An update, a look back and a cheeky birthday

Well hello there my little blog! Long time no see.

It's been a bit of a quiet December here, so I thought I should post one more time for the year with a bit of an update and a reflection of the year that was. The end of a calendar year also marks the end of another year of blogging, that's been four years since I started Teacher Types (a very easy blogiversary date to remember) so it's time to get back into it and set some goals for 2018!

So 2017 for me was the year of the juggle. The spinning of the plates. Motherhood, part time teaching + extra relief days, and maintaining the blog, and I think I've managed to do it all! I actually had a really good year.

I wrote 85 posts in total, with January and February being the busiest months (I must have started the year more enthusiastically than I finished it lol), and here are my top 5...

Kid & Hub Opened in Adelaide!

We absolutely love Kid & Hub! They have had such a successful first year of business with their movers and makers classes a big hit for both of my kids and we love their new and improved play hub!

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What I've Been Reading This Month

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a bit absent this month... I've still been active on Insta but not so much on Facebook or here on the blog. I'm trying to get back some motivation and finish off all of the things on my blog to do list by the end of the month!

In the mean time there are some articles and blog posts that I'd love to share with you all!

First of all I was over at Teach Starter this month for their regular Teacher Spotlight feature. Cassie asked me all sorts of questions about returning to work after having the kids, what my schedule is like, my favourite Teach Starter resources... and then she cleverly crafted a fantastic and comprehensive piece all about me! I would love for you to check it out.

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Lauren Recaps 2016

When I look back on 2016, I think about how many coffees I drank, how little sleep I got and how much of my kid free time I spent on the blog/social media...

Without a doubt, 2016 has been the best year for Teacher Types! 111 blog posts, (30 of which were product reviews), together with many opportunities that have come my way (incuding becoming a TRIBE influencer). I'm truly grateful and have loved all of it.

I didn't just write here though - I've been popping up all over the place! You may have seen me over at Adelady, Kids in Adelaide, Alphabet Street, Childhood 101, Kid Magazine, Finlee and Me, Baby Hints & Tips, and the Parent Talk Australia Instagram account.

As the year draws to a close it's nice to look back on the highlights and best blog posts of 2016...and you might even come across a post that you missed! Or if you're a new follower you can catch up!

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A Year of Teacher Types {2015}

We're getting close to Christmas and the end of 2015, and I was feeling all inspired by Jess from Essentially Jess with her end of year wrap up post and so I wanted to do the same. I wanted to share a snapshot of my best blogging and significant happenings from this year. Teacher Types is nearly 2 years old, and I'm so proud of how far I've come, and that I've been able to consistently stick to it. It brings so much to my life and I'm so excited to see what opportunities 2016 will bring!

Please enjoy a trip down memory lane with me :)
If you're a loyal reader (YOU ROCK!) and please let me know your favourite post of the year. If your a newish follower (THANK YOU!) and I hope you like reading some of my best posts from this year, there may be some you've missed.

January

We went on a mini family holiday to Melbourne to start our year, and overall it went pretty well (although we haven't been on a plane since, and we stressed out slightly when Miss M didn't have her day naps while we were there). But I shared a few highlights on the blog...as you do.

Melbourne Snapshot

January is the perfect time for 'Back to School' posts as parents, children and teachers are all preparing to return to school (some more enthusiastically than others). I wrote a back to school series covering all sorts of topics from separation anxiety, to giving kids a head start with reading.

February

February saw my most popular post of 2015 - Phonics Treasure Baskets and this activity was a big hit in my classroom as the children were learning their letters and beginning sounds. 

I also reviewed one of my favourite little Adelaide play cafes (well, it's way more than your regular play cafe)... Amalie's Play Space and have been back many times throughout the year. 

March

March was Miss M's 2nd Birthday and we celebrated with a party at Amalies. She was a bit overwhelmed with all the people there, had trouble sharing and cried when we all sang 'happy birthday'. All her guests had fun though!

I really liked this Maths post of 10 hands on way to learn numbers. Lots of great ideas here for classroom or home. 

April

In April I bought you a lovely series with the help of my online Mother's Group - "Stories from Real Mummies". There were stories about Ridiculous Reasons for Tantrums, Managing Toddler Behaviour, Funny things our two year olds say and Best activities for two year olds. I love that these stories, advice and quotes are directly from the mouths of mums who were/are living the 'terrible twos' here and now. Must do another series like this in 2016. 

May

In May I finally joined Facebook! Yay! Now I have 850 likers...(although Facebook can be very frustrating at times when 10 people out of those 850 see my content). 

I attempted the 'Blog every day in May' challenge and made it 27 days. Interestingly though - may saw my highest pageviews of the year. Two favourite posts of these 27 were How to make the perfect rainbow rice and Art Work made from toddler paintings.

May was also Mother's Day and my birthday. I shared a rather personal post here - There's a story behind this handbag.

June

I used up all my good ideas and content in May, so lost some mojo in June. But I guess these two weren't too bad and could do with a mentioned - Clever Craft ideas with CleverPatch and What's in a quiet box?

July

We were so thrilled to announce our pregnancy news in July, and it's not long to go now until I'll be making another exciting announcement of his arrival. Another highlight of July was when we went to see The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. It was absolutely magical and I would highly recommend it to all young children and their families. 

Image used with permission.

August

We ditched the dummy in August and (of course) I blogged about it. Miss M still loves this colour sorting activity that I shared. 

September

September was a quiet month with only 2 posts - both pretty good though if I do say so myself. These alphabet collages are a great idea to help children learn their letters. 

We enjoyed a family trip to Goolwa and Miss M was in her absolute element jumping on the jumping pillow at the caravan park. 

October

October was fun and a few special milestones were achieved during the school holidays. Miss M adjusted to a big girl bed and we decorated her 'rainbow' bedroom. We managed to master toilet training, and we still battle with daily getting dressed tantrums.

November

Another family trip happened in November, this time to Mount Gambier and it the road trip went really well compared to the same time in 2014. November was the exciting time when I teamed up with Finlee and Me to become a brand rep. I wrote about 15 of my favourite products you can find on their online store. 

December

To kick off December and get into the Christmas spirit I hosted a HUGE Christmas giveaway. It was a lot of work but totally worth it and I was so grateful for the 7 small business for their prizes and everyone who entered for their support. 

I only just recently shared our completed baby's nursery - and this certainly has been a highlight of the month. 

So I think that's where I'll sign off for now. The next time you hear from me I'll have some baby news to share :)

Thank you for following along this year. 
Have a wonderful Christmas and a joyful start to 2016!

Love Lauren & family xx

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