Happy Tuesday, friends! For the second time recently – long time no see! Between work, travel, and planning for the future, life has been pretty hectic lately. But like everyone else, I’ve been forced to slow down over the past couple of weeks due to everything going on with COVID-19. I’m a person who actually likes going into the office, so between being cooped up at home and gaining almost 2 hours back in each weekday because I’m not commuting right now, I’ve felt more of an urge to be creative than I have in months. The timing just feels right to get back to blogging. The world is pretty scary and stressful right now, so I think we could all use some positivity and light-heartedness. I spent the weekend brainstorming post ideas and I have lots of content prepared for the coming weeks, and I thought I’d start by sharing my favorite purchases so far this year! I haven’t bought too much because I’m trying to save money for the future, but I have made a few great purchases that I think are worth sharing. Keep reading to see my favorite purchases of winter 2020!
1. Large Brass Lemon Candle – After lusting over this candle for *months* I finally made the purchase and WOW it is so good. I was hesitant to spend 20 bucks on a candle, but I’m so glad I did. This one smells amazing and it looks gorgeous in our kitchen. I tend to base my candle scents around the time of year and this one is so perfect for this time of year – it makes it feel like spring even when the weather outside doesn’t!
2. Alexander Home Isabelle Runner – This rug is super popular among the home decor blogging community, and for good reason. I’ve been eyeing it for months and a couple weeks ago it finally went on sale, so I jumped on the chance to get the runner version for our kitchen. I was hesitant to buy a rug online because I typically like to see them in person, but I’m so happy I took a chance on this one. It’s stunning in person and looks so beautiful in our kitchen! I cook dinner almost every night, so it’s been really nice to have something softer under my feet while I stand in the kitchen. And the price is pretty much unbeatable! You can definitely tell that the pattern is printed on when you look super closely, but I don’t think I really need to worry about anyone lying down on my kitchen floor, so I’m very happy with the quality.
3. Amber Soap Bottles – I really love our little condo with one exception: the kitchen. It’s a super narrow galley-style kitchen (I’m talking so narrow that when you open the dishwasher it touches the fridge across from it). It’s also a bit dated – it’s not ugly, exactly, but the oak cabinets and dated counters aren’t really my style. Up until a few months ago I hadn’t really put as much effort into prettying up the kitchen as I did with the rest of our home because I figured it was a lost cause, but I recently realized that it’s my most used room and it could definitely use some help. I’m trying to save money, so I didn’t want to spend much to make it nicer. Enter these pretty amber soap bottles! I found them for a steal on Amazon and they were exactly what I was looking for. The pictures online really don’t do them justice – the color is perfect in person and I love that the pump is plastic and not metal since metal can rust easily when it holds liquids. I added some cute labels I created for them on my Cricut for next to nothing and now our sink area looks so much cuter!
4. 101 Epic Dishes by Jet Tila – So technically this was a gift and not a purchase, but I had to include it because it’s amazing. Anyone who knows me knows that I am OBSESSED with the Food Network. My absolute favorite Food Network show is Cutthroat Kitchen (RIP) and Jet was my favorite judge! So I was super excited when Darian got me his cookbook for Christmas. It’s chock-full of great recipes that are both easy and delicious. It can sometimes be difficult to find non-vegetarian cookbooks that aren’t heavily meat-centered, but this one has tons of pescatarian recipes. So far every recipe I’ve tried has been delicious!
5. Trader Joe’s Blue Cheese Mustard – Guys, this stuff is life-changing. I initially bought this as a Christmas stocking stuffer for my dad, who is a major foodie, but after he raved about it I decided I had to grab a jar for myself. Once again, my dad was right – it’s quickly become my new favorite snack food. In my opinion it’s best with crackers, cheese, or pretzels, but it’s also a great addition to any charcuterie board. Trust me when I see you NEED to try this. Note: I found a link to it on Amazon (did you know TJ’s sells their food on Amazon?!), but it’s much cheaper to buy in store, so if there’s a Trader Joe’s near you, definitely buy it there.
6. Flat Brass Geometric Earrings – Can you tell I have a thing for brass? I picked these earrings up on a whim on a recent trip to Target (pre-social distancing, obviously), and couldn’t believe the price. They’re definitely my new go-to earrings – they go with everything and add so much character to any outfit. I also love that they’re not too heavy as many statement earrings are! Highly, highly recommend.
7. Daddy-O Purple Shampoo – My hair has always been a point of pride for me. I’m the only blonde in my family and have pretty much had the same hair for the past 10 years. I’ve never dyed it and I’m very particular about the products I use (which are few and far between). It’s pretty rare for me to try something new in this arena, but for the past couple of months my hair has felt kind of blah and I decided I wanted to try something new. I’ve also been trying to transition to beauty products with less chemicals and no animal testing, so I decided to hit up Lush to see what I could find. I asked the associate at my local Lush store for help and he immediately recommended their Daddy-O purple toning shampoo. I took home a sample and fell in love right away. Although my hair is naturally blonde, it’s pretty brassy so I love that this tones down the brassiness. It also smells amazing and I only have to use a little bit, so it lasts forever!
8. Zoe Bud Vase (Bottle) – I picked this vase up when we visited Magnolia on our trip to Texas this winter and I love it so much! There were SO many cute home decor products to choose from at Magnolia (even for a gal like me whose style isn’t exactly farmhouse), but this vase caught my eye right away. I love the matte finish and it looks so cute my nightstand with some sprigs of eucalyptus. It’s the perfect little finishing touch!
9. IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara – I’ve been a drugstore makeup person for as long as I can remember, and until recently, I never really had an issue with any of the products I used. I switched to cruelty-free brand years ago, but I was really disappointed to learn recently that a few of my go-to products have parent companies that test on animals. Sadly, my Maybelline mascara was one of them. As I looked into different mascaras, I decided to try a sample of the IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (which is completely cruelty free), and it’s been my go-to ever since. My natural lashes are incredibly short, thin, and blonde, and this mascara does a great job of lengthening, thickening, and darkening my lashes. With my old mascara I genuinely used about 8 coats on each lash every day, but with this one I can get the same result with just 3 coats. If you’re looking to make the switch to completely cruelty-free beauty products, I highly recommend this one!
10. Grove Collaborative – After years of hearing great things about Grove Collaborative from friends and family, I finally decided to try it out this winter. After several months of using it I can confidently recommend it! They have tons of natural and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and household items at very reasonable prices. There are two membership options – regular and VIP. A regular membership is free and the VIP membership is $20 a year. In a very un-Anna move, I actually signed up for the VIP membership and I’ve been really happy with it so far! It started as a free trial but I just signed on to keep it because I’ve been so impressed by the products but even more so by the amazing customer service! Grove definitely isn’t for everyone, but customer service is extremely important to me, so for me the combination of convenience and great service makes this worth it for me. I love that I can have products I’d be buying anyways delivered to me so I don’t have to think about what I need when I’m at the grocery store (I always end up forgetting something). If you’re interested in trying it out, click the link above for a free 5-piece gift set with your first purchase, as well as a free VIP trial. Full disclosure, I will receive a small commission if you use my link to sign up, but no this isn’t sponsored (like 3 people read this blog lol come on).
That’s all for now, folks! Also, one last note – I know these are trying times and I hope my blog can provide a little bit of a break from the constant bad news these days. If there’s anything you want to see here, please let me know in the comments. I want my little slice of the internet to be a positive place, and if there’s anything I can do to make it a happier place for you, I’d love to hear! <3
