I cannot believe it is almost February—January has absolutely flown on by, and I felt I couldn’t let the month pass without bringing you this post about the top 10 things I bought in 2021. This is one of my favorite posts to pull together every year—and one thing I want to do a better job of this year is sharing things I’ve purchased and loved more regularly here on the blog. I’m thinking I’ll do this on a quarterly basis, and of course, I always share what I am loving real time over on Instagram Stories.
(If you’re curious, I shared my previous best buys here: 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, and, if I had written a similar post in 2015, it’d be about this. I accidentally let this series lag in 2019!)
If I had to give a theme to the best purchases I made in 2021, it would be “little luxuries.” Given I am still working from home, I spend a lot of time at my apartment, so I’m all about dressing comfortably, making sure my space is organized—a cluttered space makes a cluttered mind, and finding little ways to treat myself. And, everything on this list is under $100!
So, without further ado, here are the 10 best things I bought in 2021:
If you follow me over on Instagram, you know that I absolutely love this winter jacket from Amazon. It regularly goes on sale for under $100, so if you’re not in a rush, definitely wait for a sale. I’ve worn it almost every day this winter and it’s so warm. It also has a ton of pockets, making it super functional, and suppers on the sides so you can expand/shrink it as needed. I found it runs true to size! I bought it in red since my other winter jackets are black and white, but I am considering it in another color given how much wear I get out of it.
I bought these faux diamond stud earrings in late summer and have worn them almost every day since they arrived. I bought the two carat version and they are a really good imitation of the real thing. So whether you’re like me and just want them for the fashion, or want a pair you can wear in more precarious situations in lieu of your real ones, definitely add these to your cart.
I have really fine, thin hair, so when I tried to take part in the scrunchie trend, it just didn’t work for me because normal-sized scrunchies just about swallow my hair. I found these scrunchies that are more slim and am obsessed! What I love about scrunchies, as opposed to normal hair ties, is I’ve noticed less breakage in my hair where I pull my hair back up into a pony tail. These are definitely on the pricier side for six scrunchies, but I think they’re worth it.
This Apple MagSafe Charger goes right on the back of your iPhone (if you have a MagSafe device!) when you need an extra charge or want to extend the life of your battery. It’s super convenient when traveling and I like it better than the portable chargers since it doesn’t require any cords. The only downside is that it will only charge your phone to 90%, so if your battery is on the older side of its life, I would probably still recommend a portable charger that holds multiple charges.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, both of my sisters were wearing this jogger set—this is the top and the joggers are below!—from Old Navy and I immediately ordered one for myself. It’s from their ‘Sunday Sleep’ line and is so comfortable! I am definitely going to buy some warm-weather pajamas from this line when the time comes. I’ve found these run a little large, so if you want them to fit more true to size, I would recommend sizing down.
These are the joggers for the set and as noted above, I am obsessed. They also just released a bunch of really new cute prints for spring. While I generally wear these just around the house, some of the spring patterns would look really cute with a body suit for a fun weekend look.
I listen to Podcasts almost every night in the shower, so a shower radio is a must for me. For a long time, I was an Aqua Audio loyalist, but like clockwork, every year or so, they just stopped holding a charge. After buying three or four, I decided I needed to find an alternative. After reading lots of reviews on Amazon, I landed on this one from Sound Angel and have been really impressed! I’ve had it since mid-December and haven’t had to charge it yet.
After years of seeing this handy little device come highly recommended on Instagram Stories, when sweater season rolled around this year, I decided to buy it and am so glad I did! For those of you less familiar, this is a fabric shaver and it helps remove any pilling from your fabrics to give them a new lease on life. I would definitely recommend testing it in a inconspicuous area before you really go to town, but it hasn’t led to any holes in my clothes yet.
This bamboo drawer organizer seriously brings me so much JOY. And it’s become more popular, so now they also stock it in white and black—but I am partial to the natural wood that I bought. It’s super high quality, and it’s expandable, so it works for a lot of different drawer sizes. (For instance, I can only expand mine on one side in the current drawer I have it in.) I think it looks super high-end and is a great way to get that custom feel.
I picked up this Illume Winter White candle at the Luckett’s Holiday House in December and have bought it two times since. The smell is just amazing—the notes are evergreen and frosted cypress are dusted with white peppercorn, spicy-cool cardamom, and a sparkling citrus nuance. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before; it’s not too sweet and it’s not too musky. It’ll definitely be a staple scent in my home for winters to come!
