Year Eight. (& a Giveaway!) {CLOSED}
{Thank you all so much for entering the giveaway! The winner is commenter Beth Cook who said “I think the most memorable moment was my father moving into an assisted living home with hospice services. You just think your parents will be around for a long time to enjoy their retirement years and their grandchildren. It’s hard on my mom going back and forth despite him not really knowing when she’s been there or the last time she came. It’s hard emotionally and financially. This is NOT what they wanted to spend their retirement money on. My guilt is living three hours away. Close enough to visit, but far enough away to have to balance family life/plans.” Congrats Beth!}
This week marks my eighth year of blogging.
Which is totally insane. EIGHT YEARS?!
That’s almost ten years. Ten years is a decade. I still feel like I’m 17 so how on earth this has happened… I have no idea.
I wish that I had the words to tell you just how much I appreciate you being here and visiting the site. I know what it is like to read the same blog for eight years. You are only reading one voice. It gets repetitive and sometimes boring and it is a lot of the same thing, because it’s written by one person. I’ve come and gone and come back and re-fell in love with many of my favorite bloggers over the years. I can’t really offer you anything other than myself (okay and maybe a plethora of trashed up recipes) who might occasionally change or stay the same or repeat herself or still think that she’s 17 years old inside.
So it means the WORLD to me that you have stuck around, read these rambles, been so kind and wonderful and shared your own thoughts in our little community here. Means seriously everything to me. I actually think of you all as friends, my invisible but real BFFs.
I hope you can see that I (still!) do this because I 100% OMGloveitsomuch and even though it became my job a really long time ago, I do it as authentically as I can and because I love it and so I can share things with you in this wacky internet world.
To celebrate these eight years and frankly, to celebrate YOU who has given me the chance to do this for so long, I’m giving away a $1000 amazon gift card to one lucky reader. This giveaway is not sponsored and given by me to show my appreciation for you. Giveaway is open to everyone and anyone!
To ENTER:
- Leave a comment on this post telling me a memorable moment you’ve had so far in 2017.
- For an extra entry, I would love if you’d preorder a copy of The Pretty Dish and leave a second comment saying you did so. You can preorder the book on amazon, barnes and noble, indiebound or books a million! I cannot thank you guys enough for giving me the chance to write another book. If you’ve already preordered, THANK YOU SO MUCH and be sure to leave a comment telling me you did so. If you decide to preorder, this is just the first of many exciting things we’re giving away!
And who knows, maybe if the internet is around, I’ll be here in another eight years! xoxoxo
2,292 Comments on “Year Eight. (& a Giveaway!) {CLOSED}”
Happy Anniversary!! My most memorable moment of 2017 was visiting the Outer Banks with our son, his girlfriend, and her family in May!!
Pre-ordered! Can’t wait for March!!!!
Keep doing what you do! I love your blog so much! <3
In 2017, my husband and I moved to a new town and are closing on our new house next week!!! <3
Most memorable 2017 moment has to be getting my dream job! A close second is moving to a brand new city for that job and getting to explore and build a new life here :)
Welcoming my little girl, Amelia, into this world!
All the moments spent with my wonderful family and boyfriend!
My favorite part of 2017 so far has been my family trip to the outer banks last week!
I’ve always loved your blog and getting to read it first thing in the morning while I enjoy my morning coffee! A memorable moment of 2017 would be when my husband and I took our two-year-old daughter on her first vacation to North Conway and Storyland for the first time.
Loved your first book – can’t wait for the second!
Been reading your blog since the beginning :) Love it! My most memorable moment this year is more than just a moment, but it’s been watching my 4 year old twins grow up and become best friends with each other. It makes my heart happy to watch them together!
Moments watching my son grow up way too quickly before my eyes. Hearing him say mama for the first time and then dada. Taking him on his first hike and seeing his face light up at the waterfall! 2017 has been a pretty good year!
Definitely having my baby girl Elliot in August. She is perfect! I am so excited for your new book that I preordered two copies, one for me and one for a friend !
I started reading blogs eight years ago when I moved out on my own after college and needed to learn how to cook. I think I started reading yours in the 2010-2011 timeframe and its one of the very few that I never stopped reading! Keep doing what you’re doing!
2017 was my most memorable year yet. I turned 30, bought a house, and got MARRIED!
AND! I pre-ordered your book the day you posted about the preorder because OMG THE RELEASE DATE IS MY BIRTHDAY!
Love your blog, love your recipes, and I’ve always appreciated your authenticity! And as a born and raised MI girl, I love your love for our state :)
A memorable moment so far this year was spending the day with my husband and step-daughter in South Haven.
My favorite part of 2017 so far has been living near my sister and spending time with my boyfriend.
