You’ll notice that there is a theme running through this fall favorites post and that theme is laziness. The days are getting shorter (too short) and colder (too cold) in London, so many of my days have consisted of curling up in warm clothes on the couch. The following items are my favorite things that have helped me embrace my couch potato status this fall:
1 // Cozy Knitwear
My name is Kelly and I’m addicted to buying knitwear. Seriously, I can’t stop. I have been living in cozy sweaters this fall, so every time I see one that is cute, or my favorite color, or looks soft, I just have to buy it! My current favorites are this ASOS jumper dress (I have it in tan) and this super soft jumper (they’re both under £40!). I just got back from a trip to America where I bought even more! They’re all soft, warm, and they photograph well, so it’s nearly impossible to resist them when I see them!
2 // Amazon Fire Stick
I almost feel like I’m cheating including this on my Fall favorites considering it arrived two days ago, but our Amazon Fire Stick has honestly been a game changer. Sean and I don’t have cable because we’ve never felt the need for it; pretty much everything we watch is on Netflix or can be streamed online. However, this always included an HDMI cable being strewn across the room, a laptop for streaming, and the need to get up or move to pause/start/change the show. These are total #firstworldproblems, but it did turn watching TV into a bit of a hassle.
Now, we can sit back and use the Fire Stick remote to control everything. And we still have access to Prime Video and Netflix; plus, we can also watch BBC iPlayer, ITV player, and live TV on BBC! I haven’t been this excited by a piece of technology in so long. Honestly the best £25 I’ve ever spent (thanks, Black Friday!).
3 // Podcasts
I took a break from reading this Fall to dedicate some time to listening. I’m not a huge fan of audio books because I don’t like how I cannot control the pace; podcasts, however, can be extremely entertaining. I went through the Serial phase like everybody else and then abandoned podcasts for awhile. When I discovered Dirty John, though, I couldn’t stop listening! True crime podcasts are so entertaining because they go deeper than Fictional TV Shows like Law & Order, but aren’t filled with a lot of fluff like suspense novels. I highly recommend Dirty John for anyone looking for a new podcast!
The other podcast I have recently started listening to is Marie Forleo. I’ve always had a creative mind, but have always been a bit hesitant to rely on my creativity for anything (i.e., taking blogging full time or starting my own business). While I’m not planning on taking any sort of plunge anytime soon, I love listening to Marie’s thoughts on everything from fear to decision making. She also brings on some great guests who write great books that are now on my reading list. Also, most episodes are under 10 minutes, so they’re perfect for even the shortest of commutes!
4 // All Things Trivia: Trivial Warfare, Pub Quiz, Apps
Speaking of podcasts, after losing too many pub quizzes, Sean and I decided to download Trivial Warfare in order to ‘study’. I came across the podcast randomly and we decided to give it a go and absolutely love it! It’s now the first thing we put on when we get in the car and it really helps us get through long car journeys.
Our trivia obsession recently started to spiral out of control and we turned to apps to help feed it. We both re-downloaded Trivia Crack, but we also discovered some new apps. The first was Quiz’em All, in which you go up against 99 other people to accurately answer ten questions the fastest. It’s done by category so you can choose your favorite, or challenge yourself to learn new things in new categories. I also re-downloaded Jeopardy and stay up way later than I should playing every night. And, while I haven’t stooped so low yet, I have seriously considered spending money so I can play longer!
However, our absolute favorite trivia app is HQ Trivia – a live trivia game show that let’s you play for real money. Sean and I play every single night; if you’re in the US, though, the game runs twice a day, so you have double the chance of winning. All you have to do is answer all twelve questions correctly (it’s harder than it sounds). If you download, use my referral code kellymongan and I’ll get an extra life next time I play!
5 // Portrait Mode
I’m adding this one at the last minute because I. Can’t. Get. Enough. Of. Portrait. Mode. I know it doesn’t go along with the whole lazy theme, but I just couldn’t resist. I upgraded to the iPhone 8+ early last month and, going into it, portrait mode was the thing I was most excited about. It definitely hasn’t disappointed! I do get annoyed that it doesn’t work in close range, but other than that can’t identify a single fault. I mean, look at these photos of me and Giorgio!
Sean and I joke that we no longer need to travel to pretty destinations because we can blur the background and it’ll be a really great photo of us regardless (don’t worry, though, we are still going to travel to PLENTY of pretty destinations!).
So who is ready to throw on some comfy clothes and join me in doing all things lazy? (That’s an oxymoron, I realize). Cozy season is my favorite time of year and, as we go from Fall to Winter, I’m totally indulging. Now, let me go make myself a cup of tea!
p.s. If you’re looking to get cozy with a book this winter, check out these cheap Christmas reads. They’re sure to keep you entertained all winter long!
Feature Photo
I want to start including a little bit about the feature photo of my favorites post, since I always share one of my favorites from the time period I’m writing about. So, from now on, you can figure out why I chose the photo for each favorites post right here at the bottom.
This photo was taken in Hallstatt, Austria during our trip to Salzburg & Hallstatt in November 2017. It’s such a fairytale town and I loved seeing it in the fall colors. Sean and I both adore Austria and are looking forward to exploring more of it on our travels!
