Affiliate links may be sprinkled throughout the awesome, free content below. But, I need to let you know that I’ll receive a small commission if you shop my links (at no extra cost to you). You should also note that I will totally spend those pennies on a yummy, warm cup of coffee. As always, thanks for the support.
In May of 2022, I wrote a note to myself and stuck it on the December calendar page of my planner. When I flipped to December, I was delighted to see the pink post-it note that read:
Brennon, Today is 5/16/22, when you read this it will be December 2022 – almost 6 months away. Look at how life has transformed beautifully! Keep going! You Got this! Heart, Me.
And, indeed, life had transformed beautifully. With this in mind, we will rewind time and flip back through the planner to January and move forward from there.
This will be an interesting read, so please do, grab a cup of your favorite thing and let’s go!
January 2022
When I opened my planner to January 2022, a few things immediately jumped out at me which included COVID, #momlife, and doctor appointments.
COVID was still a big thing and it seemed as if we were getting COVID tests every week. We had plans to attend the Harlem Globetrotters World Tour, as we do every year, but we ultimately didn’t make it because not everyone tested negative for COVID. We let the tickets go by the wayside and we quarantined at home.
I made a lot of new Pinterest dishes including Copycat KFC Bowls and Buffalo Chicken Bombs. I even made Chicken Tetrazzini which was probably the best of all.
While I said that I would focus on rest and relaxation for the month of January, I didn’t. I continued with the training for my CEMP certification, made sure that my oldest son when to the Football expo, and somehow managed to do all of this while being in the early stages of pregnancy.
And, that was just life, that wasn’t blogging. On the blogging front, I was grateful to continue my partnership with rue21 and also had some photos taken at a new literary bar in town.
A few highlights I don’t want to forget:
I worked from home, took intentional beauty showers, January 31st was my birthday, and I attended therapy.
February 202
February started off with me being nine weeks pregnant. I was feeling good, completed my CEMP certification, and presented various presentations quite a bit at work during the month. I remember being so nervous about co-presenting with a dean at our institution. I ended up being nervous for no reason at all because everything turned out just fine.
A few highlights I don’t want to forget:
I went self-care shopping, completed my CEMP certification, and co-presented with the dean.
On the blogging front, I continued to partner with rue21. We worked together on a Black History Month campaign. It was a very different campaign for me. Thinking back, I would have done things differently.
I also unexpectedly won the Outstanding Staff of the Year award at work. It was such a delight to have my work acknowledged by my peers.
March
March seemed to slow down just a bit. It was more about traveling track with my youngest son and the beginning of attending Centering Pregnancy classes. That was a new experience that I greatly enjoyed.
April
April was stressful with a lingering court situation, but I continued to try and stay focused as best I could. I ended up cashing out all of my investments to pay for (unnecessary) associated court fees which was extremely hurtful. I have to be thankful that I had it, but it was still a low blow to the gut.
On a more positive note, I was able to the boys to Canada. This was a really big deal because this was their first time “out of the country”. In addition, I had always wanted to take my children to Canada like our parents did for us – and, I made that happen.
Read all about our Canadian adventure here on the blog!
May
Travel continued into May. In May, I attended a weekend Leadership Conference which was hosted by our institution. It was an honor to be chosen to participate. On top of that, I was one of two that were chosen to give a recap to the class during our closing ceremony. It was a well-delivered speech. By the way, I was five months pregnant.
Check out all of my Precious Moments figurine reviews! They’re all so lovely!
June
By the time June came, doctor appointments began to ramp up. So much of my energy began to be directed toward baby things such as creating a registry and ordering important baby items. All of these activities led to a collaboration with the Prego Expo. I had so much fun during the virtual expo.
You can check out the Prego Expo blog post for a glimpse of what to expect.
My youngest son and I went to a WWE event which made him genuinely happy because he had been asking to attend one for a few years now and I was finally able to give him that opportunity. I also learned some things about wrestling that I never knew.
Check out all of my collaborations with Newair over the years!
July
July came with some unexpected stress. My oldest son left for a five-month academy to better position his future, the court bullshit continued, and one of my favorite cousins ended up being terminally ill (and later passed away).
On a positive note, I spent more time with my youngest son, I had dinner with two of my best friends from high school, and I saw my cousin, aunt, and uncle for the first time in years.
July was also the end of me working and heading into maternity leave. Our department at work threw me a beautiful baby shower and we received so many beautiful gifts. I am forever grateful for the love and support that was bestowed upon us.
Aside from heading out on maternity leave, I was invited to the Amazon Vine program. One day, I may talk more about what that’s like, but for now, please follow me on Amazon Live!
August
Our daughter was born towards the end of August. I was slightly induced and the entire labor process was really quick – maybe five hours, if that.
September
Nothing was planned for September, of course. It was just a matter of taking care of myself and our new little girl. However, court drama continued and my youngest son broke his wrist in a football game.
In the midst of this my oldest son had started driver’s education and was swaying back and forth on if he really wanted to be there at the academy or not.
October
I continued to enjoy maternity leave and had photos taken at Enchanted Fairies with our daughter. I was delighted that my mom went and was very helpful in the process. It would have been a stressful process without her.
Aside from that, our family had a chili cook-off which was a lot of fun and I am so glad that I attended. Three winners were chosen and my delicious turkey chili tied with my cousin for 2nd and 3rd place! How about that!?
As October came to an end, my son’s cast was removed and we had autumn family photos taken. I was so proud of those photos.
Join Shareasale now and start earning money as an affiliate!
November
As November approached, I dreaded it. I simply wasn’t ready to head back to work, but I needed to, so the transition ended up being bitter-sweet. I was happy to go back to work because I enjoy it, but I also wanted to stay home with our daughter.
Aside from that, my oldest son was able to come home for a week which was cool.
My Aunt Ruth who is 100 called me at work because she missed me which made me soooo happy and is certainly a highlight I don’t want to forget.
I also spoke with my Aunt Tiny who is in her 90’s. She’s so sweet and sent us so many Christmas gifts.
I also received a lot of gifts from other relatives, as well – which was delightful.
December
December was a mix of emotions as I continued to transition back into a work routine. However, I was happy and relieved that a week-long break was on the horizon.
Sadly, I’m still missing my aunts. I’ve been trying to get through to them since the storm began in Buffalo, but I haven’t had any luck. I’m hopeful that all is well.
For the most part, this was my life in a nutshell. I didn’t include every collaboration in this post because there were plenty! I appreciate them all and am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing brands! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Finally, I’m wrapping up the year, not only reflecting, but working on my vision board and goals for 2023. This year, I have decided to do different things. After looking at all of my past vision boards, I realized the goals were so similar each year. While nothing is wrong with that, I just don’t want to pursue the same things this coming year!
So, stay tuned for some unique experiences and new content!
Cheers to 2023 and bye-bye to 2022!
