This time of year I find it fun to reflect on the past year – the good, bad and ugly. In addition to a look back at follower favorite styles, I’m also excited to share my most trafficked blog posts and favorite books. Maybe because I’m in marketing but my inner nerd loves to geek out over the analytics and numbers behind the scenes on all of this so figured I’d share in case anyone else is the same way!
Top 3 Most Trafficked Blog Posts
In 2021, I increased blog traffic 15x year over year! If I’m being honest, I’m still a little bit shocked that many people care to read what I’m writing but I do hope you all find it helpful and interesting but I put a lot of time and energy into writing these posts – usually late into the night or early in the morning before work and mom life takes over. These next three posts do the majority of the heavy lifting for the blog, bringing in hundreds of readers each day – thanks to my very basic understanding and use of SEO. And Google, of course.
What is 30A in Florida?
Apparently it’s a thing! We just returned from our family trip down to Rosemary Beach and I’m a bit obsessed with this area. I’m planning to share our full itinerary soon but first I want to cover the 30A area of Florida because I had never previously heard of it. Technically, 30A [aka County Road…
Tulum Bachelorette Party Itinerary
As I mentioned in my earlier Tulum post, I instantly fell in love with this crunchy, eco-chic, boutique beach town located just south of Cancun. When it came time to pick a destination for my Bachelorette party, I couldn’t shake visions of me and my besties sipping frozen beverages on Tulum’s picturesque beaches or dancing…
Conchiglie alla Sarda
This recipe initially started out as a copycat attempt of Conchiglie alla Sarda, one of our favorite dishes from Topo Gigio – a small, neighborhood Italian restaurant in Chicago. IYKYK. And if you don’t know, it’s Italian sausage in a tomato cream sauce over shell pasta. Simply amazing. Anyways, we were desperate to recreate it…
Follower Favorite Styles
This next section is all about sales conversions. Through my partnership with Reward Style, I make a small [and I mean small] referral commission for items purchased through affiliate links I share here and on Instagram. Of all the shoppable styles I shared in 2021, these five items were the most purchased by followers. Ironically, two of the top five are driven by the Maternity Jeans Review post I shared while pregnant which actually ranks fourth in top blog posts.
2021 Book Roundup
I did a 2020 Book Roundup which I actually refer to quite frequently when recommending books so figured I’d include an updated list in this post. Sadly, I read way more books than I actually reviewed this year so the list will be light but stay tuned for next year because I already have a bunch written and ready to post over the next few months. If there was a tie, I ordered them how I would recommend them. Hopefully this helps narrow things down if you’re looking for a good read in 2022.
#9 // Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
3 Stars | Suspense Fiction | Full Review
#8 // The Winemakers Wife by Kristin Harmel
3.5 Stars | Historical Fiction | Full Review
#7 // The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
3.5 Stars | Historical Fiction | Full Review
#6 // The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester
4 Stars | Historical Fiction | Full Review
#5 // Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4 Stars | Fiction | Full Review
#4 // Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4 Stars | Chic Lit Fiction | Full Review
#3 // The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
4 Stars | Historical Fiction | Full Review
#2 // The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
4.5 Stars | Fiction | Full Review
#1 // One Day in December by Josie Silver
4.5 Stars | Chic Lit Fiction | Full Review
Excited to keep the blog going and growing in 2022! Whether you like my IG posts, read my blogs, share my content or purchase things from my links, please know I am eternally grateful that you choose to spend your precious time with me and I truly appreciate your support!
xo,
Kara
KARA VALLARI 