TOP POSTS & PRODUCTS OF 2020

I don’t do a lot of deep diving on my analytics anymore. I used to be obsessed– keeping the live tally on my computer at all times but it started to stress me out. So I outsource it now and it’s so nice to just get monthly reports where I don’t have to think about it daily while still keeping my pulse on what’s happening. (I’ve also been at this for so long, I typically know what kind of posts are going to get the most views. Sometimes there are some sleepers though who end up going a bit more viral on Pinterest or that get included in a link round up on a big website.)

This was also the first year in a while that fresh content beat out all of my super popular evergreen posts that usually remain viral on Pinterest year after year (only one of my most read posts from this year was from 2019– everything else was published in 2020). Love to see that more people are turning to reading blogs again… especially as Instagram continues to evolve, I think we’ll see more people turning to privately owned, long-form platforms like blogs again.

TOP POSTS & PRODUCTS OF 2020

For fun, let’s review the most popular posts and products throughout the past year:

TOP POSTS READ

#1: OUR WEDDING

This was, not surprisingly, my most popular post of the year. Any kind of big life update is bound to get a lot of eyes! I also kept our wedding under wraps so I think it helped that there weren’t 400 mini wedding updates sharing every detail along the way.

#2: OUR ENGAGEMENT

Also, no big shocker here… our engagement announcement was the second most popular post. It was fun to share this with you guys. At the time, we had no idea when we were going to get married so there was a chance it was going to be the biggest personal news of 2020.

#3: NEEDLEPOINT GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

I LOVE that this was #3. Seeing how many people have gotten into needlepoint this year has been such a joy… and I’m happy my little guide could help a bit. I wrote it because I had been getting so many questions over DMs and then when the lockdowns kicked off in March, the traffic on the post really took off