The Stars of My Paper Planner Are These Lovely Desaturated Highlighters
When I was younger, I painted my room an electric, lime green. Every time I opened the door, my heart filled with joy. Every time other people opened the door, they looked frantic.
Then came the caffeine-fueled, late-night study sessions of my college days, filled with page after page of highlighted, neon notes I was somehow supposed to memorize. Color-coding my notes helped me stay organized while studying, but ever since, the fluorescent colors I loved as a kid have filled me with the same low-key panic I felt before a test.
That anxious energy isn't what I want to carry into the rest of my adult life — but I still love to highlight. That's why I'm a fan of Zebra Mildliners, chilled-out highlighters that come in pretty pastels and faded fluorescents and add emphasis sans panic to my to-do lists and daily notes.
I use my Mildliners to make lists, color-code calendars, highlight priorities, and add a bit of decor to my Traveler's Notebook (and, for many years prior, my bullet journal). Though my days of serious studying are long over, I still use them to highlight books and printed documents. Zebra Mildliners have a chisel tip for highlighting and a fine tip that functions like a regular marker. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
These muted highlighters have a chisel tip and a fine tip, and they come in pretty pastels, faded fluorescents, and sophisticated grays and browns. But they tend to smudge the ink of gel pens.
With 40 desaturated colors to choose from — including springtime pinks, understated yellows, wintery blues, sherbety oranges, rich purples, steely grays, and autumnal neutrals like olive and copper — it's the most comprehensive (and sophisticated) highlighter collection I've ever seen. JetPens and some art stores sell singles for around $2, but they are most available in packs of five, bundled under color palette names like 'friendly' and 'gentle.' These chilled-out highlighters come in 40 desaturated colors and are often sold in packs of five. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
They also have two tips: a bold chisel tip ideal for highlighting and a fine tip perfect for your underlining, doodling, and decorating needs. As expected, the chisel tip does its job of precisely covering text. It's not as juicy as other highlighters, but that means lines dry quickly and don't tend to bleed through pages the way inkier highlighters can.
The fine tip, though, is what makes Mildliners truly unique — allowing them to essentially function like regular markers. Not only is the tip useful for underlining, but the shades are rich enough that you can also use it to write chunky text, draw shapes, or color in a design. I color-code the calendar in my Traveler's Notebook with Mildliners. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
In fact, I use them so often and find them so versatile that I always take one or two with me on a trip. They're perfect for brightening up my journal, organizing my packing list, and other pop-of-color emergencies that arise on the road, like adding flair to a postcard. I add slashes of color to my packing list as headers for overarching categories (toiletries, clothes) then color-code items I want to put in my backpack or need to collect at the last minute. I've used Mildliners to make my bullet journal more exciting and organize my packing list. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
As a color lover, I was surprised to find I use the mild gray Mildliner most, which is perfect as it is for creating subtle shadows on lettering and other designs. (If you plan to use your highlighter mostly for art-making, Zebra has a version with a brush tip instead of a chisel tip, with a superfine tip on the other end.)
Mildliner's primary flaw is that some ink — particularly gel ink — can smudge pretty badly while being highlighted. But not every gel pen is off limits, and there's also an easy solution: Just use a ballpoint. Wirecutter's favorite pen, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT, doesn't smudge at all. Ballpoint pens play nice with Mildliners, but be forewarned that gel pens (such as the Pentel EnerGel RTX, Uni-ball Signo RT1, Pilot G-2, and Zebra Sarasa, shown here) will smear. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter
There's another workaround if you, like me, are devoted to your gel pen of choice. I love my very, very smudgable Uni-ball Signo RT1, the fine-tip gel pen of my dreams (and another Wirecutter favorite). I tried to switch to Zebra's Mojiniline highlighters, which are more smear resistant, but they don't come in the same calming shades. Since I apparently can't sacrifice either the Signo or Mildliner, I just highlight first, then write the text on top. If I forget, I underline instead of highlight. It works for me.
If I'm going to nitpick, Mildliner ink tends to pool slightly at the beginning and the end of a highlighted line, though this is subtle and doesn't bother me. I also find a few of the colors a little dark for highlighting text. But unless you're all-in on neon, I find it difficult to come up with too many objections. Mildliners tend to be crowd-pleasers, the trifecta of fun, useful, and unique that makes a versatile gift.
In fact, our gift team suggests buying a box then distributing them in singles as party favors. The pastel set makes a fun Easter basket goody for older kids, and they're also ideal as stocking stuffers for high school students, college students, and other office-supply loving grown-ups. Mildliners are toned down versions of classic highlighters. Maria Adelmann/NYT Wirecutter.
