7 Life-Changing Things To Try In September

Because we tried them for you in August!

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Ellie Sunakawa / BuzzFeed

The BuzzFeed staff is always trying new products, apps, hacks, and DIY projects, and we love sharing the best of them with you. Each month, we post our recommendations for what’s actually worth it. This post usually features a mix of items that we purchased with our own money and those that were provided to us at no cost for the sake of review, but this month everything was stuff we bought ourselves!

1. A salad spinner that may just get you to wash your filthy bras.

Emily Shwake / BuzzFeed

OK, I know this weird as heck, but this salad spinner is actually the best purchase I've made all year. It's like owning a tiny washer-dryer combo! The only thing I hate more than washing my bras is buying bras so I knew I had to deal with the first issue.

Put the bras (or other delicates!) in the strainer and hold the entire thing under the shower. Once the items are soaked through, lift the strainer out and add a few pumps of laundry soap to the water. Put the strainer back in. The spinning will agitate the soap and flush the items. Let everything sit for about 10 minutes, then pour out the soapy water. Take the strainer out and hold it under the shower for a minute or so to wash out the soap. Replace it and give it a few spins to dry it out a bit, then lay your delicates out on a clean towel or drying rack. That's it! —Emily Shwake

Get the salad spinner from Amazon for $19.98.

2. A pillow that'll stay cool all night long.

Mallory Mower / BuzzFeed

This pillow has changed the way I sleep, because I can actually sleep now that I have it! I tend to get really hot at night, but I also firmly believe that if I dare let a limb out of the covers it'll be eaten by a Pennywise-type creature deterred only by blankets. The cool gel from this pillow keeps me feeling comfortable, no matter how much I bundle up at night. I am a back and side sleeper with a bad neck, and need to sleep with a firm memory foam pillow. It wasn't until I found this beaut a few weeks ago that I was able to have the support my neck needed without getting overheated (rhyme intended). This also saved the day (well, night) when my AC died two weeks ago. I was shocked that I was able to comfortably fall asleep with just this and a fan running. This pillow is supportive, comfortable, and cool — a dang dream to sleep on. —Mallory Mower

Get it from Amazon for $24.

3. A dog treat that's good for your pup and for the environment, made with sustainable cricket protein (aka the protein of the future).

Emmy Favilla / BuzzFeed

Since adopting my dog, I've learned how vital high-quality food and treats are with regard to the overall health and longevity of your pet — in fact, I've written before about how I cook for my dog and feed my pets human-grade food — and because my pup has allergies to basically everything, I'm especially on top of reading ingredient lists.

Recently I learned about a new brand of dog treats called Jiminy's, and their description is everything discerning dog parents could possibly ask for in a treat: free of grains, corn, antibiotics, and GMOs, as well as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and made in small batches with local ingredients. But the clincher in these all-natural treats? Their source of protein, which is derived from the humble cricket! Perhaps you've read about the benefits of cricket flour before, but basically it's one of the most sustainable forms of protein in existence, and so you can feel good knowing your pupper is eating a treat that's both good for them and for our planet. My dog goes wild for them, and they're available three flavors, all of which include doggo cult-favorite snack peanut butter as an ingredient, so I'd say chances are high that you'll find one your floof is especially excited about. Three cheers for the protein that could help save our planet!

PS: If you want to take reducing your ecological footprint even further, perhaps consider picking up protein-packed cricket treats for humans, too; I've tried 'em and they taste just like regular tortilla chips! —Emmy Favilla

Get them from Amazon for $11.77+ per bag (available in three flavors) or sampler pack of all three flavors for $6.50.

4. An inexpensive diffuser-meets-nightlight for anyone who is ready to get into the essential oils game.

Sam Wieder / BuzzFeed

I had been hearing about aromatherapy and essential oils for months, and honestly I didn't understand why. I thought it was just an annoying phase people were going through, but a few months ago I was dealing with a lot of stress and a lot of sleepless nights, and was desperate to try something, anything that would help relax me a bit more. Someone told me that essential oils and diffusers really work, so I walked into Target one day, and bought a million and one things, including this diffuser and some lavender essential oil, since lavender is known for its relaxing qualities, and relaxing was my main goal.

When I opened the box, I was surprised at how quick and easy it was to set-up/use. You can opt to either plug it into the nearest outlet, or to use four AA batteries if you want to use it wirelessly. All you have to do is slide the tray in the back out, add a few drops of essential oil, press the button in the front, and voilà — it'll start diffusing your scented oils! Plus, the diffuser changes colors, and I find the color-changing lights to be the most calming of all. I keep it on all night and use it as a nightlight, and I can truly, 100% say I've never slept better since getting it. Also, you don't need to use essential oils every time, and it doesn't require water. I mostly just use it for the soothing color-changing lights, and put essential oils in it once a week.

It's the perfect diffuser for someone new to this whole aromatherapy thing/someone who doesn't want to spend a crapload of money on a diffuser. —Sam Wieder

Get the diffuser from Target for $19.99 and get the lavender oil for $7.99.

5. A made-just-for-you shampoo and conditioner.

Gyan Yankovich / BuzzFeed

It's been a long time since I found a shampoo and conditioner I really truly love — I have fine hair so always want to add volume, but not at the expense of shine — and finding something that works for me always feels a lot harder than it should. Then one day, out of the blue, I started noticing ads for Function of Beauty pop up in my Instagram feed. (Had I been complaining about shampoo to someone the day before? Probably.) I don't hate a targeted ad if it's a beautiful brand that genuinely fills a need I have, so I decided to take a risk and place an order. Every bottle of shampoo and conditioner from Function of Beauty is totally custom-made, which my millennial brain loves, especially since the ordering process includes a fun hair personality quiz.

