January Survival Kit

I know that this is a super random roundup of miscellaneous items, but bear with me. I confess I almost felt weird posting some of these things because it's a very detailed glimpse into my daily routine. Some parts are glamorous, some not so glamorous, but all are awesome in their own way. See, January is more of a buckle down and refrain from shopping month for me. I'm sure I'm not alone, right? So that means it's all about enjoying the simple/guilty/not-so-guilty pleasures that have made their way to necessity status  recently. That's why today I'm sharing all the things that are getting me through this month and why.

Nespresso Citiz espresso machine + milk steamer - Where do I even begin? Gone are the days of making less than stellar pots of coffee, half of which would always get poured out when I realize 8 cups was probably a little too ambitious for me to consume by myself. I'm OBSESSED with our Nespresso machine. The blends are all so yummy, and it's a piece of cake to make any kind of espresso drink you could possibly imagine. I go to bed at night looking forward to my double shot of Ristretto with almond milk in the morning.

Byredo Parfums Gypsy Water - Subtle enough for everyday but complex enough to keep me inspired. I can't explain it. It's just heavenly. Try it out and you'll see what I mean.

Bobbi Brown Extra hand cream - The only hand cream I've come across the seems to actually make my hands softer (what a concept!), plus it smells divine.

Frends 'Taylor' headphones - While I get that these might make a little more sense to rock on the NYC subways than roaming the streets of LA (does anyone roam the streets of LA?), I just love these things. The sound is actually really good considering that the sound is not the first reason a girl would want these.

Alma mater t-shirt - Not having lived in my college city in 5+ years now, it had been awhile since I had actually visited the campus. So when we were in NYC over the holidays, we made a point of stopping in to stock up on gear. It was fun to pick out a few t-shirts, the best of which is soft and drapey. I've been throwing it on more than I'd care to admit.

NARS 'Adult Content' blush palette & 'Yachiyo' brush - This palette has everything you need for flawless cheeks all in one place and the brush is the perfect lightweight match to the intense pigmentation of NARS blushes.

Rag & Bone sweatpants - Just the perfect necessity for winter nesting, and they went on major sale! They're sold out online but some Rag & Bone stores might still have them, so call.

Hydro Flask water bottle - This thing keeps water ice cold for hours. It's a miracle.

Raw Reserve Green Superfood - We've been adding this to our daily breakfast smoothies. It basically gives you superpowers.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Sea Salt - It's just so good. Every weekend we get 2 of these for the week but they're gone by Monday. Whoops.

Vanderpump Rules - This show is a total train wreck in the best way. I wish it was on twice a week.

Bar Rescue - It's like Kitchen Nightmares but for bars. Totally addicting.

La Mer moisturizing cream - Sooo yeah. Guilty on this one. But seriously wow. My skin was disappointed in every other not-cheap-by-any-means moisturizer I've tried in the past couple of years. This is the only one that truly takes care of me. Well worth the investment if you have dry skin. It's SUPER thick though so next time I might opt for the soft cream formula.

Logitech iPad keyboard cover - This keyboard takes your iPad to a whole new level. With it you can type e-mails for hours, or use it as a stand so you can watch as many episodes of Scandal as you can fit into a day. Then it protects your screen when you're not using it. Game changer.

SoulCycle (and Shimano cycling shoes) - I've talked about it a couple of times before, but I'll recap - this is the only workout that keeps me coming back after almost killing me every time, which makes it pure magic.

Phew! It's a lot to take in but hopefully this helps inspire a new obsession or two. I'd love to hear about your January survival tools!