Adulthood, I used to think, would be boring. You seemed to lose childhood's color everywhere, trading in bright sugar cereals, holographic stickers, and rainbow leggings for bran, manila envelopes, and beige sweaters.
Turns out, I still haven't come around on beige, but I also don't want to live in the neon green room of my youth. Adulthood contains enough stresses that I don't need every part of my life to scream in technicolor. And I really don't need my daily notes and to-do lists to look any more urgent than they already are. Mildliners offer the perfect balance: color, yes, but also calm.
This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Maxine Builder. The Uni-ball Jetstream RT is the best pen for most people. It's affordable and quick to dry. And it writes smoothly and won't skip or bleed.
Never lend out the Uni-ball Jetstream—it will invariably be 'borrowed' permanently.
We looked high and low for fun birthday party favors—including good-quality trinkets and special standalone items—that aren't bound straight for the trash.
Many 10-year-olds are on the brink of teenage-dom, and value their friendships, independence, and personal passions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
29-05-2025
- New York Times
I'm a Huge Bug Wuss. This Chemical-Free Powder Killed Them So I Didn't Have To.
Some people fear heights. Some fear public speaking. I fear bugs — to the degree that I once engaged in a 20-minute stare-down with an already dead cockroach in my New York City apartment as I worked up the nerve to dispose of it. When I moved from the city to the Hudson Valley in the spring of 2021, I quickly realized my garage had some arthropodic squatters in the form of cave crickets, so named because they're drawn to dark, moist spaces. You may also know them as camel crickets (for their hump-backed bodies) or spider crickets (because their legs are so long they're often mistaken for giant meaty spiders). Whatever you call them, they're big, ugly, and annoying. Plus, they can chew on fabrics and cardboard, and their droppings can leave stains. Though harmless to people and pets, I found them unsettling to share space with. I tried ignoring the few invaders, keeping an eagle eye on them while I grabbed firewood or plugged in my lawn-mower battery. But over time an occasional lurker turned into several. When my wife uncovered dozens of them amassed behind a sheet of styrofoam I'd left propped against the wall, I realized we had a problem and got serious about extermination tactics. At first, I deployed a can of Raid insect spray. The spasmodic deaths felt cruel. Plus, I hated having to get close enough to spray them, and I didn't like launching chemicals into such an enclosed space. Next I tried glue traps, which didn't work since I most often found the crickets clinging to the garage's walls. Then I came across diatomaceous earth, which seemed like a hands-off, chemical-free solution perfectly suited to someone who, like me, would rather not face their fears. Diatomaceous earth is powdered sedimentary rock made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms (tiny unicellular algae). Under a microscope, diatomaceous earth, often abbreviated as DE, has tons of jagged edges; when DE meets insect exoskeleton, those jagged edges cut right in and the powder gets to work. I chose Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth because it is a good value at about $3.75 per pound and comes with a little applicator. DE works for pest control because it is a desiccant, which means it draws out moisture. In fact, it's a material sometimes used in stone bath mats and other quick-drying bathroom products for just this reason. When the powdered rock touches the bug, rather than poisoning it, it simply dehydrates it, leaving a husk behind. Probably not the nicest way to go if you're a bug, but as a human, it was nice to not have to deal with guts or chemicals in the cleanup process. Powdered diatomaceous earth is composed of fossilized algae. Its many microscopic, jagged edges slice an insect's exoskeleton and dehydrate it. It is safe for mammals (like humans) but may irritate skin, so we recommend wearing gloves when handling it. Jen Gushue/NYT Wirecutter Although I bought a bag of DE from Harris, any non-calcined DE should work. Non-calcined DE is often labeled as food grade (because it's commonly used as an anticaking agent in animal feed) or pesticide grade, which is safe for use around people and pets. Avoid calcined DE, which is often labeled as pool-grade DE for use as a filtering agent. Calcined DE has been heated to harden the diatom fossils, a process that transforms it into a substance that can be very irritating to the lungs, said Cody James Pace, an entomologist and technical services director at Terminix, a global pest-control company. A little of the powdered rock goes a long way, which I did not realize when I set out to use it. Since I was determined to eradicate my cricket problem, I started sprinkling tons of the stuff across thresholds, along walls, and into every dark corner and crevice, like I was Buffy Summers laying down a circle of salt to keep demons at bay. My placement was correct, since I targeted the crickets' access points and frequent routes, but according to Pace, the quantity I used was almost definitely overkill. 