As I’m sitting down to type this, I can’t help but feel extremely blessed yet truly undeserving of the past 12 months! Some of the best moments of my life have happened in 2021, so this year will forever and always hold a special place in my heart. I took on several new roles, but my favorite is being a mom to Baker! 🙂 It’s hard to believe that we were getting ready to announce I was pregnant with him during this time last year, and now he is 6 months old! Time is not on a mama’s side and babies just don’t keep. It breaks my heart! Anywho, I’m going to dive into each month of 2021 below and share my favorite moments!
JANUARY
It’s safe to say we started 2021 off with a bang when we announced that we were expecting a baby in June! I was super nervous to share the news, but we received SO much love and support. The worst part about my pregnancy was the thyroid issues I experienced in the beginning which caused excessive swelling, so I literally cringe looking at any photos from the first few months! I will 100% be calling my thyroid doctor before my OB on the next round! (In a few years) Hahah.
FEBRUARY
After I got my thyroid under control, I felt like I could finally enjoy my pregnancy! Bo’s birthday is the day before Valentine’s, so we had a great weekend celebrating before a huge ice storm came through that Sunday. We were stranded at home for 4 days, and I’m just glad we didn’t kill each other! Lol.
MARCH
My best friends threw my first baby shower for Baker in March, and it was so perfect! (I did a full blog post recap HERE) It also made me realize that we were only 3 months away from meeting him, and it was time to buckle down! Lol. We had also secretly been in the process of buying a home since January, and I was beyond ready to share the news with y’all! I just didn’t want to jinx anything!
APRIL
April was the best month (besides June obviously) because we became official homeowners! And I just remembered this was actually one of my goals for 2021. We moved to a great neighborhood two months before Baker was born, so we had just enough time to get settled before he arrived! I also took my last baby free blogger trip to 30A with Karli. We couldn’t have timed it worse because it rained the entire weekend, but we still had the best time together and ate too much food! 🙂
MAY
May is my birthday month, so we planned a quick trip to Orange Beach! Bo doesn’t love the beach like I do, so we probably should have gone somewhere else. Lol. It was still a nice weekend getaway for just the two of us before Baker arrived! We did lots of goofy golfing (Bo’s favorite) and eating, per usual. My family also threw me my last baby shower at the end of the month, and it was so nice to have everyone there to celebrate! It was the cutest bee theme since Baker has triple B initials!
JUNE
June was the month my entire life changed, and the most precious 6.15 pound little boy stole my heart! There’s really no way to adequately prepare for the feelings and emotions of birthing your child. Others can tell you their perspective, but you don’t fully comprehend until you are there in the moment experiencing it for yourself!
I also knew that I would need extra help staying on top of everything for Sassy Southern Blonde, so I signed with Lola & Ivy management agency and it was the BEST decision! They keep my inbox and collaborations organized, which is amazing because that’s what caused me the most anxiety! Lol.
JULY
I had heard babies come alive around 2 weeks, and that’s exactly what Baker did! And for that reason, July was probably the hardest month. As new parents, we were still trying to figure him out and he was SO fussy! The bouncer was the ONLY thing that would keep him content while he was awake. Luckily, he did sleep pretty well at night, so we weren’t totally unrested!
We also decided we were brave enough to take him to brunch just to get out of the house! I think newborns are probably the easiest at restaurants now that I’ve gone with a 6 month old too. Haha! I had the most precious newborn photos taken in Baker’s nursery. I’ll cherish them forever!
AUGUST
In August, we continued getting adjusted to parenthood and thought it was time to sleep train Baker! Best decision EVER. Bo wasn’t totally convinced, but I just knew it would work and IT DID! I put up my Halloween decorations entirely too early, and I started really feeling like myself again! I was fortunate to have had an easy postpartum recovery, but it still felt good to finally squeeze back into my favorite pair of shorts! 🙂
SEPTEMBER
The highlight of September was my best friend’s bachelorette trip in Scottsdale! SO much fun. It was also the first time I left Baker, but he was in good hands with my mom! Of course I missed him, but it was nice to have a mini break and go somewhere outside my house! Lol. I had been wanting to go to Scottsdale for years, and I’m glad I finally got the chance!
September kicks off the start of Fall, and the blogging world is always hectic (in the best way) at the end of the year! I partnered with brands like Owlet and Ritual, and braced myself for a busy + blessed holiday season!
OCTOBER
In all honesty, I felt like the only 2 trips Bo and I had went on together before Boston weren’t that exciting! However, our last-minute getaway to Boston was amazing, and we truly had the BEST time together. I’m all about experiences, and it makes my heart happy knowing we’ll always have those memories with each other! October is the best month in general, anyways. We took Baker to the fair, the pumpkin patch, and celebrated his first Halloween! Our Chick-fil-A mommy + me costume was my favorite!
October brought a cool partnership opportunity with Walmart that I convinced Bo to participate in with me! He didn’t mind being apart of his first collaboration, but he doesn’t want to be booked regularly! Lol.
NOVEMBER
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, especially when it comes to my family! November is the beginning for all things Christmas unless you’re a blogger and started decorating in October. Lol! The holidays were extra special this year with Baker, but I’m excited for him to actually know what’s going on in the upcoming years! My best friend also got married, and I was the maid of honor. The wedding was such a blast, and I felt it for a couple days afterwards! 😉
My blog had such a successful month collaborating with companies like Walmart and Red Dress Boutique! I love sharing these brands (and many more) because I genuinely love them, so it’s exciting to see my analytics and know y’all feel the same way!
DECEMBER
I swear December flew by! My favorite travel bud (Karli) and I went to New Orleans to shoot some bomb Christmas content! It was a quick trip, but we got so much accomplished. Especially compared to our 30A trip earlier in the year! I think I’m going to suggest we do a weekend NOLA getaway every December!
Baker turned 6 months old, and then it was time to celebrate Christmas. I really didn’t go overboard on presents this year because I knew he wouldn’t remember! He did seem to like his PB chair that everyone recommended, though! Now if we can get him to sit in it without falling over. Usually the end of December makes me sad, but I actually used it to get organized and prepared for 2022! I’m feeling very optimistic about the new year, and everything it has in store! 🙂
XO
Kels
Each year flies by quicker than the last, and it’s hard to believe that the 2021 holiday season has arrived! Cyber Week is such a perfect time to finish up your Christmas shopping or just treat yourself with some of the best deals of the year. I have rounded up my personal favorite sales below! I mainly included retailers I actually shop at and love, so it’s less overwhelming for everyone! Clicking the retailer’s name will take you straight to that website to shop. If you make a purchase through my links, I will receive a small commission that’s at NO COST to you!
Even from a young age, I have always enjoyed reading books! I actually won a few Accelerated Reader awards in elementary school, and I got to ride in a limo to the pizza party. Isn’t that every kid’s dream? Lol. As I grew older, I made less time for reading but picked it back up during quarantine like a lot of people! There have been several books I’ve read recently that I wanted to recap if y’all were interested. Some I love better than others, but we’ll dive into that below! 🙂
All the Manscaped products in my gift guide can be found