I thought I’d start with a quick roundup of recent favourites and cap things off with a summary of my favourite items/moments from 2023.
Who’s ready to do this?
YOLINK WATER SENSORS
If you’ve been reading along for any length of time you know we have had some water issues. (Understatement.) Also, we’ve had friends with water issues – apparently, if you live in a home with modern plumbing OR live anywhere rain could potentially fall…you are at risk for water issues.
Enter this 4-pack of water sensors. Technically, it was one of my Christmas gift requests, but when they arrived early we went ahead and set them up. I figured it would be just my luck to request these for Christmas, wait until Christmas morning to open them…and have a massive leak on Christmas Eve.
We placed them strategically: one by the water heater (a common source of water damage in homes), one by our water main, one in the guest room closet (which also contains the water shut-off for our exterior faucet and was the site of the leaky pipe that soaked my wrapped Christmas gifts in 2021), and one in the basement bathroom (right below the main floor bathroom, so I figure if water leaks through the ceiling OR if something happens in the basement bathroom, we have it covered with this water sensor).
A demerit alert because I have not called insurance to see if this might reduce our insurance rates, so that is the next step.
SMÄCKER IKEA TRAY
This $1.49 IKEA tray is designed for silverware, but it is my new favourite organizing tool for just about anywhere. It’s hard to beat $1.49 (for very sturdy plastic), and I use them in our bathroom vanity – on the kids’ side I use one to keep a top drawer organized with dental supplies – the long slots are perfect for electric toothbrushes, the small spots hold dental flossers and A’s braces supplies. I use another one on John’s side for corralling shaving supplies and Q-tips. In the kitchen, I use them to organize things like peelers, spatulas, etc. We have 8-10 of these in use in our home and they are excellent!
PILOT JUICE UP 04 RETRACTABLE PENS
Full credit to SHU for introducing me to these amazing pens. They are, without a doubt, my new favourites! I use them daily. Highly recommend!
TWINKLE LIGHTS
They make everything about life feel cosier and more manageable. I am such a huge fan of twinkle lights this time of year.
THE BIBLE RECAP + DRY HIGHLIGHTERS
After a month of using The Bible Recap, I can confidently say it is one of my top favourites of the year. It makes reading my Bible feel luxurious (picking up a heavy faux-leather book every day with thick, smooth paper = luxury for this reader) and exciting. It is leading me on a chronological read-through from Genesis to Revelation, with a complimentary two-page summary associated with each day’s reading. Love.
And I’m using Mr. Pen dry highlighters which don’t bleed through even the thinnest of Bible pages. And yes, I colour-coded my highlighting; are you shocked?
On to my favourite things (and moments) from the year.
Favourite Meal: Admittedly, it doesn’t look like anything special, but this duck confit pasta on a little side street in Florence was one of the best meals of my life and certainly the most memorable for me in 2023.
Favourite TV Show: Drive to Survive. I could not get enough of this Netflix docuseries. The runner-up would be Quarterback (also a Netflix docuseries; are you sensing a theme?).
Favourite Movie: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. I loved this movie because the kids were so into it. And it was one of the few movies we saw in the theatre in 2023 which is always extra memorable (on a cheap day, obviously).
Favourite Project: A tween bedroom makeover for A; her room was dated and needed a major facelift. I am so happy with how things turned out. (Before and after here, along with a full budget breakdown.)
Favourite Song(s): For mainstream pop, it’s a tie between: teenage dream by Olivia Rodriguez and Flowers by Miley Cyrus. In terms of worship music, it’s a three-way tie between Still/PEACE by Hillsong Worship, Stained Glass Window by Cochren & Co, and Red Sea Road by Ellie Holcomb.
We had listened to over 37,000 minutes of music on Spotify by early December, so there were a lot of other songs we loved. Imagine Dragons is still a runaway favourite with the kids, closely followed by OneRepublic.
Favourite Purchase: My mug from a gift shop near the Ravenell Bridge in Charleston, SC. I’ve used it almost daily since June. I debated long and hard about buying this; I didn’t “need” another mug, and with the exchange rate it was close to $20 CAD. It was worth every penny and I smile every time I pull this mug out of the cupboard.
