It’s Prime Day, where sometimes there’s a forty gallon drum of industrial lubricant that can be yours for $12! What fun time!
We wanted to share some of our favorite things that have made our lives easier, in the hopes that some of them are on sale today. I also want to know what’s on your shopping list? Our older child is about to move into his first apartment as a college student, and I’ve been haunting Facebook Marketplace for small appliances and housewares, but the trick is that he’s driving a car to school so his stuff, his instruments, and whatever I collect has to fit in that car. “Small housewares with small footprints that’ll fit in a hatchback” is a weird search term, let me tell you.
In the event that you’re shopping for a particular event, or would like to treat yourself, here are some of our recent faves!
Amanda: A simple little things that make a world of difference, I want to nominate these things:
Face Washing Microfiber Absorbent Wrist Bands, $8
I hated the feeling of water running down my arms/elbows and soaking my shirt while washing my face.
Sarah: I never thought about how annoying that is until right now and you’re entirely correct.
Claudia: No more annoyed at the kids for leaving the toothpaste cap-less and all crusty:
Toothpaste Caps – Self Closing Silicone, 3 pack $7
Sarah: We have these rechargeable fans for travel, because they are lightweight, pack flat, and at medium speed last all night.
On vacation recently, two of the waitstaff and another guest each asked about them, because they’re so effective and very small. We love ours.
But I wanted something a little stronger for outside, when the bugs come to feast upon me like the alleged delicacy I am. (Bugs love me, I’m allergic, it stinks!) So I ordered one of these:
Portable Fan with Rechargeable Battery, $40
I had no idea how powerful this fan was when I ordered it, but our UPS delivery person left the package in front of the garage, my son ran over it partially, and it’s just fine. So it’s durable, clearly.
Pawfee Shop mug w iced latte not included.
It has a remote! And a light! And a backup battery! And a sleep timer! I just wanted to blow bugs away but now I can see in the dark.
Amanda: We may have featured it before but I love my skincare fridge, especially when it’s been hot and I can slather some cool moisturizer on my face at night.
Cooluli Mini Fridge, $70Sarah: I found these through a recommendation on a discord channel meant for parents of young children, but my teens absolutely loved this sunscreen applicator when we were traveling.
Solar Buddies Sunscreen Applicator, $16
We are usually carry-on travelers, and while the teens in my house prefer spray sunscreen, it’s hard to travel with those. With the Solar Buddies, you fill the handle with sunscreen, then roll it onto yourself (or have someone apply to your back every 2 hours). The sponge is a lot like a makeup sponge, and isn’t scratchy or weird, which appealed to my sensory-sensitive child, and to me because I hate touching foam. (It makes my teeth ache.)
It provides an even thin coating, and it’s so easy to use and re-apply. When my in-laws saw them, they immediately ordered two for themselves.
I bought this as a gift for myself, and I wear it almost every day now. It looks a lot more expensive than it is, with a little gemstone charm on the clasp and an adjustable length.
Zodiac Disc Necklace: $11 (Prime Day)
I’ve worn it in pools and in the ocean, and it’s doing just fine, with no signs of tarnish or wear. I really like it. Because the length is so flexible, I pair it with a shorter necklace, so if you’re into necklace layering, this might be a fun option. And there are two styles of zodiac engraving!
This jumpsuit was a vacation item and I was hesitant because clothing via Amazon can yield a hot mess. This is very lightweight, very comfortable, and because the jumpsuit has wide legs, it dresses up or down:
Women’s Casual V-Neck Wide Leg Jumpsuit, $33
It packs up very small, which I appreciate (see above re: carry on luggage), and when I was in hot and humid and then hot and dry climates, it worked perfectly for either. I ordered the navy, which is a very dark blue. Oh, and in terms of height, I’m 5’4″ (1.62m) and the hem length was fine with Birkenstock sandals, flats, and heels.
I really love clothing that is comfortable like pajamas (and no pressure on my belly when it’s hurting!) but looks like I made an effort. “Cozy but I look like I tried” is probably my aesthetic, really.
Another treat for myself: this pen. I’m using the image with a hand so you can see how small it is.
Mitsubishi Uni-Ball One Gel Ballpoint Pen, $5
It’s the perfect amount of chonky, it writes very smoothly, and it’s flipping adorable. I got the light green. This pen makes me silly amounts of happy.
Your thoughts and prayers for our car insurance are appreciated now that both of my children are driving. For those of you who’ve been here awhile, yes, Freebird and Baba O’Riley are now driving cars on their own.
I got these car trash cans for our vehicles because, well, teenagers, and my gosh this trash can holds a LOT.
Hotor Car Trash Can, 2 Gallons, $15
This thing is so useful. It can be used for food storage or corralling lose items, or it can be used as a trash can. The feature I love is that there are trash bags as well, and they snap into the container with little magnetic tabs to hold the bag in place. I bought a pack of trash bag refills, split it in two and nestled the refills in the bottom, and there was still plenty of room for the bag in current use. It hangs off the back of the passenger seat, or can be mounted on the back of a center console.
I’ve mentioned this pillbox before, but I now have two – one for my own prescriptions, and one that’s full of over-the-counter meds for the family like decongestants, pain relievers, indigestion meds, and sinus meds.
Travel Pill Organizer, Small $4
You can also buy versions that come with sticker sets that almost match name brand labels for OTC meds. This is another item I bought for myself and then ended up buying for all the household humans. It’s very useful – though please be aware that traveling with controlled or scheduled substances usually requires the original pill bottle with a current prescription in place. I like how small it is, and how durable: those little compartments are not coming open when they’re latched closed.
What about you? What’s on your shopping list today? Anything you’ve been searching for?
I’ve been half-heartedly waiting for a sale on a good clothes drying rack but haven’t had time to do much browsing this week so we shall see…
Thanks for taking the time to share some of the interesting deals with us!
The necklace link doesn’t work correctly. But thank you for sharing! It always makes me feel like I’m chatting with my fav friends about cool stuff.
OOPS – thank you for flagging that! I c&p’d the wrong link. I’ve fixed it, and this is the link for the necklace – which is discounted for Prime day!
Getting that pen for my work bestie. She had a tendon issue with her fingers and needs a nice big barrel on her pens. Unfortunately, the ones available are meant more for fun than functionality. A stylish professional looking pen will make a nice change.
Honestly, I’ve been a little disappointed in the Prime Day deals this year.
My favorite CC cream, Nude Glow by It Cosmetics is on deal so I stocked up before running out.
It’s $28 right now which is about 40% off full price. I love this CC cream and it’s the only makeup I use now, but shade matching can be a little tricky if you haven’t used the brand before.
The only other deal I picked up is this little guy in yellow to brighten my kitchen:
https://a.co/d/do7pGbb
I like EltaMD Sunscreen. It’s expensive but I can’t feel it on my face which makes me more likely to wear it.