Congrats!! Watching my son grow up and articulate feelings/ emotions and have full blown conversations with me (going on 3!!)
My most exciting moment is yet to come. My son is coming home for Christmas and I haven’t seen him for ever so long. And he may bring his dogs! His newest dog I have never met.
Congrats on 8 years! My favorite memory of 2017 was a vacation to Alaska with my husband!
Buying a condo in the neighborhood we love!
Congrats on 8 years!
Welcoming a new baby to the family!
Family vacations even always the highlight to every year! And getting to experience them through my son’s eyes is pure joy :)
Love your blog – some of my absolute favorite meals have come from your brilliant ideas! So excited to celebrate another year with you!
Memorable moments of 2017 are to hard to narrow down! I’ve been fortunate enough to do a little e extra traveling this year – went to Toronto with my best friend fro a much needed getaway, had two months in California exploring the Bay Area because of work, and headed to Austin in two weeks for my bachelorette! Most memorable of all of these moments has been the nights at home with my fiancé planning our wedding – and picking out our first dance song. So excited to celebrate our marriage in just 50 days!!
Wishing you all the best for the coming years. No doubt we all will be following along! Congratulations!
Congrats!!!
Deciding to move overseas next year to Germany with our family of four! Yikes and also very exciting!!!
I left my job as a classroom teacher and moved into a technology integration job!
Congrats on 8 years! Been around reading for so long and still love it. So thank you! Memorable moment? Having a baby!
I’ve loved reading the blog for years!
One great memory of 2017 is when my boyfriend and I went out of town and saw a couple of great concerts. Sometimes it’s nice to just get away for the weekend!
Having my son (my first child) in March. :-)
Love following all your baby/kid updates as well as the recipes!!!
I just celebrated my first niece’s first birthday!
Having my baby boy in April was the best thing to happen this year!
Most memorable moment of the year would have to be my trip to Greece in May – specifically 2 dreamy days in Santorini!
Congrats! I have been reading your blog from the beginning and LOVE it! Can’t wait to add cookbook #2 to my shelf.
I love the first one!
Most memorable moment(s) of 2017: Trip to Paris & London with my husband in April and soon to be my little sister’s WEDDING at the end of the month.
My most memorable of 2017 is getting married in January!
I got to welcome a brand new niece and nephew this summer!
Congratulations! I Love your blog, and loved meeting you in Philly for your first book tour.
This moment is still going on, but I am finishing my final course for graduate school!
I’ve been following along for many years, and love your blog and book so much that when I casually refer to Jessica my husband knows who I’m talking about!
My most memorable moment in 2017 so far was finding out I’m expecting my second baby :)
Adopting my dog, Bruiser!
I’m so excited for your book! My husband and I are adopting domestically, and my most memorable moment from this year is spending a weekend with other adopting families and our agency getting to support each other, meet amazing birth moms and love on one another in the community. It’s a weekend that I will never forget.
Most memorable moment of 2017 was getting to see a heartbeat on an ultrasound in March, after having back-to-back miscarriages in 2016. I’m now 33 weeks pregnant and due 2 days before you!
My Favourite blog for years ! Never boring – love your Tuesday Things and look forward to reading them every week!
My most memorable 2017 moment – selling my newly renovated (flipped) single girl house and moving in with my significant other – bittersweet but exciting!
Congrats on 8 years! You’ve created so many memorable recipes that our family loves!
2017 has been a good one thus far I’m now engaged. :)
I preordered your book the second I saw your post about it!!!!
watching my one year old twins grow – especially chasing down new foods, like ice cream!
Congratulations on 8 years!!!!! I absolutely ❤️ you and your recipes!!!!!
My most memorable moment so far this year was going through 5 months of yoga teacher training and graduating 😊😊
My best moment of 2017 was a vacation with all of my extended family to Captiva Island- including my 6 month old son! :)
I so enjoy your blog and I thank you for bringing us so many great and creative recipes. Can’t wait to read your new book. Memorable moment of 2017 was our yearly family trip to Florida. It is quite an adventure of a road trip with a four year old and a two year old!
I moved to a new city earlier this year! Love your blog so much, thank you! :)
My favorite memory of 2017 by far is the birth of my daughter, Meredith. She is my first child and came a week early and had kept me on my toes ever since!
Watching my 19 month old grow, change, and have fun together :)
My most memorable event this year was going on my first dive in Egypt in July! I have always been a lover of the sea and underwater life, so my first real dive was really an unforgettable experience! I was really scared before going down – about the pressure, the breathing, the depth in general, would I be able to equalize my ears, would water come into my mask and hurt my eyes from the salt, would all my equipment even, like, function?!… But it was crazy beautiful, we even saw dolphins!