I have always loved cooking, baking, and parties which is why I started this Little Libbie blog – to bring out the little joys I experience everyday in the kitchen and in my home and share those with others. I was on a roll with trying new things and baking earlier in 2024 (especially with sourdough!) but in February I got some exciting news – I was pregnant with my first child!
Throughout the first trimester, I had a tough time with nausea and morning sickness which made cooking, baking, and hosting unbearable. I was taking it one day at a time (actually more like one hour at a time) and surviving. This was hard for me because I had made some bold goals for 2024 of keeping up with this blog and creating a community for myself and others to learn, share, and be happy together! I realized that trying to keep up with Little Libbie while being pregnant was going to be challenging due to the side effects I was experiencing so I took a 9 month pause.
Things I have learned during this hiatus that might help you reflect also:
- Taking a break to prioritize health is ok...and VERY important. I am the type of person that loves staying busy and having hobbies but I had to rethink what was important and really let my body rest.
- Most things aren’t permanent. I sometimes get decision paralysis because I feel the weight of decisions are so big but what I have learned this year is that change is good, and decisions aren’t permanent. Did you buy an expensive piece of artwork and no longer like it? Ok, re-sell it! Did you start a blog with a focus and then have a life event that has changed your perspective (maybe this is a little too obvious this is me)? Ok, change it! Did you realize your passions aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago? Ok, do something new! Change is good and I think many of us have been raised to feel the weight of decisions so thinking about things (aside from family, love, and basic needs) as not permanent really has helped me this year be in a calmer state.
- Finding happiness in the little things is important. You can always compare yourself to others which can sometimes feel defeating – whether it is a performance review at work or seeing friends post on social media at an event you weren’t invited to or questioning your purpose – these things can get overwhelming quickly. I find it really important to find the things each day that I’m grateful for and that make me smile.
- Everyone runs their own race – set your own goals, set your own milestones, find your own passions!
In this reflection, I have had a different type of year – I prioritized my health and rest. I prioritized traveling with my husband. I focused on how to let go of some things I had been hanging onto for far too long.
I had my beautiful baby boy in late October and I’m learning a lot as a new mom – it’s amazing to me what a woman’s body can go through while learning a million other new things on top of that in a very short amount of time! I’m three weeks postpartum and I’ve realized I don’t want to take a break from this blog any longer. I enjoy writing, I enjoy sharing with others, and I enjoy finding the little things that make me smile on a daily basis.
What I have reflected on; however, is that I don’t want this blog to be just about cooking and baking and hosting – I want it to be about my life and the things I am learning and experiencing along the way. I want to share my pregnancy journey, my new mom struggles, and share the milestones I’m hitting that make me proud of myself. I want to learn from you all what you’re proud of and how we can support each other (please share any new mom tips in the comments!!). I want to write about life in a different way – because, since my last post, my life has changed and it wouldn’t be authentic for me to leave this new part out.
Little Libbie was formed based on my little home but now I view my home as so much more than joys in the kitchen – it also encompasses the little one I have created, the little struggles, the little milestones, and the little moments that will go far too quickly. I hope you’ll be along for this new journey and help me continue to build Little Libbie to be a place of happiness and community.
xoxo, LL
Little Libbie 
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