My Best and Worst Purchases of 2021

Do you ever glance at your bank account at the end of the year and think, where the actual f**k did my money go? Because, same.

Now, from time to time that’s because some schmuck stole my credit card number and drained every penny I had to my name. Most of the time however (let’s go with 99% here), it’s a result of me buying things on a whim.

That’s not to say that those purchases don’t add value to my life or make my day to day somehow easier or more efficient, because oftentimes they do. However, there are certain cases in which I get instant buyer’s remorse or, even worse, I realize after months of it sitting on a shelf (after the return date) that it was a total waste of money.

Last year, I rounded up our collective 10 BEST Items Bought in 2020, but this time I wanted to make things a bit more interesting.

Along with my BEST purchases of the year (aka the items you should click ‘add to cart’ immediately), I am also sharing my WORST purchases of 2021.

Buckle up, I think that some of the products that made the list this year are going to shock you.

Without further ado, here are the best and worst purchases I made this year from the home splurge that almost made me vomit to the $30 leggings I can’t live without.

Fashion

Best: High Waisted Yoga Pants

I have these in colors ‘Denim Blue’ and ‘Carbon Dust’ and they are the softest, most buttery yoga pants I’ve ever owned. I wear them at least 3 times a week and always get compliments (or questions via DM) on where to buy them. They are under $30 and come in tons of different colors on Amazon.

Worst: Fur Mule Slides

Let me just say that I am extremely glad that I didn't splurge on the Gucci horsebit slippers that these shoes are inspired by. At least I made a $53 mistake as opposed to a $995 one. They are not as comfortable as you would think and, to be totally honest, looking at them now I feel like they are kind of gaudy.

If I could go back, I would much rather own the plain white slides (without fur) instead. They are simpler and more my style.

Baby

Best: BabyBjorn Carrier Mini

Do I even need to justify this one? Ya’ll caught me wearing it in nearly every Instagram story over the past 8 months. When I get asked what my one must-have for new Moms is, I can confidently say every single time that it is this product.

In the early days when London wouldn’t let me put him down at all, he slept in this carrier while I worked, cooked, ate, and even worked out. Now, while he is much more independent, I still can’t imagine running errands or traveling without it.

Life hack for going to restaurants with baby: pop him/her into your carrier and stand at a high-top table or the bar to eat so you can sway and/or bounce. This has worked for us more times than I can count when London has refused his stroller.

Worst: Graco Simple Sway Swing

Phew. I know this one is going to be controversial because I have friends that swear this is their number one must-have for babies. I honestly think that it just depends on your baby’s preference; some love it and will lounge in it for several hours per day, and others (aka London) won’t sit in it for 2 minutes without crying.

Home

Best: Blackout curtains

Disclaimer: these are not 100% blackout. That's also the reason why I love them though. They are just dark enough to feel cozy without becoming totally blind to your surroundings.

They work perfectly for London’s nursery and he naps extremely well no matter how bright it is outside. In the future if we do need the room darker (many parents have warned me that his needs could change), I know that we can just add a blackout sheet in behind them.

They are under $30 per panel and I ordered the color ‘Brown Linen’ in the size 84”x50” for all of the rooms in our house. For the price, the quality is incredible.

Worst: Eufy RoboVac

This WAS one of my favorite purchases for quite a few months until it fell down our entire flight of stairs (which it’s not supposed to do) and stopped working. It was nice while it lasted, but for a price tag of $200, I expected a smarter, better-made product.

Additionally, during the period of it working before the accident, I noticed that it had to be emptied at least once, sometimes twice while using it in a single session which seemed excessive. Maybe it’s because our house was full of dog hair? All in all, my updated review is that I wouldn’t purchase it again.

Kitchen

Best: Ninja Blender

This is, hands down, my most used kitchen gadget to date. I use this blender nearly everyday to make smoothies, baby food purees, and soup (try this roasted red pepper shrimp bisque and thank me later).

It is extremely easy to use and clean since the blade center is detached. Plus, if you get the single serve cup attachments like I did, you can make perfectly portioned smoothies without dirtying any other dishes.

Worst: Hashimoto’s AIP Cookbook

Putting this cookbook on my “worst purchases” list makes me so sad. I really, really wanted to love it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the quick information regarding AIP and Hashimoto’s disease, but the recipes simply aren’t good (in my opinion, of course). I followed 3 of the recipes line by line and they were all major FAILS. Sam and I disliked them so much that we actually had to toss them out and eat frozen pizzas on the nights that I made them.

As someone who has gone through the AIP without a cookbook and actually enjoyed the food I ate, I’m here to say that you don’t need these recipes (or any, really). Opt for whole fruits, vegetables, and meats in simple ways and you’ll do just fine.

Beauty

Best: Sunday Riley Good Genes

This is my holy-grail skincare product that I’ve talked about in several blog posts now. I have bought countless bottles and, although it is expensive, the product is worth the money. At the moment, I ONLY use this and the Sunday Riley Vitamin C serum on my skin and I have not had a significant breakout since I was pregnant.

