| |

First Blogaversary and Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Format: select

The Year in Review

It’s my first blogaversary and I’m ready to celebrate with an Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!   This week a year ago, I took the plunge, went self-hosted and started writing to you from my own little piece of the great big Web. I want to take a moment to thank each of you who has visited, commented and made me feel like a part of a welcoming community. I’ve learned a lot, met some great new blogger friends and enjoyed sharing my small victories with you every step of the way. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading.

Thanks and Praise

I write in the hopes that I help one RA patient find hope and a new perspective on dealing with RA. One person who enjoys a good book to read and discuss like we’re old friends chatting over a cup of coffee.  One person who finds a delicious recipe to feed their mind, body and soul.  To you all who have commented and sent me kind words through email and social media, I give my sincere thanks.  You keep me blogging! Here are some recent compliments that warmed my heart, the small victories that make my day. So keep on commenting, I treasure each one!

“Loved what you have to say!  Have had RA for 40 years.  Although the treatment gets better, it is by sheer will power that I, too, have managed to raise my kids, work full time, and survive.  I love your positive approach, so much more empowering than some of the “poor me” blogs out there right now.  I wish you good health and happiness.  For someone with RA, every day is a small victory!     ~Rosie

“really beautiful. I couldn’t imagine doing it all w RA. You have so much strength.” ~ Allison @godansker

“Thanks for stopping by my blog! It’s nice to “meet” you  My aunt was diagnosed with RA when she was in her early 20′s and I know how hard it can be to manage day-to-day life let alone raising children when you have RA. Small victories are definitely something to celebrate!  ~ Hannah at www.supermommyornot.blogspot.com

Stats…cause I’m a numbers girl…

Total # posts…101
Total # of book posts…59
Total # of food posts…16
Total # of personal posts…11
Total # of RA posts…6

Top 5 Commenters
5. Michelle at The True Book Addict
4. Jennifer at The Relentless Reader
3. Rebecca at Love at First Book
2. Allison at The Book Wheel, and *drumroll, please*…
1. Lisa and Ashley at The Dose of Reality

Thanks for your support ladies, they are my favorite bloggers too if you need a good book to read or a laugh!

Now, on to the good stuff, my first blogaversary deserves a fun giveaway prize! Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway and good luck! Winner will need to provide a valid email address to which I can send the Amazon gift card. Thanks for visiting and enjoy my blogaversary party all week long!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

66 Comments

  4. congratulation! omg so happy for you, you have made an absolute great job with this blog, my favourite author are Palo cohelo and allan poe 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Meridith, great answer being thankful for your family’s health. With my chronic condition, I am sooo thankful my kids don’t show signs of it. What’s your favorite Stephen King thriller? I haven’t read any yet.

      Reply

  8. My son’s birthday was this week and spending it with him made me happy. My favorite book is The Firm by John Grisham.

    Reply

  9. The beautiful weather made me happy. I have many favorite books, but will choose Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine.

    Reply

  10. Go Tanya! Thanks for the link from the bookclub FB page. My mother in law has RA, I’m going to send her the link to your blog. Going to explore your blog when I get some free time.!
    Sandy

    Reply

    1. Aw, thanks Sandy for visiting and sharing my page. Hope you are enjoying Wicked, it’s been a roller coaster for me and I’ve still got 150 pages to go. Certainly not what I expected!

      Reply

  11. Congrats on your blogoversary! I’ve only “found” your blog recently and I enjoy following you.

    I have RA myself (this is the first time I’m mentioning that online) but I have no symptoms ATM, except for a crooked elbow from earlier in my RA career. Medication keeps me free from pain and from new inflamations (at the moment) and whenever I read your blog I am reminded how lucky I am and how thankful I should be that I seem not very much affected with it.

    Thanks for sharing your story!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for sharing your story Judith and I’m happy that you confided that you have RA on my site. I know it’s hard sharing the health issues we face, especially with people we don’t know. At first, I started the blog and never mentioned RA because I didn’t want it to be a downer, but then realized it sort of defines why I need to celebrate my small victories as my way to cope. I’ve found though that as I share more about me, I find more people in my boat or battling something similar. I’m glad my blog gives hope to those who struggle with maintaining a positive attitude and I am glad it reminds you how lucky you are. I”m part of an online support group and I realize when I visit, how very lucky I am! I am still able to work for a living and I’m not in a wheelchair so I have to celebrate that while I can. I hope you continue to have good health and minimal effects from RA and I couldn’t be happier for you.

      I appreciate your continued commenting and support of my blog. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you as well though we live an ocean apart!

      Reply

      1. Tanya, the main reason I don’t like to mention it, is because I don’t want any prospective employers to mark me down for it. They might consider it a liability and not hire me. Not that I’m seriously looking for a job at the moment, but I may do.

        I’m glad you are able to work with RA, I’m sure there are lots of people who do. We don’t all sit in wheelchairs watching daytime TV all day. Although I’m sure some more unfortunate people have no choice.

