Happy New Year, friends! Before diving into all-new content next week, I want to wrap up 2025 with my annual Year In Review. So much gets forgotten over the course of the year, and it’s only when I start scrolling back through my iPhone photos and browsing old blog posts that I’m reminded just how much actually happened. I always enjoy looking back and sharing a few highlights before we officially turn the page on the calendar—and New Year’s Eve feels like the perfect time to do it!
I like to start by sharing a few updates about the blog and my business—what’s changed and how things have grown. Then I’ll rewind a bit and take you along as I look back on some personal highlights from the year.
State of the Blog Address
It’s hard to believe, but the blog turned 19 in March… which means this year is my 20th year of blogging. What started back in 2006 as a simple online diary for our family of five has grown into an everyday style destination and a virtual community that now serves almost half a million women each month. I still find that absolutely mind-boggling—but it’s also been quite a year for those of us who make our living online.
What’s Changed This Year
First, let’s talk about a few changes I made to my business this year. Even though video is where much of the momentum is right now, I’m still an old-school blogger at heart. I truly love writing and value the community it creates, so back in the spring I moved my email list to Substack and launched Everyday Style Notes, which is where my emails and daily updates now live.
Just to be clear, the blog is still very much home base, but I felt like Substack could be a fresh way to grow my audience and bring more like-minded women into the community. I also love that it offers a comment section, searchable archives, and easy access to past posts. With traditional email platforms, that content pretty much disappeared once it was sent, but now it has a permanent home on Substack.
I also made the decision over the summer to bring on more support behind the scenes, but not to renew my Pinterest management contract. With the changes to the platform, I felt like those funds could be better allocated elsewhere. Instead, I hired a project manager.
I’d been saying for years that I needed one, so I finally started asking around and found Jenni! She’s been such a great addition to our small team, and much more than just a project manager. She does help keep us organized and moving forward, but she also brings fresh ideas to the table and helps me stay on top of beauty and fashion trends, which has been incredibly helpful.
That brings our little team to four (or five, if you count Kate, who helps me locally with returns and clothing management). Sydney still helps with strategy and content planning, Amy handles graphics, linking, and other admin tasks, and we all pitch in on product roundups and content ideas. Everyone brings something a little different to the mix.
This job can be pretty isolating at times, so having other women to chat with throughout the day and trade ideas with has made all the difference.
What’s Been Challenging This Year
That said, there have also been some real challenges to my business this year. The rise of AI and changes to Google and Pinterest have had a significant impact on the blog.
For years, those platforms were reliable sources of traffic and a way for new readers to discover our community. This year, that referral traffic dropped significantly, which naturally affected ad revenue and, to a smaller extent, affiliate sales. It’s been a big adjustment—and at times, a discouraging one.
And social media has been challenging in a different way. Instagram, in particular, feels noisy and overwhelming in a way it never used to. Best practices are constantly changing, and the pressure to keep up with every new trend can be exhausting.
While it’s never been the place where I choose to put most of my time and energy, Instagram is an important way to connect more personally and grow this community, so I know I need to keep showing up there. That said, I won’t lie. It gets old. I don’t always want to be camera-ready, and there’s often an unspoken pressure to show up as a certain version of yourself, even when that doesn’t fully reflect how you’re actually feeling.
And we won’t even talk about Facebook… ha! I know I could be doing more with both my Facebook Page and JLS Insiders Group, but the blog and Substack take up most of my energy these days, and honestly, that’s where I want it to go. Like so many things in this business, it’s a delicate balancing act.
Then, on a totally different note: Just a few weeks ago, I learned that my primary affiliate network, which has also been the source of most of my brand partnerships, is shutting down. That news came as quite a shock. Suddenly, I found myself talking with new agencies, negotiating agreements, learning new platforms, and recreating a lot of content. Going forward, I’ll need to update a bunch of older posts and replace thousands of links before they’re permanently deactivated. I’m incredibly grateful to have a solid team helping me tackle all of it.
Looking Ahead
In light of all this, I’ve been hearing people say that influencer marketing is dead or that this kind of work isn’t sustainable anymore, but I refuse to believe that.
