Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁
I haven’t done a yearly favorites post since 2019, which I guess makes sense given the complete dumpster fire the world has been since then!
I actually hope to do more Favorites posts in 2022 because I really enjoy sharing/talking about things that I use all the time—and reading about other people’s favorites things!
Some links below are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you click through!
GLDN Annie hoops
The Annie hoops are actually my third pair of earrings from GLDN! My ears are pretty sensitive and temperamental, but GLDN earrings miraculously don’t bother them—and they’re also pretty inexpensive. (Especially because I end up wearing each pair for like a year straight!) I wanted to try out the small hoops trend, but I’m really a studs girl, so the Annie Hoops (which wear like studs) are the perfect compromise. Love that the square shape is a little bit different too.
Nintendo Switch + Breath of the Wild
These may be my favorite favorites of 2020-21. (Hello, I am an actual child. 😂) It took some time to track down a Switch during the pandemic (stalking it at Target eventually paid off!), but it’s been well worth it. I love that it has a handheld mode, so I can escape to Midgar or Hyrule when Pops is watching HGTV! 😂
My bffl gave me Breath of the Wild last Christmas, and this game, oh man. It’s brought me back to the joy and wonder I experienced with Ocarina of Time back in the day. I’ve always been an “explore every inch of the map and talk to every townsperson” type of gamer, so an open-world Zelda is perfect for me. BotW Hyrule is a total post-apocalyptic nightmare, and yet it has been such a nice escape from the actual nightmare we’re all living in! 😂😬
Unintentional twinning on Christmas morning! Also, hello to Cat in a Fish Airplane! #iykyk
Purple back pillow
In 2020, I started having horrible lower back pain towards the end of every work day. I actually WFH with the same chair I had in the office, so I don’t know what went awry, but yikes. I tried a few Amazon back supports, but they always felt too big, like they were pushing me out of my chair. Enter this very flat lumbar support by Purple, which has been a dream come true. I very rarely have that back pain anymore! It has been worth every penny.
Amazon Table
I do have a desktop computer and table (basically my set-up from the office) for WFH, but this little table has been great for my laptop—and writing in general. The only annoying thing is that the height at its shortest setting is just a smidge too tall for me. (I’m 5’4”.) But I really like that its “feet” slide under your chair or couch, meaning you can really pull the table in close, rather than hunching over it. Bonus that we are the house of no tables (like, no end tables or coffee tables), so this guy serves many purposes, haha.
Biossance Lip Balm and Glossier Balm Dot Com in Cookie Butter
Buying lip gloss may be one of my coping skills, but honestly, a lot of my finds end up being pretty meh. These two, though—chef’s kiss. They are both kind of thick and not at all sticky, so they’re the two I’ve kept going back to. I really appreciate that the Biossance one is fragrance-free, but when you need a wonderful cookie scent in your life, enter the Balm Dot Com in Cookie Butter. And they’re both sheer (the Biossance one is basically clear) and soak into your lips nicely, so they’re perfect for wearing under a mask! (There is still a mask mandate in my heart.)
Panasonic Lumix camera
My biggest splurge of 2020-21. I’m still learning how to use it, but it takes great pictures and videos even with my cluelessness! I still have my DSLR, but I started having trouble bringing that into places like the Wells Fargo Center (apparently, average folk can’t bring in cameras with changeable lenses anymore??), which piqued my interest in a smaller option. And no one has minded this little Lumix camera! Not only have I had no problem bringing it into baseball games for way-better-than-iPhone-pics, it also takes great flower pics! WIN-WIN.
Pro tip from my years of following sports: you will only take beautiful pictures when you’re not really trying. 😂 Helloooo Nick Maton!
A DREAM. 💜💖
Justin Bieber?!
I’ve never been super into Justin Bieber, though I have enjoyed a lot of his songs over the years. Well, this past year, I stumbled on the Justice and Changes albums, and LOVE. I know they’re not new new, but Pops can only do so much to make me hip. (He is, in fact, the one who introduced me to “Hold On” and “Peaches.” 😂) I love the dreamy, hypnotic beats of Changes. Like, yeah, “Yummy” is so dumb, but that beat, oh man—I try to resist and then I’m all “50-50 love the way you split it, light a match get litty, babe.” My real jam, though, is “Habitual”—the demo version by Poo Bear in Seasons (the YouTube show about the making of Changes—yes, send help) absolutely sucked me in. I am apparently all for haunting celestial vibes. And then there’s the Justice album, which is basically all of my therapy issues set to catchy melodies. (“Deserve You”?! “Unstable”?!) Shout out to JB for making me feel less alone this year! Talk about a whole new perspective for liiiife.
Moon Pal and Pillow Slides
Yes, IG made me buy them. I am not proud to have succumbed to the targeted ads life, but I must say, I do use both of these alllll the time!
First up, “I am an actual child” Part Two. I love me a weighted item (I also have weighted blankets, weighted eye masks, etc.), so a Moon Pal is not really a stretch. I guess I just really like physical weight to accompany the emotional weight of anxiety?? 😂🤷🏼♀️ I keep the Moon Pal downstairs and put it on my lap/chest when watching TV, and it really is quite soothing! It also makes for a great Switch rest when I’m playing BotW!
Kimberley Sustad cannot believe it!
As for the Pillow Slides, it’s not so much that I’m wild about them, it’s just that they’ve replaced my old flip-flops/slippers and thus are something I do wear around the house every day. (Though I did wear them out a few times in the summer, and they were quite all right for that too!)
Not to mention that they are a great accessory for cat snuggles! PUDGE APPROVED.
