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}”
I moved from NC to OH to start my residency in 2017!
A memorable moment from this year? Turning 30, moving into my best ever adult apartment and finally having the counter space for my bright marigold yellow Kitchenaid! :)
And, I pre-ordered The Pretty Dish last week on Barnes and Noble!
Looking forward to moving in to a fully remodeled new (old!) house.
2017 highlight so far has been swimming in the lake with my three year old little girl on our annual camping trip!
I preordered your book!!! Can’t wait!
The memorable moment I have had this year was when me and my family of four went to NY. We visited my father, brother, and his family. I haven’t seen them in 5 years because I live in Canada. It was also my first time driving that long of a distance. It made me feel proud that I did it all by myself.
I guess the most memorable moment is me going vegan.
Had email from a friend I haven’t seen in 17 years!
Watching my son try to learn to swim.
I when on an awesome 3 day trip to Yosemite National Park! It was so beautiful. The highlight for me was al the animals I saw (I’m an animal person)!
*went
I got married in 2017! It was so amazing to be surrounded by our loved ones for a fun-filled weekend!
Went to my granddaughters second fashion show. Seeing all her passion from sketch to the catwalk and her tears of happiness has made my heart so happy that she is living her dream :)
Finding your blog =)
A memorable moment for me in 2017 is the smile on son’s face when he tells me the tooth fairy paid him a visit.
We made a new start in a town 2 and a half hours drive away and we love it here :)
My most memorable moment of 2017 was very early this year because it was spending the new year’s eve in the philippines with a dear friend’s family!
Shaved my head for my birthday – totally weird feeling, plus I look like an alien (always did apparently- grin)
My memorable moment of 2017…passing my NCLEX exam! I went back to school for an accelerated nursing program to get a second bachelor’s degree (in nursing this time), and passing my licensure exam marked a big moment for me in finishing and turning forward to move to a new city to reunite with my boyfriend and start a new job!
A memorable moment for me was my trip to visit my new grandson!
My moment was my wife of 45 years beating cancer…and may all people going through that horrendous treatment be able to say the same.
first of all~ thanks for so many years of great recipes! I love reading your blog and love that you share your life updates with us! Your recipes are truly amazing and easy to follow so that’s another plus!
So, let’s see….something memorable that has happened in 2017. I don’t feel like I have anything earth shattering to share, but feel that I have so many blessings to be grateful for! (does that count?!) I can’t name any ONE thing! I have three beautiful daughters, an amazing bf, two loveable furry nuggets and a job I love! So much to be thankful for! So, thank you again for a chance to win and keep up the great job you are doing! XO
Watching my son try to learn to ride a bike.
Celebrating my granddaughter’s 7 birthday!
Getting to visit my family over the summer out of state. It was nice seeing them:)
I lost my mom on Sept. 2
i could buy all my Christmas gifts with that money
My most memorable moment was seeing the smile on my mom’s face after 16 longs days of fixing up/painting her 100 year old house.
A memorable moment I had in 2017 was celebrating my daughter’s first birthday !!
Just one? I made a lot of big purchases this year including my fiance and I buying a townhouse and buying my wedding dress!
The highlight of 2017 for me so far is that I found out I’m pregnant with my 3rd little one. We have two girls and find out the gender of this little nugget in two weeks!
My most memorable moment this year was Canada Day. We hosted a big party with all our friends and family.
I started fostering kittens for a local cat rescue and i love it always having kittens around!
MAY 21ST,2017-OUR FIRSTGRANDDAUGHTER ARRIVED AFTEA 46 HOUR LABOUR (OUCH!). WELCME TO OUR FAMILY,OLIVIA PENELOPE!
My son went away to university! It is amazing to see your children become adults. I love it.
my nephew was just born and he is a great addition to the family
finished my medical transcription course !!!
Congrats. on almost a decade! something memorable this year? Hmm my daughter started 1st grade and I’m starting a new job in a couple weeks. Contract was up at m old job worked there for five years. I’m kinda weird i dont like change much
A memorable moment!? This year has been flying by so fast, it’s all a blur! I make jewellery and my only marketing is Instagram, at the moment. I posted a picture and I had a quote as the caption. A friend responded that she loved the quote and that she was gonna steal it. For some reason that really struck me and I decided to make a piece of jewellery for her with incorporating the quote. I had no idea if she would like it or not but I just felt motivated to do it, which I did and she was moved to tears (and she never cries) when I gave it to her. She loved it so much. That’s my memorable moment.
I pre-ordered the book Jess!!! Omg, 20th Mar, 2018!!! I’m gonna faint when I finally get it! The anticipation!! Omgggg!!!
My daughter graduated high school in May. She started college last month and my younger son started kindergarten as well. My kids are growing up so quickly!
Most memorable moment of 2017 was find out my husband and I were going to parents for the first time.
Thanks so much for this blog Jess! I don’t know you personally and I’ll probably never meet you (I live in the Caribbean) but the way you call us your invisible internet friends I can relate. I talk about you to my boyfriend like I actually know you and Eddie and Max (which is so weird, lol) Your blog is my 1st reference if I’m looking for a recipe and I always enjoy your creations when I make them. Thank you. Thank you so so much. (I might be crying while typing this, no biggie, lol)
celebrating my son’s 7th birthday with family and friends
I had a baby, and moved to Florida!
My memorable moment – going to the casino for the first time with my 93 year old grandpa, who kicked all of our butts and was the only one to walk away a winner.
My memorable moment? Celebrating my 60th year on this earth!
Favorable moment has to be spending time with my aunt from out of town, along with other family members at our annual summer cookout :)
A memorable 2017 moment for me was: celebrating one year of living on our island home on the west coast. We are so happy with our small town family life here!