Dear ones,
Happy 2019! Isn’t it exciting (albeit a tiny bit scary) to have a shiny new year lying out before us? I envision my blank planner pages just waiting to be filled with my life’s plans, events and appointments. My daughters both come to visit the end of this week and for the weekend. I haven’t seen Brennyn, Cady and Mustafa since June. And although, I just saw Lauren, Lucia and Francisco for Christmas, it was such a whirlwind visit that I am happy to have more time with them, too.
Will be going back to Kentucky to be with my mom from 01.19.2019 – 01.28.2019 but hope to have a more pleasurable visit this time. My brother, who also lives in Lexington and is there for mom daily, will be traveling overseas so I am going to be there, just in case.
Other than that, and a dental appointment I need to reschedule, my planner is pretty wide open. Want to get my blog posts and link-ups penciled in. That should fill it up a bit.
So, the title of this post is “My Top Ten Blog Posts of 2018 and a Conundrum”. The first part is self-explanatory. And I will get to that countdown in a sec. The conundrum stems from the occasions where my page view numbers were high but I hadn’t published a new post. For example, on August 27, I had the greatest number of page views on blog this year but I didn’t publish a new post on 08.27. How do I count that? Were readers on that day checking on my post for 08.26 or were they jumping all over the place? Does that day count in the top 10?
The same thing happened for 08.12.2018. No new post but a large number of viewers. Hmmm. Were they there to read the Tasty Tuesday post from 3 days before? Seems nothing in life is black and white! Decided to include those quizzical days in my count. So, I give you my top ten blog posts of 2018…including conundrums.
My Top Ten Posts of 2018
Number 10: 12.01.2018
My Mini Holiday Bucket List, 12.2018. Was feeling so hopeful when I wrote this that we would enjoy a peaceful holiday season. Five days later I was on my way to Kentucky. I did accomplish a couple of the items on the list and will write up an update this week to share with you.
Number 9: 12.03.2018 -2 posts
For this date, I published 2 posts that received a number of views and hopefully, ‘reads’.
The Blended Blog Asks: Holiday Edition. Really enjoyed all of these posts. They are easy and fun. The TBB gals will kick off 2019 with their first TBB Asks post on 12.07.2019. And I will be joining them.
Also, on that date, I published my experiences Going on a Bra Hunt. Seems that finding a comfortable yet attractive bra is a universal struggle. Who is it that’s designing bras, I wonder? Men or women?
Number 8: 04.23.2018
Ahhh, a book-related post. Yay! Similar to the TBB Asks format, in Calling All Bookworms: 22 Q&As for Readers of All Genres and Authors, I answered questions about my preferences in buying books, book formats, bookmarks vs dog-earring a page (perish the thought), favorite book of all time, etc. I discovered the questions through blogger Rachel A. Dodson who found them on Goodreads.
Number 7: 04.17.2018
Tasty Tuesday: Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken. Let’s hear it for a recipe post! When I was with The Blended Blog, one of their all-time highest viewed posts was one where I shared my recipe for chicken pot pie (patting self on the back). Glad to know foodie posts are popular. Because I like to eat!
Number 6: 06.06.2018
Another 2-post day. Currently, 06.2018 and Wellness Wednesday: Goals Update & Mental Health Care Tips.
Number 5: 11.30.2018
The Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone series was one I created in the spring in hopes of pushing myself to try new things that were…well, outside my comfort zone. I think as we get older, it is easy to settle into a ho-hum, routine of familiarity because it is comfortable to do so. But shakin’ things up with new activities and experiences is feeds our brains, enhances creativity, helps us to become better problem solvers. This edition in the series was difficult to write because I shared the struggles we have had with my mother’s mental health and suicide attempts. Something we are still dealing with today.
Number 4: 04.09.2018
Behind My Blog Name. This is a post I had completely forgotten about. It was a link-up hosted by The Blended Blog where we were invited to share the story behind the name of our blog. Reread it tonight and I kind of like this one myself!
Number 3: 12.12.2018
Deck the Halls: And the (Assisted Living) Home. A recent post written while I was in Kentucky. One of the things that ‘sold’ me on Lafayette, the community where my parents moved in 2011, was the warm way all of the residents decorate outside their doors. In this post, I shared my meager holiday decorations here at home and then the decorations of the homes of the residents at Lafayette.
Number 2: 1o.31.2018
Leslie Paul & Messages in Metal. This was a review of a necklace I received for a company that makes personalized jewelry. It was love at first sight when I opened the package with my Hearbeat Gold Name Tag Necklace. Messages in Metal has some lovely pieces. If you aren’t familiar with them, please take a sec to check out this post.
Number 1: 10.10.2018
Wellness Wednesdays: Goals Update & Cancer Prevention Tips. Way to go, Wellness Wednesday, with 2 posts in the top 10. Thank you, Natalie, for creating this series. I am so thankful that I have not had to worry about cancer personally. Knock on wood that I never do. In rereading this post, I am reminded that I really, really have to cut back on the sweets, if it means pulling my sweet tooth out of my mouth! Cancer or cut the sweets…easy choice.
