Happy New Year! I am so grateful for the time I had off of work to spend with our growing family (just in case you missed our announcement – Ainsley is going to be a big sister in June!).
I also made up for lost time on Instagram and Instagram Stories. I love doing Q&As and chatting with you all. It feels like catching up with friends over coffee/chai tea. Someone asked about my favorite purchase from 2019, and I thought it’d be fun to put together a more robust list. Admittedly, I focused a bit more on my favorite purchases for the home, Ainsley and myself (sorry, Bill), but here we go!
- Wayfair Swivel Chairs (in Cruise Adrif). These chairs made such a difference in our living room (here’s what it looked like a few months ago). I had been searching for chairs for several months but everything was super expensive. I sent the link to my sister when I found these, and it turns out they’re the same swivel chairs she has in her condo #twins. I think I went back over that day to sit on them and make sure I felt like they were comfortable enough for the room. While these aren’t the curl up in a ball to lounge type of chairs, they’re perfect for when guests come over. And they’re definitely not as stiff as the chairs I’ve sat on at Target or HomeGoods. I’m extremely happy with them, especially given their price point!
- Toddler Step Stool. This was on Ainsley’s Christmas list, and Auntie Al made our day with this gift. Ainsley has loved being up at the counter with us while we’re in the kitchen. Given her age, I still need to supervise her in this pretty closely, but I’m so excited for how she will grow into it and can bake with me. Plus, I’ve seen some pretty oversized step stools. While this definitely takes up space, it’s the perfect size for our kitchen.
- MZ Wallace Small Sutton Bag. During one of my Q&As on Instagram, someone asked about my current wish list. I shared a screenshot of my running list that included an MZ Wallace bag. Well, they heard the news and were kind enough to send me some bags (and seriously made my day!). I have been using their Medium Metro Tote for work for over a year and was so excited to add to my collection. Bill is currently testing out some of their men’s products – I may steal the backpack from him and will report back soon. He used the duffle bag when we were overnight in the hospital with Ainsley and loved it. Anyways, the Small Sutton has been a game changer for me. Since I’m not home with Ainsley every day, I don’t like to move items around from my purse and diaper bag that frequently since I’m bound to forget something but was also was so sick of carrying her diaper bag and an additional bag on the weekends. This feels like I’m carrying nothing because it’s so lightweight and holds so much. I can’t recommend it enough for my girlfriends. I’ll try to share some more photos on Instagram soon. If you order on their website, you can sign up to get 15% your next full-price purchase!
- Banana Republic Sneakers. They may not be Golden Goose sneakers, but these are incredibly comfortable and make me feel like a cool mom. I love throwing them on with dresses, skirts and jeans. A lot of the reviews say to size down a half size. I’m a true 7.5 and would agree that there is extra room but wasn’t sure if my feet would get swollen this pregnency so I kept them. I probably could’ve gone with a 7.
- AirPods. Bill has been using these all year, and he got me the AirPod Pros for Christmas. I’m hoping they arrive in the next week or so. I started borrowing his when I was doing chores to listen to podcasts (my favorites right now is Be There in Five and Bad on Paper) and didn’t want to give them back. Plus, I like to listen to music at work and have to take a lot of calls so these will get a lot of use every day. These would make a great birthday, Father’s Day or Mother’s Day gift.
- Kids’ Food Scissors. This was a game changer and is hands-down one of my favorite baby products. It has made going out to eat or over to a friend’s house so much easier. I can cut up food on the go or prep at home at lightning speed. If you’re going to any baby showers soon and this isn’t on their registry, I’d grab it for them. They’ll thank you later!
- Puracy Stain Remover. This has saved so many of Ainsley’s clothes, our duvet, carpet, counter stool cushions and more in our home. I spray it on any stains immediately and depending on how bad the stain is will let it it sit for awhile (sometimes even overnight), then rinse with hot water while trying to work the stain out and throw in the wash. I bought one bottle to start and then purchased this refill bag.
- Namesake Ring. This was a 30th birthday present to myself. I had ROSE engraved along with my mom’s birthday and Ainsley’s birthday. I will pass it down to Ainsley one day but until then, it is one of my most treasured pieces of jewelry.
- Radio Flyer Wagon. Hands down, this was Ainsley’s favorite item of the year, and she still wants to be pulled around in it in the basement. We love how easy it is to collapse and throw in the trunk of our car. Some of my favorite snaps this year of her in the wagon include this, this and this.
- First Aid Kit. I felt like since I had owned a home for over a year and had a kid, it was time to own a first aid kit. It came in handy when someone in my extended family had a mishap with a mandoline slicer this summer. Note to self to buy one of these for each of our cars.
- O-Cedar Pro Mist Max Spray Mop. This spray mop has made such a difference in cleaning our floors. My sister let me borrow it, and after cleaning just one room, I knew we needed it for our home. I’d love to put aside enough money to have someone come in to do a deep clean of our house once a month, but I’m just not there yet. I was admittedly not cleaning our floors as much as I would’ve liked with a crawling baby, but this has helped make the chore super easy! I fill it with my own natural cleaner which makes me feel better about what is going on our floors.
- Seaside NamaMat in collaboration with Meg Hall. If you’re a fan of feeling like you’re standing on the softest clouds in the world, then this is for you. We have their play mat for Ainsley, and I had been eying their NamaMat since they launched kitchen mats. It was going to go on my Christmas list, but they were kind enough to send us one to celebrate the launch. Not only do I adore Meg and her entire family, but I love everything House of Noa is doing. They have functional and practical products that don’t sacrifice design and style, which couldn’t be more perfect for this phase of life.
- Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree. I think greenery (and artwork) really start to make a house feel like a home. That said, I have a very, very hard time keeping plants alive. This faux fiddle leaf fig tree was the perfect solution. Someone even asked me how mine looked so great because their leaves were all falling off. I commended them for having a real one and quickly admitted this was faux. We got the 7′ version. It’s had two homes in our house in different corners of the dining room – here’s where it was first and where it now resides.
- One/Third Jacket 01. I hadn’t bought a nice jacket in awhile (I had mostly been stocking up on coats). I saw this jacket on Anna a few times and felt like it was one of those pieces that would instantly upgrade any outfit. I ended up ordering the 03 style as well, and they’re two of my most complimented pieces.
- Kids’ Table & Chairs. This was another item on Ainsley’s Christmas list. It has a new home in the corner of our dining room that I can see from the kitchen. While she still needs help in and out of the chairs, she can stand really nicely at the table to play, and I think it will be great for her to start having snack time there when she’s ready. I also wanted a better space for her to color, draw and paint.
- Frontgate World Map. Bill mentioned that he wanted a world map for somewhere in the home. I had been searching for about a month and couldn’t find anything I liked. His cousin actually posted a photo on Instagram of her family at their house at the perfect time. I saw the map in the background and immediately texted her. It happened to be on sale that day and arrived a week before his birthday. I went with the bronze frame and colored map. It is such great quality, and we all love it (including Ainsley). It’s hanging in his office above a campaign dresser.
I love reading these types of lists because it helps me find great gifts for friends and family throughout the year. I’ve also included some honorable mentions linked below. You can also shop all of my Amazon picks here! The page includes fashion, home, toddler and baby purchases.
