Top Amazon Finds

As a small business, Amazon has been amazing for allowing so many people who would never know of The Yellow Bird to find us. While it may not be everyone's shopping of choice, there are so many great businesses like ours that use Amazon to spread the word on their products. We appreciate every order (on our website and on Amazon) and especially every review!

Every month I do a Notes from Nicole email that often includes my recent findings from Amazon. In honor of Prime Day, this blog post is a compilation of all of those fav lists!

Happy shopping :)

Health and Skin

• Chewable Magnesium- Super helpful for my girls’ sleep (and mine too!)
• Papaya Enzymes- Heartburn/acid reflux help! So easy to keep in my purse!
• Bioactive Colloidal Silver- Silver is a mineral that kills all pathogens. In colloidal form, you can ingest it and use it topically.
• Boiron Rhinallergy Homeopathic Allergy Medicine- My middle is pretty sensitive to all the pollen and seasonal allergies and this helps her have less watery eyes/sneezes.
• Magnesium Chewable Tablets: They are easy to chew and taste great. We have found magnesium to be especially good before bed (helps my girls STAY asleep) and with growing pain! I definitely remember bone pain when I was growing up, and this actually makes a huge difference with alleviating that for my girls!

Household favorites

• Wardrobe moving boxes- Just transfer hanging stuff straight to the boxes. Boom. Done.
• Vacuum Storage bags - You can fit a lot of kids clothes (and adult clothes!) in these and they take up less room than boxes! 
• Neutral throw pillows! I have purchased amazingAmazon throw pillow covers that I use for my couch (inset not included!) and they have the same look asTarget pillows (for a lot less).
• A homeHappy Light. I got it for Colin for his birthday and we set it up on our desk in our home office so we don’t forget to use it every morning. I also used it when I started feeling lethargic in the afternoon. After just 10 minutes I definitely feel more awake (and sometimes I will feel just like I drank a cup of coffee!) The goal is to help set your body’s circadian rhythm so you sleep better and are more alert during the day). 
• Laundry Sorter: 3 little girls, lots of laundry. Each girl has their name on the front screen and their OWN bin, which is great as they learn how to do their own laundry. The bags with the hooks are heavy-duty and it’s easy to unhook them and carry them down to the laundry room (if only it came with a washer woman….)
• CD player: I bought 2 of these bad boys this last month. 1 for the downstairs play area and 1 for my daughter’s room Audiobooks from the library -- yes please! My 4 and 6-year-old are loving listening to Hamster Hero while they play Magnatiles. I also can (old school!) burn CDs of school songs or even fun music!
• BioClean Drain and Septic Cleaner Enzymes- I had a plumber recommend this solution for actually clearing out our Airbnb bathroom drains. We have it at our house now too :) The enzymes actually break down what’s clogging them and they’re a lot better for your plumbing than draino.
• French Market Bag Tote- I actually bought these to be our shopping bags at The Soap Bar. They are very sturdy and can fit a ton and the straps are padded so they dont cut into your shoulder

Favorite Kitchen things

• Set of 6 Acrylic glasses- look like glass, and don’t break!
• Amazon basic White Dinnerware Set- good size pieces and great price
• Peel and stick wallpaper- I have actually ordered a couple of different prints for various rooms! This lemon one is idyllic for kitchens
• Waterproof bandaids- a little bit of a stretch for the kitchen, but we keep them there for first aid
• Acrylic sorting bins for the fridge - this set is a great deal with a great variety
• Retractable Roasting Sticks - perfect for marshmallows!
• LED Nightlight plug in (set of six) - great warm light and perfect for the kitchen at night
• Half Baked Harvest EVERYDAY cookbook- I make a recipe from her at least 1x a week and this cookbook is so easy to use and has beautiful and versatile recipes! And yes, I love to read cookbooks. I get so inspired.
• I am using this “Bread Baker’s Apprentice” Baking textbook to learn alllllll about bread. Don’t worry, it’s available on amazon and totally readable/doable/not that hard :) 
• My sister also got me Tieghan’s new cookbook “Super Simple” for Christmas and I am making the Pizza Dough (and a couple of fancy pizza’s) for New Year’s Eve.Here’s the link to the cookbook onAmazon. You guys. All the recipes are 1. STUNNING and 2. NOT crazy on the time commitment. Plus the ingredients she uses are whole ingredients (and easy to find.)

