What a year 2019 was! I have loved sharing my ideas and my favorite things with all of you. I have had so many highlights in making over so many spaces for friends, family and deserving new friends this year. We have incorporated Marie Kondo’s minimizing and organizing tips, ditched so many toxic things in our home, and overall learned so much! Thank you for inviting me into your homes and your life. I truly consider you a friend!
One of my favorite things to do in January is to share what have been the most popular items from you guys! Look through my list and maybe you will see something you have purchased!! Obviously, they are all my favorites, but you guys have some good taste!!
9 Favorite Things in 2019-
1- Favorite Vacation– We went to Maui the first part of January last year with our family and loved every minute of it. We also got to go to Eucador on more of a service trip, amazing experience.
2- Favorite Home Update– We got new a new roof! Transformed the curb appeal of our home.
3- Favorite Purchase– Adding Essential Oils to our home for wellness, replaced toxic candles, replaced toxic cleaning products, toxic perfume and added hormone support. Can’t say enough about these little bottles of plant juice.
4- Favorite Book- Really loved fiction book- Where the Crawdads Sing. And for self help I liked Braving the Wilderness.
5- Favorite DIY- I really loved how this “Cloffice” turned out! It was also one of my most “liked” photos on Instagram, so I think it was a favorite of yours!
6- Favorite Wallpaper- this is something I get asked about often- what my favorite wallpaper source is- I really like Tempaper, Chasing Paper and Target!
7- Favorite Plant- Large Monstera”swiss cheese plant”, has been a favorite addition to our bookcase! Oversized for a bookcase is unexpected and how I like it! And I can’t help but mention the ZZ plant– which was seen in majority of all my makeovers this year, because it is one of the easiest plants and prettiest!
8- Favorite Purse- I got this purse backpack for my Birthday and it was actually stollen (with our car). I missed it so much, I asked for it for Christmas. (this is affordable similar option).
9- Favorite Makeover– really loved being able to give this bedroom makeover to Robin, single mom. It made me really realize how I want to do these makeovers more and more for deserving families. Just like we did for Luke and Patricks family.
Top Instagram Posts of 2019-
I like being able to find the top post from 2019 on my Instagram, just interesting to see what you like to see from me. Two of the top posts were related to Lola having her appendix taken out. It was really sweet to see all of your support and love for her and our family. She felt very loved. Our Aladdin Halloween costume was our top post! Ha! Cracks me up. And the photo of myself and my mother-in-law and Kevins aunt in our swimsuit was popular, I need more pictures of those babes! Drew Barrymore of course got a lot of likes. And then some of our home made the cut too. Which I realize is why people follow us, so I am glad some of those photos made it in!
Most Popular Shared Items
#1 Mobile Lightroom Preset Nesting With Grace Sweet Home
A “Preset” is set edit for your photo that you download to Lightroom. With one touch you can put an edit on your photo that someone created. Just simply shop the look of the photo’s with the presets you like, then select that one! I have one that I use on all my photos. It makes photo editing super quick and consistent. You can see a quick video on how to use a preset in my instagram highlights here.
PS- when you purchase a Preset it comes with instructions on how to do it!
#2 My Favorite “Magic Lights”
These are popular because they are THE BEST puck lights. I have tried many others that are not bright enough, have a cool light, run through batteries fast etc. Not only can you add sconces without electricity, but they are great for closets that have no light too! And many of you have told me you used them in a power outage! Just have extra battery storage!
#3 Under Cabinet Lights
You do not need to spend a lot of money for accent lighting or hire an electrician. You saw my magic light trick above, and you also need to add some under cabinet lights. I have used our magic lights under our cabinets in the past. BUT I found an even better option. I have shared this idea before and they original are discontinued. HERE is a great under cabinet or bookcase light that you can charge!!!! Plus they have a really warm glow!
