Recent Amazon Purchases

It’s been a while since my last Amazon round-up (here) & several of you requested that I make this a recurring series.  So, I am going to do my best to share these more often because I know how much I love seeing what other Prime deals people are finding!  While I think we all appreciate the convenience of shopping on Amazon, sometimes it can feel like a bit of a black hole due to the overwhelming amount of items & categories.  So, by highlighting my personal purchases & recommendations with you here, I hope it will help you discover new products to love (while saving you time & money in the process!).  Here’s what I’ve bought recently:

Utility Jacket
This is such a great jacket for the price – it comes in 6 different colors and is really well-made.  I’d say it’s a medium weight so it’s ideal for early fall & will be great for layering over sweaters or tees.  It does run a bit big, so I recommend sizing down, unless you prefer a loose fit (there is a hidden drawstring on the inside so you can cinch the waist in to your liking).  Other clothing purchases I’ve made on Amazon recently & been impressed with include this men’s packable puffer jacket (bought one for my husband & my son), this cozy sweatshirt (long enough to wear with leggings!), this striped v-neck sweater (under $30) & this funnelneck pullover (love the thumb holes!).

Glass Apothecary Jars
The chicest way to organize your vanity & corral items that you don’t want to store in your cabinet.  We have very little counter space in our master bathroom, so I actually bought these for our guest bath.  I love the gold lidded jars, but these also come in chrome or clear glass as well.  Use them for cotton balls, hair ties, bath bombs, q-tips & more!

SmartSweets Candy
We are those mean parents that don’t let our kids eat a lot of junk food, but when we’re traveling or camping, we want to let them enjoy a few special treats.  So, we were thrilled to discover this brand of non-GMO candy, sweetened with Stevia.  We’ve also ordered the gummy bears & sour buddies (like Sour Patch Kids) – we first bought the sampler pack so we could test all the flavors & determine our favorites.  For those chocolate cravings, we like these milk chocolate gems (like M&M’s) and these peanut butter cups (dangerously good!).

Twist & Lock Food Container
This is the perfect reusable on-the-go container for storing food & snacks – the air-tight compartments twist & lock together so you can keep different items separated (think hummus with cut veggies & crackers, almond butter with sliced apples & figs or yogurt with granola & berries).  It helps with portion control & is ideal for taking to the office or packing in your kids’ bag for school snacks.

Weighted Blanket
My son has the hardest time falling asleep at night – a lot of it has to do with his Tourette’s, so we were using a melatonin supplement for a while…but even that hasn’t been working lately.  I’m part of a group on Facebook for parents of kids with TS and several of them mentioned that a weighted blanket helped.  So, after reading the reviews, I finally bought this one and it has truly been a game-changer for him.

MadeGood Granola Bites
These are one of those snacks that I initially bought for my kids, but secretly eat myself!  They come in the perfect individual serving bags and they’re gluten, dairy, soy & nut-free.  They have hidden veggies in the ingredients, but you’d never know it because they are so delicious!

Knit Sweater Cape
It’s hard to think about wearing sweaters when it’s still 80 degrees outside, but I ordered this knit cape because it looks so cozy & chic.  I love the button detail & think this would look great layered over a tissue tee with skinny jeans or faux leather leggings.  Full disclosure: this hasn’t arrived yet, so I can’t speak to the quality but I will be sure to let you know once I receive it.  Other cozy knitwear worth checking out: this plaid poncho, this chevron sweater & this leopard cardigan.

Bug Bite Suction Tool
My son has awful reactions to mosquito bites, so when I saw a video ad for this amazing tool, I knew we needed to try it.  You apply the end of it over your bug bite & use the lever to basically “suck out” the venom from whatever bit you.  Not only does it help reduce swelling, but the itch is gone almost instantly! It takes a little practice to get it just right – if you depress the lever as far as it goes, you’ll end up with a hickey.  So, I recommend pressing it just until it stings and then removing.

Electronic Travel Organizer
This is one of those items I didn’t know I needed until I went on my trip to India. I had cords, adapters, converters & batteries scattered all throughout my luggage & could never find them easily.  As soon as I got back, I ordered this so I would have one place to keep them all organized & secure for future travels.

