Friday, January 8, 2021

BEST OF 2020 | FAVORITES

Welcome back, friends! I've been wanting to share this "best of" list for a while now but I keep adding to it. I figured I just need to get it posted though b/c I've got a lot of favorites. It's hard to narrow them down. 

So these were favorites from 2020 in all different categories from entertainment to fashion to beauty products. So let's dive in!!

FAVORITE BINGE WATCHES

This one was really hard for me. I have watched SO MANY shows in 2020, as we all have. But when I thought about it, these were the ones that jumped out at me first so I went with my gut.

My #1 binge-watch of 2020 was The Queen's Gambit. I could not get enough. I was completely drawn in. I loved everything about it. The sets, the characters, the fashion, the story...it was fascinating and so well done!! Yes, the first episode is a bit rough in the foul language department but it gets better after that. This one just stayed with me and I knew as soon as it was over, I would be naming it my favorite of 2020.


Other favorites...

Emily in Paris! Such a fun one!! Spicy and sassy and funny and set in Paris...so yeah. Loved it and ready for Season 2!


Another winner in my book was The Wilds. This was one was WILD. Think Lost meets the Truman Show. (Not that I ever actually watched Lost so I'm just guessing on that comparison. Should I watch Lost?) This one is on Amazon Prime and I COULD NOT STOP. 

It's about a group of misfit-ish girls who get sent to this retreat but on their way there, the private jet they are on goes down. They are forced to swim to shore where they have to live on this deserted island while they wait for rescue. I'll stop there before I spoil any of it but it is good!! It's also not suitable for kids, just FYI.


And rounding out my top 4 was Bridgerton! Have y'all seen this one yet? This one's on Netflix and I'd say it's a cross between Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl. It's VERY steamy so be prepared for that but it was really good. Can't wait for Season 2!!


And a few others I really enjoyed...

Outer Banks
Virgin River
Dead to Me
Sweet Magnolias
and, dare I say it...Tiger King. Tiger King kicked off this whole quarantine drama for a lot of us. It was my first quarantine binge watch and it was insane but man did it bring the entertainment. 


This is funnier if you've seen both Tiger King and Bridgerton. 😂 (Also, I feel like 2021 might be backsliding already but let's stay hopeful and just focus on the Duke of Hastings... Haha.)

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FAVORITE BOOKS

Since we're on entertainment, let's get into books. It was very hard for me to pick a favorite book. I loved them all. But here are my top 3. 

Open Book

Even if you aren't a Jessica Simpson fan, you will love this book. It is the best autobiography I've ever read and that says a lot when you think about the fact that the girl who got famous for being a ditzy blonde wrote it! 😂


It is raw and real and if you ever read the tabloids during her marriage and divorce from Nick Lachey and wondered what was REALLY going on behind closed doors, well here you go. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this one. She reads it herself and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she gets to the hard parts. 

PRO TIP: Sign up here for a 30 day Audible trial and get 2 free audiobooks. Then cancel if you don't want it. You still get to keep your books. I LOVE Audible and have been a steady member for a decade. Maybe longer? I feel like an original Audible Fangirl. 🙌


Next up...


This may have been the only book I read on my Kindle this year. I think the rest were audiobooks. I had big plans for my Kindle during my vacation that wasn't back in September but Hurricane Sally took that off the table.


Anyway, I was able to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of this book before it was released and one night in May, I plopped myself on the chair by my pool (and then eventually moved to the couch in my sunroom) and read it from beginning to end that night. I couldn't put it down.


PS: This picture makes me long for summer!! 

Anyway, I loved this book so much but it did get some mixed reviews. A lot of people were turned off by the fact that Emily Giffin used 9/11 in her story. (It's set in 2001ish). I personally had no problem with that. It definitely gave me a view into the lives of people who had loved ones in the tower that day and gave me a whole new perspective on things. I also loved all the old school references that were made that reminded me of those years, what I was doing in my life at the time and all of that. But I loved the story, thought it had a perfect ending and stand by my opinion on this one. :)

And my third favorite has to go to...



This one was so good! It starts off basically giving you the ending and then working its way back through how it all came to be. At times I wanted to scream at the characters but I still loved them. I cheered for them. And I cried for them. Read these books! You'll love them! (I hope!)

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FAVORITE NEW ADDITION

One of our FAVORITE favorites of the year is of course our Charlie Bear!!

Most of you know that I surprised the boys and Craig with a rescue pup when they came home from a weekend with Craig's parents. It was the BEST SURPRISE EVER!! 






We love Chuck!! He is the best thing that's come from 2020 in our house!

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FAVORITE SALAD (random)

Now things are going to get a little random from here on out. So you've been warned.

Like for instance, my new favorite thing to get from Chickfila. (When I'm trying to be "good" anyway.)

I've been eating this cobb salad with herb ranch (is that what it's called?) or honey mustard for years now and just this summer, I tried it with their Creamy Salsa dressing and oh my. It was heavenly. I loved the kick of spice. I had been missing out!! It's the little things that make me happy. 😂 How do you eat your CFA salads?


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FAVORITE COMFY FASHION

Ok, 2020 was NOT the year of fashion. I lived in all the comfies and you rarely find me in jeans these days because I don't go anywhere all that often. However, I did have a few favorites that I found myself wearing over and over and over again.

Like this little sweatshirt. It's thin but warm and crazy soft. It's got a slightly oversized fit which makes it even cozier. I love it. (wearing a small)

Jeans (style 8) or very similar/same? here (style 2) | Most Worn Earrings of 2020!

I grabbed this cute tee from Amazon back in March and paired it with these fun earrings that were a little over a dollar. Seriously--I got 12 pairs in different colors for $15. Totally worth it! I'll be wearing it every St. Patrick's Day from here on out I'm sure.


Honestly, this is what I've been living in lately. Cozy pullovers, these slippers and these lounge pants I picked up from Target the other day. I'm so glad I got them in 2 colors because I just rotate them!! I can't recommend them enough. The waistband is soft, they have pockets, they are long enough (on my 5'5" frame) but not TOO long and I can just curl up in them. And I just saw that they also come in two OTHER colors HERE! What?! #getinmycart (Wearing a small.) It may not be worthy of the 'gram but it's real life!


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FAVORITE QUARANTINE PROJECT

My favorite project from this year had to be my sunroom makeover! It was just kind of a crazy catch-all mess of a room before I took over. I added furniture and lights and pillows and it went from blah to my cozy little getaway. (In the spring and summer. It's cold in there now!)



Mason really liked using it in the spring when they had switched to online school. Rainy days out there were his favorite.


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FAVORITE PRODUCTS

Now...how about some product faves??

My satin pillowcase is one of my favorite buys of 2020. I've had Amazon silk/satin pillowcases before but I loved this cute print and when I saw it at Ulta, I had to have it. It's got a zipper so my pillow isn't constantly sliding out and it's the perfect amount of soft and silky. These pillowcases are perfect for stopping those massive creases you can get on your face from sleeping and help protect your hair from tangles and breaking during the night. Love it! (Comes in several solid colors too!)


I totally love our new knife set too. It's been a while since we had new knives and I just love the white so much! This is adulting. 😉


As for makeup products, I started using the It Cosmetics C.C. Cream Foundation and haven't looked back! I have it in the supersize bottle now that I got HERE. I wear it in light.



You can see my full makeup routine HERE and how I organize it all!

Now this next one will probably come as no surprise to you but of course, the Colleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm is still my favorite!! I'll never quit it, mark my words!


I love all the CR products so much. Here are a few that I use!


You can find my skincare posts HERE and see everything I use, when and how.

 But I recently decided to try out something new. Y'll know I love the Modere liquid collagen and have seen great results in just a couple of months. I finally started looking through the rest of their website to see what else they had and found so many more things I wanted to try!! I kept hearing people in the Real Results group bring up this Cellproof Serum and moisturizer. The before and afters from people who had been using it along with the liquid collagen were incredible. So--becasue I have major FOMO--I ordered it for myself. I've been using it for about a month now and I love them both! But if I had to choose, the moisturizer is my favorite!! I'd call this my favorite new skincare find in 2020 and it really did sneak in there at the end!


For starters, I love the pump. Push down once, and the perfect amount of product comes up. I love that! It also keep excess air from getting in there and breaking down the components. 


I realized I didn't have a picture of the actual moisturizer so I paused a boomerang so I could get a screengrab. 😂 Sorry for the terrible quality. But this moisturizer is thick and creamy and luxurious but still absorbs into my skin so well. It keeps my skin hydrated but not greasy. I can easily wear it under my makeup. It's also got the collagen/HA (hyaluronic acid) matrix that is in the liquid collagen! 


I've been doing 3-4 drops of the serum at night and then following it up with 1 pump of the moisturizer. It's enough for my face and my neck.

And my morning skincare is this. Balm (with the SOFTEST cloths to wipe it off and they are so cheap!) and then the moisturizer. I only do the serum at night.


Now honestly, when I first ordered this and it arrived, I let it sit on the counter in my bathroom for a week. I just didn't think anything could compete with my CR moisturizer that I love so much. But when I finally pulled it out and used it for the first time, I was like "whoa." Do you ever wash your face or get out of the shower and your face feels dry and tight? And all you want to do is slather some moisturizer on to get it hydrated and plumped up again? THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT. Full stop. I love the CR moisturizer too but it is lighter. This one gets in there good and really hydrates your skin to the max.

So if you need a good serum and moisturizer combo or if you just want a really good moisturizer, especially for the winter, I highly recommend this. You can find the Duo HERE or the moisturizer by itself HERE. If you are a first time customer, you'll get $10 off your first order too! (and if you aren't, you can use a new email address to register and get it that way.) Price-wise, this moisturizer is just $2 more than the CR one is at the moment because the CR one is on sale. When it's not on sale, the Cellproof Moisturizer is a full $15 cheaper.


