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Simple Family ~ Crazy Life

December 14, 2017

2017 Year-in-Review and Blog Plans for 2018

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2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018

Pinch me I am dreaming!

I cannot believe 2017 is almost over! It has been a year full of events. Some were happier than the others. It has been a year of a lot of learning, and my first year of blogging. Though this blog is not a year old yet, I think it is the right time to have the 2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018 update shared with you!

Year Review and What Went Well

I have been enjoying my little blog and being able to connect with you, my dear readers! Blogging has been a learning (LOTS of learning) process, and I just love it! As an Administrative Assistant with many years of experience, I thought it would be so easy!

Hahaha…

Though it was helpful to have some knowledge of the computer programs, managing a blog involves much more than just a “computer work”.

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018

I have “met” many other bloggers both new to blogging and those with years of experience. I must tell, the support and encouragement I have received from them were incredible!

Connecting with other bloggers is an amazing way to learn from them and to help each other! As a “guest blogger”, I had a chance to share my breastfeeding tips with OneSharpMama readers. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with a different audience and to share my experience with them!

We have been nominated and accepted the Sunshine Blogger Award. It was such an exciting moment!

Also, the Simple Family Crazy Life posts have been shared thousands of times on the social media, thank you all for sharing your love!

Gardening in Zone 8 Canada July Update and Planning for Fall Planting

Year Review and What Went Not So Well

Blogging might be an expensive hobby!

You pay for a hosting company, you pay for your domain, theme set-up, and may end up paying to your email marketing provider depending on the company of your choice and the number of subscribers.

   Web Hosting    MailerLite Email Marketing for Small Business

And you need to learn about blogging. All the learning and courses may cost you thousands of dollars! Luckily, I was able to get some of them for an introductory price or purchase them in a bundle for a very attractive price.

If you are thinking about starting a blog, you may want to check this course to help you out in the beginning. Abby was one of the reasons I started my blog. She is a wonderful person, an awesome blogger, and an encouraging teacher! I have been enjoying reading her blog for a few years now!

Blogging is a lot of hard work!

preparing walls for paint

You are your own boss, a marketing agent, a graphic designer, a copywriter, a photographer, and so much more!

Of course, you can hire all or some of the above if you can afford to pay for them. It was not a case for me. I must thank my wonderful (and patient) husband for helping with so many of these tasks! And for keeping our house sane when I thought I was losing it 🙂

Blogging is not a get-rich-fast scheme!

Yes, there are some bloggers who make thousands of dollars with their blogs. I cannot say I am one of them (yet) 🙂 I still love my little blog though!

And I love you! This is why I keep on going on! This is why we are changing a few things so you enjoy it. If we can help you with solving at least one of your problems, we can consider our mission accomplished!

And now to the fun part!

Blogging Plans for 2018

As my blog and the readers’ audience are growing, it is time be more responsive to what my readers are interested in and what they are looking for here 🙂

So, I have decided to re-organize and re-shape the blog.

As of now, I have 3 major topics that I have been sharing with you and they are Vegan Recipes, Garden and Home Projects.

As I will be celebrating my 3-year vegannniversary on January 3 (and it has been 3 amazing years!), I think it is absolutely appropriate for me to share my personal experience regarding the switch.

Unfortunately, I have been eating vegan for these 3 years but I have started to use the vegan skin care and make-up products this last year only.

Probably, the main reason for that was that I didn’t have enough knowledge on what is involved in these products production. I’ve heard about the animal testing. I had no idea how bad it was. I had no idea about the scale of the problem.

The second reason was financial. Now I know that even with vegan skin care and make-up products there are expensive and more affordable options.

This is why, instead of having the Vegan Recipes category, I will be creating a new one which will be called:

Vegan Lifestyle

 

I will still be sharing my vegan recipes with you aiming for 1 recipe post a week. But I will also be sharing vegan skin care and cruelty-free fashion brands with you. I will be carefully choosing the ones that have worked for me and only recommend the ones I truly believe in!

I am so excited about it!

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018 - Vegan Lifestyle Blog

I am so excited to be able to work with many awesome brands who care for the environment, care for the animals, and do a great job creating wonderful products for us!

Next, I will combine my Garden and Home Projects categories into one:

Home and Garden

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018 - Home and Garden Projects

It is amazing to see that some of our popular posts are actually falling into this category!

I have already shared a few of the home and garden projects with you. But we still have so much to show you!

Last April we have participated in the One Room Challenge by Calling it Home and renovated our bedroom. We are planning on so many other projects! There will be tons of DIY and gardening stories to share with you! So, stay tuned! 😉

And lastly, as I have mentioned above, there were also financial reasons I didn’t completely switch to vegan lifestyle. We have talked about the beginning of our journey to financial freedom. Therefore, it is pretty logical if we continue updating you on what we do to learn better family budget planning and management. So, here it is, a new blog category:

Frugal Living

My hubby and I are both working full-time. We don’t smoke or drink and have no other addictions. But we still were not able to save any money. We have been living paycheque to paycheque. We haven’t travelled long distance since we arrived in Canada. And it is time to change it. It is time to take our finances under OUR control!

Check this article to learn more about what we have done at the beginning of our journey.

We have already learned so much since then. And we will be happy to share our ideas and tips with you! It is still premature to say we have saved tons of money and life is different now.

It is not.

But it is not a week-time process. It is a long-term commitment.

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018 - Budget Planning and Money Management Tips

We will be updating you on our progress once a month. In addition, we will be sharing opportunities to save money like the resources bundles, product discounts, and apps to use to save the money or to get cash-back.

Have you heard of the Ebates? Or Checkout51? I have been using them and getting cash back on so many products! Please note if you use my referral link to Ebates to sign up, both you and I will earn even more cash! Don’t you like this friendship even better? 🙂

I have been working with a few brands to get some awesome deals for you and will be sharing them with you. My email subscribers will be the first to know about them. Do you want to be one of them?

