December 2017 Favorites
How is it possible that December is over? The end of the month, the end of a year, AND the end of net neutrality?! What an INSANE month this has been. While Mr. San Diego and I were non-stop busy in December, I still found time to discover and fall in love with new products.
Just as with last month, there are three categories: Her Favorites, His Favorites, and Our Favorites.
Enjoy!
1. Modern Times Coffee in Heavy Weather Winter Blend - $16
Of all the things I have obsessed over in December, THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF THEM ALL. This amazing coffee is only available seasonally and I mourn for it when the winter ends and it's no longer sold. When I smell this coffee brewing in the morning, I have NO problems getting out of bed. We bought several bags of this stuff and I don't care how much it costs because I might love this coffee more than I love Mr. San Diego.
Where to Find It: moderntimesmerch.com
2. Paul Mitchell Smoothing Super Skinny Serum - $28
I have used A LOT of different serums on my hair throughout the years. After a while, they all tend to weigh my hair down and lose that "wow" factor. When my hair stylist first used this product on my hair last month, I was blown away by how soft and light my hair felt and I immediately purchased it. I have used this product every single day for the past month and my hair STILL feels soft and light with every use. I'm never using anything else ever again! There are two available sizes and the one pictured above is the larger of the two.
Where to Find It: ulta.com
3. Hubble Contact Lens Subscription - $30/month
I love wearing my glasses and have generally always disliked wearing contact lenses. Not only are contacts expensive, they're a pain in the rear to keep clean! Disposable daily contacts were always too brutal on my eyeballs and I eventually gave up on contacts altogether. When it came time to get married to Mr. San Diego, I knew that I didn't want to wear my glasses on our wedding day. I saw an advertisement for Hubble Contacts, a subscription service that mails you 60 daily contact lenses for $30 a month, and I decided to give it a shot. Hubble offers a free trial box with 15 pairs of contacts to try, and you only have to pay for the $3 shipping. I got my free trial box, popped a pair in, and was amazed that they actually felt great! My eyes didn't turn red at the end of the day, they didn't irritate my eyeballs, and I didn't have to buy any contact solution. I'm still wearing my glasses on most days (because I think I look cute in them), but I am not hesitant to wear contacts anymore!
Where to Find It: hubblecontacts.com
4. Trader Joe's Coffee Body Scrub - $4.99
Trader Joe's for skin care?! Yes! I love body scrubs but don't purchase them often since they're usually pretty expensive. When I saw this $4.99 tub at Trader Joe's, I crossed my fingers that this might be as amazing as it was affordable. It totally was - this stuff is awesome!!! I keep it in the shower and it has been a saving grace during this dry winter! I just grab a handful and scrub it all over and my skin feels SOOO soft and moisturized. It does leave a bit of a mess in your shower when you're done but it rinses away easily.
Where to Find It: In-Store at Trader Joe's
5. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - $29.50
I wear A LOT of makeup and I take skin care and makeup removal very seriously. Some makeup can be difficult to remove and the last thing you want to do is rub your skin harshly in an attempt to remove it. I re-discovered my love for this product when I received a deluxe sample with a Clinique purchase. My skin is pretty sensitive and I am very prone to breakouts, but this stuff doesn't irritate my skin at all! It melts my makeup right off, even the most stubborn of mascaras, and I really enjoy taking a few minutes to give my skin a nice little massage before going to bed. While it is a bit expensive for a makeup remover, I have used this every day in December and have used only a quarter of the tub. I love the stuff!
Where to Find It: sephora.com
6. Burberry Perfume in My Burberry Blush - $68
According to the interwebs, this perfume has notes of "pomegranate, rose, and jasmine". According to me, this has notes of "fruity something-or-other and serious goodness". I don't normally lean towards Burberry perfumes because they are usually VERY strong, but Blush is just the right amount of potent and it is definitely a work-friendly every day scent! I first tried out the scent when I received a sample and Mr. San Diego and I liked it so much that he bought me the 1.0 fl. oz. bottle. It smells clean and fruity and crisp and fresh and delicious and happy. I'll never have a career in eloquent perfumery writing.
Where to Find It: sephora.com
1. 21st Amendment Brewery's Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale
Are you over 21? Yes - continue reading. No - do not read this. Is this necessary to write? No clue.
Mr. San Diego said, "I like beer. I also like this beer."
I said, "I need a little more than that."
Mr. San Diego said, "This is not the kind of beer you'll want to stab with your keys and shotgun with your buddies. However, as the name suggests, this would be an excellent choice for sitting around a fire this winter and catching up with friends."
I said, "That'll do."
Favorite Movie: The Disaster Artist
Image Source: Amazon
Tis' the season for incredible movies, and while we saw many great ones this month, our favorite is one that we are still talking about weeks later. The Disaster Artist manages to be simultaneously hilarious and depressing while maintaining an honest and parodistic feel. You don't feel as though James Franco is impersonating Tommy Wiseau, but rather that he actually IS Wiseau. How did two guys from Pineapple Express make such a well done movie? They managed to capture what really happened behind the scenes of this notorious film without being cruel or bashing the characters, and it was really a story of a guy who believed in his dream so passionately that you find yourself wanting him to succeed, even though you know he won't.
Favorite Binge: Planet Earth II
Image Source: Amazon
Nature is as beautiful as it is SAVAGE! I was practically on the edge of my seat watching each episode, rooting for animals to survive, gasping at the efforts it takes to live one more day in the wild. The first episode has one of the most intense chase scenes I have ever seen. If you haven't watched any of the Planet Earth episodes, you can find series I and II on Netflix.
Also, racer snakes are a-holes.
Favorite Random: HQ Trivia - a Live Gameshow App
Image Source: Apple
Are you someone who really enjoys trivia questions? Check out HQ Trivia. It's an app with twice daily live trivia games that asks twelve questions for real cash prizes. You don't need to put in a credit card or spend any money to play the game, and those who answer all twelve questions correctly split the prize at the end of the game. You get ten seconds to answer each question and they get progressively harder. The farthest I have gotten is to question #6.
Mr. San Diego and I are very competitive with each other, and every day at Noon and 6pm PST, we try to out-trivia each other. We could, in theory, play the game together to increase our chances of winning, but I am determined to prove to Mr. San Diego that I am definitely smarter than he is.
Link: iTunes or GooglePlay