Warning: Undefined array key "HTTP_ACCEPT" in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/gourmet-ads/Classes/GA_VAST_Mobile_Detect.php on line 18
I’m baaack!
Sorry for the radio silence lately, but I needed a little break. I was feeling rundown from working hard at my 9-5 job and trying to squeeze in a few blog posts a week. I wasn’t focusing enough on things like eating healthy and working out and it was time for a vacation. I spent Christmas at home with my family and then traveled back to Oaxaca, Mexico for 10 days to be with my boyfriend, Daniel. We did a whole lot of nothing- no working out, no blogging, no working. Just lots of sleeping, eating, and being with friends and family. It was great! We did take a night hike to the top of a mountain just in time for sunrise- check it out!
Although this 2014 recap post is a little delayed, I wanted to reflect on last year since it was a big one for the blog and for me personally.
Up first are the Top 4 Readers’ Favorite Recipes of 2014 (from collage above): Healthy Chicken Tamale Pizza, Healthy Reeses Pretzel Protein Smoothie, Mexican Lime Icebox Cake, Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bake. You guys have great taste because these are also some of my favorite recipes- all healthy except for that Icebox Cake but, hey, live a little!
Funny enough, the #1 favorite reader recipe during 2014 was actually one of my very first recipes on the blog in 2013- Vanilla Overnight Oats. Please excuse the awful photography. I think it’s time for me to bring some more overnight oats recipes to the blog since people apparently go wild over them.
In addition to posting lots of recipes and making LOTS of Mexican food, I had some big blog milestones. I was accepted as a Fitfluential Ambassador, I became a Pop Sugar Select blogger, and I joined The Recipe Redux and Mode Media. The blog took a bit of a back seat during the last few months of the year and I’m ready to get focused again.
Last summer, I moved back to Philadelphia after living in Mexico for 10 months, decorated my new apartment, and started back at my old job.
Throughout the year I took trips to Guadalajara (and saw the butterfly sanctuary!), The Riviera Maya, NYC, DC, Miami, Vermont, and Oaxaca for New Years’. I’ve got a lot of traveling scheduled this year for work and pleasure so I’d love to do more trip posts reviewing my favorite places to go and eat (would you like that?).
It was a good year, but also a year filled with some difficult transitions. Moving back to Philadelphia was harder than I thought it would be and I thrust myself into work without much time to think or savor the changes. I struggled to heal my skin with an elimination diet and I’m onto the next experiment to see what works.
So what’s planned for 2015? I didn’t really do a formal list of resolutions this year, but I have had some thoughts swirling around.
1. Get back into fitness and healthy eating. When I was living in Oaxaca I had a lot more free time to dedicate to getting fit, so I’ll need to find ways to stay efficient but I’m ready to get back into my groove. Meal planning is a savior and scheduling my workouts in advance also keeps me on track.
2. Focus on growing the blog. As much as I would love to post three times a week, it just isn’t realistic given my other time commitments, so I’m planning to post twice a week so I can create great content. I also have wanted to redesign the site with more professional branding and a logo so I’m gonna make this happen!
3. Finish decorating my apartment. I have a few projects that I started but then put aside last year so I want to finish them and start sharing my apartment with you all through social media and the blog. I hope you’ll like it as much as I do!
4. Be nicer to myself. I am my harshest critic and I want to start speaking to myself like I would speak to a friend- kindly and with love. Join me on this goal?
5. Go to bed earlier. I don’t go to bed very late as is but I’m one of those people who needs at least 8 hours of sleep a night to look alive and be a functioning human being. I have to commute to work so I don’t have the luxury of waking up and getting to work in 15 min. I’m setting my alarm at 10 pm this year as a reminder to get ready for bed. Let’s see if I can stick with this.
6. Read more. I love reading and my list of books to read is long but I didn’t do enough of it last year. Between all of the things I have to do for work and reading all the blogs I follow, I barely have time left to read a book for pleasure. Even if I have to listen to audiobooks while I cook, I’m determined to work my way through my list.
I feel refreshed after my long vacation and I’m excited for what’s to come this year. Last but not least, I have to thank you all-my readers and followers- for motivating me to keep going with this little space I’ve created on the internet. I hope you’ll continue to follow along with me as I experiment in the kitchen… and in life.
Cheers to a good new year! I need to read more this year AND focus on growing my blog!