Life Life Strategies Smart Finds A Cooler That's Also a Backpack—and More Clever Items Smart string lights, fancy EVOO refills, a handheld luggage scale, and more By Hannah Baker Hannah Baker Hannah is the Senior Home Editor at REAL SIMPLE magazine. She's worked in media for over a decade and previously worked at BRIDES magazine, Rachael Ray in Season magazine, and Reveal magazine. Her other bylines include Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, Shop TODAY, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Weddings, and more. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 23, 2024 Close Photo: Yeti As a carless NYC dweller, carrying large amounts of drinks and snacks for days in the park or at the beach with my pals isn't exactly easy. Enter this lightweight cooler backpack below, which will totally save your back this summer. I also found a handheld luggage scale that will (hopefully) prevent overage charges at the airport, smart string lights that change colors, the most innovative kid's toys (that I would happily play with for hours as an adult) and more. 01 of 06 Smart String Lights Photo by The Home Depot $65 at Home Depot Who wants regular ol' string lights when you can have smart string lights that can change color and be controlled with your phone? I, for one, am convinced I need these because far too often I'll realize I have to go unplug my patio lights right as I'm crawling into bed and getting cozy. (This is especially annoying in the winter.) Another exciting feature of these string lights is that you can control the color of each specific bulb—meaning you can customize the lighting for game days, holidays, and more. 02 of 06 Modular Kids Toys Photo by Stapelstein $329 at Stapelstein.com This cool set of stackable, tossable toys can be used in a ton of different ways, so your kiddo can work on their fine motor skills or use 'em to challenge their balance. Meant for a variety of ages, they can be used for years and come in this fun rainbow set or a more pared back pastel set. I'll be honest—I think I, as an adult, would have a ball with these. 03 of 06 Under-the-Shelf Storage Photo by Joseph Joseph $25 at Josephjoseph.com Okay, these are just too smart. Especially as a city-dweller who suffers from way too little storage space, I find these to be genius. You get to use your underutilized under-shelf space so that you're truly using every inch of your cabinets, and they easily slide in and out thanks to included brackets. 04 of 06 Portable Luggage Scale Photo by Etekcity $11 at Amazon This tiny luggage scale has been around for a while but it's so smart that I just had to give it a shoutout. If you're traveling and want to know how much your bag weighs before you get to the airport (and potentially get hit with overweight luggage charges), just hook your bag to this and pull it off the ground—the scale will tell you how much it weighs! And if you're planning on doing shopping while you're on vacay, you can easily bring it with you to see if you'll need to buy an extra bag to fly home (been there). 05 of 06 Cooler Backpack Photo by Yeti $275 at Yeti.com It's a cooler! It's a backpack! It's a cooler backpack! Yeti has some of my favorite innovative coolers and the Hopper makes it so easy to pack up and head to the park or beach without having to lug around something clunky and unwieldy (or get another set of hands to help you). I'm partial to this seasonal "King Crab" colorway, but there's also a nice teal, a bright blue, and a few more neutral colorways. 06 of 06 Graza Olive Oil Refill Cans Photo by Graza $37 at Graza.co You're probably familiar with Graza, the super tasty extra virgin olive oils with handy, easy, squeeze bottles. Well, good news! Now, instead of having to buy a new bottle every time you run out, you can just purchase these canned refills, grab a funnel, and they'll perfectly fill up your pre-existing Graza bottles. They use these cans because they're 100% recyclable, they're opaque (to shield the precious oil from sunlight), and they're nitrogen sealed so oxygen stays out, keeping the EVOO fresh. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit