Team We So Nerdy is back again to share our favorite things of this past year. Check out our list and make sure to add a couple of these goodies to your life, too!
If you’re like us, you’re probably scratching your head and wondering how in the world we got to the end of 2016 already!
Well, with the Holidays upon us, and 2017 around the corner, we want to take some time to reflect on the past year and share with you the things that elevated our 2016.
Without further ado, check out our list of favorite things and why we love them so much!
(P.S. If you’re still on the look out for a holiday gift for that special someone, something below might just fit the bill!)
T.J.
Moto 360 (1st of 2nd Generation Refurbished)
Fan of smart watches, but don’t have $300 to shell out, then I highly recommend a refurbished Moto 360 Android Wear. With the firmware update built for the 2nd generation model, iPhone users can now use this Android Wear device. For iPhone users you don’t get all the bells and whistles as one with an Android smartphone, but you are able to change the watch face, count your steps, sync your calendars, email accounts, and answer phone calls. And if you have an Android device you get everything under the sun.
This makes a great “treat yo self” item if you want to save some money, but still want a lovely smart watch. You can also gift this device, it works right out of the box for Android devices, but if you’re are bringing an iPhone user into the smart watch era make sure they’re willing to put in a couple extra minutes into getting the device compatible for an iPhone.
Aroma 8-cup Rice Cooker & Food Steamer
Rice cookers can cook more than rice! It’s true! Need to make an omelet, stew, rice, fish or even pasta dishes – then a rice cooker can be your go-to kitchen appliance. Many of us solely use a rice cooker to cook rice and/or steam vegetables, but your limiting yourself honestly if you do. Even the late, great Roger Ebert was a fan!
You can get yourself and Aroma rice cooker on the cheap or something even cheaper, but in the end get ready to eat some of your best meals made in one pot!
Zanymouse Creations
It’s no secret I love a nerdy craft item. I can spend countless hours on Pinterest looking for DIY items that could be made with my favorite nerdy fabrics. Sadly, I’m don’t know how to sew or crochet with any skill. Therefore, I reach out to Zina of Zanymouse to make me the greatest of goods. From quilts to bags, Zanymouse has you covered. So if you’re looking for a special and customized gift, I highly recommend you hit up Zanymouse Etsy shop and see what she can craft for you with her genius.
Katie
Hamilton Mixtape
For the Hamilton trash in you life…
It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with Hamilton for over a year, and I can’t get enough of it! This mixtape is a gift. Songs like “My Shot” have been reworked and represent a current day struggle. “Congratulations” features an Angelica Schuyler dragging Alexander for The Reynolds Pamphlet, and Ashanti and Ja Rule come in with “Helpless” and finally bring to life what Lin has always imagined. In fact, if you have the Hamiltome, you know that he sings “As long as I’m alive Eliza, swear to God you’ll never feel so helpless…” is sang in his best Ja Rule voice.
If you love Hamilton, this is a great addition to the collection, and the talent. MY GOODNESS. It’s absolutely incredible!
Fireside 3 wick candle, Bath & Body Works
This is by far my favorite candle. I horde it so I can burn it year round. I describe this candle to friends as…Imagine you’re in a log cabin, it’s winter, you’ve got a nice, hot cup of coffee in your hand, and Chris Evans or Hemsworth (bearded, of course) is chopping firewood and comes inside.
Got that image? You’re welcome.
The Star-Touched Queen & A Crown of Wishes by Roshini Chokshi
These two books are incredible! They’re YA that’s steeped in Indian mythology and the prose are gorgeous. Chokshi creates beautiful worlds and love stories that you’re invested in, and her heroines are the best! The Star-Touched Queen was my favorite book of 2016, and there will be four novellas featuring these characters as well!
You can pick up The Star-Touched Queen now, and A Crown of Wishes will be out in March!
Amazon Prime
This yearly subscription service from Amazon is absolutely priceless for me. There’s two-day free shipping, Kindle monthly books, Prime Movies/TV Shows, and my new favorite thing, Prime Music.
You can download the music straight to you device, make playlists, there are TONS of albums available to Prime members for free. *coughHamiltoncough* It’s $99 for an entire year and in my opinion, a splurge well worth it!
Sandalwood Temple Perfume Oil
My cousin sent me some of this over a year ago, and I LOVE it! The sandalwood oil is my favorite perfume. Just a dab on my wrists and neck, and it lasts all day. It’s not overpowering and it sorta soothes me. It might cost a little for a small bottle, but let me tell you, it lasts! I don’t think I’ll have to buy anymore for at least six months, so a small bottle for two years? Totally worth it.
Marisol
The Spatty
I can’t say enough about The Spatty – it’s saved me so much money! The Spatty is a mini spatula helps you get every last bit of product out of the bottle. And I mean every last bit of product! I can easily scoop an extra two weeks of foundation out of the bottle using The Spatty. I purchased directly from the website and ordered the 2-piece set, which includes an extra long Spatty to scoop product out of larger bottles. The Spatty is also available at Amazon.com Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond locations.
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Scented Soy Candles
I love Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products, especially the scented soy candles. In addition to being reasonably priced, they also burn for a very long time and fill my home with a wonderful scent. My favorite scent is geranium because it’s very clean and light. This is great for people who don’t like that heavy scent that famous brand candles are commonly associated with.
Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
My favorite! Here’s what makes this hot cocoa delicious – you mix it with milk and instead of water. Personally, I think that makes all the difference. This hot chocolate is very creamy. It’s basically comfort in a mug, especially during the cold winter months, and it provides you with just what you need when you have a chocolate craving!
Notes to Self Socks
These socks are fun! I got a pair as a gift and now I’m addicted. I love that they have positive affirmations on the bottom of the sock. Some of my favorite affirmations include: “Cat Lover,” “Awesome,” “Strong,” and “Brave.” These socks are the perfect stocking stuffer or a ‘just because gift’ for virtually anyone in your life, including infants, kids, and adults.
Old Friend Women’s Kentucky Fleece Lined Moccasin
I’m that person that is always cold – from my head down to my toes. I got a pair of these moccasins for home. I was initially hesitant to buy them because I thought they would feel too much like shoes and not house slippers, but I’m glad I went ahead and purchased them. These moccasins are strictly for the winter because they keep your feet very warm and feeling plush. And the fact that they’re structured like a shoe comes in handy when you need to go outside for a quick minute to pick up the mail.
Rebekah
Weekly episodes on Netflix
Being across the pond, it SUCKS to be so behind the US schedule of your amazing tv shows. This past year, my Netflix subscription has truly proven its worth with not only, their amazing originals but more so, their weekly additions of Shadowhunters, Pretty little liars, Once Upon a Time, Designated Survivor and Frequency. Being a day behind the US (which is mere hours considering our time zones!), it gives me hope that piracy will one day become a thing of the past and that we can all enjoy tv shows universally, at the same time.
Sarah J. Maas Novels
This lady writes gold. I kid you not, the Throne of Glass series alongside A Court of Thorns and Roses series, have encompassed my free time this year. With Hulu taking on the Throne of Glass universe for a tv series, it is definitely time to get to know Maas’ characters. With her strong heroines and twisty take on Beauty and the Beast in her latest series, you cannot regret entering Maas’ universe.
Bialetti Espresso Maker
Perhaps my gold member, Starbucks status says it all, but it has definitely been long overdue for me to bring my coffee obsession home with me. Whilst northern tradition in the UK is to self-deprecatingly mock our own indulgences in instant coffee, the Bialetti Espresso maker is a fuss-free avenue to enjoying, good coffee at home. Unlike the cafetiere, the Bialetti brews for 5 minutes to give you velvety smooth coffee every time. Paired with the VonShef milk frother, I have my coffee needs met at home without cashing out at Starbucks before I’m awake enough to make wise decisions.
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System
Acne was something I had gracefully managed to avoid during my teenage years; I rarely suffered a blemish. What my mother refused to warn me about, was that your 20’s were essentially puberty round 2. It’s in the last year that my skin has betrayed me and drugstore acne creams weren’t going to cut it. Whilst you may have to budget to keep up with Clinique’s acne treatment it’s definitely worth investing in and yes, it really is dependent on the 3 step system for the best results, trust me.
Starbucks Christmas Reserve Blend
Betraying the honour of my country, I have to admit that I hate tea! I went through a phase of drinking green tea, but now rarely touch any kind of tea whether it be what we brits dub our standard “builder’s tea” or herbal tea unless I’m sick or have an allergy flare up. However, the exception to my blasphemous taste will always be at Starbucks, where my go-to order will be an 8 pump venti iced chai with enough milk to make me forget it is actually a form of tea. However, since the UK sorely lacks the wise decision-making skills needed to sell Tazo Chai in supermarkets, I’ll go onto another recent favourite of mine.
