2019 Favorites

Can you even believe this year is coming to a close?!  It feels like just yesterday that we were welcoming the spring flowers and warm breezes.  You know, they say time flies when you're having fun!

This year has truly been one of my favorites ever.  From finding my way in a new place to many firsts as a married couple, it has been a season of true contentment and major personal growth.  I'm so excited to share some of my favorite things/moments/experiences with you today!

CEO (Chief Everything Officer) of The Redheaded Camel 

In the fall of 2018, I quit my full time job to pursue The Redheaded Camel full time.  It was truly, without a doubt, the best decision I could have made (and that Q and I could have made as a team).  Being able to pour my whole self into the business and see the fruits of my efforts has been incredible.  Plus, working from a place that doesn't look and feel like I'm running on fumes is so nice!  I am confident that I am where God intends me to be and that this choice was known for me before I even had a clue.  The growth and development our company has seen this year is more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined, and I am so grateful!

Pure Barre 

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you probably know that one of my 2019 commitments to myself was to wellness.  Notice, I didn't say "fitness!"  In late April, I decided to take a leap and finally go to a Pure Barre class.  Truthfully, I was super nervous!  Since May 1, I have attended 169 Pure Barre classes (and counting!) and have gained confidence and strength I didn't know I needed.  In addition, I have gotten to know so many amazing, like-minded women and feel like I'm a part of a community in our new home.  If you haven't tried barre - you simply must!

Cooking 

I've always loved to bake.  Since starting our own household, however, I have really flourished in cooking!  I've surprised myself with trying new recipes (and doing well with them!) and creating meals that Quentin and I both look forward to and enjoy.  It is so special to be able to create something from scratch and I feel so lucky to be able to provide for our family in this way!  I genuinely feel confident in the kitchen and I never, ever thought I'd be there from a cooking perspective.  

Reading Challenge 

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to read one book every month.  Between college, working full time and running a business at the same time, and navigating my early twenties, I had gone literal years without picking up a book for pleasure!  I wanted to get back into the practice and have so enjoyed sitting down with a cozy blanket and a new read to rest and recharge.  This year, I read twenty four books (double my original goal!) and I have over 40 books on my "to read" list for 2020.

Days Off 

Since I started the business in 2014, I haven't ever really had a designated day off.  Between working full time, going to school, and running the business all the while, "rest" wasn't ever an option for me.  In January, Quentin and I decided that I needed to unplug and give myself time to be a human outside of my work, and I have so greatly enjoyed it!  Highly recommend not working 24/7/365.  I've learned that the work is always there when I get back, and that I am a better wife, friend, human, and business owner when I am not exhausted and overworked.

Our New Home!

We moved earlier this month (more on that soon!!) and are so grateful to be here.  While our new place is an apartment, it is part of a real "community" and already feels so much like home.  Everything is so convenient and I am genuinely a little sad when I have to leave the house!  We are still getting settled in but I am seriously just so happy to call it home.  The natural light.  The peace and QUIET (that we didn't have at our previous home).  The porch (which is admittedly too cold outside to use right now but I still love it).  The KITCHEN is huge and perfect and I love being in there!  It feels like the best kind of dream and I am so, so, SO glad we took the leap and made the move.

This year has truly been one of the most joy-filled of my twenty five years.  I always say that the best is yet to come, but I think 2020 has some big shoes to fill!  I am closing out this decade with so many happy memories and lessons learned, with an anxious excitement for what is ahead.  Wishing you a wonderful end to another chapter, friends.  Comment and tell me, what's your most favorite of 2019!