Kate's Picks: 8 Items I Tried (And Loved) In October
mmmm, october
It’s cozyyyyyy season, y’all!!! *cue the warm beverages, soft-knit sweaters, and lazy days at home!*
Honestly, this has been one of my favorite Octobers EVER. Usually I struggle with the ending of summer, but not this year???
I don’t know what it has been, but I have just really felt myself lean in to the slower, more cozy energy of fall this year. It’s been really lovely!
and while this has mostly been a mental/emotional experience, there are a few products that have elevated my comfortable, cozy, back-to-school, hygge, fall-y energy! From coffee makers to cardigans, cozy jackets & boots, this month I am recapping my October favs!
meet: Kate’s Picks!
Last month I shared my September favs, and you guys made it clear you wanted more product round-ups! Sounds like a plan to me!
Each month moving forwawrd, I will do a round-up of a few simple (and random!) things that I am loving, using, and spending my own hard-earned money on! I’ve decided to call this “Kate’s Picks” and will share it on a reoccuring basis in the last week of the month!
And the best part? You don’t need a single thing in these blog posts—while they may be helpful to you, bring some beauty, elevate your day-to-day, etc.— I neverrrrrr want to give off the impression you NEED anything I share!
My intention for these posts is to just share what I am truuuuly using & loving, give some honest reviews, and help with some intentional, mindful shopping!
With all of that said, let’s jump in!
#1: this 2-in-1 coffee maker:
Guys, am I a boomer??? Am I really about to tell you about this cool new gadget called a keurig??? Yes. Yes, I am. #WelcomeTo2010Kate
Here’s the thing— Adam and I have always been team french press for coffee. (we use this stainless steel option because it keeps it niiiice & warm!). A french press is easy. Aesthetic. Makes delicious coffee. No coffee filter waste required. AKA, it’s the best.
Unnnnntilllllll having a newborn, and the french press became…. a bit too cumbersome.
While it seems simple, between filling the pot, boiling the water, scooping the grounds, pouring the hot water, waiting for it to brew, etc., it would honestly take us like 90 minutes in the morning before we actually successfully made our french press because we would get distracted/take care of Miles between every “step” of the process. (the sheer AMOUNT of times I would boil the water, get wrapped up with Miles, come back to make the coffee, annnnnnd the water was… luke warm, needing to be boiled again. UGH.).
since making our morning coffee felt like an embarrassingly difficult task with a newborn in our arms, we decided we were ready to try a “regular ol’ coffee maker”.
…but we wanted a certain kind. the best of both world, if you will. annnnd we found this. one with a carafe for when we want a large portion of coffee (also can be pre-programmed so there is no morning pre-coffee hassle in the morning), and it ALSO has a single cup Keurig option— which is perfect for the days you just want oneeee more cup ;)
#2: this footwear brand (GREAT for colder weather!):
This is so random, but I wanted to shout out to SOREL Footwear— so cute, so quality, so fall-y & winter-y.
I LOVE their shoes + boots for colder weather, hiking, long walks, running errands…. These are a Minnesota staple (IYKYK).
While the pair I bought a few years ago is still holding up strong, I couldn’t help but browse their newest options. SO. GOOD. here are a few of my favs: option one, option two, option three. (And don’t even get me started on their sneakers!)
In a nutshell, I have found that each pair of Sorels I buy are built. to. last. and are simultaneously classic while still being trendy and unique??? Idk, I just love ‘em + have been super impressed with each pair I have!
My mom came over the other day and just so happened to comment on HOW ORGANIZED my closets seemed. They were the exact same as they had always been, except now I had these handy dandy shelf dividers in place. And, while it may seem silly, it truuuuly does make such a difference in keeping things organized, stacked, separated, and just overall more put-together.
After having these for about 2 months, I can say they are helping me keep my closet consistently organized because it feels like everything on the shelf has a “spot” (and they’re finally not merging into one another) which makes it soooo much easier to maintain.
These things are definitely not a need, but if you are in you like a tidy, organized space like I do, these reallllllly make a difference!
(pssst: if you want to take it a step further and see *all* of my favorite home organizational bins, boxes, and dividers, you can explore them here! I have a whole category on amazon!)
#4: this travel credit card (just got flights to europe for free):
I’ve never talked about this because it’s not like I am some points-hacking-credit-card guru or anything, but one thing I DO get asked is “how do you travel so often????”.
While we are intentional about traveling affordably, setting aside a small chunk of each paycheck toward travel, etc., one thing that REALLY helps is having a travel credit card. Last year, we got the chase sapphire preferred credit card (that was hiiiiighly recommended by my friend who is a points-hacking-credit-card guru), and WOW.
These points add up FAST.
Like, we-just-booked-flights-europe-for-free kind of fast.
in my opinion, the best part about this specific travel card is that you don’t have to spend money “on travel” for the points to count. It adds up for every purchase— groceries, clothing, gas, amazon, etc. No matter what you buy, each purchase contributes towards points that you can redeem for travel, and it actually becomes “worth something” really quick. (Like… I thought our points would take off *some* of the flights’ cost… but we literally got TWO international flights to Europe for free…. and have a lot of points still left over?!). Long story short— I have been verrrrry pleased with how quickly the points add up.
TBH, similar to the keurig above, I am kind of a boomer with stuff like this. I always thought that travel cards seemed super intimidating & complicated to “redeem” so I never got one.
But, I have been sooooo pleasantly surprised on how easy it was to “cash in” our points! you just login, take a look at your points, and can “shop” your flights, hotel, etc. allllll right there on the site with your points. As someone who is technology-challenged with stuff like this #28YearOldBoomer, it was beautifully simple! Boom— 2 international flights completely free. Eeeeee!
