If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I frequently post about my everyday life on IG Stories. Included in those posts are sometimes products that I’m using. I’m always happy to share the products that I love and the ones I wouldn’t recommend. Unfortunately, these Instagram stories disappear in 24 hours and so do all the links. Because of this, I asked my audience if they would like a dedicated blog post to all my recommended links, and surprisingly, over 95% of the few hundred people who voted said “yes!” – so here you go! This has been a major LABOR of love 😆 I racked my brain and hunted down probably more than 200 links for you! (The baby section holds a majority of those links). Below you’ll find speech-related items, personal items, and everything in-between.
Please Note – Most of the Amazon links listed below are affiliate links. This means Amazon gives me a very small payment (usually around 20 cents) if someone purchases an item through one of my links. No companies are paying me to suggest their products; they have no idea I even exist. These are all things I have purchased on my own and regularly use (with the exception of the baby registry section – I haven’t tried any of those products yet). You also don’t pay this additional amount of money, Amazon does as a sort of thank you to people like me who took the time to find links to these products and share them with others. This little kickback is EXTREMELY small considering the hours upon hours I put into this, but I definitely appreciate you purchasing anything through a link below. It does not have to be the product I recommended. If you click an Amazon link below but end up purchasing something else, I still get a very tiny amount back. I’m hoping that enough of these add up and help go toward a new speech item that I can share with you 😊
Top Recommendations for Speech Therapy Materials
Personal Laminator
Lamination Sheets
Clipboard with Storage
Water Beads
Sensory Bin Tools
Sensory Bin Containers
Sensory Bin Bands – (also great for transporting your Crock Pot)
Faux Wood Bulletin Board Paper/Background
Photo Storage Cases (Wal-Mart Link) Photo Storage Cases (Michael’s Link – Only buy when they go on sale for less than $20)
Croc Charms for Mini Objects
Polyzip Envelopes
Dry Erase Pockets
Astrobrights
Paper Slicer
Water Resistant Backpack for my laptop and iPads
Rolling Cart
Velcro Dots
BINGO Daubers
Pitch Counters
SLANT Stand – Absolutely love this combo and the owner of the shop is such a kind and generous woman. Highly recommend supporting this seller 🙂
Storage Bins for all your seasonal activities
Wordless Picture Book Recommendations
“Frog Goes to Dinner“
“Frog, Where Are You“
“A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog“
“Another” – Originally recommended to me by @Havingoursay
“Wolf in the Snow“
“Chalk“
“One Little Bag“
“Tuesday“
“Flotsam“
“Flashlight“
Regular Children’s Books I Frequently Use
“After the Fall” – My absolute favorite! I have some freebies to go with it here
“Spooky Fairy Tale Mix Up” – I let my students roll 1-2 dice and flip pages that many times. They love it!
“Up, Down, and Around“
“I’m Not Just a Scribble” – LOVE the stickers it came with!
“What Should Darla Do?“
“What Should Danny Do?“
“Sneezy the Snowman” – great to use with this Melting Snowman Kit in winter
“There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice” – Great for the first week of speech
Personal Products
Facial Sunscreen I wear everyday and under makeup
Moisturizer– Recommended by my aesthetician
Face Wash– Recommended by my aesthetician
Eye Cream – Recommended by my aesthetician
CE Ferulic Acid– Recommended by my aesthetician
Daily Exfoliant – Recommended by my aesthetician (Do not use while pregnant! Okay while nursing)
Differin– Recommended by my aesthetician (Do not use while pregnant!)
Mineral Powder Sunscreen – Recommended by my aesthetician – This is PRICEY. More than I would pay, but I got it on major sale on Cyber Monday. When looking for a mineral powder sunscreen, my aesthetician told me it needs to me marketed as a sunscreen, not a makeup, it needs to be MINERAL power (not a chemical sunscreen), and it needs to be at least 30 SPF with 50 preferable. You still need to wear a liquid sunscreen at the start of your day. This won’t give you complete coverage, but it will help you reapply and touch up your sunscreen over your makeup throughout the day.
*Note – I cleared some products with my dermatologist, one of which being the mineral powder sunscreen listed above. She HIGHLY recommended using a sunscreen everyday during pregancny and reapplying throughout the day to help prevent melasma during pregnancy.
