Stay at Home ZooKeeper Amazon & Target Purchases January 2021

Based on my Instagram stories there was an interest in monthly purchases made on Amazon & Target. I share what I got, links to the products, and a little review of the product.

Amazon

Milk Frother– I have loved this! It has taken my usual creamer up a notch and the packet hot chocolate has never tasted better! It does not heat up but does mix. The stand is perfect.

Copper Coffee Spoons– I purchased these to go on the coffee bar and for Alex to stir his coffee. They match the copper in the kitchen and look adorable in the themed mug I put out each season. I have not used them enough to know about color staying quality on them.

Ornament Box– I purchased this when putting Christmas ornaments away. I have this exact one already but we needed more. I have sorted my ornaments into kid friendly and adult ornaments in these. They are protective and sturdy. The sides are flexible, not hard, so there is give to fit sized ornaments, and they are protected, but it would not hold up to a smash. I don’t know I would move or something like that with this box as the sole protection.

Steps to reading books– Stella is getting very close to reading and I knew princesses would be motivating to her. They went on sale (and I believe they still are) so I jumped on them. I think she will get them for Easter.

Poke a Dot Books– Nolan recently showed interest in these books so I got him them for Valentine’s day. He loves the sounds and sensory and it helps to keep him engaged in reading. I have heard many many parents recommend these books and will also be one to do so. They do have weak spines so they tear often, but it was suggested to just keep the pages if that happens, since the pages still pop and are motivating.

Mittens– My kids wont wear the stiff waterproof mittens because they cant move their hands enough. I needed a couple extra pairs of mittens for when we need to trade out for wet ones. I got Stella and Bryce the Large pink and gray 2 pack. Stella pink, Bryce Gray. I got Nolan the XL blue and black 2 pack. They all very much like these mittens, they wash well, and Nolan chews on the thumbs of mittens and he hasn’t gotten through these yet!

Pillowcase– Bryce has started using a pillow and I needed a pillowcase for him. I got a leaf print that is no longer available. These are great quality, fit well, and I love the print. I haven’t washed yet.

Drawer Organizer– I purchased this for school snacks. Took a minute to put together and it is a perfect. Stella can self sufficiently pick her snack. It fits well in our cabinet (lower).

Hair Finishing Stick– For those flyaway hairs. I have recommended this a couple times and it is a part of my daily routine. I continue to purchase these. They come in a 2 pack and I just bought my second 2 pack.

Tegaderm Patches– These are the patches we have found to hold Nolan’s patch on the best. They are flexible and seem to go less noticed due to that fact. He also has to work hard to get a corner up to actually remove it so we can see him trying before he gets it off. This size has proven to be the best fit for him, too.

Citrus Juicer– After visiting Nate and Sharon and seeing them use their juicer for limes, I decided had enough squeezing all the citrus from our box meals and having it drip down to my elbows. It came up on deal of the day and I jumped on it. Even not on deal of the day, it is a good price and a good purchase.

T-Shirt 2 pack– Nolan needs to do a shirt for 100s day. We are going to have him stamp 100 fingerprints. We will make it a sensory project as well as a counting project. (I am going to draw 10 circles and have him help me put 10 fingers in each circle). I wanted cheap shirts to do this on. It was cheaper to buy a 2 pack so I went with a color I liked and figured we would have one plain shirt and done 100s day shirt.

Bronze colored Toaster- Our toaster started only toasting on one side. We opted for a new toaster. I found this one that was pretty/matched my kitchen, digital read out (so no more how long yet questions!), and had a 4.8 star rating. I’ve made toast a couple times and it is really nice. I love how it looks. Who knew you could get excited about a toaster. (This is being 33 apparently).

Small Flag Stand– I am not going to be able to use this until spring. I purchased it because it came up on deal of the day and had what we have been looking for, a clip for the bottom to keep the flag from flipping over. It is plastic so I am not sure how sturdy. We may use the clip from this on our study metal stand.

Jeans– These were purchased simply because they came up on Deal of the Day for 66% off. I thought I would try them, I do get dressed occasionally. At the time of this post (Saturday) this color is still 66% off. I have not worn them or washed them, but trying them on today, they fit true to size. They do not have a lot of stretch, but it will work. I am only 5′ so they are long on me, but nothing a cuff can’t fix.

Sweatshirt– I got this as it came up on a deal of the day. I thought it could be dressed up and down. I got Olive green because I am a sucker for a green. It also had pockets. I got it today and have tried it on (with the jeans) and it fits true to size. It is more of a thicker t-shirt material but it is soft. As of today (Saturday) it has a $2 coupon.

Backpack- After our trip to Hawaii, I realized I needed a different kind of back pack. The purple one protected my lap top and was pretty, but it was too slim for my needs. I ripped a seam on the side trying to put too many things inside. If you know me, I am a notorious over packer so too slim of a backpack wasn’t going to fly. I went with Jansport because I know and trust the name. I picked the print as it was the cheapest print at the time. I do really like it though! I did make sure it had a laptop sleeve inside. At the time of this post (Saturday) it was 60% off.