I immediately notice a difference in the texture and evenness of my skin tone when I skip it for a few days and for that reason alone, it’s simply not a product I ever want to give up.

Worst: Elemis Superfood facial oil

I bought this after seeing Lauryn Bostick from The Skinny Confidential rave about it and, again, I really wanted to love it. It was a pricey little package, too ($55 for 0.5 fl oz). I used the oil for a couple weeks, but then pimples began popping up left, right, and center. I’m not sure if it was totally related, but once I stopped using it, my skin cleared right up.

After the holidays, I think I'll give it a shot again since my skin is feeling a little dry with the Winter weather, so there IS a possibility that I could change my mind. However, up until this point it has been sitting in my bathroom drawer mocking me with what a waste of money it was.

Budget

Best: Black Mid Calf Rain boots

I bought these on Amazon right before our trip to Nashville since it was forecasted to rain the entire time and I’m SO glad I did. I was skeptical with the low price and figured that the quality wouldn’t be great, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The quilted pattern is beautiful and they are much more comfortable than I had imagined. I wound up wearing them 2 full days of our trip and walking miles (literally) in them without a single ounce of discomfort.

Worst: Satin Midi Skirt

Amazon fashion is really a gamble, let’s be honest. Clearly, I hit the jackpot with my rain boots, but this midi skirt? Not so much. The quality of the material is poor causing the fit to be stiff and unflattering.

I was really looking for something that looked and laid like silk to wear underneath chunky sweaters this Winter, but this clearly was not it.

Splurge

Best: Arhaus six drawer dresser

Confession: when Sam suggested we get an Arhaus furniture set for our room, I literally laughed out loud. And then he showed me the price and I practically threw up. Up until 2021, in the 10 years that Sam and I have been together, we have never owned bedside tables, much less a matching furniture set.

I had always dreamed of decorating our master bedroom beautifully, but I’ll be honest - I can be cheap when it comes to actually buying things for our home. Once Sam and I searched online for months and realized that nothing was coming up close to how much we loved this set, we finally decided to make the investment with the understanding that we would be keeping the pieces forever (and ever).

P.S. here’s the stunning bedside tables to match.

Worst: Owlet smart sock baby monitor

I struggled adding this to my list of “worsts” because it can be an extremely useful tool and I don’t want to dissuade other parents from purchasing it. In our case, since we waited until London was a bit older, I think we got it too late. We used it for a few weeks to ensure that London’s oxygen levels were healthy since he was getting in the habit of burying his face into his crib mattress while sleeping.

However, he fought us so hard on getting the sock onto his foot since he wasn't used to it from the beginning and would regularly kick it off, prompting the base to issue (very loud) alerts. At that point, we felt confident that he was getting enough oxygen while face-down, so we stopped using it and haven't since. Hopefully, it will be a great tool we can make use of from the beginning with our next baby.

For Him

Best: Custom Embroidered Dog Crewneck

I could cry just thinking about how much I love this crewneck and I know that Sam feels the same. Many of you know that our beloved Oliver died a few months ago and Sam and I both have struggled deeply with the loss of him. To keep his memory alive, I ordered a few items off of Etsy to serve as daily reminders: an ornament, watercolor print, and this crewneck.

The quality of the embroidery and the sweatshirt are both impressive and the sketch of him is spot-on. All I had to do was email a few photos of him to the shop owners and they handled the rest, creating this piece of clothing we will both cherish forever.

Worst: Chiyoda Watch Winder case

Sam may disagree with me on this one because I know he loves the look of the case but, to be honest, he hasn’t even plugged it in (aka it’s doing no ‘winding’). We haven’t found a place for it that reaches an outlet yet, so it’s just sitting at the bottom of his bedside table collecting dust.

Hopefully one of these days it will find some use, but until then it’s a fail for me.

Amazon

Best: Baby Playpen

Second to my babybjorn carrier, this playpen is my most used product. Most days, it is literally the only way I can get work and household chores done with London awake. Since he is crawling, climbing, and nearly walking I can’t take my eyes off of him for a single second unless he is in this.

I added a baby playmat at the bottom for comfort, a few of my long cushions, a boppy, and tons of his toys to keep him entertained as I check off my to-do list. This has been incredibly useful for allowing him time to play independently and explore different objects.

Note: my desk is directly next to his playpen so I can still keep tabs and make sure he is safe.

Worst: Nasal Aspirator

Simply put: this was an absolute waste of money. I ordered this while London was little and found that the opening was way too large for his tiny nose. When I was finally able to fit the tip of the aspirator in, it still didn't suck anything out.

The free nasal bulb syringe that the hospitals give you to bring home worked much better at clearing out the congestion.

Shop my best purchases of 2021:

What is your best and worst purchase of 2021? Tag me in an Instagram story (@lifestylebyannaelizabeth) sharing yours so I can see and repost!

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xo Anna Elizabeth