SOCIAL MEDIA

2020: Blog in Review

January 20, 2021

My last annual year in review post! Hallelujah, because these dang things take me DAYS to put together. This one is all about my blog life in 2020. To see my reading life for the year, go here. To see my personal life for the year, go here. Anyway, let’s get right down to it and see what 2020 brought me in the blog department.


Statistics & Information

  • Number of original posts: 125. Hooray! This is way up from last year. This does not include sponsored content or guest posts, and includes only my own original content. I think it’s a great number!
  • Blog revenue: I am happy that my blog has continued to be a source of revenue for me for the second year in a row. After 10+ years of blogging, I never expected it, but am proud of the time, dedication, and effort I have put in and where it has landed me. It helps cover my hosting, domain fees, etc, and then some. I look forward to seeing what 2021 brings in this department!
  • New series: These are blog series that were new for me this year.
    • Steph Gets Skinny: I started this one to talk about my bariatric surgery journey. This will continue in 2021. I will have an update for you guys in about a month or two.
    • The Library Stack: I did this once in 2020 and it was kind of fun. May do again. Does anyone want to link up? I love seeing what people put on hold.
    • What’s Up Wednesday: a blog link up that I participated in a couple of times for the first time in 2020. Just random daily life stuff.
    • Hallmark Christmas Movie Reviews: Bahaha. Pretty self-explanatory. I still have one batch that I didn’t get around to reviewing. I might still do it. I will probably do this again in 2021… and 2022…
  • Continued series: These are blog series that I continued into 2020 from previous years. Oldies but goodies, if you will.


Most Popular (Viewed) Posts of the Year

The top ten most visited posts each year are often older posts and reviews, so I like to narrow it down and find the top ten most viewed posts that were published this year. Here are my most popular posts that were written in 2020, in order of most page views:

  1. Steph Gets Skinny (1): I was pretty nervous to publish this post, just as I was nervous when I told my family that I wanted to pursue bariatric surgery. However, ALMOST everyone has been supportive (both in person and online). Everyone just wants me to be healthy and be the best version of me. This post was the most popular of the year, which isn’t surprising, because medical stuff is pretty interesting, and this post discusses how I reached the decision to pursue surgery.
  2. What’s Up Wednesday (1): June 2020: This was my first time doing this link-up, hence the high number of views. Nothing particularly interesting, just daily life in June when things were starting to open back up and I was back at work after the lockdown.
  3. Severed: I had this post password protected, but I decided to unlock it. I was very hurt and very angry and I needed to write it out, but was still afraid of potential consequences if I allowed certain family members to read it. Now… to hell with it. I’m trying to teach myself it’s okay to stand up for myself. Re-reading this brings back a lot of emotions of a very hard time over the summer when I had a falling out with my cousins due to a situation with our narcissistic grandfather. I suspect the views are high because it was locked and people were curious and asked for the password. LOL. It is quite dramatic and long, sorry.
  4. Steph Gets Skinny (2): This was my second post about my journey and discusses WHY I decided on surgery.
  5. Today Was Supposed to Be a Good Day: I was all up in my feels in March when we had to cancel a major author event at work due to COVID. This was just the beginning and I had nooo idea (did any of us?). It’s crazy to look back on now!
  6. Trying to Love Through the Mess: Oh look, more COVID posts…. the theme of 2020! LOL. In this one, I talk about how I was feeling in the midst of the lockdown, and not going in to work (I ended up working from home for 2 months, and this was smack dab in the middle of it).
  7. Five on Friday (59): Just a random Five on Friday post from February, before life as we knew it changed forever.
  8. I’m an Introvert: Here Are Five Things I Want You to Know: One of my favorite posts of the year, so I’m glad it was a popular one too!
  9. Steph Gets Skinny (3): This post covers the first steps and appointments I had to do.
  10. Month in Review: March 2020: By far the strangest month in review of all time. It started out as a normal month, and ended with the world going crazy… and it’s been that way ever since. I ended it not knowing what was to come, and we still don’t know what’s to come. Sigh.


