My Favorite Things of 2018 – Let's Live and Learn

2018 was an amazing year. We bought our first home, went on trips to Oregon and San Francisco and best of all, we became parents! While 2018 brought so many great blessings that we are so grateful for, it was also an extremely challenging year for me, physically and mentally, as I adjusted to motherhood. So while I normally wouldn’t make such a materialistic post, I wanted to share some of the things that made my life better in 2018. All of these products are ones that I love and have brought me joy or made my life easier in some way this year. They are items that I tend to talk about a lot (since I love them!) and I thought it would be nice to have them all in once place.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Anything purchased through these links helps support our family at no additional cost to you; thank you for your support!

1. My bullet journal

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen this a few times 😉 I have tried out a few different notebooks over the years and the dotted Leuchtturm remains my favorite!

2. Vision Planner by bloom daily planners

This is the planner that I use along with my bullet journal. I get asked which one I use a LOT! I love this one because of the monthly goal setting pages. You can see a more in depth review here.

2019 bloom daily planner review: The vision planner from bloom planners helps you set goals and become the best version of yourself!

3. Skinnytaste One and Done Cookbook

If you haven’t tried Skinnytaste recipes yet–you need to now! I have tried dozens of her recipes and they have all been amazing. If you are looking for a way to make “normal” recipes healthier without sacrificing taste, then she is your lady!

4. Light ‘n’ Easy Steam Mop

If there is one chore I despise–it’s mopping! Having a crawling baby means that I have been try extra hard to keep our floors clean, so having this mop has been a life saver. It sanitizes your floors using only steam so it is safe for little ones and pets. It heats up quickly and dries super fast too! I think I can mop our whole kitchen in 10 minutes.

5. Button Up Maxi Dress

I have this dress in two colors and love it! It was a flattering dress postpartum and has functional buttons for nursing. It comes in a ton of different colors; I wore the burgundy for our Christmas card photos and the floral print to a wedding this summer.

6. Girl Wash Your Face

If you didn’t read Girl Wash Your Face in 2018, put it on your list for the new year! And follow Rachel Hollis on social media, check out her podcast, her blog, etc. She is a motivational powerhouse!

7. Vava Nightlight

This probably seems kind of random, but if you are a parent with little ones who wake up during the night, this is a must have! You simply tap it to turn it on and can dim it so it won’t wake your partner up. The best part is you can remove it from the base to take to your little one’s room!

8. Amandean Marine Collagen Powder

Collagen was all the rage this year and since I suffered from post-partum hairloss for the better part of this year (eye roll) I decided to see what the fuss was all about! I chose this specific collagen powder after a lot of research. I love that it is from a reuptable company, that the fish is wild caught and that it dissolves well! I put it in my coffee every day and honestly think it enhances the taste of my coffee by making it more creamy! My skin and nails have honestly never looked better and my hair is starting to regrow too!

9. SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Sweetener

I love the Vanilla Creme flavor of this liquid stevia and use it in everything from smoothies to oatmeal. Most often I drink it with my coffee (and collagen). It is a great way to sweeten your coffee and add some flavor with no calories or artificial sweetener.

10. Healthy Human Water Bottles

There are a lot of stainless steel water bottles out there. What drew me to these are that not only do they keep your drink hot or cool for hours but they have really unique patterns as well! I love the design of this one as well because it is easy to hold and not too bulky.

11. Smart Sweets

Since I was trying to lose the weight I gained while pregnant this year, I tried to make healthier choices, while still satisfying my sweet tooth 🙂 Smart Sweets are sweetened with stevia, have no sugar alcohols and still taste REALLY good! My favorite are these “SweetFish” which also happen to be vegan.

12. Avalon Organics Lotion

I am reallyyy picky with lotion and this is my all time favorite! It has a light lemon scent, isn’t greasy and leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized. I also love the lavender scent for at night.

13. Concealer

I am anything but a beauty guru, but this concealer has been a life saver this past year for this sleep deprived mama. I naturally am prone to dark circles as it is, but with Henry’s arrival they got so much worse. This concealer is the best I have ever tried at reducing undereye dark circles and bags.

14. Miss Fong Diaper Bag

I loveeee this diaper bag backpack and think it is amazing quality for the price! I love that it doesn’t have any big logos on it, is simple and doesn’t scream “diaper bag”. The Amazon picture really doesn’t do it justice; it is gorgeous in person!

15. Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm

I’m not a huge fan of chapstick in general, but if I have to wear something on my lips, this is usually what I choose! The small amount of tint makes me feel a little more put together, but I don’t have to worry about applying it perfectly or it being sticky.

16. Podcasts

Podcasts were a really positive addition to my day during a time when my hormones and emotions were all over the place! I listened to them during daily walks with Henry, at the gym, in the car–everywhere! I’ll be honest, some popular podcasts are really hard for me to listen to! Just keep listening until you find one you like!

A few of my favorites are:

The Rise Podcast by Rachel Hollis
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
The Influencer Podcast by Julie Solomon
Do it Scared by Ruth Soukup
The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher

17. Poshmark

I know I talk about Poshmark a ton, but I really do love it!! I was able to use the money that I earned from Poshmark to buy all of the extras for Henry that my hubby didn’t think were necessary 😉 as well as pay for our family pictures! It was also a great place to purchase clothes for myself this year, especially maternity and postpartum when none of my clothes fit. If you don’t already have an account “shopwithshelley” will give us each $5 to shop with when you sign up!

18. Batiste brown Dry Shampoo

This brown dry shampoo is a game changer for new mamas (and anyone who tries to make it a few days between shampoos). I love the brown one specifically because it helps cover up any thin spots from post partum hair loss as well. A win win 🙂 There can be some color transfer because it is essentially a temporary dye, but I haven’t had too much trouble if I only apply a small amount!