Backpack organizer- I saw this on LoverlyGrey and knew it would take my back pack for all situations, pretty much replacing a diaper bag up a notch! I got tan which doesn’t look like its in stock currently.

Subscribe and Save

These are the items that are individually set to arrive on their own schedule. You pick the day of the month each month for them to come. Mine ended up being the 10th of ever month. You save varying percentages by signing up for subscribe and save. There is a starting savings, and you can unlock better savings when you have a certain amount of items. Some months we hit the max and some we do not.

T-Gel Shampoo-sometimes you need to go back to the basics- I use T-Gel Shampoo every few washes to help with my scalp. Smells awful and probably isn’t very clean, but does its job I get every 6 months.

Chewy Granola Bars Variety pack– All 3 kids love these. They are not the most nutritious, but they love them. It is a food Nolan actually eats so I run with it. We get this box once a month.

Coffee Pods – we tried a few flavors before we found this one. Alex and I both love it. We get 2 boxes a month (enough for us each to have about a cup a day).

Target

Valentine’s Day Shirts– I got all the kids Valentine’s day shirts from Target. Sizes are limited. Nolan 5t, Stella 3t, Bryce 18 months.

I love you pot – I got this for valentine’s decor but it is so cute and not too valentines like that I may leave it out more!

Coffee Container – I wanted a coffee container for the loose grounds of coffee we got for Christmas from Nate and Sharon, but I also wanted to have grounds available for bigger pots of coffee (our moms drink more than we do). Now we have the perfect look to the coffee bar and its functional. The spoon does fall out frequently, but it is nice to have it close always.

Pillowfort had a big 40% off sale in January. I purchased these items as a part of that sale. I am pleasantly surprised how well the bath caddy sticks to the wall. The quote panel is larger and even better in person than this photo! We already have and very much like the look of these storage baskets so we added a couple more for Stella’s room. We also got the large storage basket to hold all her stuffed animals. It is working great for that! Stella is getting the ballerina for her Valentine’s day Gift. I always need more labels for the toys! These fit on the fabric cubes great. I have noticed the newer batches make the marker bubble a bit, like it has a waxier coating on it. I just wipe down first and do 2 coats of writing.

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Stella Dress – this was on clearance so I got it for Stella. We love the color and the dress is beautiful but OMG so.much.glitter. It is not on the top or even the outside layer of the dress, but the under tool. Nolan was covered, the bus seat, the classroom carpet, her backpack. So much glitter.

Masks– I got these masks for Alex for Hawaii. He got the L/XL He really likes the way they fit. They also have a little metal piece on the nose and are reversible.

Joggers – I got these on a whim and OMG I love them. They are comfy, fit true to size, and are a staple in my home wear now.

PJ Set – Originally for Hawaii (I was staying with my brother so I wanted cute but conservative PJs) but the air conditioning was cold enough I wore pants. I am still excited about these for WI summers. Love a cute set. I did try on, true to size.

Bralette – After nursing 3 kids, I am left with not much left on my chest. Even A cups were too large and folding in most cases. I needed a bralette with padding, but I also wanted one with skinny, straight back straps to allow me to wear tank tops. I went with the sizing on the tag and it fits perfect. I think I may need to get more.

Floral Dress – I purchased this dress in Hawaii when I needed one more dress for the luau. It is technically a maternity dress, but I think that mostly comes from the stretch (which it has a lot of it would totally work for maternity too) but the cut is flattering as well. I love this dress and got a lot of compliments! I got my true size, if between sizes you could size down because of the stretch and the cut is flattering.

Extension Cord – I needed a short, flat base, 3 prong extension cord for the coffee bar. I wanted the table to be closer to the wall and the Keurig has 3 prongs.

Coffee Mugs – with all the foam/frothing I wanted a mug that was a little taller. I found myself always gravitating towards my taller mugs and this 2 pack was a great price. I have used them quite a bit and find myself repeatedly picking this mug, so thats a win! Currently the color I got is out of stock, but you can be notified when it comes back in.

14″ Faux Eucalyptus Wreath – This was a random purchase that was too pretty to pass up. It was for the window frame above our couch or our front entry way and so far it looks great in both locations so I will play with it seasonally. 14″ is not much larger than a frozen pizza for perspective.

In Hawaii, we had to make a food run and a sunscreen/aloe run. We needed food for the flight home, and sunscreen since we couldn’t pack more than 3oz containers of sunscreen.

What do you think?

I took the time to do this monthly recap in January based on the interest on my Instagram stories, but I want to know: was it worth it? Did you like it? Is there more you would like from this type of post? Tell me in the comments!