We’re not only saying goodbye to the year 2019 but also the decade! If I was labeling the decade I would definitely call it the ‘sandwich generation caregiving decade’. It started out with intermittent requests for help from my parents and Jason’s mom. In 2019, my children were in elementary school and now I’ll soon have two in college! I said goodbye to my dad and my mother-in-law in this decade and yet through some of the most difficult years of my life I discovered Happy Healthy Caregiver. I also became more intentional about my health and happiness and rediscovered my passion for writing and spotlighting stories.
Life is messy and so are decades. Years have lots of ups and downs.
Perhaps you are ready for a new year and a fresh decade. You may be thinking about your resolutions, goals, and good intentions for the new year.
But wait! First, I think it’s important that we make our ‘Ta Da List’ for 2019. Reflect on what happened and what went well and where things may have gotten off track.
This will be my fourth year sharing the highlights and happenings for the year. Writing these out help me digest the learnings and inform the year (and decade) ahead. If you are curious about the other three years, you can check out the reflections for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
The Wins for Happy Healthy Caregiver in 2019
- As an entrepreneur, it’s important to know if you are making any money. One of my 2019 goals was to begin to track my profit and loss. I’m happy to report that after FOUR years of being in the red – I can now happily say I’m in the black (i.e. making more than I’m spending). In fact, I was even able to buy my business a new laptop and sponsor our family’s first cruise over Christmas this year. To be honest, I can’t tell you how many times I thought about giving up on this business – at least a few times a month I would ask myself ‘why am I doing this?’ and ‘life would be so much easier if I just let it go’. But, I can’t not do Happy Healthy Caregiver. It’s just part of my DNA now.
- The profit for 2019 is primarily due to securing a few partnerships this year. It’s a win-win really. These companies have a product or service they want to promote and I want to reach and help more family caregivers. These companies have larger budgets to help boost social posts – I was shocked to see one of my Facebook posts have 2K engagements! You can see a list of all the current partners on the Partner Spotlight page. I’m grateful for all of these partnerships who help cover all my expenses and hopefully down the road will enable me to work Happy Healthy Caregiver full-time. During May through December, I was one of the content influencers helping to grow the reach and engagement for Depend® Brand’s new Facebook Group The Incontinence Community. It’s a community that supports individuals who have bladder control issues or care for someone who does.
- I was thrilled to be featured in some well-known publications – The Washington Post (about Daughterhood Circles) and Health Magazine (about Caregiver Self-Care). At first, I called this ‘free press’ but my little sister quickly corrected me and said this is ‘earned media’ – meaning I put in some serious sweat equity to earn this coverage. Indeed!
- The press helped increase email subscribers. In 2019, Happy Healthy Caregiver’s list grew by over 500K. Your referrals also help. I’m so grateful to those of you who introduce the website, podcast, social sites to those you know. If you aren’t on the email list yet, click here.
- At the start of the year, I had a goal to sell a journal a day in 2019. While I didn’t hit this target, I am thrilled to say the Just for You: a Daily Self-Care Journal is in almost 150 homes! I also have sold copies of the journal in a local boutique called Mud Creek Market. And, I’m regularly using my own journal to reap the benefits (something I had on my 19 for 2019 list). Do you have your Daily Self-Care Journal yet? I think you’ll enjoy kicking off 2019 with your own personal copy.
- Facilitating a monthly support group with family caregivers allows me to connect with caregivers in our area and get the support I crave as well (I’m still a caregiver, too!). The NW Atlanta Daughterhood Circle had 11 meetups in our 3rd year. I love seeing the regulars and meeting new faces. Check out Daughterhood to see if there is a support group that meets near you (or start your own!).
- I witnessed my sister Susie along with three others receive the Caregiver of the Year award at the Fourth Annual National Caregiving Conference (2019) in Chicago where the theme was ‘Our Amazing Difference’. I shared the main stage presentation (Finding Joy in the Holidays) as well as a breakout session (How to Make 2020 a Delightfully Different Year) and facilitated panel discussion with others who work with caregivers. I also met a few of the Happy Healthy Caregiver partners face-to-face like CaringBoost!
- Speaking is energizing for me. I love presenting on practical topics that can help women and caregivers. Some of the presentations this year were recorded and are still available to watch or purchase. Check out the Happy Healthy Caregiver Events page for all the links. Interested in inviting me to be a keynote speaker or presenter at your 2020 caregiving, employee or women’s event? Contact me for details including a list of my presentation or workshop topics and my media kit.
- The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast celebrated it’s two-year anniversary in November with the Whole Care Network. 2019 added 24 additional episodes for a new total of 81 shows! I had a few show sponsors this year like Life in Motion Guide. Also, a thank you to Feedspot for awarding the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast with Feedspot Top 10 Caregiver Podcast. Here’s your top 3 most listened to podcasts for 2019 (click images to listen):
- I completed my recertification in the Certified Caregiving Consulting Program. If you are considering becoming a CCC, let’s set up a call to chat about the program.
- I was on a mission to create more ‘white space’ in my life in 2019. Juggling family, personal health, a full-time job, and Happy Healthy Caregiver is a lot. There’s a ton of little work that piles up when you have an online business and it took me 11 months but I finally hired extra hands. I already feel lighter for 2020!
- I always like to look back and see what were the top blog posts for the year. For 2019, the five most popular posts were:
20 Happy & Healthy Songs for your Workout Playlist
6 Behaviors To Cultivate A Mindset Of Abundance While Caregiving
Writing a Self-Care Plan or Your Own Care Instructions
10 Unique Mother’s Day Gifts for Seniors
How to Identify and Create Boundaries while Caregiving
Highlights for the Millers in 2019
We love to travel and spend time together! Here are some of our 2019 personal highlights!
