It’s time for my round-up of my all-time favorites from the year. I did a similar post last year, and a few things made the cut both years.
Some of these are useful products I’m obsessed with or clothing I’m constantly wearing… and some of it is just plain silly things that brought me joy.
My Favorite Things from 2021
the coziest robe
I don’t know how I went YEARS without having a robe. I received this waffle robe from Parachute as a Chanukah gift last year and I’ve been obsessed ever since. It’s cozy but not too hot. Great for all year round wear.
the yoga pants I wear pretty much every day
I’ve come to accept that these are the only yoga pants I want to wear. Lululemon Align Pants are perfect for pretty much everything — I’ll wear them to teach hot yoga, take a barre class, lounge around my apartment, or out and about with an oversize tee.
the best blanket, ever
Let’s be real, I’ve spent A LOT of time snuggled up on the couch in 2021 reading or watching TV. After seeing a number of bloggers talk about ChappyWrap blankets, I was intrigued. I now absolutely love mine, it’s the right amount of soft and it’s machine washable.
My turquoise one no longer is available, but ChappyWrap has a lot of great patterns and colors.
this mesh body exfoliator
The LUV SCRUB mesh body exfoliator is amazing. In the winter my skin gets so so dry. I’ve always been iffy on loofahs as they seem to get icky. The LUV SCRUB is easy to clean and does an amazing job at exfoliating your skin with just a small bit of body wash.
Reading
It feels cheesy to give reading a shout out, but books and reading really have brought me SO much joy this year. It’s been one of my favorite ways to spend my time and bookstagrammers have become some of my favorite follows on instagram right now. Could I be any more of an introvert 😂
Harry Styles
I never ever thought I’d give a crap about Harry Styles, but here we are. As you might recall it all started when I read The Idea of You in March 2020… and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
Getting to see him in concert this year was absolutely magical. His music got me through the worst of 2020 and it was so so much fun to get to see him and enjoy the 90 minute dance party. While he was on tour I also got totally hooked on watching livestreams and checking to see what outfit he was wearing that night.
Broadway’s Return
As I type this I’m not sure what’s going to happen next with Broadway shows as cases rise in NYC, but getting to see shows when broadway reopened this fall was incredible. I teared up walking back into a theater for the first time, and have felt so emotional about seeing theater ever since. Live theater (and especially musical theater!) will always hold a special place in my heart.
I hope live theater can continue to make a safe return in 2022.
The Nap Dress
Hillhouse Home’s “Nap Dress” has become a staple in my wardrobe. What is a Nap Dress? Kind of what it sounds like — a dress that’s comfy enough to nap in if you happen to be lounging around the couch.
This summer Hillhouse Home’s Ellie dress became my go-to. The neckline is so flattering and it’s the perfect dress for when I wanted to look cute but it was toasty out. It’s light-weight and bra-optional. A win-win in my book.
I’ve continued to wear my dresses into the winter with boots and cardigans on top.
Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR
This album got me through 2021. It’s the right amount of angst and feelings… and perfection from beginning to end.
Curling my hair
It might sound weird but curling my hair with a curling wand has brought me a lot of joy this year. As someone that’s never been skilled at doing my hair, it’s been really exciting to master this new hair skill. I find the process oddly relaxing.
I love this wand by Drybar. It’s pretty easy to use. I also appreciate that you can choose the temparature and supposedly better for your hair than some wands. It also shuts itself off after 60 minutes. Great if you’re paranoid like I am about turning off your curling iron…
RuPaul’s Drag Race
My RuPaul’s Drag Race obsession is nothing new, but has certainly been strong in 2021. It remains one of my favorite TV shows, and I’m pretty much always watching a random season as background noise.
Rediscovering Sex and the City
Last but not least has been rediscovering my love of Sex and the City. In preparation for And Just Like That I decided to rewatch the original series from the beginning. I’ve watched the series from start to finish a few times, but it’s been a few years.
Rewatching the show as a single gal in my 30’s was a really interesting experience. I certainly could relate to the characters more than I did when I was younger. I’ve been wanting to write a more in-depth blog post about some thoughts after rewatching, but for now I’ll say rewatching the series brought me a lot of joy in the last few weeks. And of course the occasional tear…
