2020 has been – well, weird is a nice way to put it. Despite the pandemic, social injustice and just plain ol’ lack of adventure, there were a lot of great things that happened to me this year.
And actually because of the quarantine, I got to appreciate the small joys in life a little more!
Every year Barack Obama puts out his list of favorite things, so I’m taking a page out of his book and listing some of my favorite things I bought, read, watched, and listened to this year. If you’re looking for something new to try, maybe this list can help you choose your next small joy.
My favorite books of 2020
The Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory
If you’re a lover of modern romance novels like I am, you’ll seriously love these books. I wish I could tell you which one of the first three books is my favorite, but I just can’t choose.
I know this series is not new, but the 5th book (Party of Two) just came out this year. I actually read the second book in the series (The Proposal) first and fell in love with Jasmine Guillory’s writing last year.
I had always seen The Wedding Date at Target and wanted to try it too. But even as I began reading it, I still had no idea it was connected to The Proposal. Although the books take place in the same world, each book focuses on a different friend. Guillory weaves it all together so beautifully!
When a friend at work clued me in that they were all part of a series, I ended up starting the series all over and reading The Proposal again (yes, it’s that good). I’m now on Royal Holiday.
The best thing about these books is that the women are real. Sometimes romance books I read get me to a point where I’m saying “Wow, I would never do that.”
The women in these books sound and act like my friends. And I genuinely feel connected to them. The issues both the men and women characters care about are not superficial, they’re serious and heartfelt.
Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
Think a combination of strong, fierce female athletes & romance with a childhood friend – that’s Head Over Heels. I couldn’t put this book down this summer! It was seriously the perfect by-the-pool read.
I’ve read both of Hannah Orenstein’s previous books. I loved Playing With Matches (probably one of my favorite books of 2018)! I didn’t like Love At First Like as much, but that didn’t stop me from getting VERY excited when I heard she was releasing another romance book, but this time involving gymnastics.
I did gymnastics for years growing up and I’ve always been obsessed with watching Team USA. My mom and I even went to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials when the Fierce Five were chosen.
Orenstein was inspired by the courage of American gymnasts who spoke out about the sexual assault by team doctor Larry Nassar. So if you need some powerful women energy, this book is for you!
My favorite fashion & beauty finds of 2020
This American Eagle puffer jacket has been one of my best purchases! It’s actually reversible so the inside is completely lined in sherpa. Usually jackets only have the chest area lined and leave out the arms. But this one is SO cozy! Unfortunately, it sold out fast.
Ray Ban’s round metal frames are so stylish & definitely trendy right now! They go with every outfit.
I found my favorite shade of lipstick this year: KKW Beauty’s NUDE #5. It’s the perfect everyday lipstick — not too light and not too pink. I use the NUDE 2.5 lipliner with it. I’m wearing it in all of the pictures you see here.
Urban Outfitter’s fedora adds the boho feels I want to every outfit! It’s perfectly firm so it stays put. But a little warning here: when I originally ordered it, it came in a small box and was bent in transit. Request UO sends it in a larger box if you order it online.
Abercrombie’s ultra high rise straight jeans are some of the best fitting jeans I’ve found in awhile. I love that they’re high wasted, but not tight around the thighs and butt. They’re super comfortable and the frayed bottoms are really cool. See how I styled them with a simple mockneck tank and snakeskin booties below.
I’d seen the Urban Outfitters moonshine t-shirt on a couple of my favorite Instagram influencers and needed to have it. It’s a little expensive for just a t-shirt, but it’s perfectly oversized and goes with everything! And the blush color is exactly what I imagined.
I love the design of this graphic tee! I linked a super similar one below. 
These jeans give you the perfect shape. They come in a bunch of colors.
My favorite new shows of 2020
I’ll always be a huge Shonda Rhimes fan (Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy are AMAZING right now). Total Bellas is my favorite reality TV show. Watching twins Brie and Nikki be pregnant together is incredibly beautiful and I hope one day I can experience that with my sister.
But as for new shows this year, here are my favorites.
The Home Edit on Netflix
Obsessed with organization? Then this is for you! I’m definitely not a “neat freak,” but something about seeing things organized by the color of the rainbow is just SO satisfying! The show follows The Home Edit founders Clea and Joanna as they tackle organizing both celebrities’ spaces and normal families’ messy areas. This can be their closet, pantry, bedroom or really any space that get cluttered.
I won’t lie. I started to watch the series because I heard they went to Khloe Kardashian’s house. But that wasn’t even my favorite episode!
Spoiler: you get to see a lot of Reese Witherspoon’s classic movie looks from Legally Blonde!! The closet Clea and Joanna create for her costumes is so perfect.
Emily in Paris on Netflix
It’s worth watching this show even just to see the fashion! It’s definitely cheesy and pretty cliché, but I’d call this show a guilty pleasure. It follows a girl named Emily (duh!) as she is transferred to a marketing firm in Paris. She brings the American perspective… that often no one asks her for.
Overall this is a fun watch! I don’t think it’s winning any awards for the script, but it’s a great show to watch as you drink some wine on a Friday night.
Party of Five on Freeform
Yes, this is a remake of the drama from the 90s (my mom loved this show). In the new version, the parents of five siblings get deported. Suddenly the older siblings have to learn to parent the younger ones, all while running the family’s restaurant.
Warning: you will cry. A lot of people might think this show sounds lame because it’s a remake, but this is an incredibly emotional story.
If you need a show to let the tears flow, this is for you.
Virgin River on Netflix
I think the first episode of Virgin River technically came out at the end of last year, but people really got into it this year. And Netflix just picked it up for a third season.
A nurse practitioner from Los Angeles is trying to escape the trauma of her past (I won’t spoil it for you) and she takes a job at a doctor’s office in a small town. Clearly he doesn’t want her there.
But as she learns to love the slow pace of small town life, then comes the drama. Let’s just say there’s a hot guy whose in a relationship, a dangerous drug dealer and a lot of gossiping locals.
If you want a cute romance with a lot of extra drama, this show is for you.