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In my last blog post of 2020, I mentioned that it MADE MY YEAR for my friend Stephanie Lanier to add me to her annual list of "Favorite Things." You see, each year she makes a list called "Stephanie's Favorite Things," and I faithfully read it every year. She lists her favorite goods: foods, drinks, clothes, gifts that make her smile. As I scrolled to the bottom, I did a double-take. Was that me? What? My name made the list! Check it out at this link: https://www.theinspirationlab.co/post/holiday-favorite-things-2020
Recently, my almost-three year old has been really into music. Particularly, "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. This has made me reflect on what my favorite things are, and maybe when I sing it to him tonight I'll make up my own lyrics. So here goes my own attempt at making a list of my favorite items that I've owned long enough to recommend them to you guys.
Here's FIVE items I would say are my favorites. Remarkably, not one of them is over $20.
Top of the list is this water bottle from Ello Products. It's truly amazing, not to mention beautiful on the eyes. And did I mention it's $15??? I am a BIG consumer of water, topping 65 ounces on average each day. I have owned about every style of water bottle on the market. Every time I leave the house, I fill this up with ice and water and bring it in the car. It fits in the car cup holder perfectly, the rubber top always stays shut (even in my purse), yet I can open it with one hand when I'm driving. It keeps liquids hot or cold for a LONG time, and it's easy to take apart and clean in the dishwasher. I put mine in the dishwasher about once a week to make sure it's sanitized. My biggest beef with most water bottles is that I drop them and the cap breaks. I have dropped this one quite a few times and it's still working just fine.
I can't stand the design of tissue boxes. No matter how contemporary or simple they make those boxes, they always glare at me in the room. I found these boxes on Amazon and I really like how light and easy they are to change out the box. I got 2 for $22. They are stylish and beachy.
The third item is this facial moisturizer from The Naked Bee with SPF 30 for under $10. It's made in the USA and is paraben-free, phthlatate-free, and doesn't test on animals. I use this every day alongside my pricey Rodan and Fields stuff, and I find it works just as well. I love the orange vanilla scent. It rubs in really quickly and it's not too thick, not too thin. I got mine locally at Tomlinson's on College Rd, at the display by the register for $8. I liked it so much I purchased a bunch and gave them to my girlfriends for Christmas!
Fourth up is a set of 3 kitchen towels from Anthropologie that I've owned for a couple years now. The set is $24 for three towels, and I think I got them for $18 when they were having a sale. I like kitchen towels that are very thick and absorbent, but also dry quickly. This waffle weave design is perfect for that! These have held up much longer than most of my kitchen towels, so I highly recommend them!
The last item on my list is a sweater that I picked up at the LOFT outlet in Myrtle Beach. It's now on clearance for around $20. It's been a great piece to add to my wardrobe. It's soft, it's not to heavy, not too light. Perfect for our mild winters and looks great with a colorful pair of jeans. I love the contrast stripe at the sleeve. I got a size large so that it would be roomy and comfy.
So there you have it! My 5 favorite items under $20. I can wholeheartedly say I have used all these items on this list and think they are all a bargain.