I’ve said it many times this past year, but time has simply flown by.
It feels like it was just yesterday that I was making some tentative plans for 2015, and here it is, the end of the year, and I’m making plans for next year. Crazy!
2015 has been a huge year for me… in life and in business. Not that it’s all been easy, mind you.
It’s been a time of having things together, complete chaos, feeling in control and on top of the world, wanting to quit, and wanting to push forward. I suppose that’s life, though. Do you feel that way too?
Anyway, today I want to share a bit of what’s happened this past year as well as some plans I have for 2016 with you. As always, things continue to change around here, but I’m so grateful to have you with me, supporting me all the way.
2015 In Review
LIFE
Life has changed a bit this past year.
I turned 32! Holy cow! I have more wrinkles than I’d like, and seeing how The Man and I aren’t rushing to have more babies anytime soon, I’ve been focusing on getting and keeping baby weight off.
I’m homeschooling 2 out of 4 kids. Most days things go according to plan, but some days we barely make it through. I’m trying not to be too “type-A” about it, but I have my moments. Pray for me please. I could use it.
We’re STILL working on making this home our home. We’ve done a lot of exterior work this past year, and we have a lot more ahead of us this winter.
BUSINESS
As far as business goes, 2015 has been great.
I still have to pinch myself that I get to do what I do all from the convenience of home… yes, in my jammies with no makeup on if I want. It’s simply mind-blowing to me.
When I first left my job as an ER nurse to stay home with my newborn, I thought I’d end up making extra money from home transcribing medical records. It wasn’t really something I wanted to do, but if I wanted extra money for natural things or to buy some new clothes when I wanted, I felt like I needed to bring in a little extra cash some way. I would have never dreamed this blogging business would be where it is today.
Growing Up Herbal has changed a lot over the past four years. It began as a way to market my little Etsy shop and then it turned into a bit of a personal blog. After that, I decided to get serious about turning this into a business, and I started to position myself as more of an expert. This past year, it’s switched directions again. Now GUH is more of a lifestyle blog where I share how I’m raising my children naturally with like-minded natural mamas like yourself. I’m no longer position myself as an expert, but more like a hiking buddy with a compass. I want this place to be helpful and authentic.
Not only has GUH grown itself, bringing in a decent sized income to support itself, but blogging here has opened up doors for me to work online, from home, as an herbalist which is something I never dreamed of.
A few years ago, Bulk Herb Store took the chance on me and let me manage their blog. Over the past 3 years, not only has our working relationship grown, but the blog and its reach has grown. Bulk Herb Store is my “job,” and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. They are an amazing company to work for, and I love the team we have created there. I look forward to the future of the BHS blog and whatever else comes from it.
TOP POSTS OF 2015
In 2015, I’ve experimented quite a bit with the type of content I’ve written here at GUH as well as the frequency. Below, you’ll find the top posts of 2015 in case you want to check those out. I hope you enjoy them!
- Blending Essential Oils For Beginners
- Is Your Baby’s Rash Diaper Rash or Yeast Rash
- Manly Essential Oil Beard Blends
- How To Make A Naturally Disinfecting Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- How To Use A Steam Vaporizer For Cough & Congestion
- 4 Herbal Remedies To Relieve Itchy Skin
- Which Essential Oils Are Safe For Different Aged Children
- Two Natural Teething Aids That May Not Be Safe For Baby
- How To Make Deliciously Healthy Ginger Chew
- Nutrition For Kids: 5 Best Natural Supplements For Children
What’s Ahead For 2016
Okay, so let’s move on to plans for 2016.
This next year is like a blank canvas. I think I’ll make an outline below, but, like always, I’ll basically be painting as I go and see how it turns out. Stay tuned for some blog posts documenting the process, and of course, I’ll let you know at the end of 2016 if it was pretty or not!
LIFE
I really don’t know what life will hold this next year. This is the exciting thing about life… it’s an adventure, and I love adventures!
No matter what life holds, I do have some things I’d like to see happen.
Hopefully, the interior/exterior home projects from this year will be finished up and all tidy looking. Dean and I are planning on landscaping our mountain land next year. I’d like to give our house more curb appeal as well as make the layout more useable. I have big plans for a mountain homestead so we have lots of work to do. Some winter projects that you’ll be seeing around the blog include new kitchen countertops, a pantry makeover, and a more inspiring office space (more on that below).
I’m also planning on going sky-diving with a couple of my brothers-in-law sometime next year! This was part of my Christmas gift from my hubbie, and I’m super excited. I’ve wanted to go sky-diving for a long time, and now I get too! We’ll be diving over the Smokey Mountains, hopefully during autumn when the view is spectacularly colorful. I’ll keep you posted. Again, pray for me!
BUSINESS
My business plans for the coming year would include continuing my work for BHS (and maybe another herbal blog – hint, hint) as well as continuing to post regularly here at Growing Up Herbal. That means that I’ll have to continue to be organized and flexible in order to live my life they way I want and manage this online business I have.
As far as GUH goes specifically, I’m not really sure. There are several products I’ve been working on that I wanted to launch this next year, but depending on how things go with managing other blogs, those things may not happen. For that, I’m truly sorry. Like I said earlier, I have to be organized, flexible, and open to where the road leads. I’ll be sharing more about what GUH and business will look like in another blog post very soon. Stay tuned! In the meantime, keep an eye out for a big GUH site redesign here soon! I can’t wait!
Lastly, I’m working on giving my home office a serious makeover. I’m chunking the treadmill, the pack-n-play, and the huge desk and turning this place into an open, inspiring place to work. Again, that’s another blog post.
HEALTH
Okay, so health plans for 2016 include continuing to simplify meals without skimping on health. Why oh why is this so difficult for me? I seriously have to be making this process harder on myself. Maybe I’m letting perfectionism have too much room here. Please, please share your healthy, simple meal planning how-tos with me. I’m all ears.
Also, I’m ditching all the plastic in my kitchen. If you read my Letters To Natural Mamas email today, you already know that. And yes, I’ll blog about the process and how I make it happen. Stay tuned.
Lastly, I’m planning on visiting a Nutrition Response Therapist for the first time ever. I want to hear that I’m perfectly healthy and to keep doing what I’m doing. No, nothing is going on with me right now (other than the fact that I have a stinkin’ cold), but I wanna make sure I’m all good. Also, I foresee monthly massages in my future.
Alright, so there’s my 2015 in review and my plans for 2016.
I want to say a huge “THANK YOU” for sticking with me this past year. I hope you’ve been inspired, learned a thing or two, and progressed in your journey to raising your children naturally. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2016 together mama!
Blessings, Meagan