(A BIG thanks to Stephanie Lonas, of Wanderlively for an awesome job on my site’s redesign!)
I’m having one of those sappy, look-back-at-the-good-ol’-days, days. You know?
This blog is almost 5 years old.
And in that time, I’ve had 2 pregnancies, put a husband through law school, and finally graduated to the adult world of–we now have a “real” job, a big family, and we’re no longer students.
This summer, during my 3 month blogging/tech sabbatical, I had a lot of time & separation to really think long & hard about my priorities, my personal goals, my responsibilities, & what I want for my kids, for me, for my family, for my marriage.
During that time, I went back & forth between extremes–“I’m never blogging again–I love this!” to, “I think I need to continue with blog, but not sure where I need to go with it…” to just basic apathy–I went days & days without thinking about anything blog/online related.
Sometime in late August I realized what I needed to do. I had worked too hard, put too much time & energy into blogging to leave it. Not to mention the real reason why I blog, which is, you. I blog to connect with others, to express myself creatively, to be challenged, to create a dialogue about issues I feel are not just important, but essential.
Not sure exactly how to go forward, I started blogging again. I decided to finally get around to putting together those ebooks I thought so often about doing (but lacked time/confidence in doing). I was accepted to the BlogHer publishing network. I added a shop to my site.
And, I decided it was time to finally get my site up to par–user friendly (after all, what’s the use of all my content if no one can easily access it?), streamlined, a bit more “grown-up” & sleek.
And, that’s finally done! (I hope you like it.) I also spent a lot of time going through my 550+ posts and appropriately categorizing everything (it was a mess!)–so hopefully it’ll be easier for you to find stuff.
Turns out that the taking 3 months away from the blog, was the best thing for my blog–creatively I had space & time to sort out thoughts, gain insights, realize what I needed/wanted.
A look back in time…
2009
My first post!
My “before” & “after” pictures
Lots of vegan-centric posts during this year, like:
you drink milk & eat eggs, right?
vegan pantry basics
eating out as a vegan
breastfeeding, cow’s milk, & lies
a rebuttal–talking to the naysayers, again
joys of vegan mothering
what a vegan pantry/kitchen looks like
vegan & mormon, an anomaly?
talking to the anti-vegetarian
what I eat in a typical day
4 stages to transitioning to a whole foods plant-based diet
my last piece of bacon
how I did it
what types of vegans are there?
on living with an omnivore
why I don’t drink cow’s milk
frugal vegan, part 1 & part 2
recipes of note:
easy blueberry peach pecan ice cream pie
favorite non-dairy cheese sauce
very veggie lasagna
nacho taquitos
curried pumpkin soup
2010
Also, remember the 12 week vegan weight loss challenge?
and don’t blog too much after I learn I’m pregnant with my fourth (& all I want to eat is white bread & pasta).
a few recipes of note:
2011
This was also a “light blogging” year.
A few reasons:
Pregnant with Salem.
Before: about 12 hours before delivery.
After: an hour after delivery.
Joseph graduates from law school, then becomes a stay-at-home dad for the next year.
I’m the sugar mama, & teach 12-15 fitness classes a week to pull us through financially.
a few recipes of note:
corn salad & kale slaw
salad ideas & collard wraps
2012
Joseph passes the bar (here for more on a look back at all we had been through to get there). We breathe easier. We move from the home we love to live with parents while Joseph goes to 4 months of Air Force training.
a few recipes of note:
lots of green…
gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
orange cashew salad w/ creamy sweet orange dressing
2013
We move to Texas in December of 2012, I become a military wife; adjust to everything new & get used to the slow life. Also, find out I’m pregnant with our fifth.
a few recipes of note:
gluten-free no bake chocolate cookies
pumpkin quinoa & sweet potato soup w/ kale hemp pesto
Oh boy! Can you tell I’ve changed over the years?
Here’s where I get sentimental:
If you have been reading this blog since it’s inception, or thereabouts, or even for a few years, thank YOU! You have believed in me & I’ve learned so much from your insights, comments, and emails.
If you’re a new reader, welcome!
For everyone–I am excited for all the possibilities of this blog. First & foremost, blogging, for me is a way to connect & share with a community of like-minded amazing individuals (that’s you!). Please share, offer feedback, comment, send me an email. I love hearing from you.
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