2015 in review

When New Year's Eve rolls around, suddenly a year seems like such a short time span, doesn't it? It seems like I just did a recap like this - but then again, the year was chock full of major events and happenings, alongside many great (and some not so) little moments and everyday lovely things. It's especially obvious when you compare the little Hendrik of January 1 to the full-on boy I've got here on December 31... A full year is a big thing, and thus the completion of one something to be celebrated!

It's been so fun to look back at all of my blog posts from 2015 (and Instagram photos too!) and relive the things I did, saw, ate, created, enjoyed, and more. Here are some highlights:

Best trip:

• Bahamas: even if I did get a work trip to one of my favorite cities in the world - London - it's impossible to beat the week we got to spend at an all-inclusive, adults-only resort in the Bahamas. Gorgeous, relaxing, and sunny. 

Best books:

• Station Eleven. The best of all 78 (!) books I read this year for sure. I'm recommending to everyone, and so far I've had only pleased customers!

• I also couldn't stop thinking/talking about: Florence Gordon, Better Than Before, French Kids Eat Everything.

Best date:

• Cincinnati staycation: our pre-move week included so many fun things as pretty much one big long date - so that's impossible to top. Wine tasting, roller coasters at an amusement park, dinner at our beloved Boca, outlet mall shopping, a night in a cool hotel, and more.

• Other really fun (and slightly out of our usual dinner date box) ones included rides with a local cycling group after I got my first road bike, seeing the Avett Brothers in concert twice, and fancy French takeout at-home dates.

Best recipe:

• Fiesta pork chops: one of the most impressive recipes I've ever made, in terms of presentation and restaurant-quality taste. Also in labor-intensiveness, so I only made it once...

• But for go-tos that are super easy and I've used over and over, a couple major winners were baked Greek chicken, Thai broccoli salad, and avocado blueberry muffins (Hendrik's very favorite breakfast) were all great new recipes for 2015.

Best Pinterest project:

• Avocado pinata for Hendrik's birthday party.

• Runners up: chalkboard table and Insta-art.

Best outfit:

Looking back through all the ones I posted, winter and summer actually had some of my favorite outfits, which is a little surprising as they're usually my least favorite seasons to dress for...

• Spring: navy stripes, all the way. 

• Summer: stripes + denim jacket, same favorite go-to combination as the previous summer. This just works, and for so many events/occasions.

• Fall: a simple sweater uniform.

• Winter: I still love pretty much everything from my winter capsule - which is fabulous for inspiration for the next couple of months!

Big achievements

• Successfully took up swimming as exercise, going from struggling to make 25 yards to swimming 700 without stopping!

• Contributed to blogs like Tiny Prints and Bouvardian.

• Got a new job title: Publications and Social Media Coordinator (still managing 2 - actually 3 as of tomorrow - academic journals, but having gradually added all manner of other publications/social media tasks to my job over the last few years finally got a new title for it).

• Did a Whole30 and learned a whole bunch of things about myself and my kitchen.

• Watched/help Hendrik learn to... walk (then run), say the alphabet and recognize all the letters, count to 20, give hugs "with arms", have a really good toddler meltdown, roll out cookie dough, draw circles, recite books, do down dog and happy baby yoga poses, talk in more than full sentences (non stop). 

Big events/happenings
In 2015, we:

• Bought a new (really old) house! Made it through residency! Sold a house! Moved from Ohio to Michigan! Just a few big happenings this year, right?

• Took a family vacation to Turks & Caicos to celebrate end of residency/Hendrik's birthday, and an adults-only one to the Bahamas to celebrate our 9th anniversary.

• Celebrated Hendrik's second birthday with a taco-twosday party, along with 40+ family and friends.

• Managed to pick out a sectional sofa for the new living room, after 8-10 weeks of consideration, and then get it delivered after 16 weeks of waiting.

• Lost an appendix and gained some stitches - Peter and Hendrik, respectively - in the very same day.