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 favorite memory this year was GETTING MARRIED this past weekend OMG!! Still on cloud nine…
My favorite 2017 memory is camping with my husband. Thanks for the giveaway and congratulations on your anniversary!
wow! favorite moment would have to be starting to work with OneTable, a group that helps people host Shabbat dinners in their own homes!
Can I have two favorite memories?! We moved into our new freshly renovated home that we designed from scratch and found out we were expecting baby #3! So much to be thankful for.
I’ve been reading your blog since I was in college. Thank you for being here!
Congratulations on eight years of blogging! A favorite memory of the year was my beautiful trip to Italy and every moment with my three fur kids.
Having my baby girl was definitely the most memorable moment in 2017 :)
I passed my dissertation proposal defense– only a little more till I have my PhD!
Congratulations- I have loved reading for 8 years!! I celebrated my first year of marriage with trips near and far!
So far, my most memorable moment in 2017 is when my husband and I paid off my car and a student loan, wahooo!
This year, I ran my best 5k at 35:46! This is after losing about 20 pounds I packed on from steroids and not being able not run or exercise last year because of awful dermatitis. Quarter marathon this Saturday!
Its hard to pick just one memorable moment when I have a one year old and two year old. Seeing every new thing they learn is amazing!
My favorite memory this year is my trip to Iceland. I climbed ice walls, trekked across glaciers, and hiked up volcanoes. It’s a stunningly beautiful country and I felt so strong and proud of myself with all that I did there!
Congrats on 8 years of blogging, Jessica! I love reading along about your life-it feels like catching up with a friend. And many of my favorite and go-to recipes come straight from your blog. Thanks for bringing us joy and delicious food!
My memorable moment is taking my oldest daughter to college. It was surreal to see her walking away from us, on the way to meet her advisor, looking confident and amazing. I miss her, but I love watching her chart her own path.
I just pre-ordered my copy of The Pretty Dish for Amazon and can’t wait to get it and start cooking up a storm! It’s going to be a long wait till March!
Hi Jessica!! Happy 8 years of blogging!! I’m approaching my first and am pretty excited about that too. I guess that would be my memorable moment. When I hit publish on my blog. :)
8 years already!? That makes me feel old! My most memorable moments so far are all the wonderful camping and hiking trips I have taken with my 3 kids this year.
I gave birth to my fourth son a few weeks ago! Thank you for the great giveaway!
Spending a week exploring my youngest daughters new city.. San Francisco.. seeing how happy and adjusted she is.. preordered.. just like the first one.. which I love!!
My favorite 2017 memory is going to Austin with my family and getting stuck driving back to Michigan because all the flights were cancelled. We spent 19hours in a car together and we had fun learning more about each other, playing games and just talking with no electronics.
Yay! Happy 8 years! SO many big moments in 2017 so far. I’d say my favorite has been visiting Los Angeles for the first time: best pastries, ice cream, amazing views and events. I even went on the Price is Right! Woohoo! A year of adventures for sure.
I would definitely say that in 2017 being able to go to a 3 Michelin star restaurant with some of my favorite people was one of the best memories of the year!
I love this blog!! You have given my family many a delicious meal!! I enjoy reading your joyful words!! Thank you for being here for all of us!!
My wonderful moment was when my first child returned from her freshman year at college. That night we, all 5, cuddled on the couch and it felt so wonderous to have all my little family under one roof and piled on top of each other.
My son was born February 17th, definitely my most memorable moment this year!
My memorable moment would be than my husband lived through a horrific accident. He has critical heart issues and although he should of died, he’s still here with me.
Attending the Woman’s March in Washington and working to increase equality, justice and progress in my community and surrounding areas.
My favorite moment was our family beach trip to Florida. It was absolute heaven!
I engaged at the foot of our town’s cathedral, it was a very special moment for us in a place we both love. I also defended my master’s dissertation!
Ugh I *got* engaged, I didn’t engage…should’ve spellchecked before posting 🙈
I graduated from grad school and started a new job, so that she been exciting so far!
I had the pleasure of visiting Puerto Rico for the first time this past summer and it was truly memorable but the memory is now bittersweet knowing the devastation that has ravished that area. Great memories on that beautiful island nevertheless!
My most memorable moment(s) was the birth of not only our first but also second grandsons, Theo and Anderson in April, just nine days apart!!
I preordered your new book! Looking forward to both your new book and Deb’s (smitten kitchen)! Thanks for the giveaway and for all your delicious food and entertaining musings !
Watching our youngest graduate college and move away. Happy and sad! Congrats to you!
My most memorable moment was going to CA for the first time this spring, and seeing my sweet nieces and nephews for the first time in years.
congrats!! you’re on of the most authentic bloggers I read and I thank YOU for providing such a great site – and cookbook – for us all to enjoy year after year. I’d say my top moment this year was getting married. though the honeymoon may have been better than the actual wedding…
I gotta go with being swarmed by bison in Yosemite while road tripping with my sister & her dog from New Orleans to Anchorage!
One of my memorable moments from this year was taking a baking course and finally coming to terms with my dream to be a baker.
P.S. I preordered your book a couple weeks ago, I can’t wait for it!
My memorable moment is getting married! Though after 8.5 years together, it was more like, “wait, you guys aren’t married yet?”
I’ve loved playing in the creek with my kids this year!
My favorite memory from 2017 was road tripping through California with my two best friends! It was what summers should be all about!
completing my first semester of clinic in my graduate program has been the most momentous occasion this year! Thanks for all the amazing ideas and recipes every week!!
I pre-ordered a copy of the book the day you announced it was available!!
Congratulations on 8 years!! My favorite memory so far in 2017 is the road trip I took with my husband and pup earlier this summer, we checked out a couple parks and it was gorgeous!
Preordered my copy! So excited! Congratulations!
My memorable 2017 moment was finding out I was pregnant with my first child – a boy :) Thank you for 8 years of deliciousness!!
Top moment of 2017 – having my second baby – a little girl – Ruby Diane.
My most memorable moment was finding out we are pregnant with #2. I can’t wait to see my daughter become a big sister.
Just preordered your book – yay
My favorite memory was spending Easter in GA with m family. :-)
My most memorable moment so far this year has been participating in the Women’s March in January. It was such a motivating and inspiring moment.