Instead of doing a monthly round up this month, I’m doing a whole series of year long reflections. I’m kicking off with sharing a few of my favourite things with you. I did a post like this last year and it felt good just to talk about stuff that I love and has stood the test of 12 months of use. I’m still loving and using everything from that run down (although I do have some new headphones, the sentiment is the same), but I’ve acquired a few new bits and pieces over 2018.
Nothing in this post is sponsored, I genuinely love everything in this list.
iPad and Affinity Designer
This year I gave into temptation and all of the reviews and invested in an iPad Pro. I have to say that I’m so glad I did. I didn’t notice the difference at first, but a few weeks ago I had to go back to my wacom bamboo and macbook set up and it felt like such a step back. The one app that’s really made the iPad work for me as a design tool is the release of Affinity Designer. You all know it’s one of my favourite apps, and getting to use it with the iPad is a joy.
Google Suite
I mentioned that I’ve finally started to make proper use of all of the tools Google offers in my design toolkit recommendations for 2018. So, GSuite had to be up there with my favourites of the year. It might not be the shiniest toy out there, but it’s genuinely made so much of what I do easier and more efficient.
Levi’s
This definitely isn’t a fashion blog, but this is a list of my favourite things from the year and finding a pair of jeans I love has definitely been up there. I may now own 3 pairs of exactly the same cut (the wedgie fit FYI) and I have no regrets. I also have a new appreciation of denim having written a design story on its origins.
Tarot
Tarot has been a big influence on my recent work, it’s also been a calming influence in my quest to battle my anxiety. I’ve written a whole post on my new found love for reflecting on my day using these wonderfully illustrated cards, so I won’t waffle here. But all I’ll say is tarot has really pushed me to be more reflective in a way that isn’t purely negative.
My Local Park
I’m missing this favourite a bit at the moment now it’s darker and colder outside. But earlier this year I started walking though my local park on the way home from work, and it has genuinely brought me so much joy. Those extra 15 minutes of walking have given me time to unwind after a day at the office, allowed me to actually see some green in London and made me feel so much more connected to where I live.
Spotify
I’ve had Spotify since the end of 2014 and it probably could have been a favourite every year since, so I thought it was about time I mentioned it in one of these lists. I’m more likely than not to be wearing my headphones at any given moment, and Spotify powers a big part of that, especially now it has podcasts as well. As I write this I’m at once intrigued and a little bit terrified to get my annual summary of how much and what I’ve listened to this year.
