentication device and resistant to phishing. The Yubico Security Key C NFC is the best choice: It’s affordable, and it works with just about every site that supports security keys. If you’re already familiar with security keys and need or want more-advanced features, the Yubico YubiKey 5C NFC is a pricier but worthwhile choice. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/sWAF7EP via IFTTT