Autumn Favorites
Last week, I moved from rural Tennessee to Cincinnati (another story for another time), and I am desperately waiting for the weather to cool off after a very warm and humid summer. I will miss all of the sunshine, but I am genuinely looking forward to cozy scarves and hot chocolate. I made a point of unpacking my autumn favorites first when I got here, and because I am the overly excited friend in the group, I am going to share those things on my blog. Love me.
Home & Office
Ugg robe ($80) • I bought this just before my move and almost lost it to a USPS mail-forwarding fiasco, but the shipping gods knew I needed this. I'd already tried two other robes, both of which were flimsy and cheap and awful. This robe? It’s perfect—thin enough that you could pack it for a trip and yet so cozy and soft and warm that you can forget at least three of your troubles while wearing it.
Humidifier ($80) • Ya girl has been working on her hydration for a few years now, and it's still not enough for that summer-to-winter transition. My lips get chapped, my nose bleeds, my hair starts trying to conquer neighboring cities—and then I remember that I own a humidifier. And this one doesn't wake you up in the middle of the night with a "blub blub" soundtrack; it's cute and quiet, as all appliances should be.
Desk pad ($16) • At one point, I was working from four different desks in three different offices, and I made sure every gosh dang one of those desks had a desk pad on it. I'm not always loyal to this exact brand, but I definitely love this style: minimal and clean. I like that they act as a giant mousepad while also making it easier to clean up spills and crumbs while also protecting the actual desk from scratches and ink stains. (This isn't really related to autumn except that I just bought a new one a week ago as a moving-in present for myself.)
Self-care & Beauty
Vaseline ($3) • Listen. This might seem obvious to everyone else, but I didn't understand the S-tier powers of Vaseline until a year or two ago when a dermatologist recommended it (instead of Neosporin!) for helping a wound to heal without scarring. I really put that to the test when I had shingles on my face this summer—yet another story for another time—and came out the other side with zero scarring and zero redness. I know it's going to come in clutch as the air starts to dry out.
Redness-reducing moisturizer ($35) • Speaking of redness, though, I do have a skin condition that is basically Dandruff+, and it means that the skin on my face is often redder than the skin on my neck or the rest of my body. I can cover it up with make-up, but I also wanted to address the underlying irritation and give my skin some relief. This moisturizer has tea tree oil in it, and I cannot even tell you what a difference it has made in my skin's appearance and in my overall confidence. It's lightweight enough to work well under make-up and powerful enough to use year-round.
Autumn eyeshadow palette ($70) • This is my first Patrick Ta make-up purchase, and I am so impressed. The color pay-off on the matte shadows is insane, the shimmers and glitters blend like a dream, and the whole palette is full of beautiful purples, golds, oranges, pinks, and browns that work in dozens of cozy combinations. This is the Gilmore Girls opening credits of palettes.
Apps & Tech Gadgets
MacBook Air ($999+) • Okay, this is another one of those things that is only seasonal because I bought it a few weeks ago (as a belated birthday present for myself), but I love it so much that I had to include it on the list. This is my first Air after owning three Pros, and I was really nervous that it would feel slow. And the only problem with the 2015 MacBook Pro I was using was the battery life, so I wasn't even sure I could justify the upgrade. But omg, this baby has the super-fast M2 chip and a battery life for days (even in the face of Adobe software)—plus it's a cute champagne gold color and barely weighs anything? I'm obsessed.
Sony noise-cancelling headphones ($330) • Autumn seems like it should be quiet and calm: gentle breezes, leaves softly tumbling to the ground, animals curling up for their winter naps. But leaf-blowers exist. And I can't afford enough to therapy to endure that sound—or most sounds, to be honest—so I basically live in these headphones. I've tried several alternatives from Bose, Apple, etc., and these are the most comfortable (for me) with the best battery life and support for connecting to multiple devices.
Wholesome Content
It Didn’t Start with You ($6+) • I can't fully explain this, but when the weather is cooler, I have much more patience for books that require deep thinking. This is definitely one of those books. My therapist recommended it, and I have learned so much about inherited trauma and how that literally shapes our DNA (the main topic of the book). I have also had some really meaningful conversations with my dad and brother about our personal and shared experiences. This sounds grim AF, but I promise that it is actually lovely and healing. (And maybe a bit grim, lol.)
Only Murders in the Building ($8+) • I have been obsessed with this show since I saw the very first trailer for it, and it absolutely lives up to the hype. Selena Gomez has charmed me to the point where I might have an IRL crush on her, and Steve Martin and Martin Short are perfection. I love that they all seem to be using the show as an excuse to work with their A-list celebrity friends in the weirdest and cutest ways. It's one of the few shows I will watch on a weekly basis as the episodes release, and I'm thrilled to hear we're getting at least one more season.
Any links to Amazon products in this post are through their affiliate program, so I get a small commission if you buy one of those products using that link. But what I'd rather get is the smug satisfaction that you are making smart decisions with your money, so prioritize that, friends.