34 Fun Things To Buy Because Practicality Is For Squares

Buzz Feed

30-01-2025

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
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You can use your brain another time. Right now is the moment for a squishy "Dodo Duck" night-light and shot glasses shaped like Stanley cups.
1. "Pocket World," a stress relief coloring book for adults full of whimsical miniature Polly Pocket-esque worlds to color, with no two alike. I'm talking fairy gardens, tiny hygge-style living rooms, quirky restaurants, and more.
Psst — Coco Wyo has a *ton* of other cozy stress relief coloring books with different themes in their Amazon storefront!
Another psst — you can pick up a cult-fave colored pencil set on Amazon for $11.99!
Promising review:"One of my favorites ever!!! The idea is perfect, and the pages are all unique and fun to color, with no repetition, and the details aren't too tiny. Great for anxiety if you're doing coloring for mental health. (I hate the pages that are just tiny patterns repeated endlessly. Makes my anxiety worse.)" — Ezra Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
2. A mini inflatable tube guy for your desk to cheer you on (or remind you to take a lil' dance break whenever you overwork yourself).
Promising review:"OMG! I love this guy! These things, large and small, will ALWAYS make me laugh. My husband bought the desk version for me, and I can always count on it to make me laugh. My co-workers love it, too. People just stop by to turn him on for a quick pick-me-up. I would recommend getting the AC plug since batteries can run down fast. I think we should create a community of fellow air-dancer-havers and post clips of our little guys dancing to our favorite songs. Anyone in?" — Mark
Get it from Amazon for $8.58.
3. A rechargeable, dimmable Dodo Duck Night-Light so cute that it won't be *that* much of a surprise when you imprint on it and start calling it your son. (Psst — this is the new baby cousin of the viral Depressed Duck Night-Light, if that's more your speed.)
www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the duck night-light in action.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
4. A shaker of Thin Mint seasoning you need to buy as a favor to all your taste buds immediately. Allow me to paint a picture for you: Thin Mint coffee, Thin Mint pudding, Thin Mint popcorn, Thin Mint anything your dessert gremlin heart desires.
Emma Lord/BuzzFeed
I stared at this for months online before caving and buying it, and when I tell you!! It jazzes up my morning coffee in a way that makes my little '90s baby heart sing. I've also loved it on Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and mug cakes. Plus, when I am feeling lonely for a real Thin Mint, and we're not in Girl Scout cookie season, I'll shake this on an Oreo Thin to stave off the despair.
Get it from Amazon for $4.98 (and try their s'mores seasoning blend, too!).
5. A set of mini Stanley-inspired shot glasses for when it's THAT kind of party — do everyone a favor and roll up to the bachelorette, birthday, and themed shenanigan with these cheeky "bottles" in tow.
Promising review:"Perfect for tastings. These were a hit at a paint-and-sip party that I attended. I made a couple of cocktails and carried them to the event in larger containers, but gifted each of the attendees one of these little cups so that they could sample each. They loved them." — SoBeGaPe
Get a set of six from Amazon for $19.99 (clip the 10% off coupon on the product page for this price; also available in a pack of three and a pack of eight).
6. A miniature arcade Atari so you can spend your day off in a time machine to the '80s — this itty bitty console is loaded up with ten playable retro-style games, including Pac-Man, Breakout, Asteroids, and more. Reviewers also mention how much they love giving them as gifts!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I've put probably 10 hours in playing with this little system. It's an excellent little Atari clone, the screen is crystal clear, the games play exactly as expected, the sound is great the controller is a joy. This is an absolute must for anyone that loves retro games." — Doug Welyczko
Get it from Amazon for $24.95.
7. A set of Minnie Mouse ear scrunchies for anyone whose permanent spiritual address is "Magic Kingdom," even if their physical address is somewhere else.
Promising review: "I bought these at the last minute prior to a school trip to Disney. They came in a two-pack. I wore them EVERY DAY of the trip. They are so dang cute and durable. Standing in lines for the ride, almost EVERYONE asked me about them. They thought I bought them there, but surprisingly, NOT ONE shop at any of the Disney properties sold this. I sold one to someone in the line!" — Melissa Rae
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $8.89 (available in 12 styles).
8. A wildly hilarious "screaming goat" button that has surprised reviewers by becoming a legit staple in their routine — people use it to get the attention of a classroom or break tension in the office or just to generally announce to anyone in your vicinity, "I've had it up to HERE and someone better get me a little treat IMMEDIATELY."
www.amazon.com
Novelty888 is a small business that specializes in delightfully and oddly specific talking buttons.
