The phrase ‘a stroke of genius’ makes it sound like that moment of brilliance and ingenuity was random, as if it came out of nowhere and struck the person like a lightning bolt. What if that wasn’t the case, though? What if they spent a long time thinking it over and finally had their breakthrough?
That’s what this list is about, showcasing 20 times people really had their thinking caps on and what came from it.
“My public library tells you how much money you’ve saved by checking things out instead of buying them.”
If there’s one thing that motivates people to keep doing something, it’s the knowledge that they’re saving money, so this was a great move on the library’s part. Why spend $2000 on books when you can not do that instead?
“Keep your toddler safely in the grocery cart seat (and prevent abductions) with a carabiner.”
It’s a clever little safety measure that provides a lot of peace of mind for the parent, sure, but someone in the comments did make a great point: “This is how my kids escape the cart and their pants simultaneously.”
“This clock has no numbers.”
I can’t tell if I like this or not. It’s very modern, even chic, and it reads pretty naturally. With the “it’s” at the beginning, this feels like a personal assistant telling me the time. We’re one step closer to smart offices!
“Social distancing in Canada drive-thru.”
If there’s one thing you can count on Canadians for, it’s new and creative ways to utilize hockey sticks in your daily lives.
This is pretty perfect, though. The right distance, easy to handle, and with the perfect platform to attach a debit machine. It was meant to be!
“My smart thermostat remote monitoring system.”
Just keep doing what you started and build a whole barricade around the thermostat. No one can get in to change it if they can’t even get to it, and you won’t have to watch it like a hawk at all hours of the day!
“This Stress Relief Toy Looks And Feels Like A Baozi.”
Dumplings of all kinds have always looked particularly squishable to me, but I never wanted to give into the urge and lose that delicious filling, so this is perfect. The fact that it comes in its own steam basket case makes it even better!
“My company upgraded their security system.”
“On one hand, we have new security cameras that are much better quality. On the other hand, our old cameras were larger and more intimidating.”
“Why not just put both up? Twice as many cameras means twice as much thief deterrent.”
“That’s genius!”
‘My brother got me this teddy bear plate.”
I was just so charmed by this plate that I had to include it in this list, I had to show as many people as possible. You can bet I’ll be spending my night trying to find out where I can buy one so I can cherish it forever.
“I’ve had no idea this was a thing for 45 years of grocery shopping. Hang your crunchables on the back of the cart.”
I refuse to believe this was the intention of those loops, mostly because I’ll feel silly for not recognizing it sooner. Whether or not that was the original goal, it’s still a pretty smart way to keep your delicate purchases seperate.
“Cable organizer straps make a great system for keeping wrapping paper together!”
People tend to use cable organizers for anything but actually organizing their cables. No shame in it, they’re handy little tools with a variety of uses and tons of potential, but you should give their original purpose a shot too.
“The lobby of my office building matched the tile pattern to the carpet pattern.”
The way I thought this was some sort of before and after photo at first, it’s split so perfectly down the middle. The reality is even better though, as this is just so subtle and sleek and shows a level of care from the building owners.
‘The train I’m riding has a mini cafe in it.”
I’m a firm believer that coffee, tea, or whatever else people drink in the mornings to start their day should be made even more accessible. Imagine how much nicer life would be if we could guarantee a nice cup of coffee was always around the corner?
“Muffin tin sauce trays. Why buy special dishes?”
I suppose this one really only works if you already own a muffin tin, but it’s still pretty clever. Having four sauces with one dish is a little overwhelming to me though, so I’ll be over here with my one singular condiment. You have fun.
“This jar-looking ziploc.”
All the aesthetics and rustic looks of a jar without any of the breakability! Not to mention it would take up way less space. Who needs a whole spice rack when you can just have a cabinet full of these instead?
“My neighbours’ peculiar New Years decorations.”
Peculiar? Sure. Genius? Absolutely. Giant skeletons don’t come cheap these days, people who are keeping them up year-round are just getting their money’s worth, and who can blame them! It adds some spice to the neighborhood, some pizazz if you will.
“Amazon envelopes work perfectly when turned inside out.”
They also work perfectly the original way too, there’s no law stating you can’t reuse amazon packaging when shipping your own things, but if you want a more neutral exterior then hey, who am I to stop you from achieving your dreams?
“A carpeted indoor pool for the kids to play in.”
I’m confused about where this is. Is this just someone’s house? Do they deposit their child in the Carpet Pit unsupervised so they can have some alone time? Was this ever a real pool, or did they excavate solely to make a large jail for their kid?
“Kudos to Nabisco’s new pop-open boxes, which actually let you fit your hand inside the cracker box for once.”
What?! This is a game changer! No longer will I feel the entirety of my hand getting dirty reaching for those last few crackers, nor will I be greeted with dust in my bowl if I try to pour them out. This is true innovation, this is the future.
“This bank of gas meters at a mall has been turned into the interior of a submarine (Glendale, WI, US).”
Extremely smart and creative with great artwork to boot, however this is a child magnet and will cause any kid between the ages of three and seven to run up and start pushing all kinds of buttons, so be wary of that.
“No curtain? No problem!”
I don’t quite agree. I believe there is a problem if you’re choosing to use a garbage bag as a curtain. I care less about the curtain rod substitute, which is actually pretty clever, but treat yourself and go get some real curtains. You deserve it.
Last Updated on January 4, 2022 by Daniel Mitchell-Benoit