Favourite Decision: Another tie: starting therapy, going on a “retreat” to my parent’s home in September, and stepping down from my project management role at the start of this month! The theme is making big decisions to preserve and enhance my mental health. Go me.
Favourite Books (Fiction): Falling by T. J. Newman, The Book of Seven Truths: A Tale of Hope and Restoration by Calvin Miller, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard, The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
Favourite Books (Non-fiction): A Heart That Works by Bob Delaney, I Feel Bad About My Neck, And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
*I couldn’t stop at just ONE book, so these are all the books I rated 5 stars in 2023. I’m quite stingy with my stars, so this means I really enjoyed all the books listed above. That does NOT mean I recommend them to you, my readers, because I know how vastly tastes diverge. You could read every one of these I loved and hate them. Consider yourself warned.
Favourite Experience: Visiting Rome with John.
Favourite Beauty/Health Product: Another tie: Maybelline Falsies Lash Lift mascara (recommended by Nicole) and a 3-pack of hair towels!
Top Favourite of the Year: Magic bags. I simply couldn’t (or very much wouldn’t) want to do life without my magical oat bags (how agrarian of me). I use them every single day in the winter and they bring me so much happiness. *I don’t use the name brand “Magic Bags”, just my local pharmacies’ much cheaper equivalent. I prefer square to long (but L, who loves them almost as much as I do, prefers the long!). I’ve been using the same two sets for about 10 years, so the ROI has been very high!
Your turn. Any recent favourites? In terms of 2023, how would you answer some – or all – of the following?
- Favourite Meal:
- Favourite TV Show:
- Favourite Movie:
- Favourite Song:
- Favourite Purchase:
- Favourite Decision:
- Favourite Book:
- Favourite Experience:
- Favourite Beauty Product:
- Top Favourite of the Year:
Suzanne
So fun to see all your favorites! I especially love your list of favorite decisions. Go you indeed!!!
Elisabeth
Thanks – you’re my number one gold-star giver <3
Daria
This is amazing and now I am itching to do my own. Will link up to your post, of course. Thanks for the inpiration!
Elisabeth
My pleasure <3
Colleen Martin
I don’t have those exact hair towels, but I bought my daughter a 2 pack for her birthday and she offered me one, and I’m like how did I never use this before? So much better than a huge towel on top of my head! That bible and highlighters do look divine 🙂
Elisabeth
They really are a game-changer!
Jenny
Ooh, how fun! What a great recap of the year. I’m with you all the way on the twinkle lights! I have lights in four places (and that’s just in my living room) and they’re all on right now. I’ll definitely be leaving some of them up through January to make that month a little more cheerful.
Your Charleston mug makes me think of a new-ish policy I have- “just buy it.” In the past I’ve hesitated to buy certain things because they were too expensive (or, I would wait till they went on sale and then missed the opportunity completely) and I regret it to this day! $20 seems like a lot for a mug in the moment, but really it’s nothing when you think how much happiness it brings you.
Elisabeth
Just buy it. Love this. Generally, I err on the side of underbuying, so if I REALLY want to buy it, chances are I have thought about it a lot. Definitely no regrets about my $20 mug!!!
Michelle
A wonderful mug is always worth it, in my opinion! I have a collection of favorite mugs, and each one has a happy memory tied to it. I love your list of favorite things. I’ll have to think about mine and make a list too!
Elisabeth
Yes! I love having mugs with memories (ditto Christmas ornaments). I look forward to seeing your list! Maybe a blog post…?
Sarah
EVERYONE should buy those water sensors. They have saved us more times that you can imagine. Water and leaks plague us as homeowners and this has lessened the damage several times. The “magic bags” can also be made easily with 2 squares of fabric and a bag of rice. I’ve made several and even if you are not a DIYer, they are very simple (and cost literally $3.)
Elisabeth
Anytime anyone mentioned anything to do with sewing and easy I roll my internal eyes. I am so hopeless, Sarah…BUT my Mom is a sewing whiz and could definitely make some for us if we need replacements. We actually have 5 total (I got a very large neck one second hand).
