It’s amazing to me how much these posts have evolved over the years. When I look back at these before Frasier and Elle and now read them, you can see how much our perspectives have changed. I’m not saying that we’re completely different people, but almost like we got a new pair of glasses, just a slightly different focus. That’s not to say I don’t still love big TV’s, or we both don’t still love the theater or traveling. But almost everything on our favorite things list for 2025 has a layer of Elle and Frasier in it, and that’s pretty great.

Favorite TV Show

Jenn - The Pitt (HBO Max)

Joel - The Pitt (HBO Max)

It is so rare for me to love a medical drama. I actually put off watching The Pitt, even though critics were raving about it, because I had heard it was realistic and bloody. But over the fall/winter, when we finally dove into the first season of The Pitt, we were hooked from the onset. The show unfolds over one day, and each episode covers an hour of it. From the intern class on their first day to the show’s star, Noah Wyle, it had excellent pacing and intrigue, and it was a show I actively looked forward to watching each night. I cannot heap enough praise on the show.

Favorite Movie

Jenn - Dead Poets Society

Hands down, Jurassic World Rebirth. Because honestly, who doesn’t love the Jurassic Park franchise? When Joel and I sat down to watch it during one of our movie nights, I remember thinking: WOW. The acting. The cinematography. The number of outfits Scarlett Johansson managed to cycle through in any given scene…at this point, Joel’s initial look of utter shock and disbelief at reading this has disappeared, and I like to think it’s been replaced with his infamous smirk. (Editor’s note, this was one of the worst movies of the year, and yes I was scared when I first read this - Joel)

In all seriousness, Dead Poets Society takes the top spot. Not just my favorite movie of the year, but easily in my top ten of all time. It was beautifully acted, and the story felt so heartwarming and authentic. It’s arguably one of Robin Williams’ best performances, at least of the ones I’ve seen. I find myself thinking about that movie often, mostly because his character had such deep passion for what he did. He was truly excellent at his craft. It was inspiring in the best way, and if I’m being honest, it made me a little envious too.

I also want to call out an honorable mention: The Naked Gun. I have never seen any of the originals from the ’80s, so watching the 2025 version with Liam Neeson was a complete surprise in the best way. It was hilarious. I don’t remember the last time I laughed out loud like that while watching a film. The humor is me to a tee…there were so many awesome one-liners. It really made me want to go back and watch the original with Leslie Nielsen.

Joel - Superman

I really struggled with my favorite movie of 2025. There wasn’t a clear standout, or a movie I think I'll be rewatching ten years from now. But if I think about the only film I watched twice this year, it was the 2025 Superman. Similar to my book pick, what I loved about the new take on Superman was the joy it brought back to the character. Superman has always been a symbol of good and an ideal to strive for, and this version from James Gunn is returning to those roots. I don’t think it’s a perfect movie, and I think there might be a bit too much going on in it, but it was also the best movie I saw in theaters this year and at home.

A few honorable mentions: Frankenstein (2025), The Last Stop in Yuma County, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Black Bag, A Real Pain

Favorite Live Performance

Jenn - Gypsy (Broadway)

Without a doubt, and zero jokes involved, Gypsy was the standout performance of the year. Audra McDonald is a force of nature. When she sings “Rose’s Turn,” I swear on my life I could feel the pain in her voice, in her body, and in the room. It was the most visceral and moving thing I have ever witnessed, and honestly, probably ever will. If Audra hadn’t won a Tony for that performance, I would have personally gone down there to protest. That’s not me being dramatic either. Thankfully, she did win, so I was spared from that. I’ve since listened to “Rose’s Turn” on Spotify while bathing Elle, and every single time I’m instantly transported back to my seat in that theater watching Audra sing her heart out, tears streaming down her face. Outside of that one song (which alone could justify why it’s my favorite), the entire show was phenomenal. And of course, it’s a Sondheim, so really… what’s not to love?

I also must give an honorable mention to Shucked. What an absolute delight. I walked into that show with extremely low expectations. I mean, how good could a musical about corn possibly be? BUT IT WAS. It was hilarious! The puns were endless and genuinely funny, the storyline was charming, and the songs were laugh-out-loud fun. We saw it here in Orange County, and while I can see why it did not crack the top of a Broadway must-see list for us in New York, it was the perfect show to see here in California. I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who just wants a good, funny, heartwarming night at the theater.

Joel - Shucked (Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

The only show we saw on Broadway in 2025 before leaving New York was Gypsy starring Audra McDonald. We were sitting in the front row and could physically feel and see the emotion emanating from her body in the second act. Her performance alone was something I’ll never forget. But the show was a little disjointed, and had it not been for her, I don’t think we would have loved it nearly as much. Fast forward 9 months, and we’re living back in Southern California and back at Segerstrom with a slew of traveling Broadway shows to see. And the best of the best this year turned out to be one we skipped in New York, Shucked. It was funny, it had a great heart, and was genuinely an incredibly entertaining show. Its not a soundtrack I’ll listen to on repeat but for a live performance its by far the most fun I had at a theater this year.

Favorite Song or Artist

Jenn - Northern Attitude by Noah Kahan

Ok, this is not a cop-out, it’s just the truth. I love Elle more than life. That will be very obvious in my year-end review and my 2025 IG video montage that is essentially a love letter to her. But this year, she was firmly in her baby / early toddler era, which meant being very clingy (we have a stage 5 clinger!), very needy, and spending most days touching me, climbing on me, and saying “mama” a lot. And that is beautiful. But it also meant that when I was alone…in the car, walking Frasier, or stealing a few quiet minutes to myself, all I wanted was pure SILENCE. I would sit in my car drinking hot cocoa and let the quiet fill the space. I’d drive to work with nothing playing. No radio, no music. Just silence. It gave me room to think, to breathe, to process. So naturally, I barely listened to music this year. And when I did, it was mostly during bath time or while making Elle’s breakfast.

At some point, I heard a song in a movie trailer called “I Miss You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams. According to Spotify, that ended up being my most-played song. I loved it, but unlike years past, I didn’t have a deep emotional connection to it. It was just… there. The song I did feel something showed up quite late… as in the day before New Year’s Eve. It was then that I discovered “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan. It immediately hit me, so much so that I made a very last-minute switch and used it for my infamous IG year-end video. I’ve been playing it on repeat ever since. But I feel like I can’t really claim it as my favorite song of the year, given that I found it two days before the year ended.

Joel - Broadway Hits on Spotify

This is embarrassing, but I barely listened to music this year. The most common time I would listen to it was on my nights to bathe Elle, when nine times out of ten I would put on “Broadway Hits” on Spotify. I can’t even take credit for the playlist that Jenn found when Elle was maybe a few months old, and saw she loved. We’ve continued playing, and it's opened my ears to music from shows I haven’t seen before, like Les Misérables or Maybe Happy Ending. Elle also loves it when I put it on, and it makes for some of the most fun bath nights, belting out Broadway tunes or telling Elle about the shows her Mom and I saw on Broadway.

Favorite Book

Jenn - The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Honestly, we keep this category solely because of Joel, who has been an avid reader for over a decade now. I feel like I should automatically get a pass here. I read, at most, one or two books a year, and every single year I say the same thing: this will be the year I read more. The funny part is, I genuinely love reading. I adore it. I can read most novels in a matter of days, and I find it incredibly relaxing. I also love how it lights up other parts of my brain. I always want to make more time for it, and I usually try, but it’s also one of the very first things to get deprioritized in my life. Always.

So, I guess this was a very long way of saying: surprise, surprise, I read exactly one book this year. That book was The Wedding People by Alison Espach. It was a classic light, romantic novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of it was read while taking baths after Elle went down for the night, which honestly helped my mind and body relax after a very stimulating day. You know, writing this is making me want to start a book club, mostly so I can drink wine and ask provocative questions. Or at least it makes me want to pick up another book. Who knows, maybe this year really will be my year of reading.

Joel - My Friends by Fredrik Bachman

I read many excellent books this year. Of the 57 I read in 2025, 12 of them (~20%) were 5-star reads. But there is one book I have recommended to literally anyone who asks me for a recommendation, My Friends by Fredrik Backman (translated by Neil Smith). This book has everything I love about Backman’s writing, but he even outdid himself. It has an incredible cast of characters, plenty of twists and turns, beautiful prose, a love of life and art, and a heart that made me cry a few times. It truly is a book that I believe transcends the page and straight into your imagination. I can’t rave more about how beautiful this book is and how much heart it has. This is the second time one of his books has been my favorite of the year (previously Anxious People in 2021), but this one is even better than that one. One day, when I feel like I need a reminder of the beauty in this world, I’ll likely pick this back up and reread it.

Favorite Purchase

Jenn - Taking Elle to Europe

I dreamed about taking Elle to Europe and felt we could still “have it all” by traveling internationally, even with a baby. And guess what? We DID. We went to Spain, Germany, and Sweden. Was it easy? Heck no. Was it worth it? A thousand times over.

I was so impressed with Joel and I on that trip. We showed up as a team in a way that made me really proud. And Elle? She absolutely crushed it. She acclimated immediately to the European lifestyle of touring, eating, and sleeping like she was right at home. She honestly killed it.

Were we eating at Michelin-starred restaurants or going out to famous bars and shows? No. This trip was a lot quieter than our normal adventures. And a lot slower. But somehow, it was just as memorable, if not more so. I can still feel us driving to the castle in Munich. Running through the rain in Stockholm, laughing. Walking hand in hand along the beach in Barcelona after dinner, smiling. These are the kinds of memories I’ll carry with me forever. Hands down, this was the best “purchase” of the year. Not because of where we went, but because of what we were doing, creating new memories together as a family, doing what we love most: traveling. It’s also given me the courage (and excitement) to do it again in 2026, this time with a walking, talking toddler (praise for us, haha)!

