2015 is almost over and you know what I realized? This year was pretty fantastic.
When I sat down to think about why the year was so great, I realized it wasn’t just the BIG things, although they were plentiful, too- it was a lot of little, not-so-significant things that you don’t think about every day that combined to make for a wonderful 365 days.
A few days ago, I came across Alexandra Franzen’s Love List and realized that I wanted to share my own 2015 love list, here with all of you.
From inspiring websites to must-follow Instagram accounts to my favorite yoga clothes, TV shows, restaurants and biz tools, here are all of the things that made 2015 a little more delightful- a Get Gutsy LOVE list, if you will.
INSPIRATION
Notes From The Universe: Oh my goodness. These emails are my absolute favorite part of waking up each weekday morning. Every day, “The Universe” sends me a little message, always personalized with my name (and sometimes even personalized with a specific goal/dream of mine) filled with inspiration and wisdom for the day. The emails are brief, but impactful. Seriously. Just sign up.
Elephant Journal: Thank goodness for Elephant Journal! I discovered this inspiring website this past summer and quickly fell for its compelling, raw, honest and emotion-filled content. I’m a huge fan of their Love and Relationships section and even had my own work published there in November!
DailyHoroscope: Yeah, I’m a little bit of a horoscope junkie and the DailyHoroscope app on my phone makes it super easy to check in each day. I love reading the predictions and finding the little ways the words may (or may not) relate to my life.
BOOKS
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari: After a spring spent binge-watching Parks and Recreation, I fell hard for Aziz Ansari. He’s HILARIOUS, but he’s also super smart and his book all about dating and love in the digital era rings very true for me.
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord: I didn’t read too many fiction books this year, but this book absolutely blew me away. I love me a good love story and this one did not disappoint! It was the perfect beach read on my vacation in Mexico.
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler: See a trend here? Another Parks and Recreation read! Amy Poehler’s book was filled with funny and heartfelt stories, but also really amazing and insightful advice from a strong and independent woman. Love!
Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith: I read this book for yoga teacher training, but I’d really recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about who they are and how they can better interact with the world around them to live a more balanced life. The book is all about the chakra system (energy centers in the body), but before you go on thinking this is all “woo-woo”, I urge you to give it a read.
BLOGS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Starr Struck: Thanks to my friend Caroline, I discovered Mary Catherine Starr’s Starr Struck blog and quickly fell for her little empire! A fellow yoga teacher and creative entrepreneur, I can see Mary Catherine being a good friend if we lived closer to one another. I also adore her podcast (co-hosted with her hubby, Ben) and recently read her ebook “How To Earn a Living Teaching Yoga.”
Alex In Wanderland: If you have a case of wanderlust, Alex’s blog is a must-read! I love her style of writing, her vibrant photography and the variety of content she posts. Alex is another one I feel like I could be friends with if we met in person!
Snapchat: In 2015, I became obsessed with Snapchat. It was an app I used prior to 2015, but didn’t quite understand. Now, I truly LOVE the Snapchat Story feature and have a blast making fun stories with my friends each weekend (because let’s be honest- my weeks aren’t all that exciting). I find Snapchat to be a great place to share real moments, the unfiltered, non-perfect pictures/videos that I’d never post to Instagram. It’s a super fun place to be. Be sure to check out some of my favorite Snapchatters.
- AdventurousKate: Kate posts awesome snaps from her travels all around the world.
- WTFrankie: Frankie is a hilarious social media pro documenting her daily life in NYC. She also does a fun show for the ShortyAwards account each week (The Shortys are another company owned by my client, Muck Rack)
- KinoYoga: Kino is one of my yoga inspirations and I love her daily chats on living a yogic lifestyle.
Instagram: Instagram is definitely not new to me for 2015, but I absolutely found some new accounts this year that make Instagram so much fun to browse each day.
- @Insta.Single: Hilarious account for all my fellow single ladies.
- @TargetDoesItAgain: Awesome account highlighting what fab items Target has in stock.
- @EliteDaily: One of my favorite hilarious/inspirational meme accounts.
- @CestChristine: Another travel blogger I love who absolutely kills it on Instagram.
- @PeteSouza: He’s the Chief Official White House Photography instagramming behind-the-scenes looks at what goes on in President Obama’s world.
InstaFit Free: Another great social media tool! I use this one to create a white frame around my Instagram pictures- I originally used it to not have to crop out my Instagram pictures into a square, but now I really enjoy the artistic look of the frame when I look at my account as a whole.
PODCASTS
The Shepod: I’ve been Internet friends with Rachael King since around 2008, so I was thrilled when she and her friend started a podcast. Each week, Rachael and Sara chat over brunch about what they’re wearing, eating and loving, as well as what’s grossing them out and a healthy dose of 90s nostalgia.
The Lively Show: Jess Lively’s weekly podcast is a must-listen. Her unique guests always bring the inspiration and motivation to live a more intentional life.
Here To Make Friends: If you’re a fan of the Bachelor franchise, this one’s for you. Emma and Claire, who work at The Huffington Post, dish each week about whatever latest Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor In Paradise show is currently airing. *This one’s on hiatus until the new season of The Bachelor starts in January*
ENTERTAINMENT
Spotify: So I’m definitely a little bit late to the Spotify party, only discovering its magic this past summer, but oh man, it has changed my world! Spotify makes it so easy to discover new music with their suggested playlists (I especially love the Acoustic Morning list) and as a yoga teacher, it allows me access to all kinds of music to craft the perfect class playlist. I pay for the premium version ($9.99/month, well worth it) and I love that it also lets me download music to play offline, letting me listen in the car, as well as play music for my classes. Follow me on Spotify by searching for Jessica Lawlor- I’m pretty proud of my playlists! Some of my favorite songs of 2015?
