Goodbye 2012! What a year it has been! One year ago this was a little blog that was read by 70 people. A great day for me was 300 pageviews. I got a taste of Elfie Magic and the rest is history. I've written a lot this year and some of my posts were well-received and some were flat out duds. Let's not focus on the duds though, shall we? I've had some opportunities to write for other publications and I've won a couple of awards. Most importantly, I've had a blast this year! 2012 was a great year for me and I can't wait for 2013!
Here is my 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW:
Top Read Posts This Year:
1. Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies - Duh. This was the post that started it all. I assume that by now you've all read this one, but in case you haven't, go ahead and read it now. I really appreciate all of the emails, messages, comments and tweets I've received this year about this post. I'm thrilled to know it made so many of you laugh and cry all at the same time. There is nothing more humbling than to have someone say "you validate me." All I can say is, YOU validate ME. Thank you for reading!
2. Rules for Parents of Daughters - This list has been passed around Pinterest like a hot potato. It was written after my list for boys actually, but it's been more popular. While the boy's list is tongue in cheek, this one is a bit more honest. I would actually teach Adolpha the majority of these rules. There are two rules on here that I get a bit grief over. Number 1 where I say don't be anyone's "property" and then in the same breath I say I'd "disown" her. I get asked, How can I disown her if she's not my property? Fair enough. Maybe I should have said I would "disinherit" her. I would cut her out of my will and kick her out of my house if she ever wore "Property of some jackhole" on her butt. It may not have been the best choice of word, but the meaning is there. The other rule I hear about it is number 19 don't let your daughter marry young. I have heard from a number of women out there who married young and are blissfully happy, thank you very much! Good for you. I'm glad for you. HOWEVER, in my experience the majority of the women I've known who married young end up divorced. I married later in life and I would recommend that for my own daughter. I would like her to travel and live on her own and explore her world before she settles down into a marriage.
3. Open Letter to Beyonce and Jay-Z - This was written when Beyonce and Jay-Z had their baby and there was a bit of a scandal about them taking over the hospital and denying NICU parents access to their kids. As a former NICU parent this story really got me angry and I just couldn't stop myself. I got a A LOT of heat for writing this. However, a few days after I wrote this, I receive an email from one of the parents who had been locked out. She thanked me. I thought that was pretty awesome and I didn't care anymore about the heat.
4. Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies Revisited - This was the repost of the original. Between the two, they both had some serious legs again this season.
5. Rules for Raising a Boy - 18 (Because 25 Was Too Hard to Come Up With) Rules for Mothers of Sons - There was a really sweet and sappy list circulating around the web about rules for boys. I read the list and realized I needed to write my own. This list is meant to be a joke, but lots of people have sticks up their asses and humor is lost on so many. Read the comments sometime, they are priceless. So many asshole men (seriously, where is the bridge these guys live under?) tell me I'm a terrible mother and I'm ruining my son because I wanted to teach him to sit on the toilet. I can't imagine what they hope to gain with comments like these? Like I'm going to wake up one day and say, "Jim4534 says I'm a terrible mother and I need to do a better job. I think I will! Thank you, Jim4534 for helping me see the light and be a better mother. You are a good man to share your knowledge with me!" (Asshole.)
6. The Overachievers Are at it Again - This one really pissed me off. We'd finally put away the elves and moved on to a holiday I didn't think the overachievers could butcher - Valentine's Day. One mom brought out her elf for Valentine's Day (ugh) while my Pinterest feed literally exploded with asinine ideas of simply ah-may-zing and adorable crafts. I noticed just last night my Pinterest feed was blowing up with V'day already. Seriously, people, get a grip!
7. Time Magazine - Remember that Time magazine cover with the breastfeeding pre-K kid and his hot mom? Yeah, I had to write about them. I wrote that hot attachment parents were as rare as Yetis. Let me tell you, never do that. Those hot AP moms can get as angry as Yetis. I received pictures and pictures of smoking AP moms. I should have made a calendar of them this year. However, I received more pictures from hippie AP moms posing with their Subaru wagons.
8. Things I Could Do Before I Had Children - One evening I went out for a makeover with the girls and realized that somehow I've become a mom. Suddenly I remembered all the things I used to take for granted - like shower without an audience.
9. Jen's Top 11 Favorite Posts - I put this up a few months ago. I was getting so many new followers and many didn't know where to begin since the blog is a bit . . . voluminous. (What can I say? I have a big mouth.) These aren't necessarily my best posts, but they're my favorites.
10. Top 10 Reasons to "Love Me" or "Get With Me" - This is a very unique post. This was the very first guest post by the Hubs. He won't let me forget that HIS romantic and sweet list is one of my top 10 most read posts.
Year End Book Update:
My book Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat did very well this holiday season. It maintained it's best seller status since it's debut. At one point it was number one in all of its categories on Amazon. I don't really expect it to sell much in the coming months since it's more of a Christmas book, but I do think it will be a perennial favorite and will find an audience every year. I've been trying to figure out a way to reposition it for other holidays. I think it would be perfect for President's Day. President's Day is often overlooked and rarely does anyone exchange gifts on that day. I think we could start a tradition of giving PIWTPITT's book to your friends and family in honor of President's Day.
Seriously, I was really thrilled with the sales and I appreciate all of you have purchased the book and left me reviews! I also like seeing all of you on Goodreads and snooping at what you're reading!
I've started working on two upcoming books at this point. I hope to have them ready by spring and summer. Fingers crossed!
Other Stuff I Did This Year:
I was featured on Huffington Post and Headline News and Babble this year. I participated in some contests this year: Top 25 Funny Moms (first place) and Top 25 Book Author Moms (first place loser) at Circle of Moms. BlogHer chose me as a Voice of the Year.
My Pinterest boards look ah-MAY-zing. You should totally stop by and check them out.
Have you been to PIWTPITT's Message Boards yet? There are some great discussions over there.
Did you go to the Friend's Party? I had so much fun and I'll definitely plan another in 2013!
I'm working on my 2013 Resolutions, so stop back tomorrow and see what goals I've set for myself for the new year!
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3 comments:
Jen,
Just so you know, you are the first page I check to get my day started properly. You make me laugh, and you've made me cry. You've given me people to add to my own PIWTPITT! Or gnads. Or both. So for that, I thank you. I wish you the best of 2013, with enough of the worst to make it funny, but not enough to make you miserable. :) Let's punch this together! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Let's do that! Thanks so much for sticking with me this year and laughing and crying with me. Happy New Year!
I've been reading your blog for over a year now and it is one thing I look forward to every day! You are absolutely hilarious! You have inspired me to start my own blog (which I finally did last week).
I aspire one day to be as funny as you.
Happy New Year!
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