Month: December 2024

When a champagne bottle arrives on your doorstep nestled in a kit with two flutes, you know you’re in for a good time. For me, that experience came courtesy of one of my best friends, who sent me Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs for my birthday a few years ago.

Fast-forward to this Christmas. I decided to bring a bottle of the same stuff home to Los Angeles to share with my family for the holidays. I’d been pondering what champagne would present beautifully and be exciting for my mom to pop open but wouldn’t break the bank—there were still presents to be purchased, after all. Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs ended up being the answer.

There’s a reason why champagne is the go-to drink for celebrations. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, European kings and queens loved to drink champagne, especially during big events like French coronations in Reims, where it was made.

Sparkling bubbles and cork-popping fun made it feel naturally special. Over time, champagne came to symbolize luxury and success because it was rare and expensive. In the 19th century, champagne makers like Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot marketed it as the perfect drink for special milestones.

This New Year’s Eve, you might not be sabering your bottle open like they did during military victories. But there’s still a special joy in filling a flute full of something bubbly and delicious. 

Founded back in 1811, Perrier-Jouët has built a reputation over the centuries for producing elegant champagnes, which are also known for their distinct floral notes. 

Blanc de Blancs—which translates to ‘white from whites’ in French and refers to a champagne made exclusively from white chardonnay grapes—is a relatively recent addition to the maison’s portfolio, just introduced in 2017. Despite this, it draws on the brand’s centuries long history and expertise. 

Related: The Best Vodka for a Martini, Whether Dirty or With a Twist

Most champagnes are blends that could potentially include pinot noir and pinot meunier, red grapes that help lend structure and richness to a bottle of bubbly. Inspired by the historic Blason de France, the Perrier-Jouet prestige cuvee is blended from their 1955 harvest, the brand’s first prestige bottling in partnership with Relais & Chateaux. 

As such, Blanc de Blancs is a more delicate expression, usually offering a champagne that’s bright and fresh with minerality and floral notes. The production begins with selecting chardonnay grapes from grand cru vineyards before three years of aging in the cellars.

This particular style of champagne is perfect for those who prefer a more refreshing profile. Sommeliers and chefs love it for its versatility, since it can pair well with a wide variety of dishes, from seafood to pasta and beyond. It’s one aspect that makes this bottle an all-occasion sipper.

Though I’ve described Blanc de Blancs as a lighter champagne, that doesn’t make it inherently simple. In this case, what’s in the bottle is nuanced and balanced, making it perfect for celebratory sipping. 

The first taste of Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs opens with a lively burst of citrus and stone fruit, including lemon and apricot, followed by a delicate floral bouquet of white flowers and honeysuckle. There’s also a healthy dose of minerality that keeps the champagne feeling fresh and clean. As the wine warms slightly in the glass, I love the subtle bakery notes of brioche and almond—a testament to its longer aging process.

I can’t lie and say that bottle design didn’t also factor into my purchase decision. I appreciate that the maison’s whole history is steeped in creativity, from its collaborations with art nouveau artists to the elegant floral anemone designs that adorn its bottles. While still remaining distinctive, it doesn’t feel gaudy. And for around $100, it’s worth the price to make your New Year’s extra special.

Related: How to Drink Absinthe

Sharing a lil recap from the year and what I’m working towards in 2025. 

Hi friends! Happy NYE! Any plans tonight? We’re eating Indian food and setting off fireworks in our pajamas. No crazy plans and I’m so glad lol. I’m excited to call it an early night and head out on a family hike in the am!

It’s funny because I thought the last year of the Pilot’s military career would be the LONGEST year of my life. I thought it would be a painfully slow drag to the finish line. The reality is that this year flew.by. I can’t believe that he’s wrapping things up, he changed command, and we’re getting ready for his retirement ceremony at the end of the month. Lots of huge changes ahead.

This year was a year of glorious travel, fun moments with the kids (who are growing up way too dang quickly. Liv will be 13 next week!!!), friend time, events, family time at home, time in nature, and a huge year for my healing journey. I celebrated one year symptom-free last year from eye issues and auotimmune symptoms and feel so thankful to have had a year where I really dialed in my routine and have felt the absolute best I have in years (decades???). I created a free ebook here about my auotimmune journey and things that helped me if you’d like to check it out!

Looking back on 2024 and my goals for 2025

Here’s a recap of some of the big moments from the year:

Personal and travel:

We went to the annual Fighter Wing awards banquet

to San Diego for Jeremy’s 50th!

