7 Blogging Lessons from 2015

I have learned absolutely a ton about blogging this year. I'd love to share these lessons with you.

Collaboration is the Best

When you decide to work with another blogger to gain exposure, collaborate posts work best. Rather than guest posting, or sharing on social media, or even having the same content on both blogs, have half a post and your partner has the other half. That way, both of you will get traffic from each other. Also, group collaborations, like How We Wore It, is really fun because not only does it create traffic for all involved, but it is a fun way to get and keep new friends.

You Don't Have To Spend Money for Graphics

I don't use the membership on PicMonkey, I don't have a subscription to a stock graphic site, and I didn't buy PhotoShop. But, my graphic skills have developed throughout the year as I took more time and patience with PicMonkey and discovered other sites as well. Currently, I'm loving the free BeFunky Graphic Designer site.

Facebook Groups are Nice, But...

I've gotten involved with a lot of Facebook groups for bloggers, but honestly, aside from small stat and comment spikes every blue moon, they haven't really been very useful in growing my blog. They have been useful for blogging/social media questions, but I haven't really built relationships or community out of them. This is just on a majority. There are a few more tribe-like groups I'm a part of, and those benefit me more.

There are a lot of Christian Bloggers

I knew there were a lot of Mormon bloggers out there, but I've recently discovered the huge population of Christian bloggers. I love it because I don't feel as awkward or overly religious anymore when I post religious posts. I also get a lot of comments on them because quite a few of my followers are Christian.

Remember the Why

Earl in the year, I was fed up with all the bloggers saying you needed to find your niche and you needed to be an expert in something if you wanted to survive in the blogesphere. I decided to go against the grain and "un-brand" my blog. During the Blogger Sleepover Soiree I went to a few months ago, this idea was brought back to me. What is my "why" for blogging? It is because 1) I want to because I thoroughly enjoy it, and 2) I love the friendships I make through it and want to build on that community. That is going to become my mission for blogging in 2016. I'm super excited for the ideas I have for this little space.

You Don't Have to Do EVERYTHING

I'm not on Periscope or SnapChat. I don't have a Pinterest-worthy image in every post. Not all of my posts are content-heavy. I'm not involved in campaign groups or affiliate programs. I don't blog about the most popular issues. I don't have a newsletter, nor do I have perfect photos. I don't post every weekday (although I mostly do), and I don't always have content-heavy posts. My blog isn't necessarily continually growing. But, that's ok. I'm learning, I'm expanding, I'm creating friendships, I'm remembering the "why", and I'm still enjoying it. you don't have to be perfect with everything to be a good blogger.

Just Because You are Consistent Doesn't Mean Your Numbers Are

Even if you do post on your different platforms consistently, it doesn't mean that you will get consistent or even greater views. Does that mean you shouldn't blog consistently or often? No. I have a ton of ideas that I want to write, so I will. Remember your "why."

What did you learn this year about blogging?

15 Lessons My Mother Taught Me

The older I've grown, the more experiences I have, the more responsibilities I get, the more I appreciate my mom. I look back and think about how much she has taught me and prepared me for my own life, and how much she still does so.

My mom's birthday is tomorrow.  So, I decided to work together to list some lessons my mom has taught me.

** You catch more flies with honey; however, there are some circumstances that require bitter-sweet honey.

** A clean house not only is a house of God, but also allows relaxation and you won't be embarrassed when company comes.

** It doesn't matter if you succeed...what matters is how hard you tried.

** Pound the pavement and work hard.

** A basic musical background is very helpful throughout life.

** Family is most important.

** Backup everything!

** It's ok to not be perfect, because you aren't supposed to be. And that's ok.

** Don't take your husband for granted.

** Knowing how to do simple cleaning and chores is something you should know how to do before you leave the house. (Seriously! My freshman college year, I knew girls who not only didn't know how to do laundry, load a dishwasher, or even Windex a sink mirror!)

** Delegate and ask for help--you don't have to do everything yourself.

** Don't be judgmental (I'm still working on this one).

** Learn from your parents' mistakes and do better.

** Have a strong testimony, but don't rely on your parents' testimonies.

** My mom will love me no matter what and will always be there for me!

I love you, Mom! Happy birthday!

