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These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things

It’s time for our annual Favorite Things list for 2020! We’re grateful to have had a healthy year, albeit a rough one. Even still, I remind myself of the good that has come from 2020 – more family time, a comfortable home, crossing the Two Flat finish line. I think of the progress we’ve made by using our voices collectively. I also tell myself that everything is temporary, and although tough, I remind myself to focus on all these positives.

Below, Scott and I are sharing the Things that brought a smile to our face this year. From music to shows, bright lipstick and new routines!

Kim’s Favorite Things

A round-up of the things that made us happy in 2020, from apps that connect us to others, music and shows. via Yellow Brick Home
  1. Marco Polo | The biggest perk of my year has been connecting with friends and family over the use of this app. This might sound dramatic, but it has changed my life. Relationships have strengthened, we talk more than ever to our parents, I chat every day with my BFF, and daily group threads with my DIY soulmates have kept me sane. It’s my biggest joy to see a new red bubble alert on my phone.
  2. Patterned sheets | The tiny tree-like pattern is a fun departure for me, but more than anything, these have made climbing into bed at the end of another (let’s be real, monotonous) day so dreamy.
  3. The Puffy Puff | Reminder to self: Leave the house, Kim! During these colder months, this coat has kept me toasty on the longest walks.
  4. Dermaplaning | My friend raved about dermaplaning over a Marco Polo, and for less than $10, I took the risk. Obsessed. My products soak in better, and my face is smoother than ever! Try it, try it.
  5. Cropped tank bra | I’ve reached the level of loungewear where bras can now pass as tanks, and I’ll take it! Not surprisingly, Girlfriend has the highest quality and coziest fit of all the, um, athleisure I’ve invested in this year.
  6. Generation G in ‘Zip’ | The easiest lipstick in a somewhat-sheer cheery red perks me up for another day at the WFH office (aka, our dining table)!
  7. Algenist Liquid Collagen | I’ve always had a passion for skincare, but this year I took it to another level. This is the biggest splurge in my routine, and now I can’t imagine going without.
  8. Olive & June nail polish | Now that we’re done renovating the Two Flat, I’ve found a strange joy in taking care of my nails – filing, buffing, letting them grow! Olive & June has been a blissful find this year, with their curated palette of pretty neutrals. RP (creamy taupe) is my favorite!
  9. Iron Flask | This isn’t new to me this year, but I started paying more attention to my water intake the last several months, and what a difference it’s made! I picked up the Iron Flask when I was pregnant with Lucy, and I still love it. It keeps water cold all day, and I love the straw (making it easier to drink).
  10. Kitty’s new collar | It’s more than just a collar. Kitty’s collar seemed to signify a new chapter in our life; it’s a tangible item that welcomed her into our family this year. We have the collar in sand with a brass buckle and nameplate (no jingling tags!), and I even picked up the matching leash!
  11. Lottie sconce | This is the most recent purchase that made my list, but gosh, these substantial sconces make me so happy every time I pass the snug. You can catch all the progress in our snug highlight!
  12. Schitt’$ Creek | I subconsciously saved the best for last. We started this show multiple times over the last year, but it took quarantine for us to give it a second (third?) shot, and for that I am FOREVER grateful. This show warmed my heart, made me weep and had me rolling. The Rose family will forever have my heart (and Patrick, too, ugh!).

Scott’s Favorite Things

A round-up of the things that made us happy in 2020, from apps that connect us to others, music and shows. via Yellow Brick Home
  1. Smart garage door opener | This opener offers smart phone connectivity that can open and close the door from anywhere. It can be programmed to close itself automatically after a minute or two. It even has a WiFi camera that can send a text to a designated phone when it detects motion.
  2. Carhartt hat | After my fresh Covid buzz cut, I didn’t realize just how necessary these would be this winter! They’re durable, washable, and available in exactly 937 colors.
  3. Web swing | There is no greater joy than hearing Lucy’s squeals of delight as she soars through the air on our newly installed tree swing. She’ll swing for hours at a time and call for ‘Another underdog, daddy!’ over and over and over again.
  4. Heavyweight overshirt | Aaaah, the shacket. This versatile garment pulls double duty as a shirt and a light coat, while looking much more put-together than your favorite threadbare hoodie.
  5. Trailhead sneakers | After a months-long quest to find a pair of hiking shoes that didn’t look like hiking shoes, I discovered Lem’s Trailheads. These lightweight sneakers are sturdy and comfortable and can handle pretty much anything you throw at them. And they look great doing it!
  6. Topo Smash Pack | The unstructured Smash Pack carries an absolutely shocking amount of stuff and smashes (hence the name) into its own pocket for easy transport! It’s the perfect compact diaper/snack bag for morning walks in the woods with Lucy.
  7. YETI Rambler | If you see me out and about between the hours of 7am and 2pm, there is a 95% chance I’ll have my trusty YETI with me. The 360-degree lid screws on tight enough that it can be thrown into a bag or a large pocket and my coffee stays hot-hot waaaay longer than it takes me to finish it.
  8. Samsung Frame TV | One of the best quarantine decisions we made was upgrading our living room TV to a 50″ frame and moving our trusty Samsung to our master bedroom. Fine-tuning our spaces is a major goal of ours for 2021 and we’re just getting started!
  9. Walnut turntable | In an effort to put down our phones and prompt more Stevie Wonder dance parties, we’ve upgraded our turntable and moved it into our living room. The T1 is a beautiful piece of audio equipment that sounds as great as it looks!
  10. Sturgill Simpson, Cuttin’ Grass vol. 1 | Although Covid derailed our plans to see Sturgill live this year (we were crushed), he’s been hard at work churning out a couple of quarantine records after he challenged his fans to raise loads of money for his favorite non-profits. Even if you think you don’t like bluegrass music, you’ll probably like Sturgill’s album covering his own songs as bluegrass masterpieces.
  11. Cordless nailer | This cordless nailer was one of our most-used tools of 2020. We shot thousands of finish nails without a single jam and the battery seems to last forever. Highly recommended!
  12. SYMFONISK speaker | IKEA partnered with SONOS (yes, that SONOS) earlier this year to release a budget-friendly smart speaker that sounds as good as speakers costing twice as much. We liked it so much we bought one for our second floor bathroom. Bath time jams for the win!

What made you happy this year? What made you more comfortable? Tell me something good!

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  • amanda12.11.20 - 9:33 AM

    Thank you for recommneding the Ikea and Sonos partnership earlier this year. Over the course of 2020 we have slowly added speakers all over our house and it has made our time at home so much more enjoyable!Does Lucy have a favorite things list??ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.11.20 - 11:50 AM

      Haha, we talked about giving her a section, but maybe next year? Hers would include anything with unicorns, and anything that incorporates eating bagels.ReplyCancel

  • Jill12.11.20 - 1:03 PM

    Scott! Where’s the Ultra Repair Cream? E has been using it now too! ???? Love these guides, you guys! ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.11.20 - 2:29 PM

      Ooh, missed opportunity! It’s his favorite, even tho it’s for body, he uses it daily on his face. ☺️ Linked here for anyone interested!ReplyCancel

  • Christine12.21.20 - 5:37 AM

    I know you can’t list everything on your favorite things, but we ordered Crete candles after we saw them on your Instagram account a few months back and absolutely fell in love. ♥️♥️♥️ReplyCancel

    • Scott12.21.20 - 8:40 AM

      They’re simply the best! We included them in a gift guide, so we didn’t want to double dip and list them in our favorite things as well, but we absolutely love them! ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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