Promising review: "Got this for my wife to keep on her desk. She said it's been a big hit in the office! If she or her coworkers are having a tough time, this lightens the mood with just the press of a button." — Daniel
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
9. A sweet Nessie sugar spoon reviewers are obsessed with, and for good reason. It infuses just the right amount of ~whimsy~ into the best parts of their day (read: that first cup of coffee, the first bite of oatmeal, that lil' bowl of ice cream before bed). It also has a very satisfying weight and curve for optimum sipping.
Amazon
Promising review:"This little silly spoon makes me happy. It is now the #1 spoon everyone looks for in the silverware drawer at our house. Often found in a container of ice cream or a mug of tea living its best little life." — Emily
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
10. A set of glow-in-the-dark "tree elves" so the next time you take an enchanted midnight stroll through your front walkway to get home at night, you'll have a whole host of magical critters to welcome you back.
Promising review: "I have actually bought a couple of packs of these. I think they're so cute and fit so well in a little plant or around the house. Sometimes, I like to let my friends pick out some little guys as members of their families. Plus, did I mention how cute they are? And they glow in the dark very well." — Jen
Get a set of 20 from Amazon for $12.98 (available in green or green and blue as well as a set of 10).
11. An bunny and bear egg mold set because, respectfully, life is short, and we have no business ignoring opportunities to make it as adorable as possible. Reviewers mention this also works well for rice!
Promising review: "Love this! This does exactly what it's supposed to! My daughter's face lit up, seeing her hard-boiled eggs look like bunnies. So easy and a breeze to clean." — Karen
Get a set of two from Amazon for $5.84.
12. A shaved sheep plushie that is so! darn! FLUFFY!!!! that you will not be able to resist the adorable siren call of zipping its fuzzy little "coat" on and off when your brain needs a cozy vacation.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I love him. He is so cute and so well-made. He is the perfect size and shape. I named him Banana Peel Son since his wool comes off like a banana peel. Adorable. Would recommend to everyone." — Aerebys Stare
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
13. A cult-favorite ~secret~ popcorn salt anyone in the movie theater industry will tell you is a perfect at-home alternative for that oh-so-savory buttery goodness you love to inhale before the previews begin. Not to be dramatic about popcorn on main, but this stuff is game changing.
Our family unearthed this because beloved To All The Boys I've Loved Before author Jenny Han mentioned that it was her secret to delicious popcorn, and it may have just wrecked me for other at-home popcorn for the rest of my life. It genuinely tastes just as salty and buttery and savory as fresh movie theater popcorn. I inhaled it so fast that every single one of my organs lit up in mild alarm.
Promising review:"I am a person who will make myself sick eating buckets of popcorn (I have no self control). This has by far been my favorite 'TikTok made me buy' item. My at-home popcorn is now my favorite thing to make and I don't need to go the theater for popcorn. Very much worth the purchase and this will last me such a long time." — S Martinez
Get it from Amazon for $9.75.
14. A shaker of edible cocktail glitter, because why go through life without taking advantage of every opportunity to make it sparkle??✨ Reviewers add a touch to glam up their Prosecco or jazz up colorful-themed cocktails.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Bakell is a small business established in 2016 that specializes in edible glitters for food and drink.
Promising review:"Don't think any further and just buy it. This was so cool and everyone loved it! I got the clear one because it will go with any drink. I will be the one to put this in all my friends' drinks. Also had no taste so it was just the look. Sooooooo cool!" — gigi
Get it from Amazon for $8.90+ (available in 17 colors).
15. A 5-pound bucket of Crayola Air Dry Clay to let you finally follow your inner pottery dreams without all the mess and effort of taking classes. After you pull the clay out to shape it, it'll harden on its own — no oven or any effort required! From there you can leave it as is or paint over it for a fun vibe.
Psst — a lot of reviewers use silicone or plastic molds to get specific shapes!
Promising review: "It's honestly just a really nice material to work with! If you want to create things with clay, this is definitely a good choice! It's definitely not for professional use, but I feel like that's a given? I mean, it is Crayola. But all in all, great for those who want to use it for fun!" — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.62.
16. A set of TikTok-famous Globbles, which are about to be your favorite stress-relieving fidget toy. These colorful balls are squishy, stretchy, and stick to pretty much any flat surface you throw them at *without* leaving any messy residue. TikTokers have a blast tossing these at walls and ceilings to see the satisfying way they glom onto them.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I have bought these over and over again for gifts. My own children have played with these balls repeatedly. We even left one on the ceiling to see how long it would stay for. It lasted four months before we decided to take it down. Since they are so sticky, they get dirty pretty quickly. All you have to do is a quick rinse in the sink and an air dry, then you are good to go. Great for adults and children! Will be buying again." — Valerie Young
Get a set of six from Amazon for $10.37.
