It was just about 1 year ago when Brad and I were lying in bed talking about our side hustles. I had just recently shut down my handbag business venture, aLign, and was feeling a little disheartened around the whole thing. The idea had really been good, I had gotten great feedback when people saw it, (now there are some bigger companies that have a bag just like it) but at the end of the day, there were no buyers, or if there were, they certainly didn’t know about me. As I lay there, I thought about what things had gone well and what hadn’t, and I realized that the parts I loved most about the venture was to design. As I progressed with the thought a dream unfolded to have a shop filled with treasures from my favorite places and people around the world, to create, and to share with a community of amazing people. Basically, to do all the things I loved to do outside of my typical 9-5 working hours (although, who really works hours like that nowadays, it’s more like from email to slack to text working hours). Either way, with a bit of reflection, I jolted upright and thought, well why the heck am I not just doing that already. Why do I have to wait for something else, or some other business idea to be successful to enable my true passions to take hold.
 
I literally hopped onto my phone and bought the domain name for beyondtheclock that very second. I didn’t exactly know what it would be yet, just a place for me to share my passions outside of work, but I knew that I needed to make it happen.
 
After a little bit of time setting up the website, I wrote one of my first posts planning my year for myself and sharing it with all of you to help keep me accountable. Here’s how I stacked up and how I plan to keep my goals moving forward next year. 

2018 Goals

• Better management of my to-do list - I came up with a system that really helped me using the reminders feature on the mac and iphone. I create multiple lists and then a single hot list that I move the top 3 things to accomplish each day onto to really keep things prioritized and moving. 
• Learning more about marketing and social media - I studied Instagram quite a lot and learned a ton. There is still a long way to go but between content generation and understanding the algorithm, I think I made a big dent on this goal that I'm excited about. 
• Being more consistent on Instagram - The first half of the year was definitely better than the second. I posted almost every single day up until June. When we launched Little Foodie in July, my focus shifted to that Instagram account. I'm hoping to get back into more of a balance between the two in 2019.

2019 Goals

• Be more confident in asking for the things that will help me grow. 
• Build maturity around product development and product launches/commercialization strategy. This is driven both by my full-time work in the cancer care industry as well as with Little Foodie. 

2018 Goals

• 12 DIY projects - I ended up doing 9 DIY projects and 3 new recipes (all linked below) so I made it to a version of 12 and am excited to do more next year. 
• Pin design inspiration at least once a week - I didn't end up doing anything with Pinterest and focused more on Instagram in 2019. Next year will have a bit more focus on Pinterest to expand my content.

2019 Goals

• 20 DIY or Recipes
• Expand my knowledge and use of Pinterest - Create a pin for every blog post

2018 Goals

• Plan a menu on the weekend with all groceries purchased to be ready for the week. - I probably only ended up doing this a total of 6 weeks out of the year. Next year we may try one of those meal prep companies like Blue Apron to see how that works for us. 
• Eat out for lunch only once a week. (Bring my healthy leftovers instead, also much better for the wallet). - It's more like twice a week on average which I think is an ok balance but I hope that with some shifts I make on meal planning in 2019, this can be more of a reality. 
• Move 7 days a week with at least 4 being more intense workouts - To be honest, I didn't do the best job tracking this. Once we got our dog Stella, I definitely move 7 days a week walking her, however the intense workouts are more like 2-3 times a week. 
• Continue to explore meditation/visualization to find what works well for me. - I started doing this more towards the end of the year and it has really helped reduce my stress so I am excited to integrate it further into my wellness routine.

 
2019 Goals

• Plan 3 weekly menus that rotate throughout the year - I think this way it will be more manageable to do but we will see. 
• Add stretching and guided meditation at least once a week. Keep more intense workouts to 4 times a week.

2018 Goals

• Document my trips more consistently - I actually did a great job with this on my Instagram stories and it was so fun to get questions and comments from everyone learning more about the places. 

2019 Goals

• Continue to document on Insta stories and incorporate more aspects into blog posts as well.

Although I had specific goals, there were a few items that weren't on the list that I added throughout the year. They took some time away from my other goals but were so worth it. 