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Kim from Kandy Kreations

blog // twitter // facebook // instagram // pinterest

Kim is the kreator of Kandy Kreations, a blog all about DIY prints, children's activities, party themes, and candy coverings. Kim calls herself the Queen of Parties, and just by looking at the style of her blog, you can see that's true! She has at least one (that's right, sometimes more than one) post a day! She never runs out of ideas to make gifts and life more fun!

Check out her blog here.

Check out her shop here.

Check out her candy bar weekly membership here. Every week, you'll get a different hand-made covering on your candy bar according to season, holidays, life events, etc.

{Check out this lovely lady}

I Am

I've been thinking a lot about myself. Reflecting, if you would. What I am, what I am not, what I was, what I am to become.

What I Was
- a great student
- a soccer and volleyball player
- skinny
- a good and fast reader
- a writer who took hours in a day to work on her novels and stories
- (in junior high) a "goth"
- mean to my siblings and mother
- history teacher
- college student

What I Am
- mother, wife, daughter, sister
- a geek and a nerd
- stressed and stretched
- blogger
- English teacher
- Mormon (was, am, will be always)
- good friend
- have a love of learning
- uncertain
- tenacious
- stubborn
- curious
- wanting to travel badly

What I Am Not
- as extroverted as I thought
- as brave as I thought
- a finisher (didn't complete IB program in high school, didn't complete Honors program at BYU, won't get my Level II license--I would've had to teach one more year)
- the super woman I thought I could be
- as healthy or active as I would like to be
- motivated
- as creative as I used to be
- good with money, insurance, numbers

What I Will Become
- (eventually) a Masters/PhD student and then a history Professor!
- a published novelist
- a SAHM (next year!)
- a mother of more than one
- less stressed
- more organized
- more brave
- have more friends
- a traveler again
- more patient
- reach my potential

What are you, what are you not, what were you, what will you become?

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Taylor from A Cup of Tay

Blog // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest

How did you come up with the name to your blog?
I had already started my blog under a different name, but I was really looking to rebrand. My old name was less flexible and didn't really allow me to write about what I wanted, which was basically a little bit of everything. I love tea, and my friends often call me Tay, and so one day I was driving in my car and it just hit me - A Cup of Tay. And so A Cup of Tay was born!

What is your blog's mission or goal?
I've struggled a lot with this over the last year or so, but I've decided that the goal of my blog personally is to be a place where I can express myself creatively and share my life with those around me. Outwardly, the goal of my blog is to make people laugh. When I first started blogging, I wanted to be "helpful," but I realized pretty quickly that writing instructive posts all the time didn't feel natural to me. People kept commenting on how my blog was funny and sassy, and eventually I realized that my purpose wasn't to instruct people, but to make them laugh and feel related to. I still write "how to" or advice posts from time to time but my purpose is to make people smile!

Besides blogging, what are some other hobbies of yours?
Do college students even have time for hobbies?? Kidding, I like to read, and I really love to travel. Since I've gone to college where travel is so accessible and easy (I'm in Philadelphia), I've learned to love exploring new cities.

What is the best thing about blogging for you?
The best thing for me is the relationships you build! Being a blogger has also caused me to start reading blogs a lot, which has led to me meeting some fabulous ladies and developing relationships with them via our blogs.

My three fave posts are:

The Fiance Tells Our Story, Part IV

5 Things about Life I Learned from My Sister

My Fantasy Ladies' Brunch Lineup

What MOTIVATES Me To Blog

Since my word of the year is motivation, and January's priority is "Grow My Blog", I thought I'd talk about what motivates me to blog.

I've been blogging since November 2009. I know many bloggers who have been blogging since 2013 or even sooner and have many hundreds of followers on all platforms of social media. However, I have less than 200 on every platform. I've written here and here on why I'll never make it big in the blogging world.

Many would have given up by now. But not me. I'm still here, and blogging is still one of my favorite hobbies.

Here are reasons why I still blog even if I don't make it big or earn income from it. For reasons #1-3, visit Emma over at Ever Emma.

