Another list full of stuff I probably didn’t need to buy, but bought anyway.
I experimented with a few new things this past November and December thanks to a combination of Black Friday deals, holiday gifts and much needed upgrades for things I already owned, but were way outdated.
Pst… affiliate links!
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Loop earplugs. Because I am old and still attend a lot of concerts, designer earplugs seemed like a good idea. I bought a pair of “these “Experience” earplugs during a Black Friday sale and while $30 for earplugs seems a little crazy, I really like them. The hard loop holds these plugs in place better than any foam earplugs, they look cute (for earplugs) and they come with a little case I can clip onto a keychain. I wore them during my recent Minnesota trip and during some a recent live music bar set, and they worked great to deaden the sound but still let me hear everything going on around me.
My new Belkin stand charger. Ryan got sick of my mess of cords next to my side of the bed, and replaced my pile of Lightning and Apple Watch cords with this sleek new charger. It’s nice not fumbling for cords in the dark.
Old Navy long-sleeved ribbed tees. My workplace is transitioning to a return-to-the-office model (ugh) in the new year, which means I won’t be able to spend the majority of my time working from home in leggings, slippers and a Patagonia fleece. Because I haven’t worn actual office attire since I quit my last office job in 2019, all my workwear (ie: blazers, dark skinny jeans and ballet flats) is drastically out-of-date. Because mountain town forestry also has a way different vibe than downtown Chicago journalism, I went on a mini-shopping spree and bought myself a few new things for work. I bought several of these long-sleeved tees to wear with high-waisted wide-legged pants, and I absolutely love them. Simple and easy.
MacBook Air. I bought a new computer! My old MacBook Pro has been on life support for the past few years, with a broken butterfly keyboard, broken battery and broken monitor. I finally splurged and bought a new MacBook Air after Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro model, and can’t believe how enjoyable it is to use a working computer after years with my Frankenstein MacBook.
Affinity by Serif’s design software. Part of the reason I’d been holding onto my ancient MacBook Pro for so long was because WAY back in 2010, I purchased a license for Adobe Creative Suite 5. Because I was a student at the time, I got it for an absolute steal and — since Adobe switched to a shitty monthly subscription software model — I’ve been holding onto it for life for more than a decade. I stopped updating my MacBook’s operating system when Mac stopped supporting the 32-bit version so I could keep using the software and kept my MacBook on life support for a YEAR, just so I could get as much use out of it as possible. Finally, when I couldn’t delay it anymore, I got my new MacBook and said goodbye to Adobe. I started researching alternatives and found out that Affinity is actually JUST as good as Adobe — at a literal fraction of the cost! I used a free trial of Affinity Designer 2, Photo 2 and Publisher 2 and decided I really liked the suite of products! I recently paid a one-time fee for a license: $165 with no recurring subscriptions! Screw you Adobe.
Farmacy Honey Halo Ceramide Face Moisturizer. In the battle of me vs. Arizona’s dryass climate, Arizona always seems to come out on top. I’ve been using this moisturizer during the winter mornings and I’ve been really loving it for the past month. I recently upped my Tretinoin prescription strength, and I’m trying to fully combat the drying effects of it.
Albuterol. Random, but my doctor put me on an inhaler to see if it would help some breathing issues I’ve had lately (still waiting on a diagnosis) but so far, it’s been nice to not die while running.
OLIPOP soda. I’m always looking for something to serve as a replacement for pop, and OLIPOP is my latest try. I haven’t tried them all, but the strawberry vanilla flavor is my favorite so far. It definitely doesn’t taste like traditional soda pop does, so as long as you’re not expecting a dead-on replacement for Sprite, you’ll be fine.
Tate McRae’s “Think Later.” I’ve seen people labeling Tate as “Gen Z’s Britney,” and while NOBODY will ever replace the pop princess, I actually really love this album! I know some people hate the whole “cursive vocals” but I really love this album.
Our new Delta shower head. Ryan upgraded our standard rental shower head to this waterfall-style model, which includes a pop-out hand shower that makes cleaning our shower so much easier! Plus, the main rainfall head tilts back and forth.
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Happy shopping!
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