NGS
We have a water sensor by our water heater and guess what didn’t go off when the water heater was leaking?! Whomp whomp.
Favorite experience of the year: Going to visit my high school friends and playing silly games with them. It was just a fun evening and I enjoyed it so much. I need to schedule more joviality into 2014.
I agree with you that “Flowers” is probably my favorite pop song from the year. I’m a lowkey Miley fan. With the recent death of Shane MacGowan, I have recently discovered that The Pogues are a band I should have been listening to all my life, so that’s one of my best discoveries of 2023.
Elisabeth
Wow – that is a major Whomp, Whomp. Every time we’ve tested the sensors they have worked…but obviously if they didn’t it would be a MAJOR issue. Sigh. We’ll see what happens.
Lindsay
I am so bad at favourites; I would just lists lists for everything! One of my favourite shows of this year has been my family’s Taskmaster rewatch; 12 seasons in and we all love it more than we did before. One of my favourite beauty products is Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb Moisturizer which served me well through the summer months.
Elisabeth
I think NGS is another huge Taskmaster fan. I watched part of an episode and “didn’t get it” but I feel like it takes a bit of time to get sucked in?
I need moisturizer right now; yikes, the colder late-fall air is not being kind to my skin 🙁
San
Twinkle Lights are my favorite this time of year, followed by LED-candles on timers. I have them in three different places in the living room and they just come on by themselves around 5 pm. Magical.
You got some great things on your “favorites’ list”. I especially like your “favorite decisions” (gold stars for those!) and the water sensors are probably providing great peace of mind! You did an amazing job with A’s room and I do want to look for those dry highlighters!
I’ve actually been working on my own favorite things list, but I will answer a few of your questions here…
Favourite Song: If it has to be from 2023, it’s “Wish You The Best” by Lewis Capaldi and “The American Dream is killing me” by Green Day.
Favourite Purchase: probably my Apple Watch SE.
Favourite Experience: I’ll have to say my half marathon PR!
More to come…
Elisabeth
I really should get some LED candles on timers. I’ve seen so many people rave about them and I love, love, love (and mentally need) mood lighting in the dark winter months.
Can’t wait to read your favourites list <3
I don't think I've ever heard that Lewis Capaldi song. How? I guess I never listen to the radio anymore and rely exclusively on Spotify to suggest my music for me.
I love my Apple Watch and you CRUSHED that half <3
coco
I love favorite lists! I did my fitness favorite post and will do favorite book/podcast/music/movie soon. I love reading your favorite experience/purchases too.
Elisabeth
I love reading people’s favourites lists <3
Nicole MacPherson
Lol, in addition to being a kalette influencer, I consider myself a minor mascara one too! I’m so excited it made your favourites list. I love this list of *gestures wildly* everything! I am extremely discombobulated at the moment, but I just wanted to say…yay, I guess! I love fave lists. You also reminded me I wanted to reread All The Light We Cannot See so I’ll get on that! *makes note, loses note, finds note again*
IT’S JUST THAT KIND OF A DAY, BABE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AHHHHHH
Elisabeth
Hahaha. Costco needs to start paying you royalties for spreading the word about kalette’s. You need some business cards with that title: Official Kalette Influencer. I need to try the “Surreal” next because I think you really like that one too, right?
Um, yes. I know what you mean BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN MY ENTIRE YEAR, YA KNOW?!
It is such a good book and I will definitely re-read it another time.
Grateful Kae
Love this idea for a post! I don’t have time to think and answer them all for myself right now, but perhaps I will borrow this post idea and do my own! I do love end of the year recap/ best of type lists.
Elisabeth
Oh yay – I’d love to read a whole post on you on similar themes! Best of posts are such a fun read.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Your magic bags are my rice in a sock! I just put uncooked rice in a sock and you can heat it in the microwave and put it on you! However, I generally only use this when I am having back pain, which luckily (knock on wood!) has not been recently. What do you use the magic bags for? Just coziness or some sort of ailment?
I am not going to answer all of your questions as I do Best Of posts at the end of the year and many of these will be answered then! However, I can answer a couple!
