Life Life Strategies A Sleek, Vegan Leather Lunch Bag, And More Clever Items to Upgrade Your Life This Week There comes a time in your adult life when you find yourself wanting to pack a lunch (yes, it comes for us all). But you don't want to show up with either a brown paper bag or the Scooby-Doo canvas version you somehow still have from middle school. Welcome to this week's column and see item number one, please. Plus, a dish soap squeeze bottle and a unique pepper jelly that'll knock the socks off even your great aunt from Georgia. By Martha Upton Martha Upton Website A former associate editor at Real Simple, Martha Upton began her four-year tenure at the magazine in 2018. She spent a majority of her time researching and testing products for the "Clever Items" column. Prior to joining Real Simple, she spent six months completing a fellowship at Esquire, where she wrote men's commerce stories for online. Martha earned a master's degree in magazine writing from New York University. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 3, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: modernpicnic.com 01 of 05 Modern Picnic The Luncher Courtesy of Modern Picnic $149; modernpicnic.com This vegan leather, fully insulated lunch box fits your sandwich or salad and a snack and sunglasses or lip balm in the back pockets. With more than 10 sleek color options, she'll keep your lunch cold but look oh-so-good doing it. 02 of 05 Cool Revolution Cozy Long Cardigan Courtesy of CoolRevolution $90; coolrevolutionpjs.com Women who experience hot flashes know they can turn from hot to cold in an instant, so keep this cozy cardigan within arm's reach. It's made from soft French terry, is moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating, and can be thrown in the washing machine after you've worn it every day for a week (we understand!). 03 of 05 Dawn EZ-Squeeze Courtesy of Target $3.99; target.com No more fiddling with the dish soap container while you're elbow-deep in the sink. With this redesigned dispenser, you just grab, squeeze, and the grease-fighting solution streams onto your sponge. 04 of 05 Red Clay Hot Pepper Conserve Courtesy of Red Clay $18 for set of 2; redclayhotsauce.com Take a page from Southern cooking and serve this take on a pepper jelly that's made with red bell and habanero peppers and a touch of real cane sugar at your next dinner party. It's a pantry multitasker; put it on biscuits, serve it with a charcuterie board, and even use it to marinate chicken. 05 of 05 Great Useful Stuff Leather Oven Mitt Courtesy of Great Useful Stuff $30; greatusefulstuff.com This genuine leather mitt protects your hands—with a lining that can withstand temperatures as high as 450 degrees—and looks sleek. Keep it on display with the hanging hook to add to your kitchen aesthetic. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit