2025: An Elegant Year in Review
This post contains affiliate links and ads. Affiliate links and ads support my work at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your ongoing support!2025 — The quiet time between Christmas and New Years Day is a wonderful time to reflect on the year quickly moving behind us. It’s incredible to look back and to see how this past year formed into one of my most elegant years yet.
Of course, this past year didn’t happen by accident. Each month was planned ahead enough to keep me looking forward to what was next while also leaving room for little surprises.
In this journey to craft a more elegant life, I’ve found that it’s helpful to plan out out different activities, events and hobbies I want to try or experience. I strive to plan something that will bring beauty, joy, art and connection — whether that’s a nature walk with my family, meeting a friend for lunch, traveling, or taking a class. So while our days may be busy with growing children, there’s still (a little) time for me to connect, create and continue to build a life I’m proud of.
I’m happy to say that this strategy not only worked, it brought with it incredible experiences and memories I will cherish for a lifetime!
If the idea of crafting a more elegant life sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to revisit this space often. You may also be intrigued by my annual Elevate Your Everyday Challenge. What is that? It’s my signature 31 day new year challenge focused on creating a vision for your most elegant year yet.
I am fortunate to share this time with wonderful likeminded women from around the world — it’s a special time I look forward to each year. Together, we define our personal values, set smart goals toward accomplishing our dreams and identify small, ingenious habits we can add to our day to create what we all strive for: a more elegant life.
If that sounds interesting to you, send me a quick note to join the waitlist for next year.
I hope you’ve enjoyed following along on my journey to create my most elegant year yet, and I hope the things I share inspire you to create an elegant life you love this coming year!
Join me and take a moment to reflect on 2025: An Elegant Year in Review.
Building on the foundation that was set during the Elevate Your Everyday Challenge, I challenged myself to learn new skills, experience new things and say yes to elegance and adventure each month. With an open-mindset, a strong vision, and a desire to infuse elegance into my everyday, I was able to create a meaningful year while achieving my goals.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
My Personal Values:
FAITH: Complete trust in God’s timing and plan for me, understanding I need to be present and intune with God’s word to hear his guidance.
GROWTH: Keep an open mind to experiences and people which encourage and support me to continually learn new things, develop new skills, improve my mindset and response to the world around me.
HEALTH: Root my habits and choices in what is best for me to keep my mind, body and spirit in an optimal state of well-being.
PLEASURE & POISE: Finding a connection between enjoyment and elegance to elevate my days and therefore my life.
RESPECT FOR SELF & OTHERS: To be confident in who I am, trusting my abilities and making choices that honor who I am and what I contribute to the world while recognizing and honoring the abilities, choices and contributions of others.
New Experiences
Snow tubing
Archery
Virtual Sense & Sensibility Festival
Traveling to France
Where I Traveled
Chicago, IL
South Haven, MI
Paris, Angouleme & Sarlat, France
What I Hosted:
Birthday parties
Baptism celebration
Bachelorette Party
Al fresco dinner
Neighborhood Halloween Party
New things I tried, Classes I took:
Bread making
Flower arranging
French cooking
French language
Fragrance creation
Needlepointing
Painting with Watercolors
What I Read
Murder in Postscript & Murder by Season by Mary Winters
EMMA, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
Home Sweet Maison (audiobook)
The Last Bathing Beauty by Amy Sue Nathan
Throughout the many experiences I had and places I travelled, one thing remained clear: modern manners are always in style! I used my etiquette training to navigate PTO meetings and new cultures, my confidence to show up in new spaces and a heart of kindness and respect to connect with my children and community.
Do you have questions about modern etiquette? Drop your questions in the comments below and check back to learn how mastering good manners can change your life.
As you look toward 2026, remember that elegance is a state of mind; a simple and ingenious approach to a charmed life. If you desire it, you can create a life filled with beauty, elegance and connection. It simply requires a bit of intention, effort and a willingness to try something new.
Take time to plan out a few things just for you to enjoy next year. Maybe lunch at a new restaurant, meeting a friend for coffee, or trying a new hobby. Whatever it may be, an elegant life is yours to create!
What was the highlight of your year? Did you experience something new? I’d love to know!
Leave a comment and share your most memorable moments of 2025.
