You probably already know this, but my favorite kind of video to watch on YouTube–aside from daily vlogs–are the “favorites” videos beauty and lifestyle vloggers post on a monthly basis. I can’t get enough of them, and would gladly watch them over and over given the chance. I love that people can use them to make recommendations to others, and seriously–what’s so bad about sitting around and talking about the shit you like?

HOWEVER… I live in a one-bedroom apartment by myself. I have very little space to be bringing in new products to review every month. So I’m going to be making a video and writing a blog post about these things every three months instead.

Here are the things I especially loved from August to October:

Smart Mom, Rich Mom by Kimberly Palmer — You might notice this and say, “Wait… do you even have kids, Shelby?” And no. No, I do not. But one day I might. Since moving out on my own, my interest in finance has increased, and I was intrigued when I read an article about this book in the Detroit News. What caught my eye is that it is specifically written for women AND about building wealth, whereas most financial books and magazines are written for men. It really didn’t disappoint, despite the author’s annoying overuse of the terms “mama” and “mama bear.” I like that it’s about managing and building wealth and establishing good financial habits rather than having a coupon for everything. (I even applied what I read to my own life, which I wrote about here and here!)

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie — I’ve had this book recommended to me on more than one occasion, and I never wanted to read it. Ever. But something changed in August–a Barnes and Noble trip on a rainy afternoon after I cried my eyes out in an academic adviser’s office at the community college–and I wanted to read it suddenly.  I followed the guidelines that come in the book, which say that to get the most out of the book, you should read each chapter twice before moving on to the next: once just reading, once with a pencil or highlighter in hand. I hate to say it, but–this book CHANGED MY LIFE. Like, holy shit. I’ve never not liked people, but I never realized how much I knew about dealing with them before reading this book–without applying that knowledge to my everyday life. Good work, Dale Carnegie!

Bible-Hi-Glider ACCU-Gel Highlighters — Let me start by saying that my PaperMate Flair pens are my favorite writing utensil EVER–but these come very, very close. I actually ended up reading every chapter of How to Win Friends and Influence People three times–once just reading, once with a pencil so I could make marks in the margins, and the final time with these babies. I got a set of three on Amazon for $8, and I’m so happy I did it. They’re safe for highlighting the thin pages of a Bible, but they also don’t bleed through on newsprint, which is why I bought them. They’re perfect.

Best Fiends — I’m so embarrassed to admit this, but at the same time, #sorrynotsorry. This app was making its rounds on YouTube earlier this year–I want to say I saw it being most heavily promoted in April? but I was still seeing sponsored videos for it in  August?–and to be honest, I downloaded it because Tanya Burr was playing it in one of her videos. It makes me sad that so many of the paid-for advertisements for the game that I saw seem so half-assed, because I think it’s a great game. I don’t do game apps normally–never have I ever played Candy Crush–but this one is entertaining, and when I’m having a shit day, playing it somehow calms me down. I 100% am loving and playing this game every day.

Clash of Kings — Yet another game on my phone! How do I describe this game and my feelings towards it? Can I start by admitting that, as a big fan of George R.R. Martin, I was drawn in by the name? Also, my friends didn’t want to hang out this summer, and loneliness drove me to play it after I ran out of lives on Best Fiends. If you don’t know what the game is, you’re basically the lord of your own castle, and you can build your city around it up, attack monsters like griffins and centaurs, and even wage war against other lords and alliances. My alliance had its issues during its early days, but we got over that and started working more as a team. What did you do today? I attacked a Lava Giant, Level 15…. and won. Finally.

Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask — This mask though. First of all, I don’t care for the smell. Yes, it smells like pumpkin pie, but I don’t like sweet smells. If you like pumpkin pie though, you’ll love the smell–just don’t eat it. I use it once a week. It’s a very nice mask for the end of the day–just apply it to clean skin, gently massage it in, let sit for five to ten minutes, and wash it off! It’s great for exfoliating. Just be careful–don’t get overzealous with your face massage, because it will hurt after.

Biore Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar — Charcoal soap is my favorite thing to wash my face with, and it seems like every brand has their own charcoal soap these days. I saw this product at Target and was fascinated by the shape of the bar, which is why I got it–I like things that look like smooth stones, okay? It has stayed pretty rock-shaped since I first started using it, and I’ve been using it every day since I bought it in early August. Be careful though, because the texture definitely gets rougher as you use more and more of it.

I’d love to hear what you’re loving this fall, so please comment below to tell me!