8 Life-Changing Things To Try In December

Because we tried them for you in November.

1. A (stylish!) pair of blue light-blocking glasses to help prevent eye strain caused by looking at a computer screen all damn day.

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Digital eye strain. Who is she? I'm no scientist, but with a job where I spend all day reading and writing text on the internet, an extremely passionate zest for television, and an addiction to my Kindle Paperwhite, I'm racking up a WHOLE LOT of screen time each day. My eyes were feeling tired, bloodshot, and sandpaper dry. I also get occasional ocular migraines (bodies are weird!!), so anything that might prevent those, I'm happy to sign up for.

Enter these cool Privé Revaux glasses. They have blue light–blocking lenses, which is supposed to help prevent digital eye strain and its symptoms. And they definitely make a difference!

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Peep the photo above to see how different my screen looks through them. They don't change the ~color~ (important, since my job is to shop for all of you all day, and I don't want to recommend a sweater thinking the color is different), but they do reduce the glaring brightness and just tone things down a bit. And when I remember to actually wear them, my eyes seriously do feel so much fresher and less painfully dry and tired at the end of the day. They're so lightweight and comfy to wear, I usually forget I even have them on. Plus, they're pretty damn stylish! We're talking oversized in a really cute way — I have a *really large* skull and face (I couldn't wear child-size hats when I was small), and these fit great. If you have a small head and/or don't like the look of a larger frame, move along.

Plus, as the only non–eyeglass wearing person in my family, I finally blend in when I'm reading or working amongst them. And if you *do* need a prescription, you can take the frames in and get the lenses swapped. Stylish frames for thirty bucks? Who'd even believe such a deal.

Also nbd, but Jennifer Lopez has worn these exact glasses, soooooo that's pretty cool. —Maitland Quitmeyer

Get them from Amazon for $29.95 (check Privé Rexaux's Amazon page for all the available eyeglass and sunglass styles).

2. A splurgeworthy, non-eyesore Frigidaire dehumidifier for anyone whose home could stand to be a little less, well, humid. Be gone, condensation!

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I had a where-have-you-been-all-my-life moment this summer after purchasing this Frigidaire dehumidifier. I'd been struggling with sleep and skin issues for more than a year now and never even considered the fact that the humidity in my apartment was contributing to these issues. After waking up several times feeling damp and sweaty (despite having the AC on full blast), I decided to invest in a dehumidifier just to see if it'll help with my sleep. It was the BEST decision I've ever made.

I chose this particular Frigidaire one because it has more than six thousand reviews on Amazon and a 4.1 rating (which is really good for a dehumidifier since lots of them are poorly rated), and I had good experiences with Frigidaire ACs before. The first day I ran it, I immediately noticed a difference. My apartment didn't feel damp or sticky despite it being a rainy day and the sheets and pillows were wonderfully crisp when I crawled into bed (they used to feel slightly cold and damp). I didn't wake up drenched in cold sweat and my skin felt a lot fresher as well (I'm convinced that the sweat and moisture were contributing to some of my break-outs). The machine beeps when it's full, and when I opened the drawer to empty it, I saw that there was a whole BUCKET of water. I couldn't believe all that came out of the air in my tiny apartment.

Not only does it do its job well, but this dehumidifier has a sleek and minimal design that isn't an eyesore. Because I have it out in the open, this was a big bonus! Now that it's fall, I run it less because the air is naturally dry, but I still do on rainy days. Yes, it was a splurge item but for me, it was totally necessary and worth the investment. I even gave one to my friend as a housewarming present, and we both love it so much. It's been several months and I've had zero issues with it. I'm one happy camper! —Yi Yang

Get one from Amazon for $164+ (available in three sizes).