With a birthday at the beginning of December, the festive season has definitely become a “treat yo-self” month and, that is how I justified purchasing Starbuck’s 2016 Christmas Reserve blend.
Luring me in with its rose gold initialised design; coincidentally matching the R of my own name, the £10.95 price tag is subject to perspective, in terms of how costly it is. However, when the northern standard is often instant coffee, this was a risky splurge. It is heaven. There has never been a nicer coffee, ever. Starbucks reserve is so good that you can drink it without milk or sugar and is thus, probably healthier than my iced chai latte. I was late to the coffee drinking game, 21 in fact, so whilst I’m only 3 years into my coffee love affair, Starbucks reserve has placed itself in a great position of festive timeliness, where you or your friends can treat yourself without committing to the costly habit that it would without-a-doubt become, if it weren’t a seasonal offering. Honestly, if you love coffee to be smooth, festive and not bitter, then it’s worth trying.
Funmbi
Dash Go Rapid Egg Cooker
I’ve been an egg lover FOREVER and if I had it my way, I’d probably forget the apple and eat an egg everyday. They’re super versatile and make an wholesome meal/snack any time of day, especially when I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to cook. So when I was at Macy’s during Black Friday last month and came across the Dash Go Rapid Egg Cooker for $7.99, I had to make the purchase! As you can tell in the accompanying image, I’ve already been getting a lot of use out of this appliance. With just a little bit of water, you can boil six eggs, steam the perfect (two) poached eggs, or (if you’re feeling fancy) make a delicious cheesy, veggie omelette. Right now the Dash Go Rapid Egg Cooker is available at Macy’s for $24.99, but it’s still definitely worth it. I’ll be distributing several of these to my breakfast-loving friends and family this week!
Fold-N-Stow Bookholder
You all know that I read A LOT and spend an equal amount of time sitting at my computer. But don’t you just hate it when you have to type up a quotation from a book and the book refuses to lay flat?! My memory isn’t what it used to be, so going back and forth between picking up the book then putting it down to type, then rechecking to make sure I got it right… *RAGE* Well this year, a friend of mine introduced me to the Fold-N-Stow Bookholder and it elevated my life. I just unfold it, slide my book right into the holder’s prongs, and I’m good to go. The nice thing is that adjusts to books of all sizes and you can easily flip pages. And the Fold-N-Stow has definitely made writing my book reviews even easier! Right now it’s on sale for $5.83 at Barnes & Noble (I got mine for like $6.50) and it will make an awesome stocking-stuffer for the book-lovers in your life.
Alexa Riley Erotic Novellas
At WSN, we get lots of offers to read/review books from several authors. It’s always fun to get a chance to become familiar with a novel(la) what may not have come across your radar, otherwise. And then, of course, we get to share our flails with you in our reviews. One of my absolute fave discoveries of 2016 has been Alexa Riley! AR are two besties who write the juiciest erotic novellas that are the perfect, swoony treat. AR novellas take the whole sexy alpha-hero + insta-love thing to explore in different contexts… billionaire CEO, fire fighter, cowboy, mechanic, con-man, biker, shifter. AR can get things super taboo with BDSM, breeder kink, step-siblings, and elements of dubious consent too. I guarantee that, no matter your mood, there’s an AR novella that will fit the bill. Plus Alexa Riley is releasing their first full-length novel, Everything for Her this month. AR has quickly become my go-to for delicious erotica, and they should be on your TBR list too (*whispers* Start with Thief and then dive in to their catalog!)
My Fitness Pal
Recently I had a health wake-up call and with the support of my doctors, family, and friends, I’ve been able to get back on track with my quest to live my best life. I also owe a significant part of this progress to My Fitness Pal. This site/app is essentially a journal that allows you to keep track of your calorie intake and exercise. My Fitness Pal isn’t new (it’s been around since 2005), but downloading the app to my iPhone has made my 2016 a lot happier and healthier. The calorie counter has every single food/brand under the sun, and if for some reason you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can manually enter items. What I love most about My Fitness Pal is that it’s not a tool for punishing or chastising yourself. It’s more a method of accountability that helps you to figure out patterns, what works (or doesn’t work), set goals, and celebrate when you reach them. With the New Year coming up, many of us will be making resolutions to prioritize our health. My Fitness Pal (along with the advice of your doctor) can definitely help to make those goals an achievable reality.
What do you think about our favorite things of the year? Is there anything you’ll be adding to your shopping list? What are some of your 2016 faves?
Share your thoughts with us in comments, and Happy Holidays!!!
