For today’s roundup, I’m sharing the top 10 most popular blog posts in a myriad of categories: Personal posts, fitness-related content and topical posts. Since I couldn’t sleep last night, I ended up having the time to round up all of these to share in one post so this is a L-O-N-G one! I hope you’ll be able to find some blog posts you may have missed that might interest you!
Also, I want to say thank you to you guys for weighing in and sharing a little bit more about what kind of recipes you’d like to see around here in 2019 in my last post featuring my Top Recipes of 2018. I’d love to hear what you’d like to see more of on PBF related to personal posts, topical posts and fitness-related content as well, so please feel free to leave a comment and let me know! I definitely take your requests to heart and put them on a master list of posts to tackle in the future!
Now on with the roundup…
Top Personal Blog Posts
On the personal posts front, it looks like everything baby, toddler and pregnancy-related reigned supreme. These were also some of my post popular posts overall and I hope to continue to share parenting and motherhood-related content on PBF in 2019, especially since that is where my heart is right now. Of course you can continue to expect to see some of my usual day-in-the-life posts, weekend recaps and family shenanigans, too!
The blog posts announcing Ryder’s birth and sharing his birth story claimed two of the top spots on the blog. I absolutely love having these posts to look back on for my personal memories, especially since I never got around to creating baby books with recaps sharing all of the details of our boys’ births.
This is the post where I announced that we were expecting a baby in June! We kept our news private until I was 19 weeks pregnant mainly because I was incredibly scared, apprehensive, protective and anxious throughout my pregnancy. Finally sharing the news on the blog was a relief since I struggled keeping such a big part of my life a secret for so long.
This was my big catch-up post where I shared everything that was going on in our lives related to my pregnancy with Ryder once our news was out!
Blogging regularly was a lot harder after the birth of Ryder than it was for me after Chase’s birth. There was no downtime with a three-year-old also in the mix, so this was my giant postpartum post that felt like it was a long time coming! I addressed everything from my physical recovery and changes to breastfeeding, sleep and my relationship with Ryan post-baby.
I rounded up a list of the most common questions I received from you guys via Instagram to answer in a two-part postpartum Q&A. In these posts, I touch on the two-kid transition, nursing, postpartum healthy eating, my emotional recovery and more.
This was one of my favorite posts from 2018 so I was so thrilled to see it crack the top ten! Ryan and I each took turns sharing seven things about the other person (14 total) to celebrate 14 years together last February. It was one of my most popular posts ever and such a fun one to work on with Ryan!
I’m not sure why this pregnancy recap was more popular than others, but it was one of my most popular posts from 2018!
This was a random day-in-the-life blog post but I think it ended up gaining traction because a bunch of you guys were in the same boat and battling strong-willed toddlers. The comments section of this post is also really helpful for anyone in the middle of almost daily battles with little ones that can leave you feeling totally drained and defeated.
During this update on Chase at 2 1/2 I filled you guys in on life with our energetic toddler but also touched on some of our recent challenges related to dropping the pacifier and toddler battles. I also owe you guys a TON of thanks for encouraging me to leave Chase in his crib rather than transition him into a big boy bed before Ryder’s arrival when I mentioned the transition in this post. We followed your advice and he’s STILL in his crib and it’s been fabulous for his sleep and nap time since we’ve never had any issues with him getting out of his crib/leaving his room. I especially appreciate this one days when he doesn’t nap after I put him in his crib since he’ll still stay in his crib and play/enjoy some solo-time with his books and toys. THANK YOU for weighing in on that one!!
This blog post was a recap of the baby shower my Aunt Laurie threw for my sister and a sweet sprinkle she threw for me the same weekend!
Top Topical Blog Posts
When it came to topical blog posts, the most popular posts were all over the board and ranged from kid-related content to health topics, happiness, my favorite books and roundups of some of my favorite must-have products.
I shared this blog post after my first trip with Chase — a solo three-hour flight to Denver — and made sure to include detailed notes about what worked for me and what definitely did NOT work well during our travels.
