As 2022 settled in a bit compared to years’ past and whew, did we all need that! My website traffic continued on a steady climb as readers began traveling again. Join in as I share the year’s updates and looking forward to the new year ahead!
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Mom Rewritten – New in 2022
Plenty changed in our house this year, with 2 of our kids graduating from high school. One graduated from Marine Corp bootcamp and is extending his schooling on base about 90 minutes drive from our house.
The other kid is attending a local community college and stays at a relative’s house during the week to minimize the drive time. It was a huge adjustment, adjusting to life at home with only two kids instead of four.
Illness also seemed to plague us in the second half of the year. We finally succumbed to that sickness-that-shall-not-be-named, as well as the flu. Various colds/sore throats/coughs would knock us out before we could rebuild our immune system. We’re looking forward to getting (and staying!) healthy in the new year.
Adding Structure to My Work Day
One of my goals was to commit more hours towards my work day in 2022. I created a better daily schedule that allowed me to complete articles while still keeping a life balance. My routine includes taking kids to school, walking the dog, household chores, work hours, then school pick up and evening activities.
In 2023, I’d like to add in a regular morning exercise routine to my daily schedule. It’s just a matter of getting fitness back on my schedule and motivating myself to actually do it without distraction!
One thing I also added to my week is a self-care day. I found that with all the focus on work, I was neglecting things that I wanted to do. I’ve been adding in time to do my at-home manicures or to sew, one of my passions. I made 3 quilts this year and plan to continue with more self-care time in 2023.
Mom Rewritten – The Blog
In 2022, I published 60 new and updated articles. I focused mostly on updated older articles and the hard work paid off. My 2022 pageviews were higher than the previous year!
In late 2022, I started using RankIQ to help guide me with updating and creating content for my site. It’s a major timesaver for bloggers to rank higher in Google search with streamlined SEO keywords. I am looking forward to seeing what a year of RankIQ can do to help my blog posts rise in the Google ranks!
I’m planning to push even harder in 2023 and aiming to make a larger jump in pageviews. I’ll continue to see which older posts could use updating as well as push out new, relevant content.
Family Time Outside the House
My 2020 and 2021 had a deeper focus on family time at home. But as locations reopened and travel extended again, I was able to write more about activities outside of the home.
In 2023, as I look towards more family travel opportunities, I hope to share these posts on the website. Here are some of the articles I wrote this year:
Universal Studios Hollywood Tips – After a recent visit to Universal Studios I updated this guide on everything you need to know about the movie theme park.
Disney on Ice Review – This post is one of the newest articles and shot into my top 5! If you’re considering going to Disney on Ice in your hometown, check out this article.
Family Getaways in Southern California – Looking for a SoCal getaway this spring? These are the top warm-weather spots.
Kansas Travel with Kids – TravelingMom changed its name in 2022 to She Buys Travel. I had the opportunity to take my children on a wonderful mid-west trip this summer and wrote this article.
Cooking at Home
Baking and cooking at home is still a passion of mine and I continued to share my favorite recipes on the site this year. In 2022, I shared round-up recipe articles that proved to be very popular. I have plenty more recipes coming in 2023!
- Cake Pops and Cookie Truffles Recipes
- Brunch Recipe Ideas
- Recipes for Busy Families on the Go
- Kids Comfort Food Recipes
- Holiday Cookie Recipes
San Diego Local Living
As a San Diego native, I love exploring areas within a close driving distance. These are some of the newest updated articles on SoCal travel.
Sesame Place San Diego – The kids and I were invited to the opening of the newest SoCal theme park, Sesame Place! Find out about this water park / dry ride experience featuring Sesame Street friends.
LEGOLAND California Guide – After experiencing some of the newly opened areas, I updated this popular theme park guide.
LEGOLAND Hotel Review – We stayed overnight for the first time at the LEGOLAND Hotel and share our experiences in a full review.
Disneyland With Kids
I co-own the Disneyland With Kids Facebook group (est. 2017) with 3 fellow travel bloggers. In 2022, we sent out our first digital magazine and expanded our group to over 37,000 members!
Disneyland With Kids is Leslie of Trips With Tykes, Becca of This Crazy Adventure Called Life and Jessica from The Happiest Blog on Earth. We hosted our first in-park meet up with group members, including a fun poolside breakfast. It was awesome to be all together again during the fall season.
In 2022, we started Disney World With Kids Facebook group in response to request that we grow our community for Orlando travel! In January 2023, the four of us will be traveling to Florida together, experiencing both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
While Leslie & I have been multiple times, it will be a first time visit to Florida for both Jessica and Becca! We can’t wait to share Orlando travel tips with our group members.
