I just got back from JoCo Cruise 2018, a week-long cruise around Baja Mexico. This was JoCo’s eighth annual cruise. It was started by musician Jonathan Coulton, who has a delightfully nerdy fan base of board-game loving, scifi reading, cosplaying, ukulele strumming folks of all ages. Over 1,600 “SeaMonkeys” took over Holland America’s ms Oosterdam and we had a terrific time playing games and music, and attending panels, workshops, concerts, readings, and performances. I bought a pair of kimono pajamas ($24) for the cruise (one day was pajama day, where everyone was encouraged to wear pajamas all day) and I got a lot of compliments on them. I like them enough that I’m going to start wearing them at home, too. — MF

My husband bought me an UGG robe for Christmas and it is so soft and comfortable that I actually sleep in it from time to time. It’s lined with lightweight fleece, so it’s very warming but not bulky. — CD 

One of my favorite pairs of sandals recently cut my heel open. These foot petals now prevent that from happening. They also keep my shoes in place and make them much more comfortable to wear. — CD 

My friend Cory Doctorow gave me a pair of Native Jefferson Slip-On Sneakers about 4 years ago, and I haven’t worn any other kind of shoe since. They are made from the same rubber as Crocs, but they look better. I don’t wear socks with them. They are very easy to slip on and off at airport security, too. — MF 

These elastic silicone shoelaces look like regular shoelaces and eliminate the tucked-in hidden knot, which is always uncomfortable. It turns my Keds into slip-ons. — CD 

I have replaced all my regular shoelaces with these no-tie elastic laces. Ultra thin bungee cords snap the shoe closed without having to tie or untie. Instant on and off. Easy to slip your foot out, yet snug when needed. Not too dorky even for dress shoes; in fact, they look cool. — KK 

I no longer use leather belts. I only use nylon web belts, sometimes called tactical or military belts, even for dress. They look like a belt but since they don’t have holes, they are infinitely adjustable. And they use hard plastic for the buckle so I don’t have to remove it in airports. There are many styles and colors, all can be trimmed for length. The one I use is this generic model. — KK 

I rarely iron anymore. I just throw a wet hand towel and whatever wrinkled top I want to wear into the dryer. Then I run it on high heat for a little less than 10 minutes, and go about my morning routine. Some people use ice cubes. — CD

All my dress shirts are now “Non-Iron” cotton material. I don’t know how this stuff works, but the ones I clumsily fold into my luggage, will unwrinkle shortly after I put them on. I use Non-Iron Oxford shirts from Land’s End and L.L. Bean, but most clothing brands seem to carry them. Eagle brand Non-Iron shirts are popular on Amazon. — KK 

My wife picked a small cubic zirconia synthetic diamond for her engagement ring. Because it is just one carat it looks like a diamond. Nobody can tell it is synthetic. Really. It cost $24. Real diamonds are a ripoff. — KK

I bought my husband a QALO ring to wear while he’s cycling/working out and he loves how it’s so well-made and comfortable. It’s made out of medical grade silicone and it doesn’t look like a cheap rubber ring. I like how it looks on him so much I want to start wearing one. — CD

I heard Kevin mention a meal delivery service called Sun Basket, so I checked it out and signed up. Once a week our family gets a box filled with fresh, organic, fruits, vegetables, and meats that have been washed and portioned (the ingredients are kept cool with recyclable ice packs). The box also includes a very nice, full-color recipe booklet for the ingredients. (We are on the Paleo plan — there are multiple styles to choose from). Next week we make Thai turkey salad with cabbage, basil, and mint; Italian sausage with spring vegetables; and Burmese salmon salad with lemongrass and bell pepper. Our at-home meals are now exciting and fun to make. We get three meals a week for our family of four for about $150. Use this link and we will both get $40 off of our order. — MF 

When I ordered this $18 bag of dried nettles leaves from Amazon, I didn’t expect to get such a giant-sized bag. Even at the rapid rate my family drinks nettles tea, this bag will last at least a year. We’ve used nettles for years as a very effective treatment for seasonal pollen allergies. Even if it’s just a placebo effect, the herbal tea is delicious. (I haven’t experienced side effects, but Web MD lists them here.) — MF

My wife is lactose intolerant and gets a stomach ache when she eats dairy, unless she chews a Lactaid tablet beforehand. It contains lactase enzyme, which breaks down lactose. It really works. She keeps them in her purse. — MF 

I welcome genetically modified foods (GMOs). A GMO that I currently enjoy is Arctic ApBitz dried apple crisps. Regular dried apples are soft and pliable. Arctic crisps have been bred to dry naturally without browning and to retain their crispness and crunchiness. They are french-fry shaped and textured. The dry snack is extremely lightweight (great for hiking), satisfyingly crunchy and flavor intense, and comes in 3 apple varieties: Delicious, Granny Smith, and Golden (the variety in the link). I really enjoy them, and I am told that kids prefer these crunchy apple sticks over traditional apple leathers. — KK 

We eat enough granola that we can’t keep up making our own. But most store-bought granola is way too sweet with sugar. And it’s expensive. For the past many years I’ve been gobbling up Bob’s Red Mill Honey Granola. It is only mildly sweetened using honey, and not expensive. Amazon sells it in 18-ounce packages. We add our own nuts, raisins, etc. — KK 

When it comes to airplane food, I agree with Anthony Bourdain: it’s better to go hungry. But I don’t like going hungry so I pack snacks with me. One of my favorites is the Graze Bar. It’s a tasty, chewy stick of grass fed beef containing no sugar, gluten, or MSG. — MF 

I drop one Nuun tablet into my glass of water in the morning and another before I go to bed. Nuun tablets contain sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It’s very likely a placebo effect, but I feel better and more replenished from drinking water with a Nuun tablet in it. In any case, it’s a fizzy, citrusy treat that I look forward to. — MF 

Box wine is under-appreciated. I can get decent red wine in a collapsible bag/ box so that I can drink just one glass daily (for medicinal purposes!) and have the full 3 liters never expire. Trader Joe’s has a good Cabernet Sauvignon in a box. — KK 

When I travel I take snacks with me: macadamia nuts, Starbucks Via instant coffee pouches, and Graze Bars. I recently added a new item: 0.5 ounce coconut oil pouches. They go great with my low-carb diet. I can spread it on chicken and vegetables to increase the calories without adding carbs. I love the taste of coconut oil on almost anything. — MF