Retractable Box Cutter
The amount of deliveries I get during the course of any given week is a little embarrassing – needless to say, we have become good friends with our delivery men (and they always come with treats in hand for our dog!).  I was practically ruining our nice handled scissors trying to open box after box with them, so my husband finally wised up & bought me this retractable box cutter.  The ceramic blade works like a charm & the ergonomic design means that I have less of a chance of cutting myself in the process of opening packages.

Stackable Storage Bins
I’ve been working my way through the house & making organizational changes – my latest project was the linen closet, where we store extra toiletries, some of my overflow beauty products & all our first aid items.  I bought these storage bins to keep things neat & tidy – I love the lidded design & that they stack easily.  These also come in a larger size (here) that you can use for organizing legos, crayons or toys and a smaller size (here) that you can use for vitamins or essential oils.

Portable Utensil Kit
If you’re into backpacking, camping or just want to minimize your use of plastic utensils, these are the perfect solution! Each 8-piece stainless steel set comes with two straws & a brush cleaner, silverware and chopsticks, plus a compact carrying case – the utensils also come in silver or matte black & would be great for keeping at your desk if you work in an office (or at school if you’re a teacher!).

Exfoliating Lip Brush
I can’t speak to the plumpness they claim this beauty tool gives you, but I will say that my lips have never felt softer since I bought it.  Every morning before applying my makeup, I dip it into this lip scrub & swipe back and forth for a couple minutes.  It quickly removes any trace of dead skin & leaves your lips moisturized without an oily residue.

Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies
When I first started seeing my functional medicine doctor, one of the things she recommended was a morning shot of ACV.  As much as I’ve tried, I just can’t seem to stick with the habit because I can’t handle the taste of it!  But I know the health benefits are important, so I was happy to discover that they are making this magical supplement in gummy form.  These are a bit spendy, but much more palatable (for me) than the liquid form.

Backless Adhesive Bra
My adhesive bra from last summer finally lost its stickiness last week, so I bought this one as a replacement.  I ended up getting a size small and the fit is perfect – great for wearing with sundresses that are cut low in the back.  Note: because I’m smaller chested (34B), I can’t speak to how well this would work for someone who is more well-endowed, but it stayed in place & kept everything lifted for me.

Herb Scissors
We were at a friends’ house for dinner & she pulled these out of the drawer to garnish the risotto with & I was instantly sold.  These allow you to finely dice any vegetable in seconds – you can use them on herbs, lettuce, scallions, etc.  Plus, they come with a handy scraper – such a time saver!  Another kitchen gadget worth mentioning is this watermelon slicing tool, which creates perfect bite-size pieces with minimal effort.

Towel Body Wrap
If you’re someone who gets overheated in the summer, this is a must-have!  I like wearing this after I get out of the shower because I can apply all my body lotion, deodorant & moisturizer and allow everything to soak in completely while I get ready before putting my clothes on.  It has an adjustable velcro closure at the top, which ensures a snug fit & it washes up well.  This would also be a great gift for someone heading to college where they have shared bathrooms.

Stainless Steel Foot File
The last time I had a professional pedicure, I realized that it wasn’t worth the money at all when I knew I could do just as good of a job at home.  I’ve already mastered painting my nails/toes, but the rest of my footcare regimen needed some help.  This foot scraper made my feet baby soft after one use & worked wonders on my stubborn callouses + the dry skin on my heels.  One word of caution: this is quite sharp, so I recommend going slowly & using minimal pressure to start.

Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer
This was a last-minute purchase of mine before I left for India & it really came in handy.  My skin is very sensitive to traditional hand sanitizers, but this one didn’t cause any irritation and I like that it’s safe enough for my kids to use for school.

Stainless Steel Tumbler
There’s nothing worse than buying a new travel mug or water bottle and then later realizing it won’t fit in your cup holder!  This slim tumbler works in both of our cars, has a splash-proof lid & comes with 2 reusable straws.  It comes in tons of different colors & it’s a much more affordable alternative to the YETI travel mug.