Favorite Buys of 2024

Brown paper packages tied up with string… these are a few of my favorite things! Here’s what we loved most in 2024.

CLOTHES

Anthropologie barrel sweats | Something about these makes them a little more elevated than typical sweats. Slouchy but not sloppy, flattering back pockets. A great way to try the barrel trend without committing to jeans. Size down!

Free People Pippa jacket | I ordered this for my backpacking trip in Colorado last summer and I’m so glad I did. Loved it for hiking and love it now for every day! Lightweight but so warm, packs down into a zipper pouch, water resistant. Lots of dupes for this on Amazon but I’m forever a FP fan. Like most FP, this runs big; I sized down.

Calia Everyday Relaxed tee | This is a dry fit material but doesn’t really look like it – very soft but elevated, perfect to dress up with jeans. Looks long on the model but I sized down from my usual L to a S and prefer the slimmer/shorter fit. It’s a little bit boxy/boyfriend-ish but still has nice structure. Best plain tees I’ve found in a while!

Get Fluffed brow gel | The one new beauty product I bought in 2024 (still loving all things Merit). Gives volume without being cakey and holds brow hairs in place so well! A little goes a very long way. I love shade 1.0 (clear) for a no-makeup makeup look and shade 2.0 (light brown) for a bolder brow.

HOME

Red Land Cotton percale sheets | We decided to make the switch to 100% cotton sheets and wanted to invest in a set that will last a LONG time. After reading approximately 14 million reviews and researching sateen weave (what Boll and Branch uses) vs. percale weave (the clear winner for hot sleepers), I narrowed it down to two brands – we bought both and have been rotating. The Red Land Cotton set is American-made from start to finish and they feel… *old-fashioned* in the best way. Durable, thick and crisp but breathable. From night one, Andrew said these are the best sheets he’s ever slept on – to be honest, I did not love them at first. Percale cotton is just a very different feel than I was used to. But a lot of the reviews said to give them a few washes to really get broken in and now I understand the hype. Each time we put them on our bed is better than the last and I know they will last for a long, long time.

Pottery Barn organic percale cotton sheets | The other sheet set we bought (and my favorite of the two, if I had to pick!) – has that luxury hotel feel from the get-go. These wash so well and feel cool to the touch all night long. I just adore them.

Pillowflex inserts | I’d seen these recommended by several interior designers for that full, heavy, choppable look (always order inserts 2” bigger than your shams). They’ve lived up to the hype. USA-made too!

Coupe glasses | These are just fun. A very pretty addition to our little bar area with a heavy, quality feel.

Paint pens for walls + cabinets | These make it easy to do touch ups around the house + fill in holes, and the paint does not dry out. Comes with a syringe to fill them up.

Wine decanter | Just so pretty, and the sediment filter is nice.

Branch Basics | Finally hopped on this non-toxic all-purpose cleaner train and have been so pleased. The concentrate lasts forever (one bottle lasted us 11 months) and I love that there’s no scent.

Force of Nature | As much as I love Branch Basics for everyday cleaning, I still wanted to have a true disinfectant on hand. So glad I found this non-toxic option that’s as powerful as bleach. Between BB and FN, we got rid of all other cleaners under the sink. Use my referral link to get their best 40% off deal!

FITNESS

Calia Step Up shorts | These made me finally get rid of all my old Nike shorts. The only workout shorts I own now! If you have bigger thighs like me and hate shorts being tight on your legs, these are not at all. The thicker waistband is so flattering and comfy. I wear a Large in Nike shorts, did a Medium in these.

Avia sports bra | Again, one that replaced all the rest. And for a fraction of the price. So comfortable and supportive (no seams!) without being suffocating and made to last. Fits TTS.

Moves app | Can’t say enough great things about Moves. I started in March of last year and have been so happy to have found a weightlifting program I WANT to be consistent with. For me, the membership is absolutely worth the price for all the features within the app. I started with the 6-week core/pelvic floor rehab program, which was so helpful and eye-opening for me, postpartum. And since then I’ve been able to consistently lift weights 3 days a week because it takes all the guess work out of it for you. I’m in and out in 30 minutes and don’t need a ton of equipment (I love this dumbbell set and these bands). Hoping to reach the Million Pound club in 2025!

RTIC tumbler | Two words: ceramic. interior. Your drink won’t taste metallic like it does in a stainless steel cup and the best part – this cup does not leak. Not even through the straw. Magic.

KIDS

Toddler boys boots | Quite possibly my best Walmart find ever. I’ve already bought these in the next sizes up because they are so good and so affordable!

Turkish towels | Thin and space-saving but warm and absorbent, HUGE, and beautiful colors. These were such a hit last summer!

Are My Kids on Track | Incredibly insightful book for Christian parents who want to raise emotionally intelligent children in this increasingly crazy world we live in. One I’ll re-read often as our kids grow.

Ezy Roller seated scooters | A BIG hit for Christmas 2024 and worth adding more things to the garage. The kids are obsessed with these! So fun and easy for them to ride and they’re extendable to grow with them for years and years.

ANDREW’S FAVORITES

Magnetic portable flood light | Not sure if I’ve ever seen Andrew so excited about a gadget. This is pretty cool though – it mounts to his truck with the magnet, runs on battery power and is super bright! Useful for camping, hunting, home projects, and more.

Wine vacuum | Removes oxygen from opened wine bottles and keeps them fresh for up to ten days. We use this all the time!

Peter Millar golf polos | It was time to clean out and upgrade his golf polo collection and we’ve both been impressed with the material, craftsmanship, and overall quality of this brand. If I’m picking out a polo for him to wear, it’s always one of these.

True Classic tees 6-pack | Again, time for an upgrade for his basic tees. The six pack is a great deal and these shirts really are so flattering – much more so than a typical undershirt – and so soft.

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Hope some of these recommendations are helpful! Thanks for reading and visiting the blog. Ten years later this is still a fun creative outlet for me and every time you shop via a link I share, I’m so grateful!

Favorite Buys of 2023

Recapping my favorite buys throughout the year – I had some specific items and categories I wanted to focus my shopping efforts on in 2023, and some unexpected wins too. Here’s what I loved the most!

JEWELRY

Monica Vinader oval pendant + Amazon adjustable gold chain | after getting rid of a LOT of old/outdated jewelry (looking at you, Kendra Scott earrings), I was on the hunt for a few gold jewelry staples. This engraved oval necklace is my new everyday necklace and after searching high and low for a gold pendant I could do 3 lines of engraving on, I love how this one turned out. They include 2 sides of engraving, so I did our wedding year + the kids’ birth years in roman numerals on the front and home team on the back in script – it’s so special to me! With the 14-24” adjustable chain I can move it so the pendant hangs at just the right spot no matter what I’m wearing.

Brinker + Eliza heart necklace | I’ve loved this statement piece (stacks well too) – it would also be a great piece to engrave!

Julie Vos Savoy hoops | Became a big Julie Vos fan this past year. I’m eyeing more of her pieces but wide gold hoops like these had been on my wish list for a while and these fit the bill. Lightweight and good backings so they stay tight against your earlobe.

clothing

Joyspun t-shirt bra | A $13 Walmart find — no wires or seams but makes ‘em look alive without being a push-up. A winner!

Banana Republic wide-leg jeans | If you have wider hips/bigger thighs like me, these are worth a try. Not too tight, not too baggy. I got the black wash and this dark wash denim pair – love the raw hem and the pocket placement is perfect. (BR does come in Petite and Tall but I’m 5’10” and their talls are too long on me, FYI).

BEAUTY + FACE

Revision Brightening face wash | Magic. It truly does brighten your complexion immediately! A little goes a long way – it took me several months to finish a bottle using this every single morning.

Alpyn BHA Liquid Exfoliator | Added this to my routine in the spring (a bottle will last you 6+ months) after reading the insanely good reviews and have zero regrets. It’s helped with texture and tone so much! I rotate between this and my beloved Luna Oil.

Merit makeup | I’d been wanting to try a cream based makeup routine and liked that Merit had cleaner ingredients, but I was impressed by how smoothly it glides on and how glowy it makes my skin look. I got the Minimalist (complexion corrector) in Bisque, Flush Balm (blush) in both Stockholm and Beverly Hills, Day Glow (highlighter) in Cava, Bronze Balm in Clay, Tinted Lip Oil in both Au Naturel and Jeté, and their brush. I wouldn’t put it in the longwear category, but for a daytime routine that looks incredible natural or a glowy, pigmented nighttime look, it’s worth a try!

THE tortoise sunglasses | These are all over Instagram but dangit, they’re a classic look and for $30, feel really nice. I got rid of every pair of sunglasses I owned except these and my favorite aviators from two years ago – they’re all I wear!

