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}”
Congrats on your new book! Love you and your blog! My most memorable moment this year was moving across the country!
The highlight was telling our 3 year old (boy girl) twins that they are getting a baby sister in October . Their responses were priceless. Congrats on 8 years & your pregnancy!! Cannot wait for the cookbook.
My most memorable moment so far in 2017 has been our move to az from cold utah. It’s been amazing being in the warm weather. It changed our lives being away from family but it’s been so fun for us at the same time!
8 years is a HUGE accomplishment!! Congrats and thanks for all the great posts! (: my favorite memory this year was the wedding of my best and oldest friend (18 years of friendship!!) our childhood dreams came true and I was blessed to be her maid of honor!
Congrats! Been following you for most of those 8 years!
Finding out we are expecting baby #1 this November!
Congrats on your 8 years of blogging!! So awesome you are able to work hard and live your dream. Most memorable moment for me would be moving back to the east coast this past July and on that trip my grandparents meeting my baby girl!
CONGRATS!!! What a giveaway! My memorable 2017 moment was completing the Triple Crown half marathon series- three half marathons in San Diego!
Yay! Congratulations!! It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, which means I’ve been following you for literally my whole adult life. 😳
2017 has been such a ride! I’d say one of my most memorable moments would be moving into a beautiful house with two girl friends who I love, and on our first weekend cooking so many pull-pans-out-of-boxes meals until we were all unpacked. Plus, champagne. Lots of champagne.
Congratulations again. We all love you and I can’t wait for the book!
8 years!! How amazing – I cannot wait for your new book! My biggest moment this year was a much needed move (and finally feeling settled!)
My baby boy turned 1 this year!!! Definitely the most memorable thing that’s happened :) LOVE your blog! I’ve loved it for years ❤️ Some of your recipes got me through some hard times so I’m super grateful. Here’s to another 8 years! Then another 8, and so on 😊🥂
Definitely my son’s first birthday. We both took the day off of work and enjoyed it as a family. This has started a new family tradition – spending our bdays as a family.
Congrats on a decade! I have really enjoyed your blog and your recipes and look forward to more. <3
My most memorable moment for 2017 was the total eclipse. It was breathtaking. I laughed, I cried, I jumped up and down. So, so cool.
To your next 10 years!
Or congrats on 8 years, because apparently I cannot read. ;-)
I pre-ordered the book the day it was available to do so. I am so so so excited. I use the first one so regularly.
Congratulations! My memorable moment would be watching my kiddo learn to walk, run, fall, jump, and repeat :)
I also preordered on Amazon :)
My most memorable moments of 2017 were watching my brother graduate high school and one of my dearest friends get married. I LOVE celebrations.
Congratulations! Welcoming my third and final little one into the world was definitely my highlight!
Congrats on 8 years! What an accomplishment! Something memorable and exciting for me so far this year was starting my own blog!
2017 has been a good one! A new house and a new puppy were just *some* of the highlights.
Can’t wait to see what’s up in 2018 and for your new cookbook! I preordered a few weeks ago. Is it March already?!
The most memorable has been my oldest starting Kindergarten! It’s been crazy & awesome all at the same time!
Memorable moment would be watching my littlest hug his big sister on his own accord. Just cause. Swoon.
And of course I’ve already pre-ordered, duh! When I recently heard the Baltimore book festival was coming up, I thought of the time I finally got to meet you and you were pregnant with MAX!
Moving from PA to Nashville for grad school has been the biggest thing so far! Congratulations!! So excited for the book!!
Congrats on 8 years! My most memorable moment was hiking through Acadia National Park with my husband and kids. Bar Harbor was simply magical!
My memorable moment is my sons first birthday; we kept it low key and low stress for mama and it was such a great day!
Most memorable moment(s): my baby girl saying “mama” for the first time, laughing, crawling, standing up all by herself …and now she’s 11 months (tomorrow) which means she’s almost ONE! 😭
Highlight of 2017, making your creamy chicken and dumplings as a celebratory meal for moving in with my boyfriend of 3 years – it’s our favorite! Can’t wait for the new book!
Surviving Hurricane Irma! 🙏🏼 I’m in Florida and it’s been such a crazy as soon week!!! 😳 glad to be alive. Congrats on 8 freaking years!!!!!!!! Xoxox
Memorable moment–about to come I think. My triplets are turning FIVE(!) in October! Tears! They also started full time pre K which has been life changing for them (and me!) this year.
I preordered your book as soon as you announced it!!!! Can’t wait til March 2018. 💕
I have your other book and have preordered this one! Can’t wait!!
My most memorable moment was when you had a Bellini of sorts overflowing from a champagne glass and it was cantaloupe flavored and skin colored. And it looked like a body part! I laughed so hard!😂
2017 has been about boring for me which is actually more memorable than the whirlwind that the year before was…married 12/2015, husband new job 2/16, baby girl 10/2016, buy new house 11/2016 and move 3 days before 1st anniversary.
Love your blog and LOVE your videos of Max, his voice…I die! Excited to see the cuteness that is his sequel.
PS we didn’t peak either and I loved it!
Yay for new books and eight years of blogging — congrats!!! My most memorable moment this year has been a summertime adult “pool” party with a mini-pool, sprinklers, lawn games, and house music.
Congratulations on reaching 8 years! I hope you continue your success while inspiring others!
My most memorable moment this year was travelling to Indonesia as part of the New Colombo Plan to study the effects of the environment in a legal context.
It was both an eye opening and humbling experience. I visited the site of Lapindo (a mud volcano) that erupted nearby a low socio economic town due to large mining companies unlicensed drilling activities. I learnt just how much the power of money can disrupt social justice. Unfortunately the citizens of that town were not awarded any reasonable compensation as it was found that the eruption occurred “naturally”.
This experience made me want to become an advocate for human rights ensuring justice and equality to all the world citizens!
Climbing a pyramid in Mexico on my five year wedding anniversary! Mostly because I’m deathly scared of heights and have broken the family record on longest first marriage! 😂
My most memorable moment has been my annual girls trip with my friends to Florida. Always a great time full of good people and good food. Congratulations on your 8 years!
Congrats on 8 years!! I’ve probably been following for the last six and can’t stay away. I’ve bought your book, made many of your recipes (your feta/bacon/browned butter green beans and bourbon cherry oatmeal cookies will be forever favorites), watched Max be born and grow, and yelped with excitement when I saw you were pregnant with #2. My real life friends often make fun of how I talk about the blogs I follow as if I know them and their families. Thanks for sharing yours with us! Hmm an exciting moment of 2017-I went to Isla Mujeres with my family this summer and we ate our way through the entire island. We also got to swim with whale sharks and it was maybe one of the coolest things I’ve ever done!
Congratulations! I’ve been following you ever since I really started cooking from home – probably most of that 8 years! You’re an inspiration. My most memorable moment in 2017 was a trip to Utah with my husband – It was a great time!
My most memorable moment has been running my first 1/2 marathon 10 days before turning 30 in Vancover on the seawall!
I ordered your book and can’t wait!
My most memorable moment of 2017 was coming home to my family and friends after six months of studying abroad. It was a complete surprise to see them at baggage claim and the highlight of my year :)
8 years is amazing! I think I’ve been following your blog for about 6 years and I adore it!
My favorite moment of 2017 so far was seeing my daughter (she’s a week younger than Max) swim in the lake! She did it last year of course, but her expressions and her ability to tell us how exciting it was-oh that was the best!
My memorable moment was our big dream trip to Australia that we took in JUne. Congrats!
Congrats! And thank you! You’ve taught me so much in these last eight years! One of my most memorable moments was our family trip to NYC. In particular to the Statue of Liberty.
And I preordered your cookbook. So excited!
Most memorable moment would be my baby graduating from preschool and starting kindergarten.
Congrats Jess! A memorable moment I’ve had in 2017 is finishing/surviving my first year of college :-)
Congrats on 8 years!!! One of the most unforgettable memories of my year was getting to travel through Germany with friends from college, particularly getting to see Neuschwanstein (aka the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle), having the most amazing sweet Bavarian mustard in Munich’s beer gardens, and taking an overnight train and somehow being in first class even though our tickets were not 😂 Love your posts and thanks for all the recipes!!!
I’ve been following you since the start and I’ve never fallen out of love with you. You are my favorite of all time. I mostly comment over on the Insta as @therealbekahspics. It’s been a joyous ride these last 8 years. My most memorable moment has been finding out my mom didn’t have lung cancer, after a big scare!
Thank you for being a successful businesswoman, wife and mother, for showing young females that our goals are attainable. Congratulations 🍾My most memorable moment was when I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and then move 3,000 miles to the New York Campus to complete my Bachelor’s. I’m young and broke but food is life!