Every month I write out a list of my favorite things in a series here on the blog called Currently Loving. Out of the last twelve months, I’ve come up with a list of things that I’ve loved over the whole 2018 year. Below you will find seven categories of things that brought me joy, things that I wore and/or still wear, things that I love to eat, and plenty of other randomness that I loved during 2018.
Clothing
I have been a girly girl from day one, and clothes have always been a favorite thing in my life. The older I get the more I appreciate nice clothes, but I also appreciate a good bargain. That seemed to be the case for me in 2018 since most of my clothes came from Old Navy and Walmart. 🙂
Old Navy Jeans– I’m mildly obsessed with the Mid-rise Rockstar 24/7 Super Skinny Jeans at Old Navy. I have a black pair, a green pair, and I have a dark denim pair. They are insanely comfortable. I wear them a ton, and I think I need this color, too.
Walmart Jeggings– My mom bought a pair of these jeggings for me, and I was very skeptical about liking them at all. Much to my surprise, they were amazing, and I’ve yet to stop wearing them. I have the denim wash, but we all know I want them in black, too. They’re by Time and Tru and about $15.00.
Old Navy Luxe Tees– I live in these tees. They are super soft and can be worn alone, but they’re also the perfect layering tee because they aren’t super thick. They drape perfectly. They are true to size, but I often size up one for length.
Mules– If 2018 were a shoe it would be the mule. I ended up with three pairs of flat mules and one very sparkly heeled pair. I can’t get enough of them and don’t expect I’ll be tired of them anytime soon, especially since I got so many of these socks from Santa!
Skincare
It should come as no surprise that I have really been into skincare since getting into Beautycounter. Toward the end of 2018, I really found what my skin was craving. Here are my favorites.
SOS Acne Spot Treatment– This stuff is legit. It was part of a holiday set from Beautycounter that I ordered, and I was so thrilled when I used it and it lived up to the hype. I got rid of a nasty pimple in two days after applying a small amount to the blemish twice each day. It’s pure magic.
Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser– This also came in the holiday set, and I was stoked to use it. I’m still using it and plan to keep it up. The microbeads in the cleanser really work to clean out my pores but don’t over exfoliate. I’ve seen a big difference in the blackheads that I’m usually struggling to get rid of. This line of skin care has been awesome.
Charcoal Bar– I’ve raved about this for years now, and I’ll keep doing it. I love the daily detox it provides. I just read how some people use it as a body bar in the shower to detox their skin after a really sweaty workout session. How about that?
No. 3 Balancing Mask– This mask is also great for me with my large pores and oily skin. The charcoal helps to detox my skin, and it feels so smooth after I use it. I will always love this product, too. If you don’t want to use it all over, it’s great to localize the product to your problem areas, such as your T-zone.
Harry’s Razor– I’ve been in the market for a good razor (for my legs) for a long time (My facial razor is a bit more delicate than this one). I usually use disposables, but I was hacking up my ankles and the backs of my knees, and the razors would get dull so quickly. I got a Harry’s razor for Christmas, and I’ve been loving it. I know it wasn’t used for too long in 2018, but I knew after the first use that it was a favorite.
Makeup
Tint Skin Foundation– I’ve been using this light but buildable foundation from Beautycounter for quite a while now. It covers beautifully and is easily set with powder. It lasts so long since you don’t need a lot of product for a good everyday coverage. I wear shade Linen.
Ultimate Nudes Palette– This palette was purchased at Christmas of 2017. I’ve only completely used one shade, and hit pan on only three others. The pigmentation is out-of-this-world good. I use the black and darkest brown shades as eyeliner with a precision brush. That particular palette is not available anymore, but this year they introduced the Necessary Neutrals Palette, and it is even better than mine. Eighteen gorgeous neutral shades that you’ll wear every single day and for years to come. You should definitely check it out.
