Is it weird to say that I missed you all?! I took 2 weeks off to just soak in sweet family time, and it was every bit as magical as I had anticipated. And by magical, I mean we napped, we ate, we napped, we went on walks, and we ate. We did a whole lot of nothing and it was JUST what we all needed. It was what I had been craving. For as much as we were “at home” in 2020, I wasn’t necessarily still adding a new member to the family. I can categorize our Christmas break as one where I was still, and my heart had been needing that for a while.

But today we are back, and I thought I’d chat a bit about the new year. I’m not a big resolutions person. Sure, I like goals. Yes, I have to organize all my kid’s photos before the new year starts. And I most certainly like to audit how I think I’m managing in certain areas of my life. But I’m not big on “Must only drink water for 30 days” goals. I gave myself a word for the year: boundaries. I also gave myself a verse: Psalm 34:4. I want to have boundaries with people-pleasing. I need boundaries with a bedtime. I want boundaries with expectations of myself. But ultimately, I want to do it all in seeking the Lord. Because I lack boundaries out of fear. “If I don’t stay up late finishing XYZ, this person will be upset with me.” Is that fear of failure? Fear of not pleasing? Fear of not being wanted? And while I have another blog post this week to chat more on that, I thought we’d keep it a lighter as we tiptoe into 2021.

It may be a tad redundant, or even expected, to share my 2020 favorites- but here we are. I mean, I’ll take starting the year off cliché. Sometimes we just need to have some good old-fashioned girl talk about favorite salt and pepper mills after such a nutty year. Am I right…or Am I right?

I narrowed it down to about 15 things and these aren’t everything- in fact, I hardly touched makeup or skincare or clothing in this. But these were 15 favorites I consistently use, adore, gift, or recommend. I wanted to touch on things that you maybe don’t see me talk about all the time, for example, my vitamins/face wash/eye balm would normally make the list, but I share those religiously as is. And if I mentioned them all, well, you’d be reading this blog post far longer than you’d ever want to be. I’d love you to share your favorites in the comments.