Chapstick with SPF – This is the only Chapstick I’ve found that doesn’t taste like sunscreen, but I feel like it’s a bit drying, so be sure to moisturize after you use it. I just use Vaseline on my lips before bed and that works wonders.
Armpit Detox – When I first switched to natural deodorant, it was NOT working for me. I walked through the school cafeteria one day thinking they had something with sauerkraut for lunch. I got back to my room to realize it was ME that smelled that bad! 😨 (I’m going to blame it on pregnancy hormones, but I was stinky before all that lol) That was pretty much my breaking point and I was about to switch back to normal deodorant when a few people recommended I try an armpit detox. WOW, total game changer. It COMPLETELY took the smell away after just one use. I started by using it 3 times in one week, then just once a week, and now I use it about once every 2 weeks or so. Very easy to use and I do not smell AT ALL. This is one product that I HIGHLY recommend for anyone who is using natural deodorant.
Natural Deodorant – I’ve tried a handful and I found this brand and scent to be the best for me. Other Native scents either didn’t hold up as well or the texture when applying really irritated my underarms.
$2 Eyebrow Pencil
$5 Mascara – I love this stuff (and so do tons of other people, check out how many reviews it has!), but it’s pretty hard to remove so I don’t use it everyday. Great just for weekends though or weekdays if you don’t mind scrubbing your eyes a bit.
My favorite All-Day Lip
Setting Powder – I tested this against Charlotte Tillbury – Did half my face in this Wal*Mart product and half with CT and noticed no difference at the end of the day. I will only buy this cheaper stuff now.
Makeup-Removing Washcloths – These take your makeup off like a magnet
Wet Brush – Recommended by my hairdresser
Hair-Repairing Treatment you use before you wash your hair
Shampoo
Conditioner
Leave in Conditioner (I use a very tiny amount of this and a few sprays of a detangler that is no longer listed anywhere)
Hair Bonding Oil – You only use a few drops. One bottle will probably last you about 5 years. (NOT pregnancy safe due to the chemical sunscreen found in this product)
Hairspray – I got a sample of this once and was hooked. Hands-down the best I’ve tried.
Dry Shampoo – I buy this in bulk and go through about a bottle a month. I only wash my hair once a week. I tried other brands, including Living Proof, and none worked as well for me as Batiste. Dry shampoo seems to be different for everyone’s hair though, so it’s all about trial and error. Some people are aginst using aerosol products during pregnancy, but to be honest, you can pry my dry shampoo out of my cold dead hands. All ingredients are pregnancy safe, so as long as you are fine with a bit of aerosol, this is a safe option.
My FAVORITE joggers – I have these in 3 colors and 2 different sizes. I searched high and low for something very specific. I wanted joggers that were extremely lightweight, had pockets, tight around the ankle, and can be worn to bed and in public. Found these and there’s no going back!
– Splurge Item – Clarks Wedges – I have 3 pairs and wear them on days where I have to walk miles! They never hurt my feet at all. They’re just as comfortable as sneakers.
Favorite fall/winter fashion boots that I’ve gotten countless compliments on. Size up a half size!!
The best no-show socks for shoes like these. I have two packs of the socks and those shoes in 3 colors/patterns.
Heated/Rechargeable Gloves – Absolute game-changer for someone struggling with Raynaud’s Disease living in climates that get cold!
40 oz Water Bottle I take with me to work, along with the next bottle.
Locking 16 oz travel mug – I use these for water and tea. I love that they have a double lock so you can toss them in your bag and never have to worry about them spilling.
Special mints for chronic dry mouth
LED Dog collar for nighttime
Sleep headphones (wireless and flat on the ear) – great for sleep meditations
“The Anxiety Workbook: A 7-Week Plan to Overcome Anxiety…“
Weighted Blanket – We have 2 to cover each of us on the bed and have enough to hang off the side. I find it comforting, but neither of us need it to sleep. We have no problem sleeping other places without it, but we both prefer to use it at home.
*Beauty products I tested and didn’t care for –
– Anything by Tula. I found it to be a waste of money and made no difference in my skin.
– Tarte Shape Tape – I used it under one eye and did the other eye with FitMe concealer. The FitMe had less creasing. The Shape Tape also oozed out the sides of the bottle, getting all over everything in my makeup bag, which I saw was a common complaint. I wouldn’t recommend it.
– Tarte Setting Spray – Only used it on half of my face once and saw no difference in my makeup at the end of the day.
– Charlotte Tillbury Setting powders – *explained above* and her Pillow Talk lipstick and liners weren’t life changing. Likely wouldn’t buy again.
– Living Proof Dry Shampoo – Like I said above, I think dry shampoo reacts to everyone differently. I felt like Living Proof gave me a weird greasy cast over my hair and made the situation worse, not better.
– Living Proof Frizz Spray – Seemed to work well only in low humidity situations. The second I stepped out of the room at the NJ beach, my hair went WILD with frizz and tangles.
– NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Soft Matte Lip Cream – I wanted to like these because they were cheap and all the influencers were pushing them. I ordered like 8 and they all were pretty awful. Needed to reapply a lot throughout the day and they were really drying.
– DIME, RevitaLash, Pronexa Hairgenics Lavish Lash, and GrandeLash Lash serums. None made much of a difference in my lashes and RevitaLash actually made my lashes fall out in masses! It was awful. I know many people are anti-MLM, and I’ve actually canceled my account with this company (never sold for the company, I have no skin in the game), but the best lash serum I have used is hands-down Rodan and Fields Lash Boost. It has grown my lashes to the extreme, nothing else has even come close. When I canceled my account I figured I’d surely be able to find something just as good, but I haven’t even come close to finding anything with similar results.
Baby Products
I will list what I currently am using/what I already bought and I will list my whole registry to give you some inspiration for yourself.
What I Bought/Currently Am Using
****For hygiene, beauty, and cleaning products, always check with your doctor or do your own research. I had my derm sign off on some products and looked up the rest myself. Ingredients can change though at any time or new developments may come to light. Always do your own fact checking. Anything listed above should be pregnancy safe as well unless I specified that it is not.
– All my maternity clothes are from Shein. Everything was true to size, so I would not size up unless you are much later in your pregnancy. I am currently 23 weeks and still have plenty of room to grow in all the clothes I bought. I found Shein to be the most affordable. They offer free returns, so what I do is order a TON of stuff, try it all on, keep what I want, and return the rest. Easy peasy. Just make sure you keep each item you are returning in its correct bag.
– I want to preface the stretchmark talk with this – my mom and sister both got stretchmarks. I know it is mostly hereditary and I will likely get stretchmarks, too. I am not doing anything to try to *prevent stretchmarks* because that would be a waste of time and hope. I am, however, trying to moisturize as much as possible to get my skin ready for the big stretch. I am told this will help prevent super dry, itchy stretchmarks and instead give your skin the elasticity it needs to stretch (creating stretchmarks) that are smooth and moisturized. SO, with that being said – I use this Oil and this moisturizer every day from my chest down to my upper thighs.
– Belly Band – This was recommended by my OB around 20 weeks. I was already getting short bouts of sciatica and a lot of generalized back pain. I have scoliosis, which is known to make the back pain worse in some cases. My OB recommended the belly band, to try stretching, paying attention to my posture, and then going to a chiropractor if needed and ultimately a PT referral if it gets unbearable.
Pregnancy & Baby-Safe Sunscreen – I did so much research and then searching for sunscreen. This was the best, most cost-effective option I could find an I can tell you it works wonders. I used it at the beach and didn’t get burnt one bit.
Gentle Exfoliating Scrub
Pregnancy-Safe Toothpaste
Natural Hand Soap – bought once, now use the refill
Natural Body Wash – bought once, now use the refill
Safer/Cleaner Liquid Dish Soap
Safer/Cleaner Dishwasher Detergent
Switched out my plastic salad containers for these glass ones
I started storing loose nuts and whatnot in these glass containers
“The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” book
“Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook”
Ovulation Strips – I used these preconception and really liked them. I had purchased much more expensive tests and compared my results, they were always the same. I would only ever use Premom strips now.
*If you want more pregnancy or preconception info – check out my story highlights on Instagram. I’ve shared as much info there as possible, from going on anti-anxiety meds while pregnant to all my pregnancy symptoms. It’s all there.
What We Purchased for the Nursery
Crib – Honestly, not the biggest fan but it is what it is now. The highest mattress setting is still quite low, I see this probably killing my back. The front rail down not slide down. It is a 4-in-1, but the only convertible piece is to turn it into a full sized bed. There are no toddler rails for this model so the toddler bed is essentially just taking off the front rail and lowering it. All in all I’m sure it will be fine and it was on the cheaper side, but if I could do it again I may have splurged and got something better.
