My blog SnapHappy Foodie turns 9 today!
Wait, your blog’s still around?
Yes, it is! I haven’t been sharing my blog posts on social media, so you guys probably thought this blog was over and done with. I even skipped the 8th blog birthday post (2022) because I hardly wrote here between years 7 and 8. Blogging really got pushed to the sidelines, even if we were pretty much confined to the four corners of our homes during the pandemic (and reasonably so, if I may add).
But year 8 got me blogging again. I actually do enjoy blogging, but I stopped sharing my posts on social media and kept this blog going on without fanfare. There were far too many food-related issues plaguing the country that I felt like blogging about where I’ve eaten seemed like bragging and oblivious to what was happening. Then I realized that maybe my posts will make a difference; maybe they won’t. Maybe some people will see them; maybe not. I’ll just keep doing it.
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
― Jane Goodall
Seriously, nine years?
Yes indeed! After nine years of blogging, this continues to be a non-profit blog – I don’t get paid by anyone. Back in the U.S., I used to do sponsored but unpaid event coverage. I collaborated with PR firms and restaurants to attend food festivals, media dinners, and local events that match this blog. Heck, I even did sponsored product reviews! If you’re curious about how I used to do this, you can find my recaps here. I’m also sharing the list of my past collaborations at the end of this post below (just because I’ve been reminiscing). : )
Now that we’re here in the Philippines, nothing of the sort happened. I did get invited to one or two events, but that’s basically it no thanks to the pandemic. I realized that I’ve missed that kind of synergy and collegiality.
Anyway, everything you see here continues to be my labor of love. I still take the photographs myself. I still write and share about the good eats and the lovely places that we find out there. I can’t guarantee that you’ll experience the places in the same way we did, but I can point you where to go, so you can experience it yourself.
Stop blogging. Start vlogging!
In the past year or two, others advised me to shift from being a blogger to a vlogger. Go from WordPress to YouTube? Granted with my communications background both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I know about video production work – scriptwriting, storyboarding, video editing, etc. But while those are definitely a part of my skill set, it is not something I enjoy. Then add YouTube SEO and YouTube channel analytics into the mix…yikes! So will I venture into vlogging this year? I doubt it, but then again, never say never, right?
So what’s been happening then?
I continued with my baking experiments that did not appear in this blog, so I’m sharing this photo dump of my baked goodies. : )
While others were busy with revenge traveling, hubby and I were busy revenge eating in restaurants like Pat & Pat Restaurant, Liam’s and Louis Gourmet Cafe, Cafe GUILT, Las Flores, Prologue, Cafe Lidia, Spices @ The Peninsula Manila, Talisay The Garden Cafe, Comedor by Miguel and Maria, Ilustrado, T’Viand Specials, Bikers’ Cafe, Trattoria Mario Mio, Miguel’s Garden Cafe, Cafe Cristina and Maura’s Place by Mela and Mai.
We did discover interesting resorts in Batangas and Zambales.
I had a fun staycation at The Peninsula Manila with my mom and my sister.
Then there was that visit to Queens Strawberry Farm.
What’s in store?
When SnapHappy Foodie turned 7, I had such fun plans for this blog – discover more heirloom dishes and learn more about our Filipino food heritage, visit more local farms, and support more farm-to-table endeavors. But life threw us a curveball in the form of a pandemic that kept us all housebound. Now that SnapHappyFoodie turns 9, this is a good year to step up and step into these plans.
Anyway, happy 9th blog birthday, SnapHappy Foodie! Here’s to a great year ahead!
Past Collaborations
Brands:
Home Chef, Wholly Wholesome, NestFresh, Mikey’s Muffins, Organic India, Farmbox Direct, Emmy’s Organics, Cocozia, Redpack Tomatoes, Finlandia Imported Butter, Sun Cups, Tabañero Hot Sauce
Restaurants:
Bobby Q’s Cue & Co., Daddy Jack’s, Le Madri, Fatboy’s Kitchen + Bar, Muddy Waters Cafe, Melt Mobile, Thali Too, Tawa Indian Cuisine, Hot Rod Cafe, Brick + Wood, Jojoto, Hana Tokyo, Palmwich, Barcelona Wine Bar, Mecha Noodle Bar SONO, The Gelston House Restaurant
Food Events & Festivals:
Greenwich Wine + Food Festival, Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival, Homage to Fromage @Saybrook Point, Annual Taste of Stamford, Whole Foods Market Thanksgiving Dinner, Taste Trekkers, Chowdafest
Other Organizations/Brands:
WWF-Philippines, World Food Expo (WOFEX), Wheeling City Tours, Saybrook Point’s Tall Tales Guesthouse, Taiwan Tourism Board, Weston Magazine Party, Fandor