How is it that a whole year has passed and here we are again starting a new year? 2017 wasn’t a HUGE year of change for us, but it was a great year. I wanted to do a quick little recap of our year, and share with you what personal and business goals I have for 2018!
January
2017 started with all of us being sick (kind of like the end of the year finished), but I was able to take an annual trip with my best friends to Dallas. When Brett finished ginning, we snuck away to Highland Park for a little R&R with our girls!
February
We celebrated the end of a successful ginning season by taking our annual trip to Las Vegas with Jordan and D’Kota! Then we celebrated Valentine’s Day with our girls!
March
March was for #nationalmargaritaday with my best friend and I also completed my first campaign with my dream brand, Nordstrom! So thankful to be continuing that relationship and partnership throughout the year. The girls grew so big and continued to amaze me with their sweet spirits. So thankful for them!
April
I attended my first RewardStyle Conference and learned so much! It was also super cool to meet all of the ladies that I talk to daily online in real life! We had a few little staycations with the girls and my family and celebrated Easter in Canyon with my family!
May
I took my first press trip with Britax and got to build a carseat! It was SO cool and such an honor to be a part of. Also, we shot in the windiest of WINDY for a wine campaign that I roped my mom and sister into! HA! That was a memory FOR SURE! Also, celebrated my third mother’s day with my sweet girls!
June
We kicked off the start of summer in the mountains in Ruidoso! Brett golfed and we stayed at the pool! Lots of lake weekends happened and the girls proved to be little lake-rats! We also celebrated Brett’s 31st, Laikyn’s 4th, Lennyn’s 2nd birthdays as well as our 6th wedding anniversary! JUNE is the busiest month of all for us! Oh, and don’t forget Father’s Day!
I also had a huge honor of taking over the Liketoknow.it.family page as this was one of my forever goals!
July
We took our first BIG blog trip on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and Brett and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary while there! We took our annual Lake Trip to Lake LBJ and I survived sharing the whole Nordstrom Sale start to finish and also got to meet several other of my favorite girls in Houston! I also got to meet some of my best blog friends in real life, which is super cool! Also lots of lake trips and celebrating the 4th of July with family!
Oh and don’t forget the day I fell in love with Sands, the dolphin!
August
More trips to the mountains this month! I love traveling with my little family! We LOVE the mountains, lake and beach so much!! We also took a girls’ trip to Dallas with my mom and sister! SO much fun in August!
September
This was a big month for us! Laikyn started preschool!! She absolutely LOVES it! She goes two days a week and has enjoyed her teachers, new friends and learning! I went on my second trip to NYC and attended my first New York Fashion Week! It was such an experience and one I’ll never forget! Brett and I took a trip to Vegas. I’ll never forget this one as we arrived home the very night of the shooting. I am still shaken up over it and praying for the victims.
October
I started single mom life again as Brett got busy ginning this month. I am SO thankful for his work, but I won’t lie that these months are the hardest without him. I know the long hours are hard on him as well! We still found time to travel to Mammie and Pop Pop’s for WT Homecoming!
We also took family pictures (and then I never got Christmas cards sent out….oops)
November
November was when all of our back-to-back sicknesses started….SO thankful for those to be done. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our families and I also went on a little Dallas trip with Kristin!
December
This is the month we learned that Laikyn is allergic to Augmentin (and all drugs alike). This was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to go through as a mother! So thankful we know now and she will never have it again!
We celebrated Christmas and enjoyed family at the end of 2017! We rang in the new year with Daddy at the gin since he was still working & ginning cotton!
What does 2018 have in store? My word for this year is INTENTIONAL. I want to have intention with every aspect of my life; both personal and business/blog. When I have the intention to do something, I want to follow through. I want to love my family with intent, make time for silly play time and for teaching moments. This sounds silly but when cleaning my house, I want to do it with intent. I want to be intentional in my prayers, praying specfically for people, for situations, for growth and knowledge. Intent is something that we all have, but we just have to keep it in the forefront of our minds and remember to do whatever it is we are doing with all of our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. I hope that you can see this change within my life personally and here in this space!
As for the blog this year? You will be seeing more videos! An overwhelming 70% of you asked to see more video (instagram stories, youtube, live videos, vlogs, etc) so we are definitely going to work on that! I am being INTENT in that I am going to be working smarter and not harder. Things won’t look totally different over here, so don’t worry! New year; same ol’ me…but I think we all have some room for growth, right? I also intend on starting work hours today. I will be utilizing a time-block schedule and pray that I can stick with it. I also would love to share more motherhood and meaningful posts with you. I focused more on fashion in 2017, but you’ll see a bit of everything in 2018! I hope you like that.
Balance is another area that I intend to keep steady this year. With going full time with my blog over a year ago, I feel like I was testing (er, trying to stay afloat) in the waters and finally feel like I now have a grip on life and what it takes. I feel like I am able to set these hours, boundaries and stick to a schedule to balance what everyone needs from me AND finding time for myself aside from being on the phone, computer…I mean like REALLY spend time on me. Every woman needs this. Self-Care is so important and I encourage you to try to make time for yourself in 2018, as well!
What I said last year still holds true:
I still get blown away when someone says they read it and see my things floating around on Pinterest. I still get amazed that anyone cares what I think (because I’m really not that cool) but am so thankful that hearts are helped and women are encouraged. I created this space to uplift, encourage, share life and give confidence to those that need it – and like I’ve said from the beginning, if only ONE person is reading and ONE person is helped; my job is done! THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for following along and coming back here each day! I hope that you can grow along the way from one thing or another you took from reading! I had no idea I could turn a hobby and passion into a full time job that provides so many things for our family that wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for this blog. It wouldn’t be possible without my wonderful readers, so truly know that I mean what I say!
God has built amazing relationships from this space, and for that I am so thankful. HE is the reason this space is what it is. HE is the reason grown, prospered and reached thousands of women. I hope that you know I share ideas from my heart and experiences as well as things that God pushes me to share. He has done amazing things through this social space and I pray you are blessed and encouraged!
Whether you are a mama, mom-to-be, grandma, babysitter, teenager, newlywed…whatever you are…I hope you are here because you see something you love. I hope you leave here encouraged, knowing that God’s light is shining on you (hopefully you see Him through me) and that you are loved.
Praying many blessings for 2018 over you. Praying for all of us to shine His light a little brighter, encourage each other more and find a way to #spreadkindness in every day! Happy New Year, lovelies!
Love this. You are so inspiring and I look forward to following in 2018.
What a sweet post. I loved every word. ❤️