17. A pair of glowing lightsaber chopsticks to bring balance to The Force *and* to your sushi.
As you can see from the above GIF, I bought these for myself, and I love them to pieces. TBH, I use them as decor every bit as much as I use them to eat. Sometimes I just keep them in my work area to light them up during the day to feel fancy. They toggle back and forth between a bunch of different colors, like red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor, so you can either make them match *or* have a red and blue one together and bring ~balance~ to the Force.
Get it from Amazon for $11.97.
18. A set of quirky ceramic mini espresso cups so cute that from the moment you start sipping from them, it'll be like one touch and they brand new'd it for you ✨.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"These espresso cups are the cutest. They are very different and unique. I was scared about the handle being hard to hold, but it is just fine." — Sandra Vehabovic
Get a set of two from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 10 styles and in packs of four).
19. A set of wooden flower pot magnets to bring the whole trend of "fridgescaping" to an entirely new, adorable level, or brighten up your desk area at work. I dare anyone to be grumpy with these cute lil' blooms in their eyeline.
Promising review: "The magnets look good! I have them displayed at work and receive so many compliments. Perfect addition!" — Amazon Customer
Get a set of four from Amazon for $10.99 (also available in five other styles, including quirky food boards).
20. A cult-fave, high-quality 100-piece Dog Park Puzzle so full of adorable details that it's just going to be a constant stream of serotonin every time you push another piece into place. Reviewers love not just the whimsical art style, but the fact that it's so well-made that there's never any glare on the image or "puzzle dust" when they put it together.
Antelope is a small business that specializes in high-quality, unique jigsaw puzzles.
Promising review: "This was my first time putting a 1000-piece puzzle together myself. Once I sorted the pieces out in sorting trays (highly recommend), I thought maybe this was a bit much for me. I started it a week ago and worked a little bit each day. I really enjoyed this. The pieces are very good quality. The details and colors are outstanding. I was constantly discovering something new I hadn't noticed before. I'm actually kinda sad I'm done, but I'll pack it away and bring it out again in about six months and have fun all over again." — ScubaReader
Get it from Amazon for $21.59 (available in six other whimsical designs and in multisets).
21. A set of cat-themed tarot cards purrrfect for first-timers, complete with a guide on how to pull the cards and how to interpret them. You'll be doing readings for everyone from yourself to your BFF to your actual cat by the end of the week.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Honestly, I saw this tarot deck and thought I needed this for ha ha's. But man. This deck's images are hilarious. It's so much fun, and I felt so drawn to it as soon as it was in my hands. I am smitten over these kittens. 😍 10000% worth the purchase!" — Kathryn Prouty
Get it from Amazon for $17.45.
22. A lil' reversible octopus plush that is, literally and figuratively, a Mood — you can prop this on your desk or somewhere in your home just to let everyone know how you're vibin' (or even just to check in with yourself ❤️).
www.amazon.com
Also, these come in a TON of different colors and emotions (from angry to sad to, uh, murderous??), so you're guaranteed to find one to express yourself.
Promising review:"I saw this on TikTok like everyone else but I quickly realized, when I got one, how helpful this is to my family. Now they don't have to guess when they shouldn't bother me, they'll just KNOW. It's saving lives and it's adorable. The perfect thing. :)" — MCalms
Get it from Amazon for $7.86+ (available in 41 styles).
23. A ridiculously fun Tiki Toss ring game for anyone who wants to humble their jock friends REAL fast — this game is super easy to set up and learn, but tricky enough to get juuuust right that it will even the whole playing field. Reviewers love that is is a fun-for-all-ages game (but aren't not using it as a a drinking game too 👀 ).
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Tiki Toss is a small business that specializes in family-friendly games for home and outdoor use.
Promising review: "We all love this game. Everyone who comes over cannot stop playing Tiki Toss. So simple and so fun. Quality and design of product is fantastic. Also makes a great gift." — jzek
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in six styles).
24. A pound of cereal marshmallows because truly I think we're all hard-pressed to think of a scenario that *doesn't* warrant having an emergency bag of these to whip out for the occasion. Pro-tip to refrigerate these babies if you want 'em extra crunchy.
www.amazon.com
Medley Hills Farm is an Ohio-based, family-owned small business that specializes in unique candies, snacks, and baking supplies.
Promising review:"Buying these charms was one of the best decisions of my life. The bag is twice the size of my head. The marshmallows are aesthetically pleasing and delicious. It's everything I ever wanted in a snack." — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
25. A ~Magical Flame~ colorant you can use in your fireplace at home or in outdoor campfires to basically flex to everyone on Instagram that you are, in fact, a wizard now.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Magical Flames is a small business that specializes in color-changing fire products.