We’re also looking forward to being back together at Disneyland for the start of Disney100 celebrations, starting in late January. Read more about What’s New, What’s Returning and What’s Coming to Disneyland in 2023.
Disneyland Travel
Securing theme park reservations definitely took the spontaneous wind out of my sails when it came to planning Disneyland vacations. I had to cancel several trips due to illness and wasn’t able to rebook because of reservation unavailability. Working the reservation system definitely takes some advance planning!
In 2022, I was able to take a look at the top requests and questions that our Disneyland With Kids group members have. Disney Princesses continue to be a hot topic as well as quiet areas, shoes to wear and the best times to vacation. In response, I’ve written these articles:
Best Places to Buy Disney Princess Dresses – My daughter and I did the work for you, reviewing multiple websites and offering up our tips on comfortable outfits for theme parks.
How to Avoid the Disneyland Meltdown – Sometimes you just need a break. These are the quiet areas and thoughts on using the Disability Access Service.
Guide to Disneyland Height Requirements – Know before you go! Check out the free printable checklist to know what rides kids can access and certain rules & restrictions.
Best Shoes for Disney Vacations – Comfy walking shoes are a hot topic. I’ve tried many brands and share some tips on how to get good shoes for travel.
Disney Travel Planning
As previously mentioned, I’m excited to return to Disney World in January. I’ll definitely be using the trip to update my WDW articles and write a few more about my new experiences.
These are some of my top posts about Disney vacation planning:
50+ Overlooked Disneyland Attractions and Hidden Gems – For those that are looking for other things to do at Disneyland beside the rides, these are the fun ways to round out the day.
DisneyBounding Rules for Dressing Up Without the Costume – This has been a top 10 article on my site for years and I updated with fresh, new ideas!
Celebrating a Birthday at Disneyland – One of my original blog posts received a major overhaul and lots of new tips.
Disneyland Character Dining – Overview and review of all character dining experiences in and out of the theme parks.
Guide to Meeting Disney Princesses – Meet ‘n greet, wave at them from afar, take photos or dine with princesses at the Disneyland parks using these tips!
My Number One Viewed Post for 2022
Of the 60 articles that I published in 2022, only 14 were brand new articles. The rest were updated posts and complete rewrites and redirects. Fortunately those older articles were given new life with the updates and many climbed to the top of my most viewed pages.
With the theme parks open for the entirety of 2022, there was a resurgence of interest in Southern California travel. Disney articles hold 8 out of the top ten most-viewed posts on Mom Rewritten.
The article Must-Do Disneyland in One Day serves up tips on what are the important things to see and do at Disneyland. This is the “Perfect Itinerary for First Timers” and I intend to write a companion article for Disney California Adventure park in 2023.
Partnerships and Affiliates
The affiliate links you see on my site are a little way I recoup the cost of running my business. Clicking and purchasing through an affiliate link is no cost to you. But it’s a simple way to support me and this site!
Get Away Today – From exceptional customer service, convenient layaway and deep discounts on tickets, I love sharing Get Away Today with my readers. They’re the best place to book your Disney vacations!
Check out this article with the ultimate guide to Disneyland tickets and why Get Away Today can offer a full refund on tickets purchased through their website (Disney can’t!)
Etsy – It’s the place to find unique and creative items, Etsy is my favorite place for gift shopping. Check out the fun Disney Souveniers to Buy Before Your Vacation.
Amazon – The go-to delivery spot for all the best vacation and at-home needs, I love finding helpful things for my readers on Amazon. This article shares the 100 Best Books for Kids of All Ages, found on Amazon.
Thoughts and ideas for this site in 2023
More family recipes – My recipe articles continue to be popular. I plan to share more cooking on the blog including my original recipes and more round-up articles.
Healthy Living – I’ll celebrate a milestone birthday this year (50!). As I venture into these new life changes I’d like to take my readers along for the ride.
Seasonally focused posts and crafts – Continuing to share more seasonal posts and kid-friendly craft ideas.
Travel adventures – Outside my WDW trip in early 2023, I don’t have any specific travel plans. But I’m certainly open to more travel and hope to bring my family along for the fun.
2023 – Looking Ahead to a New Year
I send the biggest thanks and appreciation to readers and followers who have supported my website. An easy and an excellent way to show your love is through sharing and word of mouth.
Share my posts, re-pin on Pinterest, retweet on Twitter and like on Instagram. It’s how I grow best! I am grateful for YOU and your support of my small business.
Blessings for 2023 to you and your family!