Best of MHB 2017 a Recap

Hi friend! I hope you had the best Christmas. Matt and I agreed that this one has been our favorite by far. The girls are at the perfect age to really experience the magic of Christmas. They got everything on their lists from Santa and when Peighton saw her “teal bike with a white basket” she came running into our room to tell us about it. I was delighted that she loved it so much. This year, instead of having my phone on me and taking pictures as the girls opened their gifts, I set up my camera tripod and camera to video the entire thing. I created a little time-lapse video of our morning to share with friends and family. It was so easy and it allowed me to be really in the moment! Definitely doing that again next year!

This year’s family picture happened on the bed of the truck because nobody wanted to stand still in front of the tree. Sometimes you have to go with it, and actually, I think it turned out kind of cute.

I’ve started working on our family yearbook. I love looking back and recapping our year. We had so many exciting moments. Our trips to Jekyll Island, Pensacola, DC, and New Orleans, Peighton starting Kindergarten, Millie starting pre-school, Matt getting accepted to an officer program, etc. It was such a full year for our family and for the blog.

I love going back and seeing what the favorites of the year were. This time between Christmas and New Years I like to reflect back on what is working and what’s not. I ask myself what posts resonate? What posts should I create more of? What is the most helpful to you, my readers?

Here are the top ten most-read posts of 2017:

1. Creative Gift Basket Ideas
2. How to Frame a Bathroom Mirror
3. 10 Things to Buy at Thrift Stores
4. Toy Organization Without a Playroom
5. Fabric Covered Storage Boxes
6. How to Build a Window Seat
7. Where to Buy Removeable Wallpaper
8. Grid Style Gallery Wall
9. What to Buy at IKEA
10. Our Fireplace Makeover

Creative Gift Basket Ideas – this post came to me as I was putting together gift baskets for Matt’s command holiday party last year. I was sincerely amazed at how it took off. It’s popular all year long, probably because all of the baskets cost less than $20 to make, but it really took off this holiday season.

How to Frame a Bathroom Mirror – When we framed out our bathroom vanity mirrors last year, it was a budget project that elevated our bathroom. We decided not to change the vanities so we kept the mirrors and framing them made them look more custom rather than the very builder grade large mirror on its own. I’m glad it was a helpful tutorial!

What to Buy at the Thrift Store – Over the years, I’ve become somewhat of a pro at spotting goodies at the thrift store. I shared my top ten items to buy at the thrift store in this post. It’s a helpful list of things that you should never pass up.

Toy Organization without a Playroom – This post was written several years ago but I update it frequently and still totally relevant. We were living in our last rental and had no proper storage for toys. Especially post Christmas when the toys seem to be coming out of every corner, these tips are very helpful.

Fabric Covered Storage Boxes – These boxes were once bankers boxes but with some colorful fabric they became fashionable storage boxes for any space. A frugal option for decorative storage and so easy to do. The tutorial is popular and I totally understand why.

How to Build a Window Seat – Our window seat is probably the most used DIY project we’ve ever done. We wanted to add some storage to our kitchen/dining area and with little wall space, it made sense to create a storage bench. I shared the tutorial here on the blog and it’s been a steady traffic driver for many months.

Where to Buy Removable Wallpaper – My home office got a splash of color last year when I added some floral (removable) wallpaper. Before that, I rounded up some gorgeous removable wallpaper and where to buy them. I love that it goes on easily and can be removed with little effort. It’s perfect for rentals as well as forever homes!

Grid Style Gallery Wall – This year, I filled a blank wall with black and white prints of our family place in gold frames perfectly hung in a grid. This tutorial on how to hang a perfect grid style gallery wall caught on pretty quickly, and I’m so glad. I’ve even seen this style of gallery wall in the homes of people I know in real life and that is always my favorite!

What to Buy at IKEA – IKEA Jacksonville finally opened in November and I’ve already been three times. I have a few things that I always, always buy at IKEA and I wrote a post about the must buys you should pick up when you’re there. Be sure to read the comments as well to see what other readers buy from IKEA.

The Fireplace Makeover – Matt says this is his favorite home project we’ve done and I can see why. He built the most beautiful mantel/surround and we’re all really proud of it. I love the gray hex tile and the crisp white mantel. I think it’s popular because it’s a true story of what you can do with a little bravery and some vision. Later, I ended up spraying the gold pieces on the fireplace black with high heat paint and shared a quick tutorial for that here.

You guys also seem to be enjoying my “Good Stuff Saturday” series where I share my favorite finds from fashion to home decor. I’ve tried really hard to get that content out every week the last few months so I’m so happy you are enjoying it. I’ll keep that up through the new year.

As our home starts to feel more finished, I’m feeling drawn to talk about more topics on the blog. When I first started MHB five years ago, I posted mainly rental decorating ideas and crafts that I was working on. Since we purchased the Florida house, the topics narrowed in heavily on more DIY projects as we worked through our home room by room. As we go into the new year, I feel led to loosen the reigns on the topics and share more of life at home, not just photos and projects of my home. I’m considering more topics like food, fashion, and a better glimpse into my everyday life as a blogger. I’m interested in hearing what you all would like to see here on the blog as well. Leave me a note in the comments if there are certain topics you’d like covered!

It means so much to me that you come and spend time here on my site. Every page viewed, link clicked, comment shared, means the world to me. I started this blog years ago to connect somehow with other like-minded people and I feel so fortunate to have found that connection with you. You truly are the reason I am able to keep this blog going and I’m so grateful! I hope you have many blessings in the New Year!