If nearly 20 years of working in this space has taught me anything, it’s that authenticity and consistency still matter, and showing up and staying true to yourself always counts. I don’t believe that can be replaced by artificial intelligence. If anything, it makes thoughtful, human content more valuable than ever. That’s the approach I plan to take as I move forward.
All in all, I’m proud of my business and the content I’ve created this year. Growth doesn’t always show up in the numbers, but I feel the love and support from this community every day. Truly, I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for showing up here year after year. I appreciate it more than you know, and I’m excited to continue this style journey with you as we head into 2026!
2025 Recap in Pictures
Okay, let’s take a quick walk down memory lane. As I was looking back through past Year in Review posts, I realized they included a lot more photos of our kids. Lately, though, I’ve felt a bit more hesitant about sharing their pictures—and honestly, I don’t have nearly as many as I used to. So this year’s recap is going to be a little more Paul-and-Jo-Lynne focused, which feels like a pretty accurate reflection of the stage of life we’re in.
We’ve had some really special experiences this year, just the two of us, and I’m grateful for that. As we continue navigating this season of being parents to grown kids who don’t spend nearly as much time at home anymore, I’m looking forward to many more moments like these.
It feels fitting that we rang in the New Year quietly with a dinner for two at a cozy restaurant nearby and were tucked into bed well before midnight. The only photo I have is a quick snap I shared to my Instagram Stories.
January started off slowly. I don’t remember much about it, except that Caroline went back to college in Boston and Becca headed back to Nashville. David was still living at home and working full-time. Toward the end of the month, Becca came home for a quick weekend visit for a friend’s concert she helped manage and promote. That was really fun—and encouraging to see her pursuing that path, which is why she went to Belmont for Music Business.
In February, the Eagles won the Super Bowl, which made for a pretty exciting week around here. I watched the parade on TV, but my son went downtown and enjoyed it with friends. We also had a couple of really pretty snowfalls in January and February. Apparently, Instagram Stories were my main form of documentation…
Later that month, Alison and I flew to Sarasota, Florida, to shoot spring photos for the blog. Deb and Beth met us there, which made it even more fun.
After the ladies all headed home, Paul joined me, and we stayed for another week just enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. We also celebrated his birthday with family who were in the area before heading back to the frigid Northeast.
At the end of March, Paul had a work trip in Nashville, so I joined him for a couple of days to see Becca and enjoy the area. We took in some live music on Broadway and had dinner with his work colleagues at The Hampton Social.
In early April, we flew to Jacksonville to escape the cold and explore another part of Florida. We split our time between Ponte Vedra and Anna Maria Island, and I honestly can’t decide which we enjoyed more. Both were fantastic.
While we were there, I also got to see my friend Cyndi. She and her husband Wayne were vacationing in the area, so we met up for dinner, which was especially nice since our husbands got to meet for the first time.
April also included a very special family dinner to celebrate Paul’s mom’s 90th birthday. Then, toward the end of the month, I flew back to Nashville to help Becca bring her car home for the summer.
Before I knew it, it was the middle of May and time to bring Caroline home from college… for good this time. It also happened to be the weekend I was leaving for England for my much-anticipated Walkabout trip to London and the Cotswolds.
Paul went to Boston to help Caroline bring all of her things home the same day I flew to London. I hated that I couldn’t be there to help her say goodbye to the campus where both of us spent four of the best years of our lives, but that’s just how the timing worked out.
I wrote a full recap of that trip and shared everything I wore in my post, What I Wore in England: A 10-Day Capsule Wardrobe for London & the Cotswolds, if you want all the details. I’ll just share a few of my favorite photos here.
Shopping at the Mulberry store on Regent Street…
Touring Sudeley Castle…
The obligatory London phone booth photo…
The charming Covent Garden…
The church in the Cotswolds where Father Brown is filmed…
And possibly the most beautiful sight of all: the view of Philadelphia as I landed. Home sweet home.