For the kids

• The Sky Painter - A biography (beautifully illustrated!) all about Louis Fuertes who is the “father of modern bird art”. We loved that he started the trend of painting birds alive and in the wild and in motion (Before this, they would arrange dead birds and paint them … that way they could get all the details. Louis started the trend of painting them in their habitat and quickly). We had a great time painting birds from our back door that afternoon. Drawing a bird quickly (and noticing details) is definitely a learned skill hahaha
• Telestrations- We played this over the holidays with my sister and nieces and nephews and it is SO MUCH FUN! Perfect for elementary age and up. Think Pictionary meets the game telephone. Hahaha. A great family game!
• Summer Brain Quest Workbooks- They’re geared for the summer so they are not super long, and they are leveled for between grades! We use the level completion sticker chart for incentives. It’s a way to set fun goals :) For example, once all the girls get their level 2 stickers, we will all go to  Marbles (our local kid’s museum). 
• Kid’s Organic Cotton PJ Set- We have loved these – they’ve held up great in the wash, and the short sleeve + pants are perfect for the summer with AC on at night and will be perfect still in the fall!

Top of the reading list (and listening with audiobooks)

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- (about the 7th time haha) My favorite quote from this book is“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” Boom. You are not wrong Ginny. Don’t be afraid to go after stuff, even if it’s scary
• Skyward (Brandon Sanderson) - This is book 1 in the series. SO SO GOOD! While it is Sci-Fi, you totally get sucked up in the story and character’s personalities, struggles, and victories. It’s also very clean (no bad language or too mature themes) so if my girls were around while I was packing and listening to it, I didn’t worry about what they’d hear. So I think it would make a great family audiobook. (And the Sci-fi is not so weird that you can’t pretty easily imagine it)
• Starsight (Brandon Sanderson) - This is the second book in the Skyward series and I am almost done with it! Picks up where the last book left off with some EXCELLENT plot twists, and also character development that feels authentic. I have already preordered the third book in the series that comes out in November! ).  Oh, I listened to the audiobooks on both these titles and the narrator for them is SPOT ON! 
• Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)- A favorite and a classic. This story has always resonated with me, especially because of my sisters and now my daughters (and having daughters that love to write and perform their own plays !)
• Steelheart (Brandon Sanderson)- the newest Brandon Sanderson series I’m getting into that will definitely help the hours pass  :) He is so good at world building.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (for the 14th time :) such a good audiobook!)
• God’s Love: How the infinite God Cares for his Children by RC Sproul
• In Pursuit of Love: One Woman’s Journey from Trafficked to Triumphant(by Rebecca Bender). Ya’ll. I couldn’t stop reading this book. The story is so engaging and hopeful and upsetting (FYI, it is about how she was trafficked for years. It’s not explicit, but definitely real. So I would pre-read before allowing teens to read. That being said, this story needs to be heard by young adults). There is so much redemption and hope. I love following Rebecca (@imrebeccabender) on Instagram and seeing the amazing work she is doing to draw attention to the huge amount of human trafficking that happens every single day in America. Highly recommend! 
• Psalm: The Prayer book of the Bible (D Bonhoeffer) - This book has been an incredible blessing to me. It is small (like 4x6 ish) and only 88 pages so an easy read. But it is so rich, and you want to underline everything!
• The Rose Code and TheAlice Network (Kate Quinn)- World War 1 and 2 era historical fiction. Very well written– you get very drawn into the story- with a lot of great historical information. I couldn’t put them down. But they are definitely tough reads in some parts (some torture, abortion, some language, and general war stuff… so would not recommend it for kids/teens without parents reading first). I learned a lot through these books and was also challenged. 

Wardrobe Favorites

• The BEST black workout leggings: Lululemon dupes that are ⅓ of the price -- they hold up so very well and are soft, but thick and supportive! (If that’s not a 30-year-old mom endorsement, i don’t know what is hahaha.)
• Free People/Anthro Dress Dupe: Seriously one of my GO TO dresses for any/every function! A nice spring day, WEAR IT. A family photo, WEAR IT. A baby shower, WEAR IT. You get the jist. There are LOTS of options, and for $20-$30 they are amazing. The fabric is great, I just wouldn’t put it in the dryer (hang to dry. But as a tall girl, that is good advice for a lot of my clothes) and I would order TTS for a great, loose fit (my favorite). You’re welcome. And I don’t mind if you all match me! We can be a club!
• Linen Shift Dress- So flattering, True to Size, Lightweight, and not too short for tall people! I have light blue and dark blue. I especially love the sleeves. Flattering and not hot! 
• New favorite workout shorts- wide band, lightweight, not too short. Obsessed. If you're between sizes, size up