3. A long-lasting and extra sudsy DishFish sponge that proves that everything really *is* better under the sea.

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I have a love/hate relationship with sponges. A fresh sponge is a wonderful thing: It's springy, bright, and full of promise — a clean slate. On the other hand, an old sponge is awful: It's stinky, tattered, and somehow representative of all my personal failings as a human being. I hate old sponges. That's why I've been investing in fancier sponges that last slightly longer — take, for example, the DishFish. It lasts longer than the average sponge, it has a durable scrubber side, and gets sudsier than any other sponge I've ever used. Also, it's shaped like a fish, so it's just cute. There's something really satisfying about squeezing this sponge. It's kind of like those slow-rise squish balls. In a way, this sponge is a more productive stress-reliever because I can let out some nervous energy and clean a bunch of dishes. Once that's out of the way, you can be — as Sebastian from The Little Mermaid is always singing about — devotin' full time to floatin'. —Bek O'Connell

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.95 or a pack of nine from HSN for $13.45.

4. A travel pillow to cradle your head like the precious cargo it is during your next long flight, bus ride, or car trip.

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Put me in any moving vehicle and I'll fall asleep. Cars? Without a doubt (unless I'm driving, calm down!). Flights? Although it's a little bit less predictable, when I had to suffer through two 15-hour flights two months apart, YOU BET I was gonna plan to pass out for at least half of the flights (even if it would be a not-deep, interrupted-every-hour sleep). It had been a while since I had to travel so far, so I knew getting a supportive travel pillow was non-negotiable...especially when my neck would hurt from leaning to one side or the other during/after much shorter flights.

Well, thank goodness for a lil' site called BuzzFeed Reviews because they took the guesswork out of the decision process (note: I had zero part in the testing of these!). Even though this Cabeau travel pillow is the highest-priced one, it's not actually *that much more* expensive than the others and, hell, my comfort is worth all the $$$. Plus, I keep seeing this exact pillow being sold at all of the fancy airport shops, so you know it's good!

The reason why I chose this one in particular = the black sections closest to my face are elevated and they seemed like they would literally cradle the shit out of my head so it wouldn't dare move, rock, or strain itself! And I was right! My head and neck felt so supported and loved and lacking in any and all aches. I felt sorry for everyone else I saw with less-superior pillows, like those way-too-soft ones that can't even keep their shape (I've experienced 'em, trust me). The only downside is that sometimes when I'd wake up, I'd feel like I needed to let my neck region breathe — but, like, all I had to do was take it off, so not really an issue. The little buckle or whatever you call it also helps the whole pillow stay secure, even, and not slip around from side to side. The entire thing also squishes/folds down quite easily into a little circular carrying case that comes with it — so you don't have to worry about slinging it around your neck or suitcase (germs!!) while checking in/going through security.

Thank you, travel pillow, for making my long-ass flights just a tad more bearable. Now, if only there was something similar to support my tailbone, that'd be clutch — HMU if you find a solution! —Sarah Han

Get one from Amazon for $39.99 (available in five colors).

5. A pack of socks. A pack of plain socks. A pack of just plain *awesome* socks.

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I never thought I'd find a multipack of kinda plain socks (you know, without any cute patterns on them, like poodles or cherries or tacos) that really and truly made me happy to look at and wear. Like, socks are a practical purchase that you can't get too attached to because the dryer monster likes to nosh on them and if you wear them hiking it'll inevitably rain and you'll slip in some mud and stain them forever. But! When I needed to borrow socks from my sister a few weeks ago and she pulled out one of these beauties, I knew I had to get some. While they're definitely NOT wool like the listing claims they are (I suspect they're actually some kind of cotton/acrylic blend), they're soft, medium-weight, don't slip at the ankle or stretch too much at the toe, and weirdly bring me joy every time I notice them on my feet. —Natalie Brown

Get a pack of five on Amazon for $15.99.

6. A spicy honey that may change how you eat every single meal of the day.

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I have some bad news, everybody: We've been eating totally wrong this ENTIRE time. Dramatics aside, it turns out pretty much any food on earth tastes wayyyyyy better with a little bit of Mike's Hot Honey.