Makeup Remover Wipes– These wipes were perfect for travel this year. They are also perfect for late nights when you don’t feel like going through your whole nighttime routine and for cleaning up a mistake you made while trying to achieve a new smokey eye look. #guilty Bless it. I find these to be quite useful and love having them on hand. They’re also great to throw in a gym bag and perfect for teens.
Real Techniques Tools Sponge– This is the tool I use to apply my foundation and concealer. I always make sure it’s damp before I get to work. It just makes the application of my makeup so much smoother, and I feel like the product goes a lot further when the sponge is wet.
Food
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer– I’ve recently ended my relationship with this creamer in an attempt to clean up my morning habits, but it was a favorite of 2018. I drank it well in to the new year (2017), and I started drinking it again in September, maybe August, and ended up drinking too many to count. I’m not proud of it.
Deer Meat Everything– Paul shot a deer last hunting season, and I mean, we have used deer meat in everything we can think of. This was all new to me since I didn’t grow up in a family of hunters. I was a little nervous at first, but we got the hang of how to cook it, and both of us really ended up liking everything we made. We started off with lots of deer meat tacos and spaghetti sauce. Then we learned grilling it is absolutely delicious, and I even made chicken fried steak out of it a few weeks ago from The Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and it was scrumptious. We’ve also used it in chili and several soups. It’s very versatile and quite tasty. Planning deer meat enchiladas this week.
Tuna Packets– I’ve always been in a school where we had a microwave and/or fridge in our rooms or in a lounge or in the cafeteria. However, my current school has none of those things, so I had to get creative with my lunches. I follow Candace Cameron Bure on Instagram, and she was sharing her behind-the-scenes footage for her commercials with the tuna people. She also often shares that she actually takes them along and eats them while she’s filming or if she’s on the go. I decided to give them a try, and I found I really enjoyed the Lemon Pepper flavor pouch and the Spicy Buffalo flavor pouch. I often put the Lemon Pepper tuna on salads or in wraps. The lemon flavor is very bright and works great on a salad. The Spicy Buffalo I tend to eat with just a fork. It doesn’t go as well on a salad. I burnt myself out on them, but they are very tasty and have tons of protein that actually helped keep me full.
Rosemary and Olive Oil Wraps-Rosemary and olive oil is such a perfect pairing. I’ve been known to pour a bit of olive oil in a plate and sprinkle in dried rosemary and dip fresh bread into it. It’s awesome, okay? I discovered these wraps in our Walmart on an end-cap one afternoon and decided to give them a go. I had planned to do a Caesar wrap with the lemon pepper tuna but on a regular wrap for lunch that week. These wraps added a whole new level of flavor, and I looked forward to lunch every single day that week.
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning– For some reason I’ve not had a lot of this growing up or even as an adult, but man is it good! I like to put it on chicken thighs and bake it in the oven. I also like it on pork tenderloin. I’d probably put it on anything to be honest. It’s such a great flavor. I don’t find it a lot at our Walmart, though. But Super Foods always comes through for me so get it there (this brand).
Books/Music
A Man Called Ove– This was my favorite book of the year, and I could not recommend it more. It’s such a wonderful story about an old man. I will say that Backman’s writing style is a bit slow at first. Give it 100 pages and get through the back story (which is totally essential to the character development but can be taxing to get through). It will pick up from there and you won’t be able to stop.
Audiobooks– I actually read A Man Called Ove as an audiobook, so technically I listened to it. This is such a great way to get through books if you’ve got a long TBR list. I use the Overdrive app that connects directly the public library. I often listen when I’m getting ready for work or if I’m trying to get housework done. It’s less distracting than TV, and if it’s a really good one, I work a little faster. 🙂 I wrote a blog post about all the books I read in 2018, and you can read that here if you’re interested in adding books to your list.
