The best way to start out 2011 is to look back on 2010 and ask if it was a good year.  And I can honestly say it was.

The end of my year as a blogger wasn’t what it usually is, I felt a little like I was ignoring my little bit of my beach, I didn’t have time to visit my happy place and tickle my feet in the sand.  But going forward it is a new year and with this new year a few small changes will be happening at my beach. Nothing major, just a little more focused on who I am now as a ‘Work-at-Home Mom’ rather than a ‘Stay-at-Home’ Mom.

Looking back on 2010 I can only think of one word to describe it all, Blessed.

My year saw me travel to Maryland for a Photography Workshop without my Husband and Children (a first for me) with such great success that I went on to New York City for BlogHer and Toronto for Blissdom Canada.  This was a huge endeavor for me and my family and would not have been possible at all if not for the help of my Mom.  For this I am truly grateful.

Our annual trip to Rehoboth went from a one week affair to a solid two weeks of beachtime.  The last couple of years had us leaving Ottawa in utter exhaustion only to finally get to the point of being relaxed and have to pack up and head home again.  Our first year at two weeks was wonderful, we absolutely loved it and look forward to our two weeks again this year with hopes of adding another week in a couple more years. And got to spend some time with some wonderful people I have met, thanks to this wonderful world of blogging.

In blogging and social media news, I spent the last year becoming better aquainted with Twitter and all the tweet goodness that follows.  I have met so many wonderful people that I can’t even remember what it was like without Twitter.  When I first started blogging five and a half years ago, I didn’t want anyone to know or to know who I was, now I feel like it is amazing to connect with other bloggers or people in my own city that I would have otherwise not known.  And thanks to Twitter, I was able to attend the She’s Connected conference in October where I met many more out of town people that I have been chatting with online for months and months.

I also got to share in some time with some of my oldest (although younger than me) blogging friends Brenda and Bethany. I saw Bethany twice, once at the beach and once for Thanksgiving in her new home.  I look forward to our next meeting and seeing Brenda again soon, as I know she will either be out East again or I will be West one way or another we will see each other in 2011 again, this I know.

Here in Ottawa, I was hit with a Random Act of Cupcakes, thanks to my good friend CupcakeCowgrrl.  She took it one step further over the holidays and spent four or five weekends driving across the city randomly hitting strangers with this kind act of goodness. And then if that wasn’t enough, she even got me involved with helping out at the Mission for Christmas dinner. I see many good things happening in 2011 both for and with CupcakeCowgrrl.

Last year, I joined a bookclub with a bunch of women on Twitter. Some I knew, others I did not. And although we fell a bit behind last Fall, I truly enjoyed meeting with them.  I got to read a bunch of books, I would have otherwise not even looked at and had some great conversation and fabulous friendships.  Thanks to Shannon, Brie, Lara, Chantal, Vicky, Julia and Barbara for bookclub, I look forward to us picking it up again soon.

I could probably continue, but I am sure I have rambled on long enough.  I look forward to 2011 for more time with new friends, family and my business.  I look forward to continuing my journey of being in great shape so I can play with my young children.  I look forward to growing my business and I look forward to learning how to manage it all efficiently so we all have enough time with each other.

Happiest of New Years to all my Blogging and Tweeting friends,

Sincerely,

BeachMama