2018: Year in Review

2018 was a big year for Best Bites KC! I reached milestones I honestly had not even thought I would reach when I first started this journey. What started as a way for me to quit spamming all my close friends and family with endless food photos on my personal account has grown into new opportunities and new friendships.

Over the past year I hit 1,000 followers, and then 2,000 right before the end of the year! I didn’t expect this, but it is so exciting and meaningful that that many people are interested in my content and as excited and passionate about this community as I am! This past year I also started this website! It’s been up and running since May, but I haven’t put the work into that I wanted. However, I hope that 2019 will see more blog posts (and more familiarity with WordPress!).

One milestone I didn’t celebrate as much as I wanted was my one year anniversary! It came right around Thanksgiving, so it got swept up in the midst of traveling, family time, and the holiday season. I am thankful that I was able to celebrate at the end of the year with a few giveaways that represent some of what I got to do this past year!

As I reflect on the past year, I decided to look back on what I did – it went by so fast! I’m sharing some highlights from each month this last year! 

2018 Highlights

January: I,000 followers and hosted my first giveaways with Pilgrim Coffee Co. and Decadent Coffee and Desserts!

Feburary: First official foodie event at Brookside Barrio!! This was so exciting and unreal – I had no idea what to expect, but it was the best night ever!

March: Tequila tasting at CocoBolos! I also attended my first Yelp Elite Event at First Watch!

April: Influencer event at O’Dowd’s that doubled as a whiskey tasting – so fun getting to hang with my fellow foodies! Visited Gus’s Fried Chicken for the first time. Worked with a local advertising company and Dunkin’ Donuts. Ate all the BBQ chicken pizza at Firenza Pizza.

May: Launched this website!! HopCat event with all the crack fries. Tasty Expo came to KC – it was exciting working with them! Attended the Lawrence Food Truck Fest (it like Bob’s Burgers in real life). Tried axe throwing for the first time – the boyfriend fell in love.

June: Ate more Dunkin’ Donuts. Developed my first recipe with Edgewood Creamery! Yelp supper club at Louie’s Wine Dive. Created all the bowls at bd’s Mongolian. Attended my first Wine Pull in Lake St. Louis. Ate all the food at and listened to Jazz at Bravo.

July: Enjoyed Dewey’s Pizza. Had the best surprise birthday dinner at Grünauer’s (thanks to the boyfriend!). Indulged in all the Mexican Hot Chocolate concretes from Sheridan’s. Traveled to the Pacific Northwest!

August: Finally tried Red Kitchen Tamales (and ate cactus!). Visited The Bean Coffee Co. for the first time. Yelp event at Spin! Pizza. Ate the best breakfast pizza in Lake St. Louis, courtesy of Embers. Visited the Pantry KC and fell in love with butterscotch scones.

September: Parlor opened!! So glad we got to be a part of the opening and try all the delicious food! Stopped in Sweet Springs, MO and found Old School. The boyfriend fell in love with froyoccino’s here. Took a lettering class with Lauren Heim at Pilgrim Coffee Co! Pie flights from Upper Crust. Plaza Art Fair and all the Chuy’s margs!

October: Celebrated with Life Equals and their tumeric balance shot! Chuy’s opened in Overland Park. Traveled to Boise where we drank all the beer and cider and ate all the food. Influencer event at O’Dowds (with Ketel One vodka – a new favorite!). Went back to Parlor for Motherclucker – the boyfriend found a hot chicken he actually likes!

November: Our adventures and partnership with Give and Partake began! We started brunching our way through KC, and got to be a part of the launch of the Mac & Cheese book! Attended our first Influencer Happy Hour with KC Local Events at Freshwater! Had all the Boulevard fondue at the My Price Chopper holiday tasting. Dressed like it was the ‘20s and celebrated with our Yelpers. Supported our dear friend Annie at her Bar K / Seeing Eye fundraiser! Celebrated 4 years with the boyfriend at Affäre (he’s still mad I ruined the surprise!)

December: Attended my first event with Visit Kansas City Kanas and toured Chateau Avalon. It was the craziest and coolest hotel and I can’t believe I didn’t know it existed before this. Influencer happy hour with EJ’s Urban Eatery! Media preview with Silo Modern Farmhouse. Tasted Mean Mule Distilling and celebrated their Gold Agave Spirit – so good! Holiday donut tasting with Duck Donuts and some awesome blogger babes! Not food related, but the boyfriend and I also adopted our Stella girl! 

The past few months have definitely been a whirlwind of events, outings, date nights, and new adventures with the boyfriend! 

When I first started out, I had very little idea of what I was doing. I’d like to credit A + K’s workshop for giving some idea of what I diving into – it made all the difference! It’s been a learning curve, and I’m still learning and growing. I’ve decided to set some goals for myself for this coming year. With graduation approaching, I’ve got some big life changes ahead, but I want to continue making Best Bites a part of my life. 2019 is going to be a year full of goals and growth.

What’s to come in 2019

Say “yes” to new opportunities

I want to continue to enjoying new experiences. By nature, I’m a naturally shy person and hestitant to try new things, especially when I’m uncertain of the outcome. However, this blog has pushed me out of that comfort zone, and I plan on saying “yes” to more in the coming year.

Engage with the community & stay connected

I have loved getting to connect with people and businesses. I’ve met so many incredible, talented, and passionate individuals over the past year. I hope that 2019 brings me new connections and friendships in my community, but also allows for the ones I have to continue growing and flourishing. I try my best to respond to anyone who connects, but this year I want to initiate more meaningful connections and friendships.

Share more stories 

I started this blog with the intent to write more about what I love: food and Kansas City! Unfortunately life happened and between internships, school, and work that wasn’t the case. This year I plan on writing more. I’ve had plans in the work from blog posts to secret projects – here’s to hoping I make them a reality!

I am so thankful for all the people I met, businesses/companies/organizations I have worked with, the opportunities and events I’ve been a part of, and the community I have grown to love. I am so excited to see what this new year brings, and I hope that all of you reading this will continue to be a part of it.