The Best Posts of 2020

Although 2020 will go down in history as a heinous year on so many levels, it also was a year of tremendous growth for my blog.

So much stay-home-time led to more time for baking, cooking, projects, and crafts, which led to more content for the blog.

In addition, I was able to use some of my time to really dive in to learning about the logistics of being a blogger, so I could up my game. It’s been a busy year of learning about the business side of blogging.

I also did some networking, which led to some great advice from other experienced bloggers, some wonderful connections, and even some friendships.

All of these things helped me grow my blog, and reach many of my goals for the year. At the end of 2019, I was hitting about 1500 page views per month. By the end of 2020, I’m now well over 85,000 monthly views.

Below are the posts that made that happen this year.

Top Ten Posts With the Most Page Views

1. DIY Burlap & Ribbon Wreath

This burlap and ribbon wreath is easily the most popular post on my blog. It got featured on Hometalk at the end of October, and since then has had more than 37,000 views. It still regularly gets a few hundred views per day.

2. Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

This delicious and creamy soup gained popularity after being featured in Food Talk Daily’s newsletter. It’s such an easy and comforting meal, I can see why so many people were drawn to it.

3. Starbucks Copycat Sugar Plum Danish

Clearly, there are a lot of people besides me craving the Sugar Plum Danish from Starbucks. because this is my highest referral from Google searches! It really is good, and so easy to make at home!

4. Make Your Own Fall Porch Sign

This DIY porch sign made with relcaimed wood and homeade stencils gets a lot of love from people who don’t have a fancy Cricut to do the lettering. This sign can be made easily using supplies you likely already have.

5. Cheeseburger Soup

This is another soup recipe of mine that Food Talk Daily featured. It is easy, a bit unusual, and sooooo good. I can see why so many people visit to check out this recipe.

6. Making Vintage Art from Home Blueprints

This vintage-looking art made from a copy of our home blueprint gets a lot of traffic. It’s such a fun way to pull your home blueprints out of the closet and display them where you can actually see and appreciate them.

7. Dutch Letter Bars

This simple bar recipe got shared on a local Facebook group and went viral. In the span of a couple of days, it racked up thousands of views, and still finds its way into my most-viewed posts each month. It also generates a lot of traffic from Pinterest. It’s delicious and only requires 5 ingredients. I mean, what’s not to love?

8. Apple Cider Martinis

This simple, seasonal cocktail garnered a lot of attention this fall. With many of us staying home more, Happy Hour at Home gained some traction.

9. Maple Bourbon Glazed Brussels Sprouts

We had these Brussels on our Disney World 50th Birthday Celebration Trip last year. Since then, we’ve made them many, many times over, including for Christmas Dinner this year. I only got around to posting them in January of this year, and since then, they’ve managed to inch their way into my Top Ten for the year.

10. Vintage Embroidered Flour Sack Towels

This post generates a lot of Google traffic, and a lot of comments. It seems quite a few people have also inherited some flour sack towels from their mothers and grandmothers, and go looking for more information about them, just as I did. I’m happy my compilation of research is so helpful to so many others.

The Post With the Most Pins

DIY Burlap & Ribbon Wreath

Suprise, suprise. Not only is this my most viewed post of the year, it’s also the one with the most pins on Pinterest!

The Post With the Most Shares

Dutch Letter Bars

After being shared on Facebook and going viral, this Dutch Letter Bar recipe continues to be popular month after month.

The Post With the Most Comments

Ribbon Angel Christmas Ornaments

The comments that people shared both here, and Hometalk, about these Ribbon Angel Ornaments melted my heart. So many people used my mom’s tutorial to create their own versions of this sweet little ornament, and then came back to leave comments and even pictures. One sweet person told me that she and her elderly mother had made several, and wanted to know my mother’s name, so they could refer to their angels as “Irene’s Angels”. 💕

My Favorites

DIY Scrap Wood Moulding Christmas Trees

Many of my posts this year had sentimental value. These scrap moulding trees that were made from wood from my parents’ kitchen remodel many years ago have a special place in my heart, especially since we settled their estate and sold the house this fall. I made some for myself and for my children, so we can have them for years to come.

Antique Hope Chest Makeover

Antoher sentimental piece is this antique hope chest my mom left to me. I gave it a makeover and have it now in my home office, where I can appreciate it every day.

A Farmhouse Inspired Tiered Tray

And finally, this Farmhouse Tiered Tray is a favorite of mine. I bought my tiered tray this past spring, and since then I’ve enjoyed styling it for each season and holiday. The Spring Garden, and St. Patty’s Day versions are in my top 20 posts for the year, but this farmhouse one is my personal favorite. I loved incorporating many pieces that represent my family and my Iowa roots.

Hello 2021

Like many of us, I’m ready to let 2020 become a page in the history books.

I’m looking forward to a new year, and I’m armed with a new set of goals as I continue on my blogging journey. I hope to be back here a year from now, telling you how I met, or even exceeded, as I did this year, my 2021 goals.

Thank you to all of you for the role you played in helping me turn this blog into something real.

Here’s to 2021!

PS. I’d be so grateful if you’d follow me on social media and subscribe via email using the box in the top right side bar of this page! That way you won’t miss a thing. 💕

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