In honor of turning 27 this week, I thought it would be fun to make a list of 27 random things I’m loving right now. I think this will be a fun time capsule to see what recipes I was making, beauty products I was using, workouts I was loving, etc. and see how these change over time.
1. My one line a day journal: It’s a five-year journal. Each page has a date (i.e. January 1st) and five blank entries, so I will be able to look back and see what I was doing on January 1, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024. I THINK THIS IS SO COOL. And it’s a journal I can actually commit to because all you have to do is write one single line a day. Sometimes I’ll literally write, “I made meatloaf for dinner” whereas other days I can barely fit everything in the space. You can buy one here: https://www.amazon.com/Canvas-One-Line-Day-Five-Year/dp/1452174792/ref=sr_1_3?crid=317TNRVJM3G86&dchild=1&keywords=one+line+a+day+journal&qid=1587848939&sprefix=one+line%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-3
2. My Get to Work Planner: I will always use a paper planner. Always and forever. This is my first year using Elise Blaha Cripe’s Get to Work Book and I am liking it a lot. I like that I am supporting a California-based small business. I like that each month gives you space to reflect on what you accomplished and to make goals for the upcoming month. You can purchase one here: https://gettoworkbook.bigcartel.com
3. My S’well water bottle: You guys, I was so skeptical when these water bottles first became popular and everyone was raving about them. BUT THE HYPE IS REAL. It is my favorite water bottle ever. It keeps my water ice cold FOR DAYS. And it’s the perfect size for sticking in your purse/cupholder/workout machine of choice. I don’t love the pink color I have since it was a hand-me-down so I would love to buy the white marble or gold one at some point.
4. My Peloton: When we first moved to Denver, I joined a yoga studio but wasn’t a huge fan. Then I joined the Barre 3 studio in Cherry Creek. Although I absolutely love barre 3 and definitely want to continue incorporating it into my regular workout routine, I felt like I wasn’t able to go often enough to justify the cost of the classes. I would always get stuck at work late, or I’d be planning to go and then a blizzard would hit and I’d be stuck at home. Finally, after hearing my dad and my sister raving about their Peloton bikes, I tried the 30-day free trial back in the fall. OH MY GERSH I love this bike and the classes so much. I am exercising so much more consistently now and paying less than I did for my yoga/barre memberships!
5. My new memory foam pillow: The last few years I have been constantly waking up in the morning with neck and shoulder pain. I guess I’m getting old. I finally decided enough was enough and bought this memory foam pillow on Amazon. It is not expensive-I think I paid around $30 including taxes and shipping-but I feel like my neck is so much more supported now when I sleep. Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6RQ4FF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6. The notes app on my phone: I think I have about 50 lists on my Iphone notes app. I have grocery lists. I have a bucket list. I have a list of recipes I want to try, trips I want to plan, hikes I want to go on. This might be sad but I think it’s my favorite app ever.
7. Face Mask Friday: This is a new thing for me but I am trying to use a face mask every Friday. It gets me in the mood for the weekend. I highly recommend trying this clay mask by Origins, preferably while drinking a glass of chilled rose: https://www.sephora.com/product/clear-improvement-active-charcoal-mask-to-clear-pores-P297524?skuId=2175388&icid2=products%20grid:p297524:product
8. Vielle Ferme Rose: Speaking of rose, I recently picked this brand up at our neighborhood liquor store. It is so cheap (I think $7!?) and I literally only bought it because of the cute label. IT IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS.
9. Our fireplace: We bought our condo for two reasons: 1) all the natural light and 2) the fireplace. It is a wood-burning fireplace and we are lazy so we usually use instant logs. There is nothing cozier than watching Netflix while a fire crackles in the background.
10. Bev Cooks Blog: I first discovered Bev Weidner through her instagram @bevcooks and then later discovered her food and lifestyle blog. I love everything about it! Bev is so funny and she shares adorable pictures of her twins, delicious recipes, and funny book reviews. My favorite part of her blog are her weekly “Friday Flotsam” posts where she literally just rants about her previous week and whatever is on her mind (i.e. she had a post entirely about losing a pair of earrings when she went camping that was somehow hilariously funny). Check her out here: https://bevcooks.com
11. Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook: I kept seeing this cookbook being raved about on social media so I bought myself a copy about 2 years ago. IT IS MY FAVORITE COOKBOOK OF ALL TIME. The recipes are all healthy versions of comfort food, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. Some of our favorites include: the jalapeno lentil turkey meatloaf, the fish tacos with avocado crema, the lamb burgers, the banana chocolate ponderosa cake, the beef and veggie stir fry, and the flank steak (among so many others). I have never made a recipe I disliked from this book. And her second book just came out so you know I’m ordering that shiz immediately!
12. After School Banana Bread recipe: This is a recipe from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbook. It’s the best banana bread I’ve ever made. I always struggle with loaves because I feel like the edges get overcooked while the middle stays soggy. In this recipe, you bake it in a cake pan so it has more of a coffee cake like consistency. Plus, it has melted butter and sugar on top so how could it be bad?! Her second cookbook also just came out so it looks like I have several Amazon orders to place...
13. La Croix: Just a few years ago I thought sparkly water tasted like nasty ocean salt water. But in the last few years I’ve been looking for something festive to drink during the workweek that is non-alcoholic. I now can’t live without La Croix, especially the grapefruit and lime flavors. I’ve tried other sparkling waters that I’ve enjoyed (Trader Joe’s has good plain sparkling water) but somehow I always come back to La Croix #basic
14. Barre 3: I am not nor have ever been nor will ever be an athlete. My dream day consists of laying on my sofa reading books, drinking coffee, and eating carbs. But I do feel like exercising is vital to my mental health. I tried barre 3 about a year after moving to Denver and this is truly the first workout I can say I truly love. And it’s HARD! You shake like there’s an earthquake during the class and then you’re so sore afterwards that you can’t even sit down on the toilet all the way to go pee (or is that just me?). Unlike other barre classes I’ve taken, I like that barre 3 moves a little more slowly like a yoga class and incorporates lots of breathwork/mindfulness stuff (can you tell I’m a mindfulness expert?).
