Happy New Year! Are you excited for 2012? I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you, full of love, happiness and surprises. Let’s take a quick look back over the past year, if you’d like…

 

Along with Jamie and Caroline, we did a series of 8 hair tutorials, and we’d love to do more this year! (Any requests?)

 

I launched the Motherhood Mondays series, where we’ve talked openly and honestly about everything about babies and new parenthood, from having a boy and how to talk to little girls to going outside all winter, a complete baby registry guide and kissing babies on the mouth (I have LOVED discussing all things baby with you; it has been so encouraging, eye-opening and amazing. Thank you for that)…

 

 

As part of Motherhood Mondays, I featured a weeklong series about work/life/baby balance — a topic near and dear to my heart! — from which I learned so much. (You are all such amazing women!!) We also shared dads’ points of view, like 8 confessions of a new father, kissing your husband, and dads’ birth stories.

 

 

 

After ten years living in Manhattan, I was thrilled to share my Guide to New York City, with my favorite places to eat, stay, shop and play, as well as how to flag a cab and how NOT to look like a tourist.

 

We talked about food, including the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, avocado popsicles and how to serve a perfect cheese plate

 

… and how to drink wine correctly

 

We started Relationship Thursdays, and discussed things like finding your soulmate, guys with beards, seeing movies alone, worrying too much, how to introduce people, first discovering sex and what guys think about while kissing

 

 

…and, of course, weddings, like 10 unforgettable moments, genius proposals, simple rings and getting hitched at City Hall

 

We chatted about fashion, like fall trends, tattoo girls and sunglasses

 

Home decor, like ivy houses, throw blankets and our friends’ rad apartment

 

 

Travel, like a gorgeous rental house, a Dutch subway slide, Breathless and our own vacations (during which we learned how to travel with a noisy baby)…

 

Personal posts, like birthday cheese, Toby’s first steps and our date nights (including our very first date)…

 

 

Plus, I loved doing design round-ups, including 8 backpacks, 6 wedding rings, 5 books, 10 movies and how to buy houseplants

 

…and Do or Don’t posts, including surprise parties, false eyelashes and embracing pale skin (it was fun to hear your thoughts!)…

 

 

 

We ended the year with the 2011 holiday gift guides for men, women and little dudes…

…and, as always, had a bunch of just-for-fun posts, like funny comics, a trick for helping houseguests relax, winter blues and an idea for an Articles Club (starting this month!).

This year has been a wonderful gift, and I’m so thrilled to have such amazing women (plus a few guys!) reading the blog. You inspire me with your smart, funny and often profound comments everyday, and I can’t express how grateful I am to have you here. Very much looking forward to exciting adventures in 2012. A kiss for all of you!

P.S. One year ago.