Since no one asked, I thought I would let you know all about my top 10 favorite things.
EDIT FROM FUTURE NICOLE: This was going to be a Top 10 list, but it got really long and I got bored, so you just get six for now.
A quick note: All of these items I thoroughly researched before ever purchasing – and yes, I do own all of these and use them regularly, if not every day. If you purchase any of these items through a link on my website, I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you, and will support this blog to create more useful content. Thanks in advance for considering!
Okay, first up are my everyday items.
1. 64oz. Iron Flask water bottle
My Iron Flask water bottle is top of the list for a reason. It goes with me EVERYWHERE. You can see by the picture that it’s got dings and other marks on it. I have dropped it on the concrete ground in our parking garage more times than I can count, but it still holds strong.
Why I love this water bottle:
- No sweating! The outside is always dry because of its double wall insulation. No sensory issues here.
- Keeps my ice water so cold that ice lasts more than 24 hours. Like, really.
- 100% BPA-free and nontoxic. My brain doesn’t need any additional toxicity.
- It comes with THREE lids! At no extra price. So you can go awhile before you have to buy more because you lost all
- Many different size & variety options – I have a 64 oz bottle and a 16oz tumbler.
- Save the earth!
I could go on, but you’d probably check out. You can find their full lineup here!
2. Planner Pad Organizer
Tired of buying planners and not using them? Or just need a simpler, more effective way to stay organized? Well, this is the planner for you! The one I linked to starts October 1, 2022 and they release new yearly editions every quarter – so no need to buy a planner that’s already half done for the year or wait until next year!
I *LOVE* how this planner is organized. You pretty much just brain dump what needs to be done in the top section. I started out trying to pre-organize with sections like “Work” and “Errands” but found it worked better if I just had one side of “To Do” items and one side literally say “Brain Dump” that I wrote anything down I needed to remember.
You then take what’s in the top section and figure out which days it needs done in the middle section. From there, you can assign times to those actions in the bottom section and include any other appointments or time-sensitive things.
If you have ADHD or are otherwise neurodivergent, I really think this is one of the best systems you can try.
You can find their other versions here!
3. Papermate Flair Pens, Zebra Mildliner Highlighters, and Sakura Pigma Micron Pens
You’ll need writing utensils for that planner and these are three that I always make sure I have on hand!
Yes, I have two calendars. My neurodivergent brain needs them.
Anyway, you can see here my much-used pen and highlighter collection. That’s just a sampling, as I have a whole pencil box full of the rest of them. And I keep my highlighters hanging on the wall for quick use.
I always intend to match the colorful formatting of this calendar with my Planner Pad, but that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. You gotta choose your battles.
I use several different versions of the Papermate Flair pens, and the link above is for the fine tip pens. The medium tips you can find here, as well as the bold tip ones.
4. Travelon Anti-theft 3-Compartment Cross Body Purse
I’m debating taking a picture of mine because I’ve had it for years and it is now falling apart. I really need a new one but can’t quite afford it at the moment and am using a different purse I got as a gift that is nowhere as good.
This purse holds EVERYTHING. A little farther down this list I’ll talk about my favorite collapsible 1L water bottle and that fits. Kindle/tablet, wallet, souvenirs, everyday items – it all fits. There are actually 4 zipped compartments (2 on front, 1 on top, 1 on back) and I love having that separation for all my stuff.
And since it’s a travel purse, there’s all sorts of cool tech, including slash resistance, locking clips, and RFID blocking for your credit cards, which have their own little section in the top pocket.
Okay, as I’m writing this on 9/14/22 the blue one is on sale for $43 and I think I might just go ahead and purchase my replacement! Yippee!
EDIT FROM FUTURE NICOLE: It is now 10/25/22 and I’m about to post this (I’m sure you don’t need to ask – the answer is in the title), but the blue one is no longer that price. HOWEVER! I did purchase my replacement at that price and am so glad I did!
5. Clear Purse Organization Pouches
So, along these same lines, I use these in my purse to keep things organized in the depths of my purse. You can also use nail polish on the zipper holder in different colors to easily grab which bag you want, or use the link in the title and get 3 different colored ones!
I’ll put toiletries in one, like the one pictured. In another I’ll put gift cards, receipts, other flat items. The third one is usually pens and other random items I need handy.
6. Native Deodorant
I’m creating a good flow here. As you can see from the picture above, I use Native Deodorant. The little one you see there I found at Walmart in the trial size section (my favorite section of the store!), but the one I use every morning is the one found at the link:
- Plastic-free cardboard container
- Sensitive skin friendly – both aluminum and baking soda-free
- Anti-anti-perspirant – so, anti-perspirant-free to keep those pores unclogged.
- Cruelty-free – never tested on animals
- All deodorant is for any and all genders.
I would also like to take this moment to disclose to you that I am a sweaty person. I thought switching over to a deodorant without anti-perspirant would be difficult. But I’ve had no issues. On those humid days I might need to break out my Purse Native, but those days are few and far between.
Do something good for yourself and go Native.
To Conclude
Yikes this turned out longer than expected. I think I’ll leave it at 6 of my every day items for now and pick up on this list later!
— The
P.S. If you ARE in meltdown about your personal finances because you’re also REALLY BAD WITH MONEY(tm), read THIS POST to see what I’m doing to break my finances into little, and more manageable, chunks to keep me sane. Or somewhat sane.