#4 My Favorite Exfoliating Facial Razor
About every two weeks I shave my face! It’s not what you are picturing. I use THESE tiny razors (dry, no shaving cream or soap) to get the hair off and it also removes the dead skin! Amazing exfoliator. I used to use a PMD every Sunday night. Which I do occasionally, but I feel like these razors not only remove hair they do the job of a PMD to get rid of the layer of dead skin. I shave my face, they use the soap then the moisturizer. Not your face hair does not come in like a man after or really any different than before!
#5 Sherpa Throw (Top Gift item!)
You guys LOVED this cozy throw! I found it on sale at Target one day and quickly threw them on the ends of their beds. We ended up gifting them to friends and teachers too! Everyone loves them!
#6 Humidifier/Diffuser Combo
It’s no secret that we FELL IN LOVE with essential oils this year and I ditched all of my scented candles (something that was surprisingly easy for this candle-lover). This diffuser was what I had in Finn’s room for awhile since it doubles as a humidifier. Such a great price for anyone wanting to switch out candles in your home, too! See a roundup of all the diffusers we use in this post.
#7 Fabric Defuzzer
You loved this item that I shared in 2018 this year, too. It has made me so happy that you have loved this solution that I figured everyone knew about it. I used to work in a design store that was also a high-end retail store. We suggested this fabric shaver often when customers would call complaining about the fabric on their sofa’s pilling. It will make your sofa and sweaters look like new. Most sofa’s will have pilling due to the fabric combo a lot of sofa’s are upholstered in.
#8 Feather Filled Euro 2 Pack Insert
Pillows are always a hot topic on my blog, my instagram, and my life (LOL). I love what pillows do to transform a space! One of my biggest home decor tips is about pillows and is to use a feather insert and size up 2″ on the insert. These euro inserts are such a great value and can make an inexpensive pillow cover look expensive! See other top home decor tips for all of my friends in this post.
#9 Wool Dryer Balls
Some of my most popular posts from 2019 were about ditching toxic things in your home. One of the easiest things to switch is your dyer sheet! You can add a drop of essential oils for scent, but wool dryer balls reduce drying time and sustainable (since the last for a long time!).
#10 All time Favorite Spot Cleaner
Here is another repeat from last year, and I am not surprised, because I cannot imagine our house without THIS spot cleaner! It’s one of those items that every home owner should have! When you buy a vacuum you should get this spot cleaner too. I shared how I use it to clean our outdoor cushions. I also clean our rugs, my stair runner, I have gotten some sort of BBQ sauce or ketchup out of our banquette cushions.I use Thieves cleaner in mine for a natural cleaning solution that really works!
And Blanquil Weighted Blankets from this blog post (not same tracking as above)
and Turkish Towels from this blog post
Top Blog Posts:
#1 10 Ways your Home *could* Look Cheap
#2 10 Things You Could Do Without in Your Home
#3 Why we CAN’T Quit Essential Oils and How We Use Them Daily!
#4 Marie Kondo Mondays – Kitchen Organizing Tips
#5 How I Cleared My Face Naturally
#6 New Rug in our Living Room and Cordless Bamboo Shades
#7 What a 37 and 60 Year Old EAT in a day – Be Confident in Anything at any age!
#8 My Workout- that has brought me RESULTS
#9 10 + Non-Toxic DIY Beauty Replacements
#10 Maui Vacation- Top Maui Hawaii Tips – Our Vacation
Most visited Older Posts
Preparing for Guests – 22 Things your Guests Want
How to Make Your Bed Fluffy
DIY Sconces to Have Light Without Power “Magic Light Trick”
Well there you go! My roundup up 2019! Lookin forward to all that 2020 has to offer- I will be writing a blog post with all our plans and exciting things happening in our family.
Love to hear what you want to see more of! Do you miss our Friday Favorites? Or anything else?
Sorry to bother you with this but I love the basket in the first picture of the post that has a zz plant in it (on white dresser) was wondering if you recalled where you got it. Thank you so much!
The basket? It was thrifted!