Girlxoxo, Estella's Revenge, & Traveling With T have teamed up to bring us the December blogger event, #AMonthOfFaves2016, in which daily writing prompts are provided (M-F) as a way for bloggers to share their experiences over the past year. It's a great way to re-cap our thoughts on 2016, so I decided to join in on the fun!
Let me tell you, 2016 was not the best year for me, and was emotionally and mentally draining, thanks mostly to a family crisis that is still affecting me. Because of this, you may have noticed that the number of posts on this blog has declined dramatically. It's my goal for the next year, however, to bring this blog back to where I want it to be, and what better time to start than now, rather than wait for Jan. 1?
So I'll kick off this event by focusing on some of the good that happened this year, and writing out a list of my favorite things:
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| Thanksgiving Week In My Planner, In Honor Of The Gilmore Girls Revival |
This planner is an absolute life saver! While it may seem expensive, it's high quality, you'll get your money's worth if you actually utilize it throughout the year, like I do. I've had a hard time remembering to use a planner in the past, but this planner is GORGEOUS, and I've had a lot of fun jazzing it up with stickers and washi tape, which makes planning a whole lot more fun. But even without the decorating, the planner looks great, and you can even pick out a custom cover to make it personalized. I had an EC last year, as well, but this year is the first year I actually started decorating it, and I can say without a doubt that it won't be my last!
Earlier this year, I got the chance to spend four glorious days in the city of New Orleans, LA for a convention that I was attending. I had never been there before, but it was on my bucket list. I had an amazing time, and completely fell in love with the city. I hope that I can go back one day, but until then, I have some great experiences and memories to hold on to!
Just Ranch by Hampton Creek
This year, Target started selling the vegan Just Ranch dressing from Hampton Creek, the makers of Just Mayo. I've been a fan of their mayo since I discovered it in my local WalMart (especially their Sriracha mayo!), but when I found a bottle of Just Ranch in the condiments section at Target, I nearly cried tears of joy! It is delicious, and I always make sure to have some on hand. Vegan ranch was never available where I live, so I just went without it. But now, I pretty much put ranch on whatever I can!
Just Ranch by Hampton Creek
This year, Target started selling the vegan Just Ranch dressing from Hampton Creek, the makers of Just Mayo. I've been a fan of their mayo since I discovered it in my local WalMart (especially their Sriracha mayo!), but when I found a bottle of Just Ranch in the condiments section at Target, I nearly cried tears of joy! It is delicious, and I always make sure to have some on hand. Vegan ranch was never available where I live, so I just went without it. But now, I pretty much put ranch on whatever I can!
Un-Du Adhesive Remover
I don't know how long this stuff has been around, but I cannot believe I had never heard of it before! Un-Du is one of the best adhesive removers I've ever come across - not only does it completely remove a sticker or label without damaging your paper or item, but it leaves the sticker residue on the sticker, so that you can reuse it again! Plus, I've tested it out on paper with handwriting (both pen and pencil), and it doesn't smear the writing when you wet the page! The paper doesn't warp, either, and it dries quickly.
I don't know how long this stuff has been around, but I cannot believe I had never heard of it before! Un-Du is one of the best adhesive removers I've ever come across - not only does it completely remove a sticker or label without damaging your paper or item, but it leaves the sticker residue on the sticker, so that you can reuse it again! Plus, I've tested it out on paper with handwriting (both pen and pencil), and it doesn't smear the writing when you wet the page! The paper doesn't warp, either, and it dries quickly.
The Bobby Bones Show
This isn't in any way new to me, but I have just been grateful this entire year to still have the BBS to listen to every morning. I always download the podcasts and listen to them while driving or when I'm at work. This show definitely makes the day go by faster, and gives me something to look forward to. It's been #1 in my heart since '07, and is still going strong.
iPad Air 2
I never thought I'd have one, but I saved enough money at the end of last year to get one, and I am so glad that I did! I use this baby all the time - more so than I use my laptop now. Honestly, I thought I would mostly use it to read manga & comic books, since storing them electronically takes up way less space then keeping them in physical form, but I actually use it more for Netflix, Hulu, and web-browsing. It's lightweight and easy to carry, and I'd recommend it to everyone. I love Apple products, but have only ever splurged for their iPod before, as it's the best on the market, and I love listening to music more than anything else.
What are some of your favorite things from this year? Please let me know in the comments, or join in the fun by creating a blog post of your own!
I hope you have a better December and a much better 2017! I think the little things are just as important as the big things (love that you added a salad dressing to your list). I think my favourite thing about this year has only happened in the last 3 weeks and thats me returning to the blog world after a 2 year hiatus that I went on because I lost my mom 2 years ago on December 7th. Blogging again has helped me a lot these past 3 weeks and gave me my love of books back.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And after years of sticking with vinaigrette dressings due to limited non-dairy dressings where I live, I definitely feel that vegan ranch has a place on my 'best of' list, lol.
DeleteSorry about the loss of your mother - I've gone through the loss of my father, a while back; losing a parent is tough. But I've found books & stories to be a great comfort for me over the years.
Glad to see you back :)
I ADORE New Orleans. I never get down there enough, but when I do- it's all about beignets and shrimp poboys :) Plus seeing all the art at Jackson Square.
ReplyDeleteAnd yay for EC planners- LOVE mine!
The whole atmosphere there is amazing! I love culture, the music and the people, and yes - the food is amazing! I also drank my first Hurricane there - yum! ;)
DeleteLet me just say - I so feel you on having a year you'd pretty much like to put behind you, so **hugs and hot chocolate and virtual love** Here's hoping next year will be better for you - and for identifying the moments you enjoyed this year!
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
Awww - thank you! It seems this was a tough year for a lot of people. But no matter what we're always going to move forward, so there's no point in dwelling on the bad stuff, right?
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