Looking back on 2019! My favorite memories from the year

I thought it would be a fun idea to really reflect on 2019, in a way that matters: looking back at some of my favorite memories. 2019 was honestly, really hard. So that's why I want it to go out with a bang: with my favorite events, pictures, and memories. I want to ring in the new decade with a happy, positive mindset and what better way to do that than a recap? 

January. My husband turned 35, and I surprised with the coolest gift: a record player, record stand, and records from his favorite bands, Metallica and Shinedown... in the Shinedown record were tickets to see them live in March. He was so surprised! 

February. We watched Big Little Lies and loved it (thanks hubby for indulging me in my book-to-screen adaptation addiction!).

March. We went to see Shinedown in concert at a local casino and had a blast! 

I also turned 30 this month and reflected on important lessons I've learned in my life.  Then I went to a conference with my coworkers and left feeling super inspired and recharged! Blog-wise, I wrote one of my favorite blog posts, all about my social media detox and hitting the unfollow button. It got like 0 views but I'm still really proud of it, lol. 

April. I became obsessed with Scrib'd and finally finished the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It was excellent! 

May. We had a week long staycation, did some home projects and I refinished my first piece of furniture ever. 

My grandfather passed away, but I snapped a pic of my adorable pup loving on him at the foot of his bed, and this photo will always bring me comfort that my Vovo is in a better place, and that I am beyond lucky to have this sweet pup as my best friend. 

I finally got a bookshelf- and filled it immediately. This was actually the bookshelf I had in my childhood bedroom since I was 5 years old.  

We finished The Big Bang Theory for the last time. Such a bittersweet ending- Big Bang was our show, and we were sad to see it end, but I think it was long overdue at the same time;  I felt like Penny and Leonard didn't grow enough in the show. We've been on a hunt for a new show since.

June. I saw Chris Young with a good friend this month! This got me started on my lawn seats obsession lol. 

July. July was a whirlwind! We went on road trip to Philly, Washington, DC, and Baltimore with friends. It was a really great time and I cant wait to go back and revisit my favorite city. You can read all about my vacation recap here. There are tons of photos that I am really proud of and I loved writing that blog post. 

August. The month of the concerts! I had so much fun seeing Dierks Bentley and Breaking Benjamin live. 

September. I saw Jason Aldean with my mom, sister, and mom's best friend. A blast was had. 

I went to a water park with my in-laws and had so much fun with my nieces and nephew. That same weekend I also wrote a post I am so proud of, called Infertility is. It summed up my current thoughts and feelings about our situation and it felt good to get that off my chest. Then, Val and I had a rare weekend together and it was so fun to have him around on Saturday and Sunday. We got to go out to breakfast, run errands, go to a concert, and have movie nights. We snapped one of my favorite family photos of the year. 

I had an amazing reading month and read so many good books that made me feel seen, made me cry, laugh, and think. I also saw a show at a local country bar with some friends and laughed so much. It was good for my soul. 

October. Another quiet month! We skipped Halloween and went out to dinner, and I used my Crockpot a fair bit, which was a nice change. 

November. November was even crazier than July and made up for the past two quieter months. We had a couple day staycation that included visiting Newport and a day trip to Boston's Faneuil Hall outdoor marketplaces. We got amazing Italian cannolis and snuggled up with Cooper to watch Marvel movies. 

I started eating low-carb/ lean protein and rocked it. And I discovered some amazing low-carb recipes, like Big Mac salad and cauliflower pizza crusts. Then we celebrated Thanksgiving with both my family and my amazing, crazy in laws. And we finally put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend (I had been begging my husband to do it since early November!). 

December. I celebrated my beautiful niece's 7th birthday at a local children's museum. And I finally got out of my reading slump! We finally got around to exploring the Breakers mansion in Newport, RI. It was the perfect time because it was all decked out for Christmas. 

We celebrated Christmas with multiple family events and snapped my favorite picture of the year- the blurriest photo ever, but look at how happy we look. 

So there we have it, my favorite memories of 2019. Cheers to 2020, everyone- I hope the new year brings you health, happiness and fond memories. Happy New Year!