Happy Birthday little blog! Time has passed so slowly and so quickly at the same time over the past year. In the life of a go-get-it type of person, patience is sometimes rare, and I have had my moments of wanting to give up this past year. I can’t thank YOU, yes you reading right now, enough for any and every time you stopped by this website over the year. Thank you! There’s a giveaway at the end of this big ol’ post to thank you a little more! 🙂
Lessons learned:
Photos are important. If you look back at some of my old posts, even a couple months ago, the photos are tiny and AWFUL. I am pretty proud of the improvement in my photos, even if a lot of times it is just because of chance and fiddling with the camera settings!
Every blog has its own voice. I don’t need to try to write like or live like or eat like anyone else. The more a blogger realizes this, the more he or she shines, and seriously, the more fun blogging becomes. It is a hobby for most of us, after all, though I would certainly take a blogging job!
Likewise, feeling jealous or competitive in the blog world is frustrating and pointless. It saps your own energy and takes away your voice a little bit. It may at times be hard to feel as though you are working hard at what you do and seeing other people get opportunities you would love to have, but it is all about patience, consistency and content. Keep readers coming back by writing what you love.
Community is key. I have had so many great opportunities to meet and get to know other bloggers. Events such as the Healthy Living Summit, the Foodbuzz Festival, the Healthworks Blogger Bash, the Austrian Wine Tasting, lunch with the Stonyfield CE-Yo or just running get togethers have really given me the opportunity to network, make new friends, share frustrations, and find great new blogs. It’s actually pretty crazy how many bloggers I have met in real life! I also have loved having the opportunity to “meet” bloggers through my Friday Foodie Feature. . . and I need Foodies to feature for upcoming Fridays! Please email me if you would like to be featured!
Over the past year, I have also observed lots of blogger trends. As I kind of jump back and forth between being a healthy living blogger,a foodie blogger, and a wine blogger, I have to say that the most trends came from the healthy living world. On one hand, it’s great to learn about so many new foods/exercises, but on the other, it’s kind of interesting to see how much “jumping on the bandwagon” there is. And I am totally guilty of doing it too! As long as it’s a healthy bandwagon, I say get on board.
Trends I have adopted:
- Green smoothies – all the way! I swear by these and their contribution to my overall health,energy levels, hair, skin and nails. I am drinking one right now: kale, blueberries, almond milk, banana, ginger, maca powder
- Amazing Grass: I was a convert after my first taste. I KNOW that no matter how hard I try, I am missing things in my diet. Trader Joe’s Super Red Drink Powder is a very close second to Amazing Grass now in my diet.
- Almond butter: I prefer to it peanut butter, but I think I have overdosed on this delicious stuff.
- More natural, organic food. I did this before, but the year of blogging and lots of blog reading has REALLY got me looking at where my food comes from. Everybody wins!
Trends I never really got:
- Smoothie in a Bowl (SIAB) and Oats in a Jar (OIAJ): never really saw the excitement of either!
- Jillian Michaels: I just can’t watch her videos, I just can’t.
What trends have you adopted from the blogging world, and what trends have you bypassed? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!
And now for the giveaway! I have worked with so many great companies over the year that have generously allowed me to do giveaways: Honest Tea, Good Health Natural Products, Blue Diamond, The Olive Press, Cabot, Equal Exchange, and Olivia’s Organics to name a few.
This one is from me to you: one lucky reader will win wine and cheese, a $25 gift card to wine.com and a $25 gift card to Cabot. It will, as always, be a random drawing which will take place this Saturday, June 5.
To enter:
1) Leave a comment on your favorite and/or least favorite blog trend!
2) If you have a blog link back to this giveaway.
3) If you are on Twitter or Facebook, give it a shout out.
Good luck, and thanks again for reading!
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Happy blogiversary!!! 😀
Favorite blog trend = recipe adaptations.
Least favorite = competition and criticism.
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Happy Birthday Bloggy! 🙂 Look how big you’ve grown!
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Happy blog birthday!!!!!
Least favourite blog trend – competition.
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Happy One Year! The one trend that I’m thankful for – is not being shy about putting new things in my oatmeal (especially almond/peanut butter)! Before I ate oats once in a while and added cinnamon and maybe a banana but now it’s like a new adventure every week 🙂
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Congrats!! Isn’t it so exciting?!?! It’s so weird bc I can’t even imagine my life without a blog now and it hasn’t been THAT long. Here’s to many more blog-iversaries 🙂
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Happy Birthday! Congrats on one year of successful blogging.
