Today’s blog post is more or less a catch-all category for blog posts I’ve shared that cover a variety of topics that proved to be most popular on PBF in 2017. I divided this post into the top 10 blog posts and the top 10 blog posts in the baby/kids category since those dominated my most popular posts but I know they’re not always of interest to everyone.
Not all of the posts that claimed a top spot were published this year so hopefully a few posts you may have missed may pique your interest and give you something new to check out today!
Top Blog Posts of 2017 (Other)
I’ve been incorporating collagen into my diet for nearly two years now and this blog post dives into the benefits of collagen, how I use it, the taste of collagen, what kind of collagen I use and results I’ve seen since I began regularly incorporating it into my diet.
This roundup Q&A post answered questions I received from you guys relating to postpartum weight loss, balancing marriage and parenthood, finding my workout motivation again after baby and more.
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember and read before bed almost every night. This blog post included a list of 10 books on my summer reading list. I hope to share more posts like this in 2018 since I always love chatting about books with you guys, hearing your latest recommendations and sharing my recent favorite reads with all of you.
This picture-free post was one I wrote after a day when I just felt defeated, overwhelmed and down. Not one horrible thing happened but it was one of those days nonetheless. I was tempted to skip writing about this day on my blog but decided it might be worth sharing because sometimes life isn’t all high highs and low lows and happens somewhere in the middle.
Pinterest is to thank for the continued popularity of this blog post! It recaps a fun game my girlfriends and I played at nearly every bachelorette party I attended where we’d ask the groom a bunch of questions about the bride before her bachelorette party and she’d have to guess the answers!
I think that when someone we know is hurting or in need of extra support it’s easy to feel completely helpless and somehow making a delicious dinner or assembling a healthy breakfast for them makes us feeling like we’re doing something, even if we wish we could do more.I have noticed when I try my best to make a healthy (but still delicious!) meal for someone, they seem to appreciate the gesture even more, especially if they regularly try to eat nutritiously in their house. When life gets stressful, turning to indulgent food and takeout is so easy and having a healthy homemade meal delivered to your door can feel like a big sigh of relief when you’ve been living off of pizza and subs and to-go food for days. This blog post shares some of my favorite crowd-pleasing healthy recipes I like to make when I’m bringing someone I care for a homecooked meal.
I fell deeply in love with rosehip seed oil when I was pregnant with Chase and looking to swap some of my previous beauty favorites for more natural products. It’s something I still use in my beauty routine every single day and I don’t see this changing anytime soon. LOVE it!
This blog post dives into “The Essential Seven” or seven habits that most impact our happiness and little changes we can make in our day-to-day lives that may have a deep impact in our overall happiness.
As a self-proclaimed dry shampoo fanatic, I’ve tried more than my fair share of dry shampoo over the years. This blog post shares my favorites and ranks them in order of my go-to dry shampoo all the way down to the dry shampoos I didn’t think worked well at all.
Ryan, Chase, Sadie and I escaped to Black Mountain, North Carolina for a long weekend getaway this fall and it was wonderful! This blog post recaps our time in the mountains and makes me want to plan a trip back to the adorable mountain town as soon as possible!
Top Blog Posts: Kids/Baby
When Chase was six months old, we headed off to Denver, Colorado (just the two of us!) to visit one of my best friends and her baby boy. This post recaps my experience – what I did that I’d definitely do again, what I didn’t do and wish I had and what I now know to never do when traveling with a baby!
- Sharing About Our Miscarriages
I struggled a bit with how to incorporate these blog posts into today’s post because including them in some kind of a roundup made me cringe. They’re too personal to be thrown into such a casual post and yet “miscarriage” was the top search term on my blog for the entire year. This doesn’t upset me because not a day goes by that I don’t hear from someone either via email, the comments section on my miscarriage posts or Instagram regarding a woman’s personal experience with miscarriage.
I shared these posts publicly because when I went through my losses, reading blog posts from women who openly shared their pain after miscarriage helped me so much. I felt understood and less alone and that’s the backbone of why I shared something so personal on my blog two times last year. The connection and outpouring of support I felt from you guys helped me through my grief and continues to help me through my healing.
