Yesterday, we talked what’s OUT in 2024 (by my book). And as promised, today I’m here to bring you what’s IN this new year. Again, we’re covering the gamut–from beauty to health to money, lets talk about things to bring into 2024!

Botox / Dysport

Listen… I know the crunchy girls have turned to castor oil and guasha… but I am proudly carrying my Dysport needs into the new year, toxicity and all! At least I’ll be a creaseless toxic gurlie.

Self-Tanner

I know, I said no more spray tans in 2024. But that’s what I meant… no SPRAY tans. Tans themselves, they ain’t going anywhere.

However, I did discover a new application method in 2023 that I will absolutely be implementing continuing into the new year. One of my favorite content creators, Julia Havens, is who I learned this from: ditch the mitt!

She applies her foam tanner by hand while wearing thin nitrile gloves to protect her hands–it’s giving exam room.

The second I tried it, I knew it was going to change the game. Immediately as I started applying a tan with this method I realized just how much product is absorbed and wasted by the mitt. And therefore robbing my color payoff & my wallet!

I’ve been using this technique for about 5 months now and I’m a changed woman. I had gloves on hand, but I will buy my refills on Amazon when the time comes, check them out here: Disposable Nitrile Gloves

My OG favorite self tan product: Fave Tanner & Face Tanning

The 2-Hour Rapid Version: Express Tan

For Buffing Tan onto Hands & Feet: Kabuki Brush

Professional Nails

This is something I really started incorporating consistently in 2023–previously, I was a very inconsistent nail gal. Most of the time my nails were bare, chipped, or missing one press-on. But since I’ve started being consistent, I have to say, I don’t think I can stop at this point. I don’t want to stop! Having my nails done all the time makes me feel soooo girly and clean. Like I’m prepped to take on whatever the world might throw at me. This is just one of the many ways I’ve leaned into my ~soft girl~ era.

Hired Cleaning

If this isn’t something you’re already investing in… hear me out.

We didn’t have cleaners for years until I finally convinced Mason to give it a try. And when I tell you we will never go back. We used to spend hours cleaning on Sundays. And if we weren’t in the mood or didn’t get it all finished, then we started the week off on a stressed note and it lingered every day until we finally had the time or energy to clean again.

Now, we pay $170/cleaning and they come twice a month. Usually its three badass ladies and they knock out thoroughly cleaning every single inch of our home in 3ish hours. Their version of “clean” is far more impressive than ours, also.

By trading money to get back our time, Mason and I can spend every second of our weekends / free time doing whatever we want. Instead of constantly having to plan for 4+ hours of our weekend to be dedicated to dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc.

The other, less obvious, benefit to hiring cleaners is that it forces us to maintain a level of tidiness. We can’t have clothes strewn across the floor of our closets or junk lingering on the kitchen counters. And it’s so much easier (mentally) to keep things tidy when thats your only responsibility–not being able to brush it off and say you’ll get to it at the same time that you clean. Because tidying and cleaning are two very different tasks, and trying to accomplish both at the same time is so much more work.

For us, one thing that drastically impacted the decision to hire cleaners,is having a dog that sheds constantly. (Shout out Scout!) If you have pets or kids and are still cleaning your house yourself but have the means to hire help–this message is for you: Delegate that shit!

Smart Cups & Gatorade Zero

Remember how I said coffee was out for me in 2024? *Cue Smart Cups*

If you’re not familiar with them, Smart Cups are these little plastic cups that come with a dissolvable product printed into the bottom of them. When you add water, or any other liquid of your choice, the cup fizzes as the product dissolves, and then you’re left with the most light and refreshing caffeinated beverage. Think Crystal Light packets, but the cup comes pre-prepared with product, you just add water to create the mixture. No mess, no spilling powder all over your car, etc.

Each Smart Cup has 125mg of caffeine, near the equivalent of 1 cup of coffee. 0 sugar, 5 calories and 1 gram of carbs. They also have varying vitamins in them, depending on which flavor you pick.

