While January was a hellscape, February felt a little better. In terms of politics, I felt like people started waking up to what was going on so I felt comfortable retreating into my own world...I know that doesn't make an ounce of sense but I was just glad that I didn't feel so alone anymore.

February was extremely busy and testing for me personally and professionally. I felt like I hit rock bottom a few times but got back up and now that I'm on the other side, I feel different. I feel proud and accomplished which isn't usually like me.

I just think after a particularly hard month, hard in a way I haven't necessarily experienced before, I feel different but aren't I always saying that? I'm constantly going through something, coming out the other side and then making grand statements that this time something will be different.

I need to just keep moving forward because progress is not linear and even though I have my days or weeks, I'm in a better place than I was a few years ago.

That's my spiel for today... now onto the favorites.

After a low-buy/no-buy January, I would say February was pretty successful in that department as well. My purchases were very limited and mindful. I'll have to do an update at the end of March for Q1 of a low-buy/intentional spending year but I'm happy with where I'm netting out.

With that, I've rediscovered some items within the walls of my home that have been bringing me a lot of joy this month...and one new thing that was basically an essential so I'm giving myself a pass. 

 Well, that was quite a month wasn't it? It'll go down as one of the worst Januarys known to man, rivaling only January 2020 which doesn't feel like a good omen.

But hey, at least it snowed a ton in New York! I cannot stress enough how happy the snow in January made me. It was a bright spot amidst all the chaos and soothed my soul for a bit. 

January was a low-buy month for me and I succeeded. There were minimal unnecessary purchases and it felt really good to not get anything new. There were times when I desperately wanted to press 'place order' but I didn't, which made me really proud. It's the first time in a while I was very intentional with spending, even going as far as to keep track of every single place my money went during the month.

I'm planning on keeping that up as we head into February, and maybe try to add on another task to help improve my life. I'll do just about anything to try to calm my nervous system and new habits, holding myself accountable and being confident in myself is a good place to start. 

Even though January was a low-buy month, I still have a few favorites, most of which were purchased before January 1st. You'll notice a pattern in the items I've chosen, and that's that they help me stay sane and organized. 

Happy December! How is it the end of the year? How is 2025 around the corner? This might be the fastest year on record. What's really confusing me is how is it going to be the 5 year anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic? This is so deeply concerning that I can't seem to wrap my head around it. 

November was a great month; I felt super clear, present and empowered. It felt like I was waking up from a very long nap, which is such an interesting feeling that I can't really put it into words.

This month was really focused on getting back to a routine, doing things that made me feel good and finally accomplishing items on my to-do list that I've been putting off for a while. And all of that comes to fruition in my November favorites.

 October was gone in a flash and I don't know how I feel about it. I was so busy this month that I don't think I was fully able to relish in the best '-ber' month of all. I did some fall things, like watch Hocus Pocus every single day (including when on three plane rides),  I hosted my friends for our annual fall girls night, baked fall cookies and used all my fall themed items, like Pumpkin Spice hand sanitizer and my Hocus Pocus Stoney Clover pouch.

The weather in New York agreed with the calendar changing and we had some decent fall weather. I think only a few days over the last few weeks were hot, making it feel like August instead of October so I'll take it! Before the month is over, I plan to bake some pumpkin bread and indulge in a few more fall scented candles.

October was a fun, busy month as I've mentioned 100 times over the course of the last few blog posts. I started it off in California for a work trip, my sister got engaged, I had countless family parties from birthdays, baptisms, and weddings. I went to Florida, saw Taylor Swift in concert, and had fun with friends. It really was one of the most exciting months I've had in a while and truthfully, it all went swimmingly. 

I didn't have any anxiety freak outs related to travel or being busy; in fact, it was the opposite. I found myself feeling oddly calm with a packed calendar which makes me think that I need to be doing more things to feel calmer. What an odd feeling! 

My shopping was at a minimum in October which is always a positive but that doesn't mean I don't have some new favorites to add to my list.

Let's get into it! 

