I’m a simple person. All I need is good music, a snack, a little beverage, and a cute outfit to keep me happy.I think we all have the little things in our lives that make or break our day. For example – if you didn’t get your latest breakfast fixation one day, your day might start off a little off. Every day is fixable and you can always finish it off with a good note, but we all need at least something throughout our day to make it just a little bit more fun.
Disclaimer: A lot of things I’m about to list are pretty basic. However, I believe that things are basic and popular for a reason – and I love them regardless.
Music
Ever since my family purchased Spotify premium, I have adopted an obsession with creating playlists. Whether they’re for everyday use, party pump up mixes, slow jams, or perfectly crafted Daylists; I love the entire process of creating a playlist. I have really been enjoying listening to what Tiktok has deemed “the holy trinity” of song artists for teenage girls at the moment. I am one of those teenage girls. The trifecta includes: Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan, and Taylor Swift. On my everyday playlist I have the entire Zach Bryan album by Zach Bryan (2023), Stick Season – We’ll All Be Here Forever by Noah Kahan (2023), and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift (2023) on repeat. My comfort songs on each album are:
- Zach Bryan – “Smaller Acts”, “I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves, and “Fear and Fridays”
- Stick Season – We’ll All Be Here Forever – “Call Your Mom” with Lizzy McAlpine, “No Complaints”, “Your Needs, My Needs”, “Strawberry Wine”, and “Orange Juice”
- Speak Now – “Back to December”, “Speak Now”, “Dear John”
Some honorable mentions of my other comfort songs on repeat: “Mind Over Matter” by Young the Giant (one of my favs of all time), “Margaret” ft. Bleachers by Lana Del Rey, and “About You” by The 1975.
Scents
One of my daily standards for myself is to smell good. I feel a burning need to smell good and to be in a delicious-smelling area. So, as of right now, I have been loving Sol De Janeiro’s – Brazilian Crush Perfume. I spritz it on every morning and continually throughout the day. I get compliments on it all of the time and it makes my hair smell divine. For a 16 oz bottle, it costs about $32, but it lasts for a while. For me, this was definitely spending the money on. Plus the super cute bottle is a bonus.
Holiday Season
I’m loving the holiday cheer that takes over stores from the end of October all the way through December. The lights, snack selection, seasonal holiday drink selections, lotion and candle scents: I love it all.
Unpopular opinion, but the earlier that we can start celebrating the holidays – the better. I LOVE the holidays. Especially the vanilla, cranberry, cinnamon, and sugar cookie scents that appear the minute October comes to an end. I think that one of the simplest pleasures in life is lighting a candle and being able to smell it throughout your house or apartment.
Shows
I know I’m not alone when I say that when I select a comfort show, I will continue to rewatch it without ever getting tired of it. New Girl is that show for me. I don’t know what it is about New Girl that I love so much, but I have never thought about stopping my vicious rewatch cycle. It might be the perfect kind of comedy for my sense of humor, all the lovable characters, or the epic love stories that unfold. It’s cute, quirky, and funny in all the right ways. I relish the days that my dad, sister, and I stayed up to watch a couple of episodes together before one of us called it quits. It has been and always will be one of my all-time favorite shows.
Another favorite of mine is the Great British Baking Show. It’s creative, inspiring, and I love the challenges and the bakers. Plus – everyone has British accents which I LOVE. But it’s not only that, Great British Baking is a way for me to feel closer to my mom. It’s comforting knowing that she’s watching the same show I am and we can talk about it when we’re both done watching the latest episode. We first started watching it together with my sister a couple of summers ago and we’ve been fans ever since.
Snacks
Since I’ve found the freedom to enjoy whatever I want, I have become quite the snack fiend. Whenever hunger strikes me (typically around nine p.m.), I find it necessary to always have the same snack staples in my dorm room. My only requirement is it has to be served in a bowl.
My top two favorite bowls are my routinely perfect yogurt bowl and my snack variations thrown together. I adore the Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn, with some Chex Muddy Buddies sprinkled throughout, and Cinnamon Bare Apple Chips. Sometimes if I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll add in some yogurt-covered raisins (but that’s really only on special occasions).
My yogurt bowls are something else entirely. My fool-proof recipe: plain Greek yogurt, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, cranberries, Nature Valley Oats and Honey Crunch bar pieces, Rice Chex, and to top it all off – cinnamon. I know it sounds like a lot – but I promise you that every part of it works together. And that’s the incredible part of a yogurt bowl – you can add or take away anything you want from it and it is still going to be amazing.
Clothing
When I was younger I used to believe that looking cute > comfy. Now as I’ve gotten older – my view has completely flipped. I will wear the same five pieces of clothing in different variations throughout my entire week because I feel better when I wear something I feel comfortable in. That doesn’t always mean leggings and a sweatshirt for me though. I feel extremely comfortable in my four different Aerie sweatshirts with leggings, flare leggings (or yoga pants – whatever you want to call them), and my platform converse. I think that my platform black Converse are seriously the best purchase I have ever made. I also adore my “vintage” Colorado Buffs long-sleeve shirt that I am “borrowing” from my dad. I know what kind of clothing I enjoy being in and I love trying to explore different brands and styles that I can add to my safe selection.
My Pinterest boards have become a safe haven for me as well. Especially when it comes to trying to spice up my wardrobe. Mind you, this board has been going strong since 2015 – so it has seen me through my many phases throughout middle school and high school. Currently, it contains 7,405 pins which seems low but that is because I had to filter out the hideous Justice collages that I pinned when I was in fifth grade. Since then – my clothing taste has evolved and continues to evolve. But as of right now – I am loving the cute, simple, and comfy look. Oversized sweatshirts, baggy jeans, and Adidas Sambas are flooding my Pinterest homepage and I will continue to pin the same image multiple times on the same board.
In a week, a month, or even a year – my favorites now might not always be my favorites. I’m excited to discover what else I am going to love in the years to come.