Favourite New (Non-Fashion) Finds

I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon Prime. I hate the fact that the whole 2-day shipping thing is largely an empty promise, but I like free shipping no matter the wait involved and I cannot resist the vast array of inexpensive products (and books, natch!) at my fingertips. So there is a fairly regular stream of packages arriving at my door courtesy of Prime, especially as I have grown to abhor large retail establishments of all kinds – the parking situation alone is reason enough to stay home.

Not surprisingly, one of my favourite things to do now is read about other people’s cheap-but-amazing Amazon finds and testing the promising ones for myself. I am actively working on keeping my house as clutter-free as my collecting hobbies allow, so I am fairly picky about the things I actually buy. They need to be functional and/or make me look 10 years younger. Not every single thing has been life-changing, but I have found some nifty things along the way, so I thought I’d share some quick reviews.

Acupressure Mat

I bought the $30CAD version (link to Amazon US site), which I doubt is all that different from the $45 one. Both my husband and I experience tension and pain in our backs on a regular basis (likely from being desk-bound, largely sedentary stress bunnies) so I thought this might help fill the hole between our monthly massage appointments. It’s okay. I can’t say that I have noticed a marked improvement in terms of pain relief, but I like using it as a form of relaxation before bedtime. Not life-changing, but not a complete waste of money either. If you end up purchasing this, just make note that the spikes are extra sharp if you’re suddenly saddled with 40 lbs-worth of dive-bombing pre-schooler; I speak from (painful) experience.

Conair Fabric Defuzzer

For the price, this does a pretty good job. I find that it works best on tight knits/stiff fibers; it doesn’t do as much on my fluffier sweaters. But seriously, can’t beat that price.

Jiffy ESteam Handheld Steamer

I finally did it, you guys. I bought a steamer. The Jiffy was not an inexpensive option, but it had good reviews so I just sucked it up. So far, so good. It gives off a good amount of steam, which seems to work well with silks and similar lightweight materials – the extent of what I’ve tried so far. One fill is enough for a thorough steam of one piece, I find; I’m talking something fairly wrinkly to begin with. I will say that it’s pretty bulky, so I’m not sure I would pack it for travel as some reviews seemed to suggest. It seems like it would be easier to simply pack un-wrinkable pieces instead.

Bathroom Counter Organizer

In principle, I like the idea of using assorted cute trays for make-up storage, but in reality this approach ends up taking over my whole bathroom counter and it doesn’t look as Pinterest-ready as I imagine. Did I mention that I hate clutter? When I saw this $40CAD lazy Susan for bathrooms, I pounced. And it’s fan-freaking-tastic!

[Note: I can’t find the exact listing on Amazon US, but this one looks identical.]

Assembly could not be easier, even for someone as un-handy as yours truly, and took about 2 minutes. The organizer itself is sturdy, looks nice, and does a fantastic job of organizing my beauty stuff. Full disclosure: I don’t have a ton of palettes and similar, bulky make-up products. The only thing remotely resembling a hoard is my collection of lip crayons, and I keep those in a separate jar. But other than those, the organizer handles all of my daily beauty products. It keeps my counter tidy and takes up way less space – highly recommend.

Highlighters Galore!

I am the kind of person who likes to use different colour pens, and highlighters, and sticky notes … and if you’re like me, you’ll probably like these Zebra pastel highlighters. Sometimes, you want something a little more subtle, you know? These are dual-tipped, so you get two different thicknesses; the finer tip is basically like a marker. I find these are great for day-planners and other papers where you’re writing on both sides of the page because the colour doesn’t show through as can be the case with regular highlighters.

I also tried these Pilot Frixion Erasable Highlighters because …c’mon, how cool does that sound? These are also pastel, but I don’t find they are as smooth or as vibrant as the Zebra ones. Even fresh out of the box, they seem almost … a little dry. They do erase, as promised, which is definitely cool in my books.

Woolite At Home Dry-Cleaning Kit

This is not a new discovery but it’s worth another shout-out. It costs between $9-15 for a pack of 6 sheets, each of which can do a load of up to 4 items. I like using this to refresh dry clean-only clothing. It does not get out stains, so keep that in mind, but it works very well otherwise.

OK, your turn: what awesome gadgets/finds have you discovered on Amazon lately?