End of 2020 Obsessions

Obsession — “An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.”

-Oxford’s English Dictionary

 

We’re one month into 2021 and I have to say this is the fastest January has gone in quite a few years.  Work was super busy the past two months so that would probably be why!  I never followed up on my favorites for the fall of 2020 so I thought I would combine that with some of my favorite Christmas presents to give you my end of 2020 obsessions (all of the pictures link to the products!).  Hopefully, you’ll find some of your new favorites from this list!

 

1. evermore by Taylor Swift.  I ended my last obsessions post with a Taylor Swift album and I’m starting this one with a Taylor Swift album.  Of course, this album had to make my list because it, along with folklore, has become one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums ever.  Like I said with folklore, folk Taylor is my favorite Taylor so I was sooo excited about her surprise album.  I absolutely love “willow” (which was such a great single and music video choice), and “’tis the damn season,” “cowboy like me,” and “no body, no crime” definitely round out my top songs of this album.  Well done Taylor, and I will be so happy if she does, in fact, release a third album of this trilogy as speculated.

 

2.  Majesty (American Royals #2) by Katharine McGee.  I had the first book of this series on my obsessions list when it came out and the second book didn’t disappoint me.  It starts out not long after the end of the first book and its big cliffhanger.  All of the main characters are learning to deal with what happened and how it affects their futures (in both their personal and public lives).  I love this series; it reminds me a lot of the tv show The Royals but with a more American twist.  I highly recommend this book!

 

 

3.  No Offense (Little Bridge Island #2) by Meg Cabot.  Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors ever and her latest book doesn’t disappoint.  It’s set on Little Bridge Island, which is a small tourist location in Florida with some colorful residents.  This book follows the police chief and new town librarian while they attempt to solve a mystery involving a baby left behind in the library and find love along the way.  Cheesy? Yes.  Some legal inaccuracies? Yes.  But overall, I really enjoyed this book and the series as a whole.  It’s similar to Hallmark/Netflix romance movies, but that’s what I love to read and watch so that’s not a surprise I liked it!  Check out my Goodreads linked in the sidebar to see what else I’m reading.

 

 

4.  Slip Silk Pillowcase in Caramel.  Where have I been for the past few years?  Silk pillowcases are now on my must have list.  My parents got me one for Christmas and I absolutely love it.  It definitely has done wonders for my hair and skin since I started using it;  I don’t have to use dry shampoo as much anymore and my skin hasn’t broken out as much as when I was using my old pillowcase.  To kept it in good condition, I also purchased the Slip Silk Wash Detergent (when it was on sale) as silk needs a more gentle detergent to ensure it doesn’t break down.  I feel so fancy using a silk pillowcase and highly recommend trying one out!

 

 

5.  Patagonia Silent Water Jacket in Grey.  Do you ever decide you want one thing and then can’t rest until you’ve purchased it?  Well, that was me in December with a short puffer jacket.  I have a long winter jacket from Athleta that is long enough to “cover my assets” as they like to say, but I decided I wanted one that was hip length that wasn’t as long and didn’t have a hood.  So I found this Patagonia one at Dick’s Sporting Goods and fell in love.  I loved the bigger quilts and the more matte finish of the fabric, along with the length.  I was quite hesitant about the price, but justified it since this is a jacket I will have for a long time and I had a triple point day for their rewards.  Honestly, it was totally worth the price because it was everything I thought it would be from the pictures!  If you want to see more of my clothing purchases in real time, check out my new Pinterest account and my “What’s In My Closet” board as I update it right after I purchase new clothing pieces.

 

To go along with my Patagonia jacket, I also got some cute blush/mauve accessories for Christmas!  I       have so many gloves and hats from subscription boxes and from my youth, but I didn't have a matching set that included a hat, gloves, and a head wrap so when I saw all these were in the same colors I had to get them!  I love having the blush accent with my new grey jacket and they go with my longer taupe winter jacket, too.

6.  Well Kept Screen Cleaning Wipes.  Another one of my favorite finds of all of 2020!  These screen cleaning wipes are amazing, they make your phone screen, computer screen, glasses, etc. crystal clear and super clean without using any streaks behind.  I also use them to clean my AirPods too!  One pack has 15 wipes so they last a pretty long time.  They come in a smaller sized package that fits perfectly in most purses or crossbodies and are super cute!  I ended up purchasing a 12 pack on their website and gave them out to everyone for Christmas because 2020 has made us all a little cleaner in our daily lives.

 

 

7.  Athleta Balance Sweatshirt/Joggers and Sorel Go Bodega Run Slippers.  Every year for Christmas Eve, my parents (aka my mom) buy me a new pair of pajamas.  This year I wanted joggers and I didn’t really love any of the pajama ones.  So I turned to Athleta and they didn’t let me down.  I got the grey animal print joggers and the sage sweatshirt and they are the cutest and super comfortable.  I love that I can wear both not as pajamas and they're high-waisted on my 5'3" frame, which is my favorite rise.  To go with my pajamas, I also got new slippers for Christmas!  Ironically, they’re also green and animal printed.  I love Sorel slippers because they have a nice sole that you can wear outside but are also super cozy and warm inside.

 

  

  

 

8.  Laura Mercier Caviar Shadow Stick in Rose Gold.  In one of my old FabFitFun boxes, I received a Thrive Causemetics eyeshadow stick and it finally ran out last fall so I was looking for something to replace it.  I found this Laura Mercier one and I have to say it was a great replacement!  Laura Mercier products are pretty pricey but the color payoff is so pretty and it will definitely last a long time.  I love just using this by itself with some eyeliner and mascara to complete my eye look.  I really want to try out some more colors but the Rose Gold one is a nice light golden color that’s a perfect neutral.

 

 

9.  BrüMate Hopsulator Slim and Lid.  An item I’ve seen everywhere on Instagram (s/o to every Bachelor contestant) was the Hopsulator.  Honestly, I bought it without being influenced by any of them though; I saw it at my local Hallmark and bought it at almost half price.  I’m a big Grapefruit White Claw girl (yes, I really am that basic) but I also have extremely cold hands so I hate holding onto my cold White Claws.  This totally helps with that issue as it stays room temperature while keeping your drink cold way longer than without one.  I didn’t know this until searching their website but there’s also a lid that allows you to turn your Hopsulator into an insulated cup. 

 

 

10.  Every Sacred Sunday/Ascension Press Podcasts.  Due to the pandemic, I haven’t gone to a Sunday mass in about a year so I made the decision to start doing the Sunday mass readings every Sunday starting in Advent.  One of the Cimorelli sisters posted that she bought an Every Sacred Sunday book and when I looked into it, I thought it would be perfect for my resolution.  This book has all of the Catholic Mass readings for every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, along with spaces to write down notes from homilies, prayer requests, etc.  To complement my reading, I also started listening to Father Mike’s homilies on the Hallow app, which are amazing and are tailored more towards a 20-something than some other priests.  I also started listening to his Bible in a Year Podcast (also on Hallow or in Apple Podcasts), which paces out readings to help you finish reading the entire Bible in one year.  I love how the podcasts are only 20 minutes, which make it a really easy resolution to stick to!

 

I do want to clarify that most of these items I purchase at a discounted price (and I get books for free through my local library) and the only thing I’ve purchased recently for full price was my Patagonia jacket.  If you’d like to learn more about how I find things so cheap, let me know in the comments below!