I have wanted to start a blog for over a decade; I’ve had an unrelenting urge to carve out my own little space on the internet, sit down at my computer, and process life in my own bubble.
In 2021 I made that dream (sounds a bit grandiose, but it really was!) a reality. The biggest push was participating in Laura Vanderkam’s Tranquility by Tuesday test audience, and having my listener question answered by the dynamic duo of Laura (again!) and Sarah Hart-Unger on their Best of Both Worlds podcast.
I took the leap, made it easy, and haven’t looked back.
This has to be favourite blog posts from 2021…because it’s the first year this corner of the internet has been functional!
- She Can Still Be a Doctor – Sage Advice I Return to Often: My experiences with breastfeeding and underlying truths that continue to impact my parenting. (Thanks, Joy). She really can still be a doctor.
- You’re An Adult. You Can Give Yourself Permission. I need to revisit this post. Regularly. I can eat ice cream for supper. I can have dessert before a meal. I can mix a load of light and dark laundry. I can say yes to that late-night conversation with a friend (even though it’s past my bedtime); I can skip my morning run even if I’ve got a 30-day exercise streak going…
- Don’t Quote Me: A Sense of Loss in the Midst of Joy. It almost makes me cry re-reading this because it’s so true. It’s so hard to stay in the moment, but I’m trying to, especially in time spent with my aging parents.
- On Values and Why I Made A List of Things I Enjoy. This has to be the post I link to most frequently; after reading The Happiness Trap I finally buckled down and completed my own list of values and it really has felt transformative. Do I continue to misalign activities with values? Absolutely. But I do think that I’m a lot more conscious of where I want to get to? Yes, which leads me to…
- Don’t Quote Me: Where Do You Want to Get To? I love, love, love quotes (in fact I printed off a whole book of quotes this year, after collecting them for over two decades), and this one continues to resonate with me.
- Parenting Hack: Read Books With Accompanying Movies. This was the first post where I felt like I legitmiately could say I had my own little community of blog readers (outside of local friends and family). I got lots of comments on this one and it gave me warm fuzzies since this is the one area of parenting where I feel the most confident…which isn’t always the case because…
- If I Make Parenting Look Hard…It’s Because It Is. Man is it ever.
- My Food Habits Through the Years: What’s Changed & What I Eat Now. This whole week of blogging about food got me my first pingback (from SHU).
- How Do You Get Your Kids to Walk So Much? Q&A. I like re-reading this post because I feel like we’ve been walking so much less this fall, and it’s really inspiring me to commit to more hiking next summer.
- Destination Nova Scotia: Peggy’s Cove. I didn’t especially enjoy writing up these Destination Nova Scotia posts (re-sizing photos and pulling them out of archives – since these adventures happened before I started blogging – is a bit of a nuisance), but I LOVE that I have this little ode to Nova Scotia on my blog. We truly love this province, and I hope someone visiting for the first time might find some great inspiration from the various adventures I describe.
- Destination Nova Scotia: Cape Sable is another incredible location!!
- Mood Reset: Why Sometimes I Just Need to Look at My Sleeping Kids. This one just melts my heart. I should do this routine every night, because it really does feel like balm for the soul.
- A Minimalist Hack: Use the Same Toothpaste: Not sure why I liked this post so much, but a local friend commented on it (one of my first comments ever!) and it just feels so simple, but yet definitely makes one tiny element of family life – dental hygiene – more streamlined. On the topic of minimalism…
- Some Thoughts On Clutter and “Minimalism”: I really enjoyed the whole week of posts where I discussed minimalism and home organization. I find the whole topic very relaxing, oddly enough. Keep the flowers and pull the weeds.
- Peek Into Our Christmas: A Christmas Eve Ornament Tradition: And one last post that is just near and dear to my heart because it’s one of my favourite aspects of our family Christmas celebration. Only a few days until we unwrap our new ornaments for 2021!
If you’re a blogger, what was your favourite blog post to write/publish this year? I’d love you to link to it in your comment! And, if you’re not a blogger, what was your favourite memory from 2021 OR what big or little step did you take in 2021 that feels most rewarding?
I’m not a blogger but would like to be. Can you share how you set up your blog? I bought my own domain once but never figured out how to make it into a blog. Thanks and I’m enjoying your blog which I only found recently from a link by SHU I think it was.
