Well, friends, I did it. I succumbed to the siren call of subscription services and signed up for the FabFitFun box. I blame my boss and LOL dolls.

Let me explain.

FabFitFun boxes have been all over my social media for a while; a few of the people I follow on Instagram subscribe to them and I have watched their unboxings with interest. I never took the plunge myself for a combination of reasons. I figured that the boxes were bound to be expensive and, more importantly the products over-priced; I am not averse to frivolous spending, but I am pretty picky about what I buy and thrift stores have skewed my perception of prices. But, it turns out, it didn’t take much to overcome my skepticism. My boss, who also happens to be a good friend, mentioned to me one day that she had just signed up – herself inspired by another mutual friend, who has been subscribed for over a year. J was very excited about her customized box and, in pretty short order, so was I. In my defence, J has the kind of natural enthusiasm that could sell a trip to the North Pole to an Edmontonian in the dead of winter. Furthermore, my resistance had already been weakened as a result of my exposure to LOL dolls.

Those of you not acquainted with any girls between the ages of 3 and 10 may be wondering what an LOL doll is. It’s no joke, let me tell you – only the most brilliant marketing ploy in recent toy history. An LOL Surprise is a plastic ball, wrapped in several layers of plastic, housing a small plastic doll and its tiny plastic accessories wrapped in plastic baggies. There are different “series” of LOL surprises, each with dozen or so different dolls. [There are even tinier versions of dolls called “little sisters” as well as “pets” for each of the big dolls, but let’s not proceed down this rabbit hole farther than necessary.] What doll you get is … yes, you guessed it, a surprise. The whole thing is about $2 worth of plastic, at best. Retail price: $20 and up. Per doll. They are insanely popular, as attested by the endless stream of YouTube videos dedicated to all things LOL.

My daughter currently lives and breathes LOL dolls and I will confess that her father and I have enabled her to what is probably an embarrassing extent. But here’s the more embarrassing confession: I secretly enjoy opening the surprises as much as my daughter does. A friend of mine who has a daughter of the same age recently made a similar confession to me. And it reminded me of my own childhood; I used to save up my pennies to buy “mystery packets” of stamps for my philatelic collection, and the best part was always the surprise element. Times (and hobbies) change, but human nature doesn’t.

Which brings me back to FabFitFun. For me, it’s like an adult version of the LOL doll. With an annual subscription, each box costs roughly $80CAD (including shipping). Or, if you like, 4 LOL dolls.

So … is FabFitFun worth it? I recently received my first box (Spring 2019) and here are my thoughts.

I like the packaging a lot. The box is cute and perfect for reuse if I ever have something to ship.

Ooh, everything looks nice.

I think this was the “mystery” item I ended up selecting. [I ordered my box late in the game, so some of the customizable options were no longer available.] It’s a shine spray – presumably an updated fancy version of the 90s glitter gels we all used. It will be a fun thing to try, but nothing special in my books. Retail value: $20+USD.

Verdict: I’ve tried it but it’s not something I’m going to use long-term. I may try it on my daughter’s hair for special occasions. Meh.

This I am excited about. I don’t buy fancy skincare but I am always game to try some. I’ve heard a lot about Tula on social media, so I am curious if it’s any good. This is a full size product, which is nice. Retail value: $28USD.

Verdict: I like this but I don’t think I would pay full price to buy it again. My optometrist (of all people) gave me a great skin cleansing hack, which is much cheaper and seems to work just as well, so I will probably go with that once this Tula is finished. But I’m glad I got to try it and see what the fuss was about.

This is one of the products that everyone got in their box. My hair is drier than usual because of the perm, so I am looking forward to seeing if this product is any good. Retail value: $26USD.

Verdict: I liked this a lot too! Be forewarned that it smells strongly. I don’t typically mind fragrances in my products, but this stood out to me in terms of intensity. I got used to it over time. It seems to work great as a conditioner; it leaves my hair soft without any greasiness. Not sure I would pay the full retail value; it may depend on how long a bottle lasts.

Another product that was in every box, and more fancy skincare to try. I don’t know if my eyes need de-puffing, but I am game to find out. Retail value: $42USD.

Verdict: Honestly, I’m not sure it does much. Maybe I just don’t have puffy eyes.

