Life Life Strategies A Kettle Controlled by Your Smartphone—and More Clever Items to Upgrade Your Life This Week This week, we've found a cutting board that's naturally antibacterial, a precious little book to teach kids why they should brush their teeth, and a water bottle that will clean itself. Then there's the iKettle, which will simply heat up water at the touch of your smartphone for a perfect cup of tea. 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 October 14, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: smarter.am 01 of 06 iKettle https://smarter.am/ $125; smarter.am Boil water to the perfect temperature from the comfort of your bed with this kettle which can be controlled from an app. It's just like Beauty and the Beast—but without the singing. 02 of 06 Fab Slabs Antibacterial Cutting Boards fabslabsusa.com $45; fabslabsusa.com These boards are made from a special kind of timber that possesses oils that make them naturally antibacterial. Plus, each one is gorgeous, one of a kind, and also comes in lovely serving paddles. 03 of 06 Manduka Yoga Grip manduka.com $15; manduka.com Spray this on your hands and feet before your next hot yoga class and never worry about slipping out of downward dog again. It creates a chalky barrier—kind of like the chalk gymnasts use—so your hands won't be slippery when sweaty. 04 of 06 Cavities vs. Toothpaste amazon.com $11; amazon.com Is teeth brushing a battle with your kid? This adorably illustrated book helps children to understand why caring for teeth is important and what happens when they eat too much sugar and go to bed without brushing their teeth. 05 of 06 Glo Pure Bottle us.glo910.com $50; us.glo910.com Made from BPA-free stainless steel, this bottle has a built-in chargeable UV light that kills off bacteria in three minutes when you push the button on the top. If you've ever thought, maybe I should clean my water bottle more, say hello to your new best friend. 06 of 06 Keepster Keepster.co keepster.co Some text messages are so special, you find yourself going back and re-reading over and over. With this app, you can create folders of topics or text threads from your friends, family, or significant others that are especially meaningful to you. You can even turn them into a printed book. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit