2022 best buys: home stuff

Next up in favorite purchases of the year, after kid/baby stuff and style/beauty, is my best buys for the home (and life in general), most of which comes from Target - not that surprising, as most of the best things in life do... Again, I think so many of these would make for great gifts, if you're looking for ideas!

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1. Face planters: I'm really not a plant lady (for someone who is so on top of many things in life, somehow I can't remember to water them?), but we were given a cute little one as part of a baby gift, and that gave me an excuse to get one of these adorable planters from Target! Peter was so good at keeping it going that I ended up getting two more plants from our cute local shop, and now we have a set of these 3 ladies on our kitchen windowsill. I love them so much - definitely an excellent gift idea.

2. Wooden utensils: this is a random treat-yourself moment from early in the year. I was just tired of mis-matched and super old utensils for cooking, and so I got this set. 

3. Yoga strap: I do a lot of stretching and yoga with the Peloton app, but even if you're just stretching in general, this inexpensive addition to your arsenal (blocks are also a must-have) is a game changer. So good for a hamstring stretch, IT band stretch, even this amazing neck-cradling thing I learned from a yoga video. (If you're a Peloton user, look for Kristin's floor-pose focus classes, 20 or 10 minutes, that use a strap. So relaxing, and your body will feel soooo good after!)

4. Box grater: kind of random, but I was using this one at my parents' cottage and realized how far superior it was to my own - much bigger, and with this super helpful clip-on container to catch the things you're grating. If you're annoyed any time you have to grate something, like I used to be... this thing is a good buy.

5. Finishing salt flakes: fancy finishing salt is great for baking a salted chocolate chip cookie - but turns out also makes for my favorite snack. Once upon a time Dani mentioned how she sprinkles salt on sliced apples, and after I bought these flakes I gave it a try. OMG why is that so good?! I don't eat apples without them now. 

6. Ceramic mug: a Target impulse purchase because I liked the shape and color, but it has become my mug of choice - just feels so nice in the hands for some reason.

7. Champagne stopper: we were also given some fancy champagne as part of a baby gift (aren't my neighbors amazing?), and I was glad that I had bought this champagne stopper after seeing my parents' because while I love some bubbly, I love it even more when I don't have too much... and this thing actually pressurizes it well enough that you can enjoy the 2nd half of the bottle the next evening!

8. Gel pens: a random, inexpensive Target recommendation from Rachel at some point, these are now my go-to pen for list making. I just love how the ink flows, and of course the cute colors don't hurt their appeal!

9. Faux fur blanket: Hendrik and I are sometimes fighting for the "good" blanket on the couch, so I decided to add another to our living room lineup when I saw this faux fur one on sale at Target. And now we compete for this one - SO cozy. And I should note that the product photo doesn't do it justice for how lovely it looks draped on the back of our couch.

Any new favorites around your home in 2022 I should know about?

2022 best buys: fashion & beauty

Up next in the 2022 best buys - which would also make for some pretty fab holiday gifts - is my favorites in the style and beauty categories. Several of these I've had for months and are very tried and true, and there's a couple of new things making the list last minute (okay, I will admit to succumbing to some Black Friday online sales, but they were for things that I had been on the hunt for!).

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1. Initial beanie: I've mentioned a love for Rey to Z personalized initial baseball caps multiple times - the kids and I wore ours all summer - but not sure I've ever posted about the initial beanies. I bought myself one last winter, and it's still my go-to now that it's cold again, and I just purchased more for gifting this Christmas!

2. Hill House nap dress: after seeing this all over Instagram I decided to give it a try, and it was the perfect investment dress pick. It's super easy to wear but feels so fancy (though easy to dress down with sneakers + denim jacket), and I got compliments every single time I wore it. Recommend!

3. Large camera bag: I've had (still have) other Madewell cross-body bags that I love, but something that can fit a book and still zip up?! Really loving the size of this one, and the two straps it comes with - the more "dressy" leather one, and the fun canvas colorblocked one.

4. Mango skin perfume: I haven't worn perfume in years but got a sample set from Vilhelm Parfumerie as part of a beauty advent calendar, and I started trying out one of the summery scents in the last few months - and have liked it so much that I actually bought a little bottle of the mango skin! It's kind of fun having a scent again, in a more grown-up way than the last time I did.

5. Rose Inc skin-enhancing duo: learned about this one from Grace at The Stripe and thought I would give it a try, as I love the glowy minimal makeup look - okay, and I also like a super fast makeup routine. This gives a lovely all-over glow and perfect paired with the brush in a set. (Also loved/used up in 2022 the Saie dewy highlighter that Grace has also recommended; this would be an amazing gift set)

6. Quarter-length socks: the whole fam wears Bombas for everything from athletics to everyday to dress socks, but I recently took a foray into a new category with these quarter-length ones. They are absolutely perfect with ankle boots - tall enough that the boots don't rub my ankles and short enough that they don't peek out the top. Plus, how cute?! (You can this referral link for 25% off, a great deal.)

