Top 10 Favourite Purchases of 2021

Wow, what a journey this year has been. Like many, my year was spent on the rollercoaster of despair, hope, and anxiety, influenced by the uncertainty the pandemic continues to wreak on our lives.

As we end year 2 of this , there were some items that I found that helped to ease the anxiety and lean into the hope that this year provided. Self-care, home nurturing, events and more – each of these things I purchased helped make this year easier for me, and why I share them with you.

In no particular order, here are ten of the items I purchased and loved this year.

1. Athleta Altitude Tight in Polartec Power Stretch

If I’m being totally honest, I picked these Athletia tights up on a whim before this year’s Columbus Marathon as soon as I saw the temperatures were going to plummet the day of the race. I’m so glad I did. They’re warm, comfortable, and block the wind – they kept me toasty outdoors cheering on runners for 5+ hours on Marathon morning. I’m pumped I’ll have these for my outdoor walks in January/February.

2. GHD 2” Max Styler 2-Inch Wide Plate Flat Iron

Back to the office this year meant back to styling my hair and I knew I needed to upgrade my hair tools. After quizzing my hair stylist for her favourite brands, she recommended I try GHD (thanks Melissa!), and a Nordstrom sale later I picked this one up. The wider width is perfect for my thick hair, leaving it straight and shiny in just minutes, perfect for my (always) hectic mornings.

3. Supergoop Glowscreen/Tula Protect & Glow

Like many during the pandemic, I ditched Foundation as part of my makeup routine. Because it was my source for my daily SPF, suddenly I needed to find sunscreen to wear that wasn’t the sport version I use on the weekends. These two sunscreens are the perfect replacement, fantastic primers underneath concealer and liquid or cream blush/bronzer, and the glow they provide makes you lit from within. I love Glowscreen in the summer when I’m sporting a bit more colour, when the weather dips Protect & Glow’s transparency works fabulous with my paler skin tone.

Cheesin’ with my new CR-V Hybrid (old CR-V in the back!)

4. 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

I’m laughing that a purchase of this size is alongside sunscreen and leggings, but I really did just replace my old Honda CR-V for a new, more environmentally friendly version this year. And while the new features (leather, satellite radio) are nice to have, it’s the hybrid engine that put this purchase in the top 10. It’s a dream to drive in downtown city traffic – it zipped around downtown Toronto like a breeze. I find myself avoiding freeways where I can to keep my gas mileage high, having not yet dipped below 35 mpg since owning it. Shout out to Mo, my awesome dealer agent, for a smooth-sailing purchase experience.

5. Tickets to Arts performances

It was soul feeding to experience live music, art and theatre again this year. Admittedly, most of the performances I saw this year I purchased tickets for in 2019, but actually being able to redeem them provided some much-needed culture and was healing I new I was needing. From Alanis to Fiddler, Warhol to Van Gogh, gosh it was so great to experience live art again.

6. Loeffler Randall Marine Shoulder Bag

Thanks to COVID, I’m still trying to master the art of the schlep, making sure I have everything a need when leaving this house. This Loeffler Randall bag lets me carry my world on my shoulder and look stylish while doing so. The leather is buttery soft and surprisingly durable, and the interiors allow me to fit things of every shape and size inside it. Mask pouches, hand sanitizer, wallet, glasses, etc – all of it fits and fits with my aesthetic too.

7. HAY PC table lamp

I still remember the now-iconic line that Carrie Bradshaw narrated in the second SATC movie, the one where she talks about cheating on fashion with furniture. While I’m just starting to get some of my pre-pandemic fashion mojo back, my interiors style really started to hone-in this year, stronger than ever. This PC table lamp is part of that style, but also substantial, it anchors a counter in my kitchen for some much needed soft-light now that the nights are ridiculously long. Designed by Danish designers HAY, I love its modern look, it’s touch dimmer, and also its durability, it’s so easy to clean when exposed to those accidental kitchen spills.

8. Boll and Branch Waffle Bed Blanket

I was influenced, I admit it. But for the record, the blanket on my bed I had been using since my first job out of college. The hype is real on this Boll and Branch waffle bed blanket – it’s the perfect light blanket to keep you warm, or cool, on any given night. It’s lightweight, but not too light, long enough on all sides, and has kept its shape beautifully after numerous turns through the washing machine. Bedding is one of those items where you actually notice a huge difference in quality, it this upgrade is so worth the extra good night’s sleep.

9. Meza Rose Wine Subscription

Staying safe and supporting local have been hugely important to me during COVID and this rose wine subscription from Meza Wine Shop checked both of those boxes. More than that, the roses delivered were of AMAZING quality, much better than the variety you’d find at the grocery store. The personal touches were what really made this a fave: included in your hand-delivered box each month was a printout of the origin of each wine, tasting notes, and pairing suggestions, all curated by the small team at Meza. I was super bummed to have to cancel when our return-to-office became a reality, but look forward to ordering my faves again from this local gem.

The Toronto sign in Nathan Philips Square at night

10. Trip to Toronto

Technically this isn’t something tangible to include on this list, but neither were the arts tickets I listed above. Like those tickets, this trip home was therapy for the soul. Previous to August it had been over two years since I’d been home to Canada, the entire trip was emotional starting from the completely empty border crossing, all the way through to stopping for a fast-food fave (Harveys!) on the way back. Some of my favourite purchases from home include stopping at Dillon’s for a bottle of Dill Pickle vodka, picking up butter tarts from Pusateri’s, discovering a new artist at the AGO (Matthew Wong), and relishing in the amazingness that is the Toronto fashion scene (Aritzia, Holt Renfrew, Blu Boho, etc). You never know how much you miss home until you can’t go to it, and boy was I thankful for this trip this year.

 Cheers to 2022 and more great finds along the way!