I stumbled upon this little goodie from ThinkGeek last week and I was momentarily transplanted from the snow drifts of Chicago to a muggy midsummer night. The lovely little jar features an electronic butterfly that flutters at movement or sound. Choose from pink morpho, blue morpho, monarch, or yellow swallowtail to flutter eternally (or at least until you need to replace its batteries). The best part is this little jar full of happiness is only $20! It’s a small price to pay for the giddy feeling you’ll get every time you see it on your desk. –Katie D.

We all have dirty little house secrets – things we’re not exactly proud of in our homes. We keep things that are beat up, (almost) worn out, and generally past their prime. I have one in my kitchen: a 12+ year-old aluminum sheet pan. It’s a weird size, super thin, bent, scorched, and does not bake evenly. It was probably non-stick at one time, but the coating has long since disappeared. Somehow, though, I can’t retire it! I have several other Chicago Metallic baking pans that are amazing, and could kick the butt of this pan any day. But yet, I seem to need this one to put under a baking pie, or toast croutons, or warm up frozen leftovers. I’m embarrassed by it and try not to bring it out when I have guests over because it’s so shabby. Instead, I keep it hidden away, like a security blanket, only to be used when I’m cooking by myself. Now that I’ve shared my dirty little house secret – what’s yours!? – Rebecca F.

Photo credit: Rebecca Firlik