This year was made more wonderful by the following:
NYPL card. I realized that if I walk to work from the train, I pass a branch of NYPL and can save time combining exercise and an errand rather than using my home library. I was able to open a library account without a problem. This has been so convenient. It also gives me access to many more books on Kindle through Libby.
Spotify. I listened to many days’ worth of podcasts and music this year. Just the best.
AirPods. This goes with the above. I lost my earbuds and replaced them with AirPods, which was a great move. I noticed that my average listening volume dropped by about 20 db, surely because of the noise-canceling capabilities of my AirPods, which must be good for my hearing.
Rick Steves guidebooks! Paris, Netherlands, England. Now reading Provence & the Riviera. Love these!
Spindrift lemon sparkling water. The fridge at work is often stocked with these and I consume can after can.
New Balance sneakers. I bought them before Paris and wear them all the time for long walks. I will need to replace them. They made such a big difference to my feet this year!
H&M beanie. I bought a $10 beanie at the end of last December and wore it countless times last winter and this. I was never a hat person before, but I just love how it looks now and I need to get more!
Bobbi Brown makeup. About six months ago I bought an eyeliner (in Pitch Black), lipstick (in Blondie Pink) and blush (in Nectar) at Bobbi Brown in Macy’s and they have been a pleasure to use and are clearly excellent quality. I am not a makeup person and I hadn’t replenished my makeup in a real way in a long time (just filling in here and there with drugstore items or free stuff) and I’m so glad I did this.
What’s on your list of MVPs for 2025?
(Photo credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich/Pexels)