 September passed by in the blink of an eye as did the entire year. I cannot believe we're in October and weirdly enough, it feels like it's almost over. September was pretty good; it was chaotic and messy, it was busy and fun and I know October is going to be exactly the same...it already is.

Last weekend after I got home from my trip to California for work, I embarked on one of the busiest weekends I've ever had; from engagement dinners to sweet 16s and baptisms, I stayed very busy and it was actually a lot of fun. I didn't have time to think about how tired I was or nervous about having enough down time to decompress. The more I kept moving, the better it felt which is a good lesson for me.

September was a good favorites month too; I had a lot of new items, some rediscovered favorites and I think October will probably be even better. 

Taylor Swift is usually right but she was in her bag when she said 'august slipped away like a bottle of wine..." I cannot believe we're already in September! I'm feeling indifferent about it because I enjoyed this summer and I don't feel like I'm ready to embrace fall just yet. 

That is very unusual for me, which is giving me massive pause. Not being excited for fall is just another way I've realized that I haven't been myself lately. However, the chill in the air, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and the onslaught of fall content I'm getting served on TikTok might just be the ticket to getting me back on board the fall train.

August was interesting; I found my way back to myself a bit, got organized and started falling back into a routine. I think that'll just get better with the change of seasons. This month, I implemented new habits, returned to some old ones and rediscovered some old favorite items.

We're officially nearing the end of summer and I'm feeling some type of way about it. I'm not necessarily excited or sad, I'm indifferent. I've had a decent summer -- lots of fun plans, time outside, some swimming and lots of change in terms of my mom moving. 

She now has a backyard in her new house so it's fun to be able to take the sun, sit outside and just feel like I have somewhere else to go. It really has been a positive change for me and I'm grateful. I've needed some positive change for my mental health and July was a pivot month for me. I've felt lighter, more centered, and just all around better.

In July I tried to do a no-buy month; I didn't necessarily fail or succeed, it was somewhere in the middle. I wanted to do less impulse spending, which I did, and not waste money on things I didn't need, which I did. I bought a few things but for the most part, stayed clear of frivolous spending. 

I'm hoping to keep that promise to myself throughout August as well. We'll see!

As for the month of July, I definitely had some favorite items from beauty to handbags and more.

 Oh June, what a month that passed in the blink of an eye. I don't even know what happened this month -- my work-life balance was in the toilet, I saw friends, I did some home projects and my mental health felt a lot better than it has. 

It was a fine month -- nothing of importance but I've had worse. I'm excited for July though! My mom is moving so I'll be busy helping her; I'm planning on more home projects and would love to find a pool to swim in. Pools are truly my happy place and I always feel so relaxed and tired after swimming all day. 

I would also love to focus more on my life, which sounds really weird. I've been very disconnected from the things that make me happy over the past few months like reading, writing, and being with friends. I feel like I don't have the mental capacity to do anything besides scroll on my phone. I've felt like this for a while and I think I hit a little bit of a breaking point this month. It's like being frozen in time, when you know you want to do other things but can't help but scroll and scroll and scroll...

We'll see if July changes things for me! 

May felt like it was both 5 minutes and 5 months long. I started it off with flying back from my first London trip and ended with a nice, relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. It was a really great month with some hiccups but overall, it was relaxing and felt like a fresh start. There was just something in the air that felt like starting over. 

As we move into June, I'm looking forward to more relaxing, some social events and just overall positive vibes.

For now, let's get into my monthly favorites. I didn't shop too much this month so I've been re-discovering some old favorites from the depths of my belongings.

 I cannot believe we're already in May. It feels like January was yesterday and time is just going by too quickly. April felt like a pivotal point for me, I don't know why though. There was something about that it was both unsettling and freeing at the same time. 

It was almost like I could feel myself changing; things that I once loved started to no longer bring me joy; things that I used to dislike felt more like me and I could almost feel my DNA changing. Or maybe I'm just depressed? Who knows at this point! It could've been a little bit of both.

