All The Tabs I Currently Have Open
Big Spender #006: Productivity planning and dog walking outfits
Welcome to Big Spender, an interactive shopping column delivered to your inbox every Tuesday. In these issues, you will find links to items on my shopping wishlist along with recent good buys and product that sold out before I got the chance to buy. Enjoy & happy shopping!
My shopping wishlist has taken a new form within the past couple of weeks. Lately, my consumption has been focus on things that fuel mental clarity grounded in self-care. For the past couple of months, I’ve been trying to get back into a better self-care routine inclusive of consistent writing, reading, journaling, working out and waking up early! Within the past few weeks, I’ve been searching for a yearly planner to keep me on track with all of the things going on in my personal and professional life. My best friend, when it comes to organizational tools, are planners, and I have yet to find the perfect one for me. I have a short list of criterias:
A monthly overview to outline important dates such as birthdays, payment/bill due dates, appointments, travel plans, etc.
Weekly planner pages inclusive of a general overview for top priorities, habit tracking and a separate note-taking section
A daily breakdown where I can list my to-do list, personal appointments, mood tracker, meal planner, water intake, and most importantly, a daily intention that I can fill out at the start of each day
I fell in love with the flirty cover of this productivity planner from Papier but didn’t end up purchasing because I felt like there was something missing. My next go-to was Etsy, as it’s a great destination for supporting small businesses and attaining unique, often handmade, items. I found a planner on the platform that has lots of monthly, weekly and daily organizational tools but haven’t purchased yet because I’m still deliberating. Here it is. While the spiral notebook is a plus, I don’t love any of the front cover art options. Because of my dilemma with both planners, I decided to take a stab at creating my own.
Similar to the productivity planner I found on Papier, I manipulated the color story of a very similar template I found on Canva.
From there, I built out a daily planning page, again, manipulating elements from multiple Canva templates adjusting the color story, headers, segments and cute little design details to my liking. It took me a few hours to land on this layout, and I think I might just build the weekly and monthly pages I’m looking for, print them out and use these instead of buying a branded one. Another option would be to use this as a digital planner, but there’s something about putting pen to paper to start my day. While it’s not the most sustainable option, it’s just what I’m looking for.
In other news, living outside of the city has really impacted my daily fitness journey. I use the word “fitness” pretty lightly considering I was really lacking a consistent workout routine. However, I did walk everywhere, and I absolutely loved it and miss it dearly. In fact, the most walking I’ve been doing lately is walking my dog around the neighborhood, and even that, I can do a better job at doing on a more consistent basis. Every time I have taken my dog for a walk, though, the first thing that comes to mind is my lack of cute dog walking clothes. If you have a pet, what do you wear (aside from leggings and a t-shirt)? I need something that keeps me warm during the brisk mornings but light enough to keep me from sweating dramatically during my walk. I’m also looking for functionality. I need tops that can hold my phone, keys, AirPods, and pepper spray (I'm currently living in a place with lots of roaming coyotes and would like to keep myself and my small dog safe from them).
My favorite types of tops to wear while walking, but also just in general, are teeny tanks that are fitted enough to not require a bra. As a small chested girl, I have this luxury. This red tank from Free People Movement is adorable, comes in a variety of colors and has a really flattering fit. Similarly, I love the ruching detail at the bust of this tank from 437, paired with its matching v-cut leggings. Speaking of leggings, I like to layer half crew socks over top of mine for warmth (I guess?) but mostly because I like the look. These ribbed socks from SetActive are amongst my favorite ribbed socks I’ve ever owned.
I typically struggle with traditional functional outerwear because they’re rarely ever cute. But, this cropped number from Free People Movement is beautiful, not only because of the color but also because of the belted detail that gives the appearance of a snatched waist whilst walking. There is also this jacket and pant set from Alo that has mesh panels throughout the leg and arms. I wasn’t sure if I liked this at first, but after several glances, I actually think it’s really cool and functional by providing ventilation while walking!
xx, Niya
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