Any time one year ends and another begins, I can’t help but reflect on the year. On what I hope to accomplish in the new year. According to my last year’s recap, 2017 was a “whirlwind”. I got married and found out I was pregnant just one month later. But this year, I became a mom, bought my first home, and launched The Everymom – all in a 3 month window. Here’s the best of 2018.

The Best of 2018

Life has done a 180

Before I talk about the best of 2018, here’s a reminder that in 2011, I was dating verbally abusive sociopath, working for myself as a blog designer , and living at my mom’s house. My life began when I left LA for Chicago less than two months before my 28th birthday. I thought I had to be married by 30 (wrong). I got married at 35 and had Margot a few months before turning 36. Looking back, I am so, so glad I had that time to be on my own, to grow both personally and professionally. I felt such a drive to figure things out for myself. 

I am so grateful

Now that I’m here (you know, 36) with my own little family, a growing company, and a home of my own, I can truly appreciate all of it. That’s not to say if it came easier that I wouldn’t be grateful, because of course I would be. It’s just that it took a while to get here, and my story is hopefully a reminder that things can get so much better. That isn’t always easy to see when you’re feeling stuck.

It’s never perfect

I don’t want to support the narrative that you need a partner or a child to be happy. And I never want anyone to think any of this came “easily” because that’s not the case at all. I was happy before I got married and became a mom. No one has a perfect life, and just sharing the good can make it look like everything’s “perfect” when it’s not. In 2017, I got married in Paris which sounds like a dream on paper. But, I was a mess the months leading up to the wedding because things fell apart with my family. I tried so hard to fix it but kept getting hurt over and over. It was horrible. Our wedding weekend was one of the best weekends of my life, but the months leading up to it were awful. 

That was all a little longer than I planned, but it had to be said.

This was the year of Margot and our new home

If you look at my top photos in instagram, 2018 was the year of Margot and my house. And Margot in my house. But there was so much more, or at least a bit more to 2018. The Everygirl Media Group had an amazing year. We doubled the size of our team, outgrew our office, and launched a second website. I am so excited for what’s in store for our company in 2019! We have a launch happening soon, some big ideas in the works, and we’re looking for a much bigger office.

I’m blogging again

It feels like I finally got back into a somewhat of a blogging groove, although I’m trying to find a new normal now that on top of my full-time job, I also have a baby. There isn’t too much time left over for blogging and as much as I love it, family and my job will always always come first. I feel so lucky that I’ve gotten to partner with the brands that I have, and the best part, hands-down, is knowing how my words have impacted some of you. I just received a note from someone who felt less alone this holiday season because of something I shared.

Here are some of my favorite moments and memories from 2018.

We found out we were expecting less than a month after our wedding (early November) and announced in January. I took a pregnancy test fully expecting it to be negative, but wanted to know it was negative before heading to the office so I could stop thinking about it. I called Conor into our room and showed him the test in complete disbelief. We were both in shock and laughed a lot. I vividly remember shooting this photo with Buddy. He happily followed me around, laid on the blanket when I asked him to, and just stared at me while I snapped away.

Our wedding was featured on Martha Stewart Weddings.

We celebrated our baby girl.

We launched The Everymom in April.

Conor and I bought our first home in the suburbs, just 20-25 minutes from downtown Chicago. It felt like a huge change at the time, but I’ve loved having a house, and we have a great little community out here. It’s been fun and also a little stressful making this house feel like home, mostly given the lack of time and energy I’ve had since moving in. We’re going to be renovating our 2.5 baths and are working on our bedroom, sunroom, and basement, so I’ll have some house updates headed your way soon.

My Margot Rose

Margot joined our little family in July. Three months earlier, I launched a second website. Two months earlier, we moved into our first house. I have always wanted to be a mom but probably longed for it more in my 20s. Having a baby brought a joy I had never felt. I know how lucky I am that it happened so easily for us, and I couldn’t feel happier or luckier to have a sweet, healthy, baby girl. She has brought joy and love to my life that I didn’t know existed, and I am so excited to watch her grow. Sweet Margot Rose.

Margot Rose met her namesake, my great aunt Rose, just 2 months after her 100th birthday. It was one of the best moments of my life. I never want to forget Rose looking at me and saying “I’m so happy to see you.” Her dementia has been pretty bad, but it felt like we had her back for that moment.