At the end of every year I love to reflect on things that made it great! Sometimes it’s a product, sometimes a TV show, sometimes an experience- it’s always changing. This year was hard to pick, but I think I’ve figured out my top 10 favorite things of 2025 🥰 Share some of your favorite things in the comments. 👇🏼 I love learning what other people do, watch, and enjoy!
My friendships mean so much to me and I’m always looking for ways to stay connected and create memories with my fav people. This year, 3 of my friends and I decided to go in on a yearly pass to a local theater to see 4 shows over the next few months 🎭 We saw ‘Come From Away’ in September and just saw ‘White Christmas’ this past week. We even grabbed lunch beforehand so we could all catch up- it was the best!
I found these workout videos when I was pregnant with my oldest and I’ve used them while pregnant and postpartum over the last 5 years. Amy creates monthly ‘challenges’ with ~20 videos in each month’s playlist. It makes it so easy to find what you’re looking for.
(I’ve been favoring the ones that are 25 minutes or less 🤣 #MomLife)
As someone who enjoys moving my body – and is trying to prioritize it- but doesn’t want to join a gym, these have been a Godsend. (You don’t need weights or any supplies to successfully workout with these videos either!)
In February my husband and I will have been married for 10 years and our relationship has changed and grown so much in the last decade. Now with 2 littles it can be hard to find time to connect and talk about things that aren’t related to the kids 🤪 I made us download this app (the free version) and have very much enjoyed the daily prompts. It asks daily questions and gives weekly + monthly ‘check ins’ to gauge how you’re both feeling about different aspects of your life. It’s been so helpful and fun; I highly recommend!
Yes, I entered my ‘millennial mom era’ in 2025 when I started making sourdough 🤣 I’m not a pro, but I make about 1 loaf per week. Sometimes I make a loaf for family or friends, but I’ve only ever tried like 2 variations of the OG recipe, LOL! What I lack in creativity for loaves I make up for in the discard recipes I’ve found, loved, and perfected.
Every Friday night I make us sourdough discard pizza and at least 2-3x/month I make us cheese crackers! I think I might like the pizza more than the bread, but that’s not surprising if you know me 😉 If you’ve been debating getting into sourdough, it is work and trying to figure out the schedule at first is like breastfeeding math (again, #IYKYK), but once you get the hang of it, it flows!
I HIGHLY recommend gathering your girlfriends for a ‘Unhinged Book Club‘ weekend. Here’s how it works… First, read an unhinged book (or novella). Then, make a presentation about how unhinged it is. Present said presentation to your friends- props, snacks, and costumes encouraged! Let laughter ensue 🤣 then decide who’s book was the most unhinged! We had such a great time and truly never stopped giggling. I think we’ll do it once a year!
Okay this one is a big deal because I legit just got these boots in November and they’re already on my list. 🙌🏼 This picture isn’t my exact boot, but these things are a MUST if you live in the Midwest. They’re waterproof, sturdy, and I’m using them for rain and snow! My favorite part you ask? The fact that they have a flexible/breathable material at the top so my legs don’t get too hot! (Does anyone else have that problem?!) They also have kids boots and yes, my daughter has a pair. She might like them even more than I do!
I love my birthday 🥳 because it gives me an excuse to gather my favorite people together! This year, I decided to celebrate 35 at our local bookstore, About Time Bookstore. I rented it out and invited my friends for bookmark making! Everyone did some shopping, walked away with some beautiful, floral bookmarks, and then we went to dinner down the street. It was truly one of my top nights of 2025 and I smile every time I think about it.
I can’t make a list of my favorite parts of 2025 without talking about our reading retreats! 😉 We had our first official book·cations this year and I’m blown away by the amount of people who want this experience 🙈 We had 71 people attend (4 of those people attended BOTH) from 11 states- incredible! This year we had 2 and next year we’ll have 4; I hope you’ll join us at one of them! They’re the perfect mix of reading, relaxing, and community.
Laugh all you want, but this brush has kind of changed my life 👏🏼 Last December I went to a curly hair specialist to learn more about how to take care of my hair. It was so eye opening! My waves can be a little funky- they do what they want 🙄 But I learned that I need to train my hair and this brush was one of the top things recommended to me. I told myself I was buying it for my daughter (who has very curly hair), but I’ve been using it, too! If you have waves that you think can do more than just wave, I suggest seeing a curly hair specialist or just getting this brush!
This might be an unpopular practice, but Eric and I don’t spend money on each other. 🤷🏻♀️ We don’t buy each other presents for our birthdays or Christmas. Instead, we choose experiences throughout the year and this year they all centered around music. 🎶
In January, we grabbed dinner with friends in downtown Chicago before seeing Fulton Lee. He’s a musician for everyone in the family- feel good songs with a funky beat that always get me groovin’.
In July, we went with some of our best friends to see Ben Rector at the Salt Shed in Chicago. It was such a cool location, the rain held off, and my sister (who was also there) and I bought his tour shirt with a great Chicago pun on them 🌭
Then, in November we had an overnight trip to Madison to see John Splithoff; he was my #1 artist on Spotify Wrapped this year, lol!
Stay tuned for the experiences we choose in 2026; one of them might be the World Cup if we can get tickets ⚽️🙏🏼
What did you do this year? What stood out as a favorite memory, experience, or product? I want to know! Share in the comments and if you want to talk about them in person, you know where to find me 😘
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