I feel like I say this every year, but goodness, I can’t believe we’re on the cusp of another new year and that it’s already time to share my favorite products that I bought over the past 12 months. These are the items that brought the most joy — either because I simply love using them or they made our lives easier — that I think you might enjoy, too.

Jenny Bird “Chunky Doune Hoops” – 2024 saw a resurgence of bold sculptural jewelry in sleek metals. Jenny Bird makes the most beautiful pieces and these quickly became one of my most-worn pairs this year.

Dansk “Bistro Cafe Flatware” – Prior to this year, I had been using Walmart flatware that my parents bought for my first apartment. They were fine, classic-looking enough, and serviceable, so it wasn’t high on my list of priorities to buy a new set. However, I’m so glad I saw this Dansk set earlier this year and decided we were past-due for an upgrade. These are gorgeous! They have a nice weight to them and it’s so nice to have a set of flatware I’m not embarrassed about when we host guests. I splurged on two 43-piece sets so that we have 16 of each utensil and two sets of serving pieces.

Paravel “Main Line Duffle” – I had this on my wish list of years and finally treated myself during a sale earlier this year. It’s beautiful and much lighter than my leather duffle bag. I’ve accumulated quite a Paravel collection and each item surpasses my expectations. Plus, Paravel has wonderful customer service and a commitment to sustainability that makes me feel good about supporting the brand.

OXO Good Grips 8″ x 14″ organization bin – The top shelf of our fridge was a black hole for small items and jars that were pushed toward the back. I’d forget what was there, only to unearth it when it was past its expiration date. Two of these bins solved that problem. Now I can just slide the tray forward to get what I need and keep those smaller items corralled.

Margaux “The Demi” ballet flats – I bought my first pair of Margaux’s ballet flats in 2023 and loved them so much that I added the brown and red pairs to my closet this year. The footbed is cushioned making them comfortable for all-day wear, and the adjustable cord can be cinched so your heel doesn’t slip out. I wear a pair just about every day to work.

Nearly Natural artificial ferns – I love how ferns look in a hanging basket. After two years of trying — and failing — to keep real ones alive on our porch, I threw in the towel and bought artificial ones. Worth every penny, especially because real ferns aren’t exactly cheap to begin with. These come in a set of two and I put both in a hanging basket with some floral foam to keep them from falling out. They definitely pass for the real thing, especially from the sidewalk. I’d suggest buying them before spring, though, as the price seemed to creep up as we got closer to nice weather.

Phoenix Down pillow – We slept on these when we stayed at the InterContinental in Chicago last December, and I thought they were the most comfortable pillow I’ve used in years. I peeked at the tag and bought a set shortly after. The older I get, the more committed I am to a blissful sleeping experience, which brings me to the next product…

Casper “The Dream” mattress – We purchased one of the original Casper mattresses when we first upgraded from a Queen to King bed. We had been very happy with it, but realized that ours was past its prime when we bought “The One” for the guest room and found it to be much more supportive than ours. We ultimately selected the hybrid “The Dream” mattress for ourselves. It’s softer than its all-foam counterpart, but still supportive — and I’m happy to report that the back aches we were both chalking up to old age went away once we bought a new mattress.

Undo Hairware claw clips – These are the best claw clip that I’ve tried. It doesn’t dig into the back of your scalp while you’re wearing it and it stays put all day. They’re expensive for what they are, but I’ve found it to be worth it the splurge.

SpaceAid bamboo drawer dividers – I had a flatware organizer in our large utensil drawer, but the rest of the space was a jumbled mess that would shift around each time the drawer was opened and closed, inevitably making the drawer difficult to open when things got wedged between it and the bottom of the counter. And I could never find what I needed without rifling through the drawer to see where it went. It annoyed me for years. I don’t know why it took me so long to address the problem, but I finally decided to do something about it and found this adjustable drawer divider set in January. Everything now has a home and the drawer stays tidy. Honestly, this is probably my absolute favorite item of the year thanks to all of the headaches it has saved me.

