2020 sucked. Straight up. 2021 has honestly kinda sucked too so far, but I think now we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. There weren’t a lot of good things happening for me in 2020, but I did gather up some cool stuff that cheered me up a bit. Some of these even made my life a bit easier and more comfortable which has always been ideal, but even more so now . These are a few of the best things I’ve purchased/received in 2020 that I think you’ll dig as well. From 2020 to 2021, and beyond!

1. Classic Rock Couture Rising Sun Jacket in Navy

This jacket actually popped up as an ad when I was aimlessly browsing online. It was love at first sight, which was wild to me. Usually I hate ads, especially if I’m aimlessly scrolling and one pops up outta nowhere, but this was the exception to that rule. I thought, “DAMN! That’s exactly the kinda jacket I’ve always wanted. How did they know!? That’s sooo creeeepy. Ohwell. It’s totally my style.” So I put it on my Christmas Wishlist, cause it’s kinda pricey. To my surprise, I actually ended up getting it as a gift! TBH I’m still obsessed with it, and I’m still kinda amazed/creeped out how well that ad worked. They got me! But I can’t be mad. Claire, the designer of these jackets is the nicest, AND she has her designs handmade in the US which is awesome. She sells them through her Etsy shop, and also at her really awesome looking vintage shop in Bisbee, Arizona that I would be so down to visit someday! Just a suggestion though, if you do buy this and you normally wear an xs like me, I’d get a small instead. I got an xs originally but decided to size up because I wanted it to fit longer in the body and arms. The xs is VERY cropped. The bottom of it hit me at the waist, and I have a small torso. I found that the xs and small are basically the same fit overall, just the length in the arms and jacket itself is different. So, if you want a regular length and still fitted jacket, definitely get the small.

Classic Rock Couture Rising Sun Jacket in Navy, [$149, etsy.com]

2. Hydroflask 32oz Wide Mouth Bottle in White

I have a bunch of different water bottles, but none of them were THAT great. As a person who has to force themselves to drink water cause I hate it, I needed something that would make drinking it tolerable for me. I’m talking cool crisp refreshing water, no tinny taste. I just can’t do it otherwise. Well, I gotta say… my Hydroflask is it. It actually forces me to drink more water, and I don’t completely hate it! It keeps my water cold for SO long it’s amazing. I always fill it with my Brita filtered water too, so its always crisp and fresh, and to my surprise, never tinny. The seal is great, it never leaks, and I really like the handle on the top. It makes it way easier to carry around. I actually delayed getting a Hydroflask initially because it just seemed excessively expensive to me, but honestly it was worth it. I should have gotten one sooner.

Hydroflask 32oz Wide Mouth Bottle in White, [$45, urbanoutfitters.com]

3. Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook by Courtney Cowan

A friend of ours introduced us to Milk Jar Cookies in LA years ago, and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. Everyone calls my mom The Cookie Monster, and I definitely take after her in that way. I’m straight up Cookie Monster Jr. so trust me when I tell you, these are delicious. I know I know, you’re probably like, “Kristina, it’s just a freakin’ cookie. What’s so great about them?” WELL, not only are they delicious, but they’re freakin’ ginormous! Seriously. They’re HUGE. So when I heard Courtney Cowan (the founder of Milk Jar Cookies) was coming out with her own Bakebook, I was SO down! I’ve already made the classic chocolate chip cookies a few times and maaan. They are SO GOOD. They taste just like they do when you buy them from the shop, which is great especially if you don’t live in LA. There’s also pie and cake recipes in this too! If you like desserts or baking you’ll dig this.

Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook by Courtney Cowan, [$20.49, target.com]

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch

I know this isn’t a new game. I KNOW. But guess what? I never had a chance to play it until 2020, so it was new to me MF. To be totally honest, this is probably the best game I’ve ever played. EVER. And that’s coming from someone who’s played a looot of video games throughout their life. The graphics are absolutely insane. The world itself is so massive it’s almost unbelievable. The story is super fun to play through. It’s straight up FUN. This year I needed an escape, and this was it. We may not be able to travel yet, but at least there’s Zelda. I could travel from all kinds of different landscapes! From Forests to Deserts, Mountains, Lakes, and Frozen Tundra. This game has it all. There’s even freakin’ dragons! DRAGONS. You can horseback ride. It’s just overall really amazing. If you’ve never played this, you need to. I’m serious. Even if you’ve never played a game in your life.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch, [$49.99, target.com]

5. Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau

I straight up LOVE Michelle Buteau. If you haven’t heard of her yet, what’s up? You’re missing out. She’s been in a few films so you’ve probably seen her already, but you may just have not realized it yet. One of the best ones IMHO? Ali Wong’s “Always Be My Maybe”, which if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to. Anyway, back to her book. It’s hilarious. I literally couldn’t put it down. No, I’m not kidding. I literally did not want to put it down, so I didn’t. I read it in an entire night. It reads exactly like she’s your friend and she’s talking to you which tbh I think we all need that right now. There’s even some bits in there I recognized from her Netflix special “Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Beautopia” which you should also check out if you like to laugh. It’s real, it’s honest, and it’s a great insight into her experiences. 10/10 highly recommend.

Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau, [$15.99, target.com]

6. Cuisinart Premium Single Serve Brewer

Sooo… because I cannot afford the $700+ Breville Espresso Machine that I’ve always wanted, I’ve always used a Keurig. Well, I used to… since Keurig has absolutely cheaped out on their products, our Keurig stopped working after about 2 years. Absolute garbage. So I started looking into getting a replacement. I actually didn’t realize you could use k-cups or reusable k-cups with anything other than a Keurig machine. As far as I knew it just wouldn’t work. I mean I’ve personally had certain k-cups not work in my Keurig machine. After tons of research I found out, no bish, there’s a bunch of other machines you can get and they actually work BETTER than Keurig machines! So after reading tons of reviews and articles I decided on this one. So far it’s been great! It’s waaay faster than my Keurig was. It also comes with a rinse feature, more brew size options, AND a reusable k-cup with its own storage in the machine. It’s awesome. 10/10 would recommend getting this instead of a crappy Keurig machine. ALSO – here’s a tip. If you grab this from Bed Bath and Beyond you can always use a 20% off an item coupon. I saved $28 with mine. It ended up being waaay cheaper there with that coupon than anywhere else. Also waaay cheaper than a Keurig too. Win win.

Cuisinart Premium Single Serve Brewer, [$139.99, bedbathandbeyond.com]

7. Lululemon Align Pant in Heritage 365 Camo Dark Olive Multi

I have a couple of Lululemon’s High-Rise Wunder Unders, but I heard the Aligns were the comfiest so I decided to grab this pair. MAN. They are SO comfy and SO light. They’re perfect for hiking, working out, or just being lazy. They describe them as feeling like you’re wearing nothing at all and honestly, it’s true. It really does feel like you’re wearing nothin’ at all.

Nothin’ at all…

Nothin’ at all…

Sorry. Whenever I say that I immediately think of the Flanders meme. Seriously though, they’re comfy AF. They’re verrry thin though so I wouldn’t venture into the light color department or you may see everything, if you know what I meaaan.

Lululemon Align Pant in Heritage 365 Camo Dark Olive Multi, [$98, lululemon.com]

8. Levoit Core 300 True HEPA Air Purifier

When the fires got really bad down here, my asthma and allergies went absolutely off the rails, so I knew it was time to finally get an air purifier. After looking into a TON of them, we decided on this one. So far its worked great! It even has a nighttime option which makes it quieter and dims the lights on the panel. I also really like the fast option that cleans the air in the entire room in 15 minutes. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but it’s fine. Just be prepared for it to be skinny and tall, like as tall as a vase.

Levoit Core 300 True HEPA Air Purifier, [$113.95, amazon.com]

9. Treat Beauty Jumbo Lip Balm in Snow Cone

I’ve been using Treat Beauty Jumbo lip balms for YEARS. Literally since I wrote a post about them in 2016. Marnie the creator was kind enough to send me a few to test out back then and I was hooked. I literally can’t be without them now. This is the newest flavor I’ve tried, and it’s like a more subtle version of my rainbow sherbet one, which is my forever favorite. If you like cyclones or firecracker popsicles you’ll love this.

Treat Beauty Jumbo Lip Balm in Snow Cone, [$13.99, treatbeauty.com]

10. Men’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian Pajama Pants – Gray

Since 2020 sucked SO much I’ve barely gotten dressed in any real clothes at all! It’s been pajamas basically nonstop for me, so I needed a few more. The thing is I’m a very particular person when it comes to pajamas. I’m not down with the loosey-goosey pants. I hate when I lay down and they ride up to my knees and then I have to pull them down again. It’s a freakin’ nightmare. So I prefer ones with tight ankles. I also hate when they stretch out in the knees, or they’re too hot. Also, I prefer 100% cotton. I’ve purchased a handful of pajamas from target, a lot of seasonal ones in particular, but so far these ones are my absolute favorite. Surprise surprise, they’re Mens! They have pockets, they don’t stretch out, and they fit well. The fabric is also super soft and feels thin and breathable, but not in a cheap way. They just keep you cool which for me is ideal in this LA heat. ALSO – why the heck do men get the best pajama designs? Seriously. WHY. There isn’t even a girl version of this at Target. The heck?

Men’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian Pajama Pants – Gray, [$16.99, target.com]

At the end of the day, 2020 sucked, but at least these things are awesome.

Until next time,