A Thanksgiving To Remember:
How was your Thanksgiving?
We had the most wonderful time. Dwight came down from Maine a day before Thanksgiving and we cooked the big turkey dinner together.
This was also my dad’s first Thanksgiving so we made sure to make all the traditional recipes like Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout Salad, Sweet Potato Souffle, and of course, the turkey. We had a few friends join us, which made it even more fun and festive.
I finally met Ina!
Well, sort of.
Katie Couric came to Atlanta to promote her memoir and Ina was her guest. She was there to interview her and help Katie tell her story.
I am not sure if I am the biggest Katie Couric fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed their conversation. It was a delight to “meet” Ina in person. Having been a fan for so many years, I thought I knew everything about her but I guess I was wrong.
She said that when she first started no one in her family believed that she would be successful. They thought that her leaving the White House and pursuing her dream of cooking/entertaining was a mistake. The only person who believed her was her husband.
I guess that explains why Jeffrey is such an important person in her life. He literally had her back from day one.
What Is Working – The Highlights:
This month, I think it is appropriate to divide this section into two categories; personal and professional. There is so much work happening in the background that I think it wouldn’t be right to not mention the business stuff.
Personal:
- Dwight is home: It makes me so happy to have him home. He will be here until after the new year and I want time to stop.
- Setting up a time to celebrate: In the past, I made these last 2 months all about work and obsessed over creating content. This year, I made an intentional decision to arrange my schedule so that I can spend some time socializing and celebrating the holidays. We have been doing a lot of outings with friends checking out all the hot spots in Atlanta and I am loving it.
- A warm house, finally: Guys, I was so cold in Vermont and now looking back, I am realizing that I hated the winter there. It was so cold that we couldn’t heat our house warm enough. Here I am typing this in December and I am not freezing. I am just so happy and grateful that I am living in a warmer climate now.
- Got my booster shot: I have to be honest, the next day was not fun. It knocked me out so much that I couldn’t get out of bed. But still, I am grateful that it was available and I was able to get it.
Professional:
- Teaching SEO: If you are a blogger, you probably know about the algorithm changes that happen often. I was badly affected by one of those updates back in November 2019. It was so bad that I lost almost 75% of my traffic/income overnight. Yeah, not good. It came at a very bad time as it happened right before the pandemic.
During that time I realized that I should not be putting all my eggs in one basket. With the encouragement of a few blogger friends, I started to offer SEO mentorship. It has been so rewarding in that (1) I love nerding out on data, (2) It gives me an opportunity to connect with and help other food bloggers and (3) it is another source of income. My mentorship program was even mentioned by one of my friends/students, Emma (of Emma Duckworth Bakes) in the popular podcast, Food Blogger Pro. - Summer Prep Paid Off: I have always admired bloggers who are ahead with their content creation. You know, those people who are working on March recipes in December. As much as I wish I could be like that I am certainly not there yet. However, I did some advance prep during the summer months for the holiday season. It was a lot of work, but I feel like it paid off. My biggest goal for the new year is to get ahead. 🤞🏻
What Is Not Working?
- I burned myself out: If you knew me in person, you would think that I am an overachiever. I have a tendency to do everything 110%. In preparation for the holiday season, since July to be exact, I have overworked myself. Sadly, I didn’t do a good job of taking breaks and as a result I am feeling stretched thin. Very thin.
- No time to work out: I signed us up for LA Fitness in the beginning of September to make sure that we are ready for all the extra food we are going to be eating during the holidays. Both my husband and dad have been regulars. Like, every.single.day.
Me? I have not been there yet. Zero. Never. Send help! Please. - Yearly Mammogram – I am scared: I am grateful that I do not have a history of breast cancer in my immediate family. And, I know how important it is to get a mammogram once a year. But, I am dreading it. It is no fun to get a mammogram but I don’t mind it as much as waiting for the results. They are almost always understaffed so it takes forever to get the results. And God forbid, if they find something and need more tests, there is more waiting. I know this is no excuse and I shouldn’t be putting it off but I just struggle with this whole process.
I Live You With This – #Deliveryworker
I don’t know about you but since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been ordering everything online. Obviously, it is convenient and safe but after watching the CBS 60 Minutes segment on how hard it is for the people who are preparing and delivering these orders, I joined the #deliveryworker movement on Instagram.
The idea is that you leave some snacks and beverages in front of your door for these hardworking people to enjoy and feel appreciated when they bring your packages. I think it is an easy and thoughtful way to cheer someone up and make them feel special.
I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season wherever you are in the world.
Until next month. Cheers!
Aysegul
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