A new year, a new adventure! Last year was an amazing journey that gave way to some spectacular destinations in both the physical and spiritual sense. We were active, goal-driven, and I’m extremely proud of and thrilled with the way our year went down! I think that the best way to recollect the best parts of the year is through a ‘year in review’ so here we are!
The Quirky Mom Next Door participated in many great collaborations this year, some which led us to some entertaining events and others gave us the opportunity to try out really cool products. The 3Doodler might be the most unique tool that we’ve ever had our hands on, giving us the opportunity to draw anything that came to mind! Our new Lenovo Yoga 730 is a sleek, portable tablet/laptop that I use every day and honestly consider absolutely perfect. My SOL Republic Amps Air 2.0 Ear Buds are giving me much-needed relaxation and meditation time as mama (full review for that one coming soon!). Speaking of being a mom, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the compact Britax B-Mobile stroller that’s making our daily lives and travel a lot easier!
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When I say travel, I’m shocked at how much we got around in the past year! Just about every month had a least one big fun event to keep us on our toes!
JANUARY
Our first ever visit to Disney on Ice was a blast for everyone! The skating was so good and we got to see tons of our favorite characters!
The Franklin Institute’s Terracotta Warriors exhibit sparked a lot of learning and my husband was like a kid in a candy store with all of the history put before him.
FEBRUARY
A fitting follow-up to Disney on Ice, my husband got to take some of the gang to the Marvel Universe Live show where superheroes kicked butt on stage.
MARCH
I have to mention the fact that we took my tiny little then-two year old skating for the first time ever and she kind of rocked it. It was completely unexpected!
I also attended my first ever women’s retreat and roomed with one of my best friends. It was a really moving and incredible experience, everything I had hoped for.
APRIL
Our renaissance faire season started with a bang at the Smithville Renaissance Faire!
MAY/JUNE
The faire fun kept going as we visited every single weekend of the New Jersey Renaissance Faire and then the Wheaton Arts Fantasy Faire!
JULY
Our first ever movie screening was the Teen Titans GO! to the Movies and packed with bloggers, candy, and Will Arnett!
You guys aren’t the only ones who enter giveaways! I won tickets to see my favorite band, Three Days Grace, at the iHeart Radio Theater in New York City! I was in the front row and also got to meet the band and get a few autographs!
AUGUST
The Poconos most certainly won Best Family Vacation Ever (until Disney, maybe!)! The nature was beautiful and there was so much to do, plus I learned that I love hiking! I plan to write a full post on all of the things that we did because I feel like everyone should get a chance to go up there and see these stunning waterfalls at least!
While in Pennsylvania, we popped over to Legoland for a while and let the kids play all day. The kids loved having their pick of Legos to play with in this massive Lego haven.
When we finished at Legoland, we checked out our first escape room at a place called 5 Wits, and decided that we were addicted and can’t wait to go back! I’m not great with puzzles but it’s still SO FUN!
The Franklin Institute moved on to the Game Masters exhibit, which we all had to see. The kids got to see and play games that we played when we were little and we got to learn all about their creators.
My little man turned five and requested a big bash at Sahara Sam’s, the indoor water park. Waffles and ice cream, then a ton of waves! The outdoor wave pool was everyone’s favorite!
SEPTEMBER
We got a new contributor and she visited the LANDS’ END grand opening with her family, taking some great shots of the store and activities.
While Michele attended that event, me and some of my gang headed to the Red Bank area to see Pamela’s First Musical! It was my first press trip and gave me the opportunity to really see some of the cool sites in North Jersey!
OCTOBER
It wouldn’t be fall without a fall festival, which we attended for the first time at Batsto Village. Homemade chips, old cars, and just a lovely old historical site to peruse.
Every year, we visit our Argos Farm to pick pumpkins, jump on a giant pillow, watch pig races, and a bunch of new things they added this year!
I got to mark Six Flags Fright Fest off of my bucket list this year as we trekked there for my birthday with my dad and stepmom. The Fest itself was okay but the company made it the best birthday ever!
DECEMBER
The Atlantic City Ballet performs The Nutcracker annually and not only did we get to see it, we had the chance to interview some of the adorable little girls performing in the show! The show itself was outstanding and my eight year old clapped emphatically the entire time. (Full post coming soon!)
For absolutely forever, I’ve wanted to visit A Longwood Christmas. Everyone takes so many pictures and I knew it would just be magical so I was thrilled to finally be able to see it for myself! We went with a best friend of mine and got to see so many pretty lights and trees! (More on that coming soon!) It’s an expensive ticket but I’m telling you, if you like Christmas lights or the smell or feel of plants or real Christmas trees, you’ve got to see this!
Listing our excursions makes me feel so much more accomplished, like we did plenty to enrich our lives last year. Sometimes I’ll feel like we didn’t do enough but this list, to me, says “fun mom” so I think I’m doing alright! Someone remind them of all of this stuff the next time I have to tell them I’m not a three-ring circus!
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I adore all of the places we went but there were also things we did this year that made a difference. Most notably, after years of praying about being estranged from my dad, we reconnected and our families have been inseparable. I’m so full of joy and faith, God moved mountains to put us back together and it’s truly been the best year of my life! My children have comrades in their young aunts and uncle, doubling the size of our family and gatherings. We’re all so similar, it’s like we’ve got an entire doppelgänger family! It’s UNREAL and so exhilarating!
In June, we also added a new pet to the family. Blue’s a quiet little guy but he’s so interesting to watch and interact with. Even watching him eat crickets is so cool, something I never pictured myself saying.
The Quirky Mom Next Door went extra legit with merchandise! There’s something about having car decals with my logo on them that make me feel like I matter!
In August, my little dude started school and I’m just starting to come to terms with it! He ended up with a really good teacher who pushes him to do his best and he also just started speech classes to help him speak a bit more clearly.
If you’ve followed along with our Halloween costumes over the years, you’ll know that we always do fun themes together. This year, my husband and I outdid ourselves with Ursula and Ariel! People we didn’t even know took pictures of us and left with giant smiles across their faces. Any costume that inspires smiles means we succeeded in our goals!
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Now, we’re looking to 2019. Obviously, the biggest thing we’re planning for is our Disney trip next month! I’ve already put together several preparation posts, to include my crafts like the character countdown and Disney savings bank, but I’m going to share as much as I can as we continue on this family journey! I’m over the moon at the mental image of my kids in front of Cinderella’s Castle and I can’t wait to be able to share our voyage with everyone! (You can follow along at #QuirkyQuestforMickey on social media!)
Our goal is to visit plenty more incredible destinations in this new year to keep things fresh and interesting! I hope to bring more faith, fitness, and organization posts your way as I continue working in all three areas. My husband and I have been going on many dates and we both have a lot to share to help continue the romantic spark in your marriage. I intend to bring a lot more of my ideas to fruition here on The Quirky Mom Next Door so stay tuned and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!
WOW! Looks like you had a great year! Our household was busy with house stuff! We painted all our walls and put 90% of our house in a pod so we could put in new flooring. 2019 brings organizing the house again!