November already flew by – wow. This month is always the busiest for me for work, which is both a huge blessing and a bit of a curse when you’re just wanting to do all the Christmas things – ha! I woke up feeling under the weather today, so I’m trying to cross off the essentials and then give myself grace and a bit of a break to unwind and relax a little in the hopes of kicking a cold before it hits me harder. This month’s favorites are full of giftable ideas and festive options for the season, whether you’re looking for fun fashion for Christmas parties, travel essentials, or a new treat to try. 🙂
For your festive fashion needs – THESE JOGGERS. Wowee. They’ve gotten rave reviews on this reel and I’m giving them rave reviews here again – 10/10 for the holidays. They’re INSANELY comfortable – as in, soft silky inside, no scratching from the sequins, and a stretchy adjustable drawstring waistband. The bottoms are also elastic, so they can be worn full length (I’m 5’7″ for height reference) or pulled up on your calves as joggers.
The red isn’t fire engine bright, but rather, a gorgeous, deeper wine shade that feels a little classier and definitely more chic.
For under $40, they’re a fabulous option for the holidays, especially if you’re hosting a Christmas party at home and want to be cute but COMFY.
2.) Black quilted weekender bag
THIS BAG IS THE BOMB!!!! I can’t recommend it enough as a little overnight weekender or carry-on option. It holds a *surprising* amount of stuff inside and has fabulous pockets both inside and out (big enough to hold my laptop!). It looks like this $275 designer bag, but it’s not even $30 and feels SO well made – I’m beyond impressed. I squealed when I picked it up – would make a great gift idea for her, especially if she’s always on the go!
How STUNNING are these for the holidays?! Another affordable option (Walmart is just *slaying* the game lately) at under $35, they’re an awesome alternative to heels this holiday season. A comfy, chic slingback is always in style, and these have the prettiest sparkly bow detail for an added festive touch. Definitely a worthwhile find!
ICYMI – I think the viral, perpetually-sold-out Stanley Quencher cup is overrated. It’s as popular as it is because of “‘influencers” telling folks to RUN every time it’s restocked – but really, this one is better. Why? Because it’s the exact same size and shape with the exact same functionality – it keeps your drink ice cold all day. BUT, this one has the Stanley beat thanks to the lid; the Stanley cup’s lid leaks if spilled (well, more than leaks…it straight up spills out, as seen on my Instagram Highlight comparing the two in real time). This one is LITERALLY leak-proof, even when turned completely upside down, and it’s $10 CHEAPER than the Stanley!!!! A no brainer, people.
This is a newer launch from DIME and came at the perfect time for me where I was still recovering from a bigger breakout. I’ve personally had a lot of luck with DIME’s acne products, so I had high hopes here – and have not been disappointed. It’s formulated with salicylic acid and magnolia bark, which are meant to reduce inflammation, refine your pores, and also fight off acne-causing bacteria without totally stripping or drying out your skin. The formula is also clean, cruelty-free and vegan. Code THRIVE20 should still take 20% off your order if you want to give it (or anything else on their website, for that matter) a try!
I got my first Bright Endeavors candle when J and I were on our little anniversary roadtrip in the Catskill Mountains; I picked up the Rose & Vanilla candle in a little local shop and was OBSESSED with the scent the second I smelled it. Then, I read about their mission and was even more obsessed. Bright Endeavors is this awesome social enterprise that partners with young moms that are working towards housing stability, economic mobility, and overall family well-being; they’re put in a comprehensive paid job-training program and taught skills on-the-job while helping behind-the-scenes with the brand. So I lovelovelove the heart behind it, but also, the candles smell SO GOOD; the brand also so kindly sent me the Whitepark Pine one for Christmas along with the diffuser, and the diffuser has made our powder bath smell like a Christmas tree farm DREAM. A great mission-minded small shop to support this season!
7.) Mejuri jewelry
You’ve heard me share about Mejuri quite a few times this month, but for good reason…I just #CantStopWontStop wearing their pieces. Everything is so dainty and beautiful and well-made, sustainable, high quality, and beautiful. Makes GREAT gifts for her if she’d like something sparkly under the tree!
8.) Yuka app
In making a lot of swaps to cleaner, healthier products across the board for both TTC and my thyroid diagnosis, I heard about this app that lets you scan product barcodes and rates them for you on an overall health scale. Let me tell you – it’s addicting. I have the free version (I believe the paid version lets you do general searches for products across their entire database instead of just scanning what you have), but it’s cool – and also alarming – to do inventory in your house and scan the beauty, body and food products you’re using regularly. Beyond that, after scanning, it flags exactly which ingredients are concerned good, limited risk, and blatantly hazardous to your health. From there, you can click each product to read more about it. When I tell you I went down the rabbit hole…yikes. For starters, I may never eat a Dorito again.
9.) Mini ugg dupes
I wanted easy slip-on shoes for the cold season that would keep my feet WARM without needing an in-depth sock situation to run out of the house. UGGs are obviously all the rage, but they’re also not exactly cheap…so I was stoked to find these on Amazon for not even $50. They look just like UGGs and have the same sortof warm fur inside, and I can throw them on with or without socks for bumming around, bringing Liv to taekwondo or preschool, Target runs, you name it.
I’ve been SO IMPRESSED with this coat! I was intrigued at it being “reversible” – turns out, it’s BRILLIANT. One side gives you the classic puffer coat look, the other is fur for a more dressed up, chic option. It’s WARM with a detachable hood, so I lovelovelove that it can go from being your everyday coat to your fancier, dressier coat by just flipping it inside out. Fantastic bang for your buck!
HAVE YOU TRIED ANY OF MY MONTHLY FAVORITES YET?
And what have been YOUR Monthly Favorites? Would lovelovelove to know!
P.S. ICYMI and wanna get caught up on or last month’s favorites, just click here!
