My favourite things: December 2024
I always love doing this listicle style post at the end of year and then going back and seeing what my favourite things were in previous years. These things always change and evolve as my life and preferences change and I find it fascinating.
So what am I loving right now?
My Apple AirPods Pro - I absolutely love these tiny headphones/ earphones [what are they supposed to be called???] I listen to my YouTube videos in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep and don’t want to wake people up. I listen to my Spotify playlists on them because the music quality is insanely good and I also listen to Podcasts where I don’t want to be distracted by outside noise because the noise cancelling feature is just the best. Thank you hubby for buying these for me, best birthday gift ever after the arrival of someone new ;)
The Take What You Need affirmations card deck - I’m a huge fan of affirmations or mantra card decks. I love how I can pull out one card for the day or week and it gives me a focus or theme to hook into. But with these cards by Dani Dipirro - they just take affirmations cards to a whole new level. They are beautifully illustrated and SO colourful. I find I always get the perfect message for my mind at the right time. It’s become a very intentional and super easy part of my mornings that I miss it when I don’t pick a card
My stationery collection - I have a very intentional pencil case of things I use regularly and they are:
My Muji 0.38mm Blue black gel pens
Stabilo Pointball biro 0.5mm - and oldie but a goodie and you can’t go wrong with traditional biro for journaling, scribbling and taking notes
Staedtler HB2 Pencil [these are old school and remind of my student days]
Zig Clean Color Dot markers - these are my favourite for decorating lists snd adding colour to bullet journal spreads.
Every Minute A Story - silver metal ruler - I’m forever underlining things I want to stand out or drawing shapes and this is the best ruler I’ve used in ages
Staedtler highlighters - because highlighters are a bookworm’s best friend!
Tombow brush pens - for decorating bullet journal spreads and for colouring in generally
Orange handled scissors [borrowed these from my mum and never gave them back and I actually don’t know where they are from but they are the best!]
Every Minute A Story (EMAS) A5 scribble book with mantras on the cover. I also have a Halloween themed one that I will use next regardless of the time of year. These scribble books have good quality grid paper inside and are small enough to be portable and yet sturdy enough for me to write all my musings in along the way as I travel between work and family
My post it note/ sticky notes collection - I have amassed quite a collection over the last 5 or 6 years and I sorted them all out into a basket so that I remember to use them up bit by bit. At first I kept the colourful cute ones “for a rainy day” but then I decided why not make everyday fun by using them. I firmly have the belief that when they run out I can find even cuter cheaper ones online and continue enjoying using them.
Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo - Random item and also not a stationery item [SHOCKING I know for me right!!!]. But I just love this shampoo, the smell and also that it is amazing for sensitive scalps or itchy scalps.
My rose gold MacBook Air - Apple doesn't have a rose gold line anymore and I am absolutely gutted! But this laptop that I am writing this blog post from is my best friend and my creative inspiration for all that I write and do online. Thank you mum for the best laptop a girl could ask for. You know me too well!
Yepoda Korean skincare products - I have recently got into Korean Skincare in a big way between sheet masks and also Yepoda products. My skin has never felt so nourished and happy. I used an Instagram discount and also Black Friday deals to get the whole introduction range from double cleansers to moisturiser and oil serums. I love every single item and they come in the most beautiful glass containers I have ever seen. I’m not entirely sold on Korean skincare but what Yepoda does well is to use powerful ingredients and to not have an overpowering perfume smell. My sensitive skin is now doing much better thanks to their pomegranate double bubble cleanser with salicylic acid in and also the Glow Hero oil which has massively helped to balance my naturally oily skin.
My nail polish collection and nail art brushes - yes I am a girly girl and I am not hiding it. I love love love painting my nails with different colours and a long time ago I found a site called Nail Polish Direct where expensive polishes are heavily discounted. So I slowly built up a collection of my favourite colours and tools and now I change my nail colour when my mood dictates. Nails have always been a creative expression for me and that will never change. I don’t follow the season, I simply think what colour am I feeling? and go with my heart.
My morning routine/ mindset routine - ok so this isn’t a physical thing but it’s a part of my day I have come to truly cherish and love. The basic components are: journaling, movement, listening to a podcast [mindset/ education focus], and reading. It happens in a combination of timings from 5 mins upto 30 mins and in any order that suits me with Journaling being the start of the whole process because I like to braindump my thoughts onto paper to process and clear my mind. It works like a dream.
So there you have it, my top 10 favourite things for December 2024. These things make me truly happy and I enjoy using them.