The big step I took in 2021 that feels most rewarding is I switched from Standard American Diet to natural foods Paleo, and I lost weight and gained so much energy almost instantly, although there was nothing small about this change.
Welcome.
I don’t have a lot of advice about setting up a blog, unfortunately. I set up a free WordPress account and hired someone to set up the overall layout! I honestly don’t know any of the particulars of how it all works in terms of formatting and coding and hosting as I did outsource that to someone I knew that can do this sort of thing.
Wow! Switching a Paleo is a big move. I’ve done several Whole30’s, but haven’t committed to eating Paleo all of the time. That is definitely NOT a small change, but I’m so glad that you’ve seen such positive results.
Just want to recommend to Katers that you can find tutorials on Youtube on how to set up a blog. That’s how I did it- it wasn’t easy, but if I managed it, anyone can! I do think I’m going to hire someone now to spiff it up a little though.
Oh this is awesome! I’m going to dive into some of these 🙂
Great post!
I need to dive into some of these when work quiets down a bit and my kids are back in daycare!! I started with the breastfeeding one and can so relate. We had major issues with Paul and I switched to exclusive pumping WHICH WAS HORRIBLE. I told myself I would never do that again but luckily Will nursed like a champ. It seems like it all comes down to luck. I tried everything with Paul and it just didn’t work. He could not transfer milk and was not gaining weight. But it was such a time of stress for us, especially me. I love your friend’s advice! It’s so simple and true.
I looked through my 2021 blog posts and there was sadly not much with ‘substance’ to it. I used to write more thoughtful posts but have struggled since getting married/having children. Part of that is exhaustion, part of it is figuring out what is mine to share… especially since an intensely private husband! But if I had to pick a post, I’d say my 40th one was probably the best? http://lisasyarns.blogspot.com/2021/02/on-turning-40.html
I guess I didn’t realize (and didn’t go all the way back) that you only started blogging this year. Oh wow! I’ve been doing it for more than 15 years and it’s been such a blessing and source of inspiration and connection. I am so glad you took the plunge – your blog has fast become one of my favorites! I might have to get back and start reading at the beginning (which might be doable with a blog that is less than a year old… although you put out an impressive amount of posts in such a short time!). And I am impressed how much writing you get done while working and running a household with two kids!
Not all (or hardly any LOL) of my blog posts are deep writing, but I think my favorite from this year is was this one about my 20th California-versary: https://theinbetweenismine.com/2021/09/10/where-did-the-time-go/
15 years! That’s incredible.
I’ve really enjoyed the process and am so glad I took the plunge.
Just read your post about being in California for 20 years – where does the time go, indeed? And how crazy that you arrived 2 days before 9/11. I was supposed to go on an exchange to Copenhagen in my 2nd year of university and it fell through at the last minute. I rarely think about it now, but it definitely could have changed the course of my life (it would have been for a whole year, I think? I can’t even remember the details now, but it was both a relief in some senses – the whole process seemed overwhelming – and also a huge disappointment). My brother has lived in Denmark for well over a decade, now, so I feel like I’ve at least been able to legitimately appropriate some of the Danish culture!
You really hit the ground running with your blog and having so many thoughtful posts is amazing.
It’s hard to pick a favorite post this year, but I had a lot of fun putting together my post detailing all of the different phones I’ve ever had (https://stephanywrites.com/to-all-the-phones-i-ever-had/).
Elisabeth, now you’ve done it! I already had a bunch of tabs open to your more recent posts (need to comment – sorry!) and some older blog posts that you referenced in those! Now I’ll just have more. I suspect I can really relate to the one about aging parents… it is so hard, particularly because I live 1500 miles away from them. I’m terrified every time they phone and usually answer the call by saying (rather abruptly) “Are you okay? is everything okay?” Mostly because, well, there have been times when things are decidedly NOT okay, and I think those experiences stick in my mind.
Sigh. Long comment to say I am so, so glad you joined the blogosphere this year, that you are already so open about sharing your life with those of us who love to frequent your blog, and that I am so happy to keep following you into 2022. <3
Awww, thanks as always for your kind words! I’ve loved reading all your comments and look forward to many more chances to connect in 2022.