images via pinterest
What. A. Year. Although this year has been scary, sad, challenging, unpredictable and anything but normal I am grateful for all the lessons and perspective it brought me. Like reinforcing what truly matters to me: my health, my family, my friends, my house and fighting for what you believe in. What I want to spend my time doing: pilates, getting fresh air, cooking and drinking my coffee at home every morning. That you only get one life, so you have to live in the moment and take that trip when you have the chance. And that loungewear eliminates the need to pick out an outfit every day. After the many lessons this year brought I have been reminded about what is important and what I want to spend money on. I put a lot of thought into each of these purchases before I made them and I know that is why they made it on this list. Enjoy!
Melissa Wood Health Membership – I found Melissa on instagram and instantly loved her voice and her vibe. She is so calm and comforting. I always was more of a class girl and had a hard time working out on my own or at home, but once everything closed I knew I needed to find something to keep me moving that I would actually want to do every day. I started with the free trial and ended up doing a video every single day. It was not even a question if I would purchase the membership. I felt so much better in such a short amount of time not only physically but most importantly mentally. I always catch my self smiling and laughing during her classes and am in such a happy, positive and refreshed mood when I am done. I love that there are classes in all different lengths so if you only have 15 minutes you can still do something! I also like combining a few shorter pilates videos back to back or adding on a dance warm up or meditation. Her mediations are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I cannot recommend her enough.
Bala Bangles – See above, Melissa wears these in a lot of her videos (but you can totally do without them). After a few weeks I wanted the option to add a little bit of weight so I looked for these and they were sold out everywhere! I got on a waitlist and as soon as they came I totally understood why they were sold out. First of all, they are cute. Second, they are so comfortable to wear and have the softest feel to them. Third, they come with a zip up case and are super easy to travel with.
Record Player – I pretty much stopped watching TV this year because I just can’t handle the news. I started putting music on all the time but I didn’t have a good speaker set up and liked the idea of shutting my computer at night and not having to rely on Spotify. I had been wanting a record player for a while but was just keeping it in my cart. I got this at the beginning of quarantine and it was such a good purchase. Also, my parents moved this Summer and had a huge cabinet full of records they didn’t want so I went through all of their old records to start my collection. I love putting it on at night when I am cooking, it’s so fun to listen to old songs and really feels like you are disconnected because you don’t have to look at a screen or a phone. I got a new record for Christmas and I can’t wait to listen to it!
Espresso Machine – I am a coffee snob. I used to stop and get a coffee every morning at S&L cafe. It was the highlight of my day, Dan the owner is so sweet and they make the best americanos! Now that I am at home everyday it didn’t make sense to drive to the coffee shop but I really missed my daily espresso. This espresso machine is small enough that it fits on my counter and it’s made in Italy, so you know it’s good. If you are looking for something a little less expensive, I also have this stovetop espresso maker and love it!
PJ Salvage Lounge Set // Top // Bottoms – This is the best lounge set ever. I literally wear this every day. It is a waffle material, with stretch, so flattering and so comfortable. This is my most worn thing this year by far. You know when you find the perfect jeans or yoga pants or etc? This is that, the perfect lounge set. Trust me. I have three colors and wish I would have gotten multiple sets because if they ever discontinue them I will cry. I have a medium top and small bottoms (I like my lounge tops looser though but I would say they are true to size).
Alo Lounge Leggings – Building off finding the perfect pair of yoga pants above, these are them. I also have these in two colors and have a laundry schedule to make sure one pair is always clean because I exclusively wear these now. The fabric is so soft I don’t even know how they do it. And the waistband is the most comfortable and flattering. It is a bit thicker but not too tight at all, it forms to your body so you don’t feel squished or constrained at all.
Free People Bralette – I always lean towards wearing bralettes instead of real bras but these are a new level of comfort. Plus you can wear them for pilates (see above) or you can wear it under your sweatshirt so you feel somewhat put together. In the summer I also wore them solo as a crop top! They pretty much form to your body but don’t stretch out. I got the xs/s and recommend getting a few colors to rotate throughout the week.
Herbivore Hand Sanitizer – I am obsessed with everything Herbivore does and their hand sanitizer has been my favorite. It is a gel, but has a little pump so it’s super easy to put on. It doesn’t dry out your hands. It comes in a glass bottle. It’s cute. You get it.
Bottlehouse Wine Club – Bottlehouse is the cutest little wine bar/restaurant in Seattle, imagine like the little house from The Holiday, but a wine bar. It has always been one of my favorite places for happy hour. When they had to close for a bit I was so worried they wouldn’t make it. I wanted to support them however I could and had been wanting to join their wine club anyway. The theme for this year was organic and biodynamic, so basically ideal for me because that means no hangovers. I get a white, rose and a red four times a year. Their packaging is the cutest ever and I love going there to pick it up!
Cool Biden Hat – I found this account on instagram and love what they are doing. They sell corduroy Biden/Harris hats and all proceeds go to the ACLU or The New Georgia Project.
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