Four Month Blog Recap & Blog Plans for 2018

Christmas is over…wow!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  I have been planning on writing a year-end review of my blog and I realized it has been exactly four months today since my first blog post went live! So, today I’ll share a four month blog recap plus some exciting plans for 2018.

It is really hard to believe that it has only been four months that I have had this blog! I have learned SO much –I couldn’t even begin to explain it all.  Prior to starting the blog, I knew nothing about setting up a website, let alone running a blog. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say I am a bit technically challenged! While starting a blog has been something I had considered for a while, I really began it on a whim. I signed up for an online class through Natalie’s E-Blogging Course. Then, I spent many hours on ‘Google University’ (aka searching and scouring the Internet for every question I had). I really learned as I went along!

Four Month Blog Stats

I really had no idea what to expect so these numbers are really just a benchmark for me to set goals for next year. As you can imagine, the first few months of blogging are the toughest in terms of blog views. While you can count on a few of your friends and family to read the blog, it is necessary ‘market’ your blog beyond just your own network. I didn’t realize all the time and energy that I would spend building my community and trying to drive traffic to the blog.

My first blog post went live on August 27th, 2017.

Since then, I’ve had:

Total Views: 17, 500 +

Total Blog Posts: 46

Total Blog Comments: 500+

Top Five Most Popular Posts:

The numbers speak to the topics my readers want to hear about and HOME DECOR tops the list! It’s funny because I did not think my blog would be as much about home decor as much as family life. But it seems that my readers like to read about decorating the home just as much as I do! I will definitely continue with more home tour posts in 2018-so stay tuned!

• Christmas Home Tour  This post was my most popular of all time! I love decorating for Christmas and it was so fun to share with all of you. I linked to other bloggers so I also got to peak into a lot of other homes as well!

A lot of my readers share my love of Rae Dunn! This tiered tray has been one of the most commented pieces of my home! 

• Cozy Fall Home Tour My very first home tour was my second most popular post! It seems so long ago that the house was decorated for the fall! It is in this post that I shared my love of all things COZY!

• Thanksgiving Home Tour I really started the blog with a lot of home tours! Late-August through December my home is decorated for a holiday, so it is fitting there were three home tours this year.

 

• Day in the (Mom) Life Besides home decor posts, another very popular post was a recap of a typical day in my life. It was fun to document what I do in a typical day and I’ll enjoy looking back on this post in the years to come. I plan to write a couple more day in the life posts in 2018–one in the spring and summer! It’ll be interesting to see how my days differ with the changing seasons!

My little sidekick is with me at all times (except for those few hours, a few times a week he is at preschool).

• Friday Favorites: A Big Birthday, House Guests and New Winter Scents  I tend to get the most views on my blog on Fridays as I link up with other bloggers. This particular Friday Favorites post was my most viewed Friday post of all time.

Many of you also love Mrs. Meyer’s soaps! I can’t wait to see what other scents are available in 2018!

Three Honorable Mention Posts

These three posts were my most favorite to write! I love creating fun little parties and activities for my family. I have always loved a good themed party! True story, when I was in elementary school I would host holiday parties for my friends including  Valentine’s Day parties and Christmas cookie parties! So, as a mom, I am naturally drawn to creating these kind of activities.

After School Hot Cocoa Station

These marshmallow stirrers were a hit with the kids!

Throw a Family Boo Bash

Family Friendly New Years Eve Party

Several readers commented on these cotton candy mocktails!

 

Plans for 2018

Now that I’ve shared some of my 2017 highlights, I’ll give you some details on my plans for the blog in 2018. As I mentioned, I will continue with the home decor posts. I have a few fun projects around the house that I am hoping to get accomplished. Specifically three areas of the house I’m hoping to update and share with you include:

• My daughter’s bedroom: Her 11th birthday request is a room refresh including new paint and new decor!
• Basement Playroom: This is a challenging room as I try to balance letting it function as a playroom (and letting go of the mess and toy explosion) with wanting it to have some nice decor to make the room feel cozy.
• My office/guestroom: I started working on this room in 2017 including a new paint color on the wall. But I have stalled with any progress since my initial efforts. I’m hoping if I put it down here that I want to work on it that I will be more likely to get it done!!

Also, I will continue with my Friday Favorites posts. These Friday posts are fun to write because I can look back at my week and reflect on some of the highlights. Plus, I like sharing fun products and hosting giveaways!

Clear the Clutter Challenge

What I am most excited about this coming year on the blog is a new link up I am hosting with two other bloggers, Kate and Keri (Keri Lynn Synder)!  One of the biggest (awesome) outcomes of blogging is getting to meet other bloggers and build a network. Recently, I connected with Kate and Keri and we created a Clear the Clutter Challenge link up for the new year!! I am SO excited!

I think the topic of clearing out clutter is something that resonates with everyone. The timing of this challenge couldn’t be more appropriate as we all look to de-clutter after the holidays! 

Mark your Calendars:

This Challenge will kick off on Monday, January 8th! During the month of January, we will be focusing on a different area of the home every WEEK. Then, for the rest of the year after January, we will focus on an area of the home every MONTH.

There are a few ways you can participate in our challenge! If you have a blog, you will be able to link up each Monday and share your own results! If you have any questions about how a link up works, please send me a note and I’m happy to help!

Also, we have a private FACEBOOK group for all of our followers. You can request to join the Clear the Clutter Facebook Group HERE! We will be posting daily tips, share before and afters and have contests for our favorite makeovers/reveals!

This will be so much fun!! Please contact me with any questions!

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I am so excited for what 2018 brings for the blog. This labor of love of mine has truly be fun and rewarding. I look forward to continuing to grow and get better and better at all aspects of blogging.

I’d love to hear from you on what you liked, what you want to see more of (or less of) on my blog! Please share below!