Our family’s 2013 was absolutely beautiful. We began the year by announcing our pregnancy to loved ones. Within the year, we celebrated our third wedding anniversary and our daughters turning 3, 2, and 6. Our son was born at home during the summer and just a few weeks later, we settled on our first home, which is a gorgeous little place by the beach. We celebrated my October birthday in some excellent weather by the ocean, finding crabs and jellyfish and digging in the sand. Our Halloween costume theme was the best it’s ever been and we got so many compliments and enjoyed parading through our new neighborhood. Thanksgiving away with my husband’s family was so fun and everyone was ill for Christmas but we still enjoyed watching Santa on the firetruck drive down our street giving it candy canes and baking cookies, leaving reindeer food, and sharing a delicious dinner with my parents for the holiday. It was such a great year, I’ve come away with so many fantastic memories and having learned so many things but as usual, I greet the new year with goals to improve our lives.

One of my biggest problems is the constant “mommy brain” struggle. I feel as though you’d never know that I was considered a gifted or advanced student in the past, because I couldn’t tell you what 2+2 is nowadays, except that it might be the number of kids I have…I think…1,2,3,4,5…hold on, that’s a pile of clothes…4, it’s 4. So a goal of mine, on top of the usual get in shape and be more organized, is to increase my writing on this blog so that I can force my brain to process more than what to cook for dinner and what time to get my oldest off of the bus.

So stay tuned to The Crunchy Mom Next Door! I’ve got some reviews coming for some mom-owned businesses I’m dying to share with you, plenty of writing pieces to share, and I’m hoping to get into giveaways at some point in the not-so-distant future.

Have a happy New Year!!