Trend I Adapted: GREEN MONSTERS ALL THE WAY
Trends I never really got: I’m with you on the OIAJ. I never got into the almond or any other nut butters trend. I bet i’d like em but the prices keep me sticking to normal PB! -
Happy Bloggiversary!
I have fallen in love with a variety of nut butters — almond, sunflower seed, cashew — although PB always has a special place in my heart. -
My fave trend is more recipes with step by step photos!
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Happy birthday to your blog! Very exciting! And congrats on making it through the first year. This is a fantastic giveaway, too. You rock!
As for blog trends, my LEAST favorite has to be using the word “nom” to signifiy eating. It just gets to me! My favorite has to be fun Trader Joe’s finds. 🙂
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Happy Bday! I really like the push toward local ingredients, its helpful since I live in Mass and can seek out local businesses!
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Great blog, I think the best trend has been seeing how versatile oatmeal is, which is great since it’s also SO cheap!
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Congrats on 1 year!!!
Trends I’ve adopted: all kinds of oatmeal toppings/recipes, including OIAJ!
Trends I’ve bypassed: Jillian Michaels 🙂
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Happy Blog Birthday! We learn a lot and it’s a whole lot of fun. Gotta love food blogging!
Best wishes for continued success.
LL -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG! 🙂
i hear ya on the trends I never understood! I have one of JM’s workouts and shes insane. I only turn to her when i need some serious burn. I guess the main trend I never really understood is this oatmeal thing….i really tried it out for a LONG time but I just cant get excited about eating it every single day! It doesnt keep me full either so I rarely eat oatmeal now.
one thing that i have learned from blogging is to pay more attention to what im stuffing my face with…ingredients, organic, etc…all matters
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Yay – a whole year of blogging. How exciting!
I actually love all these trends (incl. SIAB and Jillian) except of Amazing Grass. I like the idea of it but not the taste.
Favorite trend – almond butter, if you can call it a trend. I definitely prefer it to pb. Green monsters are a close second. 😀 -
I really like seeing the different food finds, it encourages me to look for new products in my own market
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Happy Blogiversary and thanks for the blogging tips!
I never got into Amazing Grass (too expensive) or OIAJ (too crusty and messy..plus, germs from others eating out of the jar). I love blogs for the recipes and motivation. -
Happy 1YR… Very exciting:) Have not really gotten in to the trends, but we are only a couple of months old, so I guess there is time:)
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Fave trend is SIAB, they are my go to breakfast for summer, least fave trend is definitely the word ’twas–who uses that anyways??? But overall blogs are a great way to get info and share ideas, congrats on your big bday!
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So exiting…happy blog bday! 🙂 The trend that has made a lasting impression on me would be the green monster smoothies. yum yum. Least favorite would prob. be almond butter…pb girl all the way. Thanks!
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tweeting complete. thanks for the blogging tips too meghan! such a great reminder.
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Happy anniversary! My favorite blogging trend is the focus on seasonal and local ingredients. Not only does this trend lend itself to better tasting food, but it is a step in the right direction to treating our Earth with more respect.
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Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary. Best wishes for you and hope that you have many more such anniversaries.
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Happy Anniversary!
Most Favorite: Stating where our products we use or review come from. I know, I know, government regs now but I do think it helps make reviews more honest.
Least Favorite: Uncredited studies. Using research that others have done without even a link is just a huge no-no for me. Probably not a “trend” really but one thing that sticks out and annoys me greatly. I try very hard to give credit.
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Happy happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here’s to another year. I think I’ll have to agree with the Chocolate Priestess – it’s everyone being more AWARE of what we put in our mouths!
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Happy blogiversary to you! How sweet it all is. Blog trends? Don’t really do trends in any portion of my life. If anything, I’ve gone retro and seek the past in my cooking.
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happy blog birthday! you just made me realize it must be over a year for me too (I started may 2009)
my least favorite blog/everywhere craze is kale chips! yes they are healthy but lets not play like they are that delicious! to me they are nice but i rather snack on a cucumber or carrot or something that has actual taste and substance
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Happy BlogBirthday! 🙂 yay!
Hmm.. I’m quite new in the blog world so I don’t think I have adapted anything yet (please correct me if I’m wrong!) but there are many things I have bypassed: overnight oats, oats in a jar, anything to do with oats – it’s not my thing at all 😀
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Happy Bloggie Birthday!
It’s hard to stay out of trends, but hey! if you like them, go for it! I’m with you though.. SIAB and OIAJ? they taste the same…
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I hope this doesn’t disqualify me, but I really dislike amazing grass…i thought it tasted horrible and really felt like I was supposed to love it. but I don’t. Also don’t get the SIAB
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Happy Bday! Love the oatmeal toppings, totally agree with other bloggers, its so awesome coz its healthy and cheap and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket 🙂
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Happy BlogB-day!!!!
