Since almost every brand and retailer has some type of clearance sale, I thought I’d just share some of my favorite things outside of beauty in case you find my recommendations trustworthy but need some inspiration for the Christmas gift that isn’t (or received) beautiful Season.
Cozy & comfortable
I’ve worked from home for most of my working life (I had two remote jobs before Temptalia!) So I’m not particularly stylish and I definitely prefer anything that is cozy.
Cover
Ugg Coastline Blankets were a go-to, and I’ve bought a few for others (they make nice gifts). They’re thicker and plush (and they seem to be a bit bigger too) compared to the Ugg Whistler Throw Blanket. I think I prefer the Whistler for something lighter and the Coastline when I’m colder. I have a few of each type and have been using them every day since purchasing them.
Bed linen
We have Hydrocotton bath towels from Nordstrom In the hole house. They have a soft, thicker feel that gives them a nice softness that will last through many washes, but they are also very absorbent. Although I’ve had the pleasure of using Sferra and Frette sheets, I’ve found that HC Collection instantly offers plush sheets that feel better than any higher quality sheet set I’ve paid for … more softness for like this, so much less Money.
dresses
GibsonLook V-neck fleece tops have been a must see this year, especially fall through winter (I’m in one as I write this post!). They’re long-sleeved, soft, weather-washable, and light enough to be worn indoors, but also work outdoors in moderate temperatures (high 50s to 60s).
Lou & Gray Signature Softblend is one of the softest fabrics I’ve tried that still has some weight but isn’t so thick that it can’t be worn indoors all year round. If you’re trying to stay warm in the snow, it’s not that warm. I live in a selection of their sweatpants, joggers, and sweatshirts. I also thought their pocket leggings and bike shorts were fantastic – very fitted, but not uncomfortable (or completely unfavorable) in fit. They used to be at Nordstrom, but now they’re only available through LOFT; I’ll say they have sales all the time so I always wait for a discount before buying (and their Black Friday / Cyber Week discounts are great).
Standing socks was my favorite sock last year. They have a nice crew style and work with tons of brands / franchises and to me this is something I would wear on my feet. For no-show and ankle socks, I go for my bombas, and my husband has swapped all of his socks for bombas and has been sticking to them for years.
True body bralettes with a V-neck have enough support – and I have a bigger cup size – to feel like I’m in a bra, but with the comfort of a bralette. Whenever they go on sale, I make sure I have my supplies.
Carpets
For an area rug, I really love shag rugs because they feel under my feet. I love rugs in bedrooms for their comfort, but most other floorings are easier to clean and keep clean without having to be replaced over time. After Mellan’s death, we replaced the carpet in the bedrooms with hardwood (as this was already going through the main areas of the house) so we had to get more carpets for the rooms.
Every time I get out of bed and my toes curl Safavieh Luxe Shag Carpet that I bought feels like it is on a cloud. It looks lush and luxurious in the room too. We previously had Safavieh’s California Shag rug, which has held up well as our main rug for family rooms for six years; We have just replaced it with a Steelside Gray / Cream Area Rug which has a lower pile but still has a certain thickness which gives the room a softer look and feel.
Useful and practical
This section contains my favorite things around the house, such as household appliances, which I have personally found to be extremely useful and / or practical in my everyday life.
domestic appliances
I’ve had some foot pain in the past two years, and while seeing a physical therapist for it, I found that the cloud massage was fantastic because it offered warmth and massage by kneading, but also by just applying pressure to the skin. Top of the foot (which is usually not found on foot massagers). It can also be used on calves, which is a nice bonus.
My right thumb and hand also began to have more noticeable pain (trigger fingers from taking photos and using the computer with the mouse), and I saw a big difference in daily pain than I did from a more typical mouse to one Logitech MX-Master 3, which is an ergonomic mouse but has more of the look and feel of a regular mouse, so the learning curve isn’t steep at all when compared to an ergonomic mouse. My husband also felt some pain in his right hand and he switched to the same mouse and found that it brought noticeable relief.
We get a lot of packages. Like a lot. We swear Slice box cutter that have a ceramic blade, and we’ve been using it solely for opening boxes for nearly a decade. I bought some for my parents when we were helping unpack after they moved to Arizona because what they had just wasn’t enough! (ha, ha, ha) Speaking of opening, for a letter opener, this ceramic letter opener makes it so much easier to open all of those junk mail.
If you know me, you know I love a latte … and after drinking at Starbucks and using Nespressos, I switched to this Breville Oracle Touch espresso machine (which is a massive investment). We absolutely love it, and it continues to serve us well – about three years now – so it turned out to be cheaper than I got my latte fixes before.
