Year in Review
January 4, 2010
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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.
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!