2025 Wrapped
Did you miss me? I know I missed you. 2025 was a whirlwind of a year for me, one with high highs and low lows. I have to be honest, I lost my way for a bit there and strayed from what I love most, this. Writing. To continue leading with honesty, the past few months have been quite the struggle for me. I felt like I didn’t have anything to write about when perhaps that's exactly what I needed to be writing about. These months have been filled with familiar feelings, ones I never expected to feel again because I was under the impression that time heals all wounds. I’m not quite sure that’s true. It’s interesting how new wounds can bring up old wounds and old wounds can exacerbate new wounds. Yet, what’s even more interesting than that is how new experiences can heal old wounds, new awareness can heal old wounds, new perspectives can heal old wounds, new conversations can heal old wounds. I’m still struggling, but damnit, I’m growing, and that’s a really beautiful thing, that’s all a girl can ask for, really.
I used to make my yearly “wrapped” on TikTok, but with this new medium, I suppose I’ll do it right here. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorites from 2025.
Beauty Products
Amika’s The Wizard Detangling Primer
I use this detangler after every shower, and my hair has never been softer. It also smells absolutely amazing, as do all Amika products.
Dr.Jart BB Premium Beauty Balm
Do not ask me the price of this BB cream. I genuinely don’t want to talk about it. Unfortunately, this foundation hater loves this stuff, and I’ve never met a better lightweight base.
Saie Dew Blush in Spicy
If I can influence you to get anything off this list, let it be Saie Spicy. This product gives you the perfect sun-kissed look any time of the year, giving any look the perfect amount of warmth.
Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment in Strawberry Sorbet
If I’m ever in a coma, I need someone to put this on my lips at least twice a day to ensure my lips are staying hydrated.
Hanni Splash Salve
Oh yes, honey. This in-shower moisturizer is unreal. It smells incredible, and nothing makes my skin feel softer. I love a product that makes me feel luxurious, and this one does just that.
Teleties Medium Claw Hair Clip in Tortoise (Can we count this as a product?)
Absolutely life-changing claw clip, and I couldn’t even tell you why, it just is, you’ll have to see it to believe it.
Creators
@Claaaarke
My absolute favorite creator. She has such a way with words and such taste that I just cannot help but admire her. I’ve also loved watching her become a Chicagoan this year, of course.
@Gabby.Windey
I’ve loved her since The Bachelor(ette), but this year I watched her season of Traitors and became absolutely obsessed. Her facial expression and mannerisms are second to none, and I cannot recommend her podcast, Long Winded, enough. Definitely watch her episode with Tefi Pessoa, an all-time favorite of mine.
@Rachellovely5
What an amazing, intelligent woman. With every ten-minute video, she has single-handedly fixed my attention span issues, the way I am tuned in to anything she has to say. And another Chicagoan, too! Hell yeah!
@DeliciousButtons
Olivia Wahlert has impeccable music taste. When I need something new or an extremely specific vibe, she is my go-to gal.
Upstairs Neighbors Podcast
Oh wow, wow, wow, these are my girls. Every episode is such a ki. Maya and Dom, you will always be famous to me. Wake that up.
Therapuss
You know him, you love him,- Jake Shane, everyone! On top of being just an adorably hilarious human, Jake is such a good interviewer, and I love the selection of people he’s had on the show.
Fashion
Mixed Metals
It all started with my grandma’s vintage mixed metal watch. I love mixing gold and silver, sue me!
Pops of Color
I always love a pop of color, and you already know I’ve got my color scheme down.
Big Bag, Little Sunglasses
A combo that will always hit.
A Fun Belt
Whether it be a gold chain or red leather, a fun belt is always the perfect way to spruce up an outfit.
Bracelets
I’m so into a bracelet, a watch, or some bangles this year. I love when you can hear me from a mile away; you should get a warning.
Chicago Places
Farm Bar
My absolute tried and true, favorite place. Everything is so fresh, and the cocktails are to die for.
Gus’s Sips & Dips
This place is an absolute vibe. I definitely recommend sitting at the bar. The dirty martini is amazing, with an incredible blue cheese-stuffed olive to garnish, 10/10 would recommend.
Levant Coffee
Oh my oh my, this place has my heart. The tiramisu and baklava lattes are some of the best specialty coffees I’ve ever had. I dream of them.
House of Hunan
I would be remiss not to mention my favorite takeout spot. The pan-fried potstickers, crab rangoons, and beef lo mein are genuinely healing to me; I can’t get enough.
Shedd Aquarium for Jazzin’ at the Shedd
My boyfriend and I went for my birthday, and it has become a staple Summer date of ours. I'm already looking forward to next year. For a girl obsessed with marine animals and jazz, it truly doesn’t get better than this.
Crave Cookies
Let me put y’all on to my dirty soda spot. That’s right, dirty soda. No, they’re not alcoholic, they’re sodas with creamer and any syrup you could imagine. You can order off the menu, you can customize, hell, you could get a cookie soda combo deal, the options are endless.
Bon Femmes
You’ve heard me talk about Bon Femmes before, I love this woman-owned business so much. This store is not just woman-owned, it is completely devoted to showcasing female art. It is the perfect place for gift shopping, especially for the women in your life.
Movies & TV Shows
Vanderpump Rules
Oh, I was hooked. I’m actually embarrassed at how long it took me to watch this show; you guys should’ve been pressuring me more.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Best reality TV show I have ever watched, and I mean that. This cast was made for reality TV, and I genuinely, for better or for worse, love all of them.
The Traitors (U.S. version)
You guys, as the designated mafia storyteller camp counselor and someone who is simply reality TV obsessed, this show…life-changing for me. I cannot recommend it enough. The cast of season 3 is impeccable and I cannot wait for season 4.
The OC
I watched The OC this year, but honestly, I can’t say it’s going in my Hall of Fame. I loved the female characters in this show and how complex they were, and Kristin and Sandy Cohen are absolute goals, but in terms of teen dramas, it just doesn't beat One Tree Hill for me.
Marie Antoinette
I loved this movie so much. It was such an interesting look into her life, and the visuals and costume design were so beautiful to see on screen.
Stuck in Love
Lily Collins and Logan Lerman love arc? Sign me up. How have I never been on the list before? This movie also served as a gentle reminder that writing is always there for me, and I really needed that.
Almost Famous
Another one I wish I had seen sooner, and another gentle push to get back into writing. This movie combined so many of my interests, so I absolutely loved it.
Music
Beyoncé- Plastic Off the Sofa, Alien Superstar, Tyrant, and Alligator tears
Sade- Paradise, No Ordinary Love, and Kiss of Life
Kaytranada- What You Need (Feat. Charlotte Day Wilson), Snap My Finger (feat PinkPantheress), Freefall (feat. Durand Bernarr), and Lover/Friend (feat Rochelle Jordan)
Foxtide- She’s Not Yours, I Didn’t Mean It, and Pilot Wings
KT Tunstall- Suddenly I see
Shura- religion
Melody’s Echo Chamber- Shirim
The Chicks- Wide Open Spaces
Post Sex Nachos- Growing Old
Orion Sun- Sweet
Norah Jones- Come Away With Me and Don’t Know Why
Sza- Kitchen, My Turn, Snooze, Green Mile, and Snooze
Clairo- Juna
Solange- Bad Girls - Verdine version, Losing You, and Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work
Suki Waterhouse- To Love
Fruit Bats- The Ruminant Band
Marlon Funaki- When Sunday Comes Around
Men I Trust- Stay True feat. Helena and All Night
The Marías- Paranoia and Clueless
Doechii- Persuasive, Alter Ego, and Yucky Blucky Fruitcake
Beach Fossils- Social Jetlag, Saint Ivy, and This Year
Lessons Learned
Go for it, the worst they can say is no, and my life has never ever worked out the “normal” way.
Being post-grad and seeking jobs in such niche industries, I have faced more rejection this year than ever before. It’s been so hard not to take job rejections personally when I have worked so hard for years with the unreal expectation that my dream job was simply waiting for me to graduate. Yet, my life has never played out the “normal” way. I didn’t go through elementary school the “normal” way, I didn’t graduate high school the “normal” way, I didn’t find my college the “normal” way, hell, I didn’t even join my sorority the “normal” way. Everything in my life that was meant for me has either been from me working my little butt off in unconventional ways or has been divinely placed in front of me. So why would my career be any different? I had to jump outside of the box, advocate for myself and my abilities, and utilize every last drop of confidence in my body to keep myself going. I’m still working on this, but I know I am so much better prepared for 2026 because of this realization in 2025.
Time does not heal all wounds; feeling all the feelings is the only way to truly heal them.
As I mentioned before, the past few months have brought up feelings that I so wrongly assumed had somehow, someway healed themselves within me, despite my lack of attention to them. At 24 years old, I am finally healing from the state of my life at 16. Going to college and filling my life with new joys, new challenges, new everything allowed me to pack my trauma in a little to-go box for later. I must’ve forgotten that styrofoam is not a sturdy material. Those little tabs you tuck in can only hold so much. When you pack too much in there, it’s going to pop open. I did not realize the abundance of myself I was missing by not healing these traumas. Finally feeling these feelings has been one of the most gut-wrenching periods of my life, but it’s also been the most beautifully magnificent healing process.
Every version of me past lives within me; I am me, and that is all I can be.
2025 was such an intense year of self-rediscovery for me. I yearned for the college version of myself to come back, with all of her accomplishments and her busy schedule, while I healed the traumas of the high school version of myself. All that made me realize was, it was always the same girl, it is always the same girl, woman, me. I’m changing, I’m growing, but I’m always the same. I’m always me. I have reconnected with the loves of 6-year-old Beth, writing, music, and ocean animals, and I have found that I still love those things just as much as I did when my bedroom had purple carpet. I have changed so much, moved so much, tried to fit into so many boxes that just weren’t meant for me, all to find myself back at 6, writing in my bedroom. As a girl who has moved so much in her life, leaving behind every house she grew up in, I realize now that the only home I have ever known is in myself. It is my duty and honor to love and embrace every version; she deserves that. I deserve that.
Hi guys…I guess I lost my voice for a little bit there. I’m so happy to be back. I hope 2025 treated all my readers well and 2026 brings all your greatest wishes. I have some B&B stats to share, too, but I think I’ll save those for later. I’ll see you soon, okay?
Write you soon!
Beth
