Life Life Strategies A String Of Lights That Keeps Mosquitos Away and More Clever Items to Upgrade Your Life This Week It’s time for a smarter backyard barbecue. This summer, don’t let anything keep you from enjoying time spent outside with your guests, whether it’s pesky mosquitoes, seemingly endless silks to remove from your corn on the cob, or open flames while grilling. These clever items will make being the host feel less like work. 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 July 8, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: tikibrand.com 01 of 06 Tiki BiteFighter LED String Lights tikibrand.com $159; tikibrand.com Perfect for outdoor patios, decks, or unenclosed porches, this string of lanterns has LED bulbs along with pods filled with mosquito repellant that will keep bugs away for up to 200 hours. Plus, the bulbs are shatter resistant, and if one burns out, the whole string won't go with it like those pesky Christmas tree lights. 02 of 06 Good Grips 4-Piece Reusable Straw and Brush Set with Case oxo.com $13; oxo.com This kit features four metal straws and a rubber tip for each that makes it much more comfortable to sip sustainably on the go. When you're done enjoying your drink, pop the straw back in the case then use the included brush to easily clean it at home. 03 of 06 Stonewall Kitchen Corn Desilker stonewallkitchen.com $9; stonewallkitchen.com Place this tool over your ear of corn and as you push down, it will remove those pesky silks, so you can spend less precious preparation time standing over the trash doing it by hand. It's top-rack dishwasher safe, has a handle that's easy to grip, and puts the fun back in corn on the cob. 04 of 06 O-Yaki Heat Resistant Barbecue Gloves o-yaki.com $16; o-yaki.com Speaking of barbecues, use these heat resistant gloves, made of high-strength Dayan aramid fiber for high heat but with a cotton lining for added comfort, when your hands are over the flames for a long period of time. They're machine washable and also feature a silicone design to help you grip kitchen utensils with more dexterity. 05 of 06 Amazon Echo Show 8 amazon.com $130; amazon.com New for this model is the highly upgraded camera—from 1 MP in the previous model to 13 MP—that follows and centers you perfectly for every video call. Plus, you can add on a camera, so it can show you your pet while you're away. 06 of 06 Buddha Box gobuddhameals.com $130; gobuddhameals.com Looking for easy meal planning this week? Just choose six vegan meals—like avocado toast kit, vegan mac 'n cheese, or walnut bolognese and zoodles—to be delivered to your door. Whether you're a committed vegan or want to give the lifestyle a try, this box is packed fresh when the order is received, ships nationwide for free, and even includes two desserts of your choosing. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit