Amazon Items We Use in Our Home in Uganda (After Moving From the U.S.)

Making a house feel like home

One of the biggest surprises after moving was how much small home touches matter when you’re starting from zero.

Rugs & throw pillows

• nuLOOM Moroccan Tassel Area Rug (Light Grey)
  Rugs are one of those things that are either hard to find here, not quite the same quality, or surprisingly expensive. So this was an easy “bring it with us” decision. It instantly softened the space and made everything feel more like a home.
• Washable area rugs (boho / farmhouse style)
  We’ve learned quickly that washable is everything when you’re living in a rural area. These have held up really well and handle daily life better than I expected.
• Smaller shag rugs for bedrooms
  Just something simple that makes rooms feel more comfortable and lived-in. I regularly find my kids lying on the floor on their rugs because they find them so cozy. It’s one of those small things that ended up getting used way more than I expected.
• Rug grippers / tape
  Not exciting at all—but absolutely necessary on uneven floors.
• Throw pillow covers
  I didn’t think I’d care much about these, but they really do help make a space feel finished without having to overthink décor.

Storage that actually works

• Large woven blanket baskets
  We actually have a couple of these in different spots in the house. One lives in our hallway “drop zone” and quietly collects blankets, extra bedding, and anything that gets dropped as we come and go. The other lives in my closet and works as a simple dirty laundry basket. It’s one of those things we didn’t overthink at the time, but now we use them constantly without even noticing.

Bed sheets (surprisingly important!)

This is one of those things I didn’t think much about before moving, but turned out to be really important.

Finding fitted sheets in our area of Uganda can actually be quite tricky. Either they aren’t available locally, or the sizing and quality just isn’t quite the same.

So we brought all of our bed sheet sets with us from Amazon when we moved, and I’m really glad we did. It’s one of those simple comforts that makes a big difference in everyday life, especially when you’re settling into a new home.

Kitchen items we use every single day

This category ended up being way more important than I expected. These are some of the Amazon items we actually use in our home in Uganda every single day.

Cookware & basics

• CAROTE nonstick cookware set (22 piece)
  In the village, I am cooking every day—typically at least two meals a day. Some days, I end up feeding not only my own kids but also many of my nieces, nephews, and extended family members, so I need cookware that can hold up to constant use, constant washing, and large quantities of food for 10+ people at a time.

This cookware set never disappoints – this is the updated version of the cookware set I have (they changed the handle colors slightly). I genuinely love it. I actually bought a second set, and more than a year later I still reach for it every day. It just works for the kind of life we’re living here.

• CAROTE 12 piece knife set

Finding good, quality, sharp paring, meat or bread knives has proven tricky here in Uganda. So when we were planning our move here, we knew we needed to move with some everyday knives. I love this set and the safety covers that come with each knife make them safe to have in a kid curious kitchen.

• Wooden spoons + silicone spatulas
  Simple, but honestly some of the most-used things in our kitchen.
• Silicone oven mitts
  One of those small items you don’t think about until you really need it—and then you’re glad you brought it.

When I use them in the village, everyone always notices them a little because they haven’t really seen oven mitts like these before. It always makes me laugh. But they’ve held up so well and make daily cooking much easier.

Small appliances that surprised us

• Holstein omelet maker
  This one has actually been a favorite. It’s quick, simple, and perfect for busy mornings.

Pantry + organization

• Airtight food storage containers
  These were essential for resetting our pantry after the move—flour, sugar, rice, snacks, everything finally has a place.

I honestly brought them originally just for organization. I didn’t really think beyond that at the time.

But living here in a hot climate, I quickly realized there’s another very real benefit—if things aren’t properly sealed, you will end up with weevils and other pests getting into food. That was definitely not something I had on my pre-move checklist.

I’m genuinely thankful I had already brought these containers, because they’ve done double duty: keeping everything organized and keeping our food bug-free.

• Bamboo silverware drawer organizer
  Not glamorous at all, but it makes everyday life feel more organized.
• Countertop paper towel holder
  One of those small things that just makes sense once you have it.

The “this keeps life running” category

• Command hooks + hanging strips
  We use these everywhere. They’ve been especially helpful since we’re not doing permanent installations in every space.

I use them to hang family pictures, mops and brooms in our village house, and honestly just about everything in our rental in Mbale. We do own our village house, but since the Mbale place is a rental, these make it easy to still make the space feel functional and homey without putting holes in walls or doing anything permanent.

I’ve never really found anything quite like them here in Uganda, so I always bring a good supply whenever I travel back to the U.S. I’ve actually run out recently, and they are firmly on my restock list for the next trip because they are one of my most used Amazon items we use in our kome in Uganda.

• Over-the-door organizers
  Great for adding storage without needing built-ins. We use these for storing bathroom essentials in the kids’ bathroom and art supplies and toys in my kids’ rooms.
• Shoe rack
  Keeps our entryway from turning into chaos, which can happen fast in a busy family home like ours.

Kids + everyday life

• Amazon Fire Kids tablet
  Used for schoolwork, travel days, and downtime.
• Echo devices (Dot / Show / Glow)
  Mostly for routines, music, and keeping some structure in a new environment.
• Art supplies (Crayola sets, paints, markers, paper)
  These have been used constantly. Sometimes the simplest things really are what keep kids happiest.

If you’ve ever watched our YouTube channel, you’ve probably seen these art supplies in action more than once. They get used by my kids, their cousins, and even neighborhood friends on a regular basis. What started as something just for our own children has slowly turned into a shared activity in our home and yard—kids coming and going, sitting together, creating, and just enjoying that space. It’s become one of those unexpected, really beautiful parts of everyday life here.

Kindle (my personal quiet time)

This one is just for me.

I use my Kindle in the evenings after the kids are in bed. It’s my little wind-down routine where I can read and reset at the end of the day. With everything being full and busy and loud during the day, this has become a really simple but meaningful self-care practice for me.

It’s nothing complicated—but it’s something I genuinely look forward to every night.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, this isn’t really about the Amazon items we use in our home in Uganda. It’s about building a home in a completely new place, figuring things out as we go, and choosing things that actually support the life we’re living here in Uganda.

Some of these items were practical. Some were comfort. Some just made life easier in small but meaningful ways. But all of them became part of our everyday rhythm.

And in the middle of a very full, very different kind of life, that matters more than I ever expected.

I also put together a full Amazon Idea List with everything we use in our home here in Uganda if you want to browse it all in one place:
Amazon Idea List — Amazon Items We Use in Our Home in Uganda

It’s basically our “real life” setup in one scroll.