This was one of the main reasons I was excited for this box. I know I could get a similar bottle on Amazon for $30CAD, but on its own, it feels like too frivolous an indulgence. As part of the box, I can somehow justify it. Don’t ask. Retail value: $20USD.

Verdict: Love, love, love this! I use it every day and it’s increased my water intake significantly – a much needed improvement. I went and sprung for a second bottle, so I could have one at home and one at work.

I had originally selected the other Quay sunglasses (a cats-eye shape) but they were sold out, and so I received this pair instead. I am a fan of this brand, so I was pumped about these. I am not sure if this aviator style works as well on my face shape, so I may give these to my husband who is perpetually short a pair of sunglasses. Retail value: $60USD.

Verdict: These went to my sister-in-law, who scooped my husband (her brother). She loves them.

This champagne and charcoal scrub also came with every box, and it’s the sort of bougie thing I would never buy for myself. But, YOLO! Looking forward to trying this with my new Japanese wash cloths (remind me to tell all about them another time, they’re fabulous). Retail value: $24USD.

Verdict: Im enjoying this but it’s not something I plan on replacing when the jar is done. I don’t know if it’s doing anything for my skin, but it makes my showers feel more pampering and indulgent. I hope I get something similar in a future box, otherwise I will be hitting up Winners.

Last, we have the canvas backpack. I really like the look of it, so I was excited to select it as one of my customized options, but the quality is disappointing. The canvass part is decent quality and lightweight, but the faux leather straps feels cheap AF. No way anyone would pay the retail value of $75USD for this. It looks cute but I am not sure if I am going to use it much.

Verdict: A miss.

All told, I am pretty happy with my box; between the water bottle and the sunglasses, not to mention the chance to try some new skincare, I feel like I received my money’s worth. For the next box, I am going to have the opportunity to customize much earlier and will hopefully not run into any issues with certain options being sold out.

These are some of my favourite non-clothing purchases of the year.

2018 Mitsubishi Mirage

So, yeah: I bought a car this year. Up until this summer, we have been a one-car family; while our Subaru Outback is a great family car, I didn’t particularly like driving it. I like small, compact cars because I feel I have a better sense of direction/space in them; parking an SUV is one of my worst nightmares. I don’t do much driving, especially in the winter, but I really missed the freedom of just being able to go places without having to worry about logistics … or parking stress. The Mirage was the right size (SMALL!), and offered the most value for my budget; I’m not a car person, so I was mostly concerned with having the basic comforts: AC, heated seats, back-up camera, etc., all of which came standard with the entry level package. Anyway, I love driving my little car and it’s definitely my favourite non-clothing purchase of the year, but this is one thing where your mileage may definitely vary – no pun intended – so don’t take this as any sort of testimonial.

Augustus the Fiddle Leaf Fig

2018 was also the year when I became a plant mom. It hasn’t always been easy, but Augustus is one of our success stories and my pride and joy. Fiddle leafs are notoriously finicky plants, so the fact that he looks to be thriving (we recently got the second set of new leaves) makes me incredibly happy. Auggie is also a very handsome fellow who makes a big impact on our living space; he’s even managed to make a fan out of my husband, who started off by calling him a “cabbage”.

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

I feel like I spent the first part of the year experimenting with my beauty routine, only to spend the last six months drastically simplifying it again as my interest in all things skincare began to wane again. I currently have it narrowed down to about 5-6 regular products (which might sound like a lot, but isn’t considering where I started) which seem to keep my skin happy. For my morning toner, I am still a fan of The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid 5% solution, but the company shenanigans (and constant shipping delays) have made me a bit leery of getting too reliant on it. Lately, I have been alternating between the Lactic Acid (working through my stockpile) and the Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner. I don’t feel like the latter is as astringent as the Lactic Acid, but it still works on the morning “slick” and it doesn’t make my skin angry. The best part is that I can Amazon Prime a large bottle for under $20 in less than 48 hours – instant gratification is the best kind of gratification.

Structube Miles Day Bed

We have been low-key remodelling our main floor all year, and while we are nowhere close to being finished yet, our living room is looking pretty nice. Swapping out my old IKEA half-shell chairs for this Structube bench/day bed really upped the style ante. I love the dark green velvet, and it works surprisingly well with all the other colour in the room. As a bonus, it’s also practical (can sit up to 3 people in a pinch) and comfortable (we have all been known to take turns reclining on it, but the kids are its biggest fans).

