Neglecting my Blog Baby

Before I had my son Daniel, this blog was my baby. Outside my relationship with Christ and my husband, The Newest Vazquez is where I focused all my creative energy and time, trying to raise this blog up to something that could, eventually, connect me with others around the world (and sure, be a possible source of income).

Well, I dropped my baby a long time ago. 

I picked it up a few times after Daniel was born, but at this point I haven't even looked at it in half a year. Mostly because I was ashamed of all the work I invested in it, only to let it slowly die. But it still exists, and while I have toyed with the idea of starting another from scratch, it saddens me that all the posts, photos and work I've invested would be lost and displaced. I love everything I've written, and want to keep it all in one place, even if it means it's combined in with a new kind of concept. I want to revive my blog baby.

I don't think that concept here (as it exists in Jan 2017) fits me anymore. I've outgrown it. In this phase of life, I am less interested in exploring NYC, traveling and writing about my "learning" how to be married (though I still am, marriage is hard sometimes). I'm no longer a newlywed trying to keep my pregnancies viable, still shell-shocked at living in a busy city after my country upbringing.

I've made an astounding switch to a MOM.

 I finally- for possibly the first time in my life- feel in control of my choices, location, and I care little about creating structured and topical posts on here. Life for me right now is full of sweet, stressful and rewarding moments of insight..... so I likely won't be doing any more of the highly formatted, researched and planned topics like I have in the past. 

No more "5 Tips to Great Posture" or "Coney Island Polar Bears". Even "First Week as "Mom"' requires a more effort than I am able to invest at this point in life- so while I love those posts, things will be much more casual and conversational.

An overhaul is in the works, I hope to see you soon!

So tell me... 

Is anyone still reading this?

Are you ready to hear some big news? Come back in a few days!

I'm Back... and I Brought a Baby with Me

Hey there!
I took a few months off of writing, to relax and enjoy life before baby arrived. He's here and I'm back!

I was finishing up my old life- of work, training a replacement, trying to spend quality time with my husband all before our baby came. While I've missed writing on here and keeping in touch with blogging friends made in the past few years, it was all for the best.

But now I'm back, and I plan on publishing and posting all the things that have been going through my mind in the past few months, weeks and days. You can't turn off of the mind of a blogger it seems. Posts about our baby-moon in September, Daniel's birth story, and how I handled being a mom for the first few days of his life are in the works and will be up shortly.

This space, while it will continue having content about the same things- travels, NYC centered tours and travel ideas, and posts on being a Christian woman- it will likely focus more on my learning how to be a new mom, especially in these first few months. I'm not one for scrapbooking, so what better way to record the blur that is the sleep-deprived days that I am currently living.

It's a complete shock that I am finally a mom, and that he is here. 
I look at photos from when he was born, and can't believe how much he's grown. And I listen to his cries and my heart breaks knowing how much they've changed from his little newborn cries. I cheer when he smiled his first smile and cooed his first baby babble words.

Knowing that he is growing older quickly and that this season of life is soon to be the past...

It's time to start doing what I love, and write it all out. 

So tell me....
Did you miss me? :)
Now that I'm back, how is the new year treating you?

                 
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Until 2016

Life has been busy, hard, and incredibly uncomfortable lately.

I've wanted to do nothing but sleep lately, and blogging has not been on my to-do list in a long time. It breaks my heart to stop partway through the pregnancy updates, and while I love to write on here, I've been so overrun with life that I feel that I need to take a break until the new year.

I'm not sure when in 2016 I'll be writing on here again, but when I return I'll be back with more updates about being a new mom, travel in NYC (... and possibly a new direction for the blog) and whatever else comes to my sleep-deprived mind in the still of the night.

See you in 2016!

                 
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All Across the World

I've learned in the past (almost) 2 years of writing online that there are many people out there just like me, who happen to live all over the world. I've followed along and met people I might not have otherwise. I've been blessed to meet many encouraging Christian women, some perhaps in the same stage of life as me, some learning how to be married or perhaps starting their own family.

I've found through comments made beneath my posts that many have also grown up in the countryside and also consider themselves to be disasters in the kitchen like me. There's an ex-Amish woman who talks about her garden and makes me miss having space and a yard to plant, missionaries who've been sent all over Africa, Asia and Europe spreading the Good News. Plenty of southern ladies who always display a calmer, objective view to life (it's amazing what words written can sound like when read). I'll admit it, I sometimes read their posts with the southern drawl.

A Canadian woman who lives so far north that her winter starts in late September. And there are so many people who tell me how they have once lived in NYC (and can commiserate with my subway commute) and still others who currently live here, live nearby, or visit on a regular basis and know the places I mention. Many who keep up with our journey to parenthood have disclosed that they are either currently dealing with or have overcome some form of infertility or pregnancy problems. Life really isn't to different on the other side of the globe.

When I talk about my mother, I hear a lot of stories about how canning and preserving food is common where they live. The online presence of military families (especially military wives) means that there are always women online, everywhere on Earth, writing. And while blogging and the community it goes with can look like a predominantly white, middle-class American pastime on the cover, if you open the book and look inside, there are people from all walks of life with something valuable to say. The internet is a marvelous invention, one which we are blessed with as it allows us to learn and connect with those who can teach us or congregate with us in an online setting.


So tell me...
Where are you from?
What demographics have you been shocked to find on your website?
Have you looked at your Google Anayltics lately, and where do your viewers live?

                 
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Breaking News- 2015 A-Z Theme Reveal

It's that time again....

The month is approaching where I join 1700 other bloggers to write every day for the month of April.
We write based on a different letter, A-Z, every day except for Sundays.

And this year the theme is....

I've compiled a list of places, A-Z, where you should visit when you visit NYC this year. Or next year.
Or when you decide to be a hometown tourist (as we often do).

The places will be:
Well-known- Grand Central Terminal
Off the 'beaten path'- Highline
Somewhat Obscure- Manhattanhenge

Each post will include:

  -History Lesson- Information about the place
  -Tips and Tricks- from when I've gone or what I've heard from other travellers
  -Basic Info- website, hours, phone and Tripadvisor link
  -Directions- Public Transit... because when you are here you should get the whole experience. Including the subway!


Many who visit this site either live in the Northeast and regularly make their way to the city, or are from further away (Georgia, Texas, Washington, etc) and are always interested in the photos from around the city. And this month (due to sickness, migraines and a large period of time without a phone/camera) I'm featuring work some amazing photographers based in NYC that I found on Instagram.

Follow one (or more) of the following so you don't miss out!

                 
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So tell me..

Have you ever traveled to NYC, and wanted an insider's guide?

Where do you live, and what places would you recommend?

Are you participating in the A-Z challenge? You can sign up here.

Opening Up about Blogging

To my friends and family...

You might be here now because I said something about writing online, or perhaps a you found me on Twitter and see the [New Post] tweets I put up throughout the week. I'm sure that if you write online in any capacity you can relate to what I'm about to say. But chances are that if you know me in real life, the simple phrase "I am a blogger" can cause some confusion. So let me clear some things up.

I've been thinking a lot lately about telling people about this space, and I know that at some point everyone I know will find out that I write. And that I write online. So I'm striking before this happens, because I'm sure I would like some clarification if I stumbled onto a blog and found out some surprising new things.


You might be shocked and find out something that I haven't told you yet (or shared with my friends and family)- mainly about struggling with infertility but other things as well. If you knew about a pregnancy, you heard about the resulting miscarriage(s). I imagine the lack of babies a year plus later might clue anyone in if I missed that small detail. And to be honest, when I get my next positive test I don't plan on telling anyone (other than the most important people in my life and the visitors here) until the 'coast is clear'.

If you are a family member or friend who found me online, don't be surprised by this. Especially if we don't talk other than through Facebook comments or if we haven't seen each other in a year. The people who visit my blog will hear about it before you.

I find that that it's best to not tell my friends and family in real life all the details. Because if you haven't struggled with this, my telling you will only make you sad and make situations awkward. Most people don't want to know the truth, they want the happy ending.

The nitty-gritty about doctors and diagnoses and costs and struggles and fears are best suited to like-minded readers, ones who came here knowing what I write about and are going through similar situations.

I do write about other things as well, such as "learning how to be married", topics about Christianity and my adjusting to city life- when it still (and likely always will) feel foreign to this small-town girl. Things that might not resonate with my real-life friends and family but topics that are open for discussion and helpful within the online community I've found through blogging.


So tell me...
Do I know you in real life (did you find my blog)?
If you are a blogger, have you opened up to your family and friends?
How did that go?

One Lovely Blog Award

Guess what? I was nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award! Angie, who is a "self-improvement junkie and Seattle lover" has nominated me. She writes over at Chasing My Halo, and you need to pop on over and see why we all need to live in Seattle, root on your favorite football team, and throw awesome themed parties. Now it’s my turn to share the love. Thanks Angie for making the internet a nicer place :)

 THE RULES

– You must display the award logo at the top of your post
– You must thank the person who nominated you and leave a link to their blog in your post
– You must add these set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do
– You must add 7 facts about yourself into the post
– You must nominate 7 other blogs and leave links to each of them in your post
– You must let the people you have nominated know that they have been nominated
– You must follow the person back who nominated you on Bloglovin’ and GFC (if you have one)


7 FUN FACTS

Moving far away has never been a hard decision, but I always say goodbye to the apartment/house when locking up.

I always put on my left sock or shoe first.

We've taught our cat to play fetch. Her personal best needs some improvement, but the 7 mouse returns in a row is pretty good though, right? Follow me on Instagram because you know a video will be up when we catch her in action!

I've always had dreams where I am running (for enjoyment) and (in my dreams) I'm actually good at it. Only in my dreams, of course.

I had no clue what I wanted to major in. I chose Travel and Tourism, despite never really having gone anywhere before then. Then once I met Tom I started to travel. Interesting how that turned out, right?

Twitter is a little intimidating to me, but I vow to figure it out before we hit 2015!

Most of my 'nominees' below are from the amazing Northeast Bloggers Network, where I learned so much this past year. If you live in the Northeastern US, click over to become a member!


MY NOMINEES

Kelly @ A Lovely Life, Indeed, a blog about travel and love and married life. Whenever she writes about living in Boston, I want to drop everything and travel north for the weekend. To keep up with her travels, follow her on Twitter and Bloglovin'.

Rachel @ Can't Google Everything, a blog about life, fashion, photos, recipes and more. I love her creative crafts and activities, and I'm not even a toddler. To see what fun she comes up with, follow her on Twitter and Bloglovin'.

Reesa @ Mama Lew, a blog about her recipes, product reviews and giveaways- and how to take the stress out of parenthood. To see what awesome products and places she's been trying out with her family, follow her on Twitter and Instagram'.

Suheiry @ Suheiry, a blog about fashion; home decor; recipes; DIY; and travel in and around Northeast PA. I hail from NEPA, so I love to see posts on what's going on in and around Scranton, as well as her beautifully designed posts. To keep up, follow her on Twitter and Bloglovin'.

Pinky @ P!nk Persistence, a blog about keeping things light and PINK, because life's too short to be anything but happy. To see all her hilarious posts, follow her on Twitter and Bloglovin'.

Amanda @ Serenity Now, a blog about showcasing creative projects and providing realistic inspiration...on a budget! To see all her gorgeous projects, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.



Okay all you bloggers, pass it on!

My 90s country music, flying over the Grand Canyon and how Halloween works in NYC

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste, or be most willing to taste?
Despite growing up in the countryside of Pennsylvania, I don't hunt and we didn't have any hunters in the family. But, I have helped to skin a deer, and have tasted venison. Not a fan, but then again, I would be fine without meat in general. Except bacon. I love that stuff.

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?
Most notably, our flight over the Rockies and the Grand Canyon. So much better than flying over the ocean, although the sight of warm beaches in Puerto Rico are a welcome sight as well :)

3.  Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in bird prints, knickknacks, fabric or pottery.
The only bird-like think I can think of might be a cat toy. There are some birds in a painting on our wall.

4. Tell about a time you 'killed two birds with one stone'?
Okay, well there was that one time with the slingshot...

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?
Easy! Tanya Tucker-Two Sparrows In A Hurricane. I have a soft spot for most any country song from the 90s, where you can always find a story if you listen to the lyrics. In an age where music videos were a cross between Olan Mills glamour shots and grainy videos with questionable acting ability. And, in this case, where the first verse and the last verse are identical because it's about different life stages. Give it a shot, people. Country isn't for everyone (I don't care for much before the mid-80s and I generally detest all the stuff after Y2K), but the idea of "two sparrows in a hurricane, trying to find their way" as a description of chaotic and hard times is very poetic. As is much of the 90s country, hence my love of it.

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?
The air. It's chilly outside, and my landlords just turned the heat on the other day for the first time. And Dora has sat herself next to the heaters ever since.

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.
Staying indoors, probably a movie night.It's cold outside, and while Halloween isn't something I flat-out object to, in the city I kind of do. This city is a controlled chaos, that on Halloween looses control. With 8.4 million. But I'll write more on that Friday. Because I'm still trying to figure this holiday in the city out. In the country it was so simple. candy and fake webs. We would throw together a homemade costume, and drive from house to house. Just because you live past where the sidewalk ends (or, like me, in the boondocks) doesn't mean you don't get free candy. You just had to burn some gas to get the goods.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
It's National "Cat Day" today, and we're celebrating with another visit to the vet. Really, asthma for cats. Dora is in the unlucky 1% who get it, and the poor thing is congested and wincing, like in pain. Hopefully we can figure out why the meds from last week haven't helped.

5 Essential TED Talks for Bloggers

I love TED talks. Essentially, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talks are videos that allow experts- on a variety of topics- to get their ideas to a large audience. These talks range from "the smelly mystery of the human pheromone" and "how to separate fact and fiction online" to classics such as "my journey to yo-yo mastery".

And since the TED app allows me to save these 'talks' for offline viewing during my commute, I am able to keep myself entertained by a large amount of information. And oftentimes I am watching something and I think "I know someone who could use this information". And, so I've been keeping a list to share with you.


5 TED Talks That Bloggers Need to Watch.

1 Year Blogiversary

1 year (and oddly enough, 100 posts) ago, I decided to document all the major life changes that were happening. On July 1st last year, my husband and I moved our of my tiny apartment into our new place together and officially started learning how to be married.

In this past year, I've written about:

Friday Five: Five Inspiring Bloggers

Good Morning!

Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite bloggers for those who are looking for some new reads. I know I regularly update my RSS feeds, so here's a list of some bloggers who I've found to be inspiring lately.

Was It Worth It? The A-Z Challenge edition

Hm, good question, self.
*pats self on back*

Yes. No. Depends on what you mean by 'worth it'.

Yes.
This month I really began to throw myself into the 'blogosphere' and make some new acquaintances. I learned that it's really not that difficult to post a few times a week. I taught myself that overcoming writers block and committing to something makes it worth the hassle. And it has shown me that posting regularly does make all the difference, as people are less likely to put a sporadic poster on their RSS or bloglovin' feeds. Like me, they don't like to subscribe willy-nilly. (does anyone else say that?) #countryphrase

I was also able to add a lot of posts in a short amount of time, allowing me to gain a stronger blog, with more than a few posts a month. It's almost 1 year since I started blogging and I really neglected this initially. I finally caught the blogging bug around Nov/Dec, and now I'm making up for a slow few months.

No.
Admittedly, I really didn't use this challenge to connect and network extensively. It was much more about 'retraining' the way I think about blogging. I wish I would've leaned about the A-Z challenge earlier than 1 week before it started. I would've written all my posts ahead of time, and focused on visiting other blogs and gaining some more followers.

I think the challenge was designed to give people an easy way to connect, and I didn't use it as intended. I did visit everyone who stopped over, but I don't think once I went to their list and just clicked willy-nilly randomly. Especially since there are so many people on there who are all about developing their book characters, or focusing on themes I find either completely mind-numbingly or over my head. A biology-themed A-Z challenge..... no thanks. I'll come back for your regular programming in May though.

Other Accomplishments.
I redesigned the site a bit with a new header. I worked on turning photos into more 'pinnable' images. I updated my tabs, and added more people to the NYS Blogger Map. I started promoting my posts on Google+ and am still trying to get used to Bloglovin'.

I'm glad I did get all the way through, and would do another challenge like this in the future. I hope it shows dedication and oomph. But I'd probably wait at least a year before doing another A-Z. Six posts a day is rather draining during your craziest month of the year. Earth month is always a killer for my 9-5, if this was help in say... January or August, I might be more likely to sign up.


So.... yes and no.

Did you participate (or have you ever participated) in the A-Z Challenge?
Did you accomplish all you intended to, stop part way through?
Will you do another in the future?

This post was brought to you by the A-Z Challenge, and the letter:

Goals in Blogging

I'm just starting to tell people that I blog, and I know that for most people it's kind of something you raise your eyebrows at.

They might think:
Blog? I haven't written in it since 2007 but I have a blog too. Why does she bring it up?

Then they ask what is it for, at which point I explain that right now it's more of an online journal, with the aim of gaining a foothold online. Eyebrows go up even more.

Which basically tells me that I need a way to describe blogging without sounding crazy or undervaluing what it is.