Hodge Podge of Lists & Reflections From 2024
Big events, lessons, favorite things & more
I don’t feel particularly called to the idea of setting new years resolutions, but I do enjoy the practice of looking back on my year and reflecting.
Here’s a hodge podge of lists an reflection questions I’ve been noodling on:
📆 List out something significant(ish) that happened each month of 2024:
Jan: got new glasses
Feb: Moved into our own apartment after living with my partners parents for a year
March: Got 2 kitties!
April: Joined a book club
May: Finally listed a bunch of clothes I’d been meaning to sell on Poshmark
June: Started experimenting more with my personal style (Thanks to
’s course)July: spent 2 weeks in Europe and my anxiety was miraculously manageable (thanks, Zoloft)
August: Hiked a 70 mile section of the Appalachian trail with 2 of my Bffs
Sept: Puked on a red eye flight to visit my parents in Atlanta :/
Oct: Went on a business retreat for female entrepreneurs in Menorca hosted by
, (and again, my anxiety was notably low— yay for SSRIs)Nov: Finally figured out a system to organize my tasks in my personal life and biz (Thanks
for showing me the world of Notion)Dec: Celebrated my 4 year business anniversary in my private practice, Leah Kern Nutrition!
👩🍳 What’s one recipe you learned to cook this year?
Spicy vodka pasta! I use this recipe— it’s perfect.
✌️ What are you most proud of from this year?
Leaving Instagram. Actually doing the damn thing I set out to do. March will be 1 year and I cannot overstate how impactful this decision has been personally and professionally. I got my brain space back. I got my attention back. I got my life back. (More reflections on this to come in March)
My income took a hit and I still know in my heart this was the right move. I could feel my business going through a shedding of identity and subsequent reconstruction into an up-leveled version of itself. This change has forced me to think creatively and innovate more than I would’ve if I was still using IG as a marketing channel.
What were some of your favorite new items you discovered this year?
Packing cubes— the first time in my life that my bag didn’t explode every day while on a trip.
Shout wipes— I always wanted to be a person who wears crisp white t-shirts, but I never understood how people keep them white. Turns out, shout wipes help if you’re a messy eater like me.
Slick back bun products — when my hair looks greasy or my curls get crimped weird when I sleep on them, slick back bun to the rescue! The right brush and products makes it much easier. I use this product and this brush.
Kindle— historically, a barrier to reading I’ve faced is the inability to get comfy holding my book. I like to cuddle my doll (more on that here— its a whole thing) which means I only have one hand free. The Kindle offers a better single hand reading experience, which has allowed me to feel comfier when reading making me more inclined to read.
Black medium crescent Bagu — Carrying a purse has always felt unnatural to me, however carrying my black medium crescent Bagu feels right.
Origins Ginzing Tinted SPF— my sister showed me this. I feel great about wearing SPF daily and the slight tint helps me feel like my face looks more “alive” on zoom calls.
Brown Gap CashSoft Set— easily my most worn item(s) this fall/ winter. My go-to outfit for when I want to feel cozy but still “put together.” I’ve shamelessly worn it back to back days multiple times
This Blue Gap Maxi Dress— my warm month most worn item/ go-to for when I wanted to feel comfy and “put together.” Also got me through some very hot temperatures. Love that I don’t need a bra, nice and breezy cotton, doesn’t cling to my skim.
📚 What books did you read this year? Rate them 1-5 & give a short explanation of why
Where The Crawdad Sings (4) — captured my attention enough to be the book that got me back into reading, good story.
First Lie Wins (4) — fun thriller/ mystery, very different than what I usually go for, first book we read for the bookclub I joined.
Yellow Face (3.5) — interesting story, appreciated learning about some of the issues with the publishing industry. Only reason not rating it higher was because the cancel culture storyline was a little tough for me.
Book Lovers (4) — fun light, romance read. Listened to it in the car.
Hello Beautiful (3) — good story, liked the complex family dynamics but not very memorable and a little too long.
Death Valley (3) — I deeply connect to Melissa Broder’s quirky, unfiltered writing style but I prefer her other books over this one (loved Milk Fed).
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post (4) —really enjoyed learning about Marjorie Post, a woman who made history for her innovations in the food system.
Down The Drain (4) — knew nothing about Julia Fox prior to reading this memoir. Found her life and come up fascinating, but hard to listen to at times b/c of drug use, abuse, violence, etc.
The Women (4.5)— loved learning more about the Vietnam war through the lens of this book. Very captivating with some unexpected twists. The gory details + intense depression / PTSD were hard for me at times, which is the only reason I don’t give this one a 5.
Wedding People (4.5)— really enjoyed the satire and social commentary around the absurdity of (some) weddings. A super fun read with a great message about being honest with yourself.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2.5)— This book made me think about what it means to be able to leave a mark on the world, but overall too long and not as good as I expected (I’d heard this book was life changing, but that wasn’t my experience).
What is the Biggest lesson you learned this year?
Stay open, you don’t have to take control always. See how things unfold when you don’t white knuckle grip them— it’s fun sometimes.
🤗 List 5 things that brought you joy in 2024
Joining a book club + reading more
Getting cats
Ruthie (left) Murray (right) Learning to care for plants (I get so excited when I see a new leaf budding!)
Leaving Instagram + getting my brain space back
Cooking yummy food in our apartment with Al
12. Write a haiku to sum up your year
Cozy times with Al.
Cats, Cannabis, and Cooking.
California Life.
What questions are you reflecting on as we close out the year? I’d love to add some fun ones to my list, if you’ve got any!
Thanks for being here, reading my personal writing. I’m hoping to do more of it in the coming months.
xoxo
Leah
Loved getting to see you IRL this year! Also, we read so many of the same books. Joining a book club was one of my highlights for this year as well! Happy holidays to you!! 🤗❤️
Love reading all of this! More sharing here please!