June was a hard month for our family. We lost Paul’s mom after she had a fall. A few weeks later, family gathered to celebrate her life and honor her memory. It was both meaningful and bittersweet.
In July, we celebrated my 53rd birthday with a nice dinner out, just the five of us. My son is usually away working at camp that week, so it meant a lot to have all of my kids with me on my birthday.
Right after that, we hosted a big Fourth of July pool party, and Becca’s friends’ band performed. Paul even joined them at the end on acoustic guitar to play Free Bird, which was a lot of fun.
July also brought the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which is always a busy time for my business, and it’s when Jenni officially joined my team.
Later in the month, we spent a week in Maine with my parents, which was a really nice way to round out the summer.
Before I knew it, it was August and time to take Becca back to Belmont. I drove down with her to help her move into her new apartment, then flew back home.
Little did I know I’d be back five months later to move her out again, but that’s getting ahead of myself.
The next week, I drove to NYC for a quick overnight trip to meet up with Sydney and Jenni from my team. I stayed at The Bowery, a charming boutique hotel in Lower Manhattan with a cozy, old-world vibe.
While I was there, I also scheduled a photo shoot with Kate McReynolds, which was really fun. We got some great photos, and I always enjoy learning something new when I work with a different photographer. It was a dreary few days, but thankfully the rain held off on the morning of our shoot, and Kate got some great photos.
A few days later, Caroline and I flew down to Nashville to visit Becca and see the Dolly musical at Belmont. Yes, August was a busy month!
In September, Paul and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with an epic trip to Iceland and the U.K. Iceland was a bit of a whirlwind, with hotel changes almost every night, but I can see why you have to keep moving. There is so much to see, a lot of driving, and every few minutes the landscape completely changes.
I shared all the details from that portion of the trip in my Iceland Trip Recap, along with everything I wore in What I Wore in Iceland, Scotland & London and a His and Hers Iceland Packing List for Fall if you’re planning a similar trip.
A few standout moments for me were Diamond Beach and the Glacier Lagoon (along with the Glacier Lagoon Hotel—I’d love to go back and stay there again someday).
We also took an incredible hike alongside the Múlagljúfur Canyon with views of the glacier and two waterfalls. Oh, and the black crust pizza in Vik was to. die. for.
Scotland was a major bucket list destination for me, as both of my grandmothers have a long line of ancestry there. One of them even emigrated from Glasgow as a young girl, and I was able to track down her last known address, which was pretty cool.
I shared all the details from this portion of the trip in my Scotland Trip Recap, along with a separate post on What I Packed for Scotland and London, since it ended up feeling like a completely different trip from Iceland.
We started and ended our Scotland adventure in Glasgow and spent the time in between in Edinburgh and the Highlands. Our stay at The Balmoral in Edinburgh was absolutely exquisite. We only had two nights there, but we packed a lot in and made the most of our time. I would love to go back someday.
And as much as I love exploring new cities, I was especially excited to see the Highlands after reading so many novels set there, and it did not disappoint. The landscape is stark and the history is heavy, but the beauty is breathtaking.
I’m so glad we decided at the last minute to add London as a third and final leg of the trip. Looking back, I can’t imagine going straight home after our whirlwind tour of Scotland. London felt like the exhale we didn’t know we needed.
As much as I loved the dramatic landscapes of Iceland and the rugged countryside and historic cities of Scotland, London felt a bit like coming home. I had just been there in May, and that familiarity gave us space to slow down, regroup, and explore at our own pace. It’s so beautifully preserved and architecturally rich that I just can’t seem to get enough of it.
You can read my full London Trip Recap for all the details, but this part of the trip was much more relaxed than the others. We stayed at the same hotel all four nights and had plenty of time to wander. We also enjoyed some wonderful meals and saw Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, which was amazing.
We were sad to leave, but it felt like we’d been away for just the right amount of time. With so much going on at home, both personally and in the world, it felt like the right moment to return and settle back into real life.
Back at home, we celebrated Becca’s 20th birthday in October while she was home for Fall Break, and Paul and I went to see The Hooters in concert—one of our favorite bands to see live.
