At the beginning of this year, I did a post rounding up my top purchases from 2020. It was in an effort to find as much good as possible in what was a pretty crappy year. 2021 was definitely a better year, but I still wanted to look back at the things I bought to see what's stood the test of time.

These are things that I bought for myself, at any point during the last 12 months, that have gone above and beyond the call of duty...or that I've just used over and over again.

Desktop Computer - When I changed jobs, the magazine came with a laptop, which was great! It gives me the ability to work from anywhere, but it's also small and I felt a little bad filling it up with all my personal stuff, too. So at the beginning of the year, I bit the bullet and bought myself a desktop, and I have not regretted it a single day. I still use my laptop from time to time, but having a proper computer has been a game changer. I'm linking to the same model as the computer I have but it is not the exact specs.

Kindle Paperwhite - A few months ago, I made a kind of spur-of-the-moment decision to downgrade from my Fire tablet to a Kindle Paperwhite. So essentially I went from a tablet that had the Kindle app installed on it to just an e-reader. It took me a bit to get used to the covers not being in color, but otherwise I haven't looked back.

Yellow Converse - You should all know by now how much I love my Converse, but this yellow pair takes the prize.

Shacket - Yes, I know, I held off on this trend for ages, but once I finally took the plunge, I couldn't be happier. This is the perfect jacket for our weird Southern winters.

Skull Tank - This is probably my most-worn shirt for the year. I love it so much and will be sad when it eventually wears out or gets a hole in it.

Mellow Brow Powder Duo in Auburn - Y'all, I know I talk about this all the time, but it really is that good. It is literally the only eyebrow powder I have ever used that is a perfect match for my hair. Everything else is either too brown or blonde.

Monat - I'm generalizing this one because there are simply too many products to list without making a post just for it, but switching my haircare over to Monat products has been a total game changer for me this year.

Makeup Drawer Organizers - Such a simple thing has made a pretty big impact for my morning routine. I honestly don't know how I let myself go for so long without some system in my makeup drawer.

Postage Scale - I can't even begin to express how much time this has saved me over the year. If you have a home-based business, you need to invest in one of these. Then create yourself a PirateShip account. Trust me. You'll not regret it.

Letter Opener - Another simple thing that has made a pretty big impact on my work routine in the simple fact that it simplified a task that I honestly dread. I'm not linking to this because I literally spent $1 on the one I bought.