I wrote this blog post following my experience with placenta encapsulation after I gave birth to Chase and it seemed to get additional traffic this year as well when I mentioned it was something I would be doing again following the birth of Ryder.
Yep, 2.5 years after this blog post was initially published I’m still over here taking collagen every day… and you guys (or random Google searcher) are apparently still reading this post!
I had a lot of fun putting this blog post together a little after Chase turned one and still use it as a reference point for anyone looking for baby toy recommendations for little ones. It highlights one toy per month for a baby’s first year according to the toys Chase loved most during each month.
I LOVE how many of you out there share my love for reading and I also love that so many of the books that appeared in this post came from your recommendations! If reading more books is one of your resolutions for the new year, definitely check out this post!
I had so many requests to share what I was going to pack in my hospital bag when I was pregnant with Chase but I felt so silly writing that post before I had any idea what I’d really want and need after our first child was born. Fast forward to my pregnancy with Ryder and I felt a lot more confident about what I would and wouldn’t need in my hospital bag and detailed everything in this post.
I was honestly a little surprised to see such a recent post crack the top 10 topical blog posts but apparently this gift guide was a hit this year!?
Oh potty training, you are a beast! Thankfully we had the help of a potty training expert who weighed in on some of our potty training questions in this Q&A post!
Another reader request post, this list details all of our newborn baby must haves, including some of our favorites from when we had Chase as well as some new finds after Ryder was born.
I don’t know what it is about happiness, but it’s something I love reading about, writing about and talking about! Thankfully it seems like a bunch of you feel the same way because this was one of my most popular posts of 2018.
Top Workouts and Fitness-Related Blog Posts
On the fitness front, my most popular posts were also a little random and included my take on what to expect at certain fitness classes as well as some of my favorite bodyweight and at-home workouts, workout music playlists and more. I hope to share more workouts on PBF in the coming year now that I’m beginning to feel more like myself again post-baby.
This blog post is continually one of my all-time most popular blog posts thanks to Google searches and the fact that new OrangeTheory studios seem to share it fairly regularly. OrangeTheory is such a good workout and if it’s on your radar, this might a blog post that you want to check out before your first class.
My beloved Burn Boot Camp!!! If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what a BBC workout looks like, check out this post!
As if you couldn’t tell from the above graphic, this is a total throwback post — 2013! — but it consistently gets a decent number of pageviews thanks to Pinterest.
I shared this blog post when I was regularly teaching spinning classes and rounded up some of my all-time favorite climb songs. These are the songs I most frequently used for climbs in my classes that seemed to go over well!
This is probably the workout I personally follow from my blog most often! It’s just so darn good because it checks a lot of boxes: It’s easy to follow, passes by quickly, doesn’t require any equipment and works the whole body. I hope to share more workouts like this one in 2019!
If you want a workout that will totally smoke your glutes with the use of a mini band, check this one out. It’s a surprise killer! (Fun fact: I was 16 weeks pregnant when we took these workout pics and still trying hard to hide my growing belly.)
This is another workout that did well on Pinterest when it was first shared and still seems to regularly direct people to my blog. It’s also one of my personal favs!
I shared my experience training for my first half marathon solely on a treadmill in this throwback blog post from 2012. Despite the fact that it’s an older post, comments still trickle in on this one from time to time from people wondering about treadmill only running for distance races.
I shared this roundup of short-but-challenging workouts after Chase was born because a few readers asked me to share some of my favorite go-to nap time workouts. These workouts are awesome if you’re looking for efficient at home workouts you can complete in less than 30 minutes.
If you’re looking for a total body medicine ball workout, this one is a tough one but a personal favorite!
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Hi Julie!
Long time reader here! I always love your suggestions and “favorites” and was hoping you had a recommendation for me. With the New Year, I really want to focus on my spirituality and I would love to get back to doing a daily devotional book. I know you have mentioned doing these in the past, do you have a recommendation for one? I would really appreciate it!
Thanks and Happy New Year!
