Designer Daddy’s Greatest Hits of 2013

2013 was a pretty monumental year, both personally and blogally(?). So for all of the awesome, new readers I’ve met recently — as well as longtime loyalists — here’s a recap of my favorite posts from the last 12 months!

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JANUARY

What Could A Gay Kid Learn From Boy Scouts Anyway?
News of the Boy Scouts possibly overturning their ban on LGBT scouts and leaders (falsely) raised my hopes and had me waxing nostalgic about my stint as a Scout. A list of 25 invaluable lessons for any kid, gay or otherwise.

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FEBRUARY

Designer Daddy Goes to Annapolis
I recount my sit-down with the Governor of Maryland (and some fellow Maryland bloggers) in which I get to personally thank him for helping get same-sex marriage legalized in our state. And I make a unique discovery about just how pro-gay this 2016 presidential hopeful is.

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MARCH

Bedtime Battle: A Sleepless Saga in 31 Rounds
My retelling of an epic battle to get JJ to stay in bed, wherein I put into practice techniques learned in a parenting class. Chronicled entirely in Twitter, with guest appearances by my instructor and a fellow dad blogger.

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APRIL

Rolling With My Homies: The 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll
JJ, Papa and I embark on a most eggcelent adventure.
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Same-Sex Marriage: What We’re Really Fighting For
The pink and red equal sign avatar takes Facebook by storm, signaling a sea change in the country’s attitude towards same-sex marriage, and giving me all the tingly feels.

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MAY

My Two Daddies (Can Beat Up Your One) – The Single!
My musical magnum opus, written from JJ’s perspective on what it’s like to have two dads. And yup, it’s a country song, y’all.

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JUNE

Father’s Day Proud Papa Gallery of Greatness
In what I hope becomes a Father’s Day tradition, I curate 40 artistic masterpieces sent in by a bunch of my very proud papa pals.

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JULY

A Gay Man’s Moment of Patriotism
Living in the Nation’s Capital once again affords me a front row seat to history, singing on the steps of SCOTUS moments after the overturn of Prop8 and DOMA.

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AUGUST

A Journey to Family
The most personal thing I’ve written to date, about our trip across the country to visit JJ’s birth parents and biological brother.

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SEPTEMBER

DIY Clown Costume (OMG I Love Preschool!)
JJ starts preschool and thus begins a Designer Daddy crafting renaissance.

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OCTOBER

SalonLGBTQ: Reconnecting, Simplifying & Loving the Ladies
My very first blogging speaking gig takes me to Atlanta and the very first SalonLGBTQ conference… and a whole gaggle of new friends.

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NOVEMBER

Chasing After Batman: An Introverted Parent Raising An Extroverted Child
A real game-changer. My most read/shared/commented-on post ever, about the struggle of raising a child completely different from yourself.
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Saving the Day with Superhero Lunch Notes
On JJ’s first day of preschool, I doodled a superhero on a PostIt® note, put it in his lunch bag, and sent him on his way. The doodles just keep on coming…

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DECEMBER

An Open Letter to Photo Card Companies: LGBT Families Celebrate Christmas, Too
I take photo card companies to task for under-representing LGBT parents and people of color. And I meet a lot of lovely families in the process.

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Taking a cue from my blogger/designer pal Elan, what’s your favorite article of 2013, whether written by you or someone else? Share the link in the comments!