Sunday, January 1, 2017

2016 Recap




Happy 2017! On this first day of the new year, I want to look back at the inaugural year of my blog. 2016 was a year of first for "All About the Benjamins". I managed to write 48 posts since going live in April! Here's a few quick stats about the last 8 months.


  • Total Posts: 48
  • First Post: April 21, 2016
  • Busiest Month: December
    I really raked it in with 10 posts, which alone kept me busy. Then factor in the migration of the site from blogspot to my own domain (allaboutthebenjamins2015.com), development of an All About the Benjamins 2015 Facebook Page, and my first tutorial videos (2016 New Year's Eve Hair and Makeup Tutorial Videos). 
  • Laziest Month: August
    I only wrote 2 posts. Between my birthday and our wedding anniversary, I gave myself the gift of a break! 
  • # of Cocktail Posts: 5
    I've written 5 posts featuring 8 signature Benjamin house cocktail recipes. Ross and I had a lot of fun brainstorming these recipes and testing them out until they were just right!
  • # of Recipe Posts: 14
    I've written 14 recipe posts featuring healthified versions of Benjamin family favorites.
Over the last few weeks, I've enjoyed looking back at my original posts. I have definitely found my voice and gotten comfortable at my keyboard - be it my laptop, tablet or cell phone...I'll start writing whenever and wherever the idea hits...as long as I have a charged battery, we all know my devices are almost always dead.

2016's Hottest Post:

I really had some shining stars this year and some polished poo. My most popular post was Memorial Day BBQ with 1785 views. Its hot streak continues with about 80 views per week. I don't know what it is about this post that people love...no one has commented on it! Is this one of your faves? I'd love to hear why! I have a feeling the sangria recipes keep people coming back 🍷🍷🍷

And in Second Place:

In a close second is my post Pact App: Tips & Tricks. This post has 198 views. I got a lot of feedback when I shared this on my Instagram. Other Pact users were trying figure out the system and get answers to the questions I was answering and writing about. The same was true of my post AchieveMint: Get Paid for your Healthy Lifestyle. This post had the most comments from readers, raking in 7. As a user of both Pact and AchieveMint, I think it's awesome that these companies have come up with apps to reward and pay people for their healthy lifestyle choices. Their FAQ and how-to can be lacking or confusing. I have enjoyed figuring it out and sharing what I've learned with other users.


My favorite?

I had a lot of fun writing and sharing Married Life: 1 Year Later. I loved taking the time to go through our pictures and relive our trips near and far over the last year. We spent a lot of time exploring our state and local events. It was great to force myself to take a minute and reflect on our year and compose it into words - like a love letter to Ross, but for all of you to see! This was also Ross' favorite post. It's a feel good read, makes him remember all of the good times we've had this year. Grated, I was late on publishing this one...it hit the blog in October after our anniversary in August...but what is new? Taking the time to look back on our first year inspired me to do this on a more regular basis. I enjoyed writing month goal and recap articles in November and December and have held myself more accountable for posting on time. We are both looking forward to the memories we are making and sharing in year two!

Goals for 2017?

I'm excited to keep writing and sharing in 2017. I did A LOT of crafting and DIY for my wedding in 2015 and have tons of projects backlogged to share. Can't wait to get busy on this posts. I also enjoyed filming my hair and makeup tutorial videos. I'd love to do more of them with my everyday looks or film some kitchen or cocktail tutorials. Anything you'd love to see or hear more about? I'd love some suggestions or ideas in my comments!

Did your favorite post not make my list? What was it? I'd love to hear! 

Looking forward to another year of cooking, crafting and cocktailing in 2017!