December Rewind 2016 + Year End Thoughts

Recapping December 2016! Plus some year end thoughts.

And just like that 2016 is over. I know it is kind of cliché to say, but this year really did fly by. November was our month of relaxing and then December was full of all kinds of different things. The holiday season quickly approached and before I knew it, Christmas was here and gone. My family visited for the holidays and it was so nice to not have to travel. Their time here was full of lots of eating, relaxing, laughter, and some chaos, but what would family time be without that? December was so fun, but I am ready for the new year and back to my routine. Let’s get into the happenings!

Creations

1. Gingerbread Chia Pudding // 2. Chocolate Covered Peppermint Macaroons // 3. Roasted Red Pepper & Squash Soup // 4. Ginger & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates // 5. Pomegranate Peppermint Coconut Bark // 6. Rosemary Roasted Radishes // 7. No Bake Peanut Butter Caramel Popcorn Balls // 8. Pomegranate Guacamole // 9. Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cups

Fitness

1. Weekly Workouts Recap Week 1 // 2. Weekly Workouts Recap Week 2 + the Importance of Rest Days // 3. Weekly Workouts Recap Week 3 // 4. Weekly Workouts Recap Week 4

Ramblings

My First Marathon [San Antonio 3:33] + Your Body is Capable of So Much More

Doing Things

December 1 & 2 started off with me attending a workshop with Lacey and her team from A Sweet Pea Chef to learn how to make food videos. The workshop was amazing and I learned so much. I can officially say I know how to make a food video now, and this is coming from someone who had never used the video function on her camera before. Be on the lookout for some easy videos starting in 2017! Also, when food bloggers host events, you know there is going to be bomb food!

That weekend I traveled to San Antonio with my two good girl friends and ran my first marathon!!! Holy shit is still what goes through my head when thinking about it. The whole recap can be found here. It truly was an amazing experience.

The next weekend we decorated Christmas cookies with a few friends and Michael and I finally went on a long overdue date night.

We also got to try out Aviator Pizza and it was amazing! The crust is my favorite part of pizza and their’s hit the spot. If you haven’t tried honey on pizza it is a game changer!

The following weekend we had our CrossFit City Limits party where we ran to a few local bars for some drinks and then ended up back at the gym for some more drinking. It was a lot of fun to hang out with a bunch of the members you don’t normally see outside the gym. Then the next night we did a downtown ugly Christmas sweater bar crawl with some friends. That was the most I have drank in a long time, but it was so much fun!

Then my family got here and we ate just about everything. They rented the cutest Air BnB to stay in and we celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas there. We did the traditional 7 fishes on Christmas Eve and did a beef tenderloin on Christmas. We also did the Trail of Lights, did some shopping, watched the Temple football game, played games, and just relaxed. It was so nice to see them and I miss them already!

We stink at taking family pics, so here is one of my sister and me making the veggies on Christmas!

Michael’s sister is here now and will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with us!

What I am loving

Throughout the whole month we slowly went through our things and donated a bunch of things we didn’t need. I am reading (very slowly) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and definitely want to start really implementing those tactics in my home. I just feel so much better when things are tidy and neat.

I’ve been making some pretty epic toasts and have been digging it. I would never of imagined buying bread a few years ago, but I am really trying to get out of that mindset. If that is what I want, then just eat it. Life goes on and there is no need to stress about food!

Having my family around was really nice. We get on each other nerves and don’t always agree, but it feels so good to have them close. I really hope they consider moving to Austin for retirement, hint hint mom and dad 🙂

End of the year thoughts

We don’t always realize it until we look back, but this year was full of so much fun. We went to our first KU basketball game, won the Horrible Hundred with my friend, I completed my first triathlon, we traveled back home for my sister’s graduation, went on vacation with Michael’s family, had a few weddings, and I ran my first marathon. There was definitely ups and downs, but that happens every year.

I thought 2016 was going to “my year” per say. I really wanted to grow my blog and start making an income off of it. I know that some people might not like the idea of that, but blogging is so much harder than it looks. It takes so much time, money, and sanity. Behind every recipe/post is hours of buying groceries, recipe testing, photographing, writing posts, promoting on social media, and what not. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started blogging, but I wouldn’t change it. A lot of the days it doesn’t feel like work since I love doing it so much. ETG definitely grew, but not even close to the potential it has.

I am so excited for 2017 and to see where I can take it. I am starting some new things that I am super excited about it. Some doors were closed this past year but I am so ready to open new ones. I am ready to put in the hard work and really create the life that I want to live.

On a closing note, I just want to say how thankful I am for every one of you that has read a post, made a recipe, gave me an encouraging note, and helped me along the way. Blogging can get lonely and tough, but it is so worth it when someone makes one of your recipes and loves it. Also, reaching out to other bloggers is one of the best things you can do. I want to inspire people that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring and working out can be fun. Life is about balance and sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I am still working on these things, but with a little help from each other, we can all grow and learn together.