Hi! A surprise Saturday post since I wasn’t in the headspace to write one of these on Monday, and spent the week working on old content (more on that below). It feels like 11° outside, but after today, should be in the 40s-60s for the next week. I’m so ready. The girls got new scooters a few days ago but it’s been too cold to take them outside. We have some big changes coming, but it’s all (mostly) good. We are getting so so close to being 100 days away from Margot’s port removal – it feels like a very significant milestone for us. But all that aside, the world has felt extra heavy this week. I’ll be sharing a few big updates in my newsletter in the coming weeks and some more original content there, so be sure to sign up. 

On My Mind, 3.8.2022: We’re Moving

We’re Moving! 

I shared this in my newsletter weeks ago, but we’re getting ready to list our house this spring! It’s a great house (we’ve been here almost 4 years) and leaving feels a little bittersweet. This is the place we brought our girls home to, and we’ve really made it our own. New floors in a few rooms, new baths, a pantry, the yard, laundry room, lighting, etc. After all we’ve been through, and with end of treatment coming up, it’s time for a change. We are not leaving IL, but the last few months, have talked about both the city and suburbs. 

What I’ve been working on

The last few weeks, I’ve been optimizing old content for SEO (search engine optimization). I’ve mentioned this before, but I hired Influencer SEO to help optimize my site (which makes it easier for people to find content organically). They also pin all my content to Pinterest and even make custom Pinterest graphics. So worth the investment. I spent hours and hours adding headings, reworking content and updating old links. I updated and consolidated old home tours and deleted content that’s not serving anyone, too. It’s felt really good to do a little site cleanup. So between that and focusing on wellness content, that’s kept me busy. 

A new business? 

Blogging has been great, and it’s going so much better than I ever could have imagined. But – I’m not sure how long I want to do this and have been thinking about the future. What’s next? I’m not sure, but I do have an idea that I am very excited about. I’ve spoken to a few friends I trust. Some have experience doing something similar, and the feedback has been better than expected. The concept makes so much sense and I really want to make it happen, but how? I know it’s annoying that I’m sharing this with zero details, but I hope I’ll make someone else who feels lost less alone. It’s ok to feel stuck and to have no idea what you’re doing. Sometimes, it takes time to learn, talk to people who might be able to help, think, and process a concept before moving forward. 

Fundraising

Fundraising for new treatment options for childhood cancer has never felt more important. We raised $200,000 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand and $100,000 for Lurie Children’s oncology department, to assist families in treatment, and to fund research. I remember when I hoped to raise $10,000, then $50,000 and then, $100,000. Too many children are diagnosed each day, and I can’t make sense of it. If you follow me on instagram, you can imagine that our entire family is heartbroken. This has only fueled my need to fight even more. I’m not sure how I’ll ever make this happen, but I never thought we’d be here, so here’s my big, lofty goal. I want to raise 1 million dollars for childhood cancer by the time Margot is 10. 

Life, Lately

Less than one month left with our nanny 💔

She gave me the ok to share what’s going on. So, she’s actually pregnant (so happy for her!) and being a nanny post-baby doesn’t really make sense for her family. I fully understand and respect her decision, but man, we’re going to miss her. We knew this was coming but also planned on listing our house and it’s hard to hire a nanny when you don’t know where you’ll be living. I also want to take a little time off to just be with the girls, but we definitely need some help, so this should be interesting. 

Family life

The girls are doing very well. Margot’s labs were great and we don’t need a chemo increase, so that’s huge. Last Thursday, we had one of our best clinic visits. Margot did amazingly well, we got some good news, and our oncologist gave us the ok to live a little more, so I’m feeling good about that. I took the girls to the zoo last weekend, and took Margot to the nature museum after clinic. We were even able to spend some time with the girls’ cousin last week.

Kate is talking and counting and as of this week, asks for snuggles and hugs. 😭 This age was one of my favorites with Margot, and it just gets better from here. I’m really looking forward to this summer. We’re trying to figure out next steps for childcare, because I want more time with the girls but also do have to work. So much feels up in the air, but I’m confident I can still get some work done during Kate’s nap and after bedtime. We’ve barely seen friends the last two years – it’s time to have some fun.