Prior to March 2020, I kept my days and evenings pretty full. Between an office job, school pickup, and evening activities, by the time the day was winding down I pretty much had an hour or so to try to relax.
Once the commute to work stopped and going back and forth to activities stopped, I found myself with a lot more of this evening time to finally catch up on things I wanted to read and watch. In this year, I’ve read so many great books and seen so many great shows, movies, and documentaries. I’ve also found products that I fell in love with.
Below are some of my favorites that I experienced this year:
Read, Watch, and Buy: Recommendations From Quarantine
Read
- Catch and Kill
- Just Mercy
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- Beach Read
- Untamed
- The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
- When No One is Watching
- One to Watch
- The Vanishing Half
Watch
My standby comedy favorites, guaranteed for a laugh, became more important this year than ever:
I have A many more on my to-watch list that I haven’t gotten to yet: Fleabag, Dead to Me, Normal People, Pen15, The Wilds, Derry Girls, The Great, and more. I better get that TV fired up!
Purchase
I also had time this year to think about how to streamline my life, so I could spend more time on things that are important or joyful. I came across a lot of items that helped facilitate this, and items that just helped make my life better in some way.
- Schwinn Ic4
This was one of my splurges of the year, but so far I’ve found it to be worth it. I got it in October and have used it consistently since and still look forward to going on rides. I use it with the Peloton app, which is $12.99/month. I also did take advantage of the 0 percent financing offer for this purchase. - Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine
I bought this on Prime Day and am still so glad I did. It’s finally helping to kick the time and expense of the “I’ll go through the coffee shop drive thru and get a latte!” phase I’ve been going through for years. - Miroco Milk Frother/Steamer
I also bought this on Prime Day and it adds the perfect touch to my at-home lattes. - Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
I wish I bought this earlier. I have thin hair and this helps create the perfect bouncy blowout. I’m terrible at using hair tools and even I can’t screw this up. - L’Oreal Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spray
I bought this at the beginning of last March, and was so excited about how much time it would save me in the morning going forward. Well, I only ended up with a few more days of a normal morning routine before the shutdown . . .but it seriously shaved minutes off my hair drying routine for that week. It’s the first product I’ve used that actually notably cuts down on drying time. - Tinkle Eyebrow Razor
Another item I wish I discovered years ago. This helps keep my unruly eyebrows groomed in between waxing appointments, which was especially important during the shutdown! - Fairy Tales Tangle Tamers Super Charge Detangling Shampoo
The hair salon I took my Kindergartner to recommended this and it’s seriously been a game-changer at our house. My daughter has tangly, fine blonde hair and nothing seemed to help the knots. This has saved a lot of tears in our household, and it washes out without any residue. - Muffin Top Pan
Shout out to fellow writer Susie for this one. This muffin top pan makes the perfect egg for a breakfast sandwich.
It’s been a long year in quarantine. What are some of your favorite reads, watches, and items?
Related: Check out more COVID-19 related content from Iowa City Moms!
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