Mastering a Healthy Lifestyle + A Year in Review

What I’m Wearing – Blouse: J.Crew | Vest: Maurices c/o (similar) | Jeans: J.Crew Factory | Shoes: Sam Edelman | Ring: J.Crew (old) | Necklace: Lace & Pearls Jewelry (old) | Lipstick (dupe): Tom Ford

It’s a new year and a new decade! Can you believe it?! How are we already done with January? It feels like a whirlwind.

Back in September, I got super sick during a vacation to Boise, Idaho and I haven’t been 100% since. During Christmas, I also came down with a cold and then once January got here I got the flu. During that time, I fell completely off social media. I was posting pretty good there for a while but after a busy quarter 4 with my business and getting the flu, it kinda went downhill. Needless to say, I am ready to kick this cold in the butt and get back to a healthy lifestyle.

I’ve been dreading writing this post and doing my annual reflection. I’m a worry wart and find it hard to get out of my head. I’m also my worst critic, and this past year was tough. My biggest goal for 2020 is to continue working on my health and to be more disciplined. This has been my goal for the past several years and something that is ongoing. It’s more of a gradual lifestyle change vs a goal and something that I feel can take years to master.

Word of the year

Which brings me to my word of the year, discipline. Somehow I lost sight of that after battling some major digestive issues. Normal things like getting a shower in the morning or going an entire day without a nap became increasingly difficult. I’ve sadly become a bit of a hermit and want to break a lot of bad habits that I’ve developed this past year. If you’re are also struggling to break some bad habits, check out this post that I wrote a couple years ago. It will hopefully motivate you to get back on track. This post is also timely.

Two years ago I was also in a funk, it’s funny how things change but also remain the same. Last year’s posts started out with my accomplishments and then focused on my goals. It’s important to take pause and acknowledge the wins, regardless of how small they may be. So I encourage you to do the same, after all you’ve earned it!

2019 accomplishments

This year, I didn’t make much head way on the blog since I chose to focus on my jewelry business. It was a difficult choice but ultimately the right decision. While the blog had a major setback, the jewelry business thrived and new milestones were met.

Blog

I’m going to give myself kudos for managing to post once a month to the blog and weekly on Instagram and stories.

Lace & Pearls Jewelry

Big win for the brand this past year! My biggest accomplishment – almost doubling my sales from 2018 along with learning to better manage my business.

Personal

I have continued to work on my health with the guidance of my nutritionist and I can proudly say that I have overcome my GI issues! This is something I never thought to be possible. I now can eat whatever I want without having pain in my stomach. I’ve struggled with this my entire life and can’t believe it’s gone. I feel extremely blessed and thank God for answering my prayers.

Blogger friends (from left to right) Northwest Blonde, Diary of this Girl, Pretty in Pigment, and Hello Rigby

2020 goals + A Healthy Lifestyle

Blog

The blog is a bit stagnant at the moment and desperately needs an energy boost on my end. To be honest, I don’t know what the future holds and how long I’ll continue to blog. This is something I think about fairly often. I do have a handful of strategies that I’m putting into place to increase blog traffic and readership.

Content wise, I am planning to make a pivot into the lifestyle category and create content centered around wellness, clean beauty, books I’m reading, podcasts I enjoy, and some fashion. If you have any thoughts or feedback on this, please let me know in the comments. I always appreciate hearing from you!

Lace & Pearls Jewelry

Owning a small business is no joke! And the learning curve is high. This past year I did 17 shows vs. 13 during the previous year. I hope to do fewer shows this year and increase online sales through advertising.  At the same time, I’m looking forward to participating in some new shows as well as returning to last year’s favorites.

Craft show prep

Shows are a lot of fun but incredibly draining. It can take days to prepare. Sometimes you can set up a day in advance but other times its the same day as the event. If it’s an outdoor show, you have to bring a canopy and weights. You are also responsible for bringing your table and chairs, in addition to all your display items and product. It’s best when the show falls on the weekend.

Increase online sale

The majority of my sales come from in-person events. I would love for the majority to come from online. This is why I want to learn how to run ads. Running ads, however, has a learning curve before you will start getting a return on your investment. A lot of experimentation is involved.

I also want to get more creative with my designs and expand my earring offerings in the shop. I am currently working on a handful of new designs and hope to launch this spring.

Personal + Healthy Lifestyle

My goals are the exact same from last year, with some minor tweaks so I have copied them here. If you are curious about my health journey and my ongoing goal of achieving a healthy lifestyle, click over to this post.

• Do a better job at balancing three jobs (now 4, I became a BeautyCounter Consultant this past year) and spending time with my husband
• Continue focusing on my health and getting exercise and watching what I eat. I would love to take off the 30 plus pounds I’ve put on. I truly believe if I correct my sleep and beat this cold, a lot of things will fall into place.
• Get more sleep, but if I’m being honest, I don’t see this happening. This has been my goal for the past few years and still something I struggled with.

In summary

Thank you for continuing to visit the blog even though the frequency has decreased over time. I appreciate YOU!

For your reading, I have included a list of my top 5 posts since starting this blog in addition to my previous reflection post, minus 2014.

Top 5 posts of all time

1. Unintentional Capsule Wardrobe + Spring Wardrobe Challenge 10×10
2. Wardrobe Building Blocks: Your Guide to a Cohesive Closet
3. Versatile Closet Staples From J.Jill
4. Tips and Tricks for Flattering the Midsection
5. 8 Closet Staples You Need Right Now

2015| 2016 | 2017 | 2018

What healthy lifestyle goals are you working towards? Share in the comments.

What I’m Wearing

Blouse: J.Crew | Vest: Maurices c/o (similar) | Jeans: J.Crew Factory | Shoes: Sam Edelman | Ring: J.Crew (old) | Necklace: Lace & Pearls Jewelry (old) | Lipstick(dupe): Tom Ford

Photos by Hello Rigby