2020 Year Review

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Nix like waiting until last infinitesimal to recap my twelvemonth! For any reason I seem to put together a massive yr-end to do listing every year on the final day of the year. This is my 2022 Year Review. Information technology'due south been a tradition for me for many years at present to write a twelvemonth end recap on the blog.

Ah, where to begin? It'south been a year I would describe as… something that I truly could never take imagined. I've used the words crazy, baroque, foreign and many other synonyms, ofttimes this yr, as I've read the news headlines, chatted with family and friends, and lived through this global pandemic.

2020 Year Review

More Most My Year

New year's day's Eve likewise feels foreign to me this twelvemonth. I call back many can chronicle. We have a bit of cautious optimism for the coming yr. We also know that many things we are experiencing today, on the last day of the year 2020, we will go on to experience tomorrow and in the coming days.

Of form I don't want my recap to be a complete downer. There's been a lot of skilful this year, but I also want to accurately recap what this year has been. There were so many things we didn't participate in or celebrate such equally running 5K races, attending parades and seeing Quaternary of July fireworks. I did not shop at garage sales or rummage sales.

Instead we spent a lot of fourth dimension at home. I was home gardening and canning foods. I was cooking and baking. We bought and replaced some items around the home only didn't do much work with contractors. Nosotros were thankful to already have a home office and internet services prior to March 2020.

Related blog posts:
• Energy Savings Tips for Your Home
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• Basic Life Skills Everyone Needs to Have

Blog Updates

On the blog forepart, information technology was certainly an ebb and menses too. I had peaks and valleys with my work, sometimes busy, sometimes on the verge of normal. Other times little piece of work was accomplished equally demands at dwelling house took precedence during the pandemic.

This year was my 10th year blogging. In 2020, despite what seemed like challenges at the time, I published a whopping 85 blog posts. Of those posts, ten were brand new. My focus chop-chop became condensing and improving content, rather than rapid expansion. I have now reduced my blog down to approximately 200 posts.

I am nonetheless running my last numbers simply my web log traffic and income did surpass that of 2019. This places me on a four-twelvemonth trajectory now of twelvemonth-over-twelvemonth comeback. I also broke many of my all time single-month records in April 2022 for page views, users, etc. every bit traffic exploded due to the pandemic's influence on home baking and my pop sourdough starter postal service.

Pinterest traffic, which had been extremely high for me, dropped in 2022 after algorithm changes and a push by the platform to favor vendors over creators. I fabricated up for this with a lot of SEO work. I experience like I vicious behind in many aspects during the pandemic and am now trying to catch up with the latest social media trends. Instagram Reels anyone?

At the outset of the year I had signed up again to nourish Bloggy Conference in Sandusky, Ohio. As the year progressed information technology became apparently that pretty much all in-person conferences would be canceled, including this ane. Nevertheless, I was able to continue to encounter with my web log accountability partner as nosotros were already doing that on a virtual basis.

Now let'southward motility onto my month by month recap…

2020 Year Review

January

The yr started out on a high note! I published some other post for my work as a Huntington Banking concern ambassador, the one virtually What to Spend Money On. Too on the blog front, I had my first live TV appearance, on New Day Cleveland, where I promoted my blog and offered Energy Savings Tips for Your Home.

On the dwelling house front, nosotros started the year off sledding on January i afterward a big snow, and our daughter took indoor swim lessons that calendar month. The Imagination Library expanded to almost all of Ohio and then we were able to sign up for FREE monthly books for our daughter which came in especially helpful during the remainder of the yr!

We had some extra insulation installed in our dwelling which forced usa to clean out a lot of attic and storage spaces. I began reading and implementing The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

February

This month we attended The Great Big Home + Garden Show which is always a fun time and one of my winter "gardening" highlights. I also attended a blogger tea political party which was really relaxing. We traveled to Toledo, Ohio for a funeral following the death of my final grandparent. This was difficult, simply now, in retrospect, I am thankful to have seen family in February.

I likewise attended a Cleveland Artistic Planners meet up and de-stash issue. February seemed and so busy and social at present looking dorsum on it. I shared Cleveland Home and Garden Show Information and I also updated my popular post most Milk Jug Greenhouses to Start a Garden Early.

2020 Yr Review

March

Well this is when things started to get strange really quickly! I attended a parent-teacher conference at our girl'due south school on March 12. I also went grocery shopping and the store was packed. I then arrived home to hear the announcement that our governor decided schools would exist shutting down statewide the side by side calendar week due to COVID-19.

The next evening on March 13 I went out with a friend and we felt incredibly bad-mannered about the pandemic. Masks were not fifty-fifty talked about nevertheless at this bespeak, but I recall beingness paranoid that the virus could be at the winery we met at. Fiddling did I know that would exist the last fourth dimension I would see a friend in person for months.