My number three most popular (viewed) posts this year (which were all old posts as usual, hence why I narrowed down above) were:

  1. My D&C and Ectopic Pregnancy Experience + Timeline: This had 825 views in 2020 and was written in 2017. This is always in my top 3 viewed posts each year, and I get several emails a year about it from other moms who are going through the same thing. I am so glad people are finding comfort in this, and using it as a resource.
  2. Review: Butter by Erin Jade Lange: 792 views in 2020 and was written in 2013. Hahaha, this review is on here EVERY single year! I am certain that kids must be reading this for school or something.
  3. YA vs Teen: What’s the Proper Term?: 486 views in 2020 and written in 2011! This is new to the list this year, and I think that’s cool! I wrote this one so long ago, but I remember it well. I will forever think that they should be called YA books instead of teen books!


My Favorite Posts of the Year

My personal favorite posts I wrote this year, in order of when I posted them.


  • A Decade in Review: 2010 – 2019: Holy cow, when we hit 2020… I knew had to do this lookback post, and it was so much fun. I honestly can’t believe how much life has changed in the last 10 years, and everything that I’ve accomplished.
  • Librarian Stereotypes: Here’s Which Ones Are True (and Not): This was a freaking BLAST!  I even consulted with some of my colleagues on this one.
  • Five Years a Mother: I feel vulnerable when I talk about my motherhood and the challenges I experience with it, and here, on Caleb’s birthday, I talk about the first 5 years of being his mom, all the hard things and the good things.
  • This Isn't Defeat: What is it with me and being vulnerable? Ha. Writing is what I do when I want to express how I’m feeling. I don’t do it well in person, so I do it here on the blog. This time, I talk about my mental health and antidepressants.
  • My Wild One: Caleb is my sweet little guy, and Holden is the wild one. This whole piece just captures his little spirit.
  • Today Was Supposed to Be a Good Day: I wrote this in March when the world started shutting down, and my big huge work event was canceled. I feel like this is an important piece for me to remember and look back on, because it was just the beginning, and none of us had any idea of what was to really come.
  • Trying to Love Through the Mess: What it felt like in the midst of the lockdown… living through history, and how it was affecting our lives and my mental health.
  • I’m An Introvert: Here Are Five Things I Want You to Know: I will never tire of talking about what it’s like to be an introvert, because fellow introverts 100% get it and feel the exact same way, but people who are NOT introverts really just don’t get us or comprehend what it’s like.
  • Suddenly Two (Holden): I think I will never not get teary eyed when I read posts for my boys, like this one on Holden’s second birthday. On this day, I reflected a lot on him being my last baby, and it was both happy and sad.
  • Free Fallin’: This is about those songs and memories that bring you back, and Free Fallin’ always brings me straight back to childhood and to my parent’s house where everything always felt simple and safe.


Recap of 2020 Blog Goals

  • Blog 100 times: DONE!
  • Post “Month in Review” every month: DONE!
  • Post “Recent Reads” every month: DONE! I did it monthly when I read enough books, quarterly when I didn’t read enough books, so I’m calling it done.
  • Write at least one post about working motherhood: DONE! Unintentionally, as in… I didn’t set out to write this post about my life as a working mom, but that’s what it turned into: Trying to Love Through the Mess. It was all about being a temporary SAHM during the lockdown, and the struggles I had with that compared to being a working mom. I think this counts toward this goal!
  • Write at least one “Financial Friday” post: FAIL. My last one was in 2019.
  • Post four more “From My Shelves” posts: FAIL. Oops.


2021 Blog Goals… or Lack Thereof

As you may have noticed, my theme for 2021 has been no goals, just survive (pretty much).


I’m basically winging things right now… and I don’t usually like to wing things. I like to plan things and know things but that’s NOT life right now, is it? Can’t do things like that in a pandemic, can we?


I’m going to take this blog, and life, one day at a time. I’ll write when I feel inspired. I won’t when I don’t. I’ll continue or start series that I enjoy. I’ll try to keep reviewing books (if I want to).


I have fallen woefully behind on reading my favorite blogs and commenting. I mean… MONTHS behind, guys. First I fell behind during the two month lockdown, then I started to catch up. Then I fell behind after I started my Pink Zebra business, and have stayed behind ever since. So… I’d like to catch up again with my blog people and re-connect. That’s a good goal, right? If you see me coming around leaving comments on months old posts, that is why. I feel very out of the loop because I feel like I don’t have time for anything right now, but I miss everyone.


And that’s it! Thank you reading in 2020. I look forward to many new posts and series in 2021.


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