I went through my entire list of Amazon purchases from the past 365 days. These are the 21 things that surprised me the most with how much better, easier or fun they made my life.
Have you ever seen someone more pleased to be wearing coveralls? This was just before helping a friend move mulch (which I ended up not doing and instead watched her husband do it). So all-in-all a good day with reason to pose like a gold medal gymnast.
These coveralls are one of the 21 things I bought, having no idea how much I'd love them.
I'm not encouraging you to buy more crap. What I am doing is showing you the crap I bought and telling you that I genuinely approve and recommend it all based on experience.
Don't buy things if you don't need them. Honestly. Don't.
If you need to be an Amazon Prime member to buy any of these items for the best price just join Prime free for 30 days and then cancel it. Schedule a reminder on your calendar.
That's exactly what my mother Betty did years ago. She joined Amazon Prime for one thing (no idea what it was) and then before the month was up cancelled it.
Since then, I've just ordered whatever she wants under my own Prime account and have it shipped to her house.
But if you order a few items a month it's worth the $10-15 monthly fee. Prime members get items cheaper, you get free 1-2 day delivery, plus Prime music and video streaming. I never ever use the music but I do use the Prime video streaming.
NOTE
It's Amazon Prime Day
If you click on any of my links and buy something (anything, not just the product I featured) or join Prime, I'll make a commission.
Because today is Amazon "Prime Day" I make a larger commission today.
Prime Days are Amazon's version of Black Friday.
💰 Normally an affiliate like myself earns a $3 bonus when a reader signs up for Amazon Prime.
💰💰💰💰💰 During Prime Days that bonus increases to $15 for every Prime signup. Even if you cancel I get to keep that money.
If you have questions about any of these products, just ask me. I own and use them all.
My 21 Best Amazon Purchases
2022/2023
- I have wanted pizza boxes for my pizza oven leftovers for years. I finally got 'em.
- I. knew I'd like these mechanics coveralls for gardening in the spring and fall. I didn't know I'd LOVE them. I'm 5'3, 110 lbs and bought a men's size 34.
- Waxed canvas log carriers are just something you need if you have a wood burning fireplace. These ones have been durable and surprisingly easy to keep clean.
- 14" Birchwood paint sticks are perfect FOR PLANT LABELS.
- A new dog treat puzzle for Lip because the mental stimulation keeps him busy and tires him out. *A reader alerted me to the fact that these treats are made in China & the Canadian government doesn't regulate dog treats that come from other countries. Her dog and many others have, in the past, become very ill from dog treats from China and Thailand. Many dogs have died from them.
- The Pizza Bible is my pizza bible.
- It makes me happy every time I use this gold Aarke water carbonator. I featured it on my Christmas Gift Guide a few times over the years. I drink WAY more water now.
- My shower cap makes me feel like Madonna in the Borderline video.
- A stainless steel watchband for my Apple watch. It's weighty & feels like an old fashioned man's watch.
- If you own cast iron and you don't have a pan scraper you really do need to get some. I use pan scrapers for EVERYTHING from scooping out solidified fat from pans to cleaning cast iron by using a pan scraper to knock off the high carbon spots. The one I've linked to is different than mine. It's BETTER than the one I got, because it has one edge that's pointed and would be good for getting into casserole corners.
- A steel garden hose looks good and will never kink. It's also lightweight. I've only had it a couple of months so I can't comment on its longevity. The first few times I used it it left my hands dirty, but that stopped almost immediately. It makes me less angry than a traditional hose or the expandable ones that blow up.
- Milkshake leave-in conditioner. It smells like a candy concession stand.
- I have a bad habit of leaving my water timers hooked up throughout winter. This Orbit timer is the one I always buy, break, and then buy again. It's the simplest, most straight forward water timer I've used.
- I'm considering buying this whole set of Carote pans. Reader Randy gifted me with one pan. Then I bought another one. Then I bought 2 more as Christmas gifts. If you cook, I'm almost positive you'll love it too.
- My mandolin of choice! Straightforward adjusting of thickness, plus a blade that doesn't bend easily while pushing a dense sweet potato through. That means even slices always.
- Organic phytoplankton soil enhancer from Canadian West coast company, Marphyl. I'll be using this in an upcoming post on "fertigation", which is the process of fertilizing automatically with a drip system. It can also be used like any other fertilizer in a watering can or on a hose.
- I think these velvet panels that I hung on either side of my living room entrance are just about my favourite purchase from the past year. They come in different lengths, different colours, they're soft and they look expensive.
- Squirrel finger puppet. I'm not sure how to justify or explain this one.
- I believe these baked duck breast dog treats are only available in Canada. You can get them on Amazon or I've also found them in Canadian Tire. I've never met a dog that doesn't go nuts for them.
- A black light flashlight which probably seems more nefarious than it is. I am seeking out neither blood nor urine. I'm hunting tomato hornworms, which glow in the dark.
- Pucci print dress. I also have a slightly different black and white one which I've never worn without at least 2 people complimenting it. This new one is a bit more Mrs. Roper than I would normally wear but something about it works for me.
Now that this post has been written I'm going to run to my local Italian grocery store to pick up some Italian pizza flour so I can whip up a whack of pizzas and deliver them in official pizza boxes around the neighbourhood one day this summer.
Just for fun.
kathryn
Hi Karen
Starting my Christmas shopping... and, because I'm a tightwad, wondering if you might be able to offer a comparison between Tony Gemignani's 2014 'Pizza Bible' and his 2012 book 'Pizza', which is available for a fraction of the price of the Bible, in the UK?
With thanks in anticipation of your assistance... 🤞
Ei Con
The Pucci print dress is pretty but at 5’1” I’m sure it’d double as a floor duster for me. And I gave up heels years ago. But I did find this dress on Amazon (US) this summer and am very happy. Bought two! Perfect for us petites out there. Many patterns. And it has pocketses! Hoping you can find it on Amazon.ca
Julie Holly
Thanks so much for these. You always post such interesting items.
Patti_is_knittinginflashes
I really, really, really hope that steel hose lasts longer than a season or two. And it does not leak around the fittings. 🤞
Marcia
I had no idea hornworms glow under black light. In Arizona, we use them to find scorpions.
I'm forever in your debt for this new knowledge. I loathe hornworms and can never find them on my tomato plants until they've devoured my first ripe tomato. Now I can find them!
Tricia Rose
Have you discovered Temu yet Karen? My favourite purchase, a wetsuit! Or the tiny pointy cotton buds perfect for makeup correction?
Also a great game to send loved ones links to awful purchases, like a keychain incorporation a handy cosh, or she-wee clones.
Oana
Hands down my favourite line of the post: “ I am seeking out neither blood nor urine.”
Marie Anne
I really want to know more about the finger puppet!
Karen
The squirrel finger puppet was my mother's favourite, lol. ~ karen!
Kay
Do you chase her around the house with it like she did with the long potato eyes? 😆 Or just chase Lip around with it? 😂
Randy P
Thanks for sharing the list - it inspired another gift idea. And I too picked up another Carote skillet with lid, I like the dark color ones. I specifically like the true non-stick surface and the absence of rivets inside the pans. As an aside, you're 5'3"? It will sound nutz perhaps, but you photograph as being 5'8" - 5'10". Go figure. lol
Randy P
And curse me for a cad were I not to note that wonderfully grand things come in small packages.
Karen
LOL. Yes. Both Cher and I look very tall. Yet ... we are both very not tall. ~ karen!
Susan
I'm 5'4" and look 5' life is not fair.
ann
My favorite Amazon purchase of the year is this little Mason jar vacuum sealer. Yes, I have a big vacuum sealer that I never even use anymore. And the jar adapters that come with it are a pain in the patootie to use.
I watched a Youtube video where a lady who does a lot of dehydrating recommended this lid sealer and I had to buy it right away and I have not been sorry for a second...it is cordless with a USB charging cord that I have only had to use once and I have sealed 2 dozen or more jars and the charge is still over 90%. I have used both the wide mouth and regular mouth part of the sealer. I have gently pried a sealed lid off and resealed it easily...I can not recomend this baby enough for sealing dry goods in jars for long term safe storage.
ann
well, darn. Seems your comment section doesn't support links...Here is the actual description for the product..
Electric Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer, Cordless Vacuum Sealer Kit for Wide-Mouth & Regular-Mouth Mason Jars, for Food Storage and Fermentation, Black
Karen
It should! I'll look into it. I'll see if I can add the link to your comment. ~ karen!
Karen
Also, that sealer looks GREAT! I'm adding it to my want list. I love it. I have the Foodsaver one and it is a pain.
Linda mostly in Montana but sometimes Arizona
And in case you’re into that sort of thing, scorpions fluoresce under black light, and it’s really fun to go out looking for them after dark in Arizona. If you’re into that sort of thing.
Karen
Who WOULDN'T be into that sort of thing?!! ~ karen