Also in October, we met friends in Blowing Rock, North Carolina for a fall weekend getaway, which was a lot of fun. It’s such a charming area, and we would absolutely go back. I shared everything I packed and wore in a separate post, if you want more details on that!
While we were there, we met up with our friend Sarah from our old-school blogging days. Both Sarahs and I started back when blogging was still new and just finding its footing. We used to attend conferences together (we even roomed together once!), and we’ve kept in touch over the years, so it was really fun to reconnect in person.
Sarah Pinnix // Sarah Peppel // me!
Later that month, I headed back to Nashville—this time to spend some time with my friend Cyndi. Of course, I also snuck in a visit with Becca while I was there.
We stayed at a lovely hotel, The Harpeth, in Franklin, did some shopping, and went to a concert at the Ryman. We also met our friend Lisa for lunch, but we were so busy chatting that we completely forgot to take a picture.
November brought David’s 26th birthday, although I don’t have many photos to show for it—just a picture of his cake (not particularly photo-worthy, but very tasty!). I guess we’re officially at that stage of life.
Then it was Thanksgiving. Becca came home from college for the week, we had family in from out of town for a few days, and we hosted dinner for 14 on Thanksgiving Day—our last year squeezing around this table with mismatched chairs.
(I finally decided to invest in new dining room furniture that actually fits the space, which should arrive sometime in February. It’s the last room in our house to be finished, and I’m really excited to see it come together.)
A few weeks later, Paul and I flew to Nashville to bring Becca home from Belmont University… for good. She’ll be transferring to Penn State next semester.
That was an agonizing decision that weighed heavily over the past few months. Belmont was very much her dream school for a time, and it was hard for us to realize that it just wasn’t the right fit after all. Now that the decision has been made and the logistics are in place, we’re all at peace with it. She already has a community of friends at Penn State, and she’s so happy to be back in Pennsylvania, which has made us feel confident that this was the right move.
We celebrated Caroline’s birthday on Christmas Eve with an afternoon sushi dinner for the family, and then a birthday cake after our Christmas Eve worship service that night.
Christmas Day was a quiet family celebration with just the five of us. We had planned to have some of Paul’s family in over the weekend for our annual Shane Family Christmas, but between illness and the ice storm, we decided it was best to cancel. As much as I missed seeing everyone, it ended up being a welcome chance to rest and regroup after a very busy and stressful fall.
We’re wrapping up the year with a quick trip to visit my family in Virginia. We’ll ring in the New Year tonight with my parents and my brother’s family, and we have lots of food and fun games planned. And if all goes according to plan, I’ll be turning in well before midnight!
In Conclusion
As I look back on this year, I’m so thankful for God’s faithfulness through every season, especially the ones that felt uncertain. And most of all, thank you for being here—for reading, commenting, and supporting this space year after year. I’m truly grateful for each one of you and excited to see what 2026 brings.
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28 Responses
Thanks for sharing this look back at 2025!! I’m in a similar stage of life, and the pictures of my husband and me adventuring are much more plentiful than pics of the kids 🙂
Even after following you for many years, yours is still the blog I go to first every morning. I appreciate the quality content and your authenticity about your purchases and style.
Happy New Year! May 2026 be an especially blessed year for you and your family.
Happy New Year Jolynne! I follow you on all of your platforms, but really enjoy your daily email, it is the one newsletter I look forward to reading! I’m looking into substack, its new to me, but want to check it out. I am glad that you haven’t followed the traditional “influencer” route and focused on fast fashion trends and making your life look perfect. I agree that Instagram can feel rather noisy. You and I are the same age, and its refreshing to follow someone who shows real life, the good and bad. Adult kids, aging parents, menopause all of the fun stuff!
I’m also the mom of a Penn Stater! We are!
Although I’m not one to leave comments, I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the behind the scenes aspect of your business – both successes and challenges with changing technology – and the decision to stay committed to what you enjoy. As a decade long self employed person, I completely relate. “Growth doesn’t always show up in the numbers” was so good I wrote it down! Happy New Year!
