Blogoversary and Giveaway!

Tomorrow is Stapler Confessions’ first birthday.

No, I’m not going to do a cake smash pic. Instead, I’m giving presents to two lucky readers.

A lot has happened in this past year — most of it unexpected, although some of it was planned. For those who are new and want to catch up on my life over the past year, and for those who like a stroll down memory lane, this one’s for you: In the past year, I . . .

• Outed myself as a lover of Staples deals and professed a devotion to sharing my knowledge with you readers.
• Admitted to My Big Financial Mistake..
• Shared the joy of paying off a student loan.
• Got Laid Off  womp womp 🙁
• Challenged myself to spend less than $10 on holiday gifts.
• Made a few bucks Consigning Clothes Online.
• Shared my tricks for getting coupons I could use.
• Helped a friend get his fiscal life in order.
• Revealed our Net Worth for the first time.
• Learned a thing or two about making beautiful things out of unfortunate circumstances.
• Wondered whether I should have a hefty emergency fund or pay down another student loan.
• Kim from Eyes on the Dollar talked about how small donations can make a big difference.
• Shared my Black Friday shopping list.
• Teamed up with Clever Girl Organizing to make an easy and inexpensive way to display our holiday cards.
• Bought a $20 Christmas Tree that fit into the trunk of our car.
• Got some free stuff by using “no minimum purchase” coupons.
• Opened up my gift closet to give readers a peek inside.
• Shared three tips for getting back on track with holiday spending.
• Showed how even the frugalist of the frugalists can give back to the community.
• Established some goals and priorities for 2014.
• Offered renters 7 tips for lowering their heating bill.
• Tried to eat exclusively out of our pantry for a month.
• Shared the ups and downs of DIY car repair.
• Got my garage professionally organized!
• Offered some priceless and frugal ways to survive Valentine’s Day.
• Introduced you to Jean Chatzky’s Money School and the podcast and book by Listen, Money Matters!
• Was offered a job and wondered what I should do.
• Got pregnant!
• Hosted Financially Savvy Saturdays.
• Shared my go-to dinner recipes for those nights when take-out seems like the only option.
• Tried to work through my pregnancy cravings without breaking the budget.
• Interviewed Dollar Flipper about how to sell things on ebay.
• Finally made an extra payment on a student loan — the first time since getting laid off.
• Shared our second child shopping list (and wishlist!)
• Got a little down in the dumps after spending too much money over the weekend.
• Visited Washington D.C. and didn’t pay a dime for activities.
• Puzzled through ways to increase my billable hours, and therefore my income.
• Shared my 5-minute Gmail trick to never seeing a promotion in my inbox again.
• Showed readers how we automate our bill-paying — and offered up a bonus to readers.
• Worked out just how much money we would need to retire, and shared an enlightening conversation with my boss.
• Got down in the dumps again about making a mistake in our budget spreadsheets.
• Walked readers through my system for saving big bucks on clothes for kids who seem to grow every few months.
• Mr. Stapler got a new job!
• Shared my 2014 strategy for frugal Christmas giving.
• Bored everyone to tears with my analysis of our new health insurance options 😉
• Encouraged everyone to look into whether disability insurance is right for them — before it’s too late.
• Offered up my tips and tricks for saving big on back-to-school shopping.

I also wrote the following guest blogs:

• Divulged my recipe for Thanksgiving Soup. It’s not soup for Thanksgiving … it’s what you make the next day 😉 on Making Lemonade.
• Foaming handsoap tutorial (hint: It will help you save money and still look classy) on Sustainable Life Blog
• Shared what I learned when my son turned 3 (of course it has to do with money and happiness!) on Suburban Finance
• Gave a quick and dirty explanation of why I love Staples — and how you can too 🙂 on Girl Meets Debt

There you have it: The year in review. Paid off a loan. Got laid off. Got a new job. Got pregnant. Mr. Stapler got a new job. What’s up for next year? Don’t be surprised if you read about us buying a home. It’s in the forecast for 2015.

Thank you to all those of you who read, comment on, and inspire my posts. If I have helped or entertained you along the way, it’s been worth it! But let me give you something else too . . .

Enter to Win One of Two $50 Gift Cards to Amazon or Staplers!

If you’re a fan of Stapler Confessions, please nominate it for a Plutus Award with this link, which will cast your nomination for Stapler Confessions as one of the “Best New Personal Finance Blogs” and “Best Frugality Blogs.” Feel free to add your other favorite blogs in other categories. Thank you so much. Your support means a lot to me!

Image Source: Momentology Photography for I Heart Naptime.