#4) Writing Practice
I began this blog 5 years ago, at midnight, in my college apartment, after my roommates and I had held a "philosophical" discussion. I wanted a place where I could write creatively. Not fiction or poetry--I was already good at that--but non-fiction, which was my weakest point. A few times along the way, I've lost sight of that. Many times, I've got caught up in the trap of writing to gain followers, and the quality of my writing has suffered. I have to keep reminding myself what the true purpose of this little space is!

#5) The Perks
I haven't sold a lot of sponsors...so, shameless plug! If you're interested, I have all spaces open for January and every month after for very cheap!!! And, I've only written 1 or 2 paid posts. However, I've won many giveaways and have been given many products for free, just for a review. I've received products that were sample sizes, and I've received products worth more than $50. Now, I've put money into my blog--buying a domain, getting a professional design for my blog, and sponsoring other blogs. But, my husband and I both agree that I've earned it all back through products!

#6) It's A Hobby
Plain and simple, I like to blog. It's fun, I enjoy it, and I'll never give it up.

What motivates you to blog, whether you are a big or small, new or old blogger?

2014 In Review

This was quite the busy and exciting year! It went by exceedingly fast! There was quite a few big changes in our lives! It was one of the hardest, most tense and stressful years, but also one of the happiest years, too!

January
Teaching at Navigator Pointe began to get extraordinarily hard as I was still having morning sickness and we were starting SAGE prepping. Justin took me to the Robert Burns dinner, which I loved as always. I started doing baby bumpdates for Rhys. I also had jury duty, but was called before it happened and told I didn't have to show up.
Recipes this month: Better Than Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Apple Braised Salmon Salad

February
I had my birthday and Justin got me one of my favorite presents ever: a personal pensieve! I did quite a few posts on marriage...I was really in love with Justin this month, and Why We Work is my favorite. I started a new link-up series called Weekly Focus, but failed with it. We also found out that our baby was a boy!

March

We started looking for housing in places other than Provo for after summer and Justin started applying for jobs. The first half of March was busy, but I talked about why I would never be a big blogger, we had our Baby-Moon in Salt Lake City that taught me to focus on the small things in life, I also had to start buying bigger clothing, but not maternity clothing yet.

April

Our church had the funnest international potluck ever this month! Justin and I also did our first ever Vlog. I made the big decision to work part-time as a teacher after giving birth. Justin's baby sister got married, and it was a beautiful wedding.

Recipes this month: Chinese Cashew Chicken and Leek and Potato Soup

May

I began to wrap up my second year of being a teacher and got reflective on what it meant to be a teacher and talked about understanding preteens.There was a very scary rainstorm that almost kept me from driving home from work one day. I was also on a skit-comedy TV show called Studio C as an extra for one of their episodes.

June
This was quite the busy month! School finished the first week of this month for me, but there were some issues with Justin's graduation. The last week, we found a townhome to rent. It was also the first summer since I was 16 that I didn't work. Again, I talked about why I won't make it in the blogging world. We had a scary incident with some bad, potentially dangerous smell at our apartment late at night. Justin and I took maternity pictures, but then, two weeks before my due date, on June 23, I wound up in the hospital due to bleeding, but Rhys and I were both ok.
Recipe this month: Easy Lettuce Wraps

July

On July 1st, we moved into our new home in the neighboring county. Then, on July 5th, we went back down to Orem very early and I was induced and Rhys was born at 5:21 PM. It was actually a pretty smooth birth! Justin's birthday was not overlooked (it is on the 9th), and he was finishing up a class at BYU while I stayed home and adored our new baby. Thankfully, Mom and my sisters were over almost every day for the next week to help me out as I was a bit overwhelmed and exhausted.  The rest of July was the best time of my life, being a new mom.

August

The first half of August was spent oohing and awing over our, now, 1 month old son, reading a lot of baby books, and finishing up decorating our townhome. Justin and I had a good weekend celebrating our 2nd anniversary by making a visit to Provo to show our son to our old friends and then left our son (with my parents) for the first time as we went out to a fancy dinner in Salt Lake City.

