When something brings a lot of joy to your life, you want to share it, right?
Well, I would have to say that this blog has brought immense joy to my life over the last year. No, we aren’t quite to the birthday yet, but who says we can’t celebrate a little early? Isn’t everybody all about the birthday week and birthday month lately? So let’s get this party started, shall we?
One Year Ago
It was one year ago today that I posted this picture on my personal Facebook page. With my Starbucks and a fluffy-ended pen by my side, I sat down to embark on a new adventure. The time seemed right for this next phase in my life and so I crossed my fingers, took a big breath, and posted the following caption:
Well, here goes nothing! I’ve been thinking about it and praying about it and I’ve decided to give it a shot. After a…ahem, several year…hiatus, I am going to try to get back into the blogging world! Things will be a little different this time. Not so much “hey, look at our really cute babies and little kids,” more “we have all big kids and busy schedules and we all need to eat and be successful at school and we are a Catholic family and how exactly does that work?” Confused yet? Me, too. Here’s where I ask for your help. IF you were to read my blog and IF you were to really get something out of it…what would that look like to you? You know me. What do I do that you look to me for? Or, conversely, does this seem like a stretch and maybe not the best idea in the world? Feel free to message me! #crossingmyfingers#helpamamaout #leapoffaith
Ask and You Shall Receive
Yeah, so when I asked for advice on what my friends would want to read? Holy moly, did they ever come through! In no particular order, here’s what they asked to see:
- cooking
- feeding friends and neighbors
- Catholic perspective
- inspiration with a sense of humor
- organizational secrets
- meal planning
- faith
- recipes
- carving out time for faith
- sharing faith with your kids
- fashion tips
- design tips
- funny stuff
- cultivating community
Now, I’m not 100% sure I’ve covered all of those topics (or, honestly, if I’ve covered them well). But! I’ve tried my best and have cherished all of the help and inspiration that has come from my friends and readers.
So! In the spirit of ask and you shall receive, let’s do some linkups! Grab a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or whatever floats your boat and travel down this rabbit hole with me, will you? Here’s how this will work. I’m going to lump those suggestions into categories and then link to my favorite posts I’ve done. Follow the links, read what you haven’t read, share whatever you’d like. And, this is super important, if you have any more suggestions or requests, leave a comment! Ready? Here goes…
Food Stuff
First things first, am I right? Despite what I told you in a recent post, my actual love language is food. (I mean, it would be if food were a love language…which it totally should be!) Here are my favorite posts having to do with cooking, feeding people, meal planning, & recipes.
Top 10 Food Budget Tips for Families — This is all about what works for me as I try to feed my family of 2 adults, 2 teen boys, and 2 little girls without routinely breaking the bank.
ALDI: A Beginner’s Guide — Kind of ties in with the previous link, but has tips specifically tailored to shopping at the discount mecca of our day.
Talking Turkey: Thanksgiving Menu Breakdown — I absolutely love Thanksgiving. Here, I break down what I make and how I prepare to host family and friends for a relaxed celebration.
Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Applesauce, Refrigerator Potatoes — These three recipes are absolutely critical in my house. Made over and over, time and again, they never disappoint.
Faith Stuff
It’s funny. I have lots of feelings about my faith, but I always struggle to put it into words. I have made lots of friends over the past year who do a phenomenal job expressing their beliefs and sharing them graciously with the world. Maybe they’ll rub off on me someday, who knows? Here are a few, though, where putting into words what is happening in my heart came just a bit easier…
May the Choirs of Angels Come to Greet You — This post really goes into the nitty gritty of what I love about using singing as my main form of ministry and why singing at funerals can be such a beautiful experience.
Grace in the Rain — Do you find it easier to pray when things are going well or when you feel like life is really weighing on you?
Making Yourself at Home in Your Parish — We share our faith with our kids by trying to teach them to walk the walk. It’s not always easy, but it sure is rewarding.
The Beauty of a Both-And Christmas — One of my favorite things about my Catholic faith is just how much a part of my everyday life it is, especially at the holidays.
Mom Stuff
So, here’s where I try to incorporate a sense of humor and some relateable stories about life as a professional cat-herder and kid-wrangler.
Bedtime… A Love Story — Parenting for 16+ years means that bedtime and the evening routine have changed quite a bit.
The 4 Back-to-School Traditions Our Family Loves — I know it’s almost time for school to be out for the summer, but maybe this will get your juices flowing for when August rolls around again.
Laundry Haiku — Well, let’s just say that one day I did so much laundry that I temporarily went insane. And I wrote about it in haiku form.
My Kids are Mine, But They’re Not Me — In which I get pretty serious about what it’s like when your kids are all of a sudden half grown and making more and more decisions on their own.
House and Clothes Stuff
Well, this is just a bunch of fun!! I honestly don’t claim to be good at fashion or design, but I enjoy both of those things, so there you are.
5 Reasons I’m A-OK with Gray at 40 — Well, that’s pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it?
Trendsend Review #1 – Shoot for the Stars — I love clothes and I hate shopping. So this box service delivery idea is fantastic! This is what happened when I got my first box from Trendsend.
Beauty Must-Haves for the Lazy Mama — All of my favorites right in one spot!
Boring Dining Room to Great Kids’ Room! — This would be my one and only post about interior design. (hides face in shame) Yep! I guess I know where my strengths do not lie! LOL!
So there you go!
Quite the fun little walk down Links & Memory Lane, yeah? Hope you enjoyed it!
Feature Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