15. Daily Harvest: I’ve been trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet for years but meal planning and prepping always feels hard. I’ll stick with it for a few weeks and then inevitably fall back into old (unhealthy) habits (i.e. shoveling in a protein bar on my drive to work, snacking all day while working, then eating way too big a dinner because I’m starving). After hearing about this company over and over, I finally decided that now is the perfect time to try this since I’m reducing the number of times I go to the grocery store. I signed up for their cheapest plan, which gets me four smoothies and five lunches a week. So far I’ve tried the chocolate & blueberry smoothie, the banana & greens smoothie, and the butternut squash & chimichurri harvest bowl and I have loved everything. And even though I’m spending money on my weekly delivery, I now only have to plan and shop for dinner stuff at the store so I really feel like it evens out. Let me know if you’re interested and I can get you $25 off your first box!
16. Our new bedroom curtains: We have been on the hunt for cute but effective blackout curtains for our bedroom since we moved into our condo six months ago. Every brand I’ve tried has either been pretty but lets all the light in (which drives Joshua bonkers) or totally dark but hideous (which drives me bonkers). After extensive research and getting recommendations from friends, I just ordered this pair from Wayfair in linen and I think we’ve finally found a keeper. I love the color, which is really more between a cream and a little gray, I loved the quilted look/texture of the fabric, and they actually work! https://www.wayfair.com/decor-pillows/pdp/gracie-oaks-senora-belgian-waffle-cotton-solid-color-max-blackout-thermal-grommet-single-curtain-panel-w000359507.html?piid=1180108426
17. Glossier makeup products: Every time I see their dewey, fresh-faced models on social media I think, “I have got to try Glossier!”. So I finally ordered a few of their products and I am pleased. So far I’ve tried their haloscope highlighter, their cloud paint blush, and their lash slick mascara. Word of warning: you only need the tiniest dot of their cloud paint blush or you will look like a straight up clown. Learn from my mistakes.
18. Fresh skincare products: I’ve been using this brand for my skincare for years and years and I will never quit! Some products I love: their soy face cleanser, their lotus moisturizer, their rose toner, their sugar lip gloss (the BEST). Some products I’m dying to try: their vitamin C glow moisturizer, their seaberry face oil, and their black tea eye cream.
19. Goodreads: I made a goodreads account years and years ago (high school maybe?) and never used it. But recently my sister, who is a school librarian, re-introduced me and made me a brand new account. AND I AM OBSESSED YOU GUYS. I love the yearly reading challenge and find it so motivating. I love adding friends and seeing what everyone’s reading. And I love creating my “want to read” shelf-it makes me feel so inspired to read more (perhaps because it is ever growing).
20. Productive app: Are you someone who feels instantly better when you can cross something off your list? Are you wanting to incorporate more daily or weekly habits into your life but having trouble keeping track of everything? I highly recommend the Productive app! I first downloaded it to help keep track of my physical therapy stretches, since I have to do them three times a day every day. Later, I started tracking other daily habits that I wanted to incorporate into my life such as drinking enough water, moving my body every day, making my bed, taking vitamins, reading, journaling, etc. It makes me feel so productive being able to check these things off my list every day and to see my streaks of keeping up a habit.
21. House plants: Really, I should specify Trader Joe’s house plants. I feel like every time I shop at Trader Joe’s I come home with a new plant. But they are so cute and affordable! I try to stick with cacti and succulents since I have a black thumb and kill almost every other kind of plant. Also check out their fresh flowers.
22. Our new Away luggage: We’ve needed new luggage for forever and finally splurged this year. I bought the white and Joshua got the forest green color. We bought the overhead size and it’s perfect-fits a ton but is super compact. And it has a phone charger attached!
23. Oat milk lattes: Controversial statement-almond milk is disgusting. BUT I’ve developed a lactose sensitivity the last few years and have been looking for a milk alternative. I discovered Oatly milk while working as a barista and I’ve never gone back. Creamy. Naturally sweet. So yum. I’ve seen Oatly all over the place lately, but I also like the Trader Joe’s oat beverage as well.
24. Trader Joe’s frozen saag paneer: So delicious. So easy. We eat this frozen meal at least every other week.
25. My heating pad: So I actually bought this for my physical therapy, as it makes it easier to stretch my elbow after applying some heat. However, I now primarily use it for my neck and shoulders and it feels.so.good. I love that it’s weighted so it actually stays in place. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S7ZJKTT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
26. Airpods: My dad bought these for me for my birthday and I can never ever go back to my old headphones with wires! I love listening to podcasts/audiobooks while I’m cleaning, going for walks, etc. Bonus: I’ve been connecting these to my Peloton while I’ve been working out during quarantine, and they have literally saved my relationship with Joshua (because he doesn’t have to listen to Peloton instructors yelling at me to keep riding).
27. Cannabis santal perfume: This is kind of cheating because technically this is a Fresh product, but it’s not a skincare product SO IT’S FINE. My mom and sister are really into femininie, floral perfumes, so growing up I just assumed I wasn’t a “perfume person”. Then one day, I randomly ordered this perfume. It’s actually a unisex scent that is a little musky (but not in a gross way) and just makes me feel fresh and clean. And it’s affordable as far as perfume goes.