Recipe this month: Nilla Wafer Pudding

September
I started teaching the last week in August and it was hard to go back and leave my baby, albeit for less than 5 hours a day, but I still loved being a mom. Justin hadn't found a job yet, although he had plenty of 2nd interviews at places, so he stayed home and watched Rhys as we hadn't found a nanny or daycare that had openings or were in our budget! Justin loved being able to spend some special bonding time with his son. Rhys turned 2 months old and he was blessed, and we took him to a day of Comicon. The blog was redesigned by Elizabeth from Elizabeth Loves and rebranded from Our Fairy Tale to The Morrell Tale. I also went to a Sleepover Soiree with some other Utah bloggers (I only went the second day and brought Rhys with me).

October

I started to make a series on Lessons from Disney Movies and did one on Tarzan. I also thought a lot on parenthood and post-partum bodies. Rhys turned 3 months old. Justin got a good job at a company he liked using some of his computer coding skills. I also found a "nanny" in a friend of one of my teaching colleagues. We were very thankful that things were coming into place. I even went to a Salt of the Earth (lotions and bath salts) blogging event.

Recipe this month: Bloomin' Onion Rings

November
I started November out with a link-up series that was mainly for me to build back up my confidence. Rhys turned 4 months old and decided on his own to stop nursing and went to formula and rice cereal. We had Thanksgiving at my in-laws and Rhys had his first solid besides rice cereal--carrots. And, they were not nice to him at all.

December
This month has been hectic, trying to end the semester, working with Rhys becoming 5 months and trying to change his sleeping patterns and the length of stretches between feedings, and prepping for Christmas Break and vacation! This year, the DIY ornament I made for the Morrell girls' ornament swap had a sad ending. For Christmas, we went to my family in Farmington. Rhys had a terrible time sleeping at night that entire week, although he was ok with naps, but I was exhausted and a little cranky all break because of that--sorry, family! Christmas Day was a lot of fun, full of gifts, Rhys being cute, chocolate, relatives coming over to visit, and Lord of the Rings Risk. That is, until in the middle of our game, we got the sad news that my maternal grandpa had passed away. The rest of the time we spent at my parents' was trying to be in charge, console grandma and mom while dad helped them out, and be there for my younger siblings. Then, we quickly packed up and went up to Boise to Justin's siblings' for our nephew's baptism. Tomorrow, we will race back down to Utah so Justin can return to work and I can attend my grandpa's funeral.
Recipe this month: Semi-Southern Chicken and Dumplings

I am so happy with the year and having a new addition to our family. I can't wait to see what 2015 holds in store for us!

This year, I'm linking up with Brooke for her annual year in review link-up!

What was your favorite part of the year 2014?

A Month of Confidence Review

Well, November is over today. It has been a very fast paced month. But, I've really enjoyed it! I am very glad that I did the Month of Confidence.

Although some weeks I didn't do nearly as well as I wanted, the fact that I had goals and tried to go through each day with a confident mindset really helped. I do feel a lot more confident in all my abilities and all aspects of my life again. I feel free, relaxed, and happy.

Check out this lovely lady!

Confessions of an 8-month Pregnant Woman (35.5 Week Bumpdate)

Dress: Wal-Mart (4 years ago, NOT MATERNITY)

Holy crap! I only have about a month left before Rhys is due! Time has gone by so fast!

Cravings

- Chocolate Milk

- Frozen Peas

- Mango-flavor

Side Effects

- Feeling hot. It is constantly in the 90's now, and my apartment has no AC (just ceiling fans), but I'm still so hot! Thankfully, school is over because my classroom's AC unit was broken!

- Braxton Hicks contractions. I've had them 3 or 4 different times the past month.

- I've had a hard time getting off the floor.

-Exhaustion and having to pee.

- Thirsty!

-  I feel like I've strained my hips. But, mom says that's just the muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. getting ready to stretch for the birth.

Do I look 8 months pregnant in this outfit? I don't think I do. But, I promise you the due date is a month and 3 days from now!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my pregnancy. I've been very lucky compared to others in a few different ways, but sometimes I've been a bit jealous in others.

