Things Loved in December

My Things Loved in December are mostly coffee and sweaters – what could be better on these chilly days?!

1.  Polka dot sweatshirt from GAP:

I thought this polka dot sweatshirt from GAP was the cutest thing when I first saw it online – and that’s saying a lot considering I haven’t owned or worn a sweatshirt since high school!  I expect a sweatshirt to have a baggy fit, and if you do too I suggest you size up for this one.  I usually wear a small top (sometimes medium) but for this one I went up to a large.  The other two were too short and just barely came to my waistband.  The large is perfect though – and super comfortable!

2.  This Old Navy sweater:

This ridiculously comfortable sweater from Old Navy drapes almost like a poncho, but has sleeves so it’s even better!  No matter how many Christmas cookies you ate over the holidays this forgiving and flattering sweater is going to fit and look great.  So far I’ve been pairing it with a long tank underneath, but on super cold days (like today) you can wear a long-sleeved tee underneath.

3.  FreshGround Roasting Coffee

I was introduced to FreshGround coffee by from friend Sarah from Offbeat & Inspired.  I switched to decaf coffee a couple of years ago, and while I don’t miss the caffeine, I have found it hard to find a delicious, full-bodied cup of decaf.  Until now.  I love FreshGround’s Papua New Guinea Water Process Decaf.  They use 100% clean, clear water to remove the caffeine from coffee, instead of the harsh chemicals that are commonly used.  It’s clean, it’s delicious, and I love it.  If their decaf tastes this good, I can only imagine how good their regular coffees are!  What’s even more impressive than their delicious coffee is their value for a delicious cup of coffee, their importers, and farmers.  Here’s an excerpt from their website:

“We don’t “give a portion” of our earnings. Handouts don’t work. Teaching works. We support missions and organizations that teach communities to grow great coffee. We teach you to brew the perfect cup of coffee.”

Read more about their story here.

4.  Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter

I’m still brewing with my Keurig (I haven’t given up on it yet) but I’m so over K cups.  They’re too expensive, I can’t find a good decaf option, and they’re definitely not green.  This reusable coffee filter works great for my (more delicious) bags of ground coffee.  When I’m done I just rinse it out and reuse!

5.  Switching gears from sweaters and coffee, my latest obsession (in addition to ABC’s Scandal, of course) came at the end of December when I downloaded Flipagram.  Flipagram allows you to create short video slideshows (15-30 seconds) to share on Instagram or Facebook and I LOVE it!  Here are three 15 second videos I created to highlight some of our favorite moments of 2013:

 

 

 

Have you tried Flipagram yet?  If not, I bet it’ll be one of your favorites of 2014!