Hi Caroline! Are you looking for something short or something longer/more in depth? If you’re looking for one that’s easy to stick with and follow, I highly recommend Joyce Meyer’s Trusting God Day by Day. It’s one of my favorites and incredibly relatable but also brings everything back to scripture.
Hi!
That’s exactly what I’m looking for! I have a 15 month old so I have limited free time :-). I used to use Daily Guideposts, but haven’t kept up with it in years. I’m going to order this now! Thanks so much for the recommendation!
Caroline
No problem!! Hope you love it!!
Unrelated.. but, I signed up for the BBC 6 week challenge and I owe you a big thank you for it! I tried out the free trail period 3 months back and loved it but there just wasn’t one close enough for me to commit to going everyday with a kid in the mix. I moved about a week before Christmas and I’m a mile away from one and I’m so excited!
Oh that’s so awesome!!! Isn’t it great!? My fav workout ever!
So excited you found a BBC close to you! Raise the bar is always a blast and so challenging (but very rewarding). I have been a member for almost 3 years and I still truly love BBC <3
Hi Julie,
I would love another post about how you are adjusting to life with 2 kids, currents successes and challenges, etc now that Ryder is a little older. I’m about to have my second baby, well in 5 months, and I’m wondering about how to handle it all!
Yes, I would love this too! Sometimes I will ask my mom friends, “so what do you feel behind in” or “what would you like to do if you had more time?” Because the answers are always so different!
Hey Julie, just chiming in to say I’ve loved the posts you’ve done related to Gretchen Rubin/overall happiness and you got me hooked on her podcast. I love these posts because they feel personal but are also always relevant and ones I reread a lot! I’d love to hear about other podcasts, books or topics that are encouraging you.
I always LOVE your day in the life posts. I also love hearing about what you are reading and watching. Random I know but did you see that Andrea from Dateline is pregnant at 46 with her sixth?! She has five girls and is now having a boy. I must admit that I love that you have two boys like me! I love following happy boy moms on the internet! I love being the girl :-). I would love to know how you shake off a rough day or when your feelings are hurt, especially when dealing with criticism. I get sooo mad when anyone writes anything rude about any of your blogs. You are so so positive and I always think “I want to be more like Julie!”. I mentioned this on yesterday’s post but any sort of “healthy eating jump start” tips (for adults and toddlers!). I always want to eat better but it sometimes feels so overwhelming. I would love you to do top five favorite lists – of your favorite energy bars, smoothies, how to make your coffee, etc!
Keep up the good work! Your blog is my favorite!
I read 31 books in 2018 and kept a list of all of them – I definitely got at least five of those from your recommendations! I really liked Eleanor oliphant is completely fine, lilac girls, little fires everywhere, and I also liked an American marriage! I found the Alice network dragged a bit. Some of my other favourites from 2018 —> Jesus Land, turtles all the way down, the family next door, only child, and the lonely hearts hotel.
Hi Julie! I have been a quiet follower for a few years now. Your blog is one of my favorite weekly visits because I love your positive energy towards life 🙂 My favorite posts are your ‘Day in the Life’ and Book Reviews!! Happy New Year!
I love your book recaps & roundups of the books you recommend. I kept going back to the one in this list that you posted over the summer for new books to read—seems like we have similar taste! Would love if you keep posting those 🙂
Hey Julie! I love your day in the life posts and your recipes. I especially love your toddler posts because Chase is about half a year older than my daughter. We have kept her in her crib too and I’m so grateful for that piece of furniture! She’s such a fun little tornado that I appreciate nap time so much. And on the days she doesn’t actually sleep she’s usually completely happy to have some down time in her crib by herself.
My favorite our family, parenting, day in the life and personal posts!
Have you done a ‘flying with a toddler + small baby’ post yet? I might be flying with both kiddos this spring and I am scared OUT OF MY MIND! Like I feel like I need a leash for my 3 year old hahaha
Hi Julie! I love the day in the life posts and I also would love some posts on sleep training/what you are doing or have done to help your two boys sleep!
I love you positive attitude always! Keep up the good work mama!