It’s The Small Town Foodie’s first birthday!!!! I’m so excited to celebrate this past year, with all its ups and downs, and I can’t wait for what 2017 has in store.

Geeze oh man, where did 2016 go? Exactly one year ago today I shared my first recipe, and 56 blog posts later I’m still going strong. In the past year, I turned 23-years-old, graduated from college, moved in with Zack, started a full-time job, and decided to hit publish on that very first blog post.

Technically, I created the blog last November, but I didn’t get the courage to share the first recipe until a month later. I’ve learned so much this past year–about blogging, cooking, and myself. I thought I’d give a little re-cap of what this year brought and what I look forward to in 2017.

 

What happened this year:

Learned about my own needs

This healthy living journey has not been easy, but each day I learn what my body needs and what “healthy” means to me (Whole 30 helped A LOT).

Learned about balance

I’ve gained so much insight about staying balanced, not only in the food sense but in life in general. I’ve learned how to balance a full-time job, freelance writing, blogging, exercising, eating well, and maintaining relationships. It’s been hard and I continue to struggle, but I’m getting better each day.

Learned how to run a blog

Blogging may seem simple, but I am completely amazed at how much is put into it. I have to think of an idea, write a post, make recipes, photograph the food, edit photos, add it to WordPress, share it on social media, and engage with people online–and I’m probably forgetting something. Each post brings a lot of work, but it’s 100% worth it. (P.S. This was my most popular post this year).

Improved my photography

I finally got a DSLR camera!!! I got the Nikon D3400 on sale on Black Friday. Even when I was still using my iPhone, I learned a lot about food styling and lighting. I’m not to the point I want to be quite yet, but you can tell the difference between photos in some of my earlier posts and my photos now.

Became an Inspiralized ambassador

I’m now an Inspiralizer ambassador, meaning I get to help promote this amazing kitchen tool. I’ve followed Ali and her blog since I started to eat healthy and I’m so happy to join her team and help others make amazing, spiralized meals (P.S. The Inspiralizer is 20% off through the end of December! Follow this link).

 

My goals for 2017:

Grow my following

I’m excited about the growth of my blog, but it’s nowhere where I want it to be. I plan to work hard to get a better following on social media and more visitors to my blog.

Make some moneyyy

I’ve gotten some samples and merchandise from awesome companies (thanks Copper Cup and Finagle a Bagel) and my posts were shared by different accounts (Butterball, Lorissa’s Kitchen, and My Fab 5), but a big goal of mine for next year is to start working with companies and actually make some money off my blog through ambassador programs, advertisements, and sponsored posts.

Learn how to use that DSLR

I got that amazing camera, but I’m still using it on auto mode. I plan to hunker down and actually learn how to use all those manual settings, which will improve my photography like crazy.

Meet other bloggers

There is a huge amount of support in the blogging world from other bloggers. I’ve learned the importance of supporting other bloggers, rather than seeing them as competition. If you are another blogger reading this post–THANK YOU. I shared recipes from most of the bloggers that inspire me and support me in this post. Goal for 2017: actually meet some bloggers in real life. I know a few who live fairly close (hey, Miss Allie’s Kitchen), and I would loveee to meet them in person.

Have a more consistent schedule

My goal is to post at least twice a week, but I’ve been all over the place. Some weeks I reach that goal, some weeks I post once on random days, or I’ve gone several weeks without posting at all. Life gets crazy and I’m human, but I plan to start getting content planned way ahead of time and post twice a week on consistent days.

Build that email list

I have a subscribe option through WordPress, which sends an email to 13 people every time I publish a new post, but I plan to get an email account (probably MailChimp) and really build that list. This will allow me to communicate directly with people, adding a more personal touch to my content.

Work in my local area

The whole point of creating this blog was to help people who live in smaller areas eat healthy. In my small county, many people don’t understand the basics of eating well and how to get the ingredients they need to eat healthy, so I would love to work more in my own community. This could be teaching a class, coaching people, or setting up a stand at the farmers market with goodies from my garden and helpful information.

Personal Goals

I thought I’d share a few personal goals too, because at the end of the day, we’re all human. I always have room for improvement and I love the feeling of the fresh start of a new year. Some of my personal goals include: complete another Whole 30 and really figure out my food intolerances, get organized and manage my time better (I got a new Plum Paper planner and it’s beautiful), focus on ME and practice mindfulness and gratitude, and include more exercise into each week (my mom and I already have plans to start attending hot yoga and Zumba classes).

 

2016 flew by and I’m so excited to look back and see all that has happened. I’m gonna get real right now, life has been hard. I’ve been busy beyond belief, I’ve struggled adjusting to moving back home, I’ve had digestive and mental health issues, and I’ve had a hard time keeping relationships healthy. Not gonna lie, I considered just stopping this blogging thing altogether, but I’m so glad I didn’t. 

This may sound silly, but I’m SO thankful for this blog. It gives me a chance to be creative, to open up, to write what I’m feeling and thinking, and to help others. And I’m thankful for all of you who support me. I may not be where I want to be–have a huge following or be making money–but this past year has been such a journey and I wouldn’t change a thing. I started this to make a difference in people’s lives and help them live healthy and happy, and I can’t imagine getting rid of this blog. 

That being said, I can’t wait for what next year has in store for me. I hope you keep following along with The Small Town Foodie, because I’m not going anywhere ? Have a safe and happy new year and I’ll see you in 2017!

 

Your turn:

What are your goals for 2017? What would you like to see more of on The Small Town Foodie?

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