OUTFIT DETAILS
Green Sweater – 15% off with code SABBY15 – c/o Sugar Boutique // Denim // Heels // Earrings // Charm Bracelet c/o Kendra Scott // Handbag c/o Zac Posen
Okay 2018, where the heck did you go?! Â With Christmas fast approaching, I’ve been reflecting on the past year, as well as preparing my goal list for 2019. Â But before we can start mapping out the new year, I always love looking back on the previous months and jotting down the highlights, pits, and life moments! Â This blog has been an online journal for me over these past five years and I’m so thankful for this community we’ve all built together. Â Sharing real life with you has always been my greatest joy and the connections we make through honesty and transparency is what keeps me going when I’m in a rut. Â So without further adieu, let’s recap 2018 and give her some glory!
JANUARY
In January I started the Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping 10 Week challenge and boy oh boy, did it challenge me in more ways than just physical! Â I majorly slacked off on my workouts in 2017 – like I think I worked out 5x max – so I was in desperate need of a kick in the pants! Â I had never kick boxed before and though I was nervous and intimidated, I am SO glad I said YES to the challenge. Â I’m proud to report that I did, in fact, finish the 10 week challenge, which was a huge accomplishment in and of itself because I’ve never completed any workout goal in my life! Â And at the end of the 10 weeks (in mid-March), I shaved time off my mile, lost 5% body fat and dropped numerous inches! Â I also was able to complete more pushups and sit-ups in a minute than I could when the challenge began! Â I have to admit that I did fall off the workout wagon in late Spring and the rest of the year was pretty dismal in terms of my fitness and healthy eating… but I’m ready to re-focus my health and wellness goals in 2019 and plan to start the Winter 10 Week challenge once more at FXB beginning in January!
FEBRUARY
The Winter Olympics started in early February, which happened to coincide with my mom’s birthday, and that means we celebrated both blessed events with the “Colympics”! Â My mom’s name is Collene, aka Coco, so for the past 12 years, our family friends host a Colympics in honor of my mom’s birthday and the Olympics! Â We all come to the party representing our home countries with authentic dishes and drinks and then we play a bunch of “Olympic” games. Â It’s such a fun night with all of our family and friends and one that I cherish and look forward to every four years!
MARCH
March is dedicated to TWO very important things in our lives… March Madness and our Dating Anniversary! Â Tony and I LOVE college basketball and look forward to the Big Dance every year. Â We have a full-on sports bar-like tv setup in our basement and people come over through the first weekend of games, basically like an open house! Â I have no idea how it all started and I’m sure it sounds pretty silly to most, but it’s one of our most beloved times of year! Â Our Dating Anniversary also falls over this weekend/week and this past year we celebrated 10 years of dating! Â Franklin’s birthday (our oldest dog) is also in March, so we’re always delighted to celebrate another year of life with our sweet baby boy!
APRIL
In April I headed South to Dallas for the annual rewardStyle conference! Â This was the second year to be invited, which is a huge honor and testament to the hard work that has gone into growing my blog and Instagram and this amazing Sabby Style community! I’ve met so many sweet and authentic women through this conference and I love to be reunited with them! Â Plus it’s cold AF in Nebraska in April, so any excuse to get a little sunshine on my skin and warm my bones, I’m down for!
MAY
The month of May started off a bit rough for us, as we learned that our oldest dog, Franklin, has Congestive Heart Failure, and that news nearly broke our hearts. Â Just like in humans, there is no “cure”, but thankfully his daily medicine has helped him and he’s still enjoying his little life! Â Tony and I took a road trip to Kansas City the end of the month for a long weekend, shopping, hanging with friends, and a country concert and we sure had a great time! Â KC is one of our fave getaways (it’s less than 3 hours away and such an easy drive), so we always make it a point to get there at least twice a year. Â That was trip 1 of 2 for us in 2018!
JUNE
June was a quiet month for us, which sometimes is a welcomed gift after going, going, and going! Â My sister’s birthday is in June, so we celebrated her, as well as our friend’s little boy turning 1 year old! Â And the end of June marked TWO YEARS of blogging full time! Â I can’t believe it’s been 2.5 years now since I left my nonprofit career!
JULY
July was such a fun month for us! Â We kicked it off with a wedding over the 4th of July weekend and then the next week we adopted our sweet Martha! Â And of course the big Nordstrom Sale commenced mid-month and that kept us plenty busy on the blogging side of life. Â And we winded down July by celebrating my 33rd birthday with our nearest and dearest. Â I’m pleased to report that I wasn’t dead the next day, so I would say it was quite the successful night haha! Â I’m literally the worst hungover person in the world.
