It’s hard to believe that another year has passed…. It’s even harder to believe how much 2018 fundamentally changed me.
In 2017, my family and I went through some significant life-changes. Both my dad and mother-in-law passed away within a month of each other. Then, I job I loved was being dissolved and I made the decision to leave the company rather than take another post internally. It was a leap of faith and quite frankly, I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for it.
If 2017 was a year of change, 2018 was a year of transition. As I look back on each month, I realize that I became much more confident in my skills, who I am as an individual, and the positive role family and friends have on my life. Let’s have a look….
JANUARY 2018
Finally launched this website as an extension of @myhouseofzing. Since I was teaching Introduction to Social and Digital Media – a course intended to help Corporate Communication students learn the fundamentals of using social media for work and personal branding by launching their own websites – it made sense for me to join them on their journey. Having actually gone through the process of setting goals and project planning, I found that this blog launch was different than others in the past because I’ve stuck with it!
FEBRUARY 2018
Ran my very first brand collaboration with @JordWatches. In my previous career, I often worked with social media influencers and bloggers so it was interesting to be on the other side of the fence. It was an amazing experience with an awesome brand.
MARCH 2018
This is my birthday month, so always a time of introspection and reflection. It was the first time in my adult life that I didn’t have a full-time job and was struggling with my own confidence and how I fit in to our new family dynamic. It was also the first time I actually had time to think about these things! What I realized was that I liked where I was… being more available for my husband and my kids, writing more, stressing less and having more time to spend with my family and friends. I realized I was in a happy place 🙂
APRIL 2018
I was told that I was being given the opportunity to teach THREE courses during the summer semester! I had been teaching for a few months by this point and I was quickly realizing that I absolutely loved it. Still, I was somewhat nervous since I’d never taught any of those new courses so I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me!
MAY 2018
San Francisco trip with my wonderful husband!! It took some finagling to make arrangements for the kids and dog but it was great to have that time away, exploring a new city and touring wine country. We ate way too much, walked more than I thought possible, and laughed the whole time.
JUNE 2018
I was accepted into the LikeToKnowIT program and finally launched my page. But, it didn’t last for me. While I do think it’s a great platform, it was problematic to link Canadian brands. It was somewhat frustrating until I reminded myself that this journey wasn’t about monetization, that was never part of my goals. It was a great learning experience but just not right for me at the time.
JULY 2018
The first Linda Pretotto Memorial Ladies Doubles Tournament awards were presented in my mother-in-law’s honour, who was an avid tennis player and prominent member of the Richmond Hill Lawn Tennis Club. It was a wonderful memorial and we were lucky to have Daniel Nestor come to present the awards. Linda would have loved this.
AUGUST 2018
The last month of summer was filled with family events! We had two weddings and who doesn’t love a good love story, right? And when it’s close family, it’s even more special. Plus, it gave us all an opportunity to dress up and have a lot fo fun. Then we spent some time at Blue Mountain hiking, eating and generally enjoying time together. A perfect way to end the summer.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Girls trip to Stratford, Ontario with two of my oldest friends. We spent some time seeing a theatre production, laughing hysterically over a great dinner, and exploring the picturesque town. I always have a great time with these two!
OCTOBER 2018
My little man reached double-digits! It’s really hard not to look at him and still see that little baby boy who always smiled and was obsessed with me. As he grows, I still see those traits and so many more. It’s humbling to be his mom. My love.
NOVEMBER 2018
My sister reached a milestone birthday this month so to celebrate, we went to Barbados!! It was my first trip away from my family for that long but I’m not going to lie, it was completely fun and relaxing. A trip to remember!
DECEMBER 2018
My girl turned 14! This teeny little thing that barged into the world 3.5 weeks early, weighing only 5.8 pounds has always been a bundle of energy. I couldn’t be prouder of her and love watching her grow into her potential. My heart.
Thanks for everyone who came along on the journey!! It’s been a year to remember and I’m excited to see what 2019 has in store.
Happy New Year!
xo,
Mary