I keep them on hand at all times. I actually just recently ran out because my auto-delivery is held up due to low stock on my favorite flavor: “Pucker Up Brain Boost”. It’s a lemon raspberry flavor that I practically dream about. I believe it’s still sold out, but my go-to back up flavors are 1) Raspberry Lemonade (I know, slightly confusing since my fave and this one have the same flavors, but trust me, the Pucker Up Brain Boost is amazing, hence being sold out indefinitely.) or 2) Berry Blast.

I’m coming up on six years of drinking Smart Cups religiously. You can trust me on this.

Aside from being absolutely addicted, obsessed, and indoctrinated by this product, I believe this brand is one to watch in coming years. Their patented “print” technology that just requires users to add water in order to create the liquid volume has the potential to massively impact so many industries. Think about the economic and environmental impacts of exponentially decreasing the shipping costs and therefore the carbon footprint of nearly every liquid-form product on the planet? If every face wash, shampoo, laundry detergent, perfume, soda, juice, etc. could be shipped inside a packaging with the core components printed inside–then consumers add a pre-determined amount of water to the product themselves once they’ve received it. Mind-blowing, if you ask me.

I believe in the future of this concept so strongly that I personally invested in the brand after they recently won Gordon Ramsey’s “Food Stars” and opened investment opportunities to the public via StartEngine.

To learn more about the brand and their vision visit their StartEngine page here.

To purchase Smart Cups visit their website. Pro-Tip: Buy directly from Smart Cups, not Amazon. It’s cheaper and my order always arrives in 2 days, 3 max.

And as far as Gatorade Zero goes… basically my body composition is as follows: 30% Smart Cups, 65% Gatorade Zero (Lemon Lime flavor), and 5% water. If you’re still out here drinking your calories… 2024 is the year to give it up. Save that shit for the GOOD STUFF–like bread.

Hoka’s & Running in General

I did not want to subscribe to the orthopedic movement, but here I am. Consider me subscribed.

I am now on my 2nd pair of Hoka’s and I will never go back. If you’ve ever attempted running consistently than you know, your shoes are the most important part of your gear (aside from your sports bra of course, a convo for another day). Runner or not, our shoes are the literal foundation for every other part of our body and that is not a role to be ignored.

I struggled to enter this orthopedic movement sooner because of choice paralysis. I had tried on multiple pairs on different occasions before finally making the purchase. The most valuable tool I found was actually the quiz on Hoka’s website. I took it twice, slightly altering my answers for each since I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking for. When the same line of shoe came up in both results, I knew it would be my best shot to give this brand a try. So I immediately went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, which surprisingly has the best selection of Hoka’s locally that I’ve seen to date. Yep, even compared to Scheels and Fleet Feet. I tried on the 2 options recommended by the website quiz and sure enough, almost immediately fell in love with the line that came up twice in the quiz results: the Gaviotas.

Take the Hoka shoe finder quiz here.

Since that day, I’ve ditched my tried and true Brooks and New Balances. I save those for other activities as they are fabulous shoes & brands, but nothing works better for me now than the Hoka Gaviotas in Wide.

As far as running itself: give it a try in 2024.

All you have to do is dedicate 1 month to running. The first 2 weeks will suck–and that’s just an unfortunate fact. But once you hit that 3rd and 4th week, you will notice a change and just maybe see why it’s such a huge sport.

The physical benefits are great of course, but its the mental impact that keeps me coming back. Nothing clears my head more, makes me more grateful, inspires me to tackle other challenges, or makes me beam with pure happiness like a run will. They call it a runner’s high for a reason, folks.

I have yet to put enough energy into it to really hone any skills or pacing. That’s the next level I hope to explore in 2024. When I run the Rock N Roll half marathon in Nashville this spring, I intend to set a finish time goal for the first time ever. I’m super excited but also nervous. Because even when you get into better cardiovascular conditioning, running is still hard. But humans are designed for two things: pain & pleasure.