April was busy; bridal showers, weddings, birthdays, hectic work schedules, my first European trip, and a few home changes. It was intense, fun, and a little overwhelming. I think May will be better, calmer, and hopefully just as fun and we'll welcome in the summer with open arms. 

My shopping has been off the charts in April thanks to the Sephora sale and my London trip so there were lots of new things to fall in love with and put on this list. 

How in God's name is it April already? March feels like it started off slow but then picked up as soon as the 2nd week hit. Like March 1st feels so long ago but March 11th feels like it was yesterday. Time just moves so fast as I get older and it's very scary.

This month was an off one for me; I had a lot of great days but a lot of bad days too, and I'm working on accepting both of them. I'm working on reminding myself that just because I have a bad day, it doesn't mean I can't have a good day. Progress is still progress. 

Also during March, I feel like I went through a little bit of an identity crisis. I feel like I have so many interests and I don't know where to put all that energy. I've had this blog for almost 12 years, and I think over the years it's gotten more beauty, book, and fashion focused vs personal, career, lifestyle. Because of that, I feel like my creative writing, in terms of personal/think piece format doesn't have a place to go. I started a Substack last year that was centered on pop culture, because that's also a really big interest of mine but how do I combine everything? 

I don't want to lose my blog but I want a place that I can write different things... so I merged my substack to be almost like a second blog. For now, it's spilt up between pop culture and 'thoughts & personal essays' which will be where I share more long winded, personal feelings and thoughts about things happening both in society, and inside my brain. Please go support my writing over there! 

Now, let's dive into my favorite products from March!

February felt like a slow, easy month and I'm so grateful for that. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to and my habits fell to the wayside, so that was a loss but I'm determined to make March better. 

In February, I wanted to write more, work out more, shop less but none of that happened. I barely wrote, worked out only a few times, and shopped till I dropped. March will be different and since we're three days in, I can hardly tell it'll be better. 

For years I've struggled with consistency; I can't seem to stick to a routine, or follow through on the things I want to accomplish. I feel like I'm constantly going through the motions without actually moving forward on my goals and dreams. I was committed to making 2024 the year I left that all behind and while January was a good push, I need to find that momentum again. 

On the bright side, I loved a lot of things in February so let's get into it!

January was 400 days long but honestly, I'll take it. Far too often I start these monthly favorite posts saying that the month flew by so I'm really happy that life took it's time over the past 31 days. I have to say, January was pretty good. It was normal, nothing out of the ordinary (which is always welcome) and I started it off on the right foot.

I'll be writing more about this in the coming weeks but I did a no buy January so I did not buy anything frivolous this month. It felt really good but was also really difficult at times; I'll definitely be doing it again and each month I think I'll make a new set of rules for myself to abide by. 

Because January was a no buy month, I was able to be more intentional with the items I already own and discover some new (and old) favorites.

I can't believe we're in December and that 2023 is almost over. It feels like New Years was just yesterday, and it's scary how much the year has flown by. I'm not ready to reflect on 2023 just yet, and would rather look back at November and all the items I enjoyed. 

However, one of the reflections from 2023 is that I need to be an adult when it comes to my money so the spending has definitely taken a back seat in the past two weeks. I don't need as much stuff as I think I do...but, I'll continue talking about the stuff I love!

This month I 

 October is coming to an end and it was a good month. The weather was very October-y aside from the 3 out of 4 weekends of rain, and I watched Hocus Pocus every single day. I ate my pumpkin treats, had my Halloween party, and enjoyed the fallness of each day.

It was a little difficult for me to get into the groove of fall but that might just be because I'm in a new space and as much as I love my apartment, it still feels weird to be in a new space. Fall didn't give me that consistent happy feel like it always does, but maybe that's because I've been in fall mode since the end of August.

Also, for the first time ever, I started daydreaming about Christmas before Halloween even hit the calendar. I don't know if it's because of TikTok edits, Pinterest, or the release of Christmas decor that has my mouth watering and wallet crying, but I can't wait to decorate for Christmas. I've always been very into chic, winter vibes but this year it just feels so much more special, I don't know why. I think I'll probably decorate for Christmas and transform into that mode before Thanksgiving just to give myself a few extra weeks of Christmas cheer.

