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26 Products That’ll Help Reduce Your Stress This Holiday Season

1. A freezable eye mask, because you deserve a little pampering after so much holiday socializing. Use it for de-puffing your eye area and providing cooling relief during a too-much-time-with-family-induced migraine. Amazon Promising review: “I keep this in the freezer and use it when I’m feeling stressed out or having anxiety and it works great.…

26 Products That’ll Help Reduce Your Stress This Holiday Season

1.

A freezable eye mask, because you deserve a little pampering after so much holiday socializing. Use it for de-puffing your eye area and providing cooling relief during a too-much-time-with-family-induced migraine.


Amazon

Promising review: “I keep this in the freezer and use it when I’m feeling stressed out or having anxiety and it works great. I also used it for swelling after getting surgery on my nose and it was so lightweight that it worked great for helping with my pain.” –Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $13.49.

2.

A pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets, because yes, you have to clean the dishwasher. They’ll blast away limescale and mineral buildup for you so you’re not embarrassed when your guests put their dirty dishes in your stained dishwasher.


amazon.com

Promising review: “My dishwasher was getting into horrible shape. The top tray would stick and bind no matter how careful I was. The bottom tray was making noises when I moved it. The whole inside of the dishwasher was growing a coating of white mineral deposits. The washing arms were making noises during wash cycles. The dishes were not getting clean. When my order of Affresh arrived, I ran a clean cycle. When I opened the dishwasher at the end, it was clean. Both trays moved easily. The washing arms were clean. The next load of dishes was spotless. Now I run a cleaning cycle the first of every month. This is one product that I will not do without. My dishwasher is five years old, but after using Affresh it looks virtually new.” —Mithrandir

Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $4.34.

3.

A knife sharpener so you won’t have to worry about cutting your bird (or tofurky) on the big day with a dull knife. Dull knives tend to lead to more accidents and that’s the last thing you want. So do yourself a favor and get this.


Amazon

Promising review: “I have been using this sharpener for three years know and it is PERFECT for a quick sharpen in a pinch. It may not provide the edge of an electric sharpener or a full stone grind, but when you’re prepping a meal for some hungry kids or rushing to prep Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family, a couple of swipes through this manual sharpener and your favorite knife is up to the task once again. I even used this sharpener on some of my pocket knives when a quick touch up was needed and had good results! For the price this little sharpener is an excellent addition to any kitchen!” —Katrina Delgado

Get it from Amazon for $5.99 (available in three colors).

4.

A roll-on migraine stick that’ll help soothe the mind-numbing headache — I blame it on the stress of meeting the in-laws for holiday dinners — with a mixture of peppermint, spearmint, lavender, and coconut oil.


Yi Yang/BuzzFeed

Promising review:I almost never write reviews, but this product should be tried by people suffering from chronic headaches. I take far too many over-the-counter meds due to lifetime chronic headaches and migraines, and I worry about the negative effects the meds have on my digestive system. This migraine stick was yet another attempt at reducing headaches, without meds. It works! I’m not saying it will stop a full-blown headache or migraine. I haven’t had the opportunity to try that yet, because when I feel a headache coming on, I use the roll-on stick and it works. I roll on a small bit on my forehead, temples, and base of my neck in front and back. After about ten minutes, I realize the headache has gone away. I’m sold! I’ve been using this for three weeks and have avoided a lot of meds. It’s worked every time without fail.” —NSF

Get it from Amazon for $10.99.

My colleague tested and loved this. Read her full review on the Migrastil Migraine Stick here to learn more.

5.

A safety cutter so you can cut wrapping paper and open packages quickly and easily. No more trying to slice open a box with scissors and just hoping that you don’t accidentally nick yourself.


Amazon

Promising review: “I mainly used it for wrapping paper cutting and opening boxes. It made wrapping gifts super easy and it took half the time compared to using traditional scissors. I bought one for every family member and they love it!” —Luv2Shop

Get it from Amazon for $7.41.

6.

A to-do list for turning errands into an adult drinking game. Bought all the ingredients you need for Thanksgiving dinner? That’ll earn you a shot. Finally called your MIL who hates you to coordinate holiday schedules? Drink up!


Amazon

Promising review: “This whimsical list inspires one to get things done!” —Tracy

Get it from Amazon for $8.

7.

