HEYYY, FRIDAY! Today is kind of a big deal to me because exactly one year ago I launched The Weekend Fox!

The months flew by, but some days were long. I had some major wins and some lows, but more than anything, I’m excited about the future of TWF! If you were here a little earlier this week, you saw my first blogging related post revolving around the best advice I received as a new blogger. And while I wouldn’t call myself an expert, I’ve been proud and excited to help answer questions from any friends that have been interested in blogging. That post really summed up almost everything I would tell anyone looking to start a blog, and I’m sure other bloggers can totally relate.

Today’s post is going to be more of a little recap of the last year. I love reading blog posts with some more personal touches and hopefully, this gives you a peek into what the last year has been like for me. And if nothing else, I hope it can be relatable or motivate you in one way or another!

 

WINS

• As a blogger that wants to make money, working with brands was a goal from the beginning but I knew it would take a little bit of time to establish credibility. In the last 6 months The Weekend Fox has partnered with brands like Mrs. Meyer’s, Santa Rita Wines, and Diet Coke.
• When it comes to travel, I’m always open to great partnerships, but I can be really picky. I can tell you one thing and that’s I won’t partner with a hotel or attraction if it’s not something I personally love. Over the last year, I have received discounts on rooms and experiences that I absolutely loved, but I always stress that the opinions on my blog are totally my own, and they always will be.
• Becoming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) was a natural progression for The Weekend Fox, but I put it off for so long. Now that it’s official, I’ll be getting a “work” credit card and treating my blog that much more like a business.
• I like to think it’s not all about the numbers when it comes to blogging, so I’m not going to focus on social media followers (let’s be honest, it’ll go up and down 10x before I even publish this post), but I did hit 200,000 page views on the blog this year and THAT is pretty damn cool. Your eyeballs on my content is all I can ask for 12 months into this journey so thank you, thank you, thank you. And if you want an extra pair of eyes on your blog/shop/content/etc. leave me a comment so I can reciprocate the love!

 

Top 5 Posts on The Weekend Fox

1. 8 Quotes to Live by from The Greatest Showman

You can call this my “viral” post. With over 55,000 (that’s THREE zeroes there) shares, it drove a ton of new traffic to my young blog. I was blown away by the response from people and got numerous emails and messages from people relating to the post and the movie. If you haven’t seen The Greatest Showman, do yourself a favor and watch it during your next date night at home!

2. 9 Must-Do’s for a Family Vacation in Gatlinburg, TN

As one of my very first travel posts, I’ve been so happy to see the success of this post. Gatlinburg is near and dear to my heart. As you’ll see in another recent post, it was part of what triggered my love for traveling. We’ve visited Gatlinburg about 10 times as a family and I love to think other families are making the same memories there that we have!

3. 10 Items to Pack for a Day at Disney World

If you know me, you know I love Disney. I’m not there every weekend like some bloggers, but let’s just say I get my money’s worth out of my annual passes. I have to admit, I regularly look at this list myself because it’s so easy to forget something! I’ll be sure to update it if anything ever changes.

4. New York City: A Weekend Guide for the First-Timer

The first time I visited New York City I was captivated by the magical chaos. It just felt like a place where dreams can come true (ya know, besides Disney World). If I could, I would plan a weekend trip to NYC once a year just so I could see a show on Broadway, eat my way through some of the world’s best restaurants, and feel the energy of the city. I still stand by this awesome first-timer guide and love that it’s helped other tourists visiting the New York City.

5. 9 Quotes from Christopher Robin that are Good for the Soul

You all have made my heart happy by giving this post so much love and attention in just the last month or so! I’m a huge movie lover so the fact that I can write about movies that inspire me makes me really happy. I love pulling parts from memorable movies and applying the life lessons or quotes to my everyday life. If you want more movie related posts, let me know! I have a feeling it will be something I naturally include on the blog every so often.

LOWS

• The lack of motivation came in cycles this year. Never being self-employed before, navigating this world was tougher than I expected. I literally had days that I would do nothing. My thoughts would get negative, I’d judge the crap out of my own words, and I’d start comparing myself to others. Sometimes I could shake the bad vibes just as quickly as they came, but other days I really needed to check in with myself.
• It hurts to hear “no”, but getting ghosted by brands or told I’m not worth $25 is even worse. Either way, I’ve had to get even thicker skin over the last year.
• When I really look back at the last year, many of my lows didn’t revolve around blogging. In fact, blogging gave me a way to deal with other stresses and heartaches. I guess it’s true what they say, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. 

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’ve been finding my voice over the last year and I become more confident with every post that I write because it feels more and more like me.

More Travel

In a few weeks, my husband and I head out on a ten-day adventure to three different countries in Europe. We are marking off major bucket-list moments, including Oktoberfest in Munich! October through December is the busiest time of year for my husband’s job in the wine industry, but weekend getaways are kinda my thing. In addition to weekend fun, we’re trying to decide if we’ll be squeezing in another big adventure in February! We might just have to have your vote on where we go?!

On top of that, I’ll be pulling together more travel guides and itineraries (the majority of my emails are from people asking for recommendations) so I’ll be excited to send them right to your inbox!

More Lifestyle

When I’m not traveling, life is totally happening. And there are so many things I love about the lifestyle niche. From motivational posts to styled posts, it’s all part of the weekend life. You’ll be seeing a lot more of the married-millennial-late-twenties lifestyle. I’m still trying to figure life out, so thanks for joining me.

More Passion

The Weekend Fox stems from a passion to create, inspire, educate, and just be me. So much of the blog has focused on travels and light-hearted topics, but the posts that really made my heart thump were the passionate posts. Whether it was inspired by quotes from a movie or confessing that I broke up with a dream, I loved those posts because they were filled with raw passion.

 

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ONE YEAR GIVEAWAY!

Were you here 6 months ago?! I did my first ever giveaway with a beautiful, white Away carry-on! And as I was chatting with some close friends, I decided to stick with a giveaway that you all LOVE. So, for the one year blogaversary, I’m giving away one BIGGER Away carry-on in whatever color YOU want! (I suggest you match your car 😉).

To Enter:

• Follow me on Instagram (yep, just me, not 45 others) & like the giveaway photo.
• Leave a comment with where you’re going on your next trip & tag a friend! ✈️
• Tag additional friends in separate comments [up to 5 friends total]
• Share the giveaway on your Instagram Stories for an extra entry!

Giveaway is running August 31 – September 7 and is open to U.S. & Canada!
A random winner will be selected and announced on Instagram on September 8!

Aluminum bigger carry-on is not included as an option. Giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or Away. Must be 18 years or older.