From tea to a tie-dye kit: 15 women share the isolation purchase that changed their lives.

While the last few months of isolation have felt like a bit of a blur, there seem to be three main things people have been doing to keep themselves entertained; baking banana bread, shamelessly binge-watching TV shows and of course, online shopping.

From beauty products to homewares and clothes we’ll (eventually) wear to work, many of us have been treating ourselves to life’s little luxuries. And while some are arguably compulsive buys (my ridiculous number of tiny fake plants springs to mind), some have seriously changed our lives while in lockdown.

And we’re not the only ones who think so.

Over the weekend, American producer and entrepreneur, Franklin Leonard asked his followers what their favourite lockdown purchase was which has unexpectedly improved their lives.

Has anyone made any lockdown purchases that have radically improved your quality of life unexpectedly?

— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) May 24, 2020

And of course, the people of Twitter delivered. The responses ranged from things like plants to pets and patio furniture.

So we decided to ask the Mamamia community what isolation purchases they’ve bought which have made their lives that little bit better.

Here’s what they had to say.

Doona cover from Sheet Society.

“I  got a new doona cover from Sheet Society and it’s so cosy and I’m so happy,” says Lucy.

Love Tea from Pukka.

"I have around four a day, it's so good. Helps me focus!" says Isobel.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pukka Herbs (@pukkaherbs) on Oct 22, 2017 at 3:38am PDT

A personal planner from Kmart.

"I purchased a personal planner to put daily personal goals in to make sure I made time to take care of personal business. Super mundane tasks/errands, but that personal checklist has made me feel equally productive personally, not just at work!" says Kee.

A kitten.

"She’s the best. Her name is Cleo. Cleo and my dog, Rosie, are best friends now too," says Sam.

A tie-dye kit from Spotlight.

"I bought a tie-dye kit and it's changed my life. I used the Tulip Tye Dye kit from Spotlight and bought a plain white H&M jumper and I’ve discovered a talent I never knew I had!" says Bella.

Yoga mat from Kmart.

"I recently bought myself a yoga mat from Kmart so I can exercise at home while gyms are closed. It's helped me stay physically healthy and has done so much for my mental health by reminding me to take a break each day for some 'me time' while in isolation," says Emily.

Cake tins.

"I bought like 100 different shaped cake moulds and started cooking dinner in them because I don’t actually bake much. It’s made dinner fun for the kids," says Katie.

A humidifier, from Amazon.

"I bought a humidifier. I'm having way less allergies and haven't woken up with a scratchy throat for the first time in ages which is nice," says Maddie.

AirPods Pro from Apple.

"Gotta be my Airpods Pro. I actually bought them for working over the phone while I was working from home, but they have an absolutely cracking sound and don't fall out of my ears like my first generation AirPods. If it weren't for iso and working from home I wouldn't have needed hands-free earbuds with a longer battery life and would have persisted with my original AirPods," says Tristan.

Soap from thankyou.

"I bought this soap from Chemist Warehouse because they didn’t have the one I would normally buy and it is life changing! My skin feels like totally different skin!" says Nicola.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Thankyou (@thankyouaus) on Dec 3, 2018 at 3:31am PST

Ribcage straight ankle jeans from The Iconic.

"I bought a new pair of jeans and I’ve been looking for so long and finally found a pair! Making that weekend vibe look readily achievable," says Renny.

Men's tracksuit pants from Kmart.

"I bought men's trackies from Kmart, a size too big. They are so fuzzy and comfy and they were very cheap. I'm in love," says Marcia.

Frypans from Baccarat.

"I purchased a set of Baccarat frypans and they are life-changing. I’ve only ever had cheap ones before. Who knew I could actually cook a decent meal!" says Patricia.

Hot water dispenser.

"I bought an instant hot water dispenser. No more boiling the jug for tea. It’s quieter. Quicker. It hold 2.5 litres of water (the bigger one was sold out). I love it!" says Mel.

Animal Crossing.

"I bought Animal Crossing for Nintendo Switch at the start of the lockdown. I loved the game when I was younger, so it gives me a huge nostalgia hit every time I play it. It's also a weirdly relaxing game," says Jess.

What has been your favourite isolation purchase? Let us know in the comments below. 

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram @thankyouaus