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}”
My memorable moment: my boyfriend surprised me on my 30th birthday with a super secret millennial-style scavenger hunt where I had to take a selfie in front of the place where we first had drinks, our favorite brunch place, etc. and culminated with a Parisian-themed picnic of champagne and a killer cheese board in a park…and a booked trip to Paris!!!
So romantic and thoughtful – I will never forget that day! Especially since I didn’t understand at first that the fake tickets he printed out was meant to symbolize a REAL TRIP TO PARIS! I thought the present was a Parisian-themed picnic which still would’ve been awesome. Head slap! :)
PS – I pre-ordered the Pretty Dish and can’t wait for March to receive it! Congratulations on 8 years , it’s been fun reading along the way and watching your recipe development and other skills grow over the years!!
My favorite memory of this year is doing acroyoga with my friend!
2017 has been a crazy year! A memorable moment for me would be finding out I’m pregnant again!
Fav memory this year was my ski trip! so fun!
My favorite memory of 2017 (so far!) was my bachelorette party weekend in Napa, CA, with a great group of ladies near and dear to my heart :)
A memorable moment of 2017 was meeting my baby niece for the very first time!! So tiny, so precious, so loved.
2017 has been pretty memorable so far, but since I have to choose just one memory… I’ve been blessed to be able to take a road trip with my sister – we toured the east coast and fell in LOVE with Maine! We talk almost every day and are best friends, but we live several states apart, so we don’t see each other often. It was such a pleasant & relaxing trip and I’m so grateful we were able to make time to do that before either of us have kids.
Choosing a medical speciality and applying to medical residency (and trying out your recipes, of course!!) Have loved checking your blog daily for a breath of fresh air from medical school!
After moving cross country for work last year, we moved back home this year. It’s been hectic but I’m happy to be back with family.
Favorite memory for me this summer was a seven day rafting trip with my husband and kids!
Favorite part of 2017 is welcoming my first baby! The actual delivery was not my favorite moment, but each one since is sweeter. Thanks for hosting!
My favorite memory of 2017 happened just at the end of August – my baby girl turned 1!! I don’t know how it happened so quickly, but it’s been an amazing year!
Pre-ordered the day you announced! My husband loves everything I cook from your blog/first book. Thanks for being such a dinner inspiration!
Something memorable that happened this year would definitely be starting a new job I love to pieces! So many of my favorite memories this year happened at work, I feel so lucky :) congrats on your 8th year! I remember finding your blog back in its first year when I was still in high school. Crazy how time flies!
2017 has been a great year so far! A memorable moment was spending my 30th birthday earlier this Summer with my boyfriend exploring Havana, Cuba.
I’m so thankful for 2017. Too many favorites to be grateful for.
Finding out I’m pregnant!
If we’re being honest, the most memorable moment I’ve had so far in 2017 is meeting the person who has changed my life already in so many ways. I can only hope he’ll stay there until the end of time.
Congratulations!! Whooho!
One memorable moment is I was accepted into a job that I have been working towards for years – it has been a good transition!
Memorable moment–my first road trip with my 16 year old, just the girls on the open highway. Bliss. And some drama.
My most memorable moment of the year is finally getting our backyard done! We’ve waited 5 years and we are just thrilled to be able to enjoy the yard and cool off in the pool!!! 🌵🌵
My favorite memory this year was my baby turning one! 💗
Best moment of 2017 so far — moving HOME after 17 years away.
I preordered your book from Amazon! I have your first book and love it! Can’t wait for this one!
I think my most memorable moment that has happened to me so far, is that I made a new friend this year. We have EVERYTHING in common, and I look forward to many more years of friendship with him!! I also have some amazing trips planned to go and discover more of the world! I can hardly wait!!!
And BTW, I love your blog!!
2017 gave us our 5th baby here on earth. Best part about 2017, hands down!!
And your book has been pre-ordered.
I had no idea I had been following you for the life of your blog. I found How Sweet Eats right after a very difficult move and a very lonely time in life. 2 moves and 4 children later, I’m still following! Your brevity, transparency, and delicious food keep me coming back!!
And…the root beer cupcakes. I mean, seriously!
My most memorable moment thus far (the best is yet to come, I hope!) was working in Australia for 3 months. I convinced my company to let me do a special project in Sydney during their summer and our winter. An incredible experience – I can’t recommend visiting enough!
Seeing my daughter’s first dance recital!
Deciding to move across the country to San Francisco!
My fave moment of 2017 thus far was definitely the helicopter ride I took around the Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas. It was a once in a lifetime VIP experience and I just had one of the best nights with the hubs (minus the kids) in a LONG time!
A memorable thing in 2017… just one?!? We packed up our whole lives and moved across country… our daughter turned 1… and we also got pregnant with #3! Let’s just say 2017 has been a BIG year.
Also I preodered your book a while ago!! Can’t wait.
2017’s most memorable moment -for me- is my second son being born!!! It’s made 2017 a treasure of a year so far!
I took my daughters to Disneyland for the first time!
2017 is the year I started my life over. My son and I are both happier and healthier for it!
I preordered! Can’t wait for March!
My memorable moment was hiking part of the Appalachian Trail this summer!
My most memorable moment was moving in with my boyfriend
My favorite memory by far of 2017 is welcoming our sweet little girl into this world.
My most memorable moment was getting engaged!
I’ve been travelling for work a fair amount this year and back in June I was scheduled to go to NYC for work. The week before I left, I found out my mom was scheduled for open heart surgery (the doctors did not give her a good chance of surviving the surgery but said it needed to be done anyway); luckily, the surgery was scheduled for the day after my return from NYC. However, the day before returning home the surgeons bumped up the surgery a day (meaning that she would now have the surgery while I was still gone!); I would not be able to hold her hand and tell her just how much I love her and thank her for everything that she has done for me. I didn’t sleep a wink that night; I took the first flight out the next morning, all the while getting updates from the family. There was nothing like walking into her hospital room after I landed and seeing her alive and well. She SURVIVED; the doctor’s were wrong (thankfully)! Best moment of 2017!
BTW…I ordered the book; love your beautiful and approachable food! Thank you for sharing yourself thru your food.
My most memorable moment of the year was going to my first concert with my boyfriend. We’ve been together for two years and this was our first chance to enjoy live music together.
Congratulations! My favorite memory so far this year was a weekend trip to visit friends and explore Tennessee!
My favorite memory of 2017 was getting to meet some of my husband’s family for the first time in Virginia and getting to see where he grew up. We’ve been married for 17 years and together for 21 so it’s crazy that it’s taken so long for us to get out that way!
I pre-ordered your book the first day it came out!
Finally getting out of my soul sucking job in order to chase my dream…
A memorable moment for me was meeting my new baby niece for the first time!! Congrats on 8 years!
Congrats on 8 years! You have a wonderful blog, thank you for all you do with it, I always enjoy it! You should be very proud of all your hard work!
Most memorable moment of 2017…A neighbor of ours has a party every august, called Swine & Dine. Its a food contest that includes Bacon and pork. Our of the 5 years we have been invited, (couldn’t go last year) we tied twice for first and lost both times (to the same couple)….but this year we finally won! We made pimento cheese, grilled cheese, sandwiches with bacon.
2017 has been a great year for me, but by far the best thing that’s happened is I got married!