It’s been a long time since I’ve shared with you a list of my go-to favorite things! My husband and I aren’t great at getting gifts for each other (neither of our love languages), but I thought I’d put a list together for you if you need a few new ideas this year! (and PS: if your hubby isn’t great at gifts either, feel free to share with him OR there is NO shame in purchasing and wrapping your OWN gift that you know you’ll love!). 😉
- Corkcicle classic coffee mug
- My very favorite way to take coffee on-the-go (if I’m not taking it in an open mug! 😆). I’ve had this mug for so long that I can’t even remember how old it is! Love the traditional feel of a coffee mug in my hands, its size, and how it keeps coffee hot for hours! Right now it’s 30% off too!
- Lake Pajamas
- I invested in Lake pajamas several years ago, and I never looked back. Previously, I was a “throw on whatever old t-shirt and shorts I could find” kind of girl. I never had any specific pair of pajamas. But then I read an article about how putting on pajamas can signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep, and, as someone who struggles with sleep, I decided to give it a try. I now have a few pairs of lake pajamas that I rotate through, and they are the absolute best! The pima is SO soft, and they hold up really well. I haven’t purchased a new pair in at least a couple of years b/c they LAST! I’ve definitely eyed various new patterns and styles, but couldn’t justify it b/c I don’t really NEED them. 😉 I promise if you give them a try, you won’t go back to any ol’ t-shirt again!
- Bombas Sunday Slipper
- Last year I needed a new pair of slippers. I had some Ugg slippers I loved, but they were looking pretty beat up, and I decided to try a different pair that was a little more cozy and still slightly structured, but not quite as much as my Ugg slippers had been. I have really liked these! I need some structure under my foot (that feels like such an old-person comment 😆) and the sole provides enough support to make my feet happy, but they’re still super cozy if you want to keep them on as you relax.
- Bombas High Rise No-show Brief
- Ok, maybe you aren’t asking for underwear for Christmas, 😉 but these may just need to be a splurge for your own stocking or simply for the new year. I’m notorious for wearing out underwear and bras. They are the LAST thing I want to spend money on. But the underwear I last purchased many years ago 😬was really not great. It was a no-show, but it NEVER stayed in place, and they had definitely seen better days. I am such a faithful buyer – if I love a product, I will stick with it till the end of time. But I knew it was time to try something different, and I DREAD it b/c I don’t like trying multiple products… and honestly, how do you try on underwear and return it? 🤔Not something I was going to do. So I purchased a couple of pairs from 3 different brands. These from Bombas ended up being my fav for the price. I also LOVED commando brand, but they are very spendy, and I couldn’t justify buying multiple pairs! These are definitely no-show, stay in place, and don’t totally break the bank. You can save when you purchase in packs, and I caught an additional sale over black friday.
- Athleta ¼ zip sweatshirt
- Right now, this is the sweatshirt I reach for ALL the time. I have two colors, and I’d like to get more, but I don’t need more, so I’m refraining. 😜It’s just SO comfortable and easy to wear – I’ll pair it with joggers, leggings, wide leg pants, or jeans as well. It’s a go-to if you want something cozy, but I always think something with a little collar, paired with jeans, can totally be worn out of the house for a casual coffee date or game. It’s my favorite when I want to relax at home, but I also wear it when I want to stay warm when I’m headed out of the house. It’s been around a while and comes in lots of colors!
- Adidas handball spezial shoes
- I’m generally not someone who goes with trends or even chooses a trendy brand. Adidas sneakers are all over the place in NW Iowa and on my teen daughter and all her friends, which would be enough to make me NOT want them. But I picked up a pair similar to this (my current color is no longer in stock on adidas, but could be ordered at Scheels) this fall, and I have been wearing them all the time. They’re honestly just easy to throw on with so much – jeans, joggers, wide leg casual pants. They’re crazy comfortable (I walked a couple of miles in them the other day without a problem) too. I’ve had lots of pairs of sneakers, and these are my favorite of them all just b/c they’re so comfortable and easy to wear.
- Lectio 365 app
- I use this app daily, AND it’s FREE! I love the morning meditation as a way to start my day. Silence and quieting my mind are SO hard for me, and so some days I have to force myself to sit still, breathe, and NOT open my email or any other app until I’ve listened to this. It’s been an enormous blessing to my soul.
- Justin’s dark chocolate PB cups
- Try this, and you’ll never go back to a Reese’s again. 😂This is my absolute favorite packaged treat, and my husband will often pick them up and then hide them in the pantry so our kids don’t know I have them! Unfortunately, our local stores stopped carrying them, so I may need to add this to my Amazon cart. 😉
- Branch Basics Gel Hand Soap
- Ok, this is spendy for hand soap (keep an eye out b/c I just ordered a couple bottles on sale!), but they have soap refills, AND it’s a large bottle, so it actually lasts forever! Plus, the bottle and color are so pretty sitting in your bathroom, and it’s a great, clean brand I love! I’m slowly replacing the hand soap bottles in my house with these, and the scent is also fantastic.
- Kindle Case
- For so many years, when my kids were little, I never had time to read. But now, as my kids are older, I’ve found that I much prefer reading to watching TV when I want to relax a bit before bed. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to browse books at the library, and a couple of years ago, my husband and kids gifted me a Kindle for Mother’s Day. While I love holding a real book, a Kindle is SO convenient, and I use it in conjunction with the Libby app to borrow e-books. Last year, I was gifted a Kindle cover, which is totally not necessary, BUT it just makes me smile when I see it and brings me a little joy. While I love the cute cover I received, I would totally be purchasing this one if I didn’t have one yet! They have bunches on their website, so go check them out if this isn’t your style!
- Ironwood Candle Co candles and car diffusers
- I love supporting local female-owned businesses, and this one is no exception. Located here in NW Iowa, they make clean, beautiful candles that look good sitting on your counter. I have never tried a scent I didn’t love! I also recently purchased their car diffuser and loved it! It comes with a refill, and you can order just the refill on their site, too. You can purchase many different scents, but I got volcano + island blue, and several people commented on how good my car smelled (not common when I have 5 kids in/out all the time!). 😉
