As the song goes, I thought I might share some of my favorite things, or at least a top 10 list of things I reference and/or use in my day to day life.
**I am NOT paid or sponsored to endorse any of these items or things. I just love them or believe in them. I also do not advocate for anyone to go spend money on them. :)**
- Day Planner – I LOVE my planner. Mostly because I got to design it myself and make it the way MY brain works, and it meets my personal needs. I designed it at the Golden Coil website – and you can customize your own 282 pages worth of budgets, quotes, calendars, notes, and more. Love this – and for those of you who love to use a “pen and ink” planner, I swear you’ll never go back after custom designing your own. The paper is a nice, heavy weight that doesn’t allow bleed through. The size is large enough to allow those of us with BIG handwriting to manage without squishing things. I can’t say enough good things about mine!
- In my previous post (click here) I wrote about my morning routine. My alarm clock and my programmable coffee maker are DEF two things I would be so sad to be without. Check out the previous post link and see what I am raving about (and why!). To go along with that – every morning I drink my favorite coffee, by “Death Wish Coffee Company“. I prefer the original roast MIXED with the (seasonal) pumpkin spice roast. WARNING: Their coffee has SUPER HIGH caffeine levels – so don’t go wild out the gate! I also love the Teavana brand “Earl Grey Creme” hot tea sachets. They are Earl Grey – but with an added hint of vanilla and lavender – but again – they are FULL caffeine so best not before bed.
- Budgeting/Finance – My budgeting app of choice is the Dave Ramsey brainchild called “Every Dollar“. I have implemented various pieces of his financial guidance in my life – but this app is something I use literally every day. I have used it for over two years and it helps me build a “zero based budget” – but also to track my spending/transactions.
- Fitness – Peloton Bike & Boxing Gym – I LOVE love love my Peloton Bike. For less than a monthly “boutique” spin membership – I have a bike in my house, hand weights, shoes, and access to ALL the Peloton workouts on the app. I can also have up to 16 friends/family on my account for NO added charge! If there’s interest – I can write a FULL blog post just about my bike. Also, one of the most important parts of my “fitness journey” in the past year has been the boxing style training I took part in, and the family I found at Xplicit Fitness in San Diego, CA. They are not just a gym, but a place that cares about having FUN, building community, focusing on nutrition, and of course – working out with awesome classes!
- Skincare – Curology has been my miracle in a bottle – but really it’s not a “miracle,” it’s just customized for my actual skincare needs. Easy, convenient and affordable, I have photographic proof of the results. I have long struggled with adult acne (and the dark spots left from scarring) – and this has helped my skin SO much.
- Design – For work (and personal) I frequently utilize the Canva Website to make professional and aesthetically pleasing designs. Invitations, flyers, greeting cards and more. It’s an easy “drag & drop” platform and even if you don’t pay for the upgraded “pro” version – there’s a TON of free options. Just try it – it’s honestly so intuitive and makes things look 1000% nicer than any old word doc.
- Fashion – At the moment, I am all about trying to downsize and not purchase things I don’t need or would be considered “fast fashion”. One item that I LOVE and get CONSTANT compliments on: the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star GR82 – These platform boots are SO comfortable, cool and the right amount of “edgy” but fun. I wear mine at least two or three days a week (at work too!) and have walked miles in them without my feet hurting. They look great with jeans, shorts or dresses and are available in both black and white.
- Moisturizer – Inside and Out. For the inside – I love my Tervis Tumbler (it has a unicorn/kitten on it) and helps me drink more water. I can keep things hot or cold in it, and it has a sippy cup style lid, for the little ones like me who spill things. As for outside – I swear by the Laneige Lip Mask to heal cracked, dry lips. I literally keep a pot of it at my desk at work, by my bedside and in my bathroom makeup stash. I gift it, I use it and I love it.
- Travel – I love to travel and I love a good deal. For that I subscribe to Scott’s Cheap Flights premium. I pay $49.00 per year (there’s a free option too – just some deals are ONLY sent to premium members) and I get emails directly to my inbox that alert me to some AH-MAY-ZING travel deals. That is what I used to find/book the deal to go round trip from LAX to Dublin for just $303.00 USD. This site is great for people who aren’t afraid to book a deal within 24-48 hours, since the deals are usually gone really quickly. If you’re one to want to mull it over, this may not work for you.
- Music – Spotify (I pay for premium) – so I have my playlists, unlimited skipping back and forth, and no ads. I have done other platforms in the past, and I just love this one the best. For the price – premium isn’t costing as much as a satellite radio subscription, but I can still pick and choose. I enjoy that I can interface with my home speaker system, my Roku on my TV, and enjoy more than just music (such as podcasts, some audio books, and things like guided meditation).
I do love whiskers on kittens as well…but these are 10 of my most used/favorite things. I hope you enjoy and maybe they can help make your life better or brighter!
DreamerSD 