Every year, I find myself reflecting on all the ups and downs. I think about the greatest moments and the tough lessons I learned. As cliché as it sounds, I can confidently say that 2018 was my year. It was 365 days of pure joy, bliss, and strength. Much of it was spent crying and laughing. It was a whirlwind of a year, but such is life, right?

Reflecting on my year wasn't enough. I had to share my 2018 year in review with all of you because it's something I can look back on for future memories and for 2019 goals. So, for those of you who continue to follow my journey – thank you! I hope you enjoy this personal post and I hope you stick around for another incredible, eventful, exciting year!

The lessons I learned in 2018

As a woman, mother, and wife, I think it's important to self reflect. If you want continued growth, you've got to step outside of yourself and see where you could improve. It's also important to pat yourself on the back after you learn hard lessons. Even if you made big mistakes, you learned from them and that is what makes you great! So, these are the things I learned in 2018.

1. Women are majestic af.

I didn't understand the true strength and power of a woman until I gave birth to my son. It's 10 months later and I still look back and can't believe I carried a child for over 9 months and gave birth to him naturally. It's hard to believe that I actually created this perfect little human being. He used to be a part of me! That's how I learned that women are majestic af. Don't you think so?

2. I don't have or need a best friend.

I always felt like I needed a best friend and maybe, at times, I do miss the connection of a best girl friend, someone who is always there when you need her, who you can tell every dirty piece of your life to and she'll still be by your side, but after the year I had, I don't think I need a best friend.

It's funny how major life changes changes people. When you're doing great, people disappear. When you're doing terrible, people disappear. It's the true friends who stick around through it all, even after your priorities change.

2018 taught me that best friends are overrated and that family will always be your #1. I'm happy with the few friends I have. Is there a BFF? No. But I'm okay with that.

3. Life is precious when you're a mother.

Sometimes, I hate to say these things because I remember how it felt to hear this kind of stuff before I was a mom. I don't think anyone is less than, if they don't have children. Not a single bit! Our lives are all meaningful. I fully believe that we're all here for a reason.

However, my personal feelings about life have changed since I became a mother. I care more about myself because I have so much more to live for. I've never wanted to be more active, healthy, and mindful. I find myself caring more about my body, my mental wellbeing, my marriage, and my home. Life is just so precious with a child.

4. My marriage is STRONG!

Many of you already know that I'm newly married, as of 11-04-2017. It's easy to think you have a perfect marriage when everything is new and shiny but, honey, my husband and I are far from perfect. We've been together for almost 6 years and have lived together for 5 years. We've never had a “honeymoon phase”. Being the strong personalities that we are, we fought long and hard to get to this blissful state and 2018 put us to the ultimate test with our newest adventure: parenthood.

I laugh when I hear young people saying that having a baby will “fix” their relationship or bring them closer. The truth is, that parenthood will make you or break you. I don't care how strong you think you are, as a person or couple. When you're going on Day 14 without sleep and you feel alone, confused, afraid, and completely exhausted – your marriage will be tested. Only then, will you learn if your marriage is truly as strong as you think it is. My husband and I were strong and mature enough to understand that we are a team and our son is OUR responsibility, not mine. So, I can definitely say that we became closer. Thank you, 2018 for this major lesson!

5. QUALITY over QUANTITY.

My Word of the Year for 2018 was Quality. I vowed to focus on quality time, quality relationships, and quality content. Guess what? It worked! My favorite moments were spent with my son and husband. My most successful blog posts were ones that I put a lot of time and effort into, like this one about my Unfiltered Thoughts During Child Birth.

6. Most stressful things aren't worth the stress.

It's so easy to get caught up in stressful moments, especially when you have high anxiety like I do. After investing in my mental wellbeing, I learned that these things we stress about usually aren't worth it. They aren't life altering. If anything, they are moments that only matter to us right now and later, we look back and feel silly for stressing.

In 2018, I learned to eliminate the things that affected my stress levels. Whether it's work, a diet, or a person, it's just not worth it! Life is too short to worry about the little things or to treat little things, like big things.

7. I have some work to do.

I'm always a work-in-progress, which I am proud to say! I love being able to step outside of myself to see where I could improve. In 2018, I learned that I needed to work on the following things:

• Being more supportive of my friends.
• Being more present in every day life.
• Being an intentional wife, mother, and friend.
• I need to stop breaking promises to myself.
• Balancing work, motherhood, marriage, and a social life.
• Consistency with the blog and social media.

2018's Greatest Moments

I had a good year. Who am I kidding? It was the most life changing year of my entire life. These were my favorite moments of 2018:

• I became a mommy!
• I bought my first house!
• I had the world's best best baby shower – it was Disney, Star Wars, and Funko themed!
• I partnered with Disney for some really great events! Check them out here.
• I had a post go semi-viral – for the first time EVER!
• I partnered with my favorite restaurant – Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen.
• I doubled my income! This is a big deal for a small business owner with a new baby!

Those were my greatest moments. It wasn't glamorous but it was pretty damn incredible. I can only hope that 2019 will bring just as much joy!

My 2019 Word of The Year: INTENTION

I've pondered this for over a month now. Choosing a word of the year is very important to me because it motivates me when I'm struggling to find purpose. This year I choose to live with intention. My choices will be made for a reason, not just because. I'll be asking myself “why” more often and purposely living a happy, positive life.

As for my readers, fans, and followers: you can expect new partnerships, posts, and stories that will be more personal for me or will resonate with you. If I choose an event to attend, it will be something that's fulfilling for you and I. I hope you enjoy being part of my life in 2019!

What is your Word of The Year?