Favourite Meal: I went for a meal at a place in San Francisco called Seven Hills and we had meatballs, duck pate and a beautiful pork chop. Highly recommend.
Favourite Movie: I really enjoyed Narnia and can’t wait to see the second one.
Favourite Purchase: Ooohh..this year I bought a few things for bikepacking and had a lot of fun researching and then using them!! So it would be hard to pick one but I think this category has brought me a lot of joy!
Elisabeth
Almost always just for coziness. When John travels I like to have one at my feet and one to snuggle as I fall asleep. I just love the heat they provide and I guess it’s a bit like a blankie or stuffie for a child. It is SO comforting to me.
Can’t wait to see your post.
Lisa's Yarns
I love best of posts like this! I think my favorite purchase was my Apple watch – you were right when you said I’d love it! I don’t regret it one bit. Runner up is the work dresses I got from Boden!
My favorite experiences are a tie between going to Tucson with Paul to visit my sister and going to Banff with a friend! Poor Phil missed out on travel adventures this year but we’ll go to FL with my parents and the boys in April.
My best decision was pulling Taco from Spanish immersion daycare and putting him in his new daycare. It was a hard decision but ultimately the right one. I’m looking forward to a time when he doesn’t cry at drop-off, though… We know he is happy there but transitions are so hard for him!
My favorite book was Hello Beautiful!!!
Elisabeth
I’m SO glad (and relieved) you like the Apple Watch. Phew.
Those were two GREAT travel adventures, and I’m especially glad you got away for a solo trip this year.
I know the daycare situation was SO stressful, but I’m thrilled he’s all settled and adjusted.
Melissa
How hard is it to convey the yumminess of Italian food with a photo? The duck pasta does sound excellent. I think my favourite meal of this year would have to be our dinner at The Dabney in DC. I’m with you on picking just one book as a favourite, how could you do it? Every good book has its own reason to love it. My favourite purchase would be my chelsea boots. So comfortable. I wore them all day, every day in Germany and never got sore feet and my feet stayed toasty warm and dry. I bought these after getting terribly sore feet wearing the boots I did have for half a day in the city in our Autumn. I knew I needed a reasonable dressy, but still comfortable pair of boots.
Elisabeth
Every good book has its own reason to love it.
YES, YES, YES.
And comfortable boots are a very important wardrobe staple.
Melissa
That duck pasta sounds very yummy. I love having anything duck when I go out. My favourite meal this year would have to be our dinner at The Dabney in DC, but close second would be our anniversary dinner at Gimlet. I find it so hard to pick one favourite book/movie/TV show for the year. I think I would be like you and have multiple. I think this is because I like my favourite books for different reasons so its hard to compare.
My favourite purchase this year would have to be my Chelsea boots. I bought them after I got painfully sore feet visiting the gallery, browsing some shops and then meeting friends for dinner in the city in our Autumn. I realised I needed a pair of boots that I could wear with a dress but would be comfortable to wear all day. I wore my Chelsea boots all day, every day through Germany and they kept my feet warm and dry, and they never got sore.
I think I might need to see if I can get that bible here. It’s about time I did another read the bible in a year, but it will be a “Read the whole bible in a year and a bit” for me.
Elisabeth
Sorry. My commenting system can be glitchy!
You can get the Bible Recap on Kindle in Aus, but at least via Amazon, it doesn’t look like you can get it in print? There is also an associated podcast (free on Spotify) where she reads the daily recap, I think? I haven’t done that, but one of my sister’s doesn’t have the book and just follows along via the podcast.
And yes to “a year and a bit.” The point is to get into God’s word, but it’s so easy to get swallowed up in the thought of having to tick off a box.
Anne
I would like to move into A’s room, please! You did such a lovely job with it. I hope she loves it, too. <3
I never thought of the silverware trays (I have the same one, but just one of them!) for other purposes. Hm… unfortunately, many of my drawers aren't wide enough. I should check them out for other options, though! Thanks for the idea. 🙂
Elisabeth
I LOVE her room! And she does, too. It’s one of the few things we currently agree on. Teen angst is REAL, but we both think the room is amazing.