'When it comes to pest management, we have this mentality that if a little bit works, a lot must work better,' he said. Not the case. Instead, use only a thin layer of DE, since large piles could actually create a physical barrier that blocks the bug's ability to move across it, said Pace. The idea is to get the insects to walk through the desiccant. 'When they walk through it, they pick it up on their exoskeleton,' he said. 'Then they start grooming themselves and spreading it across their body.' Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth comes with an applicator for easier dispersal. A little goes a long way. Jen Gushue/NYT Wirecutter And as far as I'm concerned, the best part of using DE is its ability to do its job without me. I was more than happy to be a passive participant in the process. After a few weeks, despite overdoing the DE application, I started seeing fewer and fewer crickets. I went from counting a handful at a time to seeing one or two every few days. Then I stopped seeing them entirely. I no longer feared my own garage, knowing the DE was working in the background. Its benefit in my case was twofold, explained Pace. Not only was the DE killing the crickets that were already in my garage, but it was also doing a small part to correct the conditions that were attracting them in the first place. The crickets were seeking a dark, moist environment, and the DE may have been sucking the moisture out of the air, potentially enough to make it a little less attractive to the insect cave-dwellers. For this reason, if you're experiencing an infestation due to moisture, Pace also suggested setting up a moisture monitor and employing a dehumidifier. While DE worked for my garage, it's admittedly not the most elegant pest-control solution, and it can be messy, a drawback that we note in our guide to the best ant killers. DE is, after all, a powder, so you need to dust it everywhere the insects are — not great for an indoor living space, especially if you have pets or kids running around, who might agitate the powder. And the hands-off action may not be for everyone. Relative to some poisons, it's a slow-acting substance, but it's great for long-term control. 'As long as that diatomaceous earth stays dry, it will always be effective,' said Pace. Harris suggests reapplying once a week for a month to control infestations, but I didn't have to reapply nearly as often. Though it's pretty innocuous to people and other mammals, DE's drying action can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Pace recommends wearing gloves and eye protection as you lay it down and avoiding leaving large piles that could be kicked up into the air. If any gets on your skin, wash with soap and water; if it causes eye irritation, flush your eyes immediately with clean water, per the Missouri Poison Center. Food-grade DE is not harmful if ingested. It's been a few years since the fateful styrofoam incident, and I truly can't remember the last time I saw a cave cricket in my house. I still redust with DE periodically, especially after I clean out my garage, taking care to focus on the thresholds. Pace says cave crickets lay eggs in the spring and grow over a few months, so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled over the next few weeks. And if I do see any, I'll sprinkle a little more DE and walk away. It'll do its thing. This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Maxine Builder. We've found dehumidifiers that are easy to live with and effectively reduce ambient moisture in your home.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- New York Times
I Went to War With Fungus Gnats. This Is the Secret Weapon That Helped Me Win.
When a flying bug comes my way, rational thought goes out the window. With high-pitched squeals and eyes shut, I'll bat the air, hoping to hit a line drive with the helpless creature. But more often than not, it's a swing and a miss. So you can imagine my horror when my indoor plants became infested with hundreds, if not thousands, of fungus gnats in the summer of 2020. My batting average was as low as my mental state as I unsuccessfully feuded against a swarm of tiny flies for weeks. When I thought I had finally gotten rid of them, a new platoon would emerge, ready to pick a fight. Desperation kicked in when every method I tried failed, from insecticides to homemade traps. Until, at last, I hit a walk-off grand slam by staking Garsum Fruit Fly Sticky Traps at the base of each plant. Once they were installed, it took only a few days to strike out the entire army of gnats without breaking a sweat. Since then, these sticky traps have been permanently nestled in the soil of my houseplants and clipped onto the fruit bowls in my kitchen as a frontline defense for keeping unwelcome bugs from invading my home. These sticky fly traps are designed to attract and capture insects that land or crawl onto the surface. Within a week of installing the sticky traps, my coworker Megan Beauchamp managed to capture several gnats hanging around her African