We are officially in cozy season, and I’m leaning in hard, friends. From cookbooks and crafts to organizing paperwork and a luxurious drugstore skin product, I’m all about anything that feels restful and gentle right now. Anyone else channeling anti-hustle culture vibes? Read on for my recommendations to finish the year in a way that feels soft and kind to yourself. Because, Maven, you deserve it.
1. Diamond Art
I’m almost a little embarrassed to admit this because it’s surely my one-way ticket to the middle-aged, midwestern mom club, so I’m getting it over with and listing this first: I’m currently working on a Diamond Art project. A pink nutcracker, to be exact. It was an impulse buy from Michael’s, and I’m not proud of it…yet. Haven’t heard of Diamond Art? Good for you—you’re much cooler than I am. But if you’re looking for a craft to get you through the long winter that you can hyperfocus on, get the satisfaction of real-time progress, that feels creative but doesn’t require any brain power or actual creativity because you’re completely drained as a human, you might want to check it out. Or, if you no longer trust my taste and want to stop reading this list, I completely understand. michaels.com
2. Change Journal
My husband and I recently went to Chicago for a quick overnight to celebrate this birthday, and while we were there, he took me to Atlas Stationers. The store is a dream for journal and pen lovers. I picked up this Leuchtturm Change Journal and have enjoyed testing out new methods for organization and productivity. $40, atlasstationers.com
3. Trashie
I used Trashie a few years ago, didn’t follow the instructions, and lost the bag to the United States Postal Service. When it popped up on Instagram for me a few months ago, I decided to try again. While I sell a lot of my clothes through consignment and donate towels to animal shelters, there are always textiles that simply need to be recycled. And because I want them to actually get recycled, I started using Trashie again. And even better, they now take electronics. When you return your bags and boxes of waste, you can get rewards on everything from movie theatre tickets to new items from thoughtful brands.
Disclaimer: If you use this link, I might get rewarded with free Trashie bags, and if you want, you can join as an ambassador, too! That’s right, trash influencers. What a time to be alive.
4. The Book Buddy App
Since I abandoned my Goodreads account (which I only ever used as a book tracker anyway), I needed a replacement, and the Book Buddy app is it for me. I currently have the free version, which maxes out at 50 books, but I’ll likely upgrade to the paid version at that point. The ISBN scanner works so well, my little organization-loving nerd heart is tempted to do my entire library. But for now, I’m just adding as I go.
5. Indiana Dog Whisperer
Earlier this year, I decided to adopt a dog. In the first few weeks, we fostered Luna as a test run, and she was an angel. The week after we signed the adoption paperwork, a new dog appeared—one that barked incessantly, nipped at people, and guarded everything she considered “hers,” including me. We booked a home session with Vernon, the “Indiana Dog Whisperer,” and I’m so thankful we did. After a few hours with him, we saw immediate improvement in things I thought would have taken weeks or months to correct. indianadogwhisperer.com
6. Shopping My House
As part of my never-ending quest to consume less, I’ve recently made a more concentrated effort to ‘shop my house’ before making a purchase. As someone who purges and organizes regularly, I assumed I wouldn’t have much in the way of extras, but oh, was I wrong. From using up travel-sized toiletries to using an alternative noodle in a recipe (gasp!), it definitely required more creativity than my “buy it now” brain is used to. I’m 250 days into my not shopping at Target or Amazon journey and feel like I’m still re-wiring these habits. See item number one.
7. Dinnertime SOS: 100 Sanity-Saving Meals Parents and Kids of All Ages Will Actually Want to Eat
October was a crazy busy month for us (as it is for many families), which is never the best time to try new recipes. I felt like we were in a dinner rut, but also didn’t want to go to the trouble of making meals my kids wouldn’t eat. So, I chose my most kid-friendly cookbook—Dinnertime SOS—and decided to only cook recipes from it for the month. The result: my kids tried some new-to-them foods, I got to scratch my recipe itch, and most importantly, my sanity was saved. yummtoddlerfood.com
8. Fiber
Over the summer, through a random series of events, I had a call with Dr. Amy Porto, a nutrition professor in Pennsylvania. I asked her if there was one thing women should be thinking about regarding nutrition, and without hesitation, she answered fiber. I’ve been focused on my intake since then, and my body feels great. My current favorite source is Kashi cereal.
9. Nokbox
Nokbox, or ‘next of kin’ box, is an estate planning tool and a home organization system that helps you organize all of your accounts, possessions, social media presence, communities, kids, pets, personal history, and estate plans (even if you don’t have estate plans yet!). I got mine during a sale last year and recently got my dad one. I know when the sad day comes to use it, I’m going to be so glad I did.
10. Cremo Shaving Cream
Shower clutter stresses me out. Though I make an exception for notepads, I want the fewest bottles and products possible. I started using my husband’s shave cream (I had been a devoted Trader Joe’s user), and I’m obsessed. We use Cremo’s Classic Citrus. I gifted some to my dad, and now he’s obsessed. Try it, and you just might be, too.
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