Where has 2012 gone so quickly? It’s hard to believe it’s almost 2013, the elections are over and the ads exploiting kids for political gain are now silent, and we all survived Thanksgiving.
At Richmondmom.com, it’s been a fantastic year. With nearly 170,000 (a 70% increase in site visits – WOW) visitors to our site so far in 2012, we are grateful for our readers. We’ve added creative new staff and brought new perspectives to our audience, making our site one of the most widely read in the Richmond area by moms, dads, grandparents, and singles. We are excited to be Richmond’s first source for moms and dads!
Looking back on the year in review gave us a few chuckles that we thought we’d share with you. After all, Richmondmom.com aims to entertain!
The Year in Review
It all started with Kate’s Christmas gun in January – who could forget that “unusual” Christmas gift she received and her dilemma about where to put her Christmas gun. Really – who gets a gun for Christmas?
And then, there was the question of unfriending others on Facebook to avoid hateful statements and hurtful comments – but does unfriending undo the hurt or pain inflicted on others?
On to lighter topics. It didn’t take Richmondmom.com long to get hooked on Pinterest and as Kate says, “Oh Pinterest, I Hate to Love You”! From there, we created our own Richmondmom.com Pinterest boards and we just love pinning our favorites from all around RVA.
We sent our best writers as the RVAEpicTales team off on the Chevy Road Trip to raise money for Adopt-a-Classroom as they headed to the uber-cool SXSW conference in Texas. Who could forget the visit to tornado ravaged Alabama and the incredible spirit of the people our team encountered? The random acts of kindness of our RVAEpicTales team reminded us all of how important even the simplest gesture or gift can be to others.
Thanks, Digitalmomblog.com for this awesome image
We were all in awe of the Rockstars recognized each month and the incredible good they do for the community – selfless acts of giving, kindness, and compassion. The Pink Tie Gala was a chance to enjoy some fun while helping a very important cause to women – and of course, enjoying the Pink Tie Bachelor Auction didn’t hurt.
We continually looked for ways to provide resources and support for parents of children with Autism – and to help raise money for this cause. And seeing the Chesterfield Children’s Museum of Richmond open was another opportunity to give our kids a chance to learn, explore, and have fun. Our contributing writers helped us better understand germs and life as a single mom, as we contemplated whether or not more kids are merrier or less is more. The debate continues.
Tara Casey helped us see What the Kerfuffle was Really About in her letter to the Governor (kerfuffle=fuss), while tattooed moms stood up proudly and strutted their stuff!
Thanks to the minds of children, we learned more about what heaven is like, and got a glimpse inside the world of a mom and child with autism. We dug up the best sales and deals for maternity wear, pet food and toys, portraits in pencil, high-end clothing for moms at discount prices, and [ahem] incredibly beautiful intimate apparel! And we even enjoyed a glass of wine or two to raise money for local non-profits at monthly Wine Down events.
It was a very good year at Richmondmom.com and we all became better mothers and grandmothers thanks to the insights of Alex in “Are You a Good Mom Checklist”. Katie Mardigian shared her dirty little secrets in Confessions of a Richmond Mom and left us all reeling in disbelief that she believes a Costco baby wipe is a perfectly acceptable replacement for actual bathroom cleaners [insert sarcasm because we've all done it!].
We raised controversy with “Feeding the Beast” and the issues around bottle or breast-feeding – only to learn that we need to trust each other and ourselves, let it go, and stop feeding the beast that complicates our lives and berates us every day.
And who could forget the circumcision debate? [We'd all like to].
The Chick-fil-A controversy made us cluck as we saw how Richmond moms and dads stood firmly on one side or the other of this argument – many vehemently putting down their nuggets for burgers – while others added a large order of fries and a large lemonade to their orders.
Our hearts were torn as the Sandusky scandal at Penn State burst onto the scene and a legend fell in the midst of controversy, confusion, and disbelief.
On a lighter note, Kate Hall gave us insights into her personal funeral plans and the big party she wants to take place. Not that funerals are a laughing matter, but – well…..you know Kate.
And then we gave our Richmond moms some much needed relief with “A Letter to Stay At Home Moms” from Nicole Unice who touched our very souls and reminded us of how hard all moms work – and especially those who take up the challenge to be SAHM’s. Equally as touching was Meghan Mack’s “Behind the Badge” story that jolted us into the reality of a world where everyone does not work 9-5, spend evenings at the dinner table, and enjoy baseball games whenever they choose – we were reminded there are those who sacrifice much to keep the rest of us safe and secure. We stopped to say a prayer for those who experience fear and anxiety for their loved ones as they head out the door to their “routine job” as police officers, firemen or others – a job that carries tremendous risk for these courageous individuals.
Richmondmom.com devoted lots of space, support, encouragement, and resources to fight bullying as Katie Mardigian led the charge for a better world for our kids. We enjoyed fun at the Shabby Chic Dream Baby Shower for Kasi with some awesome decorations from Celebrations at Home. We were mesmerized by the Rainbow Around the Moon, laughed at Blogs We Dig, partied with a psychic, and realized you can be happy after divorce. Richmondmom.com has given voices to the Broken, watched a school and community pull together after a tragic fire, and witnessed the joy and love of siblings as unexpected gifts. And we’ve discovered more about the universe than we ever thought possible thanks to the Science Museum of Virginia.
Thanks to nannies, tutors, insurance agents, mediation experts, heating and air professionals, massages, dentists, child development centers, facial treatments, and preschools, we made it through the year!
And now we close the year in review as we head into the busiest holiday season of all – celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s and more. We are grateful to Katie Mardigian for helping us figure out how to manage the chaos and ruckus of the holidays by engaging a “hypothetical holiday wife” to make it all so easy and fun without the stress, worry, and anxiety of doing it all ourselves. Now we can just focus on Richmond’s biggest, best and most fun Holiday Events Calendar and party!
Richmondmom.com is proud and pleased to bring joy and happiness into your lives every day — and maybe even do a little bit of good for the community at the same time.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all from Richmondmom.com!