violet. Megan Beauchamp/NYT Wirecutter Though fungus gnats are harmless to humans, they can wreak havoc on plants. The larvae live in soil and feed on fungi, organic matter, and occasionally a plant's roots, which can cause a once-thriving anthurium to go dry, lose its vigor, and even decay. It doesn't help that fungus gnats can reproduce surprisingly quickly. Mated females lay 100 to 200 microscopic eggs at a time, and they hatch a mere four to six days later, according to information published by Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. Once the larvae are born, they'll feed (on soil and plant roots) for about 15 days before spinning into a cocoon to transition into adulthood — a speedy five-to-six-day turnaround. In a fit of desperation, I used the adhesive side of a sticky note as my weapon of choice against these gnats, which worked on a small scale, but it led me to believe something better might already be on the market. I was right, and a quick TikTok search pointed me toward my beloved sticky traps — hundreds of videos confirmed their lethal capabilities. The fungus gnats were finally outmatched. A week after I put in the Garsum sticky traps, the flies were completely eradicated — aside from the proof of their lifeless corpses stuck onto the traps. The paper lining keeps the adhesive material from sticking until you're ready to use them. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter The yellow traps are designed to attract (due to the bright color) and capture (thanks to the super-sticky adhesive) any insect that lands or crawls onto them. They're long-lasting, durable, UV-resistant, and waterproof, so they're ideal for indoor or outdoor use (although I've only used them inside). They come in various designs with simple cutout silhouettes of butterflies, birds, and succulents and, on average, are about the size of an index card. The bottom portion of the trap has a pointed triangular shape, which makes it easier to stake it into the ground or a potted plant. But if you're having trouble inserting one, I've found that piercing the soil first with a butter knife or the plastic mini shovel tool that comes with the traps works well. To install, simply peel off the paper lining on both sides of the trap to reveal the adhesive material. Then, position it upright in the soil so that it's not too close to the plant's stems and leaves but close enough to get in the way of an insect's flight path. These highly effective sticky traps caught dozens of pesky bugs at a time. Even though I don't consider myself the murderous type, I marveled at the sight of the lifeless gnats pinned to the sticky surface. It was as oddly satisfying as taking in the infamous Gum Wall at Pike Place Market in Seattle — equally gross and gratifying. Left: The plants that were affected by the 2020 gnat infestation, after the sticky traps successfully eradicated the bugs. Right: The sticky traps protecting plants in our Long Island City, New York, office. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter The manufacturer says these sticky traps are also effective against other small airborne insects, like whiteflies, aphids, thrips, midges, leaf miners, mosquitoes, and fruit flies. In the five years that I've used the traps, I've also successfully taken on fruit flies, and I've made a habit of clipping a trap onto the side of my fruit bowl to prevent infestations from occurring. You can also prop them up near a trash can for similar results. I clip a sticky trap on my fruit bowl to trap fruit flies. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter When I'm not dealing with a full-blown infestation, the traps last several months, and I only toss and replace them once they're too polka-dotted with bugs to work effectively. My only qualm with this product is that the sticky material can get on your fingers, but an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or a few drops of vegetable oil can help soften it enough to rinse away. The manufacturer also notes that the glue can melt when exposed to heat, but I've found that briefly refrigerating the traps can help reconstitute the material. Fortunately, the adhesive doesn't inflict damage on a plant's leaves even if you accidentally touch one with a trap. In my experience, I've been able to carefully peel away any stuck-on leaves with minimal damage. Still, the pros far outweigh the cons, and I appreciate how hands-off this extermination method is. Long gone are the days of risking injury while batting flying insects away. If only solving all my critter concerns could be this easy. But a win's a win, and in my book, these sticky traps are a home run. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder. Here's the best gear for killing flies and other common household pests. Our repellent recommendations are EPA approved, backed by experts, and tested by us. Create a bug-free bubble outdoors with these spatial insect repellents. Bug zappers kill the wrong bugs—to control bugs without a spray repellent, use a spatial repellent or a fan instead.
New York Times
05-05-2025
- New York Times
Wire Grill Brushes Might Leave Behind Errant Bristles. Here's What You Can Use Instead.