Note: You shouldn't cook food or roast s'mores over the open flame after using this product.
Promising review:"This product is so easy to use. Just toss a packet into the fire and watch the flames change color. The colors were beautiful and received a lot of oooooos and ahhhhhhs. Surprisingly, it lasted for quite a while. We will enjoy this addition to our campfires this summer." — Debra L. Musselman
Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $15.99.
26. A " Liquipen," aka what happens when a pen and a lava lamp have an intriguing and functional baby. This is technically a toy, but a lot of adults swear by it for calm or for helping spur creative ideas when they're in a rut!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I broke up the three pack and gave one pen as a gift for a class gift exchange and put the other two in stocking for Christmas. Good quality and approved by both the 8-year-old and 49-year-old husband who is a kid at heart! Definitely recommend." — Kindle Customer
Get a set of three from Amazon for $17.99.
27. A mildly alarming if not adorable flexible flower vase that will fascinate guests when they can bend its limbs and hang it from any fixture they choose. That says if this thing *does* come to life in the middle of the night and starts singing and dancing all over your room, well. That's on you for buying whatever the heck this is.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "An affable, squishy, bendy, happy little vase! The consensus on my social media page is that everyone should have one of these. I finally got a chance to try it out with some daffodils, and really, it's hard not to smile when you see them." — Susy Lundy
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in three colors).
28. A teensy candy vending machine for your desk to make the endless grind of capitalism a little sweeter (and to establish yourself as the Coolest Employee In The Office).
Promising review: "Keep this on my desk to snack on M&Ms. It's perfect for smaller sized candy. Love the color. Glad it fits in with my aesthetic." — Dunn
Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in six colors).
29. A retro radio tissue holder so old-timey precious that you'll be a little bit?? EXCITED??? For allergy season??? Because you'll get to spend quality time with your favorite piece of home decor. 🎵
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Psst — this is compatible with tissues from a small cube box, or just tissues pulled out of the box, not a full size one!
Promising review:"It's adorable! I currently have it filled with tissues from a small cube box. Works great! Perfect addition to my teal and gold bedroom decor!" — Michelle W.
Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in three colors).
30. A pack of mini rainbow scratch art notes that will transport you back to your youth so fast that you will suddenly have a craving for Goldfish crackers and apple juice so aggressive it CANNOT BE IGNORED.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I love this little scratch art pad. Sometimes I just need a break and a little distraction to let my brain breathe, so I pull this out and make all sorts of designs. You do get a little of a mess by scratching the black off but I usually have a big mess cause I end up scratching the whole thing off. Can't help it. Kid at heart, I guess." — Jane
Get a pack of 125 notes from Amazon for $11.43+ (available in two styles).
31. A northern lights projector for anyone whose heart is in the magic of the cosmos, but whose butt would much rather be snuggled on a couch than freezing by a glacier. Bonus: This also plays soothing noises and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker!
Promising review:"I love this light! The stars are beautiful, the colors are beautiful. I like that it shuts off in four hours. I use it in my house so I don't have to turn the lights on all the time. I like it so much. I just ordered three more to give to my grandchildren. It also has sounds like the sound of rain, or ocean waves. And you can even play your regular music on it. Don't be afraid to try it! It's like having the northern lights anytime you want." — Amy J Nelson
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in four colors).
32. Kinetic Sand, a delightful ~magic~ sensory toy that flows through your fingers like actual sand, but holds a shape, doesn't stick to things, and doesn't dry out. It's like infinite sand castles and beachy shenanigans in one little package.
Promising review: "This sand is great for indoor sandboxes. It molds well and cleans easily and it stays the same consistency for years. I know this because we've had some of ours for that long. It's also great for sensory stimulation and can entertain my son for a long time, which is rare for him unless it's electronic. I like the educational aspect of it and the durability." — Nef
Get it from Amazon for $15.28.
33. A set of light up bath fizzes, because life is short and bath time is nothing if not an opportunity for an underwater rave!! Bonus: these are made with natural essential oils and moisturizing shea butter and coconut oil for a real ~spa~ experience.
These come in six different scents: lavender, aloe, ocean, rose, milk, and olayer.
Promising review: "Disco in my bath! This product is such a nice distraction from a stressful life! The scents are not overpowering light and soothing, they don't seem to deposit rings a real plus with a soaker tub! But the best part save the little center bit and set aside for a real party with wine and candles. Sending these out to stressed family now as random pick me ups." — Katrin Sullivan
Get a set of six from Amazon for $22.98.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.