"Wait ... that's what that's for!?" - us, about 17 times reading this thread.
One Reddit user asked:
What common product has a feature you're not sure everyone is aware of?
and honestly, we know we normally do a whole big long intro, but we're all over here so annoyed at all the stuff we didn't know that we're gonna go try things out. We're pretty sure we have quite a few of these things laying around here somewhere...
Microsoft Whaaaaaaaaat
shocked kimmy schmidt GIF by Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtGiphyWhen you are writing in Microsoft word or Outlook and accidentally leave caps lock on, select the text and press Shift F3. It will change the text between upper and lower case, and there's a third option to make the first letter of each word upper case too.
Always seems to blow peoples minds when I tell them.
- graeuk
The other one along with this I love to tell people about is windows key + period which opens an Emoji keyboard on your pc.
- Chimie45
The Windows
With many car key remotes, you can make all the windows go down at once by pushing the "unlock" button 3 times.I learned this the hard way, sat on my keys, all my windows and sunroof opened.. in the middle of a snowstorm
- stixyBW
On our car remote it's press and hold unlock to lower all windows. Great, until I sat on the key in the house whilst it was raining outside. It still smells a bit musty months later.
- xylose
During the summer it routinely hits 100F during the summer. My car is parked in direct sunlight from the time I get to work until the time I leave.
I can literally bake cookies in my car in the summer. Being able to let the windows down from a distance like that would be a god send.
Move That Cursor
If you hold down the space bar on your iPhone (and some androids) it allows you to move the cursor anywhere in the text.
Woah. You have saved a lot of my time in future. Thanks
Most of the time the cursor defaults to the beginning or end of the word I tapped. Using the space bar is wayyyy faster for very quickly place the cursor EXACTLY where I want.
Also, a key component to this trick is that you can re-tap the space bar (while doing the cursor movement) to switch to highlight mode. Highlighting shit on iOS is hard AF to get it precisely where you want. This solves that.
- 1saltyMF
Switch It Up
Most ceiling fans have a switch to reverse direction of the blades.
Set to clockwise at low speed in winter for an updraft that redistributes warmed air at the ceiling downward, and then switch to counter-clockwise at higher speed in summer to create a cooling downdraft.
If you're gonna use that switch, before you turn the fan back on, make sure you dust the blades! You will get a nice snowfall of dust on your head and in your eyes otherwise.
The Most Magical Mute
You can mute many microwaves.
Holy shot I need to figure this one out. I always set it for more time than I need so I can open it before it runs out of time, otherwise,
BEEEEEEEEP......
BEEEEEEEEP......
BEEEEEEEEP......
BEEEEEEEEP......
BEEEEEEEEP......
And there's nothing you can do until the 5 excruciatingly long beeps.
I would absolutely buy the first microwave that gives the user control over beeping volume, or has an abbreviated beep mode. It's fascinating how manufacturers put so much attention on aesthetics, but in terms of acoustics they have no issues with making their products ugly as f*ck.
Staple Shenanigans
office space stapler GIF by 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentGiphyStaplers have a spring loaded base plate that can be popped up and rotated, which will make the staples splay outward as opposed to inward.
The rub is that nobody wants that so as a practical joke I flip them for everyone's stapler and watch as then go f*cking batsh*t crazy.
- kdubstep
I noticed that at work one day and looked up why that is.
A staple that points outward is far easier to remove. So if only want to staple some documents temporarily, that's what that setting is for.
Basically bend it in the middle and the staple comes right out, no fancy stop remover necessary.
Stop Stretching
Oven doors come off. just open till the first stop and pull straight up. i don't know how many people i've seen stretching to clean the back.
And stove tops lift up and can be locked like a car hood!
So you get everything under/around the coils
I remember when I did that in college and my roommates were absolutely floored that it did that. I'm just like... I've always known this and your kitchen at home must be NASTY.
That Overlap Is There For A Reason
Baby onesies have the overlap at the shoulders so you can pull it down the kids and off if they have a diaper blow out.
So much better than trying to get a sh*t-covered onesie over their head. I'm so annoyed that I found out about this after I was done with the baby stage.
Man, this tip would have been nice when my kids were babies and regularly getting those up-to-the-neck poop explosions when they were in their jumper seats.
When You're Not Carrying Quarters
Most gas station coin operated air compressors have a button on the back. Press this button three times and the pump starts automatically.
Parking Problems
Find parking function on Google Maps.
When you park in a stadium or airport parking lot or a city you unfamiliar with: Open Google Maps, hit bullseye (location) then the blue dot. Pinpoints location and gives option to add notes to remind yourself of things like garage level etc.
Not Sure, But It Works
The metal part inside the handles of meat scissors (that gap left inside when they are closed which often has metal or a round cut out with ridges) is extremely useful for opening stuck lids on soda bottles and such.
I'm not sure it's supposed to be a bottle opener, but it works really well as one.
A Tab And Seagull Necks
You know those plastic rings for six-packs? They have a little tab that if you pull on it, they're much easier to tear. I've been using that for ages. It's really useful if you're worried your trash is gonna end up around a seagull's neck.
All This Paint Wisdom
painter GIFGiphyI am trained in house paint (the things I know, wow)
ALWAYS when buying paint, ask for the MSDS sheet... (material safety data sheet)... think of it like this. You buy a bottle of Tylenol and the short instructions are on the box. But, if you ask the pharmacy they can print you the long version that tells you all the crap you didn't know, you needed to know... well same with a can of paint.
The MSDS will tell you how to prep your surface, that type of hair brush you need or roller, how many coats at what thickness the paint and primer should be, for the paint to live up to its warranty.
If you spill house paint on a solid surface... leave it, let it dry a few hours (but don't leave it for days, cause then it will cure), spray Windex on it and grab a knife, peels right up.
Also, if you have peeling paint that you need to remove, instead of spending hours in the sun scrapping paint, get one of those Windex power washers, that hook on a hose... loosens up all the paint so it comes off easy... less work.
Also, exterior paint has a min/max surface temp. Most brands, if the surface temp us below 65 or over 80, paint could fail like peel off, not dry right, pin point, and various other things.
Some paint brands can go higher then or lower then the average. That goes for ALL exterior paint /stain products, the surface temp of the item your painting matters.
So, if its 70 degrees out, pain the area in the sun not the shade, you need the surface temp to not fall below the product specifications. That even goes for safety paint that's on curbs and the lines in a parking lot. If you paint those and they are always peeling up... that's why.
A Safety Feature
Most in-sink garbage disposals have a reset button on them. If the disposal stops working completely (will not turn on at all) try pushing that button.
Mine stopped dead once after it got hung up on a piece of silverware. I figured it would at least make noise if broken and it might have been a safety feature. Felt around on it and there was a little button.
Pencil Lube
You can use a pencil to make zippers open & close more smoothly.
The "lead" in a pencil is actually graphite, which is a lubricant. If you have a pair of jeans or whatever with a pesky zipper that catches or gets stuck, just run a pencil along it a few times. It will work great!
You can also use a pencil on a freshly cut key.
Just Add Water
Your Vitamix or high speed blender will clean itself.
All you have to do is rinse it, fill it up halfway with warm water, add a few squirts of dish soap, and run it, gradually increasing the speed to full power.
Let it run on full power for 60 seconds then rise it out. Works great and makes some amazing soap foam for washing other dishes as well!
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Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.