A few Wirecutter-tested wire grill brush alternatives. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter This wooden grill paddle is the best wire-free grate cleaner we've tested. The beveled edge takes on the pattern of your grill, becoming a custom scraper that hugs the grates. The Great Scrape Woody Shovel is the best wire-free grate cleaner we've tested. The hardwood paddle's straight, tapered edge takes on the pattern of your grill's grates as you scrape along them while they're still hot. During testing, it effectively cleared sticky, cooked-on sauce as well as charred bits. And the handle provides a firm grip. Breaking in the wooden shovel takes some patience, however. For the most effective cleaning, you'll need to exert sufficient pressure to create deeper grooves that really hug your grates. Cleaning staff writer Caroline Mullen uses Great Scrape's Woody Shovel to tackle tough, stuck-on bits. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter Also, you can't use this tool on multiple grills, unless they have the same exact grill-grate pattern. So it's less versatile than a wire grill brush and the other options we've included in this list. If you prefer stainless steel to a foam kitchen sponge, the Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubber performs similarly to a wire grill brush, albeit without the handle. In our guide on how to clean a grill, Lesley recommends pairing the scrubber with 12-inch tongs to keep hands away from the heat. It's abrasive enough to rival a wire grill brush, but it's not as likely to leave traces of metal bristles behind. Still, if you use this scrubber, you should inspect your grill's grates to check for any stray pieces before cooking. A wadded-up ball of aluminum foil can work in a pinch. However, we strongly advise against lining your grill with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch grease or using it as a tarp over the grill grates to help burn off stuck-on food bits. These actions could void your grill's warranty — and they're just dangerous. According to Weber, placing aluminum foil inside a grill can restrict proper grease flow into the catch pan, potentially resulting in a grease fire or flare-up. Most grill warranties, including Weber's, won't cover what they call 'burn-through' damage, which is damage caused by excessive heat exposure (such as from a grease fire). Two other wire-free, low-cost, effective scrubbing options include a scouring pad, like the Heavy Duty Scotch-Brite Scour Pad, and a Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge. (The Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is Wirecutter's favorite sponge and one of our 18 must-have cleaning essentials.) These cleaning tools are flexible, textured, and terrific for deep cleaning and getting into a grill's hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. 'It's tough enough to remove stuck-on grease, but it won't damage the more delicate parts of your grill,' said Lesley, who often relies on scouring pads when she' s cleaning grills. Caroline's testing also confirmed that the Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is a reliable grill-cleaning tool. She said she used it to deep-clean and scrub away built-up burger grease after a week's worth of consistent grilling. The Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is a reliable wire grill-brush alternative that can get into all of the nooks and crannies of a grill's grates. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter However, since scrubbing with a sponge or a scouring pad alone requires a good amount of elbow grease, Caroline recommends using it alongside Great Scrape's Woody Shovel. Before going in with the sponge and hot, soapy water, use the wooden tool to dislodge any stuck-on pieces. Then, once a grill has cooled down, use the sponge and soapy water to scrub any remaining gunk off of the grates, body, and heat plates. This pad brush is the best one for steam cleaning. Made with the same fabric found in firefighters' gear, it can be plunged into water and wiped over a hot grill, creating steam as you clean. Not a one-and-done tool, the Grill Rescue Grill Brush should be used only after you scrape away stuck-on food with a wire brush or a wooden scraper. Otherwise, this brush's heat-resistant fabric pad will tear, and you'll have to order a replacement. But as a secondary cleaner — and to wipe away any lingering wire bristles from a wire-brush scrubbing — this sponge-like brush efficiently clears away soot and loose debris. It is also sturdy, and it has an ergonomic, plastic handle. Marilyn Ong, Wirecutter's senior kitchen editor, has been using hers for two summers. To use the Grill Rescue brush, dunk it in water, and then use it on still-hot grill grates. The wet sponge creates billows of steam that help soften any leftover food, soot, and grease, making it easier to wipe away. Use the Grill Rescue Grill Brush after you scrub your grates with a heavy-duty tool. For a steamy clean, dunk the brush in water. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter This abrasive block of pumice can remove rust and corrosion from a griddle that's been left out in the elements. To restore a grill that's been rusted or corroded, consider using a grill stone — a block of coarse pumice stone (yep, the same material that's used for exfoliation). In testing, we found that grill stones work best when they're run under water before they're used on a hot grill, but they can also be used dry and on cool grills. Grill stones are safe for use with cast-iron and stainless steel grill grates and griddles, but they're not safe to use with grills with enameled cast-iron grates, whose surfaces could end up getting damaged. Blackstone, the cast-iron griddle manufacturer that makes our top griddle pick, does not recommend using a grill stone for daily cleaning, since it will strip your griddle of its seasoning. A grill stone is a great option for restoring grills and griddles that have been exposed to the elements for some time and show signs of rusting and corrosion. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter Although a grill stone's wide, flat surface works well on griddles, we found that this wasn't the most effective way to clean cast-iron or stainless steel grill grates. A grill stone is meant to mold to the shape of your grill grates, but it requires outsize effort over several cleaning sessions to get it there, even with heat and water. During testing, we also found that the grill stone left dust and debris on the grates. So we recommend that you wipe your grill with a wet rag or one of the other wire grill-brush alternatives on this list after using it. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Katie Okamoto. After testing more than 90 tools from grill brushes to chimney starters, we have recommendations for everything you need to barbecue with ease. To keep your grill in working order, take time to do some simple cleaning tasks, as well as the occasional deep scrub-down, every time you cook. To keep your grill ready for summer cookouts, cleaning is essential but tremendously annoying. This durable grill brush makes steam cleaning surprisingly easy. You can't keep sponges forever! Here's how to know when to toss them.
