Hi! I'm Lindsay Ferrier. You might remember me from a blog called Suburban Turmoil. Well, a lot has changed since I started that blog in 2005. My kids grew up, I got a divorce, and I finally left the suburbs for the heart of Nashville, where I feel like I truly belong. I have no idea what the future will hold and you know what? I'm okay with that. Thrilled, actually. It was time for something totally different.
December 31, 2014
Can it really be December 31st?
2014 has flown by and brought with it so many twists and turns. As I look back over the last year, I can’t believe all that’s happened in just 365 days.
All in all, 2014 has been a very family-focused year. I’ve made a conscious decision put most of my energy right now into being a mom, from letting go of work commitments that were taking up too much of my time (and learning to operate again on a reduced family budget) to making the decision to hybrid-home school my daughter.
Because of this, it hasn’t always been easy to find time to write- but when I do, I’m finally able once again to write something for my website, as opposed to someone else’s– and it has paid off, big time. Four and a half million people have visited Suburban Turmoil this year, and that number floors me, y’all. And fortunately, the posts most of you want to read are not the ones that detail the minutiae of my family’s daily life– which is great, because we as a family are finally reaching the point, particularly with my daughter, where I feel that most of her stories are hers to tell- or to not tell, if she chooses. This blog could not have continued much longer if it focused primarily on the lives of my children, so I’m very grateful that it’s evolving in more of a What-I-Think-Is-Interesting direction.
It just feels right.
So! Want to make sure you didn’t miss anything? Here’s are the highlights from the past year here on Suburban Turmoil in a nutshell:
In January, I took issue with a post that described 39 as, in so many words, the beginning of old age. This is 39 from my perspective. My post ended up inspiring another post from a writer on Salon.com. Apparently, 39 is causing us all some serious soul searching. I shot a television show with my family (a show that’s currently in funding limbo! Boo! But it’s also nominated for an Emmy! Yay!) and wrote an open letter to my kids about their lunches, which went viral and sparked the wrath of bento box mommies across the country. I fantasized about what life would be like if our kids were Pottery Barn Kids– and that post was also shared all across the Internets.
February was marked by a tragedy that happened all too close to home, when a small plane carrying a much-loved Kansas pilot, his wife, daughter, and teenaged granddaughter crashed outside the YMCA, just 2 miles from my home. Everyone inside the plane was killed, but miraculously, and due, I think, to the efforts of the pilot, the plane crashed on a small patch of grass, literally just a few dozen feet from the Y’s workout room and indoor swimming pool (which was packed with people, many of whom I knew) — not one person on the ground was hurt. The family members of those killed weighed heavily on my heart and I wrote a letter to them about their patriarch’s last act of heroism on my blog. What happened next was really extraordinary- It still makes me tear up to think about it. The post was shared throughout Kansas within hours of me writing it– and friends and family members in Kansas, along with people from my community, were able to interact and comfort one another in the comments. I didn’t write about this part on my blog, but 35 friends and family members came to the YMCA a month later for a memorial service and I was able to read the post aloud while everyone who’d been at the Y that day stood in front of me. It was one of the saddest and most moving experiences of my life. I was so impressed by Glenn Mull’s many friends and family members and they will truly always have a special place in my heart- and my prayers.
This put me in an introspective mood, clearly– At the end of the month, I wrote The Last One, by far the most popular post ever written on this blog. Between here and The Huffington Post, where it was cross-posted, it has been shared more than two million times on Facebook.
I spent March detailing the five stages of grief when your kid gets rejected. (Not that this has ever happened to me. Oh no. Never. Never ever. Did I mention never?) I also revealed the shocking truth about Victoria’s Secret swimsuit models (those itchy bikini bottoms are just one of the UNFAIRITIES they have to deal with!) and that post made the rounds on social media.
In April, I mulled over what life would be like if your house were a Pottery Barn house. (Can’t get enough of those Pottery Barn catalogs!) I revealed my plans to send my daughter to a two-day-a-week school (Incidentally, I think we’ll be seeing more and more of these type schools as the decade progresses. Because they are AWESOME.) I took a look at life through the hallucinatory lens of an Anthropologie catalog. And I listed 25 reasons why I’m glad I’ll never be pregnant again.