7. Metallic Birks: honestly, as a high school Birkenstock wearer I was not so sure about these coming back into style (I really was not cool then, so were they ever cool? and I still cannot go there with the clogs, I'm afraid) - but they're just such a great, easy sandal and the modern twist with the metallic leather makes me love them so much. I wore them all summer and they're still in such great shape, I'll be wearing them tons to come.

8. TOMS chelsea boots: this one coming in under the wire, thanks to a Black Friday sale! I have been hunting for the right chelsea boots to wear with my stovepipe jeans, realizing thanks to advice from the ever-stylish Lauren that I needed something a bit taller than my old boots to look right. I decided to give these a shot, and they're great! Weatherproof, comfy, stylish, and just the right height.

9. Slim wallet: I decided I was tired of having a honking big wallet and wanted to try something more streamlined. This one matches my cognac cross-body perfectly, holds just the right amount of cards + cash, and I love it even more with the free monogramming for insiders. 

Looking forward to taking all of these into 2023 with me - how about your favorites for the year?

2022 best buys: kid stuff

I wish I had the bandwidth to bring back my old gift grid guides because I always found them so satisfying and fun to put together - maybe next year! Instead I thought I'd post a bit early with the roundups of 2022 favorites/best buys that I had already planned as some of the new favorite things in our house this year would make for great gifting ideas if you're looking for any.... Indeed, several of the baby/kid faves were actually gifted to us!

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1. Lovevery blocks: my mom got this set for Freddie for his birthday, and beyond being super cute, it is very durable and comes with so many great ideas for play in addition to block building - you can make the box into a little cart, use it as a drum, make it into a little puzzle, and more. 

2. My First Heroes books: Freddie received a set of these board books as a birthday gift as well. We've seen other cute "little heroes" type of books, but these are a favorite because they have little slide-out and spin/push/pull elements to make things interesting - he loves books with moving parts. I think I'll get him the newer Black history one to add to our collection too!

3. Sloth lovey blanket: we've had this since birth, but Freddie became extremely attached to it in 2022 - it's a must for sleeping (and also he loves to sneak into his room and pull it out of his crib for a snuggle whenever he gets the chance), and I ended up buying 2 more, one for the diaper bag and one for the cottage. So soft and cute, I think any baby would love!

4. Nugget couch: we already had one in Hendrik's room, but as Freddie started getting into the toddler cruising phase, I thought it would be fun to have one in the playroom. We ended up putting them both there, and the doubled-up configuration possibilities are even more fun for climbing on! Highly recommend this small-business and their excellent quality product, worth the investment.

5. Sherpa fleece: could this little jacket be any cuter? Well, when you put it on my cutie-pie Freddie, I guess. 

6. Mushie toothbrush: Freddie loves teeth brushing, and I love this silicone one - we just run it through the dishwasher when it gets icky - plus the little safety guard thing is rather nice so that I can let him do it himself without worrying about gagging, ha.

7. Mushie snack cup: another great "do it myself" item for toddlers - perfect sized handles for grabbing and carrying, and the soft top means the cheerios stay in when it's tipped, but it's easy for the little hand to get in there to grab them (

8. Ten Little sneakers: my mom got these for Freddie and we have loved them - aside from being adorable, they are nice and sturdy for little learning-to-walk feet, and the velcro opens up nice and wide, making them easier to put on than other little shoes I've dealt with in the past.

And here are some favorites that have come into Hendrik's life in the past year, sometimes via gifting, sometimes via his hard-earned/saved cash - if you have any elementary school kids (boys) in your life, he would certainly recommend them all!

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1. Genius Square game: I love a game that can be played solo or together - and that can be played fast. This one is super fast and easy to learn and has endless possibilities, fitting your block shapes into the grid (kind of like tetris).

2. Pokemon handbook: Hendrik is OBSESSED with Pokémon these days (remember his party?)

3. Erasable pens: Hendrik bought one of these at the school store last year and just thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I ended up using them as party favors too. Just a random inexpensive (but useful1) thing that I think any kid would have fun with.

4. Quarter-zip sweatshirt: Hendrik still lets me pick out his clothes for the most part, but he does love Saturdays when I give him free rein for wearing any (crazy, usually) combo of the "comfy" stuff in his wardrobe. This quarter-zip looks put-together with the style and fit, but it's super cozy with its fleece-brushed interior so it feels like the perfect compromise on school day style for him :)

5. Headphones: anyone else's kid obsessed with creating their own playlists? Hendrik has basically taken over my Spotify, and also my phone on any car ride to/from the cottage - I got him these headphones (only 10 bucks!), and he's very happily entertained for the whole hour with his "Hendrik's awesomeness" playlist.

6. National Geographic Kids subscription: who doesn't love fun mail? My in-laws got him a Highlights subscription as a birthday present years ago, and this year switched over to National Geographic Kids, which he loves. I've also thought about subscribing to this great looking artsy kids magazine for him.

7. Rey to Z initial hat: this one immediately became his hat of choice when heading outdoors in the summer... They're so cute to coordinate among siblings (or parents) too. Love this brand.

8. Over-door basketball hoop: he actually got this one for Christmas last year but became fully obsessed with it over the course of the last year. Lots of play time with Daddy and coming up with crazy trick shots in the playroom.