My Favorite Purchases of 2020

Oh 2020, what a ride it’s been. This time last year I was planning what I thought would be a fun and busy year filled with travel, new opportunities and doing some really fun projects. Well, it was still a fun and busy year but also involved lots of loungewear, time alternating between couch and bed and more time in my apartment than I ever thought possible.

The past year has been nothing that any of us, give a few health experts, expected it to be. I have picked up many new habits over the past 10 months, some positive, some that I’m working to nix.

But one thing’s for sure: I have online shopped more this year than any year in my life. Whether it was order new comfy clothes to work from home in or just trying to cut down on trips to the store to stay safe and healthy, I’ve definitely hit add to cart a lot this year.

That being said, we’re going to be inside for the foreseeable future, so I thought it’d be worthwhile to share some of my favorite purchases from the past year. These are the things that helped me get work done, stay productive, sane, and brought a bit of joy to a rough year.

Home

AKA the place where I spent way more time than I ever expected possible this year. I definitely filled my space with small creature comforts that made a big difference to surviving living and working from home.

Obviously my Nespresso Vertuo Plus is leading this section. I decided to treat myself to the Nespresso after wanting one for years. Not popping out to my favorite local coffee shops early on in the shutdown definitely helped make the nudge.

I jumped on the reusable straws train a while ago but recently upgraded to these clear glass straws. I love that you can actually see that they’re clean when you wash them.

Purchased during the “let me get this house together” portion of early quarantine. My bedroomDresser Mirror is absolutely my favorite part of my bedroom so far (pictured above). I still have a way to go to get the bedroom (and apartment) together but this was a great buy.

My therapist recommended I pick up a SAD Lamp when the seasons changed and the days got darker. I keep it on my desk and turn it on for 15-30 minutes a few times a day, mainly in the morning or towards the end of the work day. It definitely helps me stay focused past the 2 pm it’s already getting dark slump!

2020 was really a quest to up my coffee time. These glass coffee mugs are durable, stylish and double walled, so your drink stays warmer longer. I’ve had other glass mugs that I felt made my hot drinks get cold super quickly!

Cozy days on the couch really aren’t complete without a fuzzy, soft and warm throw blanket. This one was such a great buy and is perfect for a quick couch nap!

Getting a milk frother was honestly what pushed me to go ahead and buy the Nespresso machine. This was such a coffee game changer. Dairy milk and oat milk both froth perfectly in this machine. It also does a cold froth if you’re making an iced coffee/latte.

Clothing

I’ve completely regressed. Sweatsuits are business casual now, and I’m not willing to debate this further.

I discovered my love of Girlfriend Collective a few months ago and I will never share on the internet how many orders I’ve placed since that first one. I haven’t had a miss with them yet, but my favorites have been the sweatsuit, which is sold as a sweatshirt and coordinating joggers. I’m equally obsessed with the bras and own multiple of the FLOAT CLEO bra. It’s the only bra I want to wear moving forward honestly. The one note about this brand is that their sizing is definitely off. I size up 1 size in the sweatsuits and wear a 4X in the bra (I need to be remeasured but I’m about a 42DD). Definitely plan to size 1-2 sizes up in their joggers and tops.

These Old Navy Joggers/Sweatpants were the official pants of the pandemic. I own multiple pairs in every color. 99% percent of the time on zoom, I’m in an acceptable shirt on top and these pants on the bottom.

Faith/Spirituality

I knew I wanted a new Bible and I could not get over the Illuminated Study Bible. It’s stunning for sure, but I love that the pages also have wide margins so you can take notes and engage the text as you read.

I also started using the guides and studies from Daily Grace Co in the morning. They have them for so many different topics and books of the bible and they’re very easy to follow and use. I keep them in a basket with my devotional, journal and other things I go through during my morning routine.

Speaking of devotionals, I picked up the Sacred Questions devotional after seeing it pop up on Instagram a few times and I really love it. Definitely one of my favorite devotionals I’ve used so far!

Writing Resources

2020 was supposed to be the year I finished the first draft of my novels manuscript. Yeah… that didn’t happen. It was a really hard year for my creativity as a whole, but especially for my writing. Still, I made some good progress and these are the things that helped me make it:

Save the Cat Writes a Novel and Story Genius are two of the best writer craft books I’ve read. I don’t think I would have gotten through my outline without the Save the Cat Method. This was my first time really outlining a novel from start to finish and it was the perfect guide. Story Genius was perfect for helping me figure out plot holes!

Alongside the books, I signed up for Jessica Brody’s Writing Mastery course and it was easily one of the best investments I made in my craft. All of the lessons are easy to follow and start implementing into your writing. I’m still subscribed and loving it!

Stationery

You all know by now I love a good pen, notebook or stationery accessory. These were some standouts!

• Mildliner Dupes – these markers I ordered on Amazon are more affordable than the Zebra Mildliners but just as good, if not better!
• Papier Journals – many of them are Paris themed…need I say more?! They also have great paper quality if you’re looking for an everyday notebook or journal. I use one for my writing.
• Daily planning sheets and Weekly planning sheets. Some days, my bullet journal feels too formal and I reach for these for some quick, easy planning.

Skincare/Beauty/Wellness

This is kind of a catchall category for things I bought to try to be a real grown up and take care of myself during quarantine.

• Revlon blow dryer – A friend recommended it and it’s so good! Literally cut my blow dry time down by more than half.
• Liquid IV – It’s kind of kismet that I picked this up right before I found out I had covid. Literally was a blessing in keeping me hydrated while I was sick.
• Cocokind texture smoothing cream – Hands down my new favorite moisturizer!
• InnisFree Hydrating Cleansing Foam and the InnisFree Green Tea Balancing Toner were the saviors of my early pandemic skin freak out and the early days of maskne.
• Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Hair Masque – Do I deep condition enough? No. But this conditioner saves my hair every time and makes up for it. It gives the perfect moisture and shine boost and melts my tangles away in minutes.
• Live Tinted HueSticks – Literally the only make up I need. I use them on my eyes, cheeks and lips and have almost every shade. They are perfect for the person who wants to wear makeup but doesn’t really do make up.

And that’s the best of the best!! Will I order less in the New Year? Maybe, likely not. But I’m glad I can say that all of the above are things I use frequently, brought me a bit of help or happiness and that I’m happy to recommend. My goal for the first quarter of 2021 is to finish getting my home together, so I’m sure the bulk of my shopping will be to meet that goal.

Let me know what you’re favorite buys of the year were, or if you’ve tried anything I mentioned!!

Note: links above are affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission if you choose to purchase, at no added cost to you.