May brought with it another once-in-a-lifetime experience: I was invited by Cottonelle to attend the Kentucky Derby! There, I walked the red carpet, hobnobbed with celebrities, and inadvertently ended up on Millionaire’s Row. I even placed a winning bet on California Chrome. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. And then I wrote chapter three of the ever-popular Warped Childhood, Restoration Hardware-Style series.
June launched our Season of Endless Travel. Thanks in part to the television show, the travel offers began rolling in- and you know my family will NEVER say no to a travel opportunity! It’s our favorite thing to do together. We made yet another trip to Chattanooga, after which I wrote a pretty definitive guide on what to do with your family in Chattanooga. (I think we’ve been about 20 times over the last five or so years!) Dennis and I visited Savannah and St. Simons Island (where I nearly died! Twice!) while the kids went to camp in Atlanta. Afterward, we all spent an amazing family weekend in downtown Atlanta, and I wrote about it.
Back at home, I asked parents who’ve raised their children to adulthood for their best parenting tips- They had some great things to say, which I wrote about in 35 Amazing Tips from Parents of Adults to Parents of Kids.
In July, the travel continued with trips to Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and the City Museum, which is literally the craziest, most claustrophobic, scariest place for kids I have ever been.
Seriously check out that post if you’ve never heard of the City Museum. There’s nothing else like it on earth.
And then I got you ready for Back to School Time… Catalog-Style.
In August, we ended summer with a marvelous week at the beach.
I Tried To Help with 20 back-to-school ideas that will seal your top-mom status, then answered all your questions about our hybrid home school experience. I also gave my views on fall styles in the riveting Fall 2014: The Year Fashion Smoked Crack.
In September, I revealed my hate affair with burlap, penned a guide on how to have a fantastic couple’s weekend in downtown Nashville, and wrote Notes From the Losing Team, which really seemed to strike a chord with many parents and coaches out there.
In October, we made our sort-of-almost-annual pilgrimage to Walt Disney World and I spilled every single secret I know about that place… and trust me, I know a lot of secrets! Next, we spent a few nights at Loews Portofino Bay. AMAZING!! We also got to visit the Great Smoky Mountains– I wrote down a whole bunch of ideas on what to do with kids there.
Struck by the difference between costumes for a nine-year-old girl and a ten-year-old tween, I wrote a post about it, which got lots of attention- including an honest-to-God TELEVISION NEWS STORY IN MIAMI. ABOUT MY POST. omg.
In November, I went to a party, realized my kids weren’t invited, and stuck them in the coat closet. I am not even kidding. And then I wrote a post about a certain package I got from Singapore. It got lots of attention on my blog (especially from Singapore), but once I cross-posted it on The Huffington Post, it went NUTS. Since that time, I have gotten hundreds of e-mails and thousands of new Facebook and Twitter fans. The post has been translated into Spanish, German, French, and Italian, and my photos have appeared in Singapore newspapers. And I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me in public over the last few weeks and said, “Excuse me, this is a weird question, but… DID YOU ORDER SOME CLOTHING FROM SINGAPORE?” I kid you not. Weird, right? That’s blogging for you.
As if that weren’t enough, I had a very weird Thanksgiving, one that ended up with its own hashtag on Twitter and Facebook: #GasStationTurkey.
And that brings us to this month- Admittedly, I haven’t done a whole lot of blogging (although I did manage to post many of the hilarious photos you’ve sent me of the clothing YOU’VE ordered from overseas). I’ve been busy with holiday stuff and finishing up school (My daughter had her first-ever midterms! MIDTERMS!) and with all the Singaporean craziness, I’ve pretty much had my hands full online. The year ends today with something very exciting that happened this morning- but I can’t tell you about it until 2015. SORRY.
What will 2015 hold? Who knows? What I can say with certainty is that I’m very grateful for every one of you. You’ve been supportive and loyal and enthusiastic, and you’ve made blogging fun again. Thank you, and best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous 2015 that’s full of love and laughter.
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You had a great year funny lady! Cheers to 2015!
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