Our Favorite Things Lately

Hello friends! It’s been since OCTOBER since I did a run-down of our favorite things lately so I’m going to share all our favorite things since then. I love sharing these in hopes that our discoveries of new things we love will help YOU find things you love! Plus it’s just fun to be able to shout to the rooftops about things you love.

We’ve been going a little stir crazy in winter but have been trying to make the most of it for sure — living the cozy life but also trying to get outside when we can which is hard for me, a creature who hates the cold, but I found even 10 minutes outside all bundled up helps a bit.

 

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Jamie’s Favorite Things Lately

 

 

 

1. Cold Brew Coffee Maker: We’ve been trying to save money and I’ve done mostly a good job about not going to get coffee but I MISSED IT. We both love cold brew coffee so we got this and have been using it for about a month and I LOVE IT. It’s easy to use and we’ve both been enjoying having our coffee every morning without stopping to get some and I use my favorite tumbler so I can take it to-go easily. We got the Kitchen Aid cold brew coffee maker and have been very pleased with it! side note: any yummy ways to spice it up a bit without adding too much sugar? I have a coffee creamer that is better than most but I’d love to DIY my own coffee creamer/flavoring also.

 

2. Our Moscow Mule cups: One of our favorite drinks to make at home are different varieties of Moscow Mules and we always noticed it TOTALLY tasted better from the copper mugs at restaurants and stuff so we asked for them for Christmas and WE HAVE BEEN LOVING THEM.

 

 

3. New fleece lined leggings: I’ve been TRYING to make an effort to take Riley outside even in the cold and to do that requires being layered up so I was on the hunt for new fleece lined leggings and Amazon came through for me!! It was a 2 pack of black and grey and they are so super comfortable. They are cheap and totally work for layering under things to go outside or just to hang around at home. They aren’t actually see-through at all which surprised me so I HAVE worn them outside the house.

 

 

4. Libby app: I have used Overdrive FOR YEARS and just started getting back into audiobooks after taking a little bit of a break (stopped commuting as I’m now staying home with Riley and couldn’t find time for them) and I saw that Overdrive now has an awesome app called Libby! I find it easier to use than the Overdrive app!

Related: 2019 Book To Movie Adaptations

 

 

5. My utility card turned book clutter solution: I wrote in detail about how I used a utility cart to organize my book clutter (after originally buying it for Riley’s stuff months before) but literally every time I walk into my office/library it makes me happy. I have never been good at keeping up with books coming in and book coming out and my book cart system  has helped SO MUCH.

Related: Must Read Books For 2019 (adult fiction) // New Young Adult Books To Read In 2019

 

6. Skinnytaste’s Cheeseburger soup: We have made this SO many times this winter. Comfort food and it’s a LITTLE bit healthier because it’s creamy because it’s made with cauliflower.

 

7. Our new umbrella stroller: I did EXTENSIVE research before we went to Disney to get a good but inexpensive umbrella stroller and I FOUND IT. Riley napped amazingly in it. Seemed comfortable. It glided through the park well. And it was WAY cheaper than some of “the best ones” out there. Highly recommend the Summer Infant 3D Lite!

 

Riley’s Favorite Things Lately

Some of her favorite things right now include — swiping my phone when I’m not looking, feeding Finn (she really does it herself — opens the container, scoops the food, dumps it into his bowl and then carries the bowl back to its place. Still wobbly with the water dish though) and climbing EVERYTHING.

 

 

1. Learning Tower: This has been ONE OF THE BEST PURCHASES EVER. She loves being independent and be involved (and is super nosy curious) so this has been the best. Things we use it for:  I put soap and water in the sink and she “washes” some dishes while I cook or clean. Sometimes she just plays in the water with cups and bath toys. She gets up there to wash her hands. She also uses it at the counter and helps me cook (right now she just helps me dump the ingredients in so far). And honestly sometimes she just likes to stand there and watch me on my level instead of down on the ground. This is the brand we own but there are several brands that I’m sure do the same thing such as this one, this one that’s foldable (kinda wish I snagged that one haha but we do have a large kitchen with a spot perfect for ours to be stored when not using) or this one that’s way cheaper than what I purchased.

 

2. Her kitchen set: She got a kitchen set for Christmas and I feel like she’s starting to get the hang of it (although not altogether on the pretend play) when she hangs out with her older cousins. I love, love love the one we got from Kidkraft.

 

Related: Books To Read With Your 18 Month Old

 

3. Her basketball hoop (that we have inside but take out when it’s nice): Will is loving how much she is into her basketball hoop! They play nightly and it’s really sweet to watch.

 

4. Coloring with her beeswax crayons: I really love these crayons — they are non-toxic and they are perfect size for toddlers! She’s gotten a lot better with coloring but she still tries to taste them when I’m not looking! Little pricey but worth it because I swear they are like indestructible and we will be using them for a long time.

 

Related: Best bedtime books for babies & young toddlers

 

5. Puzzles: She really loves puzzles these days! The problem is she figures them out very fast and then gets bored of them and wants something more challenging so right now we have puzzles out that are a little too easy for her because 1) I can’t afford to get new puzzles already and 2) I haven’t researched what might be more challenging for her but not TOO challenging. Ones she’s loved in the past few months: this school bus one, this farm one (we never put the batteries in) and this farm one (the chunky handles were really good for her as a beginner)

 

 

 

So that’s what we’ve been loving lately! We are on a bit of a spending freeze lately so not buying a whole lot of new stuff so I’m pretty calculated about it when I do! What have YOU been loving lately that you feel like you just need to share with someone?