Now that I’ve been blogging for a year, I’m so excited that I can write a “best blog posts” roundup of my own favourite posts from 2016! I can’t believe I’ve written over 50 posts this year. Thanks so much to all of you who read, comment and share these posts. It truly means so much to me!

I’ve chosen a few of the best blog posts on The Professional Mom Project based on:

• the posts I really enjoyed writing;
• the articles that received lots of engagement; and
• the blog posts that have been the most popular on social media

Here’s my list of the best blog posts of 2016:

What is Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome?

My post on TSCS and how it impacts our family, is one of the initial posts I put together when I first started the blog. It’s very important to me to reach out to other parents and individuals who have (or know someone who has) TSCS.

So much of the information out there is scary, clinical and difficult to understand. I want other families to understand that yes, TSCS is a very scary diagnosis, but there are positive stories out there. Thank goodness our wonderful son is doing well and continues to thrive as an active 5 year old.

Every time I get a comment on the post from a mother of a child with TSCS, or from someone with TSCS, I feel blessed that I’ve helped these families cope with TSCS in at least a small way.

 

Check your Neck: Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

If you’ve been reading the blog for a little while, you’ll know that I am living with thyroid cancer. I had a complete thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment, but some stubborn cancer cells are still hanging around in my blood.

When people meet me and find out I have cancer, they often ask how it was diagnosed. My Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month post tells that story. My hope is also to encourage you to speak up to your doctor if you don’t feel well and be persistent if you need to. Thyroid cancer is becoming increasingly common. While it is relatively straightforward to treat (for most people), it can be challenging to find. According to my doctor, I likely had my nodules for two years before they were found.

I’m lucky that my cancer was caught early. Even though I’m not in remission yet, the outlook is positive.

 

Secrets to Travelling with Kids

It’s no secret that E and I love to travel! While our vacation spots have become a bit less exotic since R was born, we still try to travel, explore new things and have some adventure in our lives.

Traveling with kids can be challenging, but I’m happy to provide some tips and resources on how to make it easier and more relaxing for the entire family.

I hope to write some additional travel posts in 2017 to provide additional strategies and tips on travelling with kids.

Salmon and Tuna Sushi Bowls

I make this dish all the time. It’s easy, requires only a few ingredients and tastes amazing. I decided to add this recipe to my list of the best blog posts in case you may have missed this super simple dinner dish.

What’s better than throwing a few ingredients in a bowl and getting a restaurant style meal!

5 Blogging Mistakes I’ve Made (and you don’t have to)

This post is super popular with other bloggers and on social media. Since we’re all still learning, I think many of us bloggers look to each other for tips and help.

By sharing a few of the big mistakes early on, I hope I’ve helped some other bloggers avoid those traps.

38 Things I’m Grateful for on my 38th Birthday

I’m trying to live with more gratitude every day. Reminding myself of all of the wonderful things I have in my life, makes getting through some of the tougher moments a bit easier. It’s also inspiring to look back and see a big list of all of these amazing things to be thankful for. In my opinion, birthdays are the perfect time to take a look back.

Now I just have to figure out what to do for my 39th!

How to Plant a Beautiful Container Garden

I grew up gardening with my dad and I really love making the outside of our home bright and colourful in the summer – especially after the bleak Canadian winter.

I’m not sure what attracted readers to this post, but it was really popular on StumbleUpon and on the link parties where I like to share my posts. Because of the post’s popularity, I decided to add it to my list of best blog posts of the year.

I look forward to making another container garden in 2017 and hopefully improving my veggie garden in the back yard.

Parenting a Strong Willed Child

Our son is an exuberant and energetic kid with a crazy sense of humour and a super quick mind. Sometimes parenting him can be a challenge. We want him to stay his hilarious,  awesome self but it would be nice if he listened a bit more every once in a while…

The 5 strategies that I outline in this post help us try to be good parents while balancing our son’s strong personality.

Why is it so Difficult to Put Myself First?

I wrote this post as I was recovering from pneumonia. Getting sick made me think about how hard a time I have putting myself first sometimes. As I write in the post, I know I’m supposed to put my oxygen mask on first so that I can help everyone else, but this is a difficult concept for the maternal side of me.

A few of the reader comments really hit me and I’m now trying to think about how to take better care of myself. One step I’m taking is making a larger effort to fit regular exercise into my life. I always feel better when I exercise and it’s about time I make more of an effort to workout more regularly.

On the theme of taking better care of myself, I’m also thinking about doing a small blog series in January on the little things we can do to take better care of ourselves as moms, wives and women. Stay tuned!

Taming the Beast: Paper Clutter Organization

I don’t know one person who doesn’t struggle with paper clutter organization. We are constantly bombarded with fliers, ads, bills, mail, artwork, homework, assignments and everything else and it’s so overwhelming.

I do my best to keep on top of the mess (I’m sure E will laugh when he reads this) and it’s a daily challenge.

Clearly,  I’m not the only one with this struggle. You guys really liked the post and gave me some helpful advice on how to add more organization to my life.

 

Thanks for reading through my list of the best blog posts of the year! I truly appreciate all of your support and I look forward to sharing more with you in 2017.

Is there anything in particular you’re looking to learn more about in the upcoming year? I’d love to hear more in the comments.

Check out the link parties where I’ll be sharing this post!