I appreciate you taking the time to comment today. Glad that thought was encouraging to you!
Great year end review Jo-Lynne. I loved reading it and seeing your fun, full year you had even though some hard times sprinkled in. God is faithful in all times. Have a very Happy New Year at your parents house with all your family. Looking forward to what you have for 2026. I can’t believe all it takes behind the scenes..
What an amazing and busy year! When you put it all in writing it’s amazing what you achieved. All the best for 2026, and thanks for all your help in 2025. Happy New Year 🎉
Such a lovely recap, enjoyed seeing all your photos of family and travels. I’m glad Becca has settled closer to home; it does take time for them to decide what is the right decision for them and we have to let them experience it and Savannah looked so comfortable in Caroline’s arms, so sweet! Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year! Thank you for sharing with us and sharing your style expertise which is so helpful.
Your year sounds like a fairytale! Except for losing your mother in law! Lots of great travels, family and friends time etc etc. You were trully blessed with such a great year. Here’s wishing you a great year to come.
THIS is why I (and likely most of your other readers) remain faithful: “If nearly 20 years of working in this space has taught me anything, it’s that authenticity and consistency still matter, and showing up and staying true to yourself always counts. I don’t believe that can be replaced by artificial intelligence. If anything, it makes thoughtful, human content more valuable than ever. That’s the approach I plan to take as I move forward.” Thank you for that🙏🏿 Wishing you and yours a blessed & happy New Year! 🥂🎩🎉
I really enjoyed reading your “year in review” and “state of the blog” post this morning. I’ve been following you since 2018 but I don’t think I ever realized all that goes on behind the scenes with your blog business; so glad you’ve got the extra help you after for your team. You are one of the most real and relatable “influencers” out there and one of the few who cultivates a community among your followers who feel comfortable commenting on here and with each other. When I think about the names of people I feel like I “know” through your blog and JLS Facebook page it seems strange (considering I’ve never met them in person, but feel like I know them), but is obviously a reflection of your authenticity that your readers have connected as well.
I agree with you about the changing social media platforms- Instagram in particular feels more “noisy” and exhausting these days and it’s actually prompted me to take more breaks from it. Going into 2026 my resolution is to limit my time there and on FB. But with that said, I still want to offer you my support so the algorithm keeps giving you points (or however that works), so you’ll have to share with us how to best support your business and content.
Thank you for all you do to help us narrow down all shopping choices out there and find the best clothing pieces and beauty products while also encouraging us to stay true to our own style. Happy New Year JoLynne!!
***side note- I still can’t get your daily emails but just searched for you in Substack this morning….easily done, but might be worth looking into for new followers who might sign up to follow you but don’t get the emails either. Sorry- I promise no more complaining! 🙃😘
There is definitely a lot more to this business than meets the eye! 🙂 I am so happy you enjoy the community here, it is my favorite part about blogging.
I don’t think I have any control over how my posts show on Substack. I haven’t done anything other than set it up and import subscribers from MailChimp. Some people have had to change their delivery settings on Substack to me sure to get my posts in their email – maybe check your settings for my Substack?
I googled “why do I not see some of the substacks I follow on my home page” and this is the AI Overview:
You might not see all your followed Substacks because of Substack Notes’ default feed (showing “For You”), needing to switch to the “Following” tab for only people you follow, content filtering by publishers, or technical glitches like a full cache; also, Substack has follow limits, so you might be maxed out.
Thanks for following up. I will go back to Substack and look into it some more. I follow about 10 bloggers I think, so not a ton, but maybe there’s a way to pin yours like a favorite?
After such busy days recently, I’m in lazy mode right now with my two dogs snuggled up beside me on the couch. I will let you know if I’m able to find out more!
Nice recap! Your trips were truly wonderful to enjoy vicariously- Scandinavia and Iceland in particular as well as the British Isles are tops on our bucket list. 2029 will be our fortieth anniversary, so my fingers are crossed.