So you can either enjoy easy pleasures on the front end: quick serotonin from TV or Instagram, eating the crap that tastes good in the moment, sleeping instead of accomplishing your to-do’s etc, only to then suffer through the pain on the backside. OR you can push through the pain first and then savor every second of real pleasure on the backend. The kind of lasting pleasure that doesn’t dissipate as quickly as it came. That’s running. Short term pain for lasting pleasure.

I’ll leave you with this: no one ever regretted a work out.

Kindle Books

I have always enjoyed books: when I was a kid I would read (though there weren’t many other options for book consumption), then as an adult I started loving audiobooks so I could multi-task. I have just recently re-entered the old school reading arena and I couldn’t be more glad to be back.

I see the look on people’s faces when I bring up physically reading something anymore: in a word? “Why?” And that’s a camp I used to proudly stand in. Yes, there is so much to be said for being able to clean/do laundry/drive/workout, etc. while listening to an audiobook. But the experience of actually sitting down, having to choose to take time for yourself that isn’t “productive” at all. Can’t beat it. Productivity being defined strictly these days by what we produce. And you aren’t producing much of anything while you sit on the couch curled up with a book. But guess what? That’s okay!

Not only am I absolutely loving the actual books (shout out Fourth Wing, yes its worth every bit of the hype), but I am slowly starting to realize just how fulfilling I’m finding the act of reading. Literally having to make a conscious choice between TV and reading before bed. The only times its a tough decision is when I worry that Mason might feel like I’m ditching him–as historically we have always watched TV together before bed. Otherwise? It’s the easiest decision on the planet for me. I would read all damn day at this point, but obviously, I do have to be productive during the day. My free time tho? Catch me on the Kindle. It’s the most satisfying “me time” I’ve had in years. I get to be entertained, challenged (as there are admittedly many words that are not in my vocabulary), and recharged all at once.

Now that’s something I am going to not just bring with me into 2024–but shout from the damn roof tops.

Books I am reading or plan to read in 2024:

• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
• Fourth Wing & Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• When Life Gives You Lululemons (A The Devil Wears Prada spin-off) by Lauren Wiesberger
• A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J Maas
• And 14 other unknown books in order to hit my Good Reads goal LOL

Considering investing in a kindle? Check mine out here, I’m so happy with it!

Peloton Subscription

Another brand that I’m here to report is absolutely worth the hype.

Even if you’re not in a place to invest in one of their machines, the classes that are available through the subscription are so amazing. I’m not sure how they pick their instructors, but they are all so good at what they do. The music is great, they’re funny and real and motivating, and the choices of classes are endless. Want to take it easy? Amazing, they’ve got a million options for that. Want to have your ass handed to you? Fabulous, take your pick. Want a mid range, challenging but not totally gas-you level workout? Perfect–they’ve got that too. And not just a few options, hundreds.

I use the Peloton subscription in so many ways: I have the bike, which to be truthful I haven’t ridden in a very long time, but I used to love it and fully intend to reincorporate it. Then, I got the tread. And that is my bread and butter. I take guided classes: walking, speed-walking, a variety of runs, “hikes”, you name it. I also take their strength, core, and stretching classes which only require you, a mat, and minimal dumbbells for strength training.

I also love to take the running classes outside. You lose the ability to control the incline, of course, but they’re still amazing. They do offer guided outdoor runs, intentionally designed for feet-on-the-road running instead of on a treadmill.

I won’t beat around the bush, the membership isn’t cheap. It’s nearly $50/month. But if you’ve ever paid for a gym membership or other online course membership then you know: workout classes don’t come cheap. But they are a dime a dozen and it can be difficult to know which ones will be worth the money and which aren’t. Peloton lives up to their reputation. While writing this I looked into their referral program, if you’d like to give the subscription a try, use this link for 60 days free!

Gearing up to make the full commitment and invest in a machine? Use this link for $100 off! 10/10 recommend the tread.

Pro tip: Around the holidays and the new year they always run great promotions! I bought both the bike and the tread (separately, haha) on credit with Peloton at 0% and would highly recommend it! I set the bike up for 2 years of monthly payments at 0% interest, but by time I was done paying for it I was so over the monthly payments and I wished I would’ve just knocked it out in a year. So that’s what I did when I bought the tread. Assuming it makes financial sense to purchase something this expensive in the first place, I’d highly recommend you take advantage of free money and use your hard earned cash to EARN you interest while you freely use OPM to pay this off. And that’s on #leverage.

Therapy

I’ve said it for years, I’ll continue to say it for the rest of my life: The world would be an exponentially better place if everyone saw a therapist.

Generational trauma is real and as kids there’s nothing we can do about what we experience or learn (directly or indirectly). But as adults? We are 100% responsible for our own experience in the world. And we are the only source of improvement that stands between us and our own children.

Even if you don’t think there’s much to work though, or you can’t pinpoint on your own anything that you know needs to be resolved… we’re all human and we can always work to be and do better.

Take responsibility for your life and your actions in 2024 — you’re worth it. And your kids will be so grateful to have a parent brave enough to do the work.

Compound Interest

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past 4 years, things are changing.

This message is for everyone, but specifically my millennial besties: invest. your. money.

And sooner rather than later.

Did you ever do a project in high school related to compound interest? The one were “Jimmy” puts $500 in an investment account in year 1, and “Carl” puts $3,000 into the same type of account in year 10–when they both reach retirement age, who has more money?

If you didn’t do this project, I’ll give you the answer: Jimmy.

Because the POWER of compound interest lies in TIME. The amounts invested can be what feels so nominal, but thats OKAY. With enough time, compound interest will do the work for you. But you can’t get back the years your money wasn’t invested.

So no matter what the dollar amount looks like for you individually, invest something.

Promise me this–at the very least you’ll open a high yield savings account in 2024. DO NOT let your savings sit in a traditional savings account, earning you 0.000022384%. Move those funds to a high yield savings account, which besides earning you better interest, is exactly the same as a traditional savings account. Your money is still right there in your bank account, readily available any time you need it. Totally liquid with no penalties if you touch the funds. But in the meantime? Those same dollars are earning you 2.5% APY or more, depending on the lender. Just for sitting safely in your bank account!

Maybe we’ll talk more in depth on this another day, but in the meantime–invest your money, honey. Future you will be so glad you did.

Time > Initial Investment

Game Nights

Games are something that totally resurfaced in our house in 2023, and I plan to keep that around! At Christmas, Mason and I were gifted “Wichita-opoly” (You know, the Wichita adaptation of Monopoly) and we have been playing CONSTANTLY! We love to turn on some guilty pleasure TV in the background, like House Wives, and balance the brain melting with some brain usage as we play a game!

A few games we love and that just never seem to get old, 2 plays or 6 players and everything in between:

• Monopoly / Wichita-opoly
• Yahtzee !!
• Mancala
• Code Names
• Five Crowns
• “Ruin It”

Banza Pasta, Greek Yogurt, and Oat Milk

Okay, you made it. We’ve arrived at the last thing I’m bringing into the new year.

These are three healthier food substitutions that I have actually found myself to prefer.

If you know me, you know I have the pallet of an 11 year old. So Mac N Cheese is a staple in my diet. A staple that as I’ve grown older has become my absolute arch nemesis. Dairy and I just don’t get along these days like we used to.

But alas! I finally found a concoction of alternatives that give me everything I need to scratch the Mac itch: Banza Pasta, Oat Milk, and 3 slices of American cheese + some seasonings. Protein in my plain PASTA? It’s a wild time to be alive and boy am I grateful for chickpeas.

And plain greek yogurt? I swear I truly can’t stand real sour cream anymore. While living in Nashville I swapped for plain GY and I never looked back. If you’re a stickler for the classics, much like I am, then I get any hesitation. Just try it on a your favorite burrito and get back to me. Give it a few tries as it is different than sour cream, but you might just find it turns into the new fave like I did.

As always, thank you for being here and may you bring everything you love and that brings you joy into 2024!