Success!

3:22 PM / Posted by Mariel /

The feeling's mutual, Michael ;)

I started my day with a leisurely skate at the park, followed by a fresh and filling brunch of salmon, cream cheese, and vegetable sushi with a thick berry smoothie. Today, I took the day off to celebrate my 30 days—straight—of blogging (well, and also because I just finished some deadlines for the week). After this, I'm baking a gooey chocolate cake using a Nigella Lawson recipe I found on YouTube, and filling it with custard cream courtesy of Martha Stewart. Ah, yes... the life of a freelancer. It can be quite sweet.

While doing this 30-Day Blog Challenge, I found myself dealing daily with the dilemma of what to write about, as at least half of the ideas I come up with are either very personal or painful to remember (or both). Will it be the story about how I'd lost my first glamorous city job? Or will I talk about this new, decadent recipe I found online? If you read the entries, you'll find that they're a combination of both 'heavy' and happy stuff. And I'm happy with the results.
I made it!

I always try to make it a point to make each post as heartfelt, honest, and engaging as possible. After all, reading my blog takes up some of your time, so I'd like to make each visit worthwhile. So as much as I would like to blog about the 10 Nicknames Friends and Family Have Coined for Me, the last reaction I would like to elicit is "So what?" or "Who cares?"

So with that, I'd like to THANK YOU all for helping me finish this 30-day challenge. After all, if it weren't for your comments, kind notes, and words of encouragement, I probably wouldn't even have gone past Day Five. You see I'm terrible at sticking to self-imposed schedules. And this has been a pleasant start to something promising.

Now I'd be happy to hear about your own 30-day blog projects! These last couple of weeks, I've discovered new sites and I'm enjoying reading them as often as I could. Some of you are planning to blog for 30 days straight as well, so please keep me posted. I'll be on the lookout for guest bloggers to share their posts at 30-DayBlogChallenge.com, to keep the fun going. As for me, my next 'challenge' will most likely be fitness-related. I'll probably never get around to the waking-up-everyday-at-5am habit, but I'm okay with that.

Here's to small steps to success :)

Image courtesy of http://blogs.smarter.com

UPDATE 07/16 : The Nigella cake turned out bland; her brownies are wayyy better. I used the chocolate ganache frosting from this recipe by Andrew Shotts of FoodandWine.com which was excellent, and I plan to make his chocolate cake version in the near future. The Martha Stewart custard filling also helped save the bland cake, so I'm still eating it tomorrow.

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15 comments:

Comment by Anna on July 15, 2009 at 5:56 PM

congratulations congratulations!!! we enjoyed your 30-day blog challenge - right there with you!

i found the 30-day challenge inspiring. and now that you're over the 30-day hump, you don't even have to do it daily anymore. i like how pinktwistedhalo.blogspot.com does a Smiley Series - she only writes about one good thing that made her smile that day!

oooh, and congratulations on the skate. i loved the way you started your day - and with that yummy breakfast to boot!!

Comment by Mariel on July 15, 2009 at 8:59 PM

Thanks, Anna!!! :)

Well, if you end up doing a 30-day challenge maybe you'd like to re-post them at 30-dayblogchallenge.com. But then again, from the looks of your blog, you've already been blogging everyday since way back :)

Oh! The Smiley Series is a good idea. Maybe I could use that for a sidebar.

Yes, the skate was fun. At first I got conscious because there were mommies with strollers doing outdoor aerobics. If I fell, wa-poise, right? But so far I stayed up and rolling ;)

THEN when I got home I fell asleep hahaha.

Comment by mamatots01 on July 16, 2009 at 1:59 AM

Congratulations Mariel!!! You did it! I had so much fun anticipating your blog each day. And all of it were inspiring! Keep it up and I wish you well with your career in the Big Apple. I am looking forward for the Fitness-related issues okay?!

Cheers,
Ela

Comment by Mariel on July 16, 2009 at 11:28 AM

Thanks, Ela! Now I just have to figure out what my blogging schedule will be, sayang naman the momentum if I don't stick to a regular sked :)

Comment by Frances on July 16, 2009 at 4:51 PM

Mariel! Congrats on a job well done! It was never boring or stupid (unlike some blogs out there!) and I truly did enjoy each story every day! Ooooh, I wish I had time like you.

So yeah, I haven't finished reading your book. Vince is putting it in his e-book reader so I have an easier time reading it =)

Love ya!

Comment by Mariel on July 16, 2009 at 8:15 PM

Love u lots, too, Neighbor! And thanks for the congrats! :)

I'm actually nervous about your verdict on the manuscript hehe. But it's alright because I know you'll give great, constructive feedback. (I have a feeling it's plot/conflict-related?)

Comment by TwistedHalo on July 16, 2009 at 10:29 PM

Congrats Mariel! I love your blogs too!

And Anna, you're here! Haha! Thanks for "plugging" my "Smiley Series"! Pressure, pressure! :)

Comment by Princess Ody on July 17, 2009 at 1:37 AM

Congratulations on completing the challenge! I enjoyed reading the posts :)

Comment by Chinachix on July 17, 2009 at 6:25 PM

congratulations mariel! this only confirms that thoughtful musings come to those who commit to it...

Comment by Mariel on July 17, 2009 at 8:22 PM

Hi, Chinachix! Wow! That's such a nice thing to say, thanks! :) I'll keep that quote in mind :)

Thanks, TwistedHalo! Yes your Smiley Series is a good idea :)

Comment by Mariel on July 17, 2009 at 8:27 PM

Hi, Princess Ody! Sorry I didn't see your comment right away. Thanks so much! :)

Comment by Riz on July 19, 2009 at 10:57 AM

yay you did it!! :)

still thinking about doing the challenge myself too. you taking the lead makes me want to try it even more! (maybe i will!)

congrats! :)

Comment by Mariel on July 19, 2009 at 7:49 PM

Hi, Riz! Go, go, go! :) You can do it, too! Let me know when you're starting :)

Thanks for the congrats!

Comment by Lavender Honey on July 21, 2009 at 10:14 PM

I've been meaning to comment on your 30-day challenge from the day you began ... but decided to wait and see if you made it through.

Congratulations! It's really habit-forming isn't it? This was the method I used to quit smoking back in 2006. After 10 years as a very constant smoker, I haven't picked up a cigarette in almost 3 years and counting.

Comment by Mariel on July 21, 2009 at 10:36 PM

Oh gosh, it was such an E.Q. challenge, and I'm happy I made it through! Now I just have to figure out what blog schedule to follow, what makes the most sense, or if I should even have one.

Anyway, thanks for your comment! Wow! I didn't know that, that's amazing! Well, congrats to you, too :)

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