My 15 Best Purchases Of 2020 - My "Worth-It" Buys

The number one thing you can optimize to give you more energy and happiness is your environment. Of course, a big part of creating and maintaining a holistic clutter-free environment is to be thoughtful about your purchases. What are you bringing into your space? On that note, I’d love to share 15 of my best purchases of 2020!

There are affiliate links in here if you happen to see something you like- this is NOT to encourage you to buy more than you need. But, should you happen to need one of these for your own home, job, or car- then it’s always nice to have reliable recommendations. :)

1. The Most Awesome Dog Bowl Ever!

The first thing I thought of when brainstorming my best purchases of 2020, was actually our dog, Charlie's, water bowl. 🤷‍♀️ Our adorable dog Charlie is just over two years old, and she is such a sloppy drinker! Every time she would drink, water would just go everywhere. It was so hard to manage...that is, until we bought this miraculous pet water bowl.

This piece of magic has seriously eliminated any water drippage. It’s genius—basically, it has this giant plastic piece that floats on top of the water inside of this bowl. The pressure of her tongue pushes it down just enough to get the amount of water that she needs to be able to drink and no excess. It has saved our floors! 

2. Sigma Camera Lens

As I’ve been creating more and more YouTube videos, last year I upgraded my camera lens to this Sigma 30 mm 1.4 f-stop lens. I’m so happy I made the switch! It has a really nice creamy blur of background. I would definitely recommend it to other content creators. 

3. Plug-In Wall Sconces

I installed these bedside lamps myself! (In fact, I shared the process in this video about Decluttering Your Bedroom). They can be hardwired or simply plugged into the wall. I really love the ambiance and the nice symmetrical look. Each lamp has its own dimmer switch, so I can set mine just bright enough to read a book without disturbing Matt as he goes to sleep. But probably my favorite thing is that they’re wall-mounted and don’t take up any space on the nightstand! 

4. Eero WiFi System

This Amazon Eero wifi extending network has been a game-changer for me and my family! We used to constantly try different routers because the wifi just wasn’t connecting through the whole house. The Eero comes with three different wifi extender boxes that we keep in three different spaces in our home. It's incredible—we’ve been able to access the wifi from anywhere in the house. 

The additional feature that I love about the Eero is that we now have full control of what devices are able to access the wifi. Each family member has their own profile on their device. So for example, if we want to shut off everything for one of my daughters, like her TV, her computer, her iPhone, it's all under her profile. All we have to do is click a button and all of her wifi goes away 😈. If we want our kids to get off their phones at bedtime, we can just turn off the wifi on their phones.

5. iLuv Wireless Earbuds

These are the best Bluetooth earbuds I have found. They fit so nicely inside the ear. I wear them to work out and even during yoga when I’m in a downward dog they are secure and don’t fall out. They’re easy to charge with the regular micro USB charger and I can just tap them to pause or play. This is not only one of MY best purchases of 2020, it has now become a favorite purchase of my daughter and Matt.

6. Radha Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil is my number one self-care product because it can take the place of so many different items like moisturizers. In fact, I mention it in my article on Things I Only Own One Of because I don't need to buy other moisturizers anymore. You can use it on your hair, on your skin. I lather my face with it every single day. If your skin gets dry easily, this works wonders so you’re not feeling parched. 

7. Wet/dry Body Brush

Speaking of self-care products, I switched over to this dry brush for my skin instead of using a loofah in the shower. This one has bristles and little massage nodules, so it’s a nice feel, especially on your feet. Dry brushing helps to increase circulation and remove dead skin cells, so I love this because I feel completely exfoliated every time I get out of the bath. 

8. Muslin Cloths

While we’re on the topic of exfoliation, I’ve been using these muslin cloths for my face. They come in a pack of 20, but they’re so small and thin and just rough enough to give you a nice, good exfoliation. They take up hardly any space inside of your wash load and they don't absorb and hold on to all of the facial products that you use to wash your face off with, so you just feel fresh and clean.  

9. Ajna Organic Yoga Mat

I got this Ajna yoga mat because it looked like a piece of art and it matches my floor! 🧘‍♀️ When COVID his, I started doing a lot of yoga in the dining room and wanted something that would fit the decor so I could leave it out and come back to it if I wanted. It also has this really nice grippage to it with the texture. It has just the right amount of pressure for me underneath, without being too cushiony to where I feel like I'm sinking into it. 

10. Artificial Succulents

After last summer, when I tried unsuccessfully to keep some plants alive, I decided that I was just going to go with artificial succulents all the way. I remember fake plants from when I was a kid but the look and quality have really improved over the past few years! I've set these up in the dining room and in the bathrooms.

I love how they look, and I especially love that I’m no longer stressing about keeping plants alive. These have become one of my core decor components and had to get a spot on my best purchases of 2020.

11. Floating Shelves

Speaking of succulents, I bought these floating shelves to hold them. We had no decor on any of our walls in the dining room, so I felt like the room needed something to add interest to the space. These shelves fit perfectly. We just decorate them with our succulents and some of the little ceramics that the girls have made over the years.

12. Porch Half Umbrella

This half umbrella for the deck was a great find! Our deck is long and narrow, and this works perfectly in the space. It has held up to the rainy weather and the winter wind that we get here in Portland. The color hasn’t faded at all and I'm able to put a little table and chairs around it and still have room to move around. This. is great for smaller outdoor spaces or anywhere you may want your umbrella to back up flush against the wall. 

13. Bellemain Funnel

I grew up in Southeast Texas, so fried foods are kiiind of part of my heritage 😆. We try not to fry as often anymore but, when we make burgers or fry bacon, it can be a hassle to deal with the grease afterward. So I found this metal grease funnel to use with any bottle- without the mess. It has made this whole process so much easier! For the sake of convenience and not wanting to destroy your plumbing and your sink, I definitely recommend this. 

14. USB Hub

I love my Macbook, but it doesn’t have enough ports for everything I need to attach to it! This USB hub is a daily staple for me. I can attach USBs to it, but also I can put my memory card from my camera directly in here and upload all of my videos and my photos. I have been using this on a daily basis! 

15. Cell Phone Mount

Last but not least, my favorite car accessory (and the only one that didn’t actually come with the car itself) is this cell phone mount. The sides are squeezable, allowing you to adjust it to the width you need for your phone, and you can turn it in any direction. And it releases with the push of a button. 👌 It's great for using the GPS and Bluetooth while driving. This has been a really great investment that I would recommend to anybody.

Let me know in the comments, what were some of your best purchases of 2020?