December & January Favorites

It’s been awhile since I shared my monthly favorites with you!

December went by entirely too fast for me to (1) try many new things, and (2) to find time to tell you about them. So, here we are! A combo December and January faves post.

January was a…weird month. But isn’t it always? It is, by far, my least favorite month of the entire year. It feels never ending and we inevitably get sick every year in January. We all battled colds, and Kieran had the flu AND an ear infection. Ugh. Brutal.

When February started, I felt like the new year really started. THAT was the fresh slate. The new beginning. Anyone else? January is the worst.

That all said, I DID have some cool new-to-me discoveries these past couple months.

1. First up is a re-discovery: Murad multivitamin infusion oil. I have raved about this in the past, but I had to stop using it while pregnant with Finn and furthermore while I was nursing him nonstop. It has retinol in it, and even though the risks aren’t high, I felt more comfortable putting it on hold until I was almost done with nursing. But! I am completely obsessed with this facial oil all over again. One week into using it again and my face was clearer, less congested, and brighter. I am OBSESSED. It is definitely worth the splurge, guys. A little bit goes a long way and I think the benefits are quick and obvious.
2. Another face product I’ve been loving is the Biossance squalene + tea tree balancing oil. I love to put this on in the morning underneath my moisturizer (I use the Murad oil at night), and it really does seem to balance out my combination skin. I have always had oily and sensitive skin that is easily prone to breakouts, but in my 30s, my skin also needed noticeably more moisture. My face often feels dry and tight. This oil is a nice product for balancing out my oily patches while keeping everything moisturized. And! It doesn’t make me break out.
3. During the holidays, we were gifted a Woodwick candle and I’m obsessed! We have the white teak scent and it’s lovely. Light and fresh without too much perfume. I love how the candle crackles as it burns.
4. Another seasonal fave that I was so excited to have again: Leinenkugel’s cranberry ginger shandy! It is seriously my favorite winter beer and we always stock up in December when it first hits shelves. We still have some and I’m savoring the last few.
5. Dan got me this air fryer for Christmas and I have been loving it! I use it all the time, mostly for fries or roasted veggies, but I have a chicken tender recipe coming your way soon using the air fryer method. It’s been a great addition to our kitchen.
6. Along those same lines, I’ve been loving the Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook. So many great ideas and techniques! I use it all the time.
7. Speaking of cookbooks, I’ve been loving The Dude Diet book as well. I’m late to the game on this one, but there are so many healthyish weeknight ideas that I love in this book. It’s healthy eating that’s approachable and not at all restrictive…which is exactly how we try to eat most of the time!
8. I got an Apple Watch for Christmas as well, and I am obsessed. I’ve used Fitbits for years but wanted something a little bit more comprehensive. The Apple Watch has delivered and then some! I find the exercise components of the watch so motivating. I LOVE IT.
9. On a recent Trader Joe’s run, I was able to get my hands on two products I’ve been dying to try: the truffle cheese crisps and the elotes corn chips. Holy moly. BOTH ARE SO GOOD. The cheese crisps are an awesome snack with a glass of wine or a fun addition to any cheeseboard, and the elotes chips are addictive. They taste like a Frito, a cool ranch Dorito, and spicy street corn had a baby. They’re DELISH.
10. Another food discovery was these Jacobson Salt Co. salty chocolate caramels. They’re the perfect bite of something sweet and salty and chewy. I am a caramel freak, so these were an obvious choice for me. I love this company’s salts and have wanted to try their sweets for awhile now. These are awesome!

And that’s about it! I’m so glad we’re through January. Whew.

Xoxo!

 

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