Our land went under a Stay at Home society on March 16. I became a homeschooling mom and learned how to use Zoom. My husband'due south role was shut down and he began working from home full-time. Thankfully we already had an function for my business, simply the struggle to share it, while both working, would continue for many months.

Our church airtight to in person services. My Chief Gardener volunteer group canceled all in person meetings and events. All of my and our daughter's routine medical appointments were, ane by one, canceled. No haircuts, no dental cleanings.

I did proceed with my allergy shot treatments as they had been deemed essential during the shutdown. I remember going in for my appointments at a nearly-empty medical building with only about ten vehicles in a normally packed parking lot. I started video chats with friends, we cooked and broiled a lot.

Our girl and I walked the neighborhood looking for shamrocks. I published ii posts that would be relevant during the pandemic, Gardening in Wintertime What to Do and When and What to Do at Domicile? Stay Busy, Fight Colorlessness.

Apr

This month the Stay at Abode society continued. We celebrated Easter at home. I officially switched to grocery shopping one time every 2 weeks. We tried to take daily walks outdoors to heave our moods. We walked the neighborhood looking for Easter bunnies (see a theme here?).

Poor Lulu was set to meet the domestic dog groomer in early April and her engagement was canceled the night before due to the pandemic! This led to several months of at dwelling house grooming sessions. Curbside pickup and drive ups became all the rage. I wrote nearly Canning Supplies Needed for Home Canning and Basic Life Skills Everyone Needs to Accept.

May

In our country the Stay at Domicile society was lifted and businesses began reopening one past one starting around mid-May. However, nosotros remained cautious as a family. Nosotros celebrated Mother's Day and Memorial Mean solar day as a family unit. Homeschooling ended with the end of the school twelvemonth in May.

My garden started growing similar crazy which was the beginning of my busiest and most productive gardening twelvemonth ever. Our daughter learned to ride a cycle! I transitioned to working on my web log while sitting in the afternoon warmth of our front porch. We went golfing over my birthday weekend.

And on a more challenging note, my husband was laid off from his job on my birthday. Boy what a yr. I shared Best Shopping Apps for Saving Money and Poshmark Coupon to Salve Money on Poshmark.

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2020 Year Review

June

Openings continued: the gym, the metropolis puddle, playgrounds(!!!) and hair salons. We were able to continue some normal outdoor activities such every bit going strawberry picking. I canned strawberry jam and rhubarb jam. Our daughter had a preschool graduation bulldoze through parade. We realized it would be a summer of no summer campsite.

Nosotros celebrated Begetter'southward Day and I saw a friend outdoors this month. I also discovered and began attention outdoor yoga classes, these classes continued until the stop of September and were a saving grace as I did non experience comfortable returning to indoor classes during a global pandemic.

Without summer camp or other normal distractions we spent a lot of mornings in the garden. Evenings were spent taking a family unit bicycle/walk after dinner. I updated a few older, yet popular posts Natural Makeup Remover Like shooting fish in a barrel Two Ingredients and How Authentic are GPS Watches for Running?

July

This calendar month I ventured to the pool by myself. Give thanks goodness for the beach chair I already owned equally they wouldn't allow anyone to utilize their chairs and stores were apace selling out of beach and outdoor equipment. We went golfing again, as this became the summertime of golf for us!

We used the kiddie pool in the backyard a lot. Our neighbors all bought those jumbo pools – we were surrounded! Nosotros also played in the sprinkler. In the middle of July, we received the good news that my husband was asked to return to work at his quondam employer in a different role. We were so thankful for this.

I was ill at the end of July, monitoring my symptoms, which thankfully then subsided rather quickly. I think anybody was monitoring every sniffle or cough this twelvemonth. I canned peach jam and we enjoyed eating fresh peaches from The Peach Truck. I wrote all about them The Peach Truck Review Fresh Georgia Peaches.

On the last mean solar day of July, I scored a Weber Q1200 Grill on markdown at one of my favorite stores. Learning how to grill and "burn down up the barbie" became a major cause for excitement here over the remaining weeks of summertime and into early fall!

August

The gardening continued and I planted my "2d garden" which was a fall garden. I harvested so many tomatoes. I had a daily tally and was picking more than than three dozen every week! I learned how to tin tomato sauce and fresh salsa. I likewise scrambled to discover more canning lids and rings as we experienced a run on canning supplies.

Nosotros continued to go golfing and visited a new driving range. I discovered a local Hispanic grocery, La Plaza Supermarket, and became obsessed with grilling plantains. This food was reminiscent of our trips to Key West, Florida.

I finally determined chlorinated water felt "safe" and took our girl pond at the city pool. I updated a few older posts such as Garden in August How and What to Plant and Hardneck Garlic Plant and Growing Tips.

2020 Year Review

September

We celebrated our ceremony by dining exterior and sitting in our new pandemic camping ground chairs. Our church, all the same virtual for us, started some curbside kids options then we took part in that. I besides made it to the pool solo one more time. Our girl started Pre-Kindergarten, in person, which we've been and so thankful for.