And Now for the 5 Conundrums
On the following days, my blog had a high (for me) number of views. Including the day with the highest views of all time on 08.27.2018. But I didn’t publish a post on any of these days. Hmm. So does that mean, folks…you guys…stopped by to check out a post from the day before? Or does that mean, on these particular days, for some reason folks…you guys…stopped by to just hop around on my blog? I am going to go with the former statement. Here’s the list of conundrums, which make up some of my highest views ever – listing the date of the high viewer count and the article published the day before that maybe??? drew readers to stop by.
Conundrum Number 5: 08.12.2018
Good Lord, it’s another Wellness Wednesday. Goals Update and Healthy Cooking Tips, published on 08.09.2018, may have been the post that brought readers to my blog on the 12th. Or maybe not.
Conundrum Number 4: 10.07.2018
My Fashion Haus: Outfits from the 2018 Fall Capsule Wardrobe. A fashion post. Or, in my case a ‘fashion’ post. I am, in no way, a fashionista. To the contrary, I tend to have a tongue in cheek attitude toward my ‘fashion haus’ posts. I enjoy getting dressed everyday, largely due to discovering the Get Your Pretty On style challenges, and so it’s fun to share what I am wearing now and then.
Conundrum Number 3: 10.23.2018
Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Sausage Potato Soup, Blog Hop and Recipe Swap. I remember this post being popular. But I guess it was after the fact, not immediately. A great group of gals and I came together to share our favorite soup recipe. Even had gals sharing recipes on my blog FB page, here. This was a good time! Looking for something easy and delicious to make for dinner tonight? Girl, you have to try this creamy sausage potato soup. Thank me tomorrow.
Conundrum Number 2: 12.09.2018
Sentence a Day, 11.2018. Yay for SaD! Conundrum or not, I am glad to see a Sentence a Day post (possibly) draw a number of readers. We have some great bloggers link-up for this series. And it is fun to look back on our own month and the month and activities of others.
Conundrum Number 1: THE BIG KAHUNA, 08.27.2018
Spiritual Sunday: 08.2018. Let’s hear it for the Lord! Kind of refreshing that this could possibly be the post that had the highest number of viewers/readers? It went live on the 08.26 and my blog had the highest number of views the following day. The question is, what were viewers…you guys…reading/viewing?? Was it this post? I hope so. Can I get an amen?
What do you think? Is it fair to assume that these conundrums were just posts that drew interest the day after they went live. Or is this some kind of fluke? Guess I will never know. But I have added a plugin that should make all of this math, this counting of viewers easier for 2019. If I can just figure it out!
Your Turn
Thank you for the times you have visited my blog. Thank you for the support you share in the comments you leave. I am in a bit of a quandary. You know how I have enjoyed working over the past 5 months. My little part-time job has given me a renewed purpose, a reason to get dressed in the morning, a sense of contributing more to our expenses and savings. But I have been away from work since I left for Kentucky almost a month ago. I am scheduled to go back tomorrow morning but here come my daughters’ for a visit and then another trip to Kentucky later in the month. And who knows what more in the near future. My supervisors have been so very understanding with the many days I have needed to be off. But how much more can I expect them to put up with? So, I am going to work, possibly to turn in my resignation. I will miss this little job.
Tell me, what kinds of posts have you enjoyed most on my blog? What can you live without (me in my fashion haus?) and what would you like to see more of? Is there anything about this silly blog that keeps you coming back? Total boredom?
Thank you for supporting me through 2018, with its highs and lows. Hope we can get to know each other better in this shiny new year.
Hugs and kisses,
Debs
Oh a big decision to make, but if they know of your circumstances, maybe they wouldn’t be too surprised if you do decide to resign. Do what feels right for you.
I’m wondering if it is people like me viewing in from different time zones that is skewing your analysis of blog posts. Or it could just quite possibly be the cyber gremlins that get into programmes now and again!
What are my favourite blog posts? Don’t make me choose! I think that the wide variety of posts that you do are the reason I keep coming back so please don’t change a thing.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are such a dear. Whenever you come by, you always leave a little sunshine to warm my heart. Thank you so much for being my friend. I just realized that the Google Analytics I had tried to add to my blog are working. Christmas miracle! So, I may be able to tell from them, with a little accuracy, which posts were most popular. Anxious to fiddle with it.
Cindi
Wow. Lots to read and catch up on.
Things that make me go hmmmmmmmmmm
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I need to write some posts that make you and me go hmmmmmmm. Will use that suggestion to plan something soon. Thank you!
Laura
Have fun with your family this weekend! I’m sure you’ll have something fun and wonderful planned!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you so much! So glad to have my older daughter here tonight and my precious granddaughter. We are about to head out to the hot tub with wine! My younger daughter’s daughter is sick with croup and they may not be able come after all. Will share our adventures in a future blog post. Thank you for the sweet note.
Kellyann Rohr
My boys are heading back to school this weekend so the holidays will officially be over, what a bummer! I am so happy for you that you’ll have your family there, it is nice to get to visit after the holidays and just enjoy one another.
