My word for 2014 was growth. I had hoped it would represent our growing family as we added a new member but the universe had other plans. Instead, it represented incredible personal growth for me both as an individual and as a wife. One of the biggest lessons I learned along the way is contained within this post and I was so incredibly thankful to hear it resonated with so many of you.
What Worked for Me in 2014
I LOVE this last little bit of time as the old year ends and the new year is about to begin. I love reflecting on a completed year and planning for an upcoming year. I basically complete every year-end reflection I come across and had just finished this personal audit from Unclutterer when I saw one of my favorites Modern Mrs. Darcy shared her similar reflections on what worked well for her in 2014.
So, here you go...
What worked for me in 2014?
My Most Visited Post of the Year
In many ways, our entire year was defined by the week of April 10-15. I spent the winter dealing with a pregnancy I knew was not right. I spent the spring grieving the loss of that pregnancy. I have spent the summer and fall pregnant again - feeling full of hope and trepidation.
So, I suppose it is appropriate that this post is the one the most of you read. I poured my heart into this post and y'all responded with such compassion and support that I can't imagine how I would have gotten through it all without you.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being there.
April 10-15, 2014
Huffpo Live: Canceling Christmas
I was on HuffPo Live today talking about my post on
Check it out!
Why You Can't Cancel Christmas
Hosting a Holiday Open House
We hosted our annual holiday open house this Sunday. I decorate. Nicholas cooks. All our friends come over and we have a wonderful afternoon spreading a little holiday cheer (and mint chocolate chip cake... YUM!)
2014 Holiday Gift Guide
This morning I was a guest WSIL News-3 This Morning talking about my favorite gift ideas for the 2014 Holiday Season! This year I focused on non-tech items because - honestly - don't we all have enough chargers in our lives? Instead, I found unique products that will make your recipient feel special in one way or another!
Preparing for Winter with Ryobi Outdoors
I received a free Ryobi 40V Blower from Ryobi and a trip to Ryobi headquarters in exchange for writing a review.
Well, PREPARING for winter implies winter has not arrived yet but then again...
Maybe we should just say dealing with a winter that showed up early and unexpectedly in NOVEMBER!
Either way, the temperatures have fallen and it's time to bring out the warm blankets and roaring fires. We've had a stack of free wood sitting outside our house for over a year... because who turns down free wood!?! The only problem was most of the logs were WAY too big to use in a fire.
When Ryobi sent us the 40V Brushless Chainsaw, Nicholas suggested we use it to cut down some of the bigger logs into manageable slices. It worked like a charm without the hassle of gas and oil and had the power of the 40V battery we've gotten used to with the 40V Jet Blower and 40V String Trimmer.
Both Nicholas and I were so impressed with the results and we had our roaring fire that evening to celebrate!
