It's the final favorite things roundup post of 2025! For those of you who are new around here, welcome. This is a post that I do every month looking back on the things that brought me joy or made my life better in some way. I also started this year to look at the things that you guys liked the most, as well, whether that's from total number of clicks and engagement to number of buys. It's been really interesting to see each month what resonates with y'all. Sometimes it's truly surprising!
December was a whirlwind of a month. After Thanksgiving Break, we had two and a half weeks of school before the extended Christmas Break. We had quite a bit of testing going on at my school, which meant altered schedules and lower-stakes assignments. I teamed up with the reading teacher to do our second annual ugly Christmas sweater contest and then had students design presentations for Santa to get them off the naughty list.
We started the month by going to a local Christmas festival. This is one that we've been going to every December for several years now. It's probably the biggest holiday festival in our area, and we always have a good time. Sadly, we had a lot of rain at the start of the month, and our favorite local Christmas event got canceled without being rescheduled.
Alexis had her Christmas concert, which was part of her school's annual family night. In addition to the musical performance, there were different holiday-themed activities and snacks.
Then of course there was Christmas Break. For the first time since I started teaching, this break actually felt like a break. We truly did not do very much at all (the weather canceled lots of our plans), so it's been a restful couple of weeks, which I absolutely needed.
Alright, let's take a look at my favorites from the month plus your favorite things that I shared.
My Favorites
Tea & Alchemy -- If you haven't already seen it, this book claimed the number two spot on my best books of 2025 list. that rarely happens with a book that I read so late in the year! That alone should tell you just how good I thought this one was.
Family & Other Calamities -- This one made me laugh despite the deeper topic. I also appreciated that it didn't shy away from some of the often overlooked issues with sexism and racism that still plague journalism today, and I really loved how the bad guy got served his just desserts -- it was brilliant and hilarious.
I KINDA LIKE THAT by LAUNDRY DAY -- This song has been stuck in my head, playing on a loop for days! I guess it's fitting that the album it's on is called Earworm. It's a fun song that gives me lots of nostalgia for my old favorites.
S.O.S. by Post Sex Nachos -- This is another song that gets stuck in my head. It also gives me nostalgia for the good ol' days of music.
COVERGIRL Clean Eye Color Sticks -- Back in May, I featured the e.l.f. No Budge Shadow Stick in my monthly favorites. Well, when it came time to buy a new one, I couldn't find the color that I like and had to back up and punt. I found these eyeshadow sticks by COVERGIRL as a replacement, and dang if I don't like them better. For one thing, they go on a lot easier than the e.l.f. ones; they're very smooth and creamy. With the e.l.f. ones, I almost felt like I was stabbing myself in the eye from how hard I had to press down to get the color to transfer. There are also way more color options available for these, at least in my local stores. Price-wise, these are a little bit higher than the e.l.f. shadow sticks, but they're still less than $10 apiece, so still affordable. I'm using the gold dusk and mystic maroon shades.
Fair Isle Sweater + Floral Skirt Outfits -- This is an outfit combination I discovered and fell in love with in December. Truly, I don't know why I never thought to combine the two before now because it just works! Click on each individual picture above to see full outfit details for each.
Striped Fair Isle Sweater -- Speaking of fair isle sweaters, this purple striped one from Walmart has been a favorite for me. It's my most-worn sweater so far this winter. It is really good quality, so soft, and it blends so nicely with most of what's already in my closet. Unfortunately, this exact color is no longer available online. There is a black version, though, that is still available in some sizes. I also found some similar styles that have the same vibe here and here.
Crochet Sweater Outfit - This was one of the last outfits I wore in December, but it is one of my favorites for sure. It was comfortable and colorful and felt very authentically me.
Wide Leg Jeans from Old Navy -- Have I mentioned on here before how glad I am that wide-leg jeans are back in style? I got these in two different washes during Black Friday sales, and I cannot stop wearing them! Especially the medium wash. I wear size 6 in Old Navy jeans, and these fit perfectly.
Rotel Pasta Recipe -- I don't have a picture of this pasta, but it was probably my favorite recipe that we tried in December. It was super easy to make, not too spicy, and also had just enough leftovers for Alexis and me to take some the next day and I was able to take some for my mom and another coworker. We'll definitely be making this one again!
Your Favorites
Sketchers Hotshot Varsity Crew Sneakers -- These were my back-to-school shoes. I needed a new pair of sneakers, but I really didn't want something neutral. I've been sharing them off and on since August, so it surprises me that they've taken the top spot for December. I bought mine at our local Skechers store, but I can't find them on their website. However, they are still available here, here, and here.
Wide Woven Belts -- These belts were probably my most practical buy of 2025. They were at the top of my best purchases for the year. I seriously wear mine all the time.
Plaid Peplum Tie Front Blouse -- This is such a pretty blouse, right? I bought it to have something short-sleeved for Christmas just in case winter decided to take a holiday. It also comes in a pretty blue.
Hobo Bag -- This is another one of my best purchases of 2025. This bag is a great size and good quality. It comes in a bunch of colors. I have the orange-brown.
Woven Mary Jane Flats -- My woven mary jane flats are my most worn shoe of 2025. Not only were they in my top best purchases of 2025, they made the monthly favorites list multiple times. My exact ones have been sold out for awhile, but this very similar style was back in your top 10 favorites for the month. Here's another similar pair in case your size is unavailable.
SoSoft Cropped Mock-Neck Cable Sweater -- These sweaters are so good, y'all. I have the white and green, both of which are mostly sold out. There are other colors available, but they're going fast!
White Converse -- I'm not going to lie; this one surprises me a lot. I've not shared white converse in awhile. I can't even remember the last time!
Let's Go Girls graphic tee -- This is another one that surprises me. I haven't shown this tee on the blog or my socials in months. In fact, I've been thinking about donating it because I really haven't worn it much lately.
Sweater Socks -- These are my favorite socks to wear in the winter, especially with boots.
Striped Fair Isle Sweater -- This is the same fair isle sweater that made my personal favorites list.
Luvamia Beach Shorts -- December seems like an odd time for shorts to make the favorites list, but here we are. These beach shorts were a big part of my wardrobe over the summer and made my best purchases of the year. I own them in blue and pink; they also come in green and yellow.
Coffee Club graphic tee -- Here's another item from my best purchases of 2025 list. I really love this t-shirt. It's one of those that I reach for when I don't know what else to wear. It's soft and comfortable and goes with so much in my closet. It's also still available in all sizes online.
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