• Beyond the Clock Design - I launched my home and commercial design work and had 4 clients. It was so much fun to get to work on my passions and find fun ways to make spaces that people love
• Little Foodie - I launched a kids apparel and gift company with one of my best friends. It has been so much fun and we have such great feedback that I'm excited to see where 2019 takes us. 

It’s amazing what happens when you write something down. Overall, I’d give myself a B+. I may not have tracked everything to a T and I definitely fell off from workouts and blogging here and there, but overall, I kept at it, I found my way back and I enjoyed every second of it along the way.
 
The very best part about this whole thing is the people I have met through Instagram, collaborations, emails, and friends I have reconnected with through new conversations. I smiled with delight when I received a text from one of my old friends asking for advice on some new living room décor. I don’t think she ever would have thought of me for a question like that prior to this year and it feels amazing to know that the work I’ve been doing is resonating with others.
 
I know that with working a full-time job and running a baby company on the side, this blog doesn’t always get my full attention, however, I can’t thank each one of you enough for following along on this journey with me through thick and thin. Each like, comment, and email that you send, fills my heart with one of the greatest joys and it means the world to have you here.
 
As we head into the last few days of the year, I wanted to say THANK YOU and get ready for a 2019 filled with fun new content and giveaways to hopefully help keep you motivated and inspired for all things you love beyond the clock. ​Happy New Year! 

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw the cover of Taste of Home magazine with this gorgeous looking bread spread across the page. I immediately snapped a photo and told myself I'd make it for Thanksgiving. In fact, I'd even do a practice one before Thanksgiving to make sure it turned out ok.....well Thanksgiving came and Thanksgiving bread and still the closest I got to baking the bread was sending a text saying that I wanted to do it. 

This is the first Christmas that Brad and I don't have roommates and so I took the opportunity to create some new traditions just for us! This was my chance to finally make this epic looking bread! The first time I tried it, I followed the recipe perfectly and was so excited when the bread actually rose during the hour sit time (I didn't have high hopes for my bread making skills so that fact that I could do it means anyone can.) The only problem with the first batch was that once it had the slightest golden brown top, I took it out and started eating. The edges were good but the middle was a sad state of dough.

I could tell that it would be really good with a different filler and so I decided to give it another go for my company Christmas potluck, this time with pesto and cheese. I stayed patient and let it bake and bake and gave it the good old toothpick test just to make sure it was cooked and was so happy about how it turned out.

So the verdict is in from me, Brad and all my co-workers that this bread tastes as good as it looks. Whether you want something sweet for Christmas morning or a delicious savory appetizer/side for Christmas Eve dinner, this bread is sure to be a conversation starter and taste oh so good. 

Hope your Christmas is filled with delicious goodies and if you want to add this one to your table, here is the original recipe link and below are some other filling ideas that Brad and I brainstormed to try next time.

Filling Options:
Pesto & Cheese
Raspberry Jam
Marionberry Jam
Nutella
Marinara & Mozerella
Garlic Butter & Rosemary

Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

P.S. I'd love to hear your favorite traditions too! What is one of your favorite Christmas day recipes to share with your family?

'Tis the season for gift guides! ​Lately, there have been a lot of gift guides floating through my feeds and I'm loving it! It is so helpful to see what other people are loving and what they have found to really add value to their lives. Although I find them super helpful for adding to my own Christmas list and/or a close family member, some of the suggestions are just a little out of my price point for gift giving on a bigger scale (i.e. friends and co-workers).
 
I love to give a little something to friends as I meet up for happy hour or coffee around the holiday season. Something that doesn’t break the bank but also shows love and care for having them in my life. The same goes for co-workers, in reality, I actually spend more time with them than friends so a thank you for a great year always goes a long way.
 
That being said, depending how big your circle of friends is, this can quickly become a much bigger expense than intended. I’ve been searching for these go-to gifts this season and rounded up my gift guide for affordable and fabulous gifts to share with all of you. To be fair, I may have overdone the personalization aspect of things, but a lot of time people love the personal touch yet would never get it for themselves so it really adds a little something extra to the gift. 

​And remember, no matter who the gift is for, a personal, handwritten, holiday greeting card goes a long way. 

​Happy shopping!