Well, Houston Moms. We did it. We made it to the end of 2022!!! After a couple of turbulent years to say the least, it was nice for this one to feel more “normal”. But with that brought some sort of whiplash, at least for me, as we got back into allllll the swing of things. Still so thankful to be on the other side of pandemic AND we are so thankful for you, our dear readers, for hanging with us! And how about our Astros?!? Major highlight.
Can you believe that in 2023 we will turn TEN YEARS OLD?!? It is because of you that we are able to continue to put out fabulous content, inspiring pieces, helpful videos, and of course guides for any and everything. Per tradition, we are recapping our top posts of the year – this time by month. {Our guides are our most accessed resources on a monthly basis but for simplicity sake, we removed them from this round up.} And of course, we would be completely lost without our fantastic volunteer contributors who write from their hearts every single month. I love you all! To our Executive Team – none of this would be possible without your passion, drive, and energy. You make my world go round.
Without further adieu, here are the top 12 posts by month from 2022! Enjoy the recap!
January – Betty White: Baudy Braud, Golden Girl, Legend
“Finding consensus in this world is nearly impossible, but today we were united in appreciation for the life of Betty White. A woman after my own heart, she called herself one lucky broad – and left this world knowing that she was loved. She once said that when people call her a legend, she just laughs because she has us fooled. But this is one time when the joke is on her. Betty White, you are indeed a legend…”
February – King Cake in Houston: Where Y’At
“As a Louisiana transplant, I can spot others of my kind immediately. We care about food–probably too much. We generally want to know where to get crawfish, andouille, a good po’boy,… but when January rolls around and everyone else in Houston is settling in with their resolutions, we are in search of King Cake…”
March – My Mommy Started Working Today
“Mommy also says she hopes that her working will be an example to us. It will show us that she wanted more for herself, that she wanted to do something she believes in and is passionate about, and that she wanted to contribute to making our lives better by being able to provide the things we really want. She hopes that we will see that with the right balance, it is possible to have it all. She also wants us to be hard workers and to always reach for our dreams. If she can do it, I know I can do it, too…”
April – Sexaul Assualt: Yes, It Can Happen to You
“I can tell you in that moment, and in the minutes that seemed to pass by so slowly, I was paralyzed. Even now I am shocked that I didn’t have a different reaction. I am a strong, confident person. I have no reservations sharing my feelings in most instances, whether in business or personal interactions. Yet in this moment, I couldn’t speak. I was alone with a man much, much larger than me, and fear completely overwhelmed me…”
May – I’m Middle Aged with Two Kids, And I’m Having the Best Sex of My Life
“I am middle-aged with two young kids and I am having the best sex of my life right now. Some of that is just because of cool things that have happened to come about with my body {pun intended}, but some of it is the glory of getting older and caring so much less about things. All of it combines for me to a golden age of sex that I hope only gets better as our windows of opportunity get wider {I see you, parents, with your naptime quickies}…”
June – ALDI: A Guide and a Love Story
“Parents everywhere are feeling the squeeze; inflation is at a rate we haven’t seen in decades, thanks to an ongoing global pandemic which created shortages and supply chain issues. Between groceries and gas, not to mention housing costs, so many families are looking for creative new ways to save money, and who could blame us?
Not feeling creative? I present to you: ALDI…”
July – Drive-In Movie Theatres in Houston: An American Tradition
“When I became a mom I realized there was a new benefit to drive-ins. I didn’t have to worry if my kid suddenly had the urge to ask me a question, needed to use the bathroom or run through the theater in the middle of a movie. We could go to a movie without the pressure of being “on our best behavior” or absolutely quiet. As a mother of a toddler the freedom to see a new release was finally back within my grasp. Interestingly enough, this was the exact original selling point of the drive-in theater, proof that aspects of motherhood haven’t changed all that much over the years…”
August – Coping with Chronic Pain
“Living with chronic pain for almost 5 years now, mothering through it, has been debilitating, to say the least. It has stopped me from being present with my son and husband too many times. It has robbed me of so much, and has made a bitter woman out of me. We always thought our family would be bigger, but simply because I cannot fathom another pregnancy in this broken and still healing body, we’ve stayed a little family of 3. The trauma is still very much alive. I am often asked by new doctors if the pain causes me to want to hurt myself. My typical answer is, “No, but I have thought about how much easier it would be, not having to live through it.”
September – Soft Life: What It Is and Why It Needs to be Canceled
“My research continued and took me to Instagram. On that app, there are many images and videos showing what this life looks like. I noticed that all the videos and images I saw with this hashtag belonged to women except for two accounts that had couples in the video. The images showcased what Urban Dictionary described. A luxurious life, life without work, a life where you only allow things that bring you happiness. A life where one benefits off someone else’s hard work. That’s when I started to get angry, and if I’m being honest, worried…”
October – Say It From the Heart: How to Initiate Powerful Conversations
“We avoid these vulnerable conversations because we’re afraid of rejection and disappointment. The thing is, you can’t outsmart rejection or disappointment. Eventually, whatever needs to come into the light will, and with the added weight of avoidance, typically comes {in my experience} added resentment and emotional volatility. This makes whatever conversation you’ve been avoiding that much more unpredictable, uncertain, risky, and emotionally loaded {vulnerable}…”
November – The Shame and Stigma of Invisible Disabilities
“There is so much stigma attached to treating invisible disabilities, especially with medication. Oh, that’s way over-diagnosed. It’s not a real disorder. She needs discipline, not medication. That’s just how kids are. Get her off screens and outside, and that will “fix” her.
But here’s the thing. No one questions the powerful medications my older son is on to prevent seizures– to CONTROL THE WAY HIS BRAIN BEHAVES. And yet, my more “typical” child, and I as her parent, do not get the same allowances for the powerful medication she takes to CONTROL THE WAY HER BRAIN BEHAVES. It’s disorienting and infuriating…”
December – Accessible Parking: Some Spaces Are Not Meant for You
“It’s really quite simple— if you don’t have the placard or plate with the International Symbol of Accessibility on it, do not ever park in one of those spots. Not for 30 minutes, not for 30 seconds. Not ever.
And if you are permitted to park there, but no one in your vehicle has a wheelchair, please avoid using spots marked “Van Accessible” as often as you can.
And because for some reason it still needs to be said— those striped areas? NO. No cars, motorcycles, bikes EVER. They’re not for shopping carts either…”
Whew! This just barely scratched the surface of the hundreds of posts we published this year and the literal THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of you who viewed our page. We are beyond thankful that you take the time to stop on the regular. Our Houston Moms team looks forward to serving you even better in 2023 and providing more free resources and guides to make this parenting journey feel a little less lonely and overwhelming and a lot more FUN. Cheers to you and yours this holiday season and we’ll see you again soon!