Amazon mesh beach tote – This mesh bag was all over Instagram this year and for good reason. It’s lightweight, cute, packable, and generously sized for all of your beach essentials. I bought it before we went to Barcelona thinking that it’d be easy to bring to the beach or pool with us, but it ended up being more useful than that. I used it to carry our umbrellas for the inevitable light rain shower we’d have midday and as a reusable shopping bag. It held up well after a week of heavy use, which I didn’t expect for a cheap Amazon purchase. It’s now coming with me on every warm-weather trip.

I’ve been sharing my favorites for several years. Find them here: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023

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Truly my favorite purchases of the year were adopting Lily, my membership to the pottery studio, and the money we spent on traveling — but I’m not above liking objects, too! 😉 Each year, I like to reflect back on our annual purchases and identify the items that brought the most joy. Here are nine standouts from 2023.

East Fork “The Mug” – A pair of East Fork mugs was actually my very first purchase of the year and I still look forward to having my morning latte in them. It has such a nice weight and I love the satin-finish of the glaze against the clay. I bought a second pair in Henri’s Red, their seasonal color, this holiday season. You can get $20 off your first purchase with this link. (I don’t receive a benefit from sharing this link; it’s just a fun way to introduce you to the brand.) The mug really kicked off a love for East Fork and I bought the popcorn bowl to use as a serving piece and the cake plates for appetizers. They’re just as lovely as the mug, but I’m paying homage to the piece that started the collection.

Margaux “The Demi” ballet flats – I’m a diehard fan of ballet flats and I adore that the classic is back “in” right now. I had read so many good things about Margaux flats and finally splurged on a black pair. Oh my goodness, I had been missing out! These mold so perfectly to your foot and the cord bow is actually adjustable so you can cinch the top to customize the fit and keep your heel from sliding out. They’re just so beautiful and I’m planning on getting another color next year.

Schoolhouse Electric “Bond” lamp – After six years of tiny Target bedside lamps, we upgraded to quality lamps and it immediately made me feel like more of an adult. They’re a great size next to a king bed and, like everything at Schoolhouse, impeccably made. I really like the mix of glass, metal, and wood.

Scrub Daddy sponge – This is the newest addition to my “love list.” Dave’s parents gave us one in our Christmas stocking and it really is kind of amazing. It’s rigid in cold water, but softens in warm water so that it’s gentle on surfaces. Plus, the dopey smile just makes me happy. Big fan.

West Elm classic linen pillow covers in natural/slate – I’m becoming less and less enamored with West Elm. I think that many of their products are cheaply made and aren’t worth the elevated price — and after my “machine washable” curtains shrunk about 12″, I’m no longer going to be a customer. However, I bought these linen pillow covers before the “incident.” They hold up well and I like the contrast stitching on the edges. I use these pillow inserts (22″ square) in them.

Tissue Box Covers (this and this) – I feel like everyone on my Instagram feed got fed up with ugly tissue boxes this year — myself included. The two linked here fit around a Costco-sized box of Kleenex. I like the one with the wood top more, but I use the white woven ones upstairs in the bedroom.

Schoolhouse Electric “Stillwater Floral” quilt in auburn – I fell for this pattern when it was released a year ago and added it to our home in the spring. It’s perfect for summer and doesn’t leave you overheated like a down comforter would. It’s also generously sized so there’s no fighting over the covers! It’s such a timeless piece.

Ruby Coffee Roasters coffee beans – We bought an espresso machine at the beginning of the pandemic and it continues to be one of my favorite items in the house. This year, we started ordering Ruby coffee beans and use them pretty much exclusively. We keep them fresh in this canister.

Thuma bed – Refreshing our bedroom was one of our top priorities for 2023 and it started with a new bedframe. We wanted a platform bed that was made of solid wood and, ideally, under $2,500. After months of research and browsing furniture stores, we opted for Thuma. It’s always a gamble with an online-only retailers, but they had a generous trial period making it feel less risky. The bed is beautiful in person and was easy to put together.

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