It's the last day of 2017! We made it through day 365 of 365 and as I write this post and reflect on my past year, I can definitely say this has been one of the most life-changing years of my life. A lot of good has happened, some bad has happened but all in all I'm definitely thankful for everything I've experienced this year.

The Good

I think the biggest thing that stands out to me this year is that I finally started this blog! Today actually marks the 7th month anniversary since I launched Jasmin Wears. I've always loved fashion and beauty and have wanted a creative outlet to express myself. Having a blog and being able to create content for it however was always something I was afraid to do. I was afraid people would think that I wasn't good enough to be a fashion blogger, or that no one would follow or read what I had to write. I think I finally got to a point where I said f*ck it, I'm going to do this anyways because I knew I would regret it if I didn't.

Blogging has not only fulfilled me creatively by being able to style outfits but has also granted me the opportunity to work with some amazing brands, meet some fellow San Diego bloggers, and overall be a part of a supportive blogging community where I've met and connected with so many talented people who I consider friends today. I really can't wait to see where Jasmin Wears takes me into 2018 and how much I'm be able to grow and expand it.

Another awesome thing about 2017 is that I was able to travel a lot! I usually try to take one vacation a year (last year I got to travel to Kauai and Maui), but this year I was able to take a bunch of fun trips. I went to Palm Springs (one of my fav destinations) for my 26th birthday, I went to LA to see Fleetwood Mac perform at the Classic West (my all time favorites), and most recently I got to explore Europe by spending two weeks in Rome and Paris which was so worth using every last bit of my PTO (watch out for my Rome and Paris travel guides coming to the blog soon!)

I think travel is one of those things that I'd always rather have than a new bag or pair of shoes so in 2018, a goal of mine is going to be to put aside money for some more travel. Since I just did a big city vacay, I'm thinking the next place I want to go is somewhere tropical. 

The Bad

Of course, life's not perfect (no matter how much every blogger's IG feed may try to convince you otherwise), and some not so ideal things happened to me this year. At the end of the day, I think the most important lessons I've learned in 2017 is to:

- always trust your gut (if you have an off feeling about something, you're probably right)
- cut out toxic people from your life, always (if someone isn't adding value to your life, or causing you grief or anxiety, odds are they probably aren't going to stop giving you those bad vibes. Might as well cut them out sooner than later, ja feel?)
- take a break if you need to (managing a blog, working full time, and trying to adult can be exhausting. Sometimes it's ok to put down your phone, take a day off, clear your mind in order to avoid getting burnt out)

2018 GOALS & WHAT I'M HOPEFUL FOR

I don't like to set 'new year's resolutions', because I'm not a believer in having to set resolutions just because it's a new calendar year. With that being said, it's still nice to have some goals and an outline of what I want to strive for in 2018 as I have reflected on all the good things 2017 has brought me.

1. Practice meditating/yoga: All good things in 2017 aside, I've experienced a lot of stress this year as well. Work, my blog, trying to exercise and stay healthy, make time for friends and family, get my 8 hours of sleep - life has just been stressful this year (and I'm sure everyone can relate!) Coming back from Europe to my condo flooded and water damage in all the walls was just the icing on the cake. I regularly take Orangetheory Fitness classes - but these are HIIT classes and don't necessarily relax me. I want to incorporate yoga at least 1-2 times a week so I can feel more at peace.

2. Expand my blog: Being in the first year of blogging, I'm still learning a lot and trying to figure out what works best for my brand day by day. I'm looking forward to being able to work with new brands, continue the partnerships I was able to build this year and hopefully start a YouTube channel. I'm thinking maybe hair and makeup tutorials. What do you guys think?!

3. Go to sleep early: I'm such a night owl. Ever since I was in high school, I could never go to sleep early and can literally stay up all night sometimes, especially if I'm working on a project or blog post. I hate this though because then I'm super groggy in the morning and I don't feel as productive during the day. I want to go to bed early so I can get up early and workout, be more productive at work and hopefully not be so bitchy in the mornings without my caffeine lollll.

4. Declutter/minimize my stuff: So like I mentioned above, my condo flooded. As I was moving out all my stuff in order for the restoration company to demo my walls, I couldn't help but realize how the f*ck do I have SO much stuff!? Like it actually irritated me because not only did it take forever to go through, but I have a lot of clothes, shoes etc. that are pretty much brand new or only worn a few times. I'm thinking 2018 is going to be a year for me to either donate and sell all that and make some space in my home! I'm going to make a Poshmark page so be on the lookout for that!

5. Take better care of my skin: Reaching the second half of my twenties has made me SO much more conscious of the fact that I want to keep looking young and avoid wrinkles, scars, etc. A solid thing I want to do is keep up with:
- taking my collagen which nourishes skin and increases body's natural moisture level to improve your hair/skin/nails. I love the vital proteins brand and want to try some of their new products (like their collagen beauty water)
- use my oils (I've discovered oils this year and am AMAZED on how much more glowing/youthful my skin looks after - these geranium drops by SkinOwl are literally my new favorite thing and their Eye + cream which I've talked about on IG stories is literally like an eye lift in a bottle)
- swap out any other drinks for water (I love drinking coffee and tea but all that caffeine can easily dehydrate me and my skin)

Lastly I want to thank each and every one of you guys for taking the time to read my posts, interact with me on Instagram, and help me grow my blog and do what I love at the end of the day. PLEASE let me know anything you guys want to see from me in the new year. Whether it be blog post ideas, makeup/hair tutorials, questions you have, or anything else...I'd love to hear feedback.