Amazon Haul #2: 12 Recent Amazon Finds

Hey friends! How was your weekend? Are any of you out there feelin’ the time change this morning? I made the mistake of leaving Chase’s Hatch Light on his usual 7:30 a.m. “okay to wake” time yesterday which really felt like 6:30 a.m. so we were all running around awfully early on Sunday morning. I switched it to 8 a.m. this morning and am crossing my fingers that will help us ease into this Monday a bit!

We filled most of our weekend with family fun close to home. The past few days included lots of time outside, a trip to our local aquarium, Saturday early evening church, eating our body weight in chips and salsa on Saturday night (Ryder was a salsa fanatic!), a trip to MyGym, a family outing for frozen custard and Sunday movie night. Chase picked Frozen 2 for our movie night and I thought it was great! Once again Ryan said he “doesn’t get the Frozen hype” but I told him he’s not exactly Disney’s target for those movies as Chase and I continued singing “Into the Unknown” at the top of our lungs.

As for today’s blog post, I’m following up a post I shared last year that you guys seemed to really enjoy! I’m back today with round two of my 10 Most Recent Amazon Finds and am sharing a glimpse into a few of our most recent Amazon orders that have been a big-time hit in our house.

The items in today’s Amazon Haul include a wiiide range of Amazon finds from children’s sleeping bags and pajamas to a cozy glider chair, pre-workout supplement, wireless computer mouse, battery tester and more. It’s a random assortment of goodies but isn’t that the way our Amazon carts always look?

Amazon Haul #2: Recent Amazon Finds

• Upholstered Swivel Glider

Sadie continues to live up to her reputation as the Million Dollar Dog because after pulling up the carpet in our master closet during a thunderstorm, her latest destruction project was the glider in Ryder’s room. Ugh! We always joke that she’s part-hamster because she loves to burrow in blankets and apparently Ryder’s glider was too tempting to resist. Since we still use the glider in Chase’s room regularly for story time, I knew I wanted to replace Ryder’s glider as well. For the past few weeks, I was on the lookout for a new gray glider for Ryder’s room but didn’t want to spend ALL the dollars since gliders can be ridiculously expensive. I took a big chance on a glider I found on Amazon that I thought would match the gray ottoman we already have and I ended up LOVING this one even more than our original glider. The size is perfect, it has a nice, high back and the cushions are soft but supportive. Plus, at $255 I feel like this was a bit of a steal for 1.) any glider 2.) for the quality of this particular glider. An added bonus: It was really easy to assemble!

• Freshly Picked Diaper Bag Wristlet Wallet

The Freshly Picked Diaper Bag Wristlet was a little gift to myself and I’ve been so happy with this purchase! As some of you may remember, I began using my JuJuBe diaper bag wristlet every single day after Ryder was born. I still stand by my love for this wristlet and maintain that it’s BEST for keeping diapering essentials on hand. It easily holds a few diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, hand sanitizer, a small snack or two, my card case and my phone. I love the way it easily allows me to make any bag a diaper bag and began almost exclusively relying on it for Ryder’s diapering needs.

Well, clearly Amazon knows me too well because I kept seeing the Freshly Picked Diaper Bag Wristlet pop up as a recommended product for me. It caught my eye for months because it was so beautiful and looked like a more polished version of my other wristlet. Since I often carry only my wristlet around with me, I loved that fact that this one looked classy enough to carry as a clutch if I went out without my children but still had all of the functionality and space I needed as a mini diaper bag wristlet. It’s been a great find and I am loving it!

• DIY Wubbanub Supplies: Detachable Giraffe + Ryan and Rose Stage 2 Pacifier

A while back I posted a picture of Ryder asleep with a Wubbanub hanging out of his mouth. I had someone kindly point out that Wubbanubs are not approved for older children, especially those with teeth. (And yes, they actually were kind about it which was so appreciated since people on the Internet can basically be the worst about this stuff sometimes.) Well, I immediately went into Mom panic mode because the very next day, Ryder bit a tiny hole in one of his Wubbanubs! (Chase used Wubbanubs until we got rid of pacifiers altogether and NEVER did this!) I immediately texted my friends asking for “teething” pacifier help and the Ryan and Rose Stage Two Pacifier for babies with teeth was the winning recommendation.

I ordered the pacifier immediately and Ryder was NOT having it. Like Chase, Wubbanubs were his BFF for naps and nighttime sleep and I wondered if there was a way to rig up this new Stage Two pacifier to look like a Wubbanub. Mom on a mission! I found this detachable giraffe that closely mirrored Ryder’s favorite giraffe Wubbanub and ordered it to attach to the Stage Two paci. Well, Ryder was clearly way too strong for the Velcro on the giraffe because he kept pulling it off the paci and handing it to me like, “Mom, fix this!” I dusted off my sewing kit and carefully sewed the Velcro together (this took me an embarrassingly long amount of time because I haven’t sewn anything in ages and wanted it to be super-secure) and a DIY Teething Faux-Wubbanub was born! Problem solved. Phew!

• Matching Cloud Pajamas

How adorable are these cloud jammies!? I discovered the brand Vaenait Baby on Amazon and love their children’s pajamas. They fit both boys’ body types well (Chase is very slim while Ryder has a bubble butt and a little Buddah belly) and the price point is great (only $15). I couldn’t resist ordering my niece a pair of the pink version for Valentine’s Day and love the way the colors are muted and so crazy-bright like so many children’s pajamas out there. I already have my eye on the Vaenait Baby banana pajamas the next time the boys need a new pair!