- I've only put on 25-30 pounds during this pregnancy. I can still fit into a lot of my shirts (some of which I might have to pack away as "maternity" after I give birth from stretching a bit) and I don't look very pregnant. People can't believe I'm 35 weeks along and say how lucky I am. They also say that from the back, I don't look pregnant. But...then I hear stories of how my friends get free things, or to skip lines, or complete strangers help them carry things because they look pregnant (and are pregnant). No one but my husband or my family has offered anything like that to me.

- I've had numerous friends who have recently given birth and either there was some complication with their baby or their baby passed away. As with any mother, I felt so bad for them, cried for them. But, I also worried about Rhys--what if that were to happen as well. Then, I'd feel guilt--my doctor said I was having a "text-book" pregnancy.

- I thoroughly miss running. This is the perfect time of the year for morning or evening runs and I can't run with this big bump!

- My visiting teachers (a pair of girls in your LDS church congregation assigned to visit you every month and become friends, etc) moved away. Typically, it's the visiting teachers in our congregation that hosts baby showers and I haven't met my new ones yet...which means I may not have a baby shower with my friends. =(

- I'm so thankful that Brooke from Silver Lining is willing to do my maternity pictures. But, Brooke, I'm apologizing here and now--I suck at taking pictures. I never know how to pose or what my face looks like!

- I don't like feeling useless. Part of our teacher-work day on Friday was to help move boxes and small furniture to the gym because our classrooms are getting re-carpeted over the summer. The custodial staff was going to move the desks, bookshelves, etc. All of a sudden, we heard over the PA for our principal to go to a classroom ASAP because it was an emergency. The rest of us wondered what had happened. Well, another teacher is due in November. I don't know all the details or the cause, but she had passed out for a bit. She was fine a few moments later and very responsive. But, after that, all the staff started to worry about me. They wouldn't even let me lift a transparency projector! It's less than 20 pounds and I'm very strong and in great shape, but they wouldn't let me. I appreciate their concern since I'm giving birth in less than a month, but I hate feeling like I can't do something and have to rely on someone else.

- Salt Lake City is hosting a FantasyCon the first weekend of July (the week before Rhys is due). I am a huge fantasy nerd! Not only do the panels look super interesting, but John Rhys-Davies (Gimli from LOTR and Mordecai from One Night With the King), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee from LOTR), Billy Boyd (Pippin from LOTR) and about half the dwarves from The Hobbit will be there! We are getting tickets for all 3 days and praying that I don't go into labor there!

Weekly Focus Linkup #2

Last week's goal: Don't raise my voice AT ALL to my students and STAY patient.

I believe I did a pretty good job with this goal. I kept my cool. Sometimes I did have to be stern to misbehaving kids, but I stayed patient and more asked for them to behave rather than demand. I focused on saying, "Let's remember our class rules, guys" in an almost sing-songy voice. It helped me a lot because it didn't add any mental stress or exhaustion at the end of the day.

This weeks goal: Read my scriptures every day for personal scripture study and family scripture study.

What Weekly Focus Is

I decided to call it Weekly Focus because it could be a wish, a goal, a mentality, a plan, anything really that you want to focus on for the week. It is the driving force of that week and you only need one.

How to Participate

Each week on Monday, write a post about your weekly focus. Include the Weekly Focus button at the bottom of this page. Review how last week's focus went. Join my link-up and visit others, leaving encouraging comments.

I feel that by focusing on only one thing, it doesn't consume your life, but you are still continually working toward improving yourself. I simply love the idea of personal "Happiness Plans," and I want to help those who would love to do their own, but are still very busy in life. This shows that we can still take control of our lives and make it what we want while still being busy bees. So, I hope you join and have fun!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.morrellfairytale.com/2014/02/weekly-focus-linkup.html" title="Our Fairy Tale" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNvzpotdppCVMSeGQxjE7N6WtRsUVPSNmop8vZt0X6OUOQsQ08OOGuxVKQaZILSKekOATrYloETD2-sBRKY4aOhJc8rR6SJjjGU9lrRDxiOTYTxAcsl_hwVvMOjzto-qRHrgb6AqnVWca/s1600/weekly+focus+linkup.jpg" alt="Our Fairy Tale" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

New Year's Resolutions 2014

Another year has come and gone. It's interesting to think that I've had 4 sets of New Year's Resolutions on this blog, this one being the 5th.

