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Amazon. The shopping marketplace that we all know and love.
I’ve had my fair share of duds from Amazon, especially since I fancy myself a bit of a budget Queen and tend to scrimp a little perhaps when I shouldn’t.
But I’ve also found some absolute staples on Amazon, these are the products I’ll be sharing in this blog.
In my mind, a ‘favourite’ isn’t just an item I like, it’s something I either use or have used and enjoyed over and over again.
I can’t say these items are must haves for everyone, as everyone’s circumstances and product needs are different, but if you happen to have been looking for the things I mention I 100% recommend each of them.
So – let’s get into it!
A Special Needs Mom’s Amazon Favourites
First off, we’re going to start in the kitchen, the heart of the home – and a place that can become incredibly cluttered without effort. One of my kitchen cupboards was overflowing with various sized pots, pans and oven trays that I had collected over the years. Most of them had lost their non-stick element, and I probable only ever used two or three.
Then I found my love for cast iron and cast aluminum.
I now keep three cooking vessels in my kitchen, and I use them for pretty much everything.
Cast Iron Skillet
Let’s start with a cast iron skillet – this has become a staple in my kitchen. This heavy-duty pan can withstand a decent amount of heat so it’s perfect for hob to oven cooking, and if looked after a cast iron skillet will last you generations.
They do take a bit of upkeep – regular seasoning to keep food from sticking and to keep it from rusting, but as soon as you’ve mastered how to care for and cook with your skillet – it can replace a ton of your other pans.
They’re also inexpensive, which is a bonus! My favorite things I use my skillet for are pancakes and Dutch babies – but the possibilities are endless. Because it is made out of cast iron it is extremely versatile – you can use it in a pizza oven, on a BBQ, on your hob and in the oven.
I have linked the one I purchased over a year ago and I still love cooking with it.
Cast Aluminium Casserole Pot
The only two other pots I keep in my kitchen are my cast aluminium casserole pots. Don’t let the name fool you, these pots can be used for tons of different things. I use mine to roast, fry, bake, boil and steam – they have pretty much replaced all other pots, pans and oven trays.
Because these pots are made from aluminium, there’s no need for seasoning. They’re incredibly easy to clean and easy to use.
Unfortunately, the exact ones I purchased are no longer available, but i have linked a similar pot above.
Next, I’m going to move into baby items – My daughter, Avery is 20 months old, but she has Cerebral Palsy, so a lot of the items I purchased when she was a newborn or even before she was born I still use and love now.
Swaddle Blankets
I bought this set of two swaddle blankets before Avery was born. I didn’t expect them to still be a part of our daily routine 20 months later.
Aside from the adorable designs, these muslin blankets are a nice big size, slightly stretchy – perfect for swaddling and they are much softer than a lot of other muslin fabric I’ve used.
Yes, I still swaddle Avery at nap time, as it keeps her nice and secure so her dystonic movements don’t wake her as often. These blankets are also a brilliant alternative to a thicker blanket in the warm summer months.
Snuza Hero MD Breathing Monitor
This funny looking device single handedly allowed my husband and I to sleep restfully after my daughter came home from hospital post brain injury.
Avery stopped breathing in the night when she was three days old – and we are very lucky to still have her with us. As you can imagine once the nurses and monitors were no longer around, we became quite paranoid.
Before we were able to get our hands on a SATs monitor, we made a very last minute purchase of the Snuza Hero after a recommendation from our health visitor.
The device clipped onto the front of Avery’s nappy, and would make a little clicking sound for every breath Avery took. If there was a stretch of time where Avery didn’t breath, the device would alarm. Granted, it wasn’t a loud alarm, but with all that had happened we were almost programmed to hear any unusual noises in the night.
It felt like a little safety net, and was a lifesaver in those early days.
Next I’m going to move onto what I like to call my ‘tech gadgets’ (but not really because I’m not techy in the slightest).
Laptop Stand
I have a very old 2011 MacBook Pro, I bought it second hand five years ago, it stopped receiving updates years ago, it crashes on my constantly and it always overheats.
However, a new MacBook is not within my budget just yet, so I needed to get creative about extending it’s life a little longer.
That’s where the laptop stand came in. It raises the laptop off of whatever surface it’s on and allows for better airflow beneath it. Since using the stand my laptop doesn’t get nearly as hot.
That was the only reason I purchased the stand, but it’s actually working wonders for my back, as I’m hunching over a lot less.
I’ve had my fair share of duds from Amazon, especially since I fancy myself a bit of a budget Queen and tend to scrimp a little perhaps when I shouldn’t.
iPad Stylus
I recently bought a new iPad – another attempt to try and take some pressure off my laptop. I desperately wanted the Apple Magic Pencil to go with it, but I couldn’t justify the price tag.
So I took to good old Amazon, and to my surprise there were plenty of comparable stylus pens.
I absolutely love my stylus, and I get my moneys worth 100%. I use it to amp up my YouTube thumbnails now and again, I use it to create my digital product which I sell on Etsy, and I can now do digital planning on my iPad, which conveniently keeps all of my planning in one place.
The only downside is it needs to be charged every now and again, but that’s not a deal breaker.
That’s where I’ll leave it for now. I have many more Amazon finds that have become favorites, so maybe I’ll do a follow up blog post soon.