It is a rainy day here in Atlanta. As I am typing this we are hours away from 2022. We have been contemplating whether or not to ring in the new year at a friend’s house. With the number of Covid cases going up, I am a bit worried but thankfully we both have gotten our booster shots.
I wanted this month’s life update post to be about looking back and reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. But before then, let me tell you what we have been up to.
Home Sweet Home
When Dwight came home for Thanksgiving, I gave him a long list of things to do before he leaves in January. Things like fixing things around the house and some decorative projects.
We have been in the new house for over a year now and we haven’t done much decorating. So, I wanted us to take advantage of the Black Friday sales and buy a couple of rugs and a few decorative elements like pillows, frames, bookshelves, etc.
It ended up being a bigger project than I thought. I won’t lie, the strength of our marriage got tested a few times during the process but in the end, we checked everything off of the list. The two things that got me most excited were the coffee bar and the wall gallery.
Coffee Bar:
I have been wanting to have my own coffee bar since the beginning of the pandemic. I wanted to have a designated section in the kitchen where I can make Starbucks quality drinks. I am happy to tell you that now I have my dream coffee bar.
I am sharing the (affiliate) links for the furniture, shelf, and both coffee makers below, in case you are wondering.
- Bar Cabinet
- Shelf with Hooks
- Moccamaster – Coffee Maker (On the right)
- Breville Barista Touch (On the left)
Gallery Wall:
There is a gal I follow on Instagram. She shares lifestyle content that revolves around interior design. She lives in a gorgeous house in some Scandinavian country. I have always loved the idea of having a gallery wall and when I saw hers I knew I wanted to have my own.
Thankfully, Dwight also liked the idea so we built our own gallery wall in our living room. Now, this is a start. We plan on working on this section in the coming months (aka major cable management) but for now, I love how it turned out.
I bought most of these posters from this European poster store.
The next project is going to be my office space but we ran out of time so I’ll share more of it next month.
Things That Worked In 2021:
- Expanded my network: The word for 2021 for me was “to engage”. I wanted to find ways to come out of my shell (namely, behind my camera and keyboard) and connect with more readers and blogger friends.
During the first half of the year, I have been able to meet some of you during live cooking classes. I also started mentoring new bloggers, which has been a great way to help people who are interested in blogging about food and recipes. - Found a good rhythm: I am finally at a place in life where I accepted the fact that I find comfort in routines. And for the first time in my life, I am comfortable with the daily routines that I have been able to establish. I do not know if it is an age thing but I have never been more content with where I am in life both physically and emotionally.
- Grew my own tomatoes: Back in May, my dad and I built two raised beds in our backyard to grow our own tomatoes. We did learn a few lessons along the way but I truly enjoyed eating from our own backyard.
- Alaska Trip: A trip to Alaska was on top of my bucket list of places to go. I went there in August and it was the trip of a lifetime.
- Got a housekeeper: Don’t get me wrong, I love cleaning my house. In my early years in college, I even worked as a housekeeper. I find it therapeutic, but cleaning a big house all by myself takes a full day. I finally decided to get some help and I have to say, it is worth every penny.
- Yearly Reader Survey: I do reader surveys once a year. I usually get about 200 to 300 people to fill them out. However, this year’s survey got over 1000 responses. It felt incredible to read through your kind words and to hear that you are enjoying the recipes I share in my corner of the internet. Thank you for that.
Things That Did Not Work in 2021:
- Social Media sucks: It is no secret that social media is a big part of any online business. When I first got into social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it was more about getting inspired and checking in on friends and other people around the world. Sadly, things have changed so much since then. Nowadays, I dread going on Instagram. With the rise of Tiktok and face-paced videos, everybody is creating these super fast, sensational videos where I feel like I am sucked into something that I can’t get out of. After 15 minutes of scrolling through my feed, I feel exhausted and less of myself.
- Did not read as much: I have been an avid reader most of my life but for some reason I didn’t read as much as I would have liked in 2021. I spent more time watching shows on Netflix. While I think that is okay, I want to get back to reading with a goal of 2 books a month.
- Feeling behind all the time: I don’t know if it is because of social media or that we know so much about each other’s life, I constantly feel behind. It feels like whatever I do is not enough. The minute I hit publish on a recipe that I worked so hard on, I need to start working on the next one asap to stay in the game. Whether it is Google, Facebook or Instagram, we are all trying to feed a monster that is never satisfied.
Plans, Hopes & Dreams for 2022:
- To get ahead and be more organized: My big goal for 2022 is to get ahead. I want to be a bit more organized and plan things better so that I don’t feel like I am behind all the time. I started reading a few helpful books on the subject and plan to share about my progress in the months to come.
- Hire out for social media: I know I can’t ignore it so I am going to build a team to help me create content for social media. I have already hired out a Pinterest manager and a video editor for Instagram and TikTok videos. Next, I will work with a FB coach to help me revive my dead FB account.
- More YouTube content: I actually enjoy spending time on Youtube and learning from others. This year, thanks to my new video editor, I plan on sharing more videos and hopefully on a more consistent basis. We are still trying to figure out the format but I actually feel very inspired about connecting with you in that way. We are also brainstorming on some lifestyle videos so stay tuned.
- Air Fryer recipes: I have been testing recipes using my air fryer for a few months now. There was a bit of a learning curve, but I am now fully on board. I will start with sharing basic recipes and then move onto more complicated recipes throughout the year.
I leave you with this…
Who knows what the future holds, but like many people, I enjoy hitting the reset button on January 1st. Below is a great video from one of my favorite YouTubers, Matthew Encina, about productivity.
I have been applying some of the tips he shared in the video and it has already been so fruitful. I am sharing just in case you need a bit of help with organizing your workflow/day.
Happy New Year, my friend. I hope 2022 will grant you everything you want in life.
Until next month…
Cheers!
Aysegul
Enjoy Life Updates Like This One? Here are a few more:
- Leaving Vermont For Good
- Guess what? We bought a house!
- Life on a small Caribbean Island
- You need to put Anguilla on your travel bucket list
Hi! LOVE you coffee bar, so cute! Are you happy with both machines? Does the Breville make an 8 oz cup of coffee? I’m shopping around and looking for reliable suggestions. Thanks!
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your kind words about my coffee bar. To answer your questions:
RE: Are you happy with both machines? – I am very happy with both of them. I am a big coffee drinker and I think these two machines serve me well.
RE: Does the Breville make an 8 oz cup of coffee? – Yes, it does. When you turn it on, it gives you several options in which you can pick the one you want and making a cup of coffee is one of them. Though I personally only use my breville to make expresso and latte.
I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Aysegul
Thanks for the reply! Do you find that you use one machine more than another? Flavor wise, is there a difference in the two? Appreciate your tips, trying to convince my husband we need the real deal machine! 😀
Ha ha.. I totally feel you. Mine needed a bit of convincing too.
To answer your question: I think it depends. I use Moccamaster every single day because I like drinking a cup of black coffee every morning. The Breville is for when I want to treat myself to an occasional latte or cappuccino. But if I had to choose one, I would probably get the Breville because it does what Moccamaster does and more. The only downside is if you are serving several people because Breville will not make a big pot of coffee as Moccamaster would.
Does this make sense? If you have more questions and want to chat in person, we can do a live chat. Let me know 🙂
Ahh thanks so much for the tips! I’m going to keep a lookout this fall for breville Black Friday sales! Appreciate your kind words and helpfulness. You truly are a gem ❤️