Obviously opening a credit card isn’t something you should just do mindlessly, but just wanted to pass along that we have had a GREAT experience with this one! Not sponsored at all— just truly a travel card we use & love— and a refer-a-friend link if you want to try it out!
#5 this sale section right now… (enter at your own risk, tehe)
Ooooof, madewell sale section. Ya just GET ME. While I never really shop the full-price items of theirs, about once per year I will peek at their sales, and right now they have A LOT of great sale options at an extra 20% off (some of them with an extra 50% off!).
I got a loose flowy dress, some everyday cute sneakers & clogs, and THIS. JACKET. I love.
While there were 934802984309824 things I wanted, I try reaallllly hard only to buy the things I TRULY need & will wear over and over again.
after implementing A LOT of willpower, here are the few items I ultimately ended up buying:
this effortless, button-up maxi dress in white (I loooooooove. omg.)
this puff-sleeve olive green dress (another one that I feel like was made for me)
here are some things I was sooo tempted by (ALL of these are on sale!):
this simple (yet chic!) dress (less than $20!)
this striking dress with cut-outs (would love to wear this for a winter wedding!)
this puff-sleeve dress (tbh, I already have this and I LOVE it. i was tempted to get it in another color!)
……honestly… just look at ALL of their dresses. SO MANY good options.
Basically…. there’s *a lot* of good options right now. Explore ALLLL of the sale options here!
#6 my fav wine subscription (for over 5 years!):
It’s officially switched from summer rosé season and now we are in my favorite…cabernet, merlot, and syrah REDDD WIIIIINE season. *happy dance*
I get alllll of my wine delivered to my door from nakedwines.com. It is the best wine subscription everrrrr- you can support small vineyards and get delicious wine (that you fully pick + customize) delivered straight to your door. BONUS: they even have organic wine options. Ya love to see it!!
If there is one thing you need to know about me… I AM LOYAL to brands I love. I will experiment, explore, look around…. but once I find a great option, I tend to stick with it. Annnnnd that’s how I feel about Naked Wines.
I have been a subscriber for over five years (!!!) on my own dollar, and I am *still* just as obsessed as I was in the beginning. This wine is bleeping DELICIOUS, and I love that I am supporting lesser-known vineyards and small businesses! They don’t gift me any wine, and this isn’t sponsored or anything— just a classic refer-a-friend link. Get $100 off your first box with this link. :)
start this season off strong with my habit tracking sheets :) save 15% with the code “HELLONOVEMBER” for 2 days only!
#7 these habit tracking sheets (on sale right now!)
October is coming to an end, November starts tomorrow… and HERE is what I want you to reflect upon:
HOW *do* you want to show up for the next 30 days?
With the uplifting “back to school” energy, I am feeling inspired and READY to refocus in on my goals and get consistent…and, man oh man, these simple little habit tracking sheets make SUCH a difference in how I show up for day-to-day life.
It makes the “little things” like staying hydrated, reading before bed, getting movement in, cleaning the house, etc. feel DOABLE and TRACKABLE.
For example— if you want to “be healthier” this month, what mini habits will get you there? Taking your supplements? Walking more? Hitting your hydration goal? Home-cooking meals? Meditating in the morning?
And this doesn’t mean you have to do EVERYthing EVERYday. No, no, no. It can be flexible & *realistic* for your life!
What if you set a goal to home-cook 4 dinners per week? To walk 5 days per week? To read before bed 6 nights per week? To meditate 5 days per week?
Each day you fulfill a habit, you fill in the blank, and watch your progress unfold! It may sound too simple, but having a trackable source of accountability is SO helpful & weirdly motivating.
I am COMMITING to my November habits, and I’d love for you to join me !
➡️For the next 2 days only, you can save 15% off the entire habit tracking collection (weekly, monthly, *and* yearly formats) with the code HELLONOVEMBER 📝☕️🍂👊🏼
Let’s enter this new month with INTENTION and a *literal* blank page, eh?! 😉 Grab the habit tracking sheets here!
#8 this clean-ingredient self-tanner (SO. GOOD.):
with the change of seasons, the beautiful sunshine is getting less & less… and with that, ya GIRL IS LOOKIN’ PALE. But, fear not, corpse-lookin’ complexion! Because of my faaaaav clean-ingredient self-tanner.
Take it from someone who tried a looooot of nontoxic self-tanners, this is the best option i’ve ever tried. truly. I. LOVE. THIS. STUFF.
A few times per week, I just mix a few drops of their tanning face water into my morning skin routine (apply to my face, neck, and chest) and it gives me such a natural-looking (but still noticeable!) sun-kissed color. I also love their body foam for the rest of my bod (You can get both here).
Soooo easy to use, no weird smell (like, actually), has clean ingredients, lasts me foreverrrrrrr, and it WORKS. Like, so well.
This a small business owned by a woman named Bethany. I bought this with my own money the first go-around, was SO impressed, and ultimately ended up reaching out to her to see if she had any coupons to share with you guys… and she does! (save 10% with the code KATE10).
I am so, so happy to finally found a clean tanning option that works and is good for my bod. Yeehaw!
that’s a wrap!
One of the first “Kate’s Picks” monthly recaps! You guys made it clear you wanted more product recs (which makes me happy! because I TRULY only recommend products that I use & love in my own life!), so this monthly round-up will be fun moving forward :)
As always, I never want you to feel like you “need” anything on this list or promote mindless shopping— but moreso intentionally sharing items that I genuinely use, love & spend my own hard-earned money on!
We’ll see ya next month!
Kate
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