We asked singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini — who recently partnered with the Original Donut Shop Coffee — about the spicy candle, go-with-everything sauce, and reusable eye patches she can’t live without.
I started doing this journal a couple of years ago, and it’s helped me be present. Life moves so fast when you’re traveling and busy, so it’s nice that this takes just five minutes. The reality is everyone has that. I keep myself accountable by bookmarking my day, remembering where I’m at, being present with myself, and honoring the memories I’m making in the season I’m in.
I love the local Nashville-based company Ranger Station. It makes amazing-smelling candles. I go for ones that have a more spicy, amber vibe. It just feels warm and cozy to me. They have the whole range, though, so I gift a lot of the sweeter scents to my friends. What’s cool, too, is that they’re made in whiskey glasses. So once you burn the candle down, you can do the trick where you boil it, put it in the freezer, get the rest of the wax out, and then you have this beautiful local Nashville whiskey glass. It’s a nice two-in-one gift.
The older I get, the more I’m like, Eye patches are just going to be a part of my daily skin-care routine. And Skinpharm is, again, a Nashville-based, woman-owned shop where they do skin-care treatments. They are so educated and savvy in that space and have their own line of products. These reusable eye patches are a recent launch. I love that they’re sustainable and cute, too. I’ll bop around with my morning coffee with these on.
I have ’em on right now. I don’t think I’m going to wear any other shoes this season. The platform gives them a little something extra. I’m a tall girl, but I love an extra bit of height. I love heels. These give me the best of both worlds since they’re so comfortable. I can take my dog out in the morning in them and also run errands.
I have turned into a supplement girlie. With all the traveling I’ve been doing, I wanted to take every precaution I could to stay healthy. Plus, I was having trouble sleeping due to anxiety, so I wanted to find supplements that work for me. I did some research into the most vegan pills, and I like that Ritual has vegan capsules. I’m not putting any kind of plastics or weird chemicals in my body. If you’re taking something every day, I think it’s really important to be mindful about not just the vitamin but the vessel it comes in too. Now, I take these: a pre-, pro-, and post-biotic; ashwagandha for stress and anxiety; and magnesium for sleep. I’ve noticed such a difference and am religious about taking them.
This is where I get a little bougie. I recognize that. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m out with my friends, I’ll drink any kind of tequila, but if I had to pick, my crème de la crème is ’42. I genuinely love learning about different kinds of wine, how it’s made, where it’s grown, the different varietals. I always thought that was just the wine world. Then I started learning a little bit about tequila, like Anejo versus Reposado versus Blanco; how it’s aged; where it’s grown; all that stuff. I think it’s really interesting. With ’42, obviously it’s a very nice tequila, but I love the Reposado nature of it. I love the caramel element; it has almost a little vanilla to it. It goes down much smoother, rather than a Blanco. My band and I have a bottle in the dressing room. After a good show, we’ll all pass around the ’42.
I’m just a sucker for a good name. I was walking down the aisle at either Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and was like, What is this? It was the Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce and has become my go-to on literally everything. You can dip your veggies in it, you can spread it on a sandwich as an aioli. If I make a burrito bowl, I’ll put a big dollop in there. It tastes incredible and it’s almond based. It’s so good and guilt-free.
These are must-haves for me year-round, but especially during the holidays. I lean into making coffee a little treat with the holiday flavors to start my morning feeling special and toasting the season. It’s cozy and puts me in holiday mode. I also use these to make cocktails like an espresso martini. That’s been my drink of the season. It’s classic. I’ll usually use the regular coffee flavor, but I’ve been experimenting with the red velvet latte flavor. That and the Bailey’s really add an extra creaminess that I love.
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