Speaking of Breville, our most widely used device in the kitchen is ours Breville Smart Oven Pro (and my mom loves the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro that I bought her). It’s slim, well made, and doesn’t feel thin or weak on the hinges with prolonged use.
Home decor
Fabric wall decals are new to me, but I just got some hung up in my makeup room but I absolutely loved how quickly and easily they created the effect of wallpaper or wall decal that was completely removable AND reusable, so you can place it, reposition it, and remove it without damaging the walls. There are a few shops on Etsy that offer them, but I bought mine from Wordy Bird Studios on Etsy.
If you love succulents but don’t want to keep them, NothingLikeUs on Etsy has fantastic, realistic arrangements. We have one that is still in our dining room window to replace a real one I had that most didn’t know wasn’t real.
Art and sculptures
Here are some of my favorite handcrafted and independently crafted suggestions.
Eyes on walls: We bought the majority of our murals here. My house is pretty much an ode to artist Agnes-Cecile, who sells prints through Eyes on Walls. Their Black Friday sale is their biggest discount for the year, and I’m going to get some extra canvas prints myself. We love the canvas prints because they look and feel like “real” art on the walls. This also means we don’t keep them under a glass frame so there is little to no glare.
Jewelry organization: I have a lot of teardrop style earrings and I loved these walnut and brass stands from HanHanCraft. Oh, and most of my teardrop style earrings are handcrafted by BellaAnelaJewelry.
Off to the dogs!
Here are my recommendations for anything doggos related, both what Mellan loved or benefited from, and what we found for Winston! I will begin by saying that Mellan had a sensitive stomach and was very gentle with his toys. So if you have a dog who makes a living from destroying toys then keep this in mind and ignore any of my stuffed animal suggestions. Winston is more likely to destroy, but he doesn’t seem intent on finding every seam – he just pulls on a thread when he sees it come loose.
Dog toy
- Softer / plush toys: Frisco Hide & Seek Volcano Toy (Winston loves), Multipet Lamb Chop (a Mellan and Winston favorite), Outward Hound Hedgehogz (makes a grunting noise), Hyper Pet Hamm (a pig that grunts, Winston is OBSESSED!), HuggleHounds Corduroy Plush (Winston has the mousse that held up well), Kong Knots Toys (Winston has a pair that he loves and has stood up to the more aggressive chewing)
- Harder toys: Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Fetch Ball (great to pick up, but both Mellan and Winston like to nibble on it indoors)
- Interactive toy: Babble Ball (very chatty), Hyper Pet Crab (wobbles and makes noises, Winston loves it), Pet Zone IQ Treat Dispenser Ball (good for mental stimulation and busy Winston) Wobble Wag Giggle Ball (doesn’t use batteries, makes funny noises )
eat
- additions: Always consult your veterinarian first! Nutramax Dasuquin with MSM (joint staple supplement that Mellan had for most of his life and Winston started doing it)
- Workout Treats: Fruitables Skinny Minis (these are semi-soft and only 3 calories per treat, so great for training) Wet Nosed Peanut Butter Little Stars Dog Treats (these are extremely small, which makes them perfect if you are doing lots of goodies training with your dog; they are very difficult to chew, so they may not work as well on smaller or older dogs)
- Goodies: Crumps Naturals Sweet Potato Chews (I like adding fiber, something that takes longer than 1 second but breaks down easily in your system), Honest Kitchen Ocean Chews (these are highly digestible individual ingredients that don’t last long, but they last longer than a cookie, but they last longer for smaller dogs and older dogs)
More
- beds: Orvis Deep Dish Dog Beds (these were Mellan’s favorites, Winston enjoys it but doesn’t seem quite as in love as Mellan), Best Friends Donut Cuddler (Mellan hated it because it was too warm, but Winston LOVES it)
- cleaning: Simple Solution Extreme Pet Stain & Odor Remover (we’ve been through a lot over the years!), Earth Rated Dog Bags (compostable)
- miscellaneous: Bully Stick / Chew Holder (invaluable if you’re worried about your dog choking or chewing larger pieces of chew), Cable Management Box (there are many out there linked to the one I bought, but these are fantastic for cables better to keep hidden … aka harder for puppies to play or chew), Position & Lock Tall & Wide Baby Gate (this is more aesthetically pleasing than some gates and it’s very large so it’s better to keep jumpers and larger dogs out of trouble to preserve, but not that easy stepping over as a human – doable but precarious), Regalo Super Wide Baby Gate & Play Yard (we have two of these and they were great for keeping Winston out of trouble but won’t work dogs that can jump over 3 ′)
- Collars & Pendants: I’ve always chosen a custom brand from Etsy, and for Winston we made the Luna dog tag. I get them from CrewLaLa for all of your bow tie and collar needs.