This blog follows my life – the highs, the lows and the in-between and last year included two of my lowest lows. I think about the two babies we lost every single day and I’m beginning to wonder if that will ever change. They have a permanent place in my heart and experiencing two miscarriages has opened up my heart to deeply feel the pain of others’ losses. If you’ve experienced a miscarriage or know someone who has, here are the posts I wrote about my experiences: Losing A Baby We Never Had the Chance to Meet / I’m Okay And Then I’m Not / Grief and Joy Can Coexist / Two Months Later / All Too Familiar: Our Second Miscarriage / Sharing a Second Time / Finding Out
For as much as I read about what life would be like after giving birth to a baby, there was SO MUCH I feel like no one ever told me that I truly wish I knew before we welcome Chase into this world. The comments on this post are also fantastic and worth a read for any new or expecting mamas.
This blog post was a reader request and dives into my experience with placenta encapsulation.
- 10 Best Baby Toys for the First Year (One Toy for Every Month)
I put this blog post together to recommend some of Chase’s absolute favorite toys during the first year of his life and organized them by month to make it easy for new parents to find toys that might be a hit with their little ones!
I shared a roundup of some of my first trimester pregnancy favorites when I was pregnant with Chase ranging from helpful apps, natural products that helped relieve morning sickness and more.
Some of my favorite posts to write last year were my Chase recap posts! Since I don’t have a baby book for Chase, they really allowed me to reflect on each phase of his life – the joys, the challenges and everything in between!
It feels like so long ago that I typed up Chase’s birth story to share on this blog but I love that it’s still of interest to you guys! I know I loved going back and reading bloggers’ pregnancy and birth stories when I was expecting and I have a feeling that’s why this posts continues to stay relevant.
This blog post recapped Chase’s birthday which was a combination of wonderful and difficult for a myriad of reasons. Watching him dive into his cake was a highlight for sure!
- PBF Baby: The First Trimester (Weeks 8, 9 and 10)
When I found out I was pregnant with Chase I began secretly blogging about my pregnancy and then published a bunch of posts after I announced we were expecting. This blog post recaps weeks 8, 9 and 10 of my pregnancy with Chase.
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Oh I’m planning a bachelorette in Scottsdale, AZ in May for one of my college girlfriends. Definitely checking out that Party Question Book Post!
Hope you guys have a blast! And that question game was honestly one of my fav parts of bachelorette parties I’ve attended in the past. It’s often hilarious to read the groom’s answers but I also love the way it involves him in the festivities in some way, too.
I completely forgot about the 7 habits post. I can’t wait to go back and read it because I want to work making better habits this year. Thanks for the recap Julie 🙂
This roundup is why I love your blog so much! You cover so many topics and each day I’m excited to check in. Whether you’re sharing a random Tuesday or your favorite beauty products or a Chase update, it always feels like I’m catching up with a friend. I know I’m not the only one who appreciates all the hard work you pour into PBF. Thanks for always bringing a smile to my day. 🙂
Steph I could just HUG you today! THANK YOU!! I really, really appreciate this comment so much.
Hi Julie! Questions about collagen. I too see it popping up all over the place. I’m curious your opinion on taking it while pregnant or breastfeeding? I have a 5 month old, who is exclusively breastfed. Obviously, this is something I should talk with my son’s pediatrician/my OB about, but I would love for you to touch on what your experiences were. Thanks!
I didn’t actually discover collagen when I was pregnant with Chase but definitely used it postpartum when I was still nursing. My doctor gave me the approval but definitely check with yours, too!
Would you consider doing an update post on collagen? I still haven’t had a chance to incorporate it in my diet b/c I’ve been pregnant and nursing since first learning about it, but I am still interested in possibly using it in a couple months when I stop nursing. I’d want to know whether you have seen continued benefit from using it. Just a suggestion. Thanks for providing such useful content!
I always love your Q&A question posts, it really makes you feel so real and genuine, which I know you already are 🙂 But it’s fun to get to know you more on a personal level! I’m also really thankful you shared about your miscarriages – we too experienced one this year, and I remember reading your posts both times and finding comfort in not being alone.
Julie, I really love all of your pregnancy and Chase posts! I also love your honesty in the post about your miscarriages. Your blog has always been my most favorite to read! Xoxo
Thank you, Kayla! My morning had a bit of a rough start today so this comment was so nice to read first thing this morning. Thank you!! <3
I just love your blog! I read it daily & talk about your posts, advice and experiences in my house like I know you! 🙂 Thank you for sharing about your beautiful life & for being so positive!