In the old days of blogging, this sort of year-end summary was ubiquitous, and I think we need to bring it back. It’s a great way to share highlights and ideas! My old blog buddy, Michelle, borrowed this format recently, and I am borrowing it from her.
(Photos courtesy of our New Year’s Day winter hike.)
BEST ADVENTURE:
Our travel this year was almost entirely to see friends, and I can’t choose between those trips, so I’m going to say my favorite was our camping trip to Wyoming. We saw 4th of July fireworks in Cody (which were very good for such a small town); visited Yellowstone National Park; walked through geyser pathways with a death-grip on our clumsy kids’ hands; shook our heads at tourists we saw chasing down bears and buffaloes for a picture; almost entirely skipped the Grand Tetons because the traffic was absolutely nuts; had an electrical glitch in our van in Jackson, and held our breaths for the entire ten-hour drive home, but we made it.
BEST MILESTONE:
I have five kids with all their own milestones, but this year we officially have a high schooler. I am a mom to a high schooler. He could technically start driving within about a year on a learner’s permit. It is hard to wrap my mind around it.
BEST FAITH GROWER:
As I’ve mentioned vaguely many times, the beginning of this year was taken up with a health scare. I would like to say I reacted in a perfect, faith-filled way, but I didn’t. I mostly dealt to the anxiety by zoning out with meaningless podcasts or videos, and completely failed in my Bible reading plan. I didn’t pray nearly enough. I couldn’t see my own mismanagement of the situation until I started reflecting on the year over the last month or so, and realized this whole thing was one big spiritual attack, and it was working! The Lord really opened my eyes to the fact that I had been letting go of the most important things, and that was hurting me more than the health issue and anxiety. It has been really humbling, and has reminded me how gracious God is to give me eyes to see anew how much I need Him.
FAVORITE BLOG POSTS WRITTEN:
These were my best posts, in my opinion:
BEST TREND YOU TRIED:
I actually have been trying hard to disconnect my style from trends this year. One thing that is trendy right now, but that I am trying to make more of a normal thing for myself, is to thrift for more of my clothes instead of buying new. I am looking for clothes that are harmonious with my own style (not driven by trends), and that are made with more high-quality fibers, because I would like my clothes to feel less disposable. I have found a “good” thrift store, and I always find something there!
One “trendy” thing that I have been purchasing new is western-style boots - and I have given myself a looser hand with this trend precisely because it is NOT a trend to me! I live in a western state, one of the defining words of my style is “mountain-ish”, and cowboy boots are never out of style here.
BEST BEAUTY PURCHASES:
A couple years ago I actually put myself on a makeup buying ban, because I had a stockpile from various sales already. I finally broke the ban this year and bought a few new non-essential makeup items. These are the ones that have been the best:
This blush has the perfect amount of pigment and looks really natural! Just blend it properly. It’s also a great price!
I rediscovered how a good highlighter can give such a refreshed look. I like these Grinch-themed highlighters - there is a subtle pink one, and a goldfish-white one.
My old standby foundation, and I am on my last tube, so I will be buying more soon. It’s the most precise match I have found for my very-pale skin, and I like the “illumination” variety best.
I am picky about face sunscreens, because if I pick the wrong one I will get acne. This sunscreen is a great base for makeup and not oily!
BEST HABIT YOU CREATED:
This year I started making sourdough bread, which is somewhat of a habit - I can’t let the starter languish too long. A habit I have struggled with and re-established, and which I highly recommend to homeschool/stay-at-home moms, is waking up well before your kids for a cup of coffee and Bible.
BEST NEW RECIPE:
This Christmas I combined this sourdough cookie recipe with this frosting recipe, and added some lemon flavoring to both, and it got great feedback from kids and adults alike! And for the sake of not losing recipes…every year I make thisjalapeño bacon cheeseball for Christmas (my family would stage a mutiny is I didn’t), and this marshmallow frosting-filling recipe is the most perfect one for any variety of sandwich cookies.
