Life Life Strategies A Low Smoke Fire Pit for Late Summer Nights—and 5 More Items to Upgrade Your Life This Week This week, we found a fire pit for entertaining guests on the patio and other items for helping you enjoy the great outdoors this summer. 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 June 3, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Photo: tikibrand.com Loop Quiet Earplugs Courtesy of Manufacturer $15; loopearplugs.com These come in three different sizes, so you can find the perfect fit for your ear. They're reusable—which is more sustainable than throwing away pair after pair of disposable ear plugs—and are made from soft, circular silicone, which makes them comfortable when resting against a pillow. United By Blue Meal Kit Courtesy of Manufacturer $38; unitedbyblue.com Ditch the plastic on your next road trip or picnic in the park with this utensil kit for two. The stain-resistant travel bag features two stainless steel bowls, tumblers, and sporks—perfect for digging in on the go. Ruffel Bag Courtesy of Manufacturer $30; ruffelbag.com This sporty sling pack is filled with everything you need to take your four-legged friend with you at a moment's notice: a collapsible food and water bowl, waste bags, an expandable dog seat belt, and even a rubber ball. Tiki Patio Fire Pit Courtesy of Manufacturer $350; tikibrand.com This stainless steel fire pit boasts air flow technology that keeps minimal smoke (and ash!) from being released, so you get all the benefits of a campfire without smelling like one. Even better, it has a removable ash tray for easy clean up. iKettle Courtesy of Manufacturer $99; amazon.com Fill this 1.8 liter kettle before you go to sleep and in the morning turn it on from your bed with the app. You can also pair it with Alexa or Google Home, so the perfect cup of tea is just a voice command away. Degoo Courtesy of Manufacturer degoo.com With this photo-storing app, you can upload—or auto upload, if you choose—and share all your summer memories without sacrificing the quality of the photos, which might be condensed on similar apps. You get 100 GB for free, which is roughly 100,000 photos. We say, snap away. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit