The vibes have shifted and it’s now fall! The kids are back in school and you’re probably shopping for lots of snacks and starting to think about Halloween costumes and even… dare we say it… stocking stuffers for the holidays. And so you’re probably filling your cart on Amazon. Well while you’re there, we have some suggestions for you — stuff that’s made our lives a little better or easier. Need a new breakfast idea? An immunity supplement to fight off those back-to-school germs? Maybe a better alarm clock? We’re here to help.
1. Overnight Oats Containers with Lids
I’m one of those people who really likes overnight oats. But somehow I always manage to misplace jars, or they break, or I use them for other things besides oats. So I had to recently restock. These were fed to me by the Amazon algorithm gods and I really like them. They’re easy to clean, big, and I like that the jar lids are colorful. They spruce up my fridge. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
2. Soundcore by Anker Noise Canceling Headphones
I bought these for a recent flight to Disney and can’t believe nobody ever told me how great they are for plane anxiety. Planes are loud and the noise was really upping my fear. I was noticeable calmer once I turned these on even through some turbulence. My whole body relaxed and I really heard nothing around me including many crying babies and barking dogs. Life changing. — Katy Elliott, Senior Editor, Personal Stories
3. Blowfish Malibu Cambria Kids’ Shoes
I have the hardest time finding cute, simple, high-quality sneakers for my kids for back to school. I feel like we never have luck at Target, and my kids are so incredibly picky… enter Blowfish. I love everything about their kids’ shoes, from their simple, classic styles to the quality of their products and their price points. Bonus points that this shoe has laces but is also a slip on. Both my kids love them. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social
4. USB C Charger Block
My husband has the fancy newer iPhone that requires different plugs, so all our old charging blocks are pretty useless to him. I bought a few of these so that we can both use these charger blocks. Now I have to go through my stash and donate the old ones. — Kate Auletta
5. KleverCase Universal Book Cover For eReader
I’m on my third of these adorable eReader cases, because I am extremely hard on my Kindle — I’m probably replacing them annually. But I don’t care, because they’re cute and they feel so nice in my hands. — Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor
6. Illyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream
I finally got on the prescribed tretinoin train, which to me means those chemicals are doing the real anti-aging and brightening work so my moisturizer can be just straight up moisturizer, not expensive potions with random ingredients that make promises I certainly do not fact check. I am sure it was Reddit that told me about Illyoon, a Korean skincare brand that is affordable and pleasant and gets the job done. No more $80 Sephora nonsense! — Meaghan O’Connell, Senior Features Editor, Romper
7. WipeMate Sneaker Cleaning Wipes
My older daughter is all about the white sneaker trend right now. Which is great, but she freaks out whenever they get dirty. But no worries — we got a package of these sneaker cleaning wipes, and my Type A daughter uses one every day after school. I love how they’re textured to really clean the leather. — Sarah Aswell
8. Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler Trillium 40 Oz
I would call myself somewhat of a water bottle connoisseur. I’ve tried them all, and I have to say…I think I found The One. I’ve always been a Hydro Flash girlie, but kind of switched it up once other water bottles offered nifty handles. Enter: The All Around Travel Tumbler. Keeps things cold, fits in the car cup holders, and is so easy to wash. You can take the top completely apart so you don’t ever worry about weird places mold can grow. — Katie Garrity, Editor, News & Social
9. Baloo Queen Weighted Blanket
I love weighted blankets, but the one I had was really heavy and aggressive. This one from Baloo lets you choose your weight, and I was able to get the 15 pound option, which was exactly what I was looking for. These blankets are also sustainably made and super-duper soft. I love mine so much! — Sarah Aswell
10. Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
This is my go-to baby gift. My kids were MESMERIZED by the colors and music when they were babies; I give these to everyone with newborns because they’re great for travel specifically. 11 years later and this never fails. — Kate Auletta
11. Ere Perez Carrot Pot
I am not a make-up person. I’m a busy single mom and it just takes up too much time and effort for me. But these little carrot pots from Ere Perez are the perfect thing to keep in your purse to just give my lips and cheeks a little color during the day. It looks super subtle and natural and it’s vegan and cruelty free. And… the little glass jars have 1990s Bath and Body Works energy that I love. — Sarah Aswell
12. Hatch Restore 2 Sunrise Alarm Clock
I’ve seen many-a-influencer start their “Day In The Life” videos by hitting the snooze button on their fancy Hatch alarm clocks. I often wondered what the big deal was about them, especially for the price… and then, I got one. This alarm clock wakes me up with a gradual sunrise, plus once my alarm goes off, my husband and I (and usually our daughter) are woken by the sound of flutes. My daughter seriously gets mad when I turn it off, she loves it so much. — Katie Garrity
13. Laundry Bags
One of the worst things about coming home from vacation is unpacking your suitcase, but this made it just a little bit easier. No more sorting through “what’s clean/what’s dirty.” Pop all the gross sweaty clothes in here, and then pop it in your suitcase without worrying about clean and dirty items mixing around. Toss the bag in the laundry room when you get home and the job’s half done! — Jamie Kenney, Associate Editor, News & Entertainment
14. Stomp Rocket Ultra Rocket Launcher
Whenever I need a moment of peace, and for my daughter to blow off some steam, I bust out the classic Stomp Rocket. Easy set-up and clean up, the Stomp Rocket makes for hours of fun for my kids. — Katie Garrity
15. Waterdrop Hydration Cubes
I get a lot of samples of stuff in the mail, and it feels like powered hydration drinks are sent to me by the dozen. Most of them are gross. So imagine my surprise when I try these hydration cubes and fall in love! They taste great, they dissolve fully, they are super easy to carry, and they come in great flavors. I brought a box with me to Disney World and managed not to die of heat stroke with their help. — Sarah Aswell
16. AIIR Texture Hair Styling Spray
Sometimes, my hair just falls so flat that I feel there is nothing I can do to revive it. Texture spray has helped immensely and this is one of my favorites. My hair doesn’t feel greasy or tangled after spraying it either. — Katie Garrity
17. Shed Raid Vortex 2 Umbrella
Do you really need a high performance umbrella? I got super sick of buying a new, cheap umbrella a few times a year and decided to go all-out with this guy. Yes, it is a little more expensive than a generic umbrella, but the quality is THERE, in every part of this product. Is it weird to be in love with an umbrella? Don’t answer that. — Sarah Aswell
18. Keurig K-Iced Coffee Maker With Hot and Cold Coffee Capabilities
I have never, ever been a single coffee pod kind of girl. My husband is definitely a coffee snob. So we’ve never dabbled in the Keurig world until we got one… and now, well, I’m not sure I will ever go back. THE CONVENIENCE. OH, THE CONVENIENCE. There is literally nothing better than waking up, groggy and grumpy, and all I have to do is just pop in a K-cup and either get an iced or hot coffee. 10/10! — Katie Garrity
19. GuruNanda Advanced Dental Water Flosser
This must be the month of *trying new things* because this is yet another product that I had always been curious about but never pulled the trigger. Water flossers are… pretty great! Though it was a little bit of a learning process to make sure I wasn’t squirting water all over myself or the bathroom, this thing gets out everything. — Katie Garrity
20. Biovanta Immunity Elderberry Throat Lozenges
‘Tis the damn season… for colds! I am very much over getting sick from October to March, so I am working to be as proactive as I can. Anytime I start to feel a tickle in my throat, I’ve popped one of these lozenges in my mouth, and I truly do think it’s helping! They also taste pretty good! — Katie Garrity
21. Colorfulkoala Women’s Dreamlux Workout Flare Leggings
Lulu-who? These buttery soft leggings are so comfortable and cute. Plus, they really have some shapewear effects without actually having shapewear. I ventured out and ordered the brown color, but now I definitely need to add more colors to my closet. — Katie Garrity
22. YouCopia UpSpace Water Bottle Organizer
My love language is organization, and this water bottle organizer makes my heart skip a beat. If you have a large collection of water carrying apparatuses (as I do!) this two-shelf system helps maximize vertical space in your cabinets and pantry by organizing water bottles horizontally on their side. Genius! — Katie Garrity
23. The Original Cincha Travel Belt for Luggage
On a recent trip, I ditched my (very old) tote for the Cincha Canvas Tote with the Travel Belt, and it was extremely helpful for getting from one place to the next (with my carry-on!). The belt fit right around my carry-on’s handle and would work with any bag really. I loved having a free hand so the other could hold my daughter’s hand. — Katie Garrity
24. Mystery Detective Vol. 2
My husband got me the first volume of this game last Christmas and it’s been a great way to keep the family at the dinner table a little longer ever since. The premise is that one person reads a one or two sentence mystery and then answers the other players yes or no questions about the case (written on the back of the card) to figure out whodunnit. The mystery itself is pretty vague and requires teamwork and creative thinking. — Jamie Kenney
25. Pilot FriXion Ball Slim Erasable Pen
Earlier this summer I went to Japan and went buckwild in every stationery story I could find. These pens were among my favorites. They are very fine (.38mm) and can be erased with the rubber nub at the end. But, like, really erased! No ink residue, no mess: it leaves the page perfectly clean! — Jamie Kenney
26. Mora Salt & Pepper Cellar Set
Honestly I was getting very tired of guessing how much a teaspoon of salt or pepper was with my grinders and I knew I needed a better seasoning delivery system. Bonus: I find these utterly charming. Just look at the wee wooden spoons! — Jamie Kenney
27. kelamayi Broom and Dustpan
After more than a decade of fine service, it was time to upgrade my broom situation. I like that this one has a dustpan that does not (I REPEAT: DOES NOT) leave that little “dustpan line” of schmutz that’s impossible to get off the floor. I also like the broom cleaning scraper at the top of the dustpan, which has kept the bristles free from dust and hairs and all the gross stuff that inevitably gets stuck onto a broom. — Jamie Kenney
28. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
I’ve always prided myself on not being susceptible to viral trends but, as a lipstick lover, I will confess to going for this TikTok famous lip color and I don’t regret it. Its claim to fame is that it looks good (and different) on everybody and I can indeed confirm. — Jamie Kenney
