The Jersey Momma Year in Review: 2016

I know there's all this chatter about how awful 2016 was. As far as celebrity deaths and many world events go, it was terrible. But things on The Jersey Momma page were pretty spectacular this year. I look back at all of the fun we had, all of the places we visited and all of the cool products we tried, and it makes me so proud...yes, I can finally say that...proud. I am proud of this little blog and I hope it brings you as much joy as it brings me. I work very hard to bring you honest, high quality posts. I used to be afraid to say it out loud, but now I will shout it to the world: I'M A BLOGGER! I'M A WRITER! TAKE THAT, 2016!! And in honor of my new found pride, I put together a little year in review post to look back on all the fun. I even made a video! I hope you enjoy it, and that you stick around for the ride in 2017.

Buh-Bye, 2016! Here's to All the Fun We Had:

(**note if you're on a mobile device, this video might not play. Sorry! In 2017 I hope to learn more about video production in blogging...).

Here are some of the posts and Instagram moments that were featured in the video.

Let's Visit Chick-fil-A Flemington!

Let's Visit Dream Dinners

The Lego Americana Roadshow

Let's Visit The Paint Party Studio

The Lehigh Valley Family Pet Show

Raising Eastern Swallowtails

Emoji Adventures and App Mash-Up Books

A Review of Tetherbox

Let's Visit Bluebird Farm Alpacas

A Trip to Caesar's Palace, Atlantic City and Wildwood

The Annandale Carnival at Immaculate Conception Church

The Summer Fancy Food Show, NYC

JC'S Pie Pops

Branchburg Sports Complex

Quick Check Festival of Ballooning

Morris Museum (Toothpick art)

Callie's Southern Biscuits

Pequest Fish Hatchery, Oxford

Raising Painted Lady Butterflies

The Hotel Hershey (Summer visit)

Hershey Gardens (Butterfly Atrium)

Bakerly!

Huggables Hallmark - Branchburg

How to Raise Monarch Butterflies

Autumn Leaf Pressing

Let's Visit Medieval Times

Why You NEED to Visit Yo!Sushi

Easy Dog Biscuits for Picture Book Month

One World Observatory: Freedom Tower Visit

Hersheypark: Christmas Candy Lane

Woodside Cottages at The Hotel Hershey

Hershey's Chocolate World and Hershey Sweet Lights

How to Make Turkey Lollipops

Disney's Moana Inspired Recipes and Printables

The New Jersey Comic Expo

Duck Donuts Opening

Gingerbread House Hacks

Gingerbread Wonderland

Not to be forgotten are the few places we visited at the very end of the year that didn't make it onto the video (I guess I made that video too soon!):

(featured here are Pazzo Pizza in Fairfield, The Paint Party Studio, Morris Museum's Engineering Brick Art, and the beloved Christmas Ice Caverns).

2016 Giveaways!!

I am very grateful to the businesses, authors and companies that allowed me to raffle off some amazing items on my blog and my Facebook page this year. In this year alone I gave away a YoSushi gift card, tickets to Octonauts Live at the Mayo Center, a KidCash set, a box of Bakerly goodies, an App Mash-Up and Emoji Adventures book, a Pipsticks gift card, Chick-fil-A food cards, exclusive Lego sets from the Lego Roadshow, and our absolute favorite book, Diary of a Minecraft Zombie.  Who knows what good things will come in 2017??

And so many fun products and books that we sampled and read during the year...

Fun stuff from Japan Candy Box! 

 Yummy goodness from Hoboken Farms!

 Testing out my most favorite ketchup of all time from Traina Foods!

 Celebrating girl-power and the work of the fabulous Charles C. Dowd!

My review of Blossom Water (love this stuff!!).

So hat's off to the new year! I already have some plans on the agenda. I WILL get to the Toy Fair in New York this year (a stomach virus and some snow kept me away last year), and we are planning a little adventure at The Other Tales Escape Room in Hawthorne (so stay tuned for THAT). I also look forward to telling you about a cool new program for schools called ActiveEDU. Please stick around.