Dresser – I specifically got a smaller-sized one to fit our small space and still have room for a diaper genie next to it.
Crib Mattress – I liked that this was dual sided, had TONS of great reviews, and wasn’t too pricey like a Newton.
Organic Crib Mattress Sheet
Glider – This was my splurge item, but I felt like it would be worth it. It is stain/water resistant, swivels, rocks, reclines, includes a lumbar pillow, and has the side pieces for extra support in lounged positions. I sit in it everyday and now do my daily meditations there. It is SO comfortable!
Baby Monitor – We specifically wanted a wifi/app system. People have different views on that and if we lived in a more populated area we wouldn’t have gotten it. After doing tons of research, we really liked this system. We purchased the little stand with it and the small Breath Wear swaddles. I registered for 2 more Breathe Wear sets then. I got the whole thing on sale and saved almost $200 I think. It seemed like they go on sale pretty frequently for holidays.
Baby Swing – Found on Facebook marketplace like new
Baby Jumperoo– Found on Facebook marketplace like new
Baby Registry Items – I used two different lists from other people to make my registry, then I had a bunch of mamas from our SLP community look over it to give me feedback. I feel pretty good after getting so much help and input. I know that having access to hundreds of mothers was a huge resource for me, so I wanted to share that with you as well. These veteran mamas gave suggestions for what to put on my registry, then looked it over when I was done and gave more feedback and suggestions as far as what to add, delete, or swap out. Below you will find links to every item on my list, but I will also include a link directly to my registry here. It’s easier to look at the registry because it has pictures, but do not add anything to your cart from the registry. It will take it off my registry and try to send your item to my house. If there is anything you want to buy for yourself or anything you want to add to your own registry, come back here to the list below and click that individual item. This will break that link to my own registry. It is organized the same way as my registry so you should be able to easily find what you’re looking for.
Strollers & Car Seats – For help with selecting the best car seat for your specific vehicles and situation – please join this Facebook group. It is immensely helpful. I learned you cannot crowd source your car seat selection. It can be very much dependant on your vehicle. We have a 2020 Chevy Equinox and 2017 Chevy Silverado and picked options based on that.
– Graco SnugRide Click Connect 30/35 LX Infant Car Seat Base
– Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat
– Graco Modes Pramette Travel System
– Shynerk Baby Car Mirror
Nursery Furniture
– Fitted Pack and Play Sheets Compatible ith Graco Pack n Play
– Graco Pack and Play On the Go Playard
– ZEBRAGO Cotton Rope Storage Basket 15.7″ x 17.3″
– Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper Bedside Crib Easy Folding Portable Crib,Grey
– Amazon Basics Kids Velvet Non-Slip Clothes Hangers, Beige – Pack of 30
– 14 Pieces Baby Closet Size Divider Wooden Baby Wardrobe Dividers
Nursery Bedding & Essentials
– MyBaby SoundSpa On-The-Go-Portable White Noise Machine
– Nanit Breathing Wear Sleeping Bag 1pk, Size Medium 6-12 Months
– Nanit Breathing Wear Swaddle 3pk – Size Large, 3-6 Months
– SwaddleMe Pod – Newborn Size, 0-2 Months, 2-Pack
– Pobi Baby – 2 Pack Premium Fitted Crib Sheets for Standard Crib Mattress
– TILLYOU 2-Pack Snug Fit Microfiber Fitted Crib Sheet Set
– NODNAL CO. Leafy Bassinet Fitted Sheet Set 3 Pack
– Luvable Friends Unisex Baby Cotton Flannel Receiving Blankets
– Waterproof Fitted Crib Mattress Pad
– upsimples Baby Swaddle Blanket Unisex
Feeding
– Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, Baby Bottle, Medium Flow 3+ Months
– Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, Baby Bottle, Fast Flow, 6+ Months
– Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottle Nipple Replacement, Extra Slow, 0+ Months
– Spectra – Wide Neck Baby Bottles
