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My One-Year Blogiversary—Highlights From The Year
Wow, it’s already been one year since I could start calling myself a blogger! Today is my blogiversary.
I think it’s important to celebrate blogging “firsts” and milestones. I had some trepidation starting this journey due to my chronic illnesses, and I wasn’t sure how much blogging I would be able to do.
I’m not gonna lie—it’s been quite a challenge to keep up, but I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’ve especially loved the connections I’ve made blogging. It’s wonderful when someone lets me know—in a comment, or in person—that they struggle with the same health problem and didn’t realize anyone else understood, that they love that book too, or that they were encouraged by something I wrote.
Blogging, for me, has been a beautiful reminder of how we can use our words to positively impact others, in spite of any challenges or limitations we may be facing.
I’ll be sharing tips in an upcoming post about what I learned over the last year. If you have questions you’d like me to answer in the post, leave them in the comments! I’ll try to answer them all.
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My List of Little Joys
I want to try a new style of blog post, and would love to hear what you guys think of it!
I’ve been wanting to get back into gratitude journaling after an unintentional break, as well as just journaling in general. I used to write journal entries fairly regularly, but lately its been…every four months or so.
I noticed a funny trend when I’ve been writing in my gratitude journal lately—I’ve wanted to write something down that made me happy, but it made me feel silly to say I was GRATEFUL for it. So I thought I’d combine gratitude journaling with capturing moments that brought me joy.
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You Are SO Loved
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to remind you (yes, YOU!) that you are so loved.
While Valentine’s marketing often focuses on romantic love, love is so much more than that!
Ultimately, we can rejoice because we know we are loved by God. (I think it’s important to pause and remind ourselves, very often, that we are LOVED by the Creator of the universe. Seriously, how incredibly amazing is that?)
Here are some reminders of how much you are loved by God.
Feel free to share these songs and verses with those you love to remind them just how valuable they are. Valentine’s day is also the perfect time to our love for family and friends!
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Chocolate Carmelita Bars Recipe (Vegan!)
I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes with you today! It’s the recipe my friends request from me most often.
Everyone gets really excited when they hear carmelita bars are being made. We’re all kind of obsessed.
You think I’m kidding? I’ve had friends joke that they want carmelitas to be the dessert at their wedding. (I’m actually pretty sure they weren’t joking.)
I once froze a batch of carmelita bars, packed them next to an ice pack in my luggage, and took them to California with me. They were still cold and amazingly delicious after two plane rides and then getting left in a trunk while I ate dinner at a restaurant before visiting the Hollywood walk of fame. (Yes, I forgot about them in my excitement.) My friends’ faces were priceless when I announced I’d brought dessert.
Carmelitas: don’t leave home without them!
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Caramel Sauce Recipe (Vegan!)
I loooove caramel.
I was so sad when I found out I was allergic to dairy in college. Caramel is one of my favorite foods, and it’s usually made with milk. My mom altered this recipe so it is safe for me. And now it’s safe for you! (Thanks Mom!)
We normally use this recipe to make chocolate carmelita bars, which is an all-time favorite around my house.
You can also use this caramel as an ice cream topping or as the filling for German Chocolate Cake (just add chopped pecans and coconut). It also makes a great dip for slices of apple.
I’ll link to the ingredients/brands I use because I know that can be helpful when trying a new recipe. (Note, because of how Amazon sells these products, they may be in packs of 2 or 12, etc.)
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Q&A with Richelle Heacock: “Keep fighting! You never know when your breakthrough will come.”
Richelle Heacock runs a YouTube channel focused on awareness of disabilities, with an emphasis on spreading hope and love. Her video discussing viewer questions about how to interact with someone with a disability or someone who uses a wheelchair is very informative and insightful.
A car accident in 2010 left Richelle paralyzed, impacting her life and her identity as an athlete. Richelle worked as a volleyball coach for the first seven years following her accident, and is now focusing on her health and sharing her experiences and wisdom on YouTube.
I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Richelle on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.
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My Favorite Nonfiction Books From 2018
The nonfiction books I read this year are a bit of a strange mashup—historical figures, devotionals, and…design inspiration. Despite the odd mix, I think you’ll really enjoy these books.
Any time I recommend a nonfiction book, you know I liked it a lot, because I actually finished it instead of turning to my first love: fiction!
I hope you find some great inspiration and learn something new from these books.
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Why I’m Making Christmas Cards in January
Since Christmas, I’ve still been in a Christmasy mood. Which has been nice because it has made the season feel like it’s lasted a little longer. I was very unwell Christmas day, so this has helped. I still felt like making Christmas things, and I’ve actually had a little bit of energy this month to do so.
It has also helped that my parents got us a Sizzix embossing/die cutting machine for Christmas, which has been so fun to play with. Plus, it’s made card making very easy. (And watching tutorials on YouTube for using fun card cutouts while I’m crashed in a recliner has been inspiring. It’s nice to feel like I’m learning something and getting creatively inspired, vs. just being stuck recuperating.)
