I have been writing yearly recaps since 2018, and I am so excited to keep it going! I just finished reflecting through my 2021 post, and it filled my heart with the best nostalgia. Sassy Southern Blonde is like my personal online diary that I share with y’all, so thank you for being here and caring enough about me and my little family! 🙂 2022 was an incredible year for me both professionally and personally. I partnered with some of my dream brands, I traveled to places on my bucket list, I got engaged to the guy I love, I saw brand growth on my social media platforms, and I watched my sweet baby boy become a wild toddler!
January
Like most Januarys, the beginning was slow, but I did take my first trip of the year to California! I traveled with my management agency at the time to San Luis Obispo to meet the team and spend a few days connecting with them and the other girls on their roster. We really had the best time from horseback riding (my FIRST experience)Â at a gorgeous farm to tastings at picturesque wineries! I had never visited central California before, but I would love to go back to the area, especially Napa!
February
Even though February can be dreary, I like to make the most of the month because it’s Valentine’s Day and Bo’s birthday! His is the 13th, so we usually celebrate with dinner on Saturday night and then have Sunday brunch for Valentine’s. Bo hates making a big deal out of his birthday, but that’s my favorite thing to do! Lol. We also went to the rodeo in Jackson and saw Gary Allen perform. I cannot believe it was my first time attending because I had SO much fun! I was shocked! Lol.
Baker started a mother’s morning out program 4 days a week, and it was the best decision ever! I didn’t realize how much I was struggling until I actually had the time to dedicate back to my business. I love Baker bug with my entire heart, but a break from each other is good for us! Lol.
March
March was the month that I finally started to create video content after I had procrastinated it as long as possible! I could kick myself for not jumping on the TikTok train in 2020 but better late than never! I began posting mainly on Instagram, and migrated to TikTok later in the year. My early videos are pretty cringe, so I’m glad my editing skills have since improved! 🙂
April
April was the calm before the busyness of the next few months! We just enjoyed family time during Easter and took Baker to see the Easter bunny! I continued being consistent with video content, and I started posting on TikTok which is something I thought I’d never do! Haha. I can confidently say it has begun paying off!
May
May is my favorite since it’s my birthday, and I love using it as an excuse to plan a trip! I decided on Charleston, and we almost didn’t make it because Baker gave us the stomach virus the night before our flight. Luckily, the woman at the airport rebooked us on a later flight and we still went to Charleston! I felt pretty weak, but we made the most of it. Lol!
I also attended my first brand trip with Buddy Love later in May to Captiva Island, Florida! Work looked like a vacation! Haha. We shot content by the pool, and we also rode a boat to a small island off the coast! I’m so glad we went to this particular spot because Hurricane Ian basically destroyed it in September.
June
June was such a wonderful month because Baker turned one! I had his first birthday planned for months with Pete the Cat theme. He loves the show on Amazon Prime! It was an amazing day with our family and friends celebrating him. It feels like just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital! (First birthday blog post HERE)
I had some cool things happening business wise too! Bo and I attended the Kenny Chesney concert with his company, Blue Chair Bay Rum. The show and the drinks were both phenomenal! I also had several Instagram photos go viral. Many people don’t know this since I have my likes hidden, but it was a fun ride! (Instagram later ended their affiliate program in August, so the viral photos came to an abrupt halt unfortunately)
July
There is nothing that makes me happier than having multiple trips on my schedule, and July kicked off a busy few months! Bo’s dad invited us on a weekend getaway to Nashville, so I talked Bo into going a day early. I had been dying to stay at The Graduate even for just one night! I did late check out, and we shot the cutest photos around the hotel. Bo was a pretty good sport! 🙂 I know Nashville has become so touristy, but I still LOVE visiting! (Nashville travel guide HERE)
August
We don’t travel with Baker because my mom can normally watch him, but I did want to take him on his first beach trip! My entire family rented a condo in Orange Beach, and of course Baker gave us the stomach virus again on the first night. I passed it quickly, but my mom was down for two days! Bo really turned the vacation around since he ended up proposing on the beach our last night! 🙂 I was SO happy that it finally happened! (Engagement blog post HERE)
August also kicked off the busiest work season I have ever had, but I was so grateful! Even though I get overwhelmed, I truly enjoy having a full calendar. It’s such a blessing to partner with brands that I love, and I will never stop pinching myself that this is my job!
September
My travels continued in September with a dream vacation to the Bahamas that Bo and I had planned! I honestly didn’t realize that hurricane season could have ruined everything, but thank gosh we had beautiful weather! We stayed at Baha Mar and were upgraded to a spacious suite. I’m already dying to go back!
I then headed to Dallas later in the month for LTK Con! Only the top earners in rewardStyle are invited to attend, so I felt honored to be there and learn from some of the best. It was a great opportunity to network with brands and other influencers in the industry! (LTK Con Recap HERE)
October
Visiting Vermont in the fall has been on my bucket list for YEARS! I was determined to make it happen in 2022, so I rounded up my favorite travel buddies and flew to Stowe for a weekend! We saw the most gorgeous fall foliage and even ventured to nearby Woodstock. October was also full of weekends with Baker at the pumpkin patch, fall festivals, and fair! It was so much fun experiencing it with him now that he’s older! I do think Halloween will be even better this upcoming year, though! (Vermont travel guide HERE)
November
I have always wanted a pink Christmas tree, so I made my dreams come true with a $65 one from Walmart! I decided last minute to film myself constructing it for TikTok, and the freaking video went viral! I was shocked. I went from 2k followers to 15k with over 8 million views! It was exciting, but it also gave me serious anxiety. People on TikTok are extra mean, so there’s a price you pay for popping off! Hahah. I’m still glad it happened!
December
I took my last trip of the year to Palm Beach with the Buddy Love team to shoot my very own collection launching in January! This was such an amazing opportunity and the pieces fit my style perfectly. On a side note, I can’t believe how much I was able to travel this year! Booking a new adventure brings me immense joy, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to very often after I had Baker. I’m really blessed with a supportive family who picks up the slack while I’m gone!
This holiday season was so magical with Baker between making homemade handprint ornaments to looking at Christmas lights! Even though a new year can be intimidating, it’s refreshing to have a clean slate with new goals, visions, and intentions! Cheers to 2023!
XOXO
Kels
Since we only had 48 hours in Vermont, there were several places I wished we would have had time to go like Cafe on Main for breakfast and Smuggler’s Notch State Park for fall foliage! It’s a gorgeous place that I’d travel to again in a heartbeat! 🙂