That's right — honey. HOT honey!! Honey infused with chili peppers! HECK ya!!! This thing is a frequent best seller among our readers and with good reason: It's freaking delicious. Combining this honey with your favorite foods takes them to a new level and adds an extra dimension. Who doesn't love a good sweet and salty combo? And then the spicy kick at the end makes everything come together.

I got a bottle of this beloved honey and proceeded to pour it on everything I ate. No regrets!!! It's delicious on pizza, empanadas, tacos, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and CHEESE! This is a must for a good cheese plate. It's also great on sweet stuff! The spicy bite tastes amazing on ice cream and brownies. I also tried it in a margarita and it was awesome.

It's a little hot, but it's not overbearing, so it serves more to enhance flavors than to burn your mouth. Adding it to your meal elevates it to the next level without making you feel like you're just eating a bunch of honey. —Bek O'Connell

Get it from Amazon for $8.06.

Read our full review of Mike's Hot Honey.

7. Hair drying gloves for anyone who's trying to avoid using a blowdryer (hair damage!) but is also a very busy person who doesn't have all day.

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For better or worse, I blow dry my hair pretty much every day. Don't give me that Jonathan Van Ness gasp of horror! I know it's not great for my hair, I just want luscious locks, sue me. But! I still want to spend as little time with the blowdryer as possible, both for the health of my hair and because I am, in the immortal words of Ursula, a very busy person and I haven't got all day. Enter these drying gloves. First of all, they're purple and fuzzy, so I'd probably love them no matter how well they worked. They claim to be a lot less rough on your hair than towels, and they're so soft that I believe it. It's also way easier, not to mention more satisfying and efficient, to wring your hair out with your gloved hands than with a towel. I still do an initial dry with a towel first, then brush it through, wring out with these, and then brush through a few spritzes of Not Your Mothers In A Heart Beat Blow Dry Accelerator. I don't time my blow drys, but I have been noticing that I'm having more good hair days lately, and my hair often feels smoother. That, plus the chance to have purple monster hands every morning? Totally worth $12. —Katy Herman

Get a pair from Amazon for $12.34.

8. A portable projector to turn your living room into your very own in-home movie theater.

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I wrote a review a few months ago on a pocket projector, and when my dad came to visit, he loved it so much that he took it with him as "a present for being a great dad" (lol). After a sad, projector-less month, I was more than thrilled when the Kodak DLP Cube Mini Portable Projector came into my life.

This one is a little bigger than the pocket version (as in, you probably can't fit it in your actual pocket), but it still fits in the palm of my hand *AND* it's a lot more powerful. The image quality on this baby is pretty amazing — my living room truly feels like a home theater when I use it (that being said, my apartment is pretty small, so it's not stretching the projector to its max). Yes, larger and more powerful projectors will have even crisper images, but they're not as portable and also WAY more expensive.

It's pretty easy to set up and connect with my phone or computer (which I can do over WiFi or via a cable), the battery provides up to two hours of playback on a full charge, and if you're watching a long movie, you can definitely keep it plugged it so it doesn't run out of juice (which is what I did when rewatching the LOTR trilogy). It has built-in speakers which (admittedly) don't sound as good as separate, full-size ones, but it's good enough for when you're on the go. Some technical stuff: it has a 3.5mm input and integrated HDMI, USB, and MicroSD ports that'll allow you to connect to smart devices, PCs, Macs, cable boxes, gaming consoles, and HDMI video players *and* it comes with a remote control, a mini tripod, an HDMI cable and adapter, a USB Cable, and an AC power adapter (this is great because I didn't have these cables lying around my house).

There's a WiFi-enabled version (the one I have) and a non-WiFi version that's slightly cheaper. If you don't mind connecting it via cable (the method I prefer), you can def opt for the cheaper option. Overall, it's a great little gadget that exceeded my expectations. I'm not even salty that my dad took the old one! So far, I've gotten plenty of uses out of it just watching shows at home, and I'm planning on screening movies for a friend's upcoming birthday party — it's always a hit! —Yi Yang

Get the WiFi-enabled version from Amazon for $299 or the non-WiFi version for $249.

Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!

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