Amazon and I are practically besties. They have everything, I mean EVERYTHING, are usually competitive in their pricing, anything ordered shows up at your doorstep typically in 3-5 days (at least), and their customer service is top notch. So, are those “deals” really good deals? For the most part I’ve had great success with Amazon. If their prices aren’t cheaper than most retailers they’re at least close to brick and mortar prices. There’s also the added benefit of not spending time and gas going to said store, which to me is a win in and of itself. I have purchased a large variety of things from Amazon from food to diapers and everything in between. I’ll share a few odd things I’ve purchased from Amazon recently and why I chose to purchase them from Amazon over any other company or brick and mortar store.
Shapewear
Yep… I know that’s really odd, but I have yet to find shapewear that meets my expectations. I fell into the Facebook Shapermint ad trap. Don’t do it. Just. Don’t. You will be so disappointed. Instead, I found awesome shapewear that rolls very little, doesn’t impede breathing (kind of important…), looks great under clothing, and isn’t uncomfortable to wear all day every day. Two kids make finding clothes that look cute but not lumpy difficult (those little boogers are lucky they’re freaking adorable because they did a number on my figure). Ready for the price? $10.99. No, that’s not a typo! Probably the only negative for this shapewear is that it is made of a silky material that makes some clothing like pants or tights slide down, but that’s not a deal breaker for me.
If the material is a deal breaker I do have a second type of shapewear that I also use from Amazon. This is a little more expensive at $17.04, but it also does the job and is a great price for a name brand item (Maidenform). This shapewear tends to be a little more restrictive, but works great. It might tend to roll a little more than the first one mentioned, but it’s also great shapewear at a great price.
The key to great shapewear is fit. Always review the size charts provided on Amazon. Some of the sizing of shapewear is crazy, so make sure you take note of measurements before purchasing!
Lounge Bras
Have you noticed a trend here? I HATE shopping for shapewear and undergarments. So, off to Amazon I go. I previously had Jockey lounge bras and they were great, but didn’t wash well. They became discolored after wearing darker clothing over them, became very pilled after wearing, and were extremely expensive considering they were only lounge bras. I figured surely Amazon had a cheaper option and of course I was right! Just like the Jockey version they have removable cups, they wash much better, and the price tag of $21.98 for four bras is incredible. Definitely a great purchase!
Side Slit Cognac Booties
I’ve actually had great luck with shoes on Amazon. The best advice I have for shoe buying (or any other wardrobe purchases) on Amazon is to read the customer reviews, the fit guide, and the fit section. Purchasers are usually very truthful and helpful in providing fit feedback. I also always view all photos uploaded by reviewers to see how the product actually looks on and if it seems of high quality in the submitted photos.
Back to the boots… I was searching for cognac or camel colored booties with the trendy side slit. I looked everywhere (ok… everywhere online… kids, work… I don’t have time to get out much, people) and couldn’t find anything in a great color with the side slit. Amazon had what I was looking for! I don’t typically like paying much for trendy shoes, but I figured $32.99 wasn’t terrible for boots I would get a lot of wear out of, so I sprung for them and I’m glad I did! They’re no the most insulated or comfortable boots, but they’re great to complete an outfit. They don’t have a very high heel, which makes them even more comfortable.
Kodiak Muffins
Yes, muffins. Muffins you can make in the microwave with only water in one minute. Need I say more? You can find these guys (in addition to Kodiak flapjacks in a cup, pancake, flapjacks, and muffin mix) in local grocery stores like Kroger and Meijer, but this particular variety is cheaper on Amazon AND it comes right to your door. Sold.
We love these things so much that we should actually be paid for endorsements. My husband and I make them at work and everyone comes to the kitchen to ask what in the world we’re making because it smells so good. These muffins are amazing!
Car Seat Protectors
Car seats and gym going takes a toll on my car seats and I hate seat covers, so I figured there had to be a better alternative than old towels that wouldn’t stay on my car seats. Seat protectors to the rescue! These have been great for protecting the seat from kiddie feet climbing in and out of the car, car seat indentations, and sweaty gym sessions. This particular style isn’t currently available, but there are plenty of other options to choose from.
Batteries
Amazon batteries are a great deal. They’re so much cheaper than name brand batteries, they last about as long as name brand batteries, and it’s easy to keep them stocked up when toy batteries die every 5 minutes (not that that ever happens at our house or anything…).
iPhone and iPad Cases
I typically don’t switch phone cases all that often. I find one that’s very protective (kids…) and just stick with it until it looks like it’s been through a world war then search for a replacement. I’ve found that cell phone cases are always cheaper on Amazon, even for name brands like LifeProof and OtterBox. Of course, you also have to have the fun waterfall cases, because… glitter.
So, there you have it. Some recent things I’ve found on Amazon that were great deals that I’ve found extremely useful. I’ll let you know what else I find!
Every newborn has the adorable little hospital hat, their tiny little footprints, tiny little hospital bracelets, and the ever popular hospital newborn photos. I always want to save every memory, but feel horrible shoving them in a box never to be seen. Well, of course Pinterest had a solution for that. I saw several versions of newborn shadowboxes, but most of them looked fairly large, bulky, and contained A LOT of newborn memories. I wanted something to simply hold a tiny newborn hat (my boys both had two for some reason…), their hospital bracelets, and their little footprints. One thing I noticed that I loved was some posts on Pinterest contained little framed newborn photos. So cute! I attempted my own, so here they are!
I used 8″x8″ shadowboxes, scrapbook paper for a background, 2″x2″ frames for the tiny newborn photos, and tiny clothespins to hold their hats and hospital bracelets. It took me no longer than 5 minutes to make each of them, but now we get to enjoy their hospital keepsakes.
Ingredients
Directions
As value goes, these are a winner, winner, chicken dinner. If you don’t have a Sam’s Club Membership, you can also purchase them 
This stroller came recommended from a friend and I am SO glad I made the investment on this one. When I finally decided having a double stroller on hand would be handy I added this to my Amazon cart. About 5 hours later the listed price was $70. Are. You. Kidding. Me. I have never clicked “Add to Cart” so fast in my life.
These adorable things started making their appearance around the time our oldest was about a year old, so I thought “spend more money on bibs? nope”. This time around I splurged. They’re adorable, functional, and hold up fairly well.
Our first was born in the winter, so we didn’t have many summer clothes for him. Since we had all winter clothes for newborn – 6 month clothing I had to go in search of easy options for our youngest. Old Navy to the rescue! Seriously, though… who doesn’t like a romper? I may or may not have had a cart full of tiny man rompers that day 
We have a billion sleep sacks. Why? Our oldest HATED, hated, hated being swaddled. That little guy would do absolutely anything to get his little arms free. We eventually settled on sleep sacks that could wrap, but we could leave his arms out. He felt warm, secure, and wrapped nice and tightly, but was able to move his arms.
The Engineered Mama 