It’s Top Ten Tuesday, but this week we’ve been challenged to write a non-bookish blog. Something that you may not know about me, is that I review for Amazon.
I’m not quite sure how this came about – possibly through leaving book reviews on Amazon and lots of you lovely people saying that the review was useful? Who knows! One afternoon, I received an email, inviting me to join the Amazon Vine review programme. I did assume at first that this was a scam, but after a bit of googling, I found out that whilst seeming a bit to be good to be true, it was indeed a thing.
So now I get to choose lots of products from Amazon each week, from a list that is released each day. I get to keep them in return for my honest review. I do keep most of it, either at home or in my classroom, but after six months I’m allowed to pass things on to friends and family or even sell it.
I’ve had a wide range of products over the last few years: some amazing, some useless, and some which have just prevented me spending most of my hard-earned money on stationery and electricals. There aren’t many books up for grabs on Vine nowadays, so this is my non-bookish Top Ten Tuesday freebie.
In no particular order, this is my list of ten things that I’ve had from Amazon in the last few months and gave five stars. Enjoy!
After years of staring at the same stains on our carpets every day, and thinking that we’d need to change them all soon, this little beauty has got them all out. I can now keep on top of spills and stains as they occur. Game-changer!
This model is cordless, and comes with a rechargable battery. The lack of a trailing lead means that it’s easy to go from one room to another, and that it’s really safe to use on the stairs. It’s pretty lightweight and very quick and easy to use.
Currently £149.99.
This is a really gorgeous selection of 30 Cath Kidston greeting cards for all occasions: birthdays (adults and children), new babies, new houses, new jobs, good luck, congratulations, weddings… Each card is beautiful, embossed with metallic letting, and of beautiful quality. Even the envelopes are printed, with each card having a uniquely designed envelope to go with it. These just put a smile on my face!
Currently £22.99
![SUNJULY Camping Light,2 in 1 Camping String Lights with 8 Lighting Modes and 8m Retractable String Lights, USB Camping Lights with 3000mAh Power Bank, 4 in 1 Camp Lamp Camping Fairy Lights for Yard [Energy Class A]](https://clairehennighan.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2025-08-26-165452.png?w=537)
I love it when the review programme introduces me to a clever design – in this case, I’ve got a solution to a problem that I never knew I had!
You want a new camping light that’s bright enough to read from in your tent at night, but you also want 8 metres of rechargeable fairy lights that can be easily stored away? I’ve got you! This is a really clever, compact and lightweight design and delivers on brightness and neatness.
Currently £11.99
I’d never really bought clothes from Amazon before becoming part of the Vine programme. It’s great to get free clothes though!
This jumper is so ridiculously soft and comfy. I hoped that I wouldn’t be wearing it until the autumn, but there’ve been a few days this week when I’ve happily snuggled up in this oversized, warm hug of a jumper.
Currently £23,99
Every household has one item that refuses to stay intact. For us, the plastic washing basket has been something that we seemed to be constantly replacing. It’d tumble down the stairs, get blown around the garden, and used to carry around things that are far too heavy. Handles would break, holes would appear…
I’d never considered getting a woven basket but this one is great. It’s huge – it’ll hold a full family load of washing – and flexible. Not as cheap as a plastic version, but it’ll last much longer and it looks much prettier!
Currently £24.99
Bear with me on this one. I know that DVDs are becoming somewhat obsolete, what with everything being streamed now. However… campers will know that when you’re off grid, and off wi-fi, you can’t always stream whatever you want to, and that huge box of DVDs is still sitting in the garage.
We went on a motorhome trip around Scotland this summer, and this DVD player with an in-built screen was great for late-night family movies. All of the controls are in the base (although there’s also a remote), so it’s a case of just shove in the DVD and press play. You can also link it to a phone if you want to watch something you’ve downloading or are streaming on a bigger screen.
The picture quality and audio are both superb!
Currently £99.99
We’ve had quite a a few car vacuums over the years (and quite a few to review!) but this has been the best by far.
Strong suction, compact and lightweight. It copes well with pet hair, and comes with all the usual accessories. Totally recommended!
Currently £39.98
An absolute godsend for anyone who struggles with hot weather or hot flushes. This beauty is single-handedly saving me in peri-menopause.
It looks good, delivers anything from a powerful blast of cold air to a gentle ‘natural’ breeze, and is large enough to cool down a large room like our open-plan living room and dining room. It reclines, oscillates, is quiet, and this copper model looks really good… it’s amazing!
Currently £119.99 (and worth every penny!)
Sometimes, the best things that I get to review from Amazon aren’t the most expensive ones. This is the absolute best sleep mask that I’ve ever had. It’s so good that I’ve since bought three more for other members of my family (in lots of different colours).
What’s so good about this sleep mask? Well, the silk-covered foam shaped rim around the eyes stops the mask pressing on your eyes, something that I hate – you can actually open them without your lashes touching the fabric. It’s super soft, and the wide straps mean that it doesn’t move around as you sleep. It’s also really, really effective as a blackout in a bright room. I sleep on either my front or side, and this stays put all night.
Currently £9.99
10. Car safety device
For a while now, my Facebook algorithm seems to have sent me videos about cars being recovered from rivers – quite often with people’s bodies inside them. I’m happy to see their families know what happened to their loved ones, but started having nightmares about my dad being unable to escape from a sinking car. I’d bought him and myself one of these devices to alleviate my fears, then got offered a set of two more to review, so my husband and sister can also escape alive now (and I can feel better watching those videos).
If you’re stuck in a car and the electrics are affected, it turns out that it’s not that easy to smash a window open, especially when factoring water pressure. Apparently, that TicToc trick of using the headrest doesn’t work under water or on toughened glass. This little gadget delivers a precise blast of air that acts like a bullet, breaking the glass instantly – they even provide disks of glass for you to practice on. The other end contains a seatbelt cutter. We’ve all got one in the central storage pocket in our cars now, and I can sleep much easier.
Currently 17% off for a pack of two, at £9.99
If you want to have a look at any of my Top Ten list in more details, clicking on the headings or photos should take you to their Amazon listing. I’ve put the full product name in the alt text for each photo.
People normally have a lot of questions when they find out that I’m an Amazon reviewer, so feel free to ask away!
![Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted by Sujin Witherspoon [BOOK REVIEW]](https://som2nynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Book-Review-Banner14-336x220.png)