And finally, my favorite (product) find of 2020 overall has got to be this liquid collagen. I'll be 40 in 2021 and my body, skin and hair thank youI have been on the Trim and the Biocell for almost 3 full months now. I take them religiously. I have joined the Modere cult that seems to be spreading at a very rapid pace. I get it!! I'm seeing more and more influencers talk about it, more people tell me they've heard about it...its a thing. And it's legit.


The Trim (the fat-burning collagen) is 1tbsp a day and the Liquid Biocell is 1-2 tbsps a day. I've seen incredible results in my thinning/receding hairline. (I was seeing new growth within 3 weeks.) My hair is fuller and thicker and healthier than it's ever been and as long as I stick with the collagen it'll continue. My skin is just 10 times better overall--in texture and skin tone. My melasma on my forehead is fading and the fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes on my forehead are plumping up and filling in. 


I threw out 3 nearly full containers of powdered collagen the other day. It was at least $250 worth. They have been sitting in my cabinets for months if not years...rarely touched b/c I don't want to have to remember to mix something in with my morning drink every day.

TOSS THE POWDER, FRIENDS. You're paying for 100% of it but only absorbing around 30%. With the liquid collagen, you're absorbing 90% of it. It's backed by science and clinical trials and holds 7 global patents. It is clinically proven to boost the hyaluronic acid in your body by 6000% in 28 days. Hyaluronic acid is a "wrinkle filler". It hydrates your cells and plumps up your skin to keep it young and youthful-looking. (I mean...within reason. It's not a magic eraser.)


If you want to know more about these products, check these two blog posts HERE and HERE for some before and afters (including one of mine), product links and descriptions and I also have 2 Collagen Highlight bubbles on my Instagram. (@amandanall) So be sure to check those out. 

For now, I just want to say that today is the very last day to grab a bottle of Trim and the Biocell Life duo or get a Full Lean Body System (and you can always add in a bottle of Biocell) for $20 off. This is the last day of this promo. The promo is for $10 off and it can be combined with the $10 off new customer deal OR if you aren't a new customer, throw it on smartship for that discount! Smartship is super easy to manage, switch up, push back or cancel. And it gives you a discount. So take advantage!


If you click through the links above, the discounts should all be embedded and will show up at the end of checkout. But if it asks for a referral code when you create an account, it is 2617259.

And if you need a cute shot glass to take your collagen in, find these in my shop HERE.


And if you want a cute tablespoon to take your Trim with everyday, check out these cuties!!


As always, message me on Instagram or Facebook and I'll get right back to you!! (Please don't email. There is a good chance I'll never see it!)

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and join my Daily Deals Facebook Group for a new giveaway coming soon! Thank you for being here, thank you for supporting me, thank you for being kind and thank you for trusting me to recommend great products, books, movies, shows, and whatever else floats my boat that day. 😂 I appreciate you all taking time out of your day to read this little mess of a blog a couple of times a week so much.

See you next week!


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12 comments

  1. Jessica Simpson's book was my favorite from the year too. Never thought I'd say that...
    Caroline
    http://dramaticinthebestway.com

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    1. Haha! Same! She really earned my respect after that!

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  2. Okay, I've watched the trailer for The Queen's Gambit twice now and cannot get interested, but YOU and so many other friends keep saying it's amazing. I'm going to start it. Make me. Text me and remind me. I feel like I'm missing out! Ha!

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    1. Watch the first two episodes and then decide! It was just so different from what I was expecting it to be. I loved everything about it. ❤️❤️ (You’ll probably hate it and we’ll have this conversation for years. 😂)

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  3. I love your hoop earrings in the picture with Charlie. I am looking for a pair not too big, thin, and light. Do you like yours? Do you mind sharing where they are from?
    Have a great weekend!

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    1. I love these!! I got them in a big pack of all different colors on Amazon for $13! https://amzn.to/2LB152B

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  4. 28 Summers is waiting on me at the library...I'm picking it up after work today! I also wanted to say that I love your Etsy shop! I sent my sister your way for Christmas ideas for me (I said anything from here!) and she got me the cutest earrings! :)

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    1. Aww thank you, Melanie!! I’m so glad you like them!! ❤️

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  5. I think Charlie was your top favorite. Don't blame you-he is a cutie!

    I enjoyed this post. It is always fun to see the best of the best.

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    1. He was definitely my top favorite of all my favorites!! We love our little Chuck!!

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  6. Chic-fil-a Salad! Order a #3--with a side salad instead of fries. Then get ranch and spicy buffalo dipping sauce. Add half and half of each sauce, and the nuggets, to the salad, put the lid on and shake. SOOOO good!

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    1. I’ve heard this is an amazing little combo!! Trying it next time!! Thanks for the tip!!

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