- Through my day job, I earned one of six home office spots on the annual Champions Trip. I was able to spend some quality time with Jason and other recipients in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I worked my bootie off this year and learned a ton working alongside McKinsey Consulting. Another definite highlight was flying in Aaron’s private jet to four states in one day to see progress on the new store concept.
- We spent Spring Break in Gulf Shores, Alabama with the Delameters and Greens and played lots of Mexican Train!
- We learned through our caregiving experiences, to seize the fun getaways! We spent Memorial Weekend celebrating a Bar Mitzvah in Boca Raton and catching up with Elizabeth’s Penn State college friends and an old high school buddy.
- We celebrated Father’s Day with Jason’s dad and enjoyed the Atlanta Movie Tour.
- No summer is complete without our annual vacation to Hubbard Lake, Michigan. With mom living there and 100% bedridden, it has a different vibe. I wrote this post – Our Summer “Vacation” at a Caregiving Home – about the trip. While we there sister Susie snapped Jacob’s senior pictures and we did finally visit Mackinac Island with the kids.
- We returned in September for a fun-filled Detroit wedding weekend with my extended family complete with a visit to the Shvitz – a historic Detroit bathhouse owned by the family friend who officiated the wedding. Susie facetimed with mom so she could witness the beautiful ceremony. It’s important to all of us that mom stay connected to life’s events and experiences.
- The past few years our book club has hit the road for a ‘traveling book club’. This year we rented a cabin in Blue Ridge, GA.
- I got another dose of a girls’ weekend during our annual Sister’s Weekend. We were spoiled rotten with an ocean-side beautiful home in Fernadina Beach, Florida!
- Once a quarter, I visited mom and tried to be a bit of relief for Susie. For the past year, Mom has been 100% bedridden and on hospice with Hospice of Michigan. When I visit I enjoy my coffee talks and playing Uno with mom. During one visit I helped Susie market the new Hubbard Lake rental Acorn Cottage.
-
- Jason had a big year! He started a new job as National Sales Director with Biolyte! Their tagline is ‘IV in a bottle’ and they have 6.5 more electrolytes than the leading sports drink. Bilolyte is a great recovery option for dehydration due to illness, fatigue, nausea or overindulgence. If you can’t find it (yet!) in your area, you can order it on Amazon.
- Jason and a few buddies also flipped a few houses. Lots of learnings here!
- I tried and really enjoyed a chaffle (aka cheese waffle) and finally learned how to use my Instapot. Best recipe I made was the Instapot shrimp and grits!
- Jacob college acceptance letters have been coming in – so far from the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Alabama. Waiting on Clemson and Georgia Tech before he’ll make the big decision.
- Natalie got accepted into the University of Alabama nursing school program! She also had some fun times with her ADPi sorority sisters and still managed to earn President or Deans list each semester.
- Jason and I joined Pepper Boxing at the Atlanta Battery and I’m excited to try out my new bright red boxing shoes that Santa brought me!
- We’re still loving the Peloton bike (Elizabeth hit 200 cycle classes this year ) and we also use the app, especially Peloton Yoga.
- Enjoyed fall foliage and toured FDR’s Little White House in Warm Springs, GA with Jason’s Aunt Kate.
- A great way to wrap up the year together as a family was on the Carnival Paradise Christmas Cruise. Lots of laughter, food, and memories. One of the highlights was visiting Stingray City in Grand Cayman.
- Last year, I created a 19 for 2019 list and achieved many of these items including: seeing the daffodils, trying all the Peloton instructors, using my own journal, exploring flea markets, keeping up with my business P&L, paddleboarding, reading/listening to my age in books, attending at least one play/musical and outdoor concert, enjoying a monthly massage, and completing a self-paced bible study. While I did have several fun monthly dates with Jason (including Axe Throwing!), did some speaking and took most of the month of December off – I can’t consider those 100% complete.
- I’m also continuing to work my way through my ‘50 before 50 Bucket List‘. Several items got checked off in 2019 including a partial Penn State friend reunion, Atlanta Movie Tour, riding tandem bike, taking an art class, and helping someone cross something off their bucket list.
- I also made a huge dent in my read 200 books goal since I read over my age in books this year! You’ll find some caregiving books on there including: Hope for the Caregiver, Blue Hydrangeas, Who is God When We Hurt?, Wherever You Are: A Memoir of Love, Marriage and Brain Injury, Alzheimer’s Daughter, 7 Caregiving Landmines and How You Can Avoid Them, Curious about what else I read and enjoyed? Check out my Goodreads Year in Books recap here.
- I’m happy to report that according to my FitBit dashboard I have logged almost 2.9 million steps this year and averaged about a 5K a day (3.19 miles). I had a goal to average 7 hours of sleep a night and sadly I only averaged this 3 out of the 12 months!
So…we want to know. What worked for you in 2019? Share what’s good. Share what had a huge impact on you. Share a few of your big wins and key learnings. Or maybe don’t share but do a private assessment of your 2019. Whichever form of reflection you choose, I’m proud of you for taking a few moments to wrap up the last year of your life before moving on to a fresh new year.
P.S. Kickoff 2020 by being intentional with your health & happiness by purchasing your copy of Just For you: a Daily Self-Care Journal.
P.S.S. Get in on the fun by creating your ’20 for 2020′ list. Listen to the related podcast episode or download the ’20 for 2020 worksheet’.