        Reply

  16. My daughter was home all last week with influenza B…then I got stomach virus 2013…so I’m a little behind on my blog reading and just now seeing your blogaversary post!

    AWESOME. Congratulations!

    I loved reading the beautiful and heartfelt ways in which your blog has touched and helped others. I also loved you year in numbers! Ashley and I do the same thing.

    We are *honored* that we are your #1 commentors because we are totally your #1 fans! 🙂
    –Lisa

    Reply

    1. Thanks Lisa, everyone’s comments mean so much to me and I totally appreciate your loyalty and consistent commenting. I love hearing from you. Glad you are done with stomach virus 2013, ick!

      Reply

  18. My son always make me happy, he is just so adorable and learning new things everyday. My favorite author is Sophie Kinsella

    Reply
  20. Pingback: It's Monday, What Are You Reading

  23. my three dogs make me so grateful b/c they cheer me up every day. . .and my fave book is Total Money Makeover.

    Reply

  24. Hi! Congrats on one year! I have had my blog up and running on my own site since ’08. I love visiting new blogs and meeting new friends! Come see me at blog-diggidy. com sometime! (*¯︶¯*) Blessings…. xo

    Reply

  26. Congratulations on your first anniversary. I quit counting a while ago, I think mine is either six or seven. It’s kind of addictive, isn’t it?

    Reply

  30. Congrats on your blogaversary!!! And I’m happy this week b/c baby was trying to be footling but now he’s right in position. Plus, the weather out there is GORGEOUS! 🙂

    Reply

  31. My hubby’s support for my dreams made me happy 🙂

    and my favorite book… that’s hard! My favorite series is the maze runner trilogy by james Dashner. all time favorite book? way too hard a question!!! 😉

    Reply

    1. Aw, what a great answer about your hubby supporting your dreams!I hope your dreams come true!! Another book blogger recommended the Maze Runner Trilogy to me before, sounds like quite a series, thanks for the recommendation.

      Reply

    1. That’s a great small victory Angie, I love it when my boys help out and a nice clean house for the weekend. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

      Reply

  34. Happy Blogaversary!!!!! So exciting 🙂
    I am so thankful for so much this week. That I finished a big project that had been looming over my head, I’m seeing someone new, spoke on a panel and kind of overcame my shyness, took a chance and now get to reap the reward from it so so so much xo

    Reply

    1. Hi Georgina, wow you had a great week! Congrats to you, hope you have some fun planned to celebrate your success this weekend. Thanks, I am very excited about my blogaversary, never thought when I started a year ago that I’d love it so much.

      Reply

  35. Happy first Blogaversary! I remember mine like it was just yesterday, such a huge accomplishment! I’m a day late, but I hope you had a wonderful Blogaversary and I hope that you have many, many more! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thanks Debra, blogging has been very rewarding, I love connecting with others that I might not have normally met. Btw, I love cookbooks and have a bit of a cookbook collecting obsession…I’ll be checking out your blog shortly!

      Reply

  37. Congratulations Tanya – my, how time flies!

    My favorite book is The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and I was happy for the moments I had with my husband this week!

    Come join us for Friendship Friday!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Create with Joy…happy to hear you had a good week with your husband. My in-laws are visiting so hoping my handsome Superhubby and I can have a date tonight! Yippee! LOTR, another big one on my TBR list. 🙂

      Kids and I finished planting our veggie garden this morning. thanks for the reminder to join Friendship Friday, I love the parties you host.

      Reply

  38. Those comments from other people with RA are amazing! Congrats on one year!

    Watching my girls play made me happy this week, and my favorite books are the Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve read them many times!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Ginny Marie and thanks for sharing about my blog on your UBP After Party post. What a pleasant surprise! Chronicles of Narnia is on my to-read list, we have the set but neither my son or I have read them yet. Aw, play time is the best! Hope your weekend is filled with lots of play time 🙂

      Reply

    1. Thanks for sharing Kelly, hope it was a beautiful spring day for your nature walk. Those are the small victories I love the most. My youngest son told my husband as he pointed at our wedding picture, “look, mommy is a princess!”

      Reply

  40. Congratulations on your 1 year blogaversary! I have 2 big things I’m thankful for this week and they both happened yesterday. 1. I was hired as a reporter at the local newspaper which is something I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do. 2. My sister gave birth to her fourth child and it’s a beautiful baby girl!

    Reply

    1. Congratulations Hannah on the new job and the new baby niece…what a great day you had. Here’s wishing you many more small victories in the days ahead.

      Reply

    1. Thanks Tanya, I’m glad to you have found you as well. Glad you joined the Google+ Group too and are sharing your great ideas with us there!

      Reply

  43. Happy Blogaversary!! It’s been truly wonderful watching your blog grow and change. You are truly inspirational. Congratulations.

    Reply

    1. You are too kind, thanks for being a good friend and supporter Shannon. I appreciate it so, so much!! You inspire me in so many ways, to be more creative, think outside the box and laugh…you always make me laugh!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *