My Favorite Things | Conscious Purchases

It’s about that time of year where the sales start and consumer consumption shoots way up. Most of the time, we try to either save/invest our money or spend it on experiences and travel, but we still need/want things throughout the year. I figured I would share with you some of my most treasured investments, as a sort of gift guide, going into the holiday season.

I’m pretty basic and have evolved into quite the minimalist over the past few years. I try to make sure that everything I buy is purposeful, truly wanted and will add value to my life in some way, and also sourced sustainably.

URSA MAJOR RECOVERY BALM

The winter is brutal in New England, but this recovery balm has been a life saver when it comes to dry skin. It is perfect for the winter months. I use it morning and night and find my face to look hydrated and bright. It’s very much like a cream, it doesn’t feel greasy going on and it gets absorbed right away. I usually apply after showering or wetting my face, so my skin absorbs it a bit better.

I originally tried this balm in Follain’s clean essentials kit, which supplies trial sizes of some of their most popular items- including a soap, hydrating balm, toner and cleanser. It’s the perfect intro to clean beauty, especially if you have been wanting to switch some of your products but are weary of spending the money up front. This kit is only $25 and I love the products in it- I have since repurchased the Ursa Major Recovery Balm twice in full sizes. It’s soo good. For 15% off Follain’s products (with a few minor exceptions), use the discount code, ref15_pp2btl.

ROTHYS

This was my favorite purchase (well, I got it as a gift) this year. Rothy’s are made out of recycled plastic bottles and, at the time of this writing, have saved 41,848,965 bottles from going to the landfill. Not only do I believe in the mission and sustainability of the company, they are hands-down the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I have the sneaker and I will be getting another color once the weather warms up a bit, for sure. The insoles come out and are machine washable, which was a huge selling point for me. Rothy’s claim that there is no break in period for these shoes, and I can attest. They have been just as comfortable since day 1 with no blisters.

BOMBAS

To bounce off of Rothys, I purchased Bombas in hopes that I could find some low socks that didn’t constantly fall down off of my heels. The ones I purchased are super thin, which is perfect for warmer months and they absolutely stay up all day. I had a pair that got holes in them pretty quickly and received a new pair from them almost immediately. I have not had any of my other pairs develop holes to date. They also donate a pair of socks for each pair purchased, which I love.

VETTA CAPSULE

I recognize that not everyone can spend high amounts on one article of clothing, but I personally have been interested in purchasing more sustainable and diverse clothing that will last a long time and can be worn multiple ways. I hope to fill my wardrobe with a few staples that I love, with quality that will last.

Last winter, I purchased a sweater (pictured above) from Vetta that I absolute adore. Vetta is a capsule wardrobe company based out of Boston, MA. Each piece has the ability to be worn multiple ways. I have a sweater that has an attachable neck, as well as buttons down the front - so it can be a turtleneck, a regular sweater and a cardigan. I love its versatility, comfort and warmth.

On a side note, I have purchased a lot of clothes second hand this year via ThredUp, an online thrift store. I have found so many good buys at a fraction of the price. When I am not shopping for new clothes from sustainable brands, I try to shop through ThredUp.

VITAMIX

I got a Vitamix for my birthday this year, after having a Blendtec for a few years. The main reason I wanted a Vitamix was because of the tamper and its ability to handle more frozen ingredients. I use my blender sometimes upwards of 3-4 times a day, depending on the season and what I am making. It is a must-have (or any other high-speed blender) for anyone trying to get a bit healthier, in my opinion. I use it for smoothies, soups, sauces, ice cream, dips, etc. It’s also great for grinding- I make flours and meals from oats, seeds, etc.

ECO BAGS

I always try my best to bring reusable produce bags to the store whenever I go. They are perfect for loose fruit and veggies and seriously reduce the amount of plastic used when shopping. Plus, the look nice, which is an added plus. They are cloth, so they are washable too. You can find the larger drawstring back here or the smaller produce bags here.

HYDROFLASK

I am pretty well known for always carrying around my blue hydroflask. It’s a 40oz. bottle and it’s beautiful :) It has many dents in it, so I can attest to the fact that these things are highly durable. But in case something did break, Hydroflask offers a lifetime warrantee, meaning these bottles would literally last you forever.

