Stealing these fun prompts from Em For Marvelous. Although 2020 was really hard for many reasons, there were also so many good things to come of it too. I’ve learned a lot and we welcomed a baby to our family this year! I couldn’t close out the year without recapping the good!
Best adventure/travel/trip: I believe we only went on one this year but our Ocean City vacation was honestly so sweet. I booked it when I was still pregnant knowing Riley would only be a couple months old and knew that it could either end up being the best or worst decision and it ended up being the absolute best. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, transitioning to two babies was so much easier for us than 0-1, and the vacation was just a celebration of that. We had a really fun time, even during a pandemic.
Best book: I would say either The Girl on the Train or Where the Crawdads Sing. I enjoyed both of them a lot.
Best movie:
In January before all of the craziness hit, we went to see Frozen 2 in theaters for Shaney’s 2nd birthday and it was the most fun thing. The movie was really good and Shane loved the experience of being in the movie theater. It was such a special time and I will forever cherish those memories.
Best TV show: Although I enjoyed many TV shows this year, I think the one that brought me the most comfort was Gilmore Girls. This year there was so much unknown and unsettling and Gilmore Girls is just the perfect lighthearted show that brought me a lot of peace this year.
Best album or song: Yes I Will by Vertical Worship. It also brought me a lot of comfort in the midst of a lot of unknown.
Best follow on Instagram: Oh boy, there are so many people I enjoy following. I would say Logan Hahn. I only found her page towards the end of the year but hers really stands out to me because although controversial, I find a lot of value in the information she shares. I also really enjoyed following Rachel Allene too.
Best kiddo milestone: Shane becoming a big brother! He has done so well and loves his brother so much!
Best faith grower: Breastfeeding my second baby. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go this time around and I really tried to hold my hands and heart open to any possibility, but God really showed up and things went really well for us. It taught me a lot about how God does care about our desires and really does answer prayers.
Best beauty purchase: Burt’s Bees renewal line. I haven’t tried many different kinds of face care lines so I can’t exactly say that this one is my favorite but I did really enjoy having a skin care routine. It’s been something I’ve wanted to start for a while so it was fun to finally do so.
Best family memory: Bringing Riley home from the hospital really stands out in my mind. Shaney was so excited to meet him and it was the sweetest time.
Best habit you created: Finally figuring out how to budget and stick to it – all thanks to Marissa!
Favorite blog post written: The blog really took a hit this year and I have not published many blog posts at all. Something I’m hoping to change next year! But my favorite is definitely Riley’s Birth Story. ♥️
Best new recipe: One would have to be The Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. We’ve really been loving it especially Shane, which is a miracle because he has become sooo picky. Also, this recipe for pizza dough. We don’t buy frozen pizza at all anymore because this is just so much better and cheaper.
Best life or mom hack: Forever and always: waking up before my kids. While there was a big portion of the year that I wasn’t doing this because of having a newborn, I’m still sticking it here because when I am able to do it, it really makes such a difference on what I can get done for the day.
Best mama moment: Not exactly a moment but somewhere along the way I’ve really made a big change on the amount of mom guilt I’ve allowed in my life. It’s made such a difference in my mental health and how much I’m able to enjoy my kids.
Best home improvement: Moving the washer and dryer upstairs! No more having to go to the basement to do the laundry!!
Best little luxury you’ve enjoyed: Dark chocolate with almonds before bed every night!