Let’s get down to business favs 

• I have a blank Moleskine notebook (well, this off-brand from amazon lol. It is hard covered but has thick blank paper. I even staple in notes that I jot down other places, but need to remember later) where I just brain dump my lists.
• Erasable Gel Pens - We somehow go thru a lot of pens here :) I also LOVE to paper plan and make lists by hand. So colorful pens (especially erasable ones, are so so helpful!)
• 12 pack retractable box cutters- These last a long time (if you don’t misplace them…) and they are easy to use. Sharp and not too bulky.
• Amazon Basics Retractable Permanent Marker- A great size sharpie-like pen. Great for writing on cardboard or post-it notes. Also, love that they’re retractable and you don’t have to keep up with the top!
• Ryan & Rose Cutie Holder- I love these for the side of our work tables to hold scissors, pens, remotes, etc. It keeps the table clear and all our stuff in one place. 
• 100 Ways to Create Wealth (Sam Beckford, Steve Chadler)- I loved the bite-sized pieces and practical application from these guys. Also, the fact that they have been in business a long time and have seen and experienced so many different things that they talk about!
• Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy - Learning to be better about sitting with the uncomfortable/completing the boring tasks. 
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz -- I love his writing style and his content is very logical and applicable to a business of any size. 
• Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Builtby Duncan Clark - an Incredible story of the man who built Alibaba in about 15 years! (Alibaba is like the Amazon of Asia)
• The Ultimate Boutique Handbook: How to Start a Retail Business(Emily Benson)- It’s pretty much what the name suggests-- A step-by-step approach to planning a brick and mortar business. I am currently learning about what a brick-and-mortar store could look like for us-- it wouldn’t just be Yellow Bird products, but definitely skin care and home care with a big focus on sustainability (like a refill bar for all our Yellow Bird products! Save money on packaging, buy what you need, and don’t make more waste.. YES!) I’m still in the investigating stage right now (pretty much depends on finding the right space) but this book was really helpful with outlining what number you need to KNOW and calculate to even see if making a profit is an option.

Amazon Gift Ideas

• Boho Tufted with Tassel throw pillows! I loved getting some good TEXTURED but still neutral good quality throw pillow covers! 
• Electric Scalp Massager. Guys, my mother-in-law got me this for Christmas and it is SO good (we got it for Mother’s Day for her… it’s that good!) easy to charge, and you can usually bribe your kids to do it for you! 
• Foot Cream. Yes, it’s our Yellow Bird foot cream, but it is so so good and can be used for all the things… and who doesn’t want smooth and beautiful feet for sandal weather?! 
• Travel Watercolor paint set. Easy to throw in a bag with some paper and just go! I love this set and how easy it is to just sit and do a quick project. (Especially paired with a good watercolor sketchbook!)
• Wyze Smart Scale- this has to be for the RIGHT PERSON (lol !) but this is really affordable version that works AMAZING -- we have had ours for over a year and it tracks great metrics. Great for the fitness friend/family member in your life
• Show me the Monet Card Game- you trade cards of famous art to build the most valuable art collection. I think a lot of fun family memories will be made around this one! We love games! Also, it’s a beautiful game and could almost count as school … (pshh it totally counts… business and art history baby!)
• LCD writing tablets for kids- we were gifted one of these and I bought 2 more for our other girls. They are the funniest, most versatile, non-tablet lap toy! You draw on them with a stylus and erase them with the push of a button! No mess win!
• Shirt folding board- Colin bought this and LOVES it. It helps you fold your shirts perfectly uniform every time. I’m sure you have someone in your life who loves their closet just so… and this is so good for them. My 7-year-old loves to use it when it’s her turn for laundry! Haha again, a specific type of person will love this.

Outdoor Top Finds

• Gardening and specifically preserving food- Ya’ll already know this is ma vibeeee but spring is thankfully around the corner and I need to plan our garden because we will be building raised beds probably next month. I got a composter for Christmas that I’m loving andthis indoor herb garden is NEXT LEVEL AMAZING! (Colin is so good at picking out cool gifts). I love herbs + cooking and the fact that it takes care of itself… yes please. But plan to hear more about this in the coming months. 
• I snagged these snow tubes off Amazon 2 days before a snow storm and they have not disappointed! 3 kids and adults, or just adults can zoom down the hills and they aren’t that heavy (or expensive! I am always shocked when I see plastic sled price tags!)