The thing about birthdays is that each one packs a new surprise.

One year you’re reading everything fine and the next your arms get a whole lot shorter and you can’t hold the phone far enough away to squint and still read your texts. 

This year it was about prying off pesky lids and opening stuck jars.

I swear it’s not because my C19 exercise routine has dwindled to walks with Bryn and yard work (in my defense, sometimes more intense than others, I can rationalize anything), but lately I’ve had some pretty frustrating moments trying to enjoy a nice cold kombucha or some chips and salsa. 

Enough frustration that I emailed Health-Ade to complain…and the Bubbly Team was nice enough to respond.

Guess this is a case of the squeaky wheel gets the free kombucha!

I took Betty’s advice and went the rubber band route, managing to power off the lids with some herculean effort. I started using one on the salsa jars too, but after it kept slipping off the metal (much more of an expert level than the corrugated plastic) I decided it was time to go all in on my next must-have kitchen tool: a plastic jar opener. I wanted something minimal, and you’ve probably figured out I’m a plant person, so it’s no surprise I went with a white flower.

Hold the presses.

Why why why has it taken me decades to invest $2.25 into this amazing piece of technology?
It opens testy lids and caps like a hot butter knife slicing through, well, butter.

So, in the spirit of sharing, I’m broadcasting this to anyone and everyone who will listen. 

It reminds me of discovering parchment paper for baking cookies, roasting veggies, or crisping bacon, and telling my sisters and mom about it and their response was “oh yeah, we’ve been using that for years, great stuff.” Thanks for sharing the love, y’all 🙄

My family may not, but my friends DO have my back. Loved these pro tips flying around on Twitter over the weekend.

In case you’re up for kitchen gadget upgrade or two I’ve made it easy to add the popup parchment paper or flowery jar opener to your tool arsenal through these links. Just know I make a few cents that goes toward cat or dog or fish food if you toss them in your shopping cart, but also know there’s probably some insurance company who’s handing them out for free.

Proof.*