Best of 2023 | Things I Bought

Welcome to a week of Best Ofs, a series of nice things that came out of this year. This week, I'll be sharing my favorite books, purchases, and other whatnot, culminating with my favorite annual post of the year, The Best of 2023. Happy holidays folks! 

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I bought a lot of stuff this year. Here's the best of it, let's jump right in -

Wearables

Vanity Fair Long Sleeve Pajama Set | These are soft, swingy, and very comfortable - and $20 at Target. I literally just ordered a second set this morning because I find myself wearing them every day and I’m sick of doing that much laundry.

Roughly 75% of my clothes comes from ThredUp. It’s thrifting, but efficiently. Everything is previously enjoyed, easy to search for brands you like, and you get to feel good about your shopping habits. I get a lot of J Crew and Anthropologie goodies here, usually for under $20. 

I also shopped Poshmark for purses quite a bit. This is another second hand online shop that I have mostly good experiences with. I picked up this Tory Burch bag for an absolute steal and since I sell a bunch of my stuff here too, my girl math makes me think I got that Tory Burch basically for free. 

I waffled on these Vans sneakers this fall, and did finally order them about a week ago. I'm glad I waited because I got them very very discounted. 

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Cosmetics and Skin Care

Glossier You | Do I normally recommend purchasing scents without smelling them? Of course not, but I saw so many people rave over it that I too, bought it scent unsmelled, and now I would like to chime in. It’s wonderful. People have randomly told me I smell good, which is the true indicator. Fresh and…adult-y. That’s a weird descriptor, but I mean that it’s miles away from the warm, vanilla-y scents of my Victoria Secret scented youth. It smells grown up, but not old lady. 

Flamingo Daily Moisturizing Lotion | I’ve waxed on about this forever but at $7 a tube, I will continue shouting it to the masses. The scent is divine, the moisturizing effects are supreme. 

By Mario Transforming Skin Enhancer | My desert island beauty product. 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer | My other desert island product. 

Vacation Classic Lotion SPF 30 | Bougie sunscreen for people who remember Pamela Anderson on Baywatch and want to reminisce about the 90's every time they venture into the sun. I bought a 3-pack last summer and wore it every single day. 

Matrix Brass Off Conditioner | I'm a girl who loves an at home bleach kit, and as such, I usually combat orange hair once or twice a year. I learned the color wheel folks and quit purple shampoo in favor of this Marge Simpson blue shade that works like a charm. The quick version is this: purple is for yellow hair. Blue is for orange. 

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Home

Target Lamp | Honestly, this $12 purchase is probably the item delivering the most joy this year. I subscribed to the Nancy Meyers lamp-in-kitchen idea, and friends, she was not wrong. The level of cozy is top tier. I think I'm going to grab a second one, actually.

This Carpet Scraping Thingie That Yanks Out the Dog Hair | IDK what it’s called, so I named it aptly. I use this on my stairs because it’s a bitch to vacuum, and I’m always appalled by how much dog hair comes out. 

I bought this carpet cleaner and listen, all it can do is illicit shame. And clean carpets. I'm a nightmare to live with because I chase my family around with a vacuum and microfiber, reminding everyone to take their GD shoes off in my house, and STILL the filth that comes out of my carpets when I use this thing. It's very satisfactory. 

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Kiddo Stuff

Robo-Fish | I have discussed these at length over various posts, but they are a number 1 for us and deserve a place on the best of list. Drop these little fishies in the bathtub and delight in the giggles that erupt. 

Tenzi | This game was a Christmas hit, because it's low commitment, quick and frantically fun. The gist is this: everyone gets 10 dice, and on the count of three, everyone starts rolling. Whoever gets all their dice to the same number (aka all 10s or all 6s etc) wins the game. It takes 2 minutes tops for someone to scream tenzi, and frankly, I think it's a perfect opportunity to put some money on the table. 

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Any good shopping finds to share? I'm very influenceable. 

PS - there are some affiliate links in here, but aren't they everywhere? If you click on a link, they'll throw me a couple pennies for our combined hardwork, so I guess click with caution.