Here are my favorite purchases of the year, in no particular order.

I saw the EDJY fingernail cutter in an ad and had to give it a try. It is soooo good. Previously I would cut my left hand nails with a pair of nail scissors and my right hand nails with a typical nail clipper. Then I had to use a nail file to knock down the sharp edges on every finger. This EDJY cutter is extremely quick, catches the cutoffs, and I no longer need to use a nail file. I’m patiently waiting for their toenail cutter, which was supposed to release this year.

A couple of hobby electronics items are the Pinecil soldering iron and a silicon soldering mat. The Pinecil is much smaller, lighter, and easier to use than my HAKKO and it’s cool I can upgrade and modify it. It heats up so quick. The mat protects my desk from solder splatter and keeps everything organized during a project.

I posted about these next two items earlier this year and they are the Putting Thing from WHYGOLF and my L.A.B. Golf DF3 Putter. I love the feel of this club and when I was practicing daily I was putting great. Then I stopped setting aside the time and my putting inside 10 feet turned terrible. I’m committed to more consistent practice next year.

For the last few years I’ve been carrying a Field Notes Expedition Edition (waterproof) on the golf course to keep score and track stats. Before this golf season I bought a leather cover, which fits great in my back pocket to keep the notebook and an official scorecard protected.

Other additions to my golf bag are Titleist GT2 fairway woods to replace hybrids. I bought the 16.5° (4 wood) and 21° (7 wood). The seven is my favorite and I have the confidence to hit it from anywhere. It goes through the rough like butter and launches the ball like a wedge. One of the greatest shots I’ve ever made was hitting this thing on a par 5 from over 230 yards away to 3 feet for an eagle. It came in so high and soft that it only bounced a foot from where it landed. I want to try their driver before next season.

In November we picked up the Marcy 150 lb. Stack Home Gym to replace our single cable DP Ultra Gympac. It’s already getting a lot of use and expanded the movement options we have in our home gym.

In February I got my eyes checked after some bad headaches and found out I needed glasses. Straight to progressive lenses too! We’d all prefer not to wear glasses, but seeing clearly is better. I also bought sunglasses for the golf course that only use my far prescription.

Water with Propel or Gatorade Zero electrolyte packets had been my drink on the golf course for several years and I’d often still end up with headaches on the really hot/humid days. This year I switched to SALTT, which has a lot more electrolytes and the headaches are completly gone. This stuff is great to drink all day every day. My favorite flavors are Cherry Chill and Lemon Lime Twist, while Brandi likes the Caramel Vibes.

I’ve been wanting an everyday truck for years and had a reservation for Tesla’s ugly dumpster for five years, hoping they’d redesign it. Rivian offered me great incentives and an unbelievable trade-in, so I leased a white dual motor performance R1T this summer. It’s a much better vehicle than both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y I had. I’ve never seen anything like the automatic brights, which adjust to only point low beams at other vehicles, while still projecting high beams everywhere else in front of the vehicle. It’s magic! If you’re in the market, use my referral code (NICK13411712) and we’ll both get a reward.

I’ve tried different bags of coffee (specially ground) to make cold brew, but never cared for any of them so we resorted to buying too many bottles of premade cold brew. This year we decided to try Atlas Coffee Club (referral) and it’s been great. We’re on an automatic subscription for two bags about every two weeks (less frequently in the cold months) and make all of our own cold brew. Each delivery is a coffee blend from a different country, which keeps it interesting.

I built the outfeed/assembly table in my workshop around the JessEm Mast-R-Lift II Router Lift. Although I haven’t even used it yet, I love what it’s done to the usability of the space and how much it’s going to improve my build processes. In my old shop taking out the router table was a whole thing and not convenient at all.

A new tool I reach for all the time is a 6″ double square. Being able to use both sides means I rarely reach for a combination square anymore. I don’t think I’ve ever even used the 45° side of a combination square. I’d like to find a 10 or 12 inch as well.

I needed new belts and went with a couple different styles of ratcheting ones. Black and blue dress belts, which still go great with shorts or jeans, and more casual gray and khaki web nylon belts. I love that I’m not limited to holes in the belt for sizing and it’s so easy to loosen after a big meal.

The long sleeve hooded t-shirt from 32 Degrees was an instant favorite and I ended up getting it in three colors: artichoke space dye, heather, and black. I’d wear shorts and a hoodie year round if I could and the thinner t-shirt material is really comfortable.

At our 7 year anniversary, Automattic gifts us headphones and I’ve been traveling with the same pair of over ear headphones ever since. I’ve been with the company for over 17 years, so do the math. On a recent trip I noticed the ear pieces were falling apart and I had black stuff all over my head and clothes. So I bought a set of Apple AirPods Max and these things are incredible in terms of comfort and the listening experience.

Our resort in Mexico had Fresca in the quick snack area and I’d never had it before. We gave it a try and both loved it. It’s a grapefruit citrus flavored soda water with no caffiene and no calories. It’s delicious and we’ve been buying it here and there for the last couple of months. The Black Cherry flavor is ok too, but not as good.

Trader Joe’s Crispy Jalapeño Pieces are a delicious way to finish this list. Since trying them I never leave Trader Joe’s without several bags in the cart.

This is my fourth year making this post. Look back at 2017, 2018, and 2024. What are some of your favorite buys?