You start the quiz by describing your hair type (straight!), hair structure (fine!), and scalp moisture (normal!). Next, you're asked to choose five "hair goals" out of 17 options. I chose: anti-frizz, volumize, shine, replenish, and thermal protection. (Other options include oil control, curl definition, fix split ends, color protection, and more.) For each goal you choose, you're told which key ingredients will be added to your product to meet your needs. For example, sweet almond extract and quinoa were added to my products to help add volume my hair. Next, you choose one of six colors for your products. You can also choose for your shampoo and conditioner to be dye-free if you want. I personally went with purple for both shampoo and conditioner. Finally, my favorite step: scent. Again there are six options for you, plus the option of going fragrance-free. I opted for the "all (you)calyptus" scent, which is an 100% essential oil blend of eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, and peppermint. (It's GOOD!) You also get to pick whether you want light, medium, or heavy scent, which is truly a great idea! I went for medium and think I made a great choice. Once you have your formula sorted, you decide what size products you'd like to order (8- or 16-ounce) and how often you'd like to be sent them. (You don't have to go for a reoccurring subscription, but if you do, you get free shipping.) Another detail I love is that you have the option of getting different sized shampoo and conditioner, if you know you're going to run out of one way faster than the other. It's genius and, tbh, what every brand should do. I went with the 16-oz shampoo and conditioner for $49.

A sucker for aesthetics, I'll admit I loved these products before I'd even used them. The color! The minimal packaging! The fact they have my name on them! I was extra thrilled when the product actually followed through on all its promises. I started my career in beauty writing so have tried A LOT of hair products, and for the price, these ones are up among the best! My hair feels voluminous but not frizzy, and shiny without being too silky. My shower also turns into a mini spa whenever that eucalyptus scent hits. Since getting these products, I've actually looked forward to washing my hair — who even knew that was possible? —Gyan Yankovich

Get it from Function of Beauty for $36+.

6. A wedge pillow that'll flip staunch stomach sleepers.

Terri Pous / BuzzFeed

I am a lifelong avowed stomach sleeper. Lay flay on by belly, head turned to the left, right arm snuggled under the pillow: that is my tested, trusty sleep position. So when I was told in July that I had to sleep on my back for at least seven weeks after having surgery, I was not excited. Panicked, I googled every apparatus that promised to make upright back sleeping (ughhh I know) more comfortable, and settled on this one because of its many good reviews and A on Fakespot. I'll be honest, nothing will ever make me love sleeping on my back, but this makes it a lot more tolerable. Especially in the beginning, when I basically had to sleep sitting up, it helped me stay comfortably in the right position, and was soft enough to not feel like I was up against a wall. Now that it's been seven weeks, I flipped it so it's at more of a 15 degree angle, which is muuuuuch preferable. Even though I'm counting down the days until I'm cleared to go back to stomach sleeping, I'm definitely keeping this pillow around for future colds and congestion — and for maybe, someday, training myself to be the permanent back sleeper science says I should be. —Terri Pous

Get it from Amazon for $31.91.

7. And a standing weekly dinner event with your people.

Claire de Louraille

Growing up, I had always been a "guys' girl" and believed the myths that women are “always catty” or competitive, that other girls just “didn’t like me,” and that to be “one of the guys” was the highest form of friendship you could get. Cue eyeroll. It’s only been over the past five years that I’ve really started cultivating close friendships with other women and I’ve never felt more supported, more secure in myself and my decisions, and had more joy in my life. (Here’s where I want to specify that while I am lucky enough to now have multiple groups of close women friends, I’m specifically going to highlight Lady Dinners.)

Lady Dinners all started after moving to to Koreatown, when my boyfriend and I didn’t know what to do for our first New Year's Eve in our new apartment. After some weird happenstance miracles, we ended up at my boyfriend’s-coworker’s-girlfriend’s apartment, a few blocks away from our own. Julie (the owner of the apartment) and I clicked immediately. Her two best girlfriends all lived in the same apartment complex (it felt very Friends-y) and in a drunken state, declared we should all have weekly dinners together. And in an even drunker state, we all agreed.

A year and a half later and Monday-night Lady Dinners are still going strong! We’ve met almost every single Monday since New Years 2016, and we rotate apartments every week so no one person hosts too often and we all bring something to contribute (or we’ll agree on an outing, like a baseball game). I can’t explain how much I look forward to each and every Monday. At first it felt weird having a scheduled hangout time, and it is a commitment, but it’s been lovely getting to know women I wouldn’t have otherwise ever met, but having this core group of women friends that live close by and meet regularly has changed my life. We’ve been there for each other during hard break ups, been able to comfortably ask questions about our bodies, celebrated engagements, shared recipes, supported each other through terrible dates, and just generally helped each other through life with a ton of wine and even more laughter. Mondays are now one of my favorite days of the week, and I can now say that after being a “guys' girl” for so long, I am now wholeheartedly a “womens-woman.” —Claire de Louraille

Read more:

• 10 Life-Changing Things To Try In August

• 10 Life-Changing Things To Try In July

• 9 Life-Changing Things To Try In June