As 2025 comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to look back on a year filled with growth, change, and plenty of real-life moments—both on and off the blog. This best of 2025 recap highlights favorite purchases, style wins, reader-loved posts, and personal milestones that shaped the year. It was a season of learning, adjusting, and figuring out what truly works right now. Whether you’ve been here for years or just joined along the way, I’m so grateful you’re part of this community.
Best Buys of 2025
These pieces easily earned their spot as my best purchases of 2025 because they were worn often, styled multiple ways, and actually worked for real life. From versatile wardrobe staples to comfortable, practical finds, these favorites stood out for their wearability, quality, and value. If you’re looking back at your own 2025 fashion favorites or building a wardrobe that truly gets used, these are the pieces I reached for again and again.
- Denim top– great for layering and goes with everything
- Woven crossbody bag– great for travel and fits so much
- Gold belt-via Goodwill (similar, similar)- looks great with dresses
- Wide leg jeans-Judy Blue – so comfortable, perfect length, and fit really well
- Tall nude boots- very comfortable, water repellent, and super warm
Reader Favorites of 2025
These posts ended up being some of the most popular on the blog this year, and it’s easy to see why. From a fun, budget-friendly girls’ weekend with the Blonde Squad to practical beauty tips, honest nail reviews, and affordable Amazon finds, these are the topics you showed up for most in 2025. Whether you were planning a getaway, improving your curl routine, or shopping smart under $40, these posts clearly struck a chord—and I loved seeing which content resonated most with you.
- Budget-Friendly Girls’ Weekend in South Haven, Michigan– a fun girls weekend with the Blonde Squad
- How to Enhance Natural Curls– how I have improved my hair styling to enhance my curls step-by-step
- Dashing Diva One Gel Polish– review of Dashing Diva One Gel polish
- Affordable Amazon Fall Finds under $40– one of my weekly under $40 amazon posts
Life Lately – Highlights from 2025
As part of this best of 2025 recap, I wanted to pause. Let’s reflect on some of the most meaningful life moments from the year. From unforgettable travel to proud family and personal milestones, these highlights are a big part of what made 2025 such a special year for us.
- Our family trip to Iceland was the trip of a lifetime!
- I had 2 incredible best race times. One was a half marathon and the other was an 8 mile run within a week of each other.
- Claire did so well with her first Cross Country season and making regionals in swimming for the 400IM.
- Aveline has improved with her swimming. She can swim the 25 free in under 20 seconds. She also has one of the best 25 fly times on the team.
Goals for 2026 & What’s Next
As I wrap up this Best of 2025 Recap, I’m looking ahead with a mix of excitement and intention. There are a few things I’m really looking forward to as we head into the next year. These are both personal and here on the blog.
- A family trip out west is high on the list, with hopes of visiting a national park and making more meaningful travel memories together. After such a memorable year of travel, it feels like the perfect way to continue building those experiences.
- On the fitness side, I plan to keep racing and challenging myself in a healthy, balanced way. One big goal is breaking a 1:40 half marathon—I’m so close, and that makes it feel especially motivating.
- Here on the blog, I’ll continue focusing on affordable fashion and lifestyle tips that are practical, wearable, and realistic for everyday life. That’s always been the heart of this space and something I want to keep building on.
- And finally, I’m prioritizing self-care in a more intentional way—making time for things like massages, releasing the pressure to do it all, and allowing myself to ask for help when I need it. As this Best of 2025 recap shows, balance matters just as much as momentum.
Wrap-up