We did not expect to find ourselves alone together this year, but that’s what happened. Our daughter worked for a few years after high school and then eased into college part-time, and she commuted from home. But at 30, with a job in her field and acceptance to grad school, she found a place of her own this summer. And that spurred our son, who’s on the spectrum and whom we didn’t necessarily expect to leave home though he works full-time, to try moving out himself at 34! It’s a strange feeling, but it has its rewards. We now have a craft room!
I appreciate that you focus on a print blogging style, if that’s the right phrase. There are some great fashion vloggers out there, but for the most part I prefer to read. And I really don’t think of you and the other fashion commenters I follow as “influencers.” To me, that word connotes more of a cult of personality than useful information and thoughtful points of view. I don’t think those of you who provide the latter are at any risk of falling out of popularity with us, the mature audience. Happy New Year!
I agree, I detest the word “influencer” – I am glad they are now moving towards using the term “content creator” – it is a much better fit, and that can apply to any platform, a blog, substack, Instagram, whatevever.
Looking back over the year with you brought so many of my own memories to light. It’s a good thing to have pictures to prove that yes I really did that. I enjoy your blog or whatever the format is called, haha, and yes I am confused with all the AI changes and what the heck is substance anyway? But keep doing you being you. Your honesty and openness are appreciated. And I hope you use all those reward miles, you do travel a lot. Happy New Year to you and your family.
I know your life is not perfect, but it seems you lead a charmed life! Can’t imagine all the trips and vacations you are able to enjoy. I believe you are aware of how blessed you are and express that in your posts. Somewhat envious of your life, but enjoy reading about it! Appreciate all you do to keep us informed of changing fashions and styles.
I am definitely blessed in many ways, and the trips were the highlights of my year, for sure. That doesn’t mean there aren’t hard things going on too—I just don’t like to be cryptic, and I can’t always share the details, so I usually leave those parts out. All that to say, we all have stuff we’re carrying, and I never want to pretend otherwise. I really appreciate your kind words and support.
I am SO glad that the blog and the Substack are where you want to concentrate. That’s my favorite. Instagram can just be annoying, and maybe a little too quick? I like longer posts, like on your blog.
Hi Jo-Lynne, thanks for sharing what goes on behind the scenes with your blog. I’m your age and have never been on social media! I look forward to your emails and reading your posts, taking time to read everything, look at the pictures and links, and reading others’ comments. I wish you continued success and blessings for the new year!
Great look back at 2025, can’t believe it’s just about over. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Happy New Year. I enjoy reading your blog and get your daily email. I’m not on Instagram or Facebook. I do watch fashion YouTube videos. However I avoid the AI ones. I can’t stand the voice and the fashion is outdated. (I watched some till I figured it was AI.) I subscribe to real people. I wish you the best this coming year.
Happy New Year! I truly enjoy following you each and every day! Thank you for all you do!
I just want to say “Thank You” for the work that you do. I read your Substack posts every single day! I so appreciate you helping me stay current. I hope that you are able to continue the work that you do as it is greatly appreciated! Happy New Year!
I may have missed this but did Caroline graduate? It’s good that Becca realized she needed a change. I hope she loves her new college and you and your family have a great 2026.
What a beautiful recap! Thank you for sharing. I look forward to spending time with you every day. May God continue to bless you and yours in 2026♥️
omg–I love your blog and am happy I found you–don’t change a thing. I pretty much stopped following utubers since I discovered your blog. Your blog is like opening a magazine–and you make it easy to find the items you show. If I had to name one thing to change or look into is that I have found the need to buy some items you show from a different place because I don’t want to pay shipping. Probably a lot of gals do the same thing–highlighting item name and googling to see who else has it. Maybe consider posting alternatives like how you do for cheaper dupes. I also truly enjoy your response to questions and honesty. I, along with your fam, kept the rest of the holiday more low key—after getting sick from a huge family gathering on Christmas. Happy and Healthy New Years to you and yours!
Very busy!! Did your plaid from Scotland arrive? Interested to see it.
It did, finally! I was so bummed that it was more of a dress fabric, not wool or cashmere, so while it’s fun to have, it isn’t something I see myself wearing.