A Star is Born Soundtrack– I know I’m not the only one right? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to YouTube right now and listen to “Shallow”, “I’ll Always Remember Us This Way”, “I’ll Never Love Again”, “Is That Alright?”, “Music to My Eyes”, “Look What I Found”, “I Don’t Know What Love Is”, just listen to the whole thing, alright?
TV
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel– I cannot say how much I love this show. I tell everyone they should watch it because it is delightful and funny and beautiful and all. the. things. It does have some language in it if that’s not your thing so be advised. However, it’s my favorite show at the moment, and I’ve seen each season three times already. #noshame Who’s seen it? Who loves it?
Dirty John– Have y’all been watching this? Holy crap! It’s scary. And it’s even scarier knowing it’s based off of a true story. I heard it was a podcast and that it was being turned into a series on Bravo. Then when I heard Connie Britton was starring, I knew I wanted to at least give it a try. Paul started watching it with me, and we got hooked instantly. The show is already over, but it’s available On Demand. I definitely recommend it.
Mad Men– I’m still not finished with this series (about seven more episodes), but I truly love it. I love the 50s and 60s, and the set and costumes and customs are so interesting to watch. I also find myself coming up with advertisements for things that I see all the time. Each character is flawed and complex, and I just love it. Don’t resist if it’s been on your radar. I was given great advice to make it past the first three episodes and then I’d be hooked. She was right, and I am. I’m almost tempted to not finish it right away. I’ll be sad when it’s over.
Life
I started working at Wisteria Cottage this year. It’s a weekend gig that is so much fun. I love going in to work and seeing all the clothes and shoes and jewelry and home decor items. I have the best time helping people pick out an outfit or try on the newest Ronaldo bracelet. It’s a bonus that I get paid to have such a great time at work.
Book Club
I did something this year that I have always wanted to do. I joined a book club. It has been great fun reading a new book each month and meeting with the girls for dinner and book talk. Our pick for this month wasn’t even on my radar, and it turned out to be my favorite book of 2018. (I read it in December.) How great is that! I can’t wait to see what we pick for next month.
Remember back in March when my mom and I road tripped to Waco, Texas? We did all things Magnolia and want to go back for all the things we didn’t get a chance to do. It was such a beautiful place and everything works like a well-oiled machine. They really value their customer service. It was the most fun trip of the year.
Louisiana Trip
Paul and I traveled back to Louisiana for a short visit with our old neighbors. They let us bunk with them and their sweet boy, and it was so good for our souls. We had the best time visiting with them and with several other friends that lived nearby, and it just goes to show how friends can really become your family. We were incredibly fortunate to live so far from home and be able to create our own little family unit of close friends. I miss all of you every day!
My favorite thing I’ve ever done in our apartment is giving our guest bathroom a refresh. The room needed painting and some love, so with the blessing of my landlords/in-laws, I painted from top to bottom, hung shelves, bought a rug, and found some fun accessories to make it exactly how I wanted it. I’m so pleased with how it turned out that I have started a similar refresh in the master bathroom. It’s taken a back seat at the moment, but progress has been made. Maybe sometime before summer, but I’m not making any promises.
Snow
Winter is my absolute favorite season. I love the cold, and we in south Alabama got snow twice! It was most delightful and beautiful, and I loved every second. Those days off of school didn’t hurt the situation either. 🙂 I know when you live with it on a regular basis that the beauty of it fades and it becomes more of an inconvenience, but here in our small southern town it is perfect. Now if only it would snow today!
2018 had so many wonderful memories. Of course not all were great. Some were down right scary. My dad had back surgery. My brother had a week-long hospital stay. And plenty of other less than happy things took place. But I’m choosing to be thankful for them and count it all as blessings. We’ve learned a lot, got some good old man jokes out of Dad’s back surgery, and listened to Andrew play the “I can’t. I’ve got a liver mass.” card more times than we can count. 🙂 (Everyone is fine and healthy now, by the way.) Overall, I’d say 2018 was a success. 2019 is off to a great start, and I look forward to the months ahead.
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