2013 in Review

Even though I am not to big on new years resolutions, I thought I would recap 2013 because it was nuts. Here are some of my greatest accomplishments of 2013. I think they have laid a foundation for a successful and fun 2014.

1. Wrote, photographed, and self published The Gourmet Grilled Cheese Cookbook

This was certainly my biggest accomplishment of 2013. It was a massive amount of work and I am proud of the outcome.

2. New job at Groupon!
I spent three years at a terrible job, with a looong commute. No one should stay in a job that isn’t enjoyable or rewarding. I remember a coworker telling me that she had stayed at the job for so many years because it was “the devil I know”. If your job is that bad, you shouldn’t let fear of another company being worse hold you back. Change can be scary, but there are too many great opportunities to stay in a bad job. I am loving Groupon, and my 3 minute commute!

3. Started contributing to other websites including CheekyChicago, Career Girl Network, and Fit For A Bride. I love writing, and this gives me the chance to write about other things. I blog about all things Chicago for CheekyChicago, and I write career advice for women at Career Girl Network.

4. Co-Founded The Second City Food Wine + Social Club

This club is proof that a group of five motivated people can do anything. We didn’t spend months planning and talking about doing something. We just did it. The five of us all met each other in October and we hosted out first event less than a month later. We are currently hosting one event a month – the next event is a speakeasy soiree. I also write a lot for the Second City Food Wine + Social Club’s blog, mostly about entertaining and Chicago.

5. Co-Founded the Windy City Blogger Collective (officially launching this month)

In 2013 I became more involved in the Chicago blogging community. As I met more bloggers, I realized that we all wanted to get together and network and share ideas. I started hosting a monthly happy hour, and then a monthly talk about blogging. More and more people had ideas on how to develop this community of bloggers and five of us are working together to launch the Windy City Blogger Collective. 2014 will be a huge year for this group, and I am excited to see how this project develops.

6. Traveled to Belize, Mexico, Napa, London, Copenhagen, and made 3 trips home to Kennebunkport

I worked hard in 2013, so I earned some time off. Charles and I try to take an international trip once a year, and last year we went to Belize in April. We also snuck in a quick side trip to Copenhagen when we were visiting Charles’s family in the UK last week. I went to Mexico to visit one of my closest friends who lives there, and ate lots and lots of tacos. We went to Napa to celebrate my 30th birthday, and drank lots of wine and fell in love with the area. I also went home to see my parents for Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I love going to Maine but I wish it was a little easier to get to.

7. The Kittchen got a makeover, and I think the new design is a big upgrade. I also wrote 380 blog posts for The Kittchen in 2013. I might scale back a little in 2014 and stop posting on weekends. I have been thinking about doing this for a while, and I think that giving myself a couple days off might be a good idea. This way I can focus my energy on giving you 5 fantastic posts each week.

What’s in store for 2014? Lot’s more work, and perhaps a move to a bigger place in Chicago.