Here we are at my final “favorite little things” post of 2019! Somehow, I found a lot to include on December’s list. Let’s jump right into the goods, eh?

 

1). Knives Out

 

 

I love going to the movies on my birthday. This year, I chose Knives Out, and it was a fabulous good time. A classic “whodunit” murder mystery, this film exemplifies outstanding film-making on every level. Daniel Craig with a Southern gentleman accent was a bit disconcerting at first, but it was a part of the fun! Daniel Craig, right? I hadn’t been aware of his gift for comedic timing, either. The entire cast was excellent, but I was particularly impressed with Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas. Highly recommend this one.

 

2). Reprisal (Hulu Original Series)

 

 

Hulu’s Reprisal left us immediately counting the days until S2 drops next year. This was one of those series that started with a slow burn, then fully spread and intensified until we were thoroughly captivated by the end. Reprisal is easily one of my favorite series of 2019.

 

3). The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (S3) (Amazon Prime Original Series)

 

 

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel continues to be marvelous. I’m endlessly impressed with this entire production, and Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein are superb! Also, for me, as far as period pieces go, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel spectacularly fills the void left by Mad Men. Looking forward to S4!

 

4). You (S2) (Netflix Original Series)

 

 

I’m not sure where to begin with Netflix’ You, so let me just sum it up with my appreciation of how the writers took Joe’s shenanegans to another level in Season 2… and how the twist at the end is one of the most brilliant twists I’ve seen in a series. Like Reprisal, Callaghan and I were kind of “eh” at the start, but by episode 4, we were ALL IN. One aspect I particularly enjoyed this time was the added depth given to Joe’s complex psyche. Season 2 is deeper, crazier, more surprising, and just as outstanding as Season 1. You is a rare series in that I actually enjoyed its second season even more than its first.

 

5). Miyoko’s Un-Lox Your Dreams Vegan Cream Cheese. (Vegan and gluten-free)

 

 

INGREDIENTS: Organic Cashews, Filtered Water, Organic Coconut Cream, Sea Salt, Organic Seaweed, Vegetable Juice For Color, Spices, Cultures.

December started out as I was beginning to eat solid foods again. I felt that I had a lot of catching up to do, and I definitely had several pounds to re-gain after November’s post-oral-surgery menu. This may have biased me when I went to taste Miyoko’s “Un-Lox” vegan cream cheese flavor, but I’m pretty sure that I’d like it just as much under normal circumstances. I haven’t tried a Miyoko’s product that I didn’t like, after all.

 

6). World Cuisine Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas (Sea Salt). (Vegan and gluten-free)

 

 

INGREDIENTS: Organic Chickpeas, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola and/or Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid.

I’m still not biting into anything hard with my front teeth, but I started tossing crunchy snacks into my mouth again around the third week of December. The savory such food I went for was roasted, salted chickpeas. The first few bags I devoured were these from Saffron Road, and then Callaghan went ahead and got me a huge bag of whatever the brand is they have at Costco. Salted crunchy chickpeas are all the same, and they’re all delicious! They’re crunchy, but they’re not hard, corn-nut-level crunchy. I’ve been mixing these chickpeas with raw almonds for my afternoon nosh.

 

7). Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce. (Vegan and gluten-free)

 

 

INGREDIENTS: Coconut milk, water, green curry paste (shallot, lemon grass, garlic, green chili, galangal, water, salt, coriander seed, Thai lime peel, ginger, turmeric, white pepper, cumin, citric acid), cane sugar, rice bran oil, modified cornstarch, basil leaf, green chili, salt.

Trader Joe’s satisfied my recent cravings for curry with its prepared green curry simmering sauce. A typical fast, processed lunch I enjoyed in December consisted of Trader Joe’s frozen rice medley (red rice, brown rice, and barley, I think) with this sauce mixed into it. It was like a quick and dirty Thai risotto. I must’ve curried myself out for the time-being, though, because I haven’t been wanting it lately! I loved it and loved it and loved it, and now I’m done. No doubt I’ll cycle back around to it at some point, though.

 

8). NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil (True Beige Buff). (Vegan and cruelty-free)

 

 

This tinted moisturizer became my new ride-or-die foundation the second I tried it from the tester at Ulta. I wear the shade True Buff Beige, and it’s a perfect match. A little goes a long way when you apply it with your fingers! I use a pea-size dab on each side of my face, and that’s it. I don’t know what else to say about it, really. It just works for my skin, and it’s lovely and it feels amazing and it’s vegan and affordable and available in every drugstore, and, well, I’m going to cry if NYX ever discontinues it. That is all.

 

9). The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask. (Vegan and cruelty-free)

 

 

I said that I wasn’t going to go crazy on The Body Shop’s website this past Black Friday season, and I didn’t. I only purchased a few items, and I got them at astonishing prices. It had to be one of my proudest retail moments when I ordered $41.00 worth of stuff from The Body Shop and checked out at only $11.60! I had $19.50 worth of promotions, including a $5.00 coupon found by the Honey app, and I also used my birthday month $10.00 voucher. I love that my birthday month is also Black Friday/seasonal scent month! The Body Shop’s seasonal scents are my favorites, as you’ll see in the entry below.

Oh, but first, this mask, you guys. From the first time I used The Body Shop’s Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask, I knew that it was what my skin had been needing. It’d been months since I’d done a daytime mask of any kind. I’m so glad that I tried this one. Another new favorite-favorite, for sure.

 

10). The Body Shop Juicy Pear seasonal scent (body butter). (Vegan and cruelty-free)

 

 

Juicy Pear is one of those seasonal/limited edition scents from The Body Shop that I wish would stick around, it’s so good. It doesn’t really smell like pears to me. It just smells divine. If only they’d keep it and make a spray fragrance of it….

 

11). Crystal Mineral Deodorant Roll-On (Vanilla Jasmine). (Vegan and cruelty-free)

 

 

I ran out of deodorant and decided to try this Crystal roll-on. The Schmidts deodorant worked well for me, so I was surprised that this one worked even better. In fact, it works better than most non-natural deodorants I’ve used! The scent I chose is vanilla jasmine, but it smells herbal and crisp and kind of masculine to me, which I like in a deodorant.

 

12). Jason Powersmile Anti-Cavity and Whitening Gel. (Vegan and cruelty-free)

 

 

Again, necessity gave me an excuse to try something new. I’m happy with everything this toothpaste has to offer, but my favorite thing has to be its sharp peppermint flavor. My teeth and mouth feel super clean and fresh after brushing with it, and again, a little goes a long way! A small dab on the toothbrush is enough.

 

So… that is IT for 2019! I hope your New Year is off to a wicked good start.