2020 the best + hardest year in my life (a recap)

Sometimes you have to look back to move forward. And there’s so much to reflect on when it comes to last year. Our country became divided in a way like never before and a virus shut down the world. And on top of that, I found out I was pregnant the first week of 2020! It was a year that felt like a decade and completely changed life as we know it.

Here’s a personal look back at 2020…

How 2020 started

Little did I know that my FIRST trip of the year would actually be my LAST trip of 2020. (And that I would find out I was pregnant right before going… to Napa! Not the best place for a preggo haha.) Luckily, my morning sickness didn’t start until after my California trip… but unfortunately it accompanied me to my first (and last) black tie gala of the year. (I faked drinking wine all night so no one would suspect.)

And as far as our house, the beginning of the year started with two bathroom remodels. (Thomson + Thomson Designs did Gran’s bathroom and we did a refresh on our master bath with Wayfair and Kohler.) And once COVID hit, we had to hit pause on other renovations since we didn’t want contractors in the house. (But we did manage to paint several rooms instead!)


I’m pregnant! (And stuck at home…)

I found out I was pregnant the first week of 2020 but didn’t announce it until April. (And to over 3 million people on the Liketoknow.it instagram feed!) While I was excited for our little one and had an easy pregnancy physically, mentally I was a wreck. It was an extremely dark time for me and with the pandemic (and I assume hormones), I found it very lonely. Being pregnant (and with an 87 year old in our home) meant that I could take ZERO chances when it came to catching the virus. So all groceries were delivered and my only outings came in the form of doctor appointments. It was crazy to go from going out all the time to never leaving home!

During the whole year I only had my hair and lashes done twice (my poor husband had to help me fix my extensions), we went to grab coffee only a couple times, and my last meal in a restaurant was at the beginning of March. Looking back it seemed like it flew by but at the time it certainly didn’t feel that way.


Baby showers during a pandemic

The hardest part about the year was not seeing people. I know so many of you missed out on celebrating milestones with the people you care about. And I know how that feels! I’m blessed to have friends and family who generously celebrated our little Nico as safely as possible — by throwing virtual and drive-by showers. It really made the loneliness and sadness disappear and helped me get excited for our future little one!


Nico is here! (And in a HURRY.)

What I failed to mention above is that during my drive-by shower I actually went INTO LABOR! (Read this for the full story.) We joke that Nico is a FOMO baby and he didn’t want to miss out on the party. And he continues to not want to miss out by never wanting to nap and already being extremely engaged in the world around him. He’s a curious one already!


Our little one

I’m not sure why but immediately I just started calling him, “little one.” I would like to say it’s because he was so little but he actually wasn’t. He was a month early and already over 7 pounds! Our little Nico was perfectly healthy and sweet from the start. We’ve had some bumps in the road (acid reflux/spit up, ZERO naps) but overall he’s been an easy baby. Especially since he started sleeping 7+ hours a night at 2 months old. I know, we’re ridiculously lucky. Fingers crossed it lasts!

This robe was the first thing I bought when I found out I was pregnant and I just love his little skunk costume he wore on halloween.)

It’s crazy how something so little can completely change your world and who you are as a person for the better. I love that in my morning I have a new best friend to wake up. What can I say, we’re just in love!


Running a business during a pandemic

Black Friday sales
This dress marked way down!

When your job is to go out and take pictures, having to stay home makes that pretty difficult. And being pregnant it’s even harder! During my pregnancy I was so sad that it was during a pandemic but now I realize it couldn’t have happened at more of a perfect time. Being pregnant I didn’t feel like going out or putting on cute dresses. Like everyone else I was at home in loungewear which helped me transition into sharing more casual outfits and home content. And while so many of you lost your job (it affected us too) I felt so fortunate that I could work from home.

While brand projects slowed down you all supported me on the Liketoknow.it app and by using the affiliated links on this website. And because of you AiW had its best year to date! Which is amazing since I definitely stepped back from blogging and Instagram to focus on myself and my new little family.

But with 2021 here (and feeling like myself again) I’m excited to get back to work, reconnect with you all, and take on new challenges like getting my clothing line going again! (Pregnancy and the pandemic forced me to put it on the back burner.) And since becoming a new mom I feel more motivated than ever to take on life with fresh perspective. And even though I’m not huge on resolutions, looking back definitely helped me to focus on how to continue to improve myself. And I challenge you to do the same! I’ll share more about what I’m focusing on this year in another post and will leave you with a fashion round up… since that’s how this blog started!

2020 bestsellers

Sweater dress /// ruffle sweater /// funnel neck sweater dress /// cropped sweater /// Ugg slippers /// Anine Bing tee /// Lululemon leggings /// white bed

Cheers to the new year, friends!

xo