It has been way too long since I shared an Everyday Adventures post. I used to do them all the time, but haven’t shared one in awhile. It is a fun way to share a look at my everyday life that you do not normally see.
Showing everyday life, what I am loving, and keeping it real is part of old school blogging that I miss. Those of you that remember blogs from several years ago probably know what I mean.
I love my site and what I do, but part of me does miss the sharing of real, non staged, life that so many people no longer do.
So much of online and social media life now is about creating an imagine and a brand. I get that, but I also wish it was mixed with more keeping it real.
One of my goals for 2020 is to bring some of that back. The keeping it real, this is what I am cooking and doing right now, type of posts. I hope to bring back Everyday Adventures to at least a few times a month, if not every week.
I hope that these types of posts are something you enjoy. Please share your thoughts letting me know. Do you love these types of posts?
Now to keep it real.
2019 wore me out. Some years are like that. They stretch you in new ways. They force you to grow and change and make you who you are. I am pretty sure 2019 is a year our whole family will look back on as one of those years.
One of the main things we dealt with in 2019 was health issues. Nothing major, but lots of minors. My son had knee surgery in the spring which went well, but was much more involved than they thought it would be. My daughter had minor surgery during the summer, which also didn’t go as planned.
And then in November I ended up having surgery. It was a surgery I had put off for years and finally couldn’t put off any longer. Thankfully, my surgery went well and I am feeling better than I have in several years.
Because life was a bit crazy in 2019 I lacked creativity. For the first time since I started this site I really had trouble creating new recipes and being creativity in the kitchen. My mind was focused on other things.
Instead of creating new recipes and working on new content, I kept turning to the old favorites. It was exactly what I needed at the time, but it really cut down on what I shared here with you.
Over the last month or so I feel like I am getting my creativity back. My schedule and routine are getting back to normal and I have already worked on quite a few new recipes that I am excited to share.
One of my go to dinners lately has been Egg Roll In Bowl. We have had this twice in the last month. I have been making this for years, but we have been eating it a lot recently.
It is easy to make and is a one dish dinner that we love. The leftovers are also great for lunch the next day. If you haven’t tried it you should!
I have also been making a lot of my favorite banana bread. When life is crazy comfort foods are a must. I have been making Martha Stewart’s Banana Bread for years and it is still a favorite.
Over the holidays we always do a puzzle as a family. The last few years we have finished our puzzle in just a few hours. This year I decided to get a puzzle that would take us awhile. Well I accomplished that with a 3000 piece puzzle…
We have never tried one this large before and I doubt we will again. It is the first puzzle we have ever given up on. We might have kept it out, but we had no space to leave that big of a puzzle out for a month or two while we worked on it. We put it away after putting less than 20% of it together. I think 3000 pieces might just be too big of a puzzle for us.
If you love reading I shared my favorite books of 2019 over on our book site. One of my daughters also shared her favorite books of 2019. And I recently shared a fun book date idea for teens and adult kids. If you love books and reading be sure to check out our book website.
That is a quick look at life at our house the last few weeks. I hope that you have a great weekend!
And again I would love to hear your thoughts on these types of posts. Do you like to occasionally see a look at my everyday life?
Yes I do like these posts! Hoping you have an easier and healthy 2020!
I like those kind of posts also! I love reading your blog and checking out the recipes. Hugs,
Thank you! I am pretty sure you are one of my long time readers, so thank you for following along on my adventures. 🙂
Lynn- I love all of your blog posts! I started reading blogs several years ago and lots of my favorites have stopped blogging. I am grateful you are still out there for us.
2019 was horrible. My family shockingly lost our home to a fire. Our precious chihuahuas could not be saved which has nearly ripped our hearts completely out, and we lost pretty much everything. The house and the stuff were sad but the losing the dogs has about done us in. Thankfully, my husband and I are the best of friends. Our kids are amazing and we have tremendous support from friends, family, and the best work families! 2019 had lots of sad diagnosis for friends and family, losses of life, and was pretty much the most stressful year ever. In reflecting over last year, I am, however, still grateful for the blessings. For new relationships, for treatments that are working, for good jobs, for incredible blessings and divine intervention to bring our hearts some peace, and for somehow rediscovering my old self so far this year.
Some years are tough and some are full of blessings. I’ve discovered the strongest people I know aren’t strong because they’ve had it easy. Wishing all of us more joys than sorrows for 2020. Keep blogging real life, Lynn! Your posts are a piece of my old self that I cherish and I love to read and to see all of the things your family is eating and doing! 🙂
Oh Gina I am so sorry that you lost your house and dogs to a house fire! I can’t imagine how hard that would be. But you are so right, even in the trials there is so much to be grateful for. Some years are so hard, but those years make us strong. Some of the most kind, thoughtful, giving, encouraging, and strong people I know are the ones that have been through extreme difficulties. Difficulties give us perspective that we wouldn’t have otherwise. Hopefully 2020 will be a better year for both of us!! And thank you for your kind words about my site. A lot of readers have responded that they love these type of posts, so I plan to keep doing them at least a couple times a month. They are a fun way to connect with readers. So thank you!
2019 was our rough years as well. We got through it only by the grace of God. He sure is faithful and loving.
I really enjoy reading your blog posts. Please keep up the good work!
GraceH
I agree. It is only by God’s grace that we make it through the good and the bad days. And the tough years are what He uses to make us stronger and better able to serve Him! Thank you for being such a loyal follower and for all your comments here and on social media!!
I have dearly missed these posts. I have been a reader for many years now and have always enjoyed seeing what your family has been up to and enjoying. I am so happy to hear you miss them too and want to bring them back.
I am all for a post each week, something like Our Week in Review or whatnot. But, life gets busy so as often as you want to share.
I do agree with you, I also miss that most bloggers now days don’t share real life and the day to day struggles. I think this is why vloggers have become so popular, because they show (well and edited version in most cases probably) their Day in the Life vlogs. It’s a great concept to create an image and brand, but I think a lot gets lost. The connection and strong sense of community just isn’t there much anymore. I miss feeling connected with the bloggers I follow, feeling like I am not alone in this Mom life because some days are downright hard growing these little people.
Thank you for being a long time reader! I am so glad that you enjoy these posts and have missed them. So many readers have said the same thing, so I plan to keep doing them at least a few times a month. I miss the feeling of community that these posts have. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and thank you so much for following along on my kitchen adventures for so long! And you are not alone in the mom life. Social media tends to make it all look easy and perfect looking, but it isn’t. And that is why I miss the keeping it real part of blogging and social media. We all struggle with similar things.
I am a long-time reader, and I say please keep doing these kinds of posts. It is so nice to be able to see bloggers as real people. Like you, I miss that many bloggers don’t share real-life posts anymore. I make lots of your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! I am glad that you enjoy my recipes and these types of posts. From the comments and emails that I have gotten it looks like readers love these posts, so I plan to keep doing them at least a couple of times a month. Thanks for being a long time reader and for following along on my adventures!!
Sounds like a crazy year. The recovery from surgeries can be exhausting. So sorry it was so rough. Hugs to you guys. Here’s to a better 2020. I feel like over the last few years I’ve blogged less and less and I miss it. I mainly do it for the creative outlet. I’m working on some posts from our Italy vacation. It’s funny how life can just distract us. I have some goals for 2020…read more, journal, blog, just take time to enjoy, have “slow down” moments, etc…the other thing I haven’t done much of is take photos…I miss that too.
Thank you! I enjoy seeing “the real” side of life! I sure hope 2020 is a better year for you and your family! I really enjoy your blog! 😀
Thank you! And thank you for following along on my kitchen adventures!