• LCD Writing Tablet

I need to sing the praises of this LCD writing tablet so every parent out there will hear me! It’s such an amazing little invention perfect for car entertainment, especially for little ones who enjoy doodling, practicing their letters, drawing maps and animals, etc. Chase received one for Christmas (a few weeks early in his stocking because I wanted him to have it for a road trip) and it was such a hit with both boys that I ordered another one for Ryder for Valentine’s Day. It’s cheap — $10! — and has become a go-to birthday party gift for Chase’s friends these past two months as well. Another recent birthday party gift I ordered for one of Chase’s friends who already had an LCD pad was this outdoor explorer kit which is always a big time hit for little adventurers!

• Hanes $8.99 Sweatshirts

Earlier this winter, I was in the market for a plain sweatshirt I could wear with leggings and joggers. I didn’t want anything with a design or anything too flashy and felt like every sweatshirt out there was not simple enough for my taste. And then I stumbled upon this Amazon find! I know the Hanes brand well and remember their tees being super comfy in the past (I’m 99% sure they were Ryan’s undershirt of choice for a while there that used to borrow to sleep in) and I loved the gray sweatshirt I ordered so much that I immediately turned around and ordered a navy blue version. I think they fit true to size but if you’re looking for a slouchy, oversize fit, I’d size up for sure.

• Homemade Bath Bomb Supplies

Our kids are obsessed with bath bombs. They love them more than I could possibly express in words and I was recently determined to begin making our own bath bombs at home as a way to reduce the cost (those little babies can be expensive!) and also control what goes into them since many bath bombs are made with stuff I wasn’t crazy about floating around in the boys’ bath water. I found this recipe online and went to town on Amazon ordering bulk-size ingredients needed for the bath bombs. Since bath bombs can be a little tricky, here’s everything I ordered (all of which worked well for us in this recipe): Bath Bomb Molds (love the varying sizes!) /  Nature’s Inspiration Food Coloring (natural and didn’t stain our tub or the boys’ skin) / Pure Cornstarch / Baking Soda / Citric Acid (We also already had organic coconut oil, organic lavender essential oil and Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt on hand so those ingredients didn’t make it in my order but all worked well in the recipe.)

• Magic Tree House Merlin Missions Books

I still feel like I owe you guys big time for recommending Magic Tree House chapter books to me when I was on the lookout for a series of chapter books to begin reading with Chase. They were an instant hit and he absolutely devours them. My bookworm heart completely melts every time I ask him if he wants to read some of his chapter books together and I see his whole face light up. We made quick work of the Magic Tree House series and since I know he’ll eventually love reading these books on his own, I ordered the Merlin Missions books by the same author featuring the same main characters. We’re already more than halfway through this series and it’s another great one. On that note, if you have recommendations for more chapter books a 4.5 year old might enjoy, please send them my way! We’ll be in the market for another series soon! (Oh and at the risk of sounding like an uptight mom, I prefer chapter books where the characters use proper grammar when they speak — not “kid speak” — and avoid words like stupid, idiot, etc. which is not always a given in children’s literature!)

• Wireless Computer Mouse

After years and years of use, my wireless mouse recently bit the dust. (I partly blame Ryder for this because sneakily grabbing it off my desk and clicking it a million times was one of his favorite past times.) I immediately went on Amazon and ordered this wireless mouse in a mint green color since it coordinates with the colors in my home office and felt happier and a lot less dull than a typical black or gray mouse. It has a ton of great reviews and I love it as well. It glides well, clicks easily and is comfortable in my hand. Plus, it’s available in a myriad of colors if you’re interested in upgrading your mouse and want something a little more exciting, too!

• Gnarly Nutrition Preworkout Energy Booster (for Ryan)

Ryan doesn’t share my intense love for coffee but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want a little boost of caffeine first thing in the morning. He wakes up at 4:45 a.m. to work out in our garage every morning and always takes a pre-workout supplement before his workout. I don’t even want to tell you the list of ingredients that comprised his previous pre-workout supplement but they totally freaked me out, especially since his pre-workout supplement is something he consumes every single day. I reached out to Brittany because I remembered her raving about a more natural pre-workout supplement she and her husband love and I know she’s very ingredient-aware. She told me they love Gnarly Nutrition Preworkout Powder and I immediately ordered it for Ryan. He made the switch to this pre-workout supplement almost two months ago and hasn’t looked back since! He said it gives him the boost he was looking for and he enjoys the flavor so it’s a win all around. Also, when he saw me snapping a pic of this powder this weekend, he told me to tell you guys the mango flavor is where it’s at. He likes both mango and strawberry lemonade but says if you’re going to try one, opt for the mango.

• Battery Tester

This was definitely not a glamorous Amazon purchase but as a parent whose children use approximately 50 million toys with batteries, I am not sure why it took me so long to order a battery tester. Since many of the boys’ toys call for four batteries, when the toy would die, I found myself throwing away four batteries when I felt fairly certain at least one or two of them likely still had some juice. This little $7 contraption takes all the guesswork out of which batteries still work and Chase loves being my battery tester!

• Inflatable Toddler Bed + Sleeping Bag

This was a purchase we made to give Chase a comfy place to sleep during the weekend we spent in Sanford when I wasn’t sure exactly where Chase would be sleeping with so many people staying in one house. I wanted to be sure he had a comfy place to sleep that we could set up anywhere and this inflatable toddler bed and sleeping bag combo did the trick!

Shop My Most Recent Amazon Finds 

QUESTION OF THE DAY

• Fellow Amazon fans: Any awesome Amazon finds lately? Please share!