Life started to feel "normal" once more, but I utilize that discussion cautiously. I realized my time continues to be spent differently that information technology was pre-pandemic. Shopping for groceries alone, stores continuing to offer foreign and limited hours of operation, cooking a lot at abode, etc. I tried to return to my previous schedule from February and information technology'due south simply non attainable correct now.

We golfed some more and went to the driving range again. One of our neighbors gave our daughter some children'southward golf clubs and we also bought her some so she was able to begin practicing on her own! We went to Miller's Apple tree Hill in Amherst, Ohio to selection apples, which nosotros ate, baked and canned with.

My outdoor yoga classes ended with the starting time of fall. I updated posts about Salve Money Apple Picking With These Tips and Pros and Cons of Adopting a Rescue Dog.

October

We tried to do the "pandemic vacation thing" and schedule a secluded motel camping ground trip which turned into utter failure when we all got sick the day earlier with head colds and felt terrible. The trip was canceled, but not before I had purchased all the camping food. We ended upwardly grilling hot dogs in the metropark and enjoying s'mores in the toaster oven.

Nosotros celebrated our daughter's 5th altogether at dwelling and tried to make the day as special for her as possible. We took socially distanced family photos in a rain storm. We golfed some more, and nosotros visited Pickering Hill Farms in Avon, Ohio for the starting time time to select pumpkins.

We checked out a cute Boo Thru Drive Through event at Carlisle Reservation in LaGrange, Ohio. We attended a small outdoor Torso or Treat issue at our daughter'due south schoolhouse which was immediately rained out with a downpour and marble size hail! Seriously, what a baroque year?!

We celebrated Halloween at home and I also signed u.s.a. up in mid-October for a CSA through Murray Hill Farm. I updated posts well-nigh Get Rid of Rabbits in the Garden and Yard and Dog Ate Bread Dough? Here's What to Do.

Nov

Nosotros had our first dusting of snow on Nov i. So we had a warm spell! I met upwardly with a friend outdoors during that time. It would exist our last time seeing each other in person going into a pandemic winter. That aforementioned warm weekend we too golfed once again, too our final time for 2020!

Election Day came and I waited in line more than ii hours to vote, which was absolutely unheard of for our polling location and the eight years I've been voting in this precinct. Lulu had her birthday and turned ten years old! She likewise had her annual vet appointment which I "attended" pandemic way in the parking lot.

I signed up for an on demand yoga subscription for winter workouts. We celebrated Thanksgiving at home and walked the neighborhood looking for turkeys. I spent more time cooking and blistering with our robust CSA share. I organized recipes. I picked the last of my carrots and kale and said adieu to my 2022 garden.

I fabricated a betoken to re-get-go daily walks to lift spirits and gain some Vitamin D. I also ordered new walking shoes, having worn out the ones I purchased in March! I wrote 2 new posts My Yoga Journeying: A Look Back and Black Fri Cyber Monday Deals.

Dec

On December 1, we had a snow twenty-four hour period and no school. We received at least a foot of snow! This month we likewise attended the Bulldoze Through Christmas Lights at Carlisle Reservation in LaGrange, Ohio. Nosotros baked at home and we attended a virtual Christmas Cookie Baking Party.

We took many Christmas walks effectually the neighborhood with glow sticks at night. We likewise checked out the Magic of Lights in Berea, Ohio and a local Live Bulldoze In Nascence. The highlight was seeing a alive camel! School finished in person, and winter intermission began.

Mama got some new eyeglasses and we eagerly awaited for packages and postal service during wild USPS shipping delays (which keep as of this writing!). We celebrated Christmas Twenty-four hours at domicile, ate lots of dwelling cooked food and tried to find additional trivial ways to celebrate and savor each mean solar day. We also received our 2nd large snow of 2020, about x inches, on Christmas Day. I wrote most Homemade Pecan Pie.

2020 Yr Review

In Summary

Wow. What a twelvemonth that was my 2022 Year Review! It's crazy how just writing upwardly this epitomize I realized how much happened during a yr that often felt and then slow and dull. I learned to grill. We we able to savor golfing over again. I became an outdoor yogi. I had the most arable garden I've ever planted and canned and then much nutrient I filled an entire wall in my canning closet.

In that location was and then much that was done without, or inverse, or different, in 2020, but really there's a lot to be thankful for and to appreciate every bit I look dorsum on information technology. Every bit nosotros "charily welcome" 2021, I want to wish you a Happy New Year and thanks for reading my blog! To run into more personal photos from me, follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Other Year in Review Posts:

• 2019 Twelvemonth Review
• 2018 Twelvemonth Review
• 2017 Twelvemonth Review
• 2016 Twelvemonth Review
• 2012 by the Miles
• 2011 by the Miles
• 2010 past the Miles

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Source: https://blog.hollyhammersmith.com/2020-year-review/

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