Are you as thrilled as I am?

I am soooo excited!I am looking forward to hearing your opinion on all these! I believe these changes will make your experience reading our blog much better and will save you a lot of time and eventually the money.

Don’t be a stranger! Leave a comment below and let me know!

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018

2017 year-in-review and blogging plans for 2018

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Filed Under: Thinking Aloud

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Misty says

    December 21, 2017 at 7:17 AM

    Nat, I have loved following along with you this year and look forward to your changes with topics. One of my main topics is finance/frugal living, so excited we can collaborate more in that area. Love your blog and can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for you!

    Reply
    • Nat says

      December 21, 2017 at 2:04 PM

      Thank you Misty! I would be honoured to collaborate with you! Wishing you a successful 2018 as well!

      Reply

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One of the plants that I’ve wanted to have in my One of the plants that I’ve wanted to have in my garden for so many years!

It was growing in our neighbours yard in my home country. When I was a kid I loved seeing those white “snowballs” on that tree. 

Many years later, in one of the local nurseries, I noticed a tiny plant that looked so familiar, I was almost crying when I saw it 😊

Of course I got it!

It has only been in our garden for 3 years but it has grown into a beautiful plant which seems to be happy and shows off it’s gorgeous blooms!

#viburnum #snowballviburnum
Love this time of the year! The colours are bursti Love this time of the year! The colours are bursting in the garden.

Our clematis and viburnum look so beautiful together 😊

What are your winning plant combos in the garden?

#clematisflower #viburnumsnowball
Happy Monday! Spring has been so spring-y here. On Happy Monday! Spring has been so spring-y here. One it it pours rains with thunderstorms and the next day it’s hot and dry.

Some plants, like hosta, love it! They grow rapidly and show off 😁

We don’t mind it! Let them shine 😉

Honestly, I’m becoming obsessed with hosta! I wish I could add so many more of them into our small urban lot where we try to grow fruit and veggies and a few flowers 😊

They are also perfect plants to fill the shady spots. And because there are so many kinds, sizes and colours of them, you can create gorgeous garden spots with them!

Who else is obsessed with hostas or planning to add them in their gardens?

💚
I feel like I’m finally waking up from hibernati I feel like I’m finally waking up from hibernation 😂

Spring is around the corner and we are busy starting tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, along with a dozen of other veggies and flowers.

How is your gardening season prep going?
The second round of the everbearing strawberries i The second round of the everbearing strawberries is coming 😍 We’ve had a couple of very warm weeks and just a few rains, and the berries are bigger and sweeter now.

We grow a few kinds of strawberries in the garden, but still don’t get to make jam out of them, as we eat them all fresh 😊

Do you can your produce? What’s your favorite jam?

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#homegrownstrawberries #growberries #organicgarden #urbanbackyardgarden
IG has been pretty “interesting” lately. I not IG has been pretty “interesting” lately. I noticed that I was not following some people anymore though I know for sure I used to. Like family and friends...

I’m also usually very generous on Likes and always “return the favour” 😊 But noticed that the photos I for liked before, was not liked 🤨

Is it just me or you’ve experienced that too?

Btw, our lilies and daylilies have been growing so nicely this year! The blooms are gorgeous!

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#daylily #daylilies #spiderdaylily #flowergardens #organicgarden
It was a very rainy June and the first week of Jul It was a very rainy June and the first week of July but the warmer days are finally here!

We lost some tomato plants to blight as it was too wet for them. But the rest of them have finally picked up and are happily producing now!

Someone is going to have a beautiful salad tonight 😁

How has this gardening season been for you so far?

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#tomatoesharvest #todaysharvest #homegrowntomatoes
Make your table bright! Herbs and edible flowers m Make your table bright! Herbs and edible flowers made into a rainbow bouquet 😁

Would you place it on your table?

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When rain and winds knock your peonies down, they When rain and winds knock your peonies down, they go home and brighten it up😊

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Do you cut the flowers you grow or prefer watching them growing happy in the garden? 😁 . .

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Happy Tuesday! Have you checked the Gardening and Happy Tuesday! Have you checked the Gardening and Sustainable Living bundle yet?

If you haven’t, what are you waiting for 😉

Get a collection of the courses, ebooks and guides on garden planning, homesteading and food preservation worth of over $500 for $20 only!

Learn how to grow edible mushrooms or how to ferment your vegetables, and so much more!

Check what’s included in the bundle (and did I mentioned early bird bonuses) clicking on the link in bio 😊

#gardeningisnotcancelled #gardeninglove 
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Our plants love this time of the year! It’s gett Our plants love this time of the year! It’s getting warmer and warmer every day with occasional showers which are warm and refreshing.

We love walking around the garden and noticing new growth and blooms 😊

If you are just starting your gardening journey or want to learn more ways to garden, you might be interested in The Gardening and Sustainable Living Product bundle which is available now!

That’s a huge collection of gardening and harvest preservation ebooks and courses!

Interested to learn more? Check the link in the bio to find out 😉 . .

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Are you attracted to chartreuse plants as much as Are you attracted to chartreuse plants as much as I am? Honestly, they are like magnet to my eyes and I have to stop and enjoy their bright colour!

We got this euphorbia as a tiny plant 2 years ago from our gardening friend @val_171268 and it since then has grown into a stunning plant with the huge balls of chartreuse flowers!

Can you see a tiny ladybug larvae on one of them?

Btw, whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, you will enjoy this free class on 8 Mistakes Gardeners Make and How to Fix Them offered this Friday. The link is in the bio.

Happy Wednesday! . .

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Do you mix herbs, flowers and veggies in your garden? . .

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