Favorite: step by step photo’s
Least Favorite: negative criticism
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Happy Blogiversary!
I love that your blog is a mix of all of the things you mentioned (food, fitness, wine, travel) which makes it one of my favorites to read by far.
I love OIAJ – but it’s mostly a love of never wasting peanut butter.
On the other hand, I’ve not found a good reason to eat Overnight Oats aka cold oatmeal.
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I never got the oats in a jar thing either. I think blogging and reading other people’s blogs has really helped me improve my writing. I keep trying to find an exact focus for my blog, but I bounce around a little too.
I love that blogging enables me to meet other food-obsessed bloggers like me!
Happy blogiversary!
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Happy Happy Birthday to your Bloggy 🙂
I totally missed my 1 year, and realized a week later…oh well :/
I tried the oats in a jar once…but didn’t really care for it as much as others do…but I LOVE finding out about new products, recipes, and seeing that others are as obsessed with healthy eats as I am!!
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Happy blogiversary!!!
I am so proud of you!!
XOXO -
Happy Birthday to your awesome blog! It has been such a joy to read it this year and I look forward to what is yet to come! Keep up the great work! XOXO
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Happy happy Blog Birthday! :o)
I’m glad we’ve become blog friends and fellow wine drinkers!
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Happy first anniversary! I think my favorite recent food trend is sous vide cooking… sooo cool. 🙂
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Happy blog-day to you… Happy blog-day to you!!!
And many more 🙂
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Congrats on your first year of blogging!!! It was great meeting you in person recently at the Stonyfield event. The idea of a green smoothie sounds enticing, especially if you really think it has given you more energy! I’m tired all the time (though it could be because I stay up late blogging!)
As for trends, I have been currently getting into home makeshift sous-vide methods. I’ve also gotten into cooking local, seasonal vegetables from farmers markets!
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It was great meeting you last night!! Happy Blog B-day 🙂
I did try the Oats in a Jar…I love it! I don’t do it as often as some people but its fun for a change. I also don’t think I would of ever started with the green smoothies if it weren’t for the blogland! Probably the same goes for my purchase of Chia seeds haha!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! That is so exciting 🙂
I do love OIAJ but I always end up adding stuff to it. As in, more PB. And I like Jillian but thats because I only had her videos to get me through peace corps.
I don’t like comments like, “I had the burger, but of COURSE i hollowed out the inside of the bun to save calories!” and “OMG, I ate SO much at the buffet!” at the plate has more white space then actual food… etc. I hate that.
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Oooh yeah. . . hollowing out the bun is wasting! I know it works for lots of people though. Give me bread!
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Happy blog birthday!!! We’ll have to celebrate soon! 🙂
My favorite blog trend is also green smoothies! They don’t typically fill me up, but they’re so good for you. Plus, they just taste good!
As for OIAJ, I HIGHLY recommend overnight oats in a jar. You just throw all of the ingredients in the jar, screw on the top, put in fridge, and your breakfast is already made for you in the morning. It’s pretty sweet.
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I think my main thing about OIAJ is that it takes me awhile to get through a jar of peanut butter, and by that point the jar is kind of icky, and I don’t want to look at it, much less eat from it! 🙂
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Hey Girl! Congrats on the big 1 year! I totally jumped on the green monster bandwagon. I need to get going on that again! Thanks for the wine giveaway!
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I stopped the green monsters for awhile too, but now that kale and spinach are readily available at the farmer’s markets, I am hooked again!
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Happy Blog-iversary!!!!
I agree with you on the competitive-ness as being a blogger failure. It’s funny-I was speaking the other day with fellow blogger The_SBK about how strange it is when we are competitive since professionals in the food world (Chefs, cooks etc) are often helping each other out and doing what they can to assist when a fellow chef is in need. Long story short- I agree 🙂
My favorite blogger trend? The sharing of ideas and thoughts. Every experience is a learning one-and we can all get so much out of each others successes and failures!
Happy Blog-iversary again!
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Happy Blogiversary!!
My favorite (food) blog trend is almond milk.. life changing 🙂
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That’s a good one!I love it too!
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Happy Blog Birthday!! 🙂
Favorite trend – fabulously creative vegetarian
Least favorite – competitiveness is dreadful and disheartening – but how I love those kind bloggers 🙂 -
Congrats on your one year mark! Big accomplishment.
My least favorite trend is the “us v. them” mentality that some print writers and bloggers have. It’s not print v. bloggers. We can live together in the same world. But some people don’t get that, I guess.
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