Last year I tried to simplify and have less resolutions, mainly because I knew I'd be busier and more stressed during the year.

2013 Resolutions

1) Run/workout 3x a week

I did pretty good with this...until I started teaching at Navigator Pointe 40 miles away in August.

2) Stay 1 week ahead in lesson plans

Both at Springville Jr. and NPA, I have done this about 75% of the time.

3) Daily scripture reading

Ya...this will continue to be a resolution because I am soooo determined to actually get better at this. I mean, Heavenly Father appreciates the effort, right?

4) Blog at least once a week and write in my journal more than just Sundays.

I definitely did better at blogging. Most months I almost hit every single day...but, there have been a few slow weeks when I was sick or stressed. But journal writing, not so well.

5) Try to come out of my shell a little bit more. (I have my own personal cheerleader now--Justin. So, it should be a bit easier.)

Justin tells me I have done better in this area--which is great! Justin says one thing I can continue to work on is actually initiating conversation with new people.

2013 Couples Resolutions!

1) Better apartment upkeep

Do marathon cleanings during the weekend count?

2) Daily family scripture reading

We'll be wonderful for two weeks, then suck for like 3 weeks, on and off, on and off.

This year, I have a few resolutions and few goals:

2014 Resolution and Goals

Resolution #1 Improve in my daily scripture reading

Resolution #2 Continue blogging at least 4 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, and on weekends)

Resolution #3 Cook at least one new meal per month

Resolution #4 Read at least 1 book for myself each month

Goal #1 Have my baby in July and recover quickly

Goal #2 After having the baby, get back to my regular weight

Goal #3 Reach 200 followers on the blog (or at least 150!)

Wish me luck and I hope you have a wonderful new year!

2013 in Review

This has been a big and exciting year--much like last year was. I'm a little more of an adult, and a little less of a kid--a bittersweet thing.

January

I started my second semester of my teaching internship. I continued on US history with my 8th graders (forming of our government to the Civil War) and I received a new class for Utah Studies. My "Students Write the Darndest Things" linkup started. 

My favorite recipe of this month: Flatbread Alfredo Pizza.

February

February is always a busy month for my family: my 22nd birthday, my brother's 16th birthday, my Aunt's birthday, and my cousin's birthday, as well as my 6 month anniversary and Valentine's day. My 8th graders were the biggest pills ever this month, but I made bacon roses for Justin for Valentine's Day, so that was pretty cool. My favorite recipe of the month: Honey Glazed Salmon and Ginger Spinach

March

I participated in the Daily Slice of Life competition to blog every day in March. I went to my first Teacher-Fair and had a few on-site interviews. I started applying for real teaching jobs once my internship would end. It was a scary, stressful month. I also cooked a lot of new, yummy recipes!

Both Justin and my favorite recipe this month: Hawaiian Haystacks Casserole.

April

Biggest and most important: I graduated BYU! We also went to BYU's Senior Bash which was the funnest date I've ever been on. Justin finished school (for the semester) whereas I still had to finish teaching. It was a very busy month with me finishing my TWS, applying for jobs, etc that I actually didn't post any original recipes!

May

I went to Lagoon with my students and the rest of the school. The school year finished and I was sad to leave Springville Junior High, but so glad for the summer to start. I wrote about things I learned as a 1st year history teacher. We got a hand-me down couch from my parents and some really nice bookshelves from my aunt and uncle, and had quite the adventure rearranging the apartment. I also redesigned the blog to what it looks like now. My favorite part was Justin and my date with the dinos at the BYU Paleontology Museum.

Favorite recipe of the month: My first attempt at pasta salad.