I may be the only blogger who has not done a top 10. I haven’t even looked at my stats in months. Frankly it makes this seem like work rather than a hobby I enjoy. The time I have taken off from blogging has been nice too so I’m not really sure what that means for me or the future of my blog but I will see what happens!
Happy New Year Leslie!!!
xo,
Kellyann
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey Kellyann,
I have thought of you so often this holiday season. I am sure it has bittersweet. Hoping your father is still able to enjoy some quality of life and you guys continue to make wonderful memories.
When I was in KY, I didn’t miss blogging as much as I missed my quiet time and writing. Blogging has encouraged me to write, but now I am also writing – by hand – everyday, and that has been very enjoyable and therapeutic. I have never looked at stats on my blog much at all. Will never be a Cindy Spivey or Mix and Match Mama. When life gets difficult or complicated, blogging always takes a backseat, or heck, a place in the trunk. Take your time as you think about the future of your blog. Maybe you could scale down for a bit and just do posts once a week or so? Selfishly, I would hate to lose contact with you!
Hope your sons will be home again before you know it. Visits with are babies are the best life has to offer.
Dara
I think you are looking at which days had the most viewers, rather than which posts had the most viewers. Yesterday I included a link to how I found my most popular posts from google analytics. However I think it’s great that you get so many views even without having posted a new post on a certain day!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Dara, that is exactly what I did! I looked which days had the most views because I couldn’t figure out how to check which posts had the most views. And by coincidence, I just realized that my Google Analytics is working. Will hope by to check out your link and post and then play with my Google Analytics. Thank you!!
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I’m excited to do one of these top 10 posts next week, I didn’t have time to get it up this week. I always love your recipe posts, bucket lists and I really enjoyed that bra post, too! I can’t even make any sense of why which of my posts are popular, but it IS fun to look and see what seemed to be a hit. LOL. Good luck on your possible resignation. Sounds like you have enough on your plate right now and it may be for the best.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Natalie
Thank you, Leslie, for participating in the Wellness Wednesday link-up in 2018 with me. I hope you join me again this year starting next Wednesday, January 9. I’m so glad WW was among your top 10 posts. Happy New Year to you and your family! Enjoy the weekend get-together.
Donna
Hi, Leslie – I greatly enjoy the variety of your posts. Like the other readers, it is difficult to choose just one. I did especially enjoy ‘Going on a Bra Hunt’. Funny, relatable and so very true!! That post had me right at the title!
I look forward to reading your continued adventures in 2019.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Donna, for you comments on my bra hunt post. I have added a plugin that should help me better or more accurately identify which of my posts are most popular or at least most widely viewed. Which doesn’t necessarily transfer to being popular! Ha! So glad you find something here that keeps you coming back to visit. I enjoy your blog, too. Will be sharing my date night post on the last Sunday of January, 01.27, and would love to have you join me with a date night post of your own!
Barb
Depending on what time of date you post especially, I often receive my emails one new posts the morning after they were posted on various blogs. Just looking at one now, there is one from”Living Richly on the Cheap” that posted to her blog on the 29th and arrived in my email inbox on the 30th.
Laura
I think Bloglovin has been acting strange lately and sometimes posts show up later than they are published. Maybe that accounts for your odd page views? Can you see which posts are being viewed? Aspects of blogging continue to confound me at times! This was a great post and I enjoyed looking back at your top ones from last year!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha, I never thought that Bloglovin’ could be behind my crazy blog view stats. That makes sense, though. Like you, I am confounded by so much of the behind the scenes stuff that goes along with writing a blog post. Just beginning to understand SEO. Not sure about Google Analytics but how to learn more this year. Not enough hours in the day. And I don’t have littles or a full time job. Don’t know how you and Carrie and Sarah at Foxy’s Domestic Side do all you do!
Pat
Leslie, I like your bucket lists and out of comfort zone stuff. Although one of your fashion house posts did inspire me to buy a kimono! I’m not one for recipes or the sentence a day or the TBBs. But that’s me.
I often get higher reads a few days after my posts, when I’ve linked them up somewhere. But I’m not a daily poster like you. I know I also don’t always read posts everyday, so will bookmark a bunch and sit down in the evening (or rainy afternoon) to read them… like right now!
Looking forward to what ever you post in the coming year.
Happy New Year!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thanks, Pat, for coming by and sharing your thoughts on my blog posts. It tickles me that you like the bucket lists and comfort zone pieces because those are truly mine and not things I borrowed from someone else. I think we both probably blog for ourselves as much as anything. Not really into the statistics or the hope of making money on my blog. Just like to write.
I am slowly finishing It’s Never Too Late… Enjoyed your posts that accompanied that book. I got stuck about the 3rd or 4th section when we had to think and reflect on our legacies. My parents saved every penny and will leave behind a financial legacy to my brother, sister and me. But I have not been a good saver, my poor kids!! And I had a hard time thinking of a legacy that wasn’t monetary.
Your art dates inspired me, too. Need to get back to those this year.