The last two weeks have been really intense for me with anxiety. I can’t 100% put my finger on one specific thing that triggered it but I think it’s a mix of the holiday season (I always get anxiety around this time and I actually went back to read this post from last year about how to combat holiday anxiety) mixed with cloudy weather mixed with a fall that Amalia had on our staircase that scared the crap out of me, made me feel like the worst mom in the world, and had me shaking for hours all at the same time. By the way, she’s totally fine, it was worse on me than on her.

But a sunny day yesterday, some helpful conversations with Anel, getting my ducks in a row with work and home projects, spending time with my girl, and a morning walk on the beach with Boots set me back on track. I’m feeling better today and am hoping that my good mood seeps into the weekend and Thanksgiving next week.

In the meantime, here are 5 things I’ve been loving in November. I love this series because I just get to share things that I love with no pressure and no expectations. It’s fun to create so I think I’m going to keep it around for 2020 too!

1. Essential Oil Stone. I love my diffuser and use it in my office most days while I work. But at night before bed, I get lazy and always forget to refill the one in our bedroom and then feel too tired to do it after I remember. Then I saw this essential oil stone in my friend’s acupuncture studio (she also sells it online for $20!) and it has been the perfect solution. It lives on my nightstand and I just put 3-4 drops of lavender on it before bed. I don’t know how it works but it scents up the room (subtly) with whatever oil you use and there’s no need to change water or anything like that. It would also be really nice on a desk at work.

If you don’t like the design of that one, I found this really simple stone on Amazon that does the same thing. Either one of these would make a great stocking stuffer. Or pair it with your favorite essential oil as a gift for a coworker or friend.

2. ChomChom Pet Hair Roller. Boots sheds a lot more in the winter and his hair is really thick and black so it is very easy to see. We have a Roomba that cleans every afternoon which is great for the floors but our blankets and couches get covered in dog hair. I saw this Amazon pet hair roller on my friend’s Instagram stories and bought it immediately upon seeing how effective it looked.

3. Bread Box. We eat a lot of toast in my house. Amalia requests toast and eggs for breakfast at least 3x/week and I have a slice of whole wheat sourdough toast almost every morning. We keep English muffins and certain bread in the fridge but for the sourdough and her morning toast bread, we like to keep it out on the counter so we always have at least two loaves of bread that need to be out. When we keep them on the counter alone they get moldy quickly, but it was hard to find a big enough bread box to hold what we need.

4. Cheeky Dishcloth Set. This was another purchase from Instagram stories! @things.i.bought.and.liked is one of my new favorite accounts to follow because she reviews products she buys and doesn’t take on any sponsorships there. She reviewed these dishcloths from an Etsy shop called Boldfaced and I knew immediately I needed them. We’re trying to use fewer paper towels in our home and these reusable cloths with song lyrics definitely help. I use them to wipe down counters, dry dishes, and clean floor messes. On top of that, they are 100% natural and printed with water-based inks and produced from renewable raw materials that are recyclable in 6-9 months. I also love this set.

5. Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter. I’ve been using this highlighter for a few years now and although it’s not clean beauty, it’s really a beautiful touch of shimmer for your cheekbones. I feel like I’ve been using it double-time lately since the lighting outside is so drab and dull. It gives me the perfect amount of glow and people always ask about it when I have it on. Whenever I don’t use it, I feel like I’m missing something on my face and even though it’s not a new product, I feel like it deserved a spot on this list.

Check out the 5 random things I was loving in July, August, September, and October.

Tell me one thing you’re loving this month!