– Wide Neck Breastmilk Collection Bottle Breastmilk Storage Bottle
– Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle, Level 1 Nipple, 5 Ounce
– Dr. Brown’s 3 Piece Bottle Brush
– Philips Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer
– Bumkins Sleeved Bib/Baby Bib/Toddler Bib/Smock, Waterproof
– ezpz Tiny Cup (Blue)
– Baby Bowls with Guaranteed Suction
– BraveJusticeKidsCo | Snack Attack Snack Cup
– Blissbury Silicone Baby Bibs Set Of 2, BPA Free Waterproof
– Silikong Suction Plate for Toddlers
– Munchkin White Hot Baby Safety Spoons
– Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether with Bristles
– Graco Slim Snacker High Chair, Ultra Compact High Chair
– Muslin Burp Cloths 4 Pack Large 20″ by 10″ 100% Cotton
Nursing
– Spectra S1 – got free through insurance
– Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags, 100 Count
– Maymom Breastmilk Storage Bag Adapters
– Hands Free Pumping Bra
– My Brest Friend Super Deluxe Nursing Pillow
– Haakaa Manual Breast Pump & Ladybug Breast Milk Collector
– Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pads for Breastfeeding
– Lansinoh TheraPearl Breast Therapy Pack
– Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream for Breastfeeding
– 2 Pack Nursing Cover Breastfeeding Cover Breast Feeding Cover ups Infinity
Diapering
– Diaper Genie Playtex Complete Diaper Pail
– CircoTM Wipeable Changing Pad Cover
– BlueSnail Bamboo Quilted Thicker Waterproof Changing Pad Liners
– Putska Baby Diaper Caddy Organizer
– Amazon Brand – Mama Bear Diaper Pail Refills for Diaper Genie Pails
– Diaper Bag Backpack
– Stretchy Changing Pad Covers
– Summer 4 Sided Contour Change Pad
Other
– Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine
– Gibbous Nimbus Wooden Mountain Shelf
– Bebe Earth – Baby Proofing Edge and Corner Guard Protector Set
– GE Plastic Outlet Covers, 30 Pack, Shock Prevention
– Vmaisi Adhesive Magnetic Cabinet Locks
Bathing
– BabyZingles Baby Bath Kneeler and Elbow Rest Pad Set
– Burt’s Bees Baby – Washcloths
– Burt’s Bees Baby – Hooded Towels, Absorbent Knit Terry
– MAGIFIRE Tummy Time Baby Water Mat Infant Toys
– Hudson Baby Unisex Baby Cotton Animal Face Hooded Towel
– Baby Dove Tip to Toe Baby Wash and Shampoo
– Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Gentle Bath Wash & Shampoo
– Skip Hop Baby Bath Rinse Cup
– Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling ‘n Seat Tub, Multicolor
– Skip Hop Bath Spout Cover, Universal Fit, Moby, Grey
Health & Baby Care
– Watolt Baby Nasal Aspirator
– Zarbee’s Naturals Baby Soothing Chest Rub
– Tylenol Infants’ Acetaminophen
– Mommy’s Bliss Original Gripe Water
– Desitin Maximum Strength Baby Diaper Rash Cream
– Medi Frida the Accu-Dose Pacifier Baby
– Baby Nasal Aspirator NoseFrida
– Baby Nail Filer and Baby Nail Clippers
– Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Moisturizing Lotion
– Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops
– MAM Night Pacifiers
– LPOW Forehead Thermometer
– Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
Activity & Gear
– Bright Starts Playful Pinwheels Bouncer with Vibrating Seat
– Mamibaby Baby Lounger Baby Nest
– Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym
– Moby Wrap Baby Carrier
– Yookidoo Baby Play Gym Lay to Sit-Up Play Mat. 3-in-1
– Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier
Toys & Books
– Fisher-Price Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas
– The First Years Stack Up Cup Toys
– Cloth Books (Set of 6). High Contrast Soft Books
– Taf Toys Koala Infant Tummy-time Soft Crinkle Activity Book
– Baby Teething Toys
Baby Clothing
– Luvable Friends Unisex Baby Newborn and Baby Terry Socks
– RATIVE Newborn Baby Cotton Gloves No Scratch Mittens
– Gerber Baby Boys’ 5-Pack Caps
– Simple Joys by Carter’s Boys’ 4-Pack Pant
WHEW! That was a lot of stuff! I hope you found this to be helpful. Feel free to save this as a bookmark so you can come back and reference anything I have listed here. And thanks again if you used any of the Amazon links above to make any purchases. This took me multiple days and countless hours to compile for you, so I just hope it was helpful.