A passport wallet, because the last thing you want to do is miss a flight home. This lil’ guy keeps all your important travel docs and money safe and close by so you can breeze through security.


amazon.com

Promising review: “I love my travel wallet. It made it so easy to go through security at airports and kept my stuff together so easily. I didn’t have to constantly check for multiple things because I was able to keep everything in one place and then slide it down into an inner pocket of my jacket. I got green to help me find it easily; the multitude of color options is definitely a plus. I will probably continue using it even when I am not traveling as it has a place for all of my most important stuff. I also really like that this wallet has a zipper pocket since I struggled to find that on some other brands.” —Jessica

Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in 35 colors).

8.

A timer app so you can have multiple countdowns (in hours, minutes, and seconds) going at the same time. This’ll come in handy when you’re simultaneously cooking the turkey, prepping pies, and heating cranberries on the stove.


Amazon, amazon.com

Promising reviews: “Christmas is my favorite time of year and every year I buy new ornaments to either use on my Christmas tree and/or to make wreaths. These ornaments are perfect! They come in the best colors and they have different designs on them which I love. They also come with the hooks to hang them up which is great since I never have enough of them! I am very happy with this product. They are very well-made and did not break when I dropped it on the ground so I am super happy with that! The colors are just beautiful!” —Amber G

“These ornaments are great for a tree that is constantly being knocked to and fro by pets. They are great for the price.” —Megan

Get a box of 24 from Amazon for $12.99 (available in nine colors).

10.

An ice face roller for reducing puffiness, relieving migraines, and calming your skin after a long day of gift-wrapping, errand-running, and holiday decorating.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Chill the detachable roller head in the freezer while you’re out getting sh*t done. Then reattach the head when you’re ready to use it.

Promising reviews: “I have been drooling over one of these for a while now so I finally decided I needed to just buy it! I am so very glad that I did! It is cold but very relaxing and since you keep it moving, it does not get the chance to get too cold like an ice pack would. I love that I can remove the roller and keep it in the freezer and it is ready whenever I need it. I have fibromyalgia but also train in martial arts regularly so I never know when I might need to use this. It works well for sore muscles, a strained neck, or just to melt the day’s stress away. The handle is made of sturdy but lightweight plastic and the roller is hard. It also does not get super wet and drip water down your face as you are using it. I like that a lot! Ice packs always sweat and can be very messy. I will buying more of these for gifts as they are perfect for anyone. Even my husband enjoys using it an as we get older, we could all use a little pampering.” —martialartist

Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in eight colors).

11.

A dishwasher magnet that’ll let you know at a glance whether it’s safe to use the glasses inside for drinks. Your dishwasher will probably be running nonstop this holiday season if you’re hosting (rip your water bill), and this is a simple solution to keeping track of what’s dirty and what’s clean.


Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: “My boyfriend and I always had a hard time trying to remember and figure out if our dishes were washed or if we had forgotten to run the dishwasher. I’ve been using it for the last few months and the magnet has never fallen off from the dishwasher being too hot or anything else; it holds really well to the door of the dishwasher and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. I’ve also tried twisting it to test if it might scratch the dishwasher door — in case one might be worried of it marking up the dishwasher and whatnot — and I didn’t see any scratch or paint marks. It makes our lives much easier not having to worry if the dishes are clean and saves water that way!” —brooke

Get it from Amazon for $4.83.

12.

A meat thermometer so you don’t have to leave your guests and run to the kitchen every 10 minutes to check if the turkey is done. This will also give you peace of mind that you’re not accidentally serving your family undercooked meat that could make them sick.


Amazon, amazon.com

There’s a magnet on the back so you can stick it right to your oven depending on the material it’s made of, or you can take advantage of the 40-inch cord and prop up the thermometer on the counter. The thermometer comes with presets for specific foods that are suggested by the USDA, but you can override them if you’d like.

Promising review: “I purchased two of these for Thanksgiving. I roasted two turkeys — one in the oven and one in an electric roaster. The thermometers were easy to use and gave me peace of mind. One turkey was done before the other, but the alarms told me when to get them out. I used them again when I made a beef tenderloin for Christmas and it worked like a charm. One of my favorite features of thermometer is the magnet so I can put it directly on the outside of the oven. The probes are easy to clean and easy to store in a ziplock bag.” —Katie E.

Get it from Amazon for $17.99.

13.

A pack of Command hooks that’ll hold your string lights without damaging your walls.


Amazon

Promising review: “I bought these for hanging up some Christmas lights. While they probably aren’t suitable for heavier jobs, they worked excellently for holiday lights. The directions on the clips themselves tell you which side to hang on the wall and which to hang the clip on. This makes it a lot easier to figure out. I recommend pressing down with a little weight to maximize the hold of the ‘stickiness’. It also came with a lot, so it will last you awhile.” —Bethany

Get the pack of 20 from Amazon for $3.50.