BEST LIFE HACK:
I can lay no claim to this hack, as I was actually the beneficiary of it, and it’s not technically a “hack” since it doesn’t make life nicer for yourself but for someone else. But here it is: I think we have lost the art of hostess gifts, and we should make an attempt to bring them back.
I invited a friend’s boys over to our house this fall for an afternoon, and she actually sent them with sunflowers. Just for a little playdate, that I suggested! Then I hosted a last-minute cookies and cocoa event for our co-op because we couldn’t have the party at the church where we usually meet - and this same friend brought me a jar of homemade raspberry jam! In our casual mountain community I’ve never encountered someone who brings hostess gifts, and never thought to bring one myself. While I would never expect a gift as a hostess, it was such a lovely surprise. It made me want to make it a habit to bless others the same way when they host.
BEST NEW TRADITION:
It’s hard to say whether something is a tradition until you’ve done it a few years, and then it isn’t “new” anymore - but I think I can say with confidence that a new tradition this year is having all the kids stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. This is the first year all my kids made it to midnight without falling asleep!
BEST LITTLE LUXURY YOU’VE ENJOYED:
I have been enjoying wearing earrings every day, and the more sparkly the better. I always have worn earrings, but over the last couple years I have added more sparkly earrings to my collection. They instantly make any outfit just a little fancier, and I feel more put together with a little sparkle.
BEST BOOKS:
My top five books would be:
-My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Delahay
-The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
-Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
-Every Believer Confident by Mark Farnham
-The Road To Roswell by Connie Willis
I have three book review posts to share in the next couple weeks to finish off all my 2025 books, so watch for those!
BEST MOVIES:
I didn’t see many new movies, but remembered again how much we like these.
Eagle Eye (Re-watched with the kids.)
Jurassic Park (The kids were introduced this year.)
Single On The 25th (A well-done Hallmark movie).
Carry-on (A Netflix thriller that was pretty good).
Oklahoma (Introduced to the kids, and now we all have “Poor Judd Is Dead” stuck in our heads.)
BEST TV SHOWS:
All Creatures Great And Small (Watching with the kids and enjoying it.)
Downtown Abbey (A re-watch).
Shark Tank (Another one of our family shows.)
Outlast (A survival competition show that alternated between fascinating and infuriating us.)
Deal Or No Deal Island (A spin on the old game show. We watched with the kids, and all enjoyed it together.)
BEST ALBUM OR SONG:
Farther Along by Josh Garrels was the top song for me this year, because I found the mood and message comforting after a tough year and sad events this fall.
Here are my top five:
BEST DAY OUT:
My husband booked tickets for my girls and me to see the Nutcracker performed by a big city ballet. I have seen amateur productions before, but seeing a professional performance was a whole other experience! It was worth the ticket prices. I also got into a whole conversation with an older lady while waiting in line, and she told us all about how she has been taking her daughters to the Nutcracker since they were babies. It was neat to be surrounded by so many people who loved the Nutcracker and have made it a tradition, and it was a perfect festive outing for the girls. (My sons got to do a boys camping trip with my husband in the summer, so I didn’t feel bad leaving them out on this one.)
BEST FAMILY MEMORY:
We had alot of good family memories this year. I was going to say the hike we took on New Year’s Day, but then realized that would be a 2026 memory, so instead I’ll say the hikes we took this fall. All hikes are highlights for me for similar reasons. It feels so good to get outside and enjoy the beautiful colors and scenery. I felt driven to get out into nature more than in years past, and there is something healing about the brisk air and sunshine on our faces. We listen to modern hymns and favorite songs on the drive, we find some really pretty hidden glades and meadows together, and we top it off with candy or hot chocolate. The best memories are sometimes the simplest ones.
This was really fun to read, and I love the format! What are the chances I will remember to borrow it at the end of this year? Maybe I should make myself a note.
We probably had too many bests to count, but a couple that stick out are being licensed and our trip to Mackinac Island/walking the Mackinac Bridge over Labor Day!
Post a Comment