- Mine by Phoebe Ryan
- Ungodly Hour by The Fray
- Is There Somewhere by Halsey
- Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding
- You’re In Love by Taylor Swift
- Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia
Netflix: I was also late to the game on loving Netflix, but again, this amazing product made 2015 a true delight. I was slow to catch on, but how amazing is it to have so many shows/movies/documentaries/comedy shows right at your fingertips? Plus, isn’t life just much more awesome when you can binge-watch a show you love one right after the other?! I love the type of original content Netflix is creating- Impossible Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None were two of my favorite shows of the year!
TV: I try to limit my TV time to when I’m getting ready for work and before bedtime, but there are a few shows I’m absolutely loving in 2015 that I need to talk about. First off, I binge-watched Parks and Recreation (Leslie & Ben forever!) in the spring and I truly believe it may be my favorite TV show of all time. As mentioned above, Impossible Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None also make the list, as does the Hulu only show Casual and two old favorites of mine, The Mindy Project and Modern Family.
YOGA/FITNESS
Kino Yoga: Kino Macgregor is one of my primary yoga inspirations. I’ve followed her for a little over a year now and am so inspired by her dedication to the practice. She really breaks down what it means to live a yogic lifestyle through her Instagram, Periscope discussions and Snapchats. Kino is a student of Ashtanga yoga, something I’m starting to learn more about and find absolutely fascinating.
Dana Hot Yoga: This may be cheating since I loved Dana Hot Yoga prior to 2015, but I have to give a shout out to my home studio (and the studio where I teach!) I completed my teacher training with Dana in 2015 and now teach two classes there per week- Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. If you’re local, Dana has studios in Bala Cynwyd, Glenside and Spring House. The teachers are all fantastic (yeah, I’m a little biased) and all bring a little something different to the table. Come check us out!
Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf: I’m a little Lululemon obsessed; I’ll admit it. At the very beginning of last year, my first-ever Lulu purchase (besides my mat) was this gem of a scarf. It can be worn something crazy like 10 different ways (I’m not that skilled to figure out all 10 ways, but this girl in the Lululemon video is).
Lululemon Power Y Tank: I’m a creature of habit and when I find something I love I stick with it. That’s probably why I own this yoga tank from Lulu in three different colors. I love it because it provides enough support that I don’t need to wear a sports bra with it, it sucks everything in and is easy to practice in and looks good, too.
Athleta Chaturanga Tights: I have A LOT of yoga pants (think somewhere around 15…), but my absolute favorites are my Athleta Chaturanga Tights. I think I own four different pairs, some crops, some long pants, in different colors. These are my favorite pants to practice in, as well as teach in. They are super comfy, flattering and the colors always pop and make me feel bright and cheery in class!
Focus T25: I’ve never been a person who jumps onto fad diets or workouts, but I suppose after trying T25, I now am. I swear, this 25-minute workout from Shaun T, the creator of the Insanity workouts, is SUPER impactful and only 25 minutes. I made my way through the 15-week program in the spring and just re-started it a couple of weeks ago with a few friends as accountability partners. I’ve only been doing it for three weeks and I’m already seeing results!
BUSINESS/LIFE TOOLS
Mailchimp: I use Mailchimp to send out my twice-monthly e-newsletters and the platform is incredibly intuitive, easy-to-use, and not to mention, FREE, for up to 2,000 subscribers.
Feedly: Feedly is the way I keep up with so many blogs! When Google Reader went away a few years ago, I switched over to Feedly as an RSS reader and haven’t looked back.
theSkimm: OH MAN. How I didn’t know about theSkimm before 2015 is beyond me. This daily newsletter breaks down the biggest news stories around the world in an easy to understand and digest way. It’s one of my first reads each day.
FOOD AND FUN
Saffron: Indian food is my new love. I can’t get enough of chana masala and garlic naan and Saffrom (locations in Bala Cynwyd and Ambler) is AMAZING. I’m also a fan of Tiffin, which has several locations in the Philadelphia area.
Cantina Feliz: If you know and love me, you’ve probably been to this restaurant with me. It’s my absolute favorite- Cantina Feliz has the best guacamole on this earth and I’m obsessed with the carnitas tacos. (You may recognize the Feliz name- the same company owns La Calaca Feliz in Fairmount and Taqueria Feliz in Manayunk) as well as a new pizza spot in Hatboro. YUM. If you come visit me, we will go here.
Spruce Street Harbor Park: Philadelphia is killing it with awesome outdoor spaces and summer’s Spruce Street Harbor Park is an absolutely magical setting: a floating barge with netting over the river to lounge in, HAMMOCKS everywhere, food trucks, cotton candy, drinks, twinkly lights and more. It’s one of my favorite places. It’s the perfect spot for a date or to hang out with friends.
Belmar Beach: You all know that I’m an Ocean City, NJ girl at heart (always will be!) but my friend Kelsie introduced me to Belmar Beach this summer and I’m a little bit hooked. It’s the closest NJ beach to where I live (at just about an hour’s drive) and is a quick jaunt to the beach- it’s one of the North Jersey beaches, so definitely different than my beloved OCNJ, but it serves its purpose for a day trip!
What did YOU absolutely love in 2015? Leave your favorite things in the comments below!
*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. This means, if you click or make a purchase, I will receive a commission (at NO extra cost to you). Don’t worry; I will ALWAYS disclose when that is the case and I will only do this for products or services I personally use and truly believe in! Clearly, I LOVE all of the above!
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