As 2019 draws to an ever closer end, here's my look back on the year and all the high point that made it great
I literally have Auld Lang Syne running through my head as I type this, and it's still just early December, ha! I usually take the last two or so weeks of the year off, so that's why I'm starting the 2019 wrap up now. We talked about goals already, I don't think the low parts of the year are worth rehashing, so this post is all about what made the year great for me. It's mostly what made it great professionally, but I'm including a few tidbits of personal details too to keep it interesting. Here are my favorite moments of 2019:
- Watching my son's come into their own person(s)
Henry can now ride a bike without any training wheels and his pedals fully installed on his balance bike. He's playing for his elementary's basketball team, and within a few months, advanced three or four levels of swim lessons. He's athletically inclined! Otto, on the other hand, loves music. He can hear a song once, and be able to sing along with it in the car. It blows my non-musical mind! He could carry a tune (and be in tune) before he was three. I think some sort of dance or music lesson of some sort is in his future. The twins are starting to develop their own personalities too - Teddy is more verbal and loves to talk, while Knox is more physical and loves to play and "do stuff." Knox is easily self-entertained and is always playing, walking, or moving. I wonder if Teddy will take after Otto and Knox after Henry! Time will tell.
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Matchy matchy even though their personalities are all coming out now and they all couldn't be more different! |
- Niching down
I've now been active in the blogging world long enough, and have developed a portfolio of brand partnerships strong enough to really work with exactly who I want to (see below for my partnership with Revive, right?!) I decided to narrow down the brands to cooking related, child related and eco-friendly or "green." And the coolest part about that is that this year, all those types of brands were the ones who reached out to ME to partner - I didn't have to do anything besides answer emails! Sure, a few random brands reached out, but by and large, everyone who did were people I'd
actually want to work with. That makes me feel like I've finally built a reputation as a knowledgeable source on those three key topics that I want to write and share about, and brands are seeking not only my creative side for my ideas, but my marketing expertise too. Yet again... Finally!
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Creating recipes, having honest convos about motherhood, exploring gardening and doing it all with a "crunchy" twist has been so fun this year! |
- Embracing my passions
I suppose this kind of relates to niching down too. But more than simply writing about my desired topics and partnering with great brands that I'd buy anyway, it's speaking my truth and being myself on social media. It's having an opinion I'm not scared to share. If I've got an opinion about the latest controversy in motherhood, I'll share it. At first I was afraid I'd offend people, but here's what really happened: I get tons and tons of DM's and emails from followers THANKING me for speaking my mind! Saying they agree with me and support me. I even had a follower send me a gift because I spoke up about a topic she was passionate about, and appreciated me taking a public stand on it! That absolutely was a favorite moment of 2019 for me. Every time a follower sends me a message saying I'm hilarious or made their day or they feel like we're secret best friends, my day is made. 100 percent made. It is SO freeing to be yourself and it's rewarding to have people comment on how you make their day by being your true self. This is definitely one of the best things to happen to me all year.
- Discovering REVIVE essential oils
Two words: GAME. CHANGER. I had been a Young Living distributor for a few years, and made all of about $30 from them. Then they wanted me to take down some of my best performing content, and the best course of action for me was to stop (attempting) to sell their oils on my site. But that brand has a website that's hard to navigate ("what exactly is an enroller ID and what the heck am I actually buying... I just want some lavender!) and so expensive, even affluent readers didn't want to take the plunge. And I don't blame them. I felt guilty every month spending the money I did on those oils too!
Then one of the Instagram accounts I really trust for oil recommendations said Revive was the best out there. I went to their site and saw that a bottle of lavender was $7 and they had free shipping, so I thought ok - I'll get one bottle and compare it directly to YL. I had tried other brands before and was consistently disappointed. Revive did NOT disappoint! I couldn't tell the difference between the two lavenders. So I ordered lemon, peppermint and frankincense, three more oils I use regularly. All were of equal quality to YL, and I got all of them for less than one 5ml bottle of Frankincense from Young Living.
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Have you tried Revive oils yet? |
After researching and trying the oils myself, I reached out to the company to see if they had an affiliate program. They had just launched it! I got my discount code and got to work updating my most popular blog posts. And I'm THRILLED to say that their brand was a natural fit for me! FINALLY! Within 4 months, I became their number one sales rep in the world. The. World. My website is a top traffic and sales driver for them. I've partnered with them on marketing campaigns and they genuinely listen to my recommendations. It's by far the best brand partnership I've ever experienced! They let me bounce ideas off of them and we create together. They're hands down the reason my blog was successful in 2019! My first paycheck was enough to pay my cell phone bill. Now it can fund the mortgage!
If you're skeptical about oils or you don't think Revive is good option, accept my challenge: Go to
revive-eo.com/shop and pick out an oil. If you don't know what to get, let me suggest the lavender.
Use code PAIGE10 to get 10% your first order (along with free shipping to the US and Canada!) and try it yourself. If you don't like it, email me and I'll buy it back from you! One bottle. It will change your mind and your life.
2019 was a hard year personally. It was full of nonstop diaper changes, sleep regressions and breastfeeding twins. Late in the year, the twins finally started to sleep through the night and they were fully weaned by 13 and a half months. Since both those milestones, my personal life has become much easier and more manageable! My professional life was another story! 2019 was a roller coaster. I started the year off strong and confident. Then hit a low in mid-March and stayed low until I found Revive. I can say that, in 20/20 hindsight, the year was full of growth and learning that is definitely ending on a positive. I'm so thrilled on where I'm at in both my personal and professional life heading into 2020. I hope it's a sign of good things to come!