My 2025 was absolutely unhinged (here's the proof)
A cookbook, a courtroom, and a whole lot of chaos in between
If I could go back and tell myself in January what was coming, I wouldn’t have believed it. Not a single word.
I remember my first day back in the office after last Christmas… sitting at my desk, coffee in hand, optimistic about the year ahead. I had plans. Goals. A neatly organized planner (obviously). What I didn’t have was any idea that 2025 would become the kind of year you couldn’t make up if you tried.
So here’s my attempt to sum it up. Buckle in.
The Website
In early January, our six-figure website started slowly breaking. Like, really breaking. I ignored it for a while (as one does), hoping it would magically fix itself. Spoiler: it did not. By Super Bowl weekend, I’d had enough. I took the whole thing down and rebuilt it from scratch using a $300 template. My team took it from there, and honestly… it’s the best website we’ve ever had. Sometimes the expensive, complicated thing isn’t the answer. Sometimes it’s a $300 template and sheer determination.
The Snow That Stopped Pensacola
Later in January, it snowed here. And not just a dusting. Twelve inches of snow fell on Pensacola, Florida. Once-in-a-hundred-years snow. The kids lost their minds. We lost our minds. Walter (our dog) had no idea what was happening. We made snow angels. We threw snowballs. We stood in the yard like idiots, faces turned up to the sky, catching snowflakes on our tongues. It was magic. Pure, freezing, unexpected magic. We’ll talk about it forever.
NYC with Fam
My mom and I took the twins to New York City for their tenth birthdays. Tyler and Caroline had never been, and watching them experience the city through fresh eyes was everything. The pizza. The lights. The sheer chaos of it all. It was the kind of trip you tuck into your heart and carry with you. I’m still carrying it.
The Cookbook (Finally)
In March, I released The Simplified Cookbook. What you saw: a beautiful book filled with easy, family-friendly recipes. What you didn’t see: months of absolute chaos behind the scenes. Recipe testing at midnight. Photo shoots that ran way over. Moments where I genuinely wondered if we’d pull it off. But we did. And it was received so well. I’m tremendously proud of it, even if the making of it nearly did me in.
The Lawsuit - Deep breath.
In April, I sued the President of the United States. I’ll let you reread that.
My company became the named plaintiff in the first civil suit brought against Donald Trump and the Liberation Day tariffs. The news broke while I was on an airplane, and by the time I landed, I was booking international press interviews to explain the impacts of these tariffs on small businesses like mine. It was surreal. It was terrifying. It was also necessary. The suit continues, and I’ll keep you posted. I’m proud as hell that we did this.
The Confirmation
This year, Brady and I were confirmed into the Episcopal Church together. It’s hard to put into words what that morning felt like, standing side by side, making this ancient commitment in front of our community. Faith has always been important to me, but walking this step with my son made it feel brand new. Watching him take his faith seriously, asking hard questions, and choosing to show up anyway? That’s the kind of parenting moment you hold onto.
A New Project
Bryan and I started something new this year: a Substack called In Leyman’s Terms. It’s his baby, really, focused on making personal finance feel approachable and actually useful. But I’ve loved being part of it behind the scenes, watching him find his voice, and cheering him on as it grew. And grow it did. We hit nearly 20,000 subscribers this year. I’m ridiculously proud of him. Turns out, we make a pretty good team.
The Lake House
In June, we finished building our lake house in Lake Oconee, Georgia. We stayed for seven glorious weeks this summer and officially proclaimed it our happy place. There’s something about being near that lake, surrounded by trees, with nowhere urgent to be. We needed it more than we knew.
High School
In August, Brady started high school. My oldest. A high schooler. I’m fine. (I’m not fine.) But here’s the thing: he made Student Council and earned all As his first semester. And not the kind that come easy. The kind you work for. The kind that requires late nights and tutoring and focus and pushing through when you’d rather quit. We are so proud of him. So, so proud.
A Little Something for Me
Also in August, I treated myself to an upper blepharoplasty. (That’s eyelid surgery, for those wondering.) Ten out of ten, would recommend. Sometimes you just need to do something for yourself. This was my something.
The Hysterectomy
And then October happened. I found out I needed a full hysterectomy. I entered surgical menopause. I started hormone replacement therapy. And I basically don’t remember November. It’s all a blur of heating pads, hormones, and trying to figure out who I was on the other side of it. I’m still figuring it out, honestly. But I’m getting there.
Meanwhile, at Simplified
This year at Simplified (year 17!!), we did not slow down. We launched an Amazon storefront, designed a slew of new planner formats for next year, pivoted our social media strategy, launched a brand new Substack called The Simplified Post, and fully integrated the new website. I’m proud of what we built together, even while I was juggling lawsuits, surgery, and snow days. My team is a gaggle of absolute rockstars and close friends. They kept things humming when I needed to step back, and they pushed things forward when I was ready to run. I’m grateful for them every single day.
So Here We Are
December. The end of a year I couldn’t have predicted and wouldn’t trade. It was hard and beautiful and chaotic and full. It was very, very full.
January Emily had no idea. But December Emily? She’s tired. She’s grateful. And she’s ready to see what comes next. I’ll be writing next week about what’s in store for 2026. Thank you for being here.
Now tell me: What was your 2025? I want to hear the highlights, the hard stuff, the things that surprised you. Drop it in the comments. Let’s close this year out together.
2025 Highlights. My young adult autistic son graduated from high school in May, something we never imagined he would do. My oldest daughter is guiding my husband and I through a renovation of our dream home—she’s an architect in training (working towards her license). I said goodbye to some volunteer organizations and hello to others. I am embracing my 50s and looking forward to a new zip code in 2026.
Funny story - we visited Lake Oconee this spting for the first time as my daughter is on the shotgun team for our school! We stayed at a cute hotel and ate at a really great Mexican place!