“Fail every single day until you figure out that path to success. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the multiple failures that caused me to learn and grow and change.” – Mel Robbins

Can you believe that today marks the 5^th anniversary of this blog? Five years ago, I clicked publish on the very first post for this blog. Five years ago, this blog was born from failure, from what had felt like the worst part of my life. But almost a year after and nearly every moment since then, I’ve been thankful for that failure. Because without that defining moment, I would not be where I am today. I would not be in love with the life that I live and lead.

In past years, we’ve celebrated my blog’s anniversary with apple related recipes. We’ve celebrated with apple cider doughnuts with maple glaze, apple cobbler a la mode, and mason jar lid apple crumble pie. And we’re still doing that this year, I already have a honey apple pie ready to be shared with you, but I thought maybe today, I’d dedicate this post specifically to this blog and to you.

I mentioned so many times before that when I decided to start a food blog and clicked the publish button on that very first post five years ago today, I was trying to find a place to share my experiences in the kitchen, to find a creative outlet, and to stay distracted from what had felt like the worst part of my life at that moment in time. Seriously, failure does a lot to take away your confidence and make you feel more than a little miserable.

But the thing is, without that setback, without having failed my exam due to circumstances, without having to wait a year to retake that exam, I wouldn’t have this blog. I wouldn’t have had that year to learn how to manage a blog, how to take photos, how to style food, and how to earn a little money doing what I love.

I never dreamed that this blog would become what it is today.

And let’s be honest, this blog wouldn’t be what it is at all without you guys. <3 Thank you so much for stopping by and reading all the stories I wrote, trying the recipes I’ve shared, and traveling with me (via posts and photos) to places I’ve visited. For absolutely everything.

You let it be possible for me to do the things I love the most. And for that, I will always be thankful.

Sooo…. you know what that means! It’s time for a giveaway. To show my appreciation. Thank you so much for staying with me all these years, for supporting me, and for letting it be possible for me to have this space to be me. <3

Celebrating 5 Years – $75 Gift Card Giveaway