June

I hate not doing anything over the summer, so I got hired at a brand new Subway that opened. I had worked Subways before, so working part-time was a fun way to get out of the house, have a few free meals, and earn a little extra money. I also watched a lot of movies on Netflix and read a lot of books. I also did physical therapy on my knee. As I was enjoying myself, Justin was working hard in school. Poor boy. We also made the most of summer by going to water parks, taking Sunday walks, seeing movies, and just having a lot of adventures and fun. I also started writing for the website Femiology.com

Justin and my favorite recipe of the month: Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

July

I worked very hard on the blog, doing a lot of linkups and guest posts. I blogged almost every day. We spent July 4th with Justin's family, and it was a blast! Then, around Justin's birthday, he got very sick, like super sick due to a new medicine he was on--it was the sickest I'd ever seen him and I was really, really scared. I still worked at Subway part-time, ran a lot, read a lot, and watched a lot on Netflix. I was also officially hired to be an English Teacher at Navigator Pointe Academy in West Jordan!

Due to Justin's illness, and the amount of eating out we did this month with conflicting work schedules, I didn't post any recipes this month.

August

This was definitely a busy month! We had our first anniversary and camped at Yuba Lake. I joined a group of Mormon Bloggers who share their testimonies on their blogs. I started teaching English to 7-9th graders at my new Charter School and fell in love with the way my classroom was decorated. Little did I know just how busy and exhausting this job would be. I also went to my first concert ever--a Three Days Grace concert!

Favorite recipe this month: Homemade Fried Rice

September

I participated in Skirtember, a blogging challenge to wear skirts every day in September. During Labor Day weekend, Justin and I went to Virginia to visit his sister and her family. I was so excited to return to where I grew up! The following weekend, we went to Comicon in Salt Lake City --we both were super excited! I went with a good friend of mine who also blogs to a panel about ADD/ADHD disorders and how it affects their education and work habits. It was another very busy, but fun month.

Favorite recipe of the month: Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

October

I'm very deep into the books I taught my students. I already have things I love and things I strongly dislike about the school. I already hate the 50 minute commute. Justin and I ran our first 5K--the Hit and Run. It's kind of like making Wipeout into a 5k and it was a blast! I also almost got charged $17 for 15 heads of iceberg lettuce at Wal-Mart! Thankfully, I checked my receipt before leaving with the 1 head I actually purchased!

Favorite Recipe of the month: Crockpot Taco Stew

November

We found out I was pregnant, but kept it a secret from everyone! But, first trimester side effects were definitely in full force! I felt terrible almost every day during school, and wanted to go to bed for the night once I got home. I was invited by my mother-in-law to be part of her homemade Christmas ornament exchange. I made my first ornament ever and it was adorable! We spent Thanksgiving with my family, but I was hardly able to eat anything thanks to pregnancy nausea.

Favorite recipe of the month: Rice Krispie Holiday Wreaths

December

This was a tough month for me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I still had terrible nausea and exhaustion due to the first trimester. I also was having a hard time staying caught up and motivated grading and lesson planning at school. It snowed a couple of times, and it was quite scary driving the 40 miles to my school in the snow, on the interstate. We also had our first ultrasound due to the fact that I have a uterus that faces my back and the doctor couldn't find the baby for a heartbeat. But, we were able to see the baby with a real ultrasound.

 Justin and I celebrated our Christmas early.

Justin got: $10 Sodalicious gift card, white button up shirt, owl jigsaw puzzle, and Despicable Me 2

Tayler got: Epic (the movie), skeleton key necklace, modern gourmet pizza cookbook

We both got: Bourne trilogy, Sonic Heroes video game, Hyrule Historia

We spent Christmas Eve and Day with Justin's brother and his family. Their kids are 8, 6, 3, and 2 months, so they all still believed in Santa. It was very nice to have a magical Christmas because of their belief, but it was also quite hard for me because it was the first Christmas I spent without my family. Now we are up in Boise visiting Justin's other sister and her family for New Year's. We'll drive home tomorrow after New Year's, and I'll have to go back to school on Thursday. Yuck.

Favorite Recipe of the Month: Potato Scones

I am definitely ready for the new year... as well as the break the second trimester will give me! Here's hoping the nausea will go away and I'll have my energy back!