My Best Purchases of 2020.

      Every January, I like to share my 10 favorite purchases from the past year. While some are usually fashion related, I've found that in the past couple years a good portion of them are random buys that just made my life a bit easier or better in the past 12 months! 2020 obviously wasn't the best year, but these 10 items all brought me joy, so I'm happy to share them all with you today.

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1. Airpods // 2. Swig travel mug // 3. Lululemon headband // 4. Tory Burch Minnie flats // 5. Amazon glitter bracelets // 6. Lilly Pulitzer Luxletic skort // 7. Underwear organizers // 8. Isle of Paradise tanning drops // 9. Covergirl translucent powder // 10. Spanx faux leather leggings

My Best Purchases of 2020:

1. Apple Airpods - I'm sure you've heard of these before! 😉Hahaha. In all seriousness, in 2019 I was convinced Airpods were super overpriced and overrated. Then a few of my friends got them in the early part of 2020, and they all raved about them so I became curious. I had several flights/trips cancelled in the first half of 2020, and for one of my trips I was able to get an actual refund and not just a flight credit. So I decided to use part of the refund to splurge on Airpods, and I'm so glad I did! In full honesty, I don't use them as much as some people. I don't really ever wear that type of headphones at work (I have professional radio ones for being on-air), and I don't do a lot of workouts that require headphones since I do fitness classes and play tennis. BUT- with all that said, when I have used them this year, usually for long phone calls or the occasional trail walk, I absolutely love them!! I can't wait for air travel to pick up again this year and actually use them for that too. I do think Airpods are worth the splurge!
2. Swig travel mug - My Yeti mug almost made last year's version of this post, but since getting my Swig travel mug this summer I've barely used my Yeti! I like my Swig travel mug so much better. It comes in adorable colors and prints (I have the leopard one that's pictured above), and it's designed a little more like a traditional mug than the big Yeti I have. It works just as well as a Yeti for keeping hot drinks hot for many hours. I use this every single morning at work for my caffeinated tea to help wake up during the morning show. 
3. Lululemon headband - I purchased my first-ever Lululemon items as a birthday gift to myself this year! I got a pair of the famous Align leggings (they are amazing and I get the hype!), and I also picked up a headband. While I do love the leggings, I am obsessed with the headband!! It's by far the best athletic headband I've ever had. It's under $15 too- making it one of the cheapest things Lululemon sells! This would be a great stocking stuffer to do for Christmas next year. 
4. Tory Burch Minnie flats - Along with the Airpods, these were another quarantine purchase back in the spring. I'd always wanted a pair of these! They would complete my perfect trifecta of Tory Burch shoes: riding boots, Miller sandals, and now the Minnie flats. Imagine my surprise when I got them and am now convinced they're my favorite TB shoes- beating out my beloved riding boots and Millers! These are by far the most comfortable flats I've ever owned. They require zero time to break in, which I feel like is so rare with flats! No blisters at all. And the leather is incredibly soft and chic. One of the best splurge purchases I've ever made! I need to write a full Designer Diaries review for them. 
5. Amazon glitter bracelets - These were on my Amazon Wishlist forever, and I finally ordered them near the end of the year. Oh my gosh- I was missing out by not getting these sooner! They're so lightweight and comfortable to wear, and look incredible on! They look much more expensive then they are. And since they're plastic I'll be able to wear them to the pool or beach next summer. I love both the silver and gold- either wearing them separately or mixing them! 
6. Lilly Pulitzer Luxletic skort - My favorite and most-worn Lilly purchase of 2020! I have several pairs of Luxletic leggings that I love, but I had yet to get my hands on a skort. I finally was able to score one in my size at a discount in the September After Party Sale! I got the Aila scalloped skort, and I'm obsessed. It was my favorite thing to wear for playing tennis this fall before the weather got cold. These skorts aren't cheap at full price, but if you can happen to find one on sale I highly reccomend! 
7. Underwear organizers - A purchase that was 100% inspired from me watching The Home Edit show on Netflix last year- ha! Hopefully this isn't TMI to talk about on the blog, but my underwear drawer in my bureau has always been very disorganized. It's a pretty good size drawer, but I never felt like I was using the space well. I found this set of two underwear organizers on Amazon and decided to give them a try. They're wonderful!! Now the drawer is super organized, and it also makes folding this type of laundry easier. This organizers could also work for socks or other small clothing items too.
   
8. Isle of Paradise tanning drops - I loved these so much that I wrote an entire blog post dedicated to them! This is the ideal subtle tanning product for someone with very naturally pale skin that doesn't want it to look too fake. I am already excited to resume using these again in the springtime. 
9. Covergirl translucent powder - My favorite drugstore beauty find of the year! I used to use a high end brand setting powder, but wanted to switch to a drugstore one to save money since this is a product I go through pretty quickly. I tried ones from ELF that I didn't like very much. I did like the Coty powder, but I found this brand to be tough to find at certain drugstores. Then I tried this Covergirl one and LOVED it! I use shade Translucent Light. I have repurchased this many times this year and also featured it in this blog post. 
10. Spanx faux leather leggings - True story: I bought these in the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and then returned them! I didn't think they were worth the hype the first time I tried them on, and went back to a cheaper pair of faux leather leggings. This year I had another opportunity to get them on sale, and now I love them! This time I did order a size up from what I normally wear, and I think they do fit a lot more comfortably that way. They really do suck you in, and look amazing on. A winter fashion staple!

     Of course I'd love to know about your favorite purchases and discoveries from 2020! Share with me in the comments. Have a great weekend!

     God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese