2018: To & Fro’s Year in Review

Happy 2019 my friends! I don't know about you, but for my little family, 2018 flew by. And just like 2016, 2018 was one for the books as our little family grew by one more.

I may be the owner of a few new grey hairs and forehead wrinkles, but for the incredible, memory-filled year we had, they are all totally worth it.

Family aside, 2018 was also a good year for To & Fro.

It has been just shy of five years since I turned this little webspace of mine from a family and friends journal into something that I am especially proud of. Into a business that I am proud of. Something that has given me opportunities I wouldn't otherwise have and something that I can use to help support my family.

I will admit, blogging is not easy. At many times, I have questioned what I was doing here. But this year, I was able to prove to myself that all of the long hours and hard work that I put into To & Fro are absolutely worth it. I have finally got my groove, and there is no slowing me down.

And most of that is in thanks to you, my readers. Whether you have been coming here for the past five years (thanks family), have recently discovered To & Fro or this is your first time here today, thank you. Thank you for your support. Without you, I wouldn't be able to do what I love to do.

I can't wait to see what 2019 has in store (hint: some exciting things coming down the pipeline on the blog and on Instagram), but first, let's reflect on 2018 both personally and professionally…

JANUARY

As I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, in January I instead shared my word for the year - BE. As in, BE the best mom and wife. BE present. BE involved. BE grateful. I think you get the idea… Just BE. At this point I also knew about the little secret Steve and I were hiding about our growing family, so I also knew 2018 was going to BE a great year!

Morley also put on her first pair of skates and hit the ice with her proud dada.

FEBRUARY

February, we were just trying to survive the winter. The joys of daycare and the germs it brings finally sidelined us.

MARCH

In March, we celebrated our little one’s 2nd birthday with a trip to PAW Patrol Live in Toronto. This was her first experience with any type of live show, and she did surprisingly well. She even got to meet her favourite pups Chase and Skye after the show. We had a BLAST, and can’t wait to take her again for her 3rd birthday.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT*

If you live in Ontario, are 18 years or older and love PAW Patrol, check out this fun giveaway over on my Instagram. You could win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to see PAW Patrol Live on March 15, 16 or 17, 2019. (Ends January 7 at 11:59pm EST)

Later in the month, we finally let our big secret out of the bag with this cute announcement.

At the end of the month, I took a trip to Jacksonville, Florida for work. It was a nice break from the snowy, cold weather in Toronto, but at the same time, it was the first time being away from Steve and Morley. Man oh man, did I miss them.

APRIL

In April, we were hit hard by tragedy that shook the entire hockey community in Canada and beyond. You can read my thoughts on the Humboldt Bronco tragedy here.

MAY

May brought a moment we had been waiting for for almost 4 years… being handed the keys to the condo, our first home, that we purchased in October 2014. It’s crazy to think that when we purchased the unit, it was just the two of us.

In May, I partnered with the Home Depot Canada to bring Morley her dream bedroom. Using Behr Paints, we created this amazing, yet very simple, mountain wall mural.

JUNE

In June, we continued our annual family camping trip tradition, this time with a trip to Algonquin. Despite the bugs, we had a fabulous long weekend spent with family, paddling Canisbay Lake and sitting around the campfire. And I'm happy to report, NO rain, which is usually a given on any camping trip wit the Wards (seriously, just ask our Alaskan friends).

We rang in my birthday the only way it should be rung in, with good company and good food.

I also officially became a soccer mom, and couldn’t be more proud of our little girl for developing her skills and love of the game over the summer.

JULY

July was pretty low key. A very large baby bump and the summer humidity were not my friends. I was counting down the days.

AUGUST

August was by far the BEST month of the year, as we welcomed little miss B mid-month. A girl! She came fast and furious and big sister was over the moon. Pregnancy with her, and even delivery, were both very different than her big sister. Hopefully I’ll get around to writing her birth story… one day.

SEPTEMBER

In September, we took a fall family-friendly road trip through my old stomping grounds, Ontario’s Blue Coast. We picked apples, ate lots of delicious food and spent some quality time with family.

Berkley and I attended a JOHNSON'S Baby event in celebration of the launch of new formula. We used JOHNSON'S Baby soap on the girls for their very first baths, and are a big fan of their entire lineup of products. These photos may have also made a few ovaries explode.

OCTOBER

In October, I announced an exciting partnership with Babies“R”Us Canada that saw me (and an excited toddler) bring you many toy unboxings and products we love. If you missed it, be sure to check out everything in the Babies”R”Us highlight of my IG stories.

We also made our way up to the family cottage on the Bruce Peninsula. We try to get up at least one a year. Fall is our favourite time to go because the tourists have all gone home but it’s not yet too cold to be outside. Plus the full leaves are a real stunner. We hiked to the Grotto, which for Steve and Morley (and Berkley, of course) was their first visit. Such an amazing place, but one that is slowly being consumed by all of its visitors (thanks to social media). We also continued our annual photo tradition, this time adding a new member. You can check out the past three years here.

We continued our partnership with our friends at MEC, and helped celebrate the 25th year of their Toaster Suit (pictured on Morley above). She even made the MEC Toaster Suit website, here.

Towards the end of the month, I partnered with the Home Depot Canada once more to solve some serious storage problems in our kitchen, creating roll-out drawers in our island.

The end of the month saw Halloween. Morley was fired up. She dressed up as a fireman, or as she said, her Poppa.

NOVEMBER

In November, we visited the newly opened Museum of Illusions, downtown Toronto.

We also checked out Aurora Winter Fest, at Ontario Place in Toronto. We loved checking out all of the light displays, but being by the water, it was a little chilly.

DECEMBER

December was my second favourite month of 2018 because, one word - Christmas. At nearly three years old, this was the first Christmas where she actually understood what was happening - especially the fact that Santa brought presents. It was such a fun morning, and I can’t wait for her excitement to grow as long as she still believes.

We also attempted to introduce a new family Christmas tradition, with our own version of Elf on the Shelf - his Canadian cousin, Bob. I can honestly say, it did not go well. Morley lost interest real quick, and I will admit, so did I. The creativity just wasn’t there, and I really didn’t want to create something I had to clean up. We’ll see if we continue next year.

A big part of our month was the 24 Days of Kindness Challenge we took on, with the intent of teaching Morley what kindness was. It was such a fun challenge, and she rocked it. We went from simply saying hello to our neighbours, to donating food to the dogs and cats at the local animal shelter, to donating toys and money. At the end of the challenge, she was even saying “Happy Holidays” to strangers, a big feat for her.