HOME

Let’s Love to Cook | I could not stop talking about Larson’s resources all year long because they truly have changed my life. Sounds dramatic but really, using her cookbooks has helped me to ENJOY cooking with confidence and not be intimidated by the process of making from-scratch, hearty, healthy meals for my family. Cooking with my kids became a regular thing in 2023 thanks to LLTC. And the pre-made meal plans and grocery lists are just a no-brainer. Can’t say enough good things!

Silpat reusable baking sheet | Eliminates the need for cooking spray, parchment paper, etc. With all the things I’ve been making and baking (see above) this was a must.

Label maker | A tiny but mighty winner for my home organization efforts in 2023. Works with an easy-to-use phone app.

Locket frame | As soon as I opened this frame, I immediately bought another one for another room. Gorgeous! Comes in antique gold too if that’s more your vibe.

KIDS

Karaoke set | This thing is so fun! Has bluetooth so you can play any song from your phone, and it’ll turn down the artist’s voice so you can sing karaoke, or you can just play it like normal and sing along (comes with 2 mics). Our kids have loved it but it would make an awesome gift for any age or great to have if you’re throwing a party.

Tangle teezer brush | So good I bought two to have on hand. Frizzy + fine little girl hair has met its match.

Personalized dry erase board | I bet Steele wrote her name 487 times this past year thanks to this. Bought a few for gifting, too!

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys | One I’ll read again and again as the boys get older. So much wisdom and practical advice for all age groups (lots of validation and answers for moms of toddlers) but especially relevant for mamas of elementary-age boys. I really enjoyed this one.

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Still loving everything on my 2022 list, too – there’s some good ones on there. I’d love to hear if you have any of these and love them as much as I do!

Brothers Turn Two | Little Blue Truck Birthday Party

Another year, another book-themed birthday party for our boys. Last year, it was one of my favorites – this year, it was theirs! They’d been requesting to read every book from the Little Blue Truck series (we now own all of them) so much throughout the summer that we had to put them away for awhile (IYKYK). But when it was time to start planning, I knew they’d love a Little Blue Truck theme and knew it would be an easy one to DIY!

You can shop everything from this Little Blue Truck party all in one place HERE on LTK.

I found the sweetest watercolor Little Blue Truck invitation template on Etsy, along with matching milestone posters that I thought would be cute to hang and let guests read a little spotlight on each of our boys. Both templates were super easy to edit online and I had everything printed at Office Depot. Click below to shop Little Blue Truck party invitations and designs!

I’m a sucker for some punny party food labels, so for our Little Blue Truck themed party food, we served:
–Cow patties (chocolate cookies)
–Truck tires (Oreos)
–Hay bales (Rice Krispie treats)
–Chicken feed (Chex mix)
–Pitchforks & shovels (forks & spoons)
–Fresh produce (fruit tray and burger fixin’s)
and a fillin’ station (drinks).

I saw the dump truck full of chips idea on Pinterest – a little sticky tack rolled up in a ball held the bin at just the right angle and voila! And if you’re wondering why the dump truck – there’s a very grumpy dump truck that Little Blue Truck ends up befriending in the original story.

We ordered a lemon blueberry cake from a local baker (my husband’s idea – he said “lemon blue” for “Little Blue” just made sense lol) and I had her keep it simple on top so I could use a few of our farm animal toys as cake toppers. I love how it turned out!

The big hit of the party was a surprise we saved for after burgers and cake – our guest of honor! I thought it would be a long shot to find someone local with an old blue truck they’d be willing to bring over for the party, but knew if anyone had the connections to make it happen, it’d be my father-in-law. Sure enough, he knows a classic car enthusiast with the perfect “little blue truck” who was more than willing to drive it over from the next town for us for the afternoon. So kind of them.

The boys were starstruck – Shep was nervous to sit inside but Hayes was SO pumped. They got to go for a ride around the culdesac in the truck bed and “drive” in the driveway and had the biggest time. The adults enjoyed checking out the ‘58 Chevy, too!

Felt like this was a little glimpse into my future – I’ll need every bit of the 14 more years before they’re actually driving to mentally prepare!

Their personalized Little Blue Truck shirts were another Etsy find – the seller was so great to work with and I was really impressed with the quality of the design and the screen printing. I love that they’re not necessarily “birthday” shirts, and I sized up, so they’ll be able to wear them quite a bit! They also got these Little Blue Truck pajamas – such a hit.

Such a sweet day celebrating our big two-year-olds with family and friends. Time sure has flown with these boys and the days only get more fun! We love you, brothers!