Getting rid of single use plastic bottles is the way to go! We bring our hydroflasks with us everywhere so that we can refill it throughout the day and keep from sending more plastic to the landfill. At home, we use a Berkey water filter. Not only is it environmentally a good choice, but you save so much money not buying multiple packs of water every single week.

We currently have an 18 oz food storage container, 16 - 64 oz (perfect for the beach and road trips) bottles, and an insulated tote. It sounds like overkill, but it really doesn’t feel like it- everything gets used and has its own purpose. These bottles are my absolute favorite.

BOOKS

I’ve recently shared my favorite books here, but these are a few of my most liked this year. I’m a huge advocate of the library, but I have since purchased a few of these, as I really love them and like to be able to refer back or re-read whenever. Books are always on my list of favorite things. Reading is how I prefer to spend my down time and I find it so valuable.

+ The Celestine Prophecy
+ Small Space Style
+ You are a Badass at Making Money
+ Big Magic
+ A Return to Love
+ Give a Sh*t
+ Wild at Home

This time of year is so focused on giving, but let’s remember giving love and gratitude is what it’s really all about.

Favorite Life-Changing Books Roundup

There are few books that you can really say have changed your life. Most books are wonderful to read, but for some reason or another, don’t get implemented. Just like most things in life, I believe a book crosses your path when you most need, or are most receptive to, its lessons.

I’ve read a lot of different genres lately and the books below are my favorites across many different categories. Self-help, nutrition and finance have been my most-read over the last few years. Becoming informed is a priority of mine. I may not always know what is going on in the news at all times, but I like to know what and why I am doing certain things in my life— I like to live intentionally and consciously, and books help me do that.

Reading (or listening) is an easy way to introduce new ideas or ways of thinking into your life. Along with that comes unlimited insight and often valuable lessons from just picking up a paperback.

Life-Changing Foods

by Anthony William

My favorite nutrition-related book. I find this book very intuitive and incorporate the lessons taught in this book, and his others, in my daily life. It teaches about the health benefits (physical, emotional and spiritual) of fruits, veggies, herbs and more — the main principle being ‘food as medicine’. It really got me thinking about eating for my health and adding in all of the good stuff, rather than focusing on elimination within my diet. This book opened my eyes to the abundance of fruits and veggies this world has to offer. Of course, theres tons of other beneficial information stored in these pages, but I still refer to this book frequently as a type of manual/food bible.

Ask and It Is Given

By Esther and Jerry Hicks

I heard about this book on the Rich Roll Podcast in an episode with Mike Posner. I immediately knew I needed to read this book.

This book has probably had one of the most profound effects on my life. It really changed my perspective on reality and how much my thinking, my words and my actions dictated what showed up in my life. Like most people, I am guilty of focusing on “lack”, or things that I don’t have. But because of that, according to the Law of Attraction, I am going to continue to “not have them”. This book teaches you how to change the way you view the world and how to harness all that you desire. Admittedly, this is a book I know I should be re-listening to on repeat.

I also highly recommend their book, Money and The Law of Attraction.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

By Marie Kondo

I feel like this is a super cliche book to add to the list, but it really did have a huge impact on my life. It was around the time the Minimalism documentary came out and this book came out that I started experimenting with decluttering. I was a low-key hoarder at this point. I have since devoured many books on simplicity and minimalism. I think the take-home message of the minimalism movement, for me anyways, is that ‘simple’ helps to slow down my already racing mind. It also has really allowed me to appreciate all that I have. Decluttering and simplifying has went hand-in-hand with improving my finances because less stuff equals less money, and it has allowed me to instead focus on quality purchases and supporting brands who value sustainability, which is parallel to my beliefs.

Marie Kondo paved the way for me to get started with decluttering— the how-to’s and where to start. This book especially helped me get rid of the things I was holding onto due to guilt, an emotion I didn’t want attached to any of the items I chose to keep in my home. Her Netflix series is also incredible and I would highly recommend watching it.

