I think I say it every year but this is one of my favorite posts to write. It's always fun to think about what new things have worked their way into our lives in a year and made themselves staples. Every year I think I won't be able to come up with 10 new things...but then I can! It's just fun to think about and look back at the past posts I've done of the same!
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This was a mother's day gift in the spring (that I picked out) and then it became such a staple when it got chilly in the fall that I bought myself another one. (I have Blue Crayon and Night Life Teal). It's super cozy, even after multiple washes, rather warm, and super comfortable. It looks like it's sold out in many colors and sizes BUT...highly recommend if they have a color that you like in your size. I wear these multiple times a week (I am VERY MUCH in a sweatshirt wearing stage of life right now.)
2) Tequila Seltzers
When we were in Florida, right before we went to the parking lot to find our Pilot dead, we were shopping for alcohol (and milk and fruit and some snacks). Matt & I decided that these seltzers would be good to drink on the beach and bought a 8 pack. They were delicious and now we nearly always have some at home (Matt finds them cheapest at CostCo). We drank them in Florida, we drank them next to the pool at Jellystone, and at home. Even though I've had more not on the beach than on it...they ALWAYS taste like the beach. Every time I still use the Cocoa Beach koozie for the slimmer cans that I bought on that same grocery store trip. I know people have been on seltzers for awhile but we figured out why this year.
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| Tequila seltzer and swim shirt! |
Speaking of the beach...after I got burnt (poor sunscreen application) at the beach 2 years ago, Matt told me I had to buy a swim shirt. So I bought one...and then it sat in my drawer for 2 years. I took it to Cocoa Beach, I'm not sure why, probably to appease Matt. But then, I got burnt (just a little) on our first beach day and didn't want to live through that again...so I started wearing the shirt and, you all, it was great! I wore it every time we swam after that AND at Jellystone pools. SO MUCH LESS sunscreen to apply which was a time saver when excited kids wanted to go to the beach and it was actually refreshing to wear in the water! Plus, Florida was hot so sitting in the sand in a wet swim shirt was like having my own AC in that sun. I won't wear it EVERY time we're swimming but when we're at the beach daily...I will be.
4) Monopoly Deal
This game. It seems crazy that it's only been in our life for 8 months because we've probably played 150 games in that time. So much so that we bought a new deck when we caught a good sale (the original was moved to a camping tub because we do play often on camping trips). My sister sent it to us after we watched her adorable girls for a few hours and it came at just the right time. I had about a month left at home with Sam before summer break and we played at least 3 times a day, every single one of those days. Sam, barely 5 then, got good, FAST. He says he's the "Vicious 5" and he really is vicious (although he doesn't take to losing well). Sam loves it the most but the whole family can play and we're all on pretty similar skill levels, rare in a game when playing with a 5 and 10 year old! This is a staple now in our family and been a lot of fun to play.
5) Playaways
These were nearly life changing for my kids this year, particularly Luke. They are little sets you check out from the library that has a little device, smaller than a pack of cards, with an audio book on it. You just need headphones and a battery to listen along. The boys each got some right before Florida and they spent a good portion of that long drive listening to their Playaways. So much so that on our second driving day down we had to buy more batteries. BUT...if these keep the boys happy on long car trips and they aren't begging for screens every 3 minutes..I am good with that battery expense. Luke especially likes the Harry Potter ones, for the 3 books we've finished. He had nearly constantly had one of those checked out for the last 5 months (returning when we can't renew anymore). The boys really have loved these.
6) Harry Potter illustrated with Luke
While we're on the topic of Luke and Harry Potter...this was barely a discovery last year but covered most of our 2023. At the end of December 2022 I started reading Harry Potter with Luke and HE LOVED IT. We've done all illustrated copies and they are GORGEOUS. I've owned the hardcovers for nearly 2 decades (or since they were released for the later ones) but these illustrated ones are the way to go with a kid who has been raised on picture books. It's been fun for me to see how Jim Kay imagines that world, differently from the movies in many cases. And it's been SO SO fun to share those books with Luke. He's all in on Harry Potter now. (We're currently about ¼ through Goblet of Fire.)
This was another late 2022 addition to my life (a Christmas present) but gets to be added here. I've had trouble with insomnia on and off for years but lately have been doing much better. It's not just been because of my weighted blanket but I am NEVER sad to be crawling into bed under it. I have a 10lb blanket that I keep folded at the end of our bed during the day. I didn't use it much in the summer (would be too hot, even with AC) but one good thing about cooler fall weather was being able to use this again. My boys like it so much they each have one now too. I think I sleep better with it, even if it's just a placebo...if it works it works.
8) Reading Light
I bought this somewhat on a whim over the summer, not exactly sure when I'd use but it seemed like a good idea. When we went to some KOAs where there was no reading light by the bed and I had to pull this out! Now I take it on every camping trip, just in case. You can set it to cool or warm light, adjust the brightness, and the 2 lights mean you aren't shifting the light as you go from page to page. It is a superior reading light that I would recommend to anyone.
9) One second video
This was something I intended to do in 2022 but then never could remember but I started over in 2023 and have stuck with it every single day (I do have a reminder set on my phone which helps). I use the app "1SE" which I paid for but it has been worth every penny. It makes it so easy to add videos by day and then add music in the background to the whole thing. I stay pretty on top of these, sometimes do a few days at a time, but mostly every day I'm in there. The boys LOVE watching the video even though now it takes awhile! And it's been really helpful to me to think every day about what I want to capture. (I have my phone set to always take "live" photos now because those can be added as a day's video if I forget an actual video.) I appreciate being much more intentional about my days, what will be worth remembering. And then looking back at our year and seeing all that happened, even just 1 second a day. I know I'll be very glad I did these.
10) I can do hard things
This year has been hard. I'm sure I'll really get into it in my 2023 recap but there have just been a lot of life changes, especially in the second half of the year. I'm living in the same house, married to the same guy, have the same kids as a year ago, but life feels very different. A lot of things about the rhythm and routines of my day have changed and what I thought the future was going to look like has changed. I have cried a lot this year (my sister deemed my first draft of writing on my Christmas cards to be too dark.). BUT...we have adjusted. We are adjusting. We keep going. Just because life is different doesn't mean it's bad. It's just different. And there still is a lot of joy in our lives, between the stress and tears. It's hard to know what this year will look like in retrospect and I do appreciate all that it's taught me.
What have YOU discovered this year??
{10} Favorite Discoveries of 2022
{10} Favorite Discoveries of 2021
{10} Favorite Discoveries of 2020
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