1. Caitlin Wilson Bowl: First off, I’m nodding, because YES it is a splurge. In fact, it is a huge splurge. My girlfriend has this bowl on her sideboard and I had had it in a browser for a year just staring at it. I dreamt of using it to hold fruits, let dough rise, and sit on the counter. My mom has this huge Le Creuset from her grandmother, and it always sits on the stove. I finally decided to order this because I knew it would serve as something my children always remember in the kitchen. We bake bread almost weekly, and we use this bowl daily. For everyday use, it sits on the kitchen table our counter, and Maxi knows she can always grab any snack from it. It houses fruits. But then we love to bake bread together and this is what we use for the dough to rise. It’s one of my favorite things in my kitchen because it’s beautifully crafted and holds so many memories, even though we haven’t had it that long!
2. Our Place Pan: I’m on a kitchen kick here, so I can’t NOT mention my Our Place Always Pan. It’s my non-stick, nontoxic pan that can replace 8 traditional pieces of cookware. I have a blog post on it here. We got it for my dad for Christmas and he kept saying, “This is the easiest dish I’ve ever had to wash.” That is EXACTLY why I love it so much. I am cooking for our little family all day long, and mama gets TIRED of the dishes. ha.
3. Urban Garden Prints: If you’ve been looking for Chinoiserie wallpaper panels, you know they can be quite the pretty penny. I got these Urban Garden Prints for Maxi’s room and just adore how they turned out. I loved them so much, I ordered some for my mom and had them framed as one of her Christmas gifts.
4. Ell and Emm: If we had to stay home in sweats…it wasn’t a bad year to be 9 months pregnant. 😉 haha. But the year did a number on my cozy attire- Paul made me divorce my high school sweatpants! I updated a lot of my graphic sweatshirts with Ell and Emm. I never use the term “cool” but her styles evoke the word in every sense.
5. Phone Case & Pop Socket: I love this phone case and pop socket combo that withstands Maxi accidentally dropping my phone. It’s protective and still chic, which is hard to find in all phone cases!
6. Necessaire Body Wash: I have eczema that flares with hormones and the winter and I find body wash to be one of the best *or worst* culprits for it. Necessaire is a non-toxic body wash I adore that keeps my skin from feeling tight or too dry. I love all of them: fragrance-free, sandalwood {currently using!}, and eucalyptus. My mom added it to my stocking this year because she knows I’m so obsessed with it.
7. MacKenzie-Childs Fish Board: I’m always making charcuterie or snack boards for my family, and I got this board earlier in the year. It is the perfect size for them! I have gifted it to two other friends because everyone always comments about how they love ours.
8. Stoney Clover: My fondness of Stoney Clover only grew this past year. My organization-loving heart is tempted by all their precious collaborations, like Hello Kitty for Maxi and Lele Sadoughi for me. I use their bags for just about everything.
9. Billie Razor: My $9 razor subscription keeps me safe from running out or from going too long without switching blades. They send you blades based on how fast you use them, so you aren’t stuck with too many or with too few. I will tell anyone, that I’m convinced you can go a tad longer between shaving because it is such a smooth shave.
10. Monogram Canvas Tote: I got this tote for Harry as his hospital bag and was so pleased with the quality. This shipped so quickly and would make an amazing gift. We hope to road trip in the early summer and I’d definitely grab another one of these totes for Maxi, to keep all their toys and entertaining items together.
11. QVC Ring: This ring was a purchase at the end of my pregnancy to prepare for swelling and it was one of the most pleasant surprises all year! It not only looks great, but it doesn’t turn my finger- which many rings can. I originally ordered it thinking I may swell and not be able to wear my wedding ring at the end of my pregnancy. I wanted to keep a band on. That didn’t happen, but what did happen was I became obsessed with this line at QVC. I take my wedding rings off at least a dozen times a day. Paul always makes fun of me, but I don’t leave it on to clean or cook or do crafts with Maxi. I keep this band on at the bottom, so I can always have a band on, but not worry about my actual ring getting drenched in glitter from a craft. So many readers DM or email about this band each week, and I think it’s just about one of the best additions you can make to your jewelry box.
12. Isle of Paradise: I use these drops in “medium” to tan my face. You just mix in a drop or two with your moisturizer and blend on in. Within 3-4 hours, you look as if you just left your honeymoon. Glowing, well-rested, and 2 kids ago…okay kidding on the kid part. BUT, I think these drops give you the most gorgeous glow. I was looking in my bathroom cabinets the other day and thought, “If I had to tell a person one product that helps me look less tired, I think these are them!” They just give a gorgeous tan and even out my tone, and somehow the dark circles look less intense. I order mine from QVC and they even have this body butter which is heavenly. Think Jergens Natural Glow, but better. It’s an ultra-hydrating butter that blends like a dream. Plus, you can add drops of the tanning drops if you want to deepen the tan to look like a professional spray tan. It’s one of my favorite beauty buys you could make.
13. Hoops: I’m pretty sure I wore these hoops 342 days out of 2020. Maybe it wasn’t that extreme…but they are the kind of hoop that if I lost one, I’d have to immediately order another pair because I can’t go more than 2 days without wearing them. I saw Tinsley wear them on RHNY and tracked them down immediately after. They are light and the shape just gives an extra bit of framing to them.
14. Shams: These shams give the look of Leontine Linens for less. Our sham applique is in the color “Parchment” and the style is “Carter.”
15. Salt & Pepper Mills: These were another online order that shocked me! I mean I knew I had little obsessions with random things, but I now find these salt and pepper mills to be a must-have, which is equal parts ridiculous and frivolous.  I have a little marble tray I leave on my counter for olive oil, flakey salt, and vinegar- but I wanted salt and pepper mills that would make a statement. These copper ones are gorgeous and add a lovely touch of warmth to a marble tray.

A few honorable mentions:

• I’m 5’3″ and just dread jean shopping. Everything is far too long. I found that L’AGENCE Margot High Rise Jeans are the best skinny jeans for my frame.
• While Jouer is not a new-to-my-makeup-bag brand {I think they made the first liquid lipstick I ever bought}, I fell in love with the brand all over again through a few key products. This lip oil being one of them! It’s not sticky at all and is so hydrating.
• There’s something about diffusing that makes a home so inviting. If you want a “designer candle” type of oil, you have got to try these from Amazon! This Santal one is like the Le Labo candle and this Love Affair oil is just like my Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume.

Do you have a favorite item from the past year? Something a friend recommended or perhaps you found on a blog? If you’d like to browse more, here are YOUR top favorite items from COF.