AUGUST
We made our way to Kansas City the beginning of the month for trip 2 of 2 for my belated birthday celebration and this time we stayed in Westport, which was a new experience for us! Â I swear we live our best lives while on some kind of vacay, and even though KC isn’t quite our beloved Mazatlan, Mexico haha we still have the best time no matter where we go! Â We may not have human kids yet, but I tell ya what, getting a break from your 3 dogs is really nice, too! Â August brought the end of the Nordstrom Sale, a few trips to the Village Pointe Farmer’s Market, and a Bachelorette Pool Party Bash for my sweet friend, Erica!
SEPTEMBER
September started off with a family friend’s wedding and I think I burned at least a million calories dancing my buns off with my mama!  So you know it was going to be a good month haha.  We had a friend’s engagement party, a first birthday party for our other friends’ daughter, and then we had a couples shower!  Talk about so many big life milestones to celebrate!  I finally took the plunge and got my eyebrows microbladed with Sarah and my world has been SHOOK.  It was the best experience EVER and I’m so pleased with my results.  I never thought I would have natural looking eyebrows and now I don’t have to fill them in, which saves so much time!  Kendra Scott also opened their very first location here in Omaha at Village Pointe and needless to say, I’ve been a frequent shopper/visitor!  The store is so pretty and I find myself picking up a new piece with every visit!
OCTOBER
We began the month by celebrating my parents’ 39th wedding anniversary! Â I may be biased, but my mom and dad are the best people on earth. Â I can’t wait to throw them a huge 40th anniversary bash! Â In the middle of the month I hosted a Kendra Gives Back event that benefited the Little White Dog Rescue group here in Omaha, which is the organization where we adopted our Roger from in 2009! Â We then rang in Tony’s 36th year of life on October 20th and nothing makes my heart happier than showing my sweet husband lots of love on his natal day. Â 36 never looked so good, Boo!
NOVEMBER
The month started on a sour note because our sweet Franklin took a turn for the worse one weekend and we thought the end was very near. Â Thankfully it was just a weird spell and the Vet reassured us that he’s still going strong (for being almost 13), which was music to our ears! Â We adjusted his meds and that has been helping some, thank goodness. Â It’s our mission to help him age gracefully and we take that very seriously! Â I wrote a Franklin Update here! Â In other news, college basketball season has officially arrived and Tone and I couldn’t be happier about it! Â Going to Creighton games gets us through the Winter and gets us out of the house when I could certainly deem myself as hermit status lol. Â We ended the month by celebrating our dear friend Mary’s 35th birthday and then gathered for Thanksgiving with my immediate family! Â Black Friday and Cyber Monday came in like hott fire and made for a very busy end of the month! Â Did you girls do lots of shopping? Â I tried to exert some sort of will power and spent less than usual!
DECEMBER
The month of December marked 9 years since we adopted Roger! Â They brought him over for a home visit on December 9th, 2009 and while we knew we wanted him to join our family, the deal was sealed when he laid under our Christmas tree! Â That was one of the best memories and Tony and I still reminisce about that to this day. Â We attended a wedding last weekend and you guysssss, her mom and dad did a flash mob at the reception and it was SO AWESOME! Â Tony and I had a great time with my parents and sister – there’s nothing better than laughing, dancing, drinking, and eating late night pizza with your fam bam! Â And though it hasn’t happened just yet, my dad’s birthday is on Christmas Eve, which is my favorite day of the year! Â And now my second favorite day of the year is definitely Tony and I’s wedding anniversary, which is on NYE! Â This year will mark two years of marriage and I can’t even believe how quickly it’s gone by. Â And what’s even crazier is that this March will be ELEVEN years of dating! Â Time flies when you’re having fun and living life with your best friend!
I would love to know how 2018 treated you girls, so please drop a comment with your high and low and what you’re looking forward to most in 2019! xoxo
And how stinkin’ cute is this under $50 ruffle green sweater from Sugar Boutique?! Â I’ve been loving green this holiday season and the darling ruffle detail is the icing on the cake! Â You girls know I’m a huge proponent of making sure you get the most bang out of your money, which is why I’m a big fan of this particular shade of green. Â It doesn’t scream “Christmas” and can easily be styled in a variety of ways as we transition from Winter to Spring in the coming year. Â And a perfect example of that is how I paired it with white pumps, flare jeans, and a bright + colorful striped handbag! Â Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we have to shy away from our favorite bold hues! Â Be sure to use code SABBY15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase at Sugar Boutique!
