Giving a Recap
I joined in with this super Ultimate Blog Challenge in January 2016 and I’ve been looking forward to each quarterly challenge since then. Before that, I dabbled in a few blogs, one was Bubbles which is were I met a few bloggers who are also here! One reason I love this group is because everyone has something different for their niche. As for me I never had another in particular that I planned to write about, it’s whatever came into my head. I started doing many product revew blogs but over time I expanded into money saving tips, healthy eating and many of my recipes are quick, easy and low cost! One blog story led to another and along came my 5th great grandbaby on August 23, 2018. You might say she stole the show from then on. I would write about Lia’s baking, gardening, crafts and her love for everyone.
Lia even has her own category on The Martha Review, if you are bored sometime, take a look at A Day In Lia’s Shoes and you can read some of Lia’s blogs!
In 2020 Lia really took over my blog with her Friday Story Time by Lia! Every Friday I help her write a blog about her happenings. One reason I love her Friday Story Time is because I plan to put her stories in a book so when she graduates from high school, I can present her with a book from her early lift. So as you can see, we don’t really have a niche unless it’s just life!
It’s Day 2 of the October Ultimate Blog Challenge and I’m giving a recap of the months since the July challenge. I’m not really sure where August and September went but here’s what was happening in our neck of the woods.
One of the fun things we did the end of July, coming home the beginnng of August was traveling to Schenectady NY for Rich and my 55th wedding anniversary and also a reunion with my 2 sisters. Lia also met my cousins and the Cookie House they own. She was so excited to go inside and help make chocolate chip cookies!
August was the end of Lia’s Sunshine Bakery Alzheimer’s Fundraiser and she did great, thanks to so many wonderful friends and family. The fundraiser finale was on Zoom and Lia was not only the youngest participant but she was also in the top 25 to recieve the most donations, making her an SC ALZ STARZ and a SOLSTICE CHAMPION. She raised $1780 in about 10 weeks time! I’m so proud of her for wanting to help others at such a young age.
I can’t forget to mention Lia started school August 15 AND celebrated her 4th birthday on August 23! So yes, August was a super busy but fun month! She was so excited and surprised when she opened her Chelsea’s Dollhouse!
Can you believe Lia wrote more blogs in September than I did?? She was busy with her fall decorations in our old rusty wheelbarrow we saved from the trash back a few years ago.
What a way to end September with a road trip to Maine! We were up early morning to see and hear the loons! Lia learned that the ocean on the coast of Maine was rocky compared to our South Carolina sandy coast. We even got to see a dairy farm and she watched how the cows were milked.
So this is what our past 2 months went after the July UBC. And now on to the October UBC with more exciting blogs. We have a few baking projects and money saving tips to share plus of course we’ll have some other surprises.
I’m looking forward to reading, commenting, sharing and liking not only the two blogs ahead of me, but I try to visit them all or close to it! After all we are a team and by helping everyone, it increases our stats plus we learn interesting and exciting blog content. So for now, giving a recap on Day 2 is in the books!
Happy Belated Anniversary to you and Happy Belated Birthday to Lia! Looks like you both had a meaningful and fun couple of months. Looking forward to more glimpses into the lives of Martha and Lia this month!
Thanks Kimberly, it seems like this challenge came up quick and now we’re already into the second week.
Looks like you had an amazing summer!
It was fantastic Patricia! Now on to fall.
Love the recap to fill in the blanks since the last UBC. MY FAVORITE two shots are Lia with the wheelbarrow and the coast of Maine. We’ve always wanted to go there.
Thanks for always visiting and commenting. I look forward to this month to get my blog back in gear.
Blessings,
Laurie
OMG, Maine was so beautiful on the coast, such a big difference from the South Carolina coast! Lia loves gardening and we are getting lots of use from the “save the wheelbarrow” projec Laurie. Great seeing you in the challenge again.
Hey where were my cookie and cake? Mouth drooling over here!! LOL! Love the fall decorations- LIA is hired to decorate my front yard for the fall! I will be thinking of decorating for fall now- hhmmm…..it’s time to plant some flowers for spring, bulb wise- maybe some more tulips in honor of my Dad. We do still have our roses blooming in the back yard. Did the hurricane come up and hit your area- haven’t really been following it closely.
Lia’s always baking and we’re eating cookies for you Pamela! LOL We saw Long Island on our way back home from Maine last week, I was thinking of you! We got home a day before the hurricane and thankfully we didn’t have any damage in our subdivision. Other areas didn’t fair as well.
It’s so fun seeing your progress and what you are working on. I’m really enjoying Lia’s Friday Story Time – it’s so cute to see her writing skills develop. it is great how you incorporate that into your blogging. What a wonderful journey it has been! Thank you for being a part of it. It’s truly amazing how this challenge has helped you (and me) grow as a blogger.
Thanks Paul, I still with I could remember how I stumbled onto the UBC back in 2016! I’ll have to go through my blogs and see if something jogs my mind. I’m having so much fun helping Lia and her Friday Story Time blogs. I’m hoping to get them turned into a book for her. Thanks for stopping by.
Glad that you are so particular for this Ultimate Blog Challenge since 2016. I hope we all support in growing. Loved reading you write up.
I love a challenge Bhawna and once I found the UBC I loved it. This challenge is great and the bloggers all work together to make it that way.
Happy Anniversary! I’m from Maine and i hope you had a beautiful visit there. I loved reading about Lia’s fundraising efforts – inspirational. Thank you for sharing your family life with us.
Our trip to Maine was great, haven’t been there in over 50 years but now ready to go back again Karen? What part of Maine are you from, I think the entire state is beautiful.
I don’t know who I love more – Lia or YOU! I love how proactive you are and insuring that Lia has a life where she tries everything and meets everyone. I look forward to your upcoming posts.
Oh Fran, we all know it’s Lia! LOL It is so much fun watching Lia do new projects and try new things in life. I don’t think there is anything Lia isn’t up to trying.
I am so proud of you and little Lia. Can you write a money post on ways to save for retirement? I have a little in savings, but where we live there is rules on income. So I am not sure the best way to stay saving for my future. Thank you for being a friend to me. Give Lia a hug for me.
Thanks Amanda, I’m love that Lia has joined in blogging with me. I’ll do some thinking about ways to help you and how to start saving for retirement. Hugs and love back to you.
Thanks for bringing us up to date. We missed your daily updates!
I’ve tried to blog now and then but the off challenge months, I think Lia beat me on the numbers Roy.
Thanks for bringing us up to date. We missed your daily updates!