Best Buys of 2014

 

 

I’ve seen quite a few of my favourite bloggers posting about their favourite buys of 2014: you can see some of them here and here! Reading through them has made me want to think about some of the many (many, many, many…) purchases and discoveries I’ve made in the past year and which were GREAT calls on my part (and, okay, some of them may have been acquired as gifts). As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been trying to manage my money and only buy things that I really need, or are different from things I already own. I think I did an okay job of that in 2014, and it’ll be cool to see what my favourite purchases are a year from now. This was a year of big changes for me, so there was lots of room for new indispensable treasures. I’d love to hear about your favourite things!

 

 

French Press
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Keurig…but there’s just something about the smell and taste of fresh coffee that was sorely missed in my morning routine. I bought a cheap, $7 French Press from the grocery store, and I am hooked. I just might have to pick up a better quality version this year…I’m eyeing this one!

Benefit Erase Paste
Bags under my eyes, be gone! This one was more of a rediscovery. I repurchased Erase Paste pretty recently, and I have been loooooving it. My dark circles are erased and moisturized, and it helps any other blemishes as well.

Blundstones
Another recent purchase, but I don’t know how I survived without Blundstones. They are perfect for winter, and I’m excited to style them in the spring/fall as well. They are mega comfy and while the look may not be for everyone, I dig it.

PC Salt & Pepper Grinders
Prior to purchasing the big honkin’ version of these spice grinders, I was scrambling around my kitchen to find the tiny, cheap versions you can get pretty much anywhere. Now that I have these giant supplies of seasoning at my disposal, cooking got so much easier and so much tastier.

 

 

VSCO Cam
Earlier this year, my editing game went UP a notch. My housemate and I found VSCO Cam and even though it costs a few bucks, my Instagram got a whole lot fancier (check ‘er out to see more feet and food pics like the ones above).

Bar Cart
This was the final piece to my apartment that took me forEVER to find. I could never find one that I liked…until Target came along (RIP Target Canada). It fits my mini keg on top (lol thanks dad) and stores everything I need underneath. Mine is no longer available, but I LOVE this one and this one.

Humidifier
Dry skin, be gone! Kind of. I still can’t really breathe or avoid pesky dry patches, but a humidifier has made a huge difference in my life. Plus, the sound is super relaxing…zzzzz…

 

 

Mary’s Organic Crackers
These crackers make me feel healthy, even when I’m dipping them in spinach dip or eating them with avocado and salt. They taste AWESOME with hummus and have completely changed my cheese & crackers game. I recommend the original or black pepper flavours, which I keep at my desk at all times. Never again will I buy another cracker…except Triscuits…

Squarespace
Even though I started my blog early last year, I made the switch from WordPress to Squarespace over the summer. It took me a hot second to figure it out, but once I did, I fell in love. Squarespace is SO easy to use and is beyond user friendly. I’ve had a blast playing around with it, and can’t wait for more this coming year.

Leather Leggings
Teeeeechnically these were a Christmas gift last year, but they became a wardrobe staple this past fall. Leather leggings opened a whole new world of comfort…they’re like office sweatpants. I didn’t realize how comfy they were until I wore them in, and now you couldn’t pay me to take them off. Mine are from Aritzia, but I’m also eyeing this pair by Helmut Lang.