I also HAVE to give an honorable mention to Elle’s first birthday at Disneyland. We bought tickets for her cousins, grandparents, and in-laws, gave everyone custom “Elle’s 1st Birthday” Mickey ears, and then hosted a birthday dinner at a Michelin Guide restaurant in Downtown Disney. They made Elle a custom menu and cake, and we all sang her happy birthday. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to celebrate her. It was magical in every sense of the word. Seeing Elle’s face light up on the rides, experiencing Disneyland for the first time, and sharing that moment with the people who love her most is something I feel overwhelmingly grateful for. It fills me with pride, joy, and a deep sense of gratitude that we were able to create a moment like that in celebration of her for this critical milestone in her life.

Joel - LG C5 77” OLED TV

When we moved to California, the house we rented had a TV already mounted in the living room. I had a bad feeling it was going to be a cheap one used for staging, but it was even worse than I imagined. The TV had one of the worst pictures I’ve ever seen; it was incredibly dim, and the quality was atrocious. It was so bad that Jenn told me I should buy a new TV. While we were in Europe, I found a great deal on the LG C5 77” and had it installed a few days after we got home. It’s a stunning TV with a great picture and is terrific in a very bright room. So far, we’ve primarily used it to watch Bluey with Elle and our Friday Night movie nights (we did 15 of them in 2025, starting on the first Friday the TV was hung).

Favorite Memory

Jenn - Elle Growing Up

Elle and Jenn Walking at the Park on NYE

I know this is the thing everyone tells you, but you don’t fully understand until you’re living it: how fast time goes, and how quickly your kids grow up right in front of you. At the start of the year, I remember holding Elle in my arms, rocking her while I fed her a bottle. Then that shifted, she could hold onto me while I sang to her at night. Then she could hug me. Then she could grab my face and really look at me. I remember the first time she repeated the word “happy” back to me while I sang You Are My Sunshine before bed.

But the memory that lives in every fiber of my being, happened one night when she did something entirely on her own. She hugged me. Then she looked up at my face, grabbed it gently, kissed me, and said, “love you,” right before I put her down to sleep. She had said “love you” before. She had kissed me on the cheek before. But this was different. It wasn’t in response to me saying it first. It wasn’t prompted. It was intentional. And it was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. To feel love that pure and that gentle…I couldn’t be more grateful, or more honored, to be her mom. I’ll carry that moment with me until my final breath on this earth.

Another favorite memory, one I’ll fully admit has some recency bias, was New Year’s Eve. I won’t sugarcoat how challenging it is to maintain a strong marriage while raising a toddler. We actually get plenty of sleep (Elle has slept through the night since she was four months old, God’s overwhelming gift to us), but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy breezy for us as parents, Joel and I are extremely hands-on. We’re fully present during her wake windows. We rarely use screens. That means constant engagement: explaining, teaching, modeling love, boundaries, and consequences. It’s relentless. And it’s exhausting.

Finding space for adult conversation, calm, sanity, and real connection is beyond hard. Add in another cross-country move, Joel finding a new job, us searching for a new nanny, and figuring out this next chapter of our lives… I wouldn’t say we were exactly thriving as a couple in 2025. But on New Year’s Eve…we were. It was the most connected I’ve felt to Joel honestly in at least 2-3 years. That day felt exactly like how I always imagined life would be as a married couple with a child. We were in sync. Helping each other as connected, partners. Laughing at Elle just being Elle. Flirting. Being us. We woke up and Joel got me hot cocoa without me even asking. We sat together and played with Elle. We took her to the park with Frasier. Joel watched her while I went to get us lunch, which, honestly, felt luxurious because sometimes I just need alone time in the car without trying to keep an 18-month-old entertained. Joel colored with her. We all hung out together. Then we had a wonderful dinner and evening, with Uncle Jake joining us. It felt like home in every sense of the word. And in some quiet, meaningful way, it felt like seeing Joel and I again for the first time in a long time. I cherished that day more than I can put into words.

Joel - Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle

When Jenn and I decided to take Elle to Europe for the first time at 13 months old, I had no idea what to expect. Elle so far exceeded our expectations that we’re actively thinking about where to go in 2026. My favorite day of the year, though, was in Munich, Germany. It was our first full day in Munich, and we asked the Mandarin Oriental to rent us a car so we could drive to Neuschwanstein Castle. It was a perfect day from the weather, to the beautiful drive in, to the stunning castle. Walking Elle up to the castle and just having this memory as a family is more than I could have ever asked for. But the icing on the cake was after lunch, walking down the hill and to the beautiful lake, and seeing one of the most picturesque spots I’ve ever been in my life. It’s one of the top moments/memories of my life, and I’m so glad that we did the work and still went traveling even with a 13-month-old.

Our Favorite Things from 2025