I recently mentioned that it was four years ago this month that I left my full-time, secure job to start my own business. But the journey to that point — and to where I am now — really began on December 21, 2009 when I published my first blog post on Leah’s Thoughts. It’s hard to believe it’s been a little over six years that I’ve been writing in this space! While I don’t blog with the same regularity I once did (three posts a week!), I still love creating here and sharing stories with all of you who visit.
I was recently going through my blog, re-reading some of my favorite posts, cringing at certain stories, and marveling at how little Sophie was when I started this journey, and how much time has passed. It occurred to me that some of you reading now may not have seen many of the posts I wrote early on. So as a way to reflect on my old writing – and share them with new readers – I’m going to curate groups of old posts from time to time.
Today I’ve rounded my the top Leah’s Thoughts posts, according to the Google Analytics gods. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m probably one of the few bloggers who is not driven by blog statistics. While I know how many pageviews and visitors I receive each day, I’ve always maintained that I only write for me. I’ve never written for the purpose of “going viral,” and I’m still humbled every day that you care enough to read my words.
Still, I find it fascinating that these are the most-visited posts on my site. Enjoy!
What NOT to Do When Your Car is Stolen (September 7, 2011) — The story of when my precious Honda Civic was stolen for the second time. The post starts out like this: “If I can impart one lesson on you all about what do when your car is stolen – and subsequently recovered – it would be this: DO NOT remove the car from the impound lot. Ever.”
Over the Rainbow to Sophie’s 3rd Birthday (November 9, 2010) — I am super proud of myself for making these rainbow cupcakes. Not sure I’d have the patience to do it today.
Bye, Bye Baby (Monitor) (July 29, 2010) — This piece was featured on the WordPress “Freshly Pressed” page, and was the first post that brought readers other than my immediate family and friends to my blog.
A Memorial Tribute to My Grandmother (May 31, 2010) — I wrote about the memories I have of my grandmother and I shared her delicious apple cake recipe.
My “Secret” Balsamic Salad Dressing (February 15, 2011) — Every time we entertain (translate: never) or we’re invited to someone’s home for dinner, I always bring a salad with balsamic dressing. People love this dressing and insist on the recipe. Here’s the secret. … Are you ready?
The Laryngitis Saga (aka How I Interviewed for a New Job With No Voice) (December 27, 2010) — The time when I was scheduled to interview for a university presidential speechwriting job and I had no voice.
Thanksgiving Stuffing with a Crockpot Twist (November 14, 2011) — Thanksgiving stuffing made easy in a crockpot. You can probably see why this one is so popular.
Make Your Own Pizza — It’s Easy! (September 16, 2010) — Step-by-step instructions for making homemade pizza dough, as taught by me to two of my sisters.
Hanukkah Latkes — Yum, Yum, Yum (December 1, 2010 — This post was featured on the WordPress “Freshly Pressed” page at the time. A bit of history on Hanukkah and an awesome latke recipe.
Baked Chimichangas (February 5, 2011) — These are really good. You should make them tonight!
The Elf on the Shelf Scares Me (December 12, 2010) — It still does! My feelings have not changed on this subject.
So there you have it — my most-visited blog posts of all time! Maybe some of you long-time readers remember seeing those posts when they were first published. And those of you new to these parts, feel free to click around and see what the buzz is about (or if it’s even buzz-worthy!).
If you have a blog, what is your most popular post? Does it surprise you?