14.

An acne patch for those days when a pimple pops up at the *worst* possible moment — like right before you’re supposed to take photos for the family Christmas card. Hydrocolloid, tea tree oil, and calendula oil are gentle on the skin while still drawing out fluids and pus from your pimple.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review:I cannot say enough about these patches! They are my skin savior! I actually gave myself a facial where I pushed up all the blackheads and whiteheads from my pores, which is why there is so much puss on the patches (gross, I know), but I couldn’t believe all of that was trapped in my skin!! Woke up and removed the patches, not a single pimple! If I would’ve not put these on, guaranteed I would have woken to multiple pimples in the area. I usually break out when I try to exfoliate and extract, so I only do it when my pores start to look huge and filled (yuck). I am now a true believer, leave the ‘spot treatment’ creams and switch to these! They will pull out that white head and reduce your pimple to practically nothing overnight! And it’s safer than a cream that just brings all that gunk to the surface but doesn’t actually remove it… then when you do you’re left with an oozing pre-scar for the rest of the day! I am now a monthly subscriber. I will never use anything else. In fact, just ordered the XL acne patches to pull out more gunk on my forehead (live in AZ, constantly sweating and naturally oily). Thank you for making such a great product!!” —jennifer9

Get 40 round patches from Amazon for $8.50.

Our in-depth review of Avarelle’s acne patches gets into the nitty-gritty — why they work, how to use them, and why 2,000+ people can’t stop raving about them.

15.

A set of mini chalkboard place cards to reduce confusion and save you from 25 people asking you, “Where should I sit?” Or, use them to label the different dishes so you don’t have to repeat what each food is for guests who weren’t listening.


amazon.com, amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “These little signs fit perfectly around my drink dispensers and food items for a buffet dinner party at my home. Touches like this make a huge difference in overall appearance and help dress up an event.” –Mike C.

Get a set of 10 from Amazon for $12.97.

16.

A BPA-free fat separator
so you can skim out the bits you don’t want and save the juices for your secret gravy recipe.


Amazon

Promising reviews: “We bought this fat separator literally 10 years ago and it’s still looking quite new. It is much more reliable than fat separators that have an opening at the bottom. This separator has never been leaky. It has a filter at the top that filters out large chunks of food and debris when I’m straining my soup or gravy. I throw the whole thing in the dishwasher and it comes back out perfectly clean. Easy to use!” —LawyerMom

Get it from Amazon for $14.95.

17.

A adjustable rolling pin that’ll help you easily roll out pie crusts and cookies that are an even thickness.


amazon.com, amazon.com

You’ll get four rings — 1/16″, 1/6″, 1/4″, and 3/8″ — that raise the roller so your dough is always a uniform thickness. The rolling pin also has measurements etched on it so you know how wide your dough is.

Promising reviews: “I used this several times during the holiday season for making sugar cookies. In the past, I’ve always struggled with getting uniform thickness for my cut-outs (which of course affects baking time and doneness). Using this adjustable rolling pin gave me consistent cookie thickness and my cookies came out perfectly.” —Ohiotwins

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two colors).

18.

A two-pack of wine aerators for making that $7 vino taste much more expensive that it really was. You may want to pick up more than one so you can save them for last-minute gifts.


Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: “These wine aerators are FABULOUS! I do wine demos for different wineries and I don’t always have time to let a bottle of wine breathe properly before a demo starts. These greatly enhance the flavor and make all the difference in the world. My sale numbers increased greatly and you can’t beat the price!” —AshBash

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

19.

A pack of 10 large bath bombs, because you deserve a break from making everyone else’s season merry and bright.


Amazon

These handmade bath bombs won’t stain your tub and cause extra work (so you’re welcome!). Plus, you’ll also get a free handmade soap with your purchase.

Promising review: “I love these bath bombs. They are a nice size and colorful. They smell so good and make my bath very relaxing. It’s fun to watch them fizz and dissolve. They would make an awesome gift! I will definitely order again. There was also a surprise bar of soap in my box.” –Happy

Get the pack of 10 bath bombs from Amazon for $23.97.

20.