The Miracle Morning

By Hal Elrod

I’ve been wanting to establish a morning routine for quite some time now. There are always those benchmark goals, like meditating, working out consistently, journaling, reading, etc. that have been on my to-do list for far too long. I will admit they are not all a part of my life consistently right now, but I have made progress largely due to this book.

I write this at a time I am not super proud of my morning routine, because if I’m being honest, sleep has taken priority lately. But, there was a point where I was meditating, journaling and reading consistently— with a wakeup time of 4am. I have since been able to incorporate reading and writing consistently into my routine, regardless of time. What I love so much about this book though is that it focuses on implementing parts of your routine centered around self-care and self-improvement. The reason he suggests implementing routines and habits like exercise, not hitting snooze, meditation, etc. in the morning is because they all assist us in growth in some manner, and usually, by the time the day passes us, we have no more energy or drive to complete them. By getting them done first thing in the morning, we will always be prioritizing our growth.

Whole

By T.Colin Campbell

Whole is a book that can change your views about nutrition, the health care system and our historic beliefs. If you are at all confused about the current state of affairs with healthcare and wonder why or how we got to this place, read this book. It focuses largely on the science — how studies are designed, why there is confusion among our population, supplementation, and industry profit, to name a few. If you want the facts, this book is for you.

The Total Money Makeover

By Dave Ramsey

This book changed our entire financial situation. No joke that it altered our life trajectory. Dave Ramsey teaches you the basics of money, which I wish were a part of high school or college curriculum… because money is kind of important to learn about.

This book focuses primarily on getting out of debt — the how’s and why’s. It also touches upon investments, but I used this book mostly as a resource for paying off debt. While Andy and I were ‘debt snowballing’, as it is termed, we also listened to his podcast pretty heavily for motivation and inspiration. Loans and debt can be daunting, but this book was the first spark of possibility for me. I couldn’t be more grateful to have come across this book at the time I did. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their financial situation, for good. No quick fixes, just hard work that literally pays off.

Big Magic

By Elizabeth Gilbert

I’ve been struggling with ‘creativity’ and ‘inspiration’ lately and this book hit upon all of the subjects I needed. We all live in a world with constant consumption. We also live in a results-driven society with an emphasis on comparison. Elizabeth Gilbert preaches creating just to create, because we need it. The freedom that comes with just getting lost in whatever we’re doing. Things don’t need to be perfect, they don’t even need to be good, but we need to create. I loved this book and it felt liberating to know that we really don’t need to focus so heavily on results all of the time and can remember that creating is just as much about us as it is about sharing the results with the world.

A Return To Love

By Marianne Williamson

I don’t consider myself to be a very religious person— spiritual yes, religious, no. I believe that there are powers much greater than ourselves but to the extend of who that is and the purpose of it all, well I think we all are allowed to question and challenge those thoughts to our own extent.

A Return To Love focuses on just that, love. Fear is something I think I could say the majority of us, as humans, struggle with. For me, fear has held me back in countless situations and I can usually see it reoccurring in many current or future situations if I am not careful. But love feels good and this book is all about infusing love into our lives in order to live a truly happy and peaceful life.

Some other goodies

+ Atomic Habits
+ Skinny Bitch (this book is the reason I pretty easily broke my cheese addiction and never wanted meat again in my life)
+ Rushing Woman’s Syndrome
+ Playing with Fire
+ Choose FI
+ How Not to Die
+ Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
+ Woman Code
+ Taking Charge of Your Fertility
+ The Alchemist
+ You Are The One
+ The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

TIP: Get a library card!

This will save you so much money, especially if you cruise through books. Typically, I will rent every book I am going to read and if I really love the book, then I purchase it. I rarely purchase books nowadays and love using the library as a resource. Occasionally, the library won’t have the book I want to read, so I will purchase it.

The library has become a crazy valuable resource for me. I rent all types of books, even cookbooks. I have a card at my local library, which allows me to rent anything local and to also utilize the online resources like Hoopla, where I can rent e-books and audiobooks. I also have an electronic card for the Boston Public Library, which usually has a larger selection to pick from.