Now, back to October and the items I loved. I did a lot of shopping this month and really need to dial it back, which I will, but first we need to discuss everything that I fell in love with this month.

September is over, fall is here and we're welcoming spooky season. The past week or so has been so chilly and beautiful in New York it feels so wonderful. I turned the heat in my fake fireplace on over the weekend because I was so cold, and it felt so good. 

I've been eating and drinking all of the pumpkin and apple items but I'm ready to turn on Hocus Pocus and fully embrace my fall self. I'm hoping that the weather agrees with me and I can lean into the chilly vibes.

While I'm excited for fall and to be closer to Halloween, I feel like I haven't been my true fall self. I need to do something fallish to get into the groove, maybe wearing a sweater while wearing dark nail polish will do the trick! 

September was a good month; it was busy yet relaxing and I felt like I became more settled into my home. I've decorated for fall and I'm really looking forward to decorating for Halloween and Christmas. 

My shopping has been out of control this past month so it's time to reign it in to save some money and wishlist items for my birthday and Christmas. Before that though, let's dive into all the items that were my favorites during September.

August was a very long month and I'm very thankful. Time is moving too fast lately and I simply can't handle it. I want everything to slow down, to just be longer and not feel like my life is flashing before my eyes. 

August was a solid month; I settled into my apartment, did lots of fun things and feel like I learned more about myself. My mental health has been better, I'm back in a routine, have been working out more and just feel more like myself. 

That tends to happen to me as we get into the fall season and even though I'm not rushing time, I am so excited for the fall. I am ready for sweaters, boots, blankets and being cozy. I need that restorative time to heal and just feel like me. I already had a pumpkin spice latte and it brought me back to life.

This month, I loved a lot of things that were rediscoveries for me. As I moved into my apartment, I got reacquainted with a lot of my belongings and have been loving it.

Everyone keeps saying that July was a short month but it feels like it's gone on forever. The 4th of July feels like it was 5 months ago, not a few weeks. July brought a lot of change--I moved out of my mom's house and into my own apartment. While it's a physical change, it's also a mental and emotional change. 

I probably will never live with my family again and after it just being my mom, sister and I for 17 years, that is an incredibly sad thought. I still feel a lot of emotions around it but the good news is that I'm literally a few feet away from my mom's house so I can have my own space and still see her every day. It's a good thing for me.

I will go on and on in another post but for now, I want to talk about my favorite products I used and discovered in July 2023. Some are new, some are old friends, all are necessary!

 Happy July! We are halfway through summer and it's about the time I start counting down the days until fall. I won't get ahead of myself just yet because I feel like there's still a lot of fun things coming down the pipeline for the summer months... including me moving out!

This will hopefully be the last favorites post I write in my current room before moving into my own apartment. I'm trying to not focus on the fact that I will never live with just my sister and mom again (it's been only the 3 of us for almost 20 years) and focus more on the positives of living on my own and being able to truly have my own space. I am really excited!

June was a good month with lots of new product and some rediscovered ones I already owned. I know July will bring the same as I start my journey in solo living with new products to try and enjoy.

Let's get into it!

May was ok; my social life slowed down after a busy few months and I was thankful for the reprieve. I also went for a dermatology procedure to remove a mole that my doctor was concerned about; I was more nervous about the stitches that I would need afterwards rather than the procedure itself. It has been hanging over my head for months and came to a point the days leading up to it, so when it was over, I felt a huge weight be lifted off my shoulders. 

I'm still waiting for the results of the biopsy but I'm not concerned, though I feel like I should be? 

I'm happy to see May go and say hello to June which is wide open in terms of possibilities. Summer Fridays have started and I'll have an extra day every week to get my life together. 

I've been spiraling in terms of my mental health recently (see this post) and I'm hoping that sunny weather and a clear calendar can help me do some soul searching. We'll see... 

Now, for my favorite items of May 2023. Some are new, some are rediscovered but all made the month a little better.