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An electric knife to save you time and energy when you’re slicing bread to serve with your charcuterie board. It’s also great for easily carving turkey and ham at holiday dinners.


youtube.com

Promising review: “I bought this after seeing how easy it is to carve a turkey on Alton Brown’s Good Eats turkey brining episode. My husband says it’s a game changer! He used to wrestle with the bird and it looked hacked apart, but with this knife he had it carved in no time and got much more meat off the bones. Great!” —Debbie M

Get it from Amazon for $25.49.

21.

A set of magnetic utensils so you’re not wasting time rooting around your drawers for the right spoon as your gravy burns. This’ll also take up less space in your kitchen since all the utensils fit together neatly and compactly.


Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: “The utensils stay put and all five utensils take up the room of the single ladle they rest in. Super space saving and really great quality and design. They also don’t fall off the way they do on my other Joseph Joseph utensil caddy that came out years ago where they all hang on a sort of merry-go-round thing.” —greetings

Get it from Amazon for $22.07+ (available in four colors).

22.

A portable white noise and sound machine that’ll help you snooze so you can wake up the next day feeling refreshed, well-rested, and ready to take on your holiday hosting responsibilities.


Amazon, amazon.com

Enjoy 10 different sounds: five fan sounds, four white noise sounds, and one ocean waves recording.

Promising review: “This little thing is amazing. I sleep with a fan on all year long because I need the background noise. However, sometimes it gets chilly. This sound machine makes me think my fan is on. It’s tiny so I can put it anywhere—no clutter or bulk—and it gets loud! The volume is fully adjustable and there are plenty of options as far as sounds go—there’s even a low fan option and a loud fan option, among others. It is rechargeable, but charged it only lasts a couple hours. When I need it to run through the entire night, I keep mine plugged in. Just so you know, the charging cord is a typical USB. The speaker swivels so you can have the speaker horizontal or swivel it up to stand vertical.” —Jen

Get it from Amazon for $29.45.

23.

A curved training mat for protecting your precious Christmas tree from your naughty four-legged friends.


Amazon, amazon.com

This mat emits a static pulse (choose from low, medium, or high levels) so your pets learn to avoid stepping on it. There’s a blinking light indicator that tells you how many times someone has stepped on it.

Promising review: “I expected our 4-month-old kitten to destroy our Christmas tree this year, but he never touched it once thanks to the scat mat! I bought three, put them on each side of our tree, and my tree survived the Christmas season unscathed! Our curious little kitty was kept at bay by the mild shock of the mat. It only took one shock to convince him to stay away. After about a week, I turned the mats off and he never knew the difference. He stayed away. These are a must have for kitty/Christmas tree owners!” —Heather

Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in five sizes).

24.

An essential oil diffuser that fits in your car’s cupholder so you can stay calm as you drive to the grocery store for the third time today to pick up another ingredient that you forgot to buy.


amazon.com, amazon.com

This diffuser comes with seven color-changing LED lights to fit any mood. This lil’ guy was designed to fit in cupholders, but you can also use it at your desk or just around your home.

Promising review: “This is a great car diffuser! The water lasts if you are just driving around town. The scent of essential oils really diffuses throughout the entire car! I liked this so much that I bought some as gifts for family members over the holidays.” —Gabriela Geary

Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available in two colors).

25.

A vacuum sealer to do it all: marinate meat, preserve leftovers, and make room in your freezer for all your holiday goodies that didn’t get eaten.


amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “I used the NutriChef Vacuum Sealer for the first time this week on several occasions. It is simple to use for vacuum-packing leftovers and uncooked food items for the freezer or for cooking immediately using my sous vide. The roll of vacuum bags allows the bags to be tailored to the amount you want to store, so there is no wasted bagging material or space in my freezer. The vacuum function can also be used with the provided stopper to remove air from bottles–i.e. opened bottles of wine. I am very pleased with this product as well as the accompanying bags.” —MJG

Get it from Amazon for $59.99.

26.

An Instant Pot, because this baby will get. it. done. It’ll cook whatever you need at lightning speed so you can enjoy the holidays with your family instead of spending hours in the kitchen.


amazon.com

Promising review: “I purchased this for my mother for Christmas and she uses it all the time now. It really does cook well and saves a lot of time over traditional CrockPots. I purchased the largest capacity model and do not regret it — you can cook just about anything short of a holiday turkey in it. The flexibility is probably what I like the most.” —sandbag

Need mitts to protect your hands when handling your Instant Pot? Get these for $9.95.

Get it from Amazon for $59.87+ (available in three sizes and four styles).

Here’s to a little less stress this holiday season.


Warner Bros.

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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


Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed

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