As i write this last blog post to wrap the year 2017, it teared me up a bit. I started April Was Here last Oct. 2016, so i really consider 2017 as my first year of blogging and boy what a journey. Right when i bought my own domain, i really don’t know how or where this blog’s going to take me, all i know is that’s what i like to do and i’ll try my best to work hard on it. It started it is as a hobby but i also have a “business plan” in mind. I read blogs, researched , created contents, engaged with readers, applied to influencer networks, pitched brands, everything that i know. Even up to this day, i still have a lot of learning to do and many things to accomplish. But i’m proud to say i’m able to monetize my blog now. It may not be as much as other bloggers who have the same niche as i am and who are actually made a living out of it but still it’s a great feeling to do what i love while staying at home with the kids.
To be honest, it wasn’t easy like i thought it was. I didn’t realize the challenges of the behind the scenes of it until you actually dedicate and commit yourself into it. Let’s just say, if you treat your blog as a hobby then it will be a hobby. If you treat it like a job, a business then it will actually be. While it sound really good to be your own boss who manages your own time, it’s not always that great because you are in control so you have to have the discipline to manage your time and to accomplish the amount of task you need to do both family and blogging. Also, it could be mentally and emotionally draining. There are times that i feel so uninspired and exhausted. I also feel bad about myself that i started to compare myself, my craft and my worth over other bloggers. That’s when i feel the pressure and it kills me. I’m glad that my husband is there to remind me, to just be yourself and just continue to do what you love. Do what you can and enjoy the learning process. Beating myself up is a total waste of time and energy. In spite of it, i feel so grateful and blessed with all the collaborations that i did for my first year of blogging. To all the bloggers and creatives that i met along the way, each and everyone of them means a lot to me. Every project that i do, big or small i put my heart into it and do the best that i can do. It’s been an amazing journey for April Was Here and i’m very thankful for following me along this journey. I’m so excited of what’s in store for us for 2018. I hope it’s going to better or at least the same as 2017.
As for my little family of 4, i hope for the best of our marriage, our family, our health and our livelihood. I can’t believe how fast my kids have grown, my 9 year old son is almost as tall as me. My baby girl is getting more and more independent. I kinda miss having a baby around the house but i can’t have a baby anymore per doctor’s advice because i get PUPP ( Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy ). It’s a skin rash brought by pregnancy and it gets worst as you get pregnant again.
Anyway, it just seems like yesterday that i used to tag along two little kids everywhere i go. They drive us insane and truly tested our patience but they are the greatest joy and blessings in our life. These two little humans makes us complete. Holidays and vacation are more fun with them. We don’t have a baby sitter or a family nearby who can babysit the kids. So everywhere we go and whatever we do, it’s a family affair.
As for our marriage life, we are 11 years already. We have our challenges just like any other couple. Marriage is not all rainbows and butterflies, it’s about being committed and dedicated to each other. To support and work on each other. As always, i’m hoping for the best of us. I couldn’t imagine being married to someone else. I don’t mean to be all cheesy and stuff but it’s true. I feel really blessed and grateful.
I would like to say thank you again for everything and i hope to do better and to grow on 2018.
As a thank you I would like to end this year with an amazing giveaway to all my Michigan and Detroit readers. I’m giving away 4 tickets to Cirque Du Soleil this coming Jan. 10 , 7:30 p.m at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit . Ticket info of the show is here.
Crystal is not just an ice show, it’s the very first experience on ice from Cirque du Soleil. Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats claim their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics. A new kind of performance as Cirque du Soleil meets the ice to defy all expectations.
We are super excited to watch the show ourselves too, this is our first Cirque du Soleil experience and we can’t wait ! I’m also going to share our experience through live stories on my Instagram and also a blog post. So stay tune for that.
For now, join this amazing giveaway