Cozy therapy Plush

I’m only somewhat joking when I say that my son is addicted to his cozy plush; he asks for it to be heated every night before he goes to bed, and he assures me that it really helps his sore muscles. Why does a 7-year old have so many sore muscles? I have no idea. Having borrowed it once or twice, I will say that this thing is pretty handy (and a nicer alternative than a water bottle, IMO) if, for example, you experience any aches and pains at certain times of the month. Ahem.

Jiffy ESTEAM handheld steamer

This thing was a game changer for me vis-à-vis clothes maintenance. I use it on all my thrifted finds, as well as to refresh clothes between washings/dry cleanings. And it does a good job of getting wrinkles out of most fabrics; it won’t deliver a perfectly crisp button-down shirt like an iron would, but then again – I don’t wear button-down shirts, crisp or otherwise. [My husband irons his own shirts, though he is a fan of the steamer as well.] But use with caution: I recently managed to give myself a first degree burn by getting too close to the steam. It’s much hotter than you would think.

[Side note: I applied my Dr. Jart Cicapair cream to the burn, and it has healed without any issues/scars.]

Anthropologie flower vases

I thrifted a lot of great home decor stuff this year, and while it’s hard to pick favourites, my three Anthropologie flower vases are probably at the top of the list. Two of them were older styles, which were actually thrifted not by me, but by my friend Jenn (Life Preloved) who passed them along to me. I also bought one of the new styles that came out at Anthropologie this fall, and it did take quite a bit of willpower not to buy more.

Books

Y’all know I love books, but as I was revisiting my mental list of books read in 2018, I couldn’t think of many that would pass the “favourites” threshold. I guess I read a lot of “okay but not memorable” books this year? I dunno, I could also be suffering from pre-holidays mental daze. In any case, here are some that I can still remember and recommend wholeheartedly:

– We Are Never Meeting In Real Life, Samantha Irby

– Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, J. D. Vance

– Champagne Supernova: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and the 90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion, Maureen Callahan (a must-read for any Gen-Xer who loves fashion and gossip)

OK, your turn: what were your favourite things that you bought this year? And please, for the love of dog, send me your books reccs so I can start 2019 strong!

As an average cusp-Millennial with access to social media, I am susceptible to getting a Case of the Wants every so often. You know what I mean: when you become convinced that a product – be it a piece of clothing, skincare, or some random doodad – is the only thing standing in the way of your being the Best You That You Can Be. I don’t know about you, but my mental image of the Best Me That I Can Be is a less intimidating version of Tilda Swinton. I am several light years away from any remotely similar incarnation, but let me put it this way: if Tilda Swinton published a 24 hour product diary, I would be parsing that shizz like a holy text. Hope springs eternal in this bosom.

The fun part of being an adult is that, sometimes, I get to indulge my Wants. The less fun part is that I also have to make the hard decisions about which Wants can be indulged responsibly, and which can’t.

I keep a rough mental list of the Wants, mostly in the hope that I will, someday, find them for a bargain basement price, preferably at a thrift store. This rarely happens but you know what I said about hope. I’ve never written down this list, assuming it would be a fairly depressing exercise, but you know what? I’ve done it now, and it made me realize that there are actually not that many things on it (all things considered – I am a sucker for pretty things), and that’s because I’m damn lucky to already have most of the things I’ve ever coveted. I know I sound like a broken record, but thrifting has opened up a world of self-indulging (and self-indulgent?) possibilities. One woman’s trash truly can be another’s treasure.

I decided to share my “Wanted” list here as a bit of an experiment. A year from now, I want to see how many of these items I can check off the list – either because I no longer want them, or because I was able to get them (and, in the latter case, how I got them). We’ll see if this Law of Attraction business works.

In no particular order:

1. Diptique candles. I love fancy candles; I just can’t deal with the price. The only way I could bring myself to buy a $80 candle is if it came with an envelope containing $70. A friend of mine recently found some Jo Malone soap (new in box) at the thrift store, which gives me hope. People throw out all kinds of expensive s**t; why not fancy candles? To be perfectly honest, I would take an empty Diptique glass container (candle holder?) for the Instagram potential alone.

2. Alexis Bittar jewelry. Love their stuff, but the brand is hard to find in Edmonton and, needless to say, it’s even harder to score at bargain prices. I always keep an eye out for this whenever I travel, especially in places like Nordstrom Rack.

