hi friends, happy 2018 to you all!

i posted this pretty blush velour jumpsuit on my instagram page a few weeks ago and i’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to do a full post on all the details. i love that jumpsuits are so on trend right now as this was the perfect piece to wear to a holiday party without having to freeze my legs off in a dress or skirt. i know the holidays are over but a jumpsuit would also be perfect for any banquets or weddings you have coming up this winter and even more perfect for a dressy valentine’s date night look next month.

with it being a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate – whatever you want to call it. i wanted to reflect on 2017 and share some of my new resolutions/goals for 2018 in today’s post as well. i know, i know, it’s a very cliché thing to do and it’s something that doesn’t and honestly shouldn’t have to wait until january 1st to sit down and do. even so, I’m still pretty into it and enjoy setting new goals to better myself & lifestyle. can we also address how satisfying it was that the first day of the new year was on a monday this year? so lovely.

blush velour jumpsuit // wool blend grey coat // baublebar eve drop earrings

more jumpsuit options

 {reflecting on 2017}

things that went well in life

1. traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado for a couple’s ski trip and Scottsdale, Arizona for our 1 year wedding anniversary. WE Went to the lake a few times over the summer and I Took a fun wine weekend girls trip to Hermann, Missouri this fall with my mom and bestie for my mom’s 61st birthday.

2. I started taking really good care of my skin by never falling asleep with my make up on and following a regimen of products. i’ll have a full blog post detailing out all of THAT coming soon.

3. WE re-painted our living room/kitchen area to lighten everything up which then inspired me to MINIMIZE and declutter the entire house. it felt great to get rid of junk AND CLOTHING WE had been holding onto for years and not even using.

4. i finally found a place/EXERCISE that i truly enjoy and actually love going to multiple times a week.

Things that didn’t go so well in life

1. I spent too much money on eating out, especially when it came to lunches during the work week.

2. I paid for an unlimited 3 month gym membership at the beginning of the year and maybe went 3-5 times total. yeahhhhh i know, that’s bad. however, as I stated above, at the end of the year i finally found a workout i truly love – cyclebar. stay tuned for an exclusive discount for elle mae followers on cyclebar packages which I’ll be sharing with y’all later this week.

3. I let the negative social judgment of others start to affect my overall mood. People, even close friends and family can and will have opinions and judgments of you and that’s something i had to really deal with this year for the first time in my life. of course, i’m not perfect and i believe you should always self reflect on what someone is approaching you with and apologize if you see necessary. however, i also believe it is so important that you Have absolute faith in your character and who you are, not letting another’s “idea” of you become your reality.

when you are knowingly judged you START TO feel a sense of guilt (AT LEAST I DID) even if you didn’t do anything or mean to do anything. If somebody doesn’t agree with what you are doing or how you are behaving, don’t feel pressured into changing. Have confidence in your convictions, even when others disagree or don’t understand. i learned that Harboring the negativity from others ultimately has no effect on anybody else but me. i let the what felt like constant JUDGMENT turn into self-pity and guilt for awhile but By forgiving, I have freed myself from that situation. i think it’s very important to Learn to accept an apology even if, especially if, it’s not actually offered. with these PERSONAL experiences in 2017 I’ve learned to have more compassion for people especially in times where i find myself BECOMING JUDGMENTAL OF otherS.

with that being said, here is one of my favorite poems by Mother Teresa.

{resolutions for 2018}

1. i would absolutely love to travel more this year and see new places. we actually already have a trip planned to Portland, Oregon which I’m excited about since both erick and i have never been there.

2. continue to take care of my skin with my current skin care REGIMEN and add in bi-monthly facials with the wonderful Lindsey Schubert of blush spa. with this also comes drinking plenty of water.

3. with my new-found love of cyclebar I’m setting a goal to attend classes 4-5 times a week. along with this fitness goal I’m setting a goal to have an overall healthier lifestyle when it comes to my diet. erick and i recently started hello fresh and we absolutely love it. I’m hopeful this new food plan will also help me not spend as much money during the week on lunches. the main reason i was spending money on lunch in the first place is because i hate grocery shopping/meal prepping and hello fresh takes care of both of these things for me.

4. after feeling judgment it can be easy to sense disapproval from others that may not even be there in the first place and then unnecessarily alter our actions. so, i’m promising myself to stop having these doubts going forward and to just be myself in every and all situations like i have always been. those who truly know me will always be around for me and those who disapprove from a surface level will disapprove regardless of my effort to please them.

i hope you all had a wonderful holidays spent with loved ones and are as excited and hopeful as i am for 2018. Cheers!