I finished the CBO protocol!

to Vegas for a blast with friends

dance competition season with Liv,

singing with the symphony

back to San Diego and Disneyland with the fam

P started playing club basketball and absolutely crushing it

I attended the Biohacking Conference with Giselle which was one of my favorite wellness conference experiences so far

had the most incredible trip to Sevilla, Spain

A couple of weeks in Hawaii and a stay at Aulani

The kids went back to school

I attended the Reimagining Health Summit and got to meet so many of my IHP colleagues and friends in real life

Betsy and I did the Lagree instructor certification workshop

We took a Disney cruise #5 to the Bahamas and celebrated P’s 9th birthday

I celebrated the big 4-0 with a spa day at Miraval with some of my closest friends

the Pilot’s Change of Command after three years as commander

and a beautiful holiday season packed with holly jolly fun. 

The Pilot also shaved his mustache 😉

Professional recap:

From an Integrative Health Practitioner standpoint, this was a year filled with learning, expansion, and client success. It was so amazing to see their wins, and I reviewed over 100 lab tests this year! I was a 100-day challenge winner for EquiLife in October (#7! Woop!) and a Top Five IHP Champion winner last spring. I was also invited to be a part of the Centurion program and a three-month training with 15 other IHPs and EquiLife faculty to take our lab analysis to the next level. From there, I was able to start to read labs for EquiLife clients in addition to my own.

I feel so blessed every day to be a part of this company with an incredible mission and the inspiring people behind it. I can’t wait to see what IHP has in store for the next year!!

I feel superstitious saying this, but the blog had the best ad revenue year that it’s had in at least 5 years. My SEO team has been hard at work behind the scenes, and we’re really starting to see the results of their efforts. It’s still my goal to publish fun and personal posts around here (the types that I would love to read), in addition to SEO-driven and helpful content, because that’s what drives new readers to the blog.

The podcast continued to do well, but it’s one of my goals to put more energy into the pod, publish more episodes and grow in the new year. Another goal is to post more on LTK, because I love sharing outfits and gift ideas.

Sponsorship-wise, I worked with one company this year that I admire and love: NOW Foods. I’m so grateful for their continued partnership and to continue to work together in 2025. I receive sponsorship offers every day, but decline almost all of them because they’re for companies and products that don’t align with my values, or sell products that I don’t use or don’t like. I’ll never promote a company on the blog that I don’t 100% love and support.

I’m also thankful for affiliate partners, including Nutrisense, EquiLife, IHP, Sakara, HigherDOSE, Danger Coffee, Organifi, OneSkin, ButcherBox, Aviron, Canopy, Somavedic, Air Doctor, Vivarays, Pvolve, and to all of you who shop through my links. It directly supports our family (and helps keep this little blog running), and I appreciate it so much. I also started working with Oliveda and Lifewave this year; two companies that I’m extremely excited about!

This month was the last month of Fit Team workouts because we’re designing my new signature program. It’s a 6-month program including functional lab testing, supplements and protocols, and personalized recommendations to help you feel your absolute best. It’s basically the culmination of everything I’ve learned, used with my own clients, and also with myself to dramatically transform our health and energy levels. I can’t wait to share with you in early February!

Personal and health goals:

My health goal is to continue to work on the habits that make me feel my best, like quarterly detoxes, smart supplements, restorative practices, dialing in nutrition, walks, workouts (I like a mix of strength training, barre, spin, Pilates and hot yoga), and stress management. My goal is to minimize toxins where I can, replenish deficiencies, and continue to use functional lab testing as an amazing tool. I feel proud of myself for taking charge of my health and getting to the root cause of what I was experiencing, and also for the ability to share everything I’ve learned along the way. 

Continue to practice Spanish! This year, I started working with a tutor from Italki to brush up on my skills, and since we’re heading back to Spain this year, I’d love to have more confidence with Spanish. (I minored in Spanish and can understand it perfectly but am not 100% confident speaking it.)

Go back to Bible study. after dropping out in the spring. I had just started working with EquiLife clients and was so excited to do as many calls as possible! Now that I know how to work the platform a bit better and can block out Bible study time, I’d like to make it a priority again.

Continue to be the best mom, wife, and friend that I can be. I want the people in my life to know how much I love them, and to lead with a grateful, patient, loving heart each day. Some days are harder than others lol, but a morning gratitude check-in really impacts how I feel for the rest of the day.

I’d love to hear about your year and your goals! What’s something you’re proud of from this past year, what are you working on right now? Do you have any health goals? Travel plans? I want to hear it all!

Have a happy and lovely New Years and I’ll see ya soon!

xoxo

Gina

The post Looking back on 2024 and my goals for 2025 appeared first on The Fitnessista.