3. Alex & Ani bracelets. I actually fell in love with these after thrifting a bunch at Goodwill. I want more, but I also don’t want to pay $30 or more for a simple metal bangle. Edited to add: I actually found another one recently, with a letter “A” charm. OMG, this might actually work!

4. Hermès scarf. I know their bags are ridiculously sought after, but those are not really my style. [Listen, I wouldn’t kick one out of my thrift store cart if it landed there, but I’m not actively looking for it either.] Their scarves, on the other hand: yes, please. The prints are truly stunning, and if I ever got my hands on one, it would likely end up framed on my wall.

5. Miu Miu patent leather lace-up oxfords. When I worked at my old job, I used to see a young woman at my train station from time to time. She always wore head-to-toe black and rocked an aesthetic that I have since come to adopt to a certain extent (relaxed Scandi minimalist). Even then, I became obsessed with her clothes, but especially the black lace-up loafers she wore most of the time. I never summoned the courage to ask her where they were from, which was as unfortunate as it was/is typical of my MO (to wit, admire from afar, hoping not to come across like a creep). The closest thing I’ve found online is a Miu Miu pair I spotted on eBay. I keep trying to find a thriftier alternative, but I may give up at some point and splurge instead.

6. Anything patterned from Dries Van Noten. My relationship with prints is slightly different now; I don’t wear them as much as I used to, but I still enjoy an unusual pattern. Nobody does prints like Dries; it would be like owning a piece of wearable art.

7. Rick Owens velvet dress. There once was a mushroom grey, asymmetrical, velvet Rick Owens dress at Swish. I fell in love with it, and tried in on, oh, at least 2 or 3 times; but it was about $150, and I chickened out of buying it every time. This was about a year before my aesthetic (r)evolution and, at the time, it felt too much out of my comfort zone for the price tag. Needless to say, I deeply regret not getting it. I have not been able to find it online since, but I am forever looking for it.

8. Anthropologie flower vases. I already have this one:

… but Anthro came out with a bunch of different versions, and I want them all. I don’t want to take my chances with eBay, so I keep hoping the local thrift stores will deliver. Edited to add: my friend Jenn (thrifter and reseller extraordinaire) found me a second one from the series! I am on a roll!

9. Marc by Marc Jacobs Iridescent Q Hillier bag. I have a lot of MbMJ bags already, I know. But this is the one I’m specifically talking about:

O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D. There is a small version currently listed on eBay for $300CAD+ but that seems excessive, all things considered.

10. Zero+Maria Cornejo, Sarah Pacini, Marni … basically, anything. I’m not picky because these brands’ aesthetic is 100% my jam.

11. Loro Piana cashmere. This stuff is baby angel soft, I hear. I wants it.

12. Isabel Marant Lecce belt. I blame Sherry from Save, Spend, Splurge for introducing me to this belt I Absolutely. Need. Right. Now.

Honestly, I love it enough to actually consider paying full price for it, but it doesn’t seem to be available at regular retail sites or on the secondary resale market, yet. Sigh.

13. Rachel Comey shoes and/or jewelry. Sometimes, browsing the Anthro website is really dangerous. Actually, it’s always dangerous. I do love the minimalist/quirky look of RC accessories though. Haven’t thrift spotted this brand in the “wild” yet, but I feel like it’s only a matter of time. Optimism for the win!

14. Aritzia Daria (p)leather leggings. These are really not that expensive in the scheme of things, but I am sometimes unreasonably cheap, OK? I cannot bring myself to spend $130 on a pair of leggings (whether Aritzia or Commando or Spanx) and I’m also too unmotivated to hunt around for a decent sale. [Actually, I generally try to avoid online sale-stalking, because I find it fuels my feelings of Wantiness.] So, I’m just gonna put them on the list and hope that they will somehow, magically, end up in my closet.

15. Celine Belt bag. I haven’t paid much attention to designer bags in the last year or so, and there aren’t any other ones out there that I covet (new or old), but this Celine is the exception. I love the casual elegance of the belted flap; it’s epitome of effortless cool to me. It’s an impractical bag for my day-to-day life, but it still makes my heart flutter every time I see it.

Actually, I take that back. There are two other designer bags I covet – the Polene No. 1:

And the Chloe Faye:

Siiiiiiiiigh.

Tell me: do you have a Me Want List? What’s on yours?