Year in Review

I meant to write this post in advance of January 1 but instead opted to take a much needed break to enjoy downtime with family and friends. However, this week I'll hit the 1800 post mark at Boston Mamas -- a number that seems both arbitrary and momentous -- and it seemed fitting to peruse the 2009 archives and reflect on what happened this past year. So much of my life is set in the context of the work I put into Boston Mamas, and it truly is an honor to be here with you. I hope you enjoy this recap of my favorite posts and notable occurrences of 2009 and I wish you all a year full of joy and blessings and fantastic surprises!

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I love that in 2009 I was able to:

Harness the power of Twitter to create some very cool community-inspired posts, such as these about coping with kindergarten transitions and ideas for Halloween candy alternatives.

Continue sharing all sorts of cool eco-living finds, such as the adorable Dabbawalla lunch bags, all-in-one Citizenpip lunch kits, safe and colorful Piggy Paint nail polishes, magical Soapnuts, and a roundup of natural hair detanglers.

Celebrate life and passages by reflecting about my marriage, my dad, and my niece Alyssa.

Feature the amazing talents and voices of Jules Pieri, Melissa Roiter, Sarah Pike, Isabela Garcia, Mila Cole, Angelika Paul, Carol Fishman Cohen, and Tori Stuart through the Boston Mamas Rock! series. (Admittedly I am rather backlogged on nominations and need to get back on track with this series...)

Continue sharing super cool local leads that make me proud to be a Bostonian.

Develop new partnerships to offer readers additional coolness, such as discussion board functionality and a classifieds service.

Share interesting educational and developmental content, such as these tips on coping with separation, raising avid readers, finding math moments in everyday experiences, and negotiating sugar battles.

Find positive in the stress and frustration of the Boston.com Google debacle; most notably, the immense power of this community to enact change. I was so very moved by this experience.

Finally get to BlogHer.

Continue my philanthropic work by raising funds for the March for Babies and donating the written word via my role as a March of Dimes Mom.

Film a segment on giving more to relationships; a topic that I feel very passionate about.

Reflect on all things minimalist parenting (via my Shoestring Magazine column), such as parental purging strategies, six or less recipes, going back to school on a budget, and making the most of small spaces.

Share my passion for easy and yummy food, such as through recipes for granola, Korean mixed grill, pan seared tofu, banana bread/muffins, chocolate zucchini cake, apple crisp, and the best gingerbread people ever.

Interact with and learn from thoughtful and generous public figures such as Salma Hayek, Kimmie Meissner, Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, Suze Orman, Gary Hirshberg, and John Ondrasik.

Provide cool ideas for party inspiration, such as this outer space party, teddy bear tea party, and cooking party for kids.

Feature creative and beautiful ideas by my contributing writers; for example, vibrant last minute Easter egg dyes, clever custom window treatments, and this food explorer passport.

Celebrate Korean culture while offering ideas for teaching kids about other cultures.

Engage with amazing local small business owners and entrepreneurs via co-teaching Kirtsy/Microsoft Office Live's Hands on Small Business in Boston.

Share 15 fabulous guest posts through my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series. I admire the talents of these bloggers so much, and many of the concepts translate beyond the holidays, such as these ideas for everyday philanthropy and shooting gorgeous photos, and this primer on CSAs.

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It also was a remarkable and humbling year for press and accolades. I was grateful and honored to be featured in so many fine media outlets this year.