10 Things I Love on Amazon

Why are Amazon lists SO interesting to read?? 

For me, it’s the same idea as the “what’s in my bag?” or “what’s on my nightstand?” type of posts on Instagram. 

I’m not sure what it says about me, but I am just obsessed with the boring details of other people’s daily lives. Like, sorry, can you clarify–do you take your probiotics before or after coffee? Mascara or brow gel first? How many swipes? 

So today, I’m sharing ten things I love on Amazon. Some of these are recurring shipments and others are just recent purchases that I am jazzed about. I feel like the key to surviving as a mom (outside of access to a Nespresso machine) is learning to buy in bulk? 

1. Simple Modern Tumbler

I don’t care what anyone says; the Stanley cup is not that good. Yes, it’s huge and fits in a car cup holder, but the straw situation is deeply flawed. I used one for about a year, and anytime the stupid thing fell over it would make a puddle the size of Lake Eerie within SECONDS. It was buck wild. I’m actually surprised it’s still as popular as it is. Maybe I just have outlier-level clumsiness or my kids are way more destructive than all others??

I finally got rid of the Stanley cup once I found a suitable alternative, and we have Tinx to thank for this recommendation. This tumbler cup from Amazon is sleek, cute, and holds 28 oz which is, to me, an acceptable quantity. I carry it with me everywhere and have never had an issue with it spilling when it tips over. I have the all black one. 

2. Right Rice

There are a few pantry staples I like to have on hand in large quantities, and this is one of them. Right Rice, made with peas, lentils, cheapeas, and rice, has double the protein, five times the fiber, and 40% less carbs than white rice. And it takes really good, in my opinion. I use the plain flavor and add a little lemon and grass fed butter when it’s done cooking. Oh also–it takes only 10 minutes to cook! It’s SO easy. I use this at least once a week, usually alongside salmon or as a base for taco bowls. I also use it if I don’t have anything to feed the girls, and I’ll make a little scramble with some Right Rice, veggies, and eggs for them. I always order the 6 pack on Amazon. 

3. Puracy Natural Body Wash

My friend introduced me to Puracy body wash a few years ago when I was on a kick trying to find a clean body wash. I used it in her shower, thinking at first it was actually baby soap, and immediately fell in love with it. All you need is a tiny bit to make a really amazing lather, and the citrus and sea salt scent is INCREDIBLE–light and natural, not too perfumy. Best of all, there are no gross ingredients. Oh, and the real trick here is the 64 oz refill pack from Amazon. It has lasted me forever. 

4. Serenity Kids Grain Free Puffs 

Like the responsible mom of two small children that I am, I like to have a sturdy supply of Serenity Kids Grain Free Puffs at my disposal at all times. These didn’t exist when Charlotte was a baby, so I had to give her those nasty puffs from Target with horrible ingredients. She always wanted a snack in the car, but I’d shudder every time I passed her little snack cup back to her. I was SO HAPPY when Serenity came out with their puffs–and even happier when Amazon started carrying them. The ingredients are amazing, and both of my kids love them. I usually order the Carrot & Beef ones, but they’ll eat any of the flavors. My sister gives them to her twins too, and we always joke, “how many puffs is too many puffs?” because both our kids would crush a whole can of them in a sitting if we’d let them. 

5. Cybele’s Free to Eat Superfood Veggie Pasta

This is another healthy item I always have stocked in my pantry. We *try* to cook without gluten in our house, so this pasta is a super easy swap that I use a lot. If prepared correctly, this “superfood” pasta tastes the exact same as “normal” pasta. It’s made with green lentils, cauliflower, and parsnips. I serve it with homemade pesto (more on that in a second) with roasted veggies and chicken sausage. I usually order a six-pack of the white rotini, but the green is good too. 

6. Souper Cubes Freezer Tray 

Speaking of homemade pesto, I know that sounds very extra of me, but I just really love pesto. And homemade is 1000x better than store bought, okay? To make it easy on myself, I make a huge batch all at once and then freeze it in these silicone freezer trays. This size holds ½ cup quantities, so it’s the perfect amount for a batch of pasta or to split between two pizza crusts (we love the cauliflower one in the green box from Whole Foods’ 365 brand). I usually make enough to fill two trays. Then, when I want to use one, I just pop it out of the tray and heat it up on low. 

BTW my pesto “recipe” is very easy: basil, garlic, lemon, parmesan, olive oil, chili flakes, and then any kind of nut (I usually do a combo of brazil nuts and cashews but really any will work). I don’t really measure–just kind of fill up the blender with a lot of each ingredient and hope for the best. 

7. Reusable Glass Straws

I’m not trying to go too crazy with this, but I have been VERY SLOWLY trying to replace the plastic in our house, particularly in the kitchen. And while I hate the fear-mongering that often happens on IG about “toxic” materials in our households (like, as if moms aren’t already worrying about everything to do with their kids’ health every second!!!!!), I do think it’s important to make healthy swaps where we can. 

One easy thing I did recently was buy this set of glass straws when I ran out of my last box of plastic straws. We have been really happy with these. They are long, so they fit in our Yeti cups for smoothies, and they are also really thick which is weird to say but actually very nice? My favorite thing about these is that they are SO easy to clean, which I like much better than a floppy silicone moment. 

8.Portable Sound Machine

I have talked about this portable sound machine before–I think on my diaper bag post and my flying with babies post. This is one of my absolute favorite baby items that we still use to this day! We use this to create a little ambient noise cushion for when we need to nap Emmie on the go. I’ve used this: on my lap when she naps on me on the plane, hooked to the top of her car seat when she falls asleep in the car, in the drink pocket of our stroller for walking naps, and on the ground next to her pack n play/in the Slumberpod when we are traveling. It’s SO useful and really affordable. 

9. Be Well by Kelly Grass-Fed Beef Protein Powder

We take this protein powder every single day, as we use it as a base for our green smoothie. Check out my fill review of it here. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know that Tyler and I are religious about our green smoothies. We start every day with them and have for over 5 years. It’s something simple that keeps us on track even if the rest of the day ends up being messy, know what I mean? This protein powder tastes AMAZING but even more importantly has only three (3!) ingredients: beef protein isolate, organic cacao, and organic monk fruit extract. 

I lost nearly half my hair volume after I had Charlotte. It was jarring, to say the least. A lot of it grew back when I was pregnant with Emmie, and then I didn’t lose ANY after she was born. The only difference I can point to is that I was taking this grass-fed beef protein powder as opposed to the plant-based one I was using when I had Charlotte. From my understanding, this could have something to do with the fact that the grass-fed beef powder is a more complete protein profile and more bioavailable than a plant-based protein. And, look, okay, I’m not a scientist, so don’t come for me. Just sharing my experience! I think it’s a helpful anecdote, if anything. 

I order this powder once a month or so and use it to make a bunch of prepped/ready-for-the-blender smoothies for the freezer. 

You can also order this powder straight from Be Well By Kelly’s website and use my code RUTH for $5 off your first purchase!

10. Purederm Collagen Eye Pads 

This one of my favorite, inexpensive pick-me-ups. I’ve talked at length about my morning routine, so I won’t get into it too much here. But I like to put these on first thing in the morning, right after I ice roll my face. I leave them on while I do my “morning pages” journaling. These aren’t state of the art or anything, but they are made with green tea and collagen. They are very refreshing and help with my under-eye puffiness. I LOVE these for travel too, since it seems like my face blows up like a puffer fish when I’m off my routine, lol. 

What is your favorite thing on Amazon?!