2022 Favorites: Best Products & Services of the Year
This year I discovered some fantastic products and services that I know will be well-loved for years to come, and while I was very tempted to repeat 2021 stars that were ever-present this year too, like Nuuly and Half Baked Harvest, I decided to feature newly discovered favorites from 2022 to keep this year’s list interesting and unique. (Pssst…If you missed last year’s round up, you can find that here.)
Some links in this post are affiliate links, and I may make a small commission on items purchased at no cost to you.
MagSafe Battery Pack
I’ve had a MagSafe compatible iPhone for several years and never bothered exploring the accessories available, until [unintentionally] 2 weeks before Christmas when Jessica Braun mentioned it in one of her gift guide videos. I immediately added it to my list for Santa, and he delivered! This battery pack is wireless, magitizes to the back of your MagSafe iPhone, and immediately starts charging. Gone are the days of fumbling around with a heavy external battery and cord. This thing is a game changer!
Dae Haircare
I ordered the On-The-Go Gift set during Dae’s Black Friday sale this year, and every product I’ve tried has impressed me. Aside from how well the products work, their scents are incredible. The best description I can come up with is the smell right after you open a package of Welch’s fruit snacks. In fact, the scents are so good Pura even bottled them for use in their smart diffuser, and you better believe I snagged those after trying out these products. Here’s a quick rundown of everything in the set:
Their signature shampoo does a great job of removing buildup and the conditioner is thick and moisturizing.
The leave in conditioner spray nozzle is a little weird, so I prefer to pump it into my hands and then incorporate the product into my hair. Your brush will glide right through your hair afterward.
The hair oil is more viscous than what I’m used to, so a little goes a long way, but it does a nice job of taming flyaways.
The styling cream adds some nice volume and heat protection for frequently styled hair.
The only product I haven’t used yet is the hibiscus wave spray — will report back!
Olive and June ‘The Mani System’
This set really surprised me! I was a fan of Olive and June polishes before I got this system, and I’m happy to report that I think their manicure products are just as high quality as their popular polishes. The Mani System comes with nail clippers with rubberized handles, a pro-grade buffer, a detail brush, a genius, felt-tipped cuticle oil, a nail file, a nail polish remover pot, a super glossy top coat, AND O&J’s signature Poppy, an ergonomic grip for easy polish application. You then have the option of adding 1 or 6 polishes in the colors of your choice to round out the set. If you’re interested in trying other products like their Dry Drops, you can do so through “add-ons” section for a few more bucks. I’ve used this set more times than I can count since I got it in September, and I gifted it to one of my very best friends for Christmas. Truly can’t recommend this set enough to elevate your at-home nail game.
Walker Family Goods
I discovered the Walker Family through The Bucket List Family several years ago. I started following them on Instagram because I thought their bags were cool, and they are! But the family behind this brand is even cooler — Mom (Lex), Dad (Loren), and their three kids (Arrow, Louie, and Valley), travel around the US when they aren’t at home in Idaho. I love their approach to social media — soak in the moment in the moment, and post about it later. They take videos and pictures throughout their weekly travels, and Lex posts highlights from their week on most weekends. That way she and Loren can capture all the good family mems without spending crazy amounts of time on social media. Their kids are laugh-out-loud funny, and I love their irreverent and honest parenting style. Since we own most of their bags at this point, here’s a brief rundown of what we have — all earned the stamp of approval from both Bryan and me:
Louie Sling - (Bryan has Black, I have Peach) - Perfect for quick errands & adventures when you want to pack light and be hands free.
Valley Pack (Bryan has Black, I have Sage) - Great travel backpack that can be organized several different ways with its snap in compartments, and it opens flat so that it can be packed like a suitcase or top down like a regular backpack.
Valley Duffle (Bryan has Black, my brother has Cinnamon) - The largest duffle they sell, pictured above. Great for a week long trip or for two people for a weekend. It comes with backpack straps, so it’s easy to carry — genius.
States Duffle (I have Honey) - Great for a weekend trip or to be used as your plane carry-on. I wish I would have gotten the Valley duffle for the extra space, but this worked well for holiday road trips and would be great for future kiddos once they come along.
Valley Tote (I have Rust) - Awesome everyday tote that is basically a Mary Poppins bag. It has so many pockets!
Humidifier
I’m not sure what took me so long to get on board with humidifiers, but ours has been a lifesaver for me this winter. I inevitably end up with some version of a dry, stuffy nose during the colder months, so I figured I’d give this thing a shot after hearing one of my favorite YouTubers rave about hers for years. I’ve been running the humidifier next to me during the work day on days when our heat is running, and it’s made a huge difference! My nose isn’t as dry, and it’s kept my routine cold/sinus symptoms at bay. Humidifiers can be a breeding ground for mold, though, so be sure to empty it frequently and let it dry completely before firing it up again. Our top fill machine is incredibly easy to clean, and I tend to do so about once a month. I just mix one cup of water with one cup of white vinegar and let it sit for an hour, give it a good rinse, let it dry completely, and it’s good to go for the next session!
Book Bub
This year I discovered Bookbub after finally clicking on one of many Instagram ads, and I’ve been able to snag killer deals on ebooks through this service! I can’t believe I waited so long to try it but better late than never, I suppose.
How does it work?
You create an account and set your reading preferences by genre. The service then generates a list of reading recommendations based on your preferences, and you can add those recommendations to a “wishlist.” If you have specific books on your radar, you can manually add books to your wishlist, too. Bookbub then scours the internet to find both free and steeply discounted prices on the ebooks from your curated wishlist that are available for a limited time. I’ve snagged relatively new releases and on long-standing books from my Goodreads list like The Holiday Swap ($2.99) and A Season for Second Chances ($1.99) thanks to Bookbub. I also discovered several interesting books that I got for free that were recommended based on the genres I selected, like Out of Time. Don’t read on a kindle? No worries. It also scans deals from Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, and Google.
Just to be totally clear, you’re purchasing the books from other retailers, not Bookbub — this service just helps you spot the deals and navigate to them easily while they’re still available.
Pros, Cons, and Tips
Pro - Goodreads doesn’t have a “book deal” feature, so I typically wait weeks and weeks to rent best sellers from my library via the Libby app for free. This service allows me to get free or super cheap books to read while I wait for the new releases to be available.
Con - I currently use Goodreads to find new books and track my reading progress. Bookbub doesn’t have an integration feature with that service, so you’d likely be maintaining two, duplicate lists.
Pro tip - Bookbub alerts you of prices drops via email, so this will likely add to the neverending marketing emails filling up the promotions folder of your inbox. I updated my settings to “once per week,” from the default “once per day.”
Pura
I’ve probably mentioned this 95 times this year through Sunday Summaries and YouTube videos, but I received this little smart scent diffuser last Christmas and have used it every day since. It diffuses kid and pet friendly scents from your favorite candle brands without the soot and questionable wax of a traditional candle. You can buy the scents at discounted prices through their subscription model that allows you to skip or cancel scent shipments at any time. We’ve been able to diffuse our favorite Capri Blue Volcano and Thymes Frasier Fir scents and discover Pura specific scents that we wouldn’t have otherwise. The device itself is around $40, but they’re always running sales and deals. Keep your eyes peeled!
Solo Stove + Surround
While we didn’t discover the Solo Stove in 2022, we did put it to use more than ever during the year. We loved setting up a bluetooth speaker and iPad, grabbing blankets and good drinks, and watching shows and movies out by the fire. The addition of the Surround gave us peace of mind with Nash running around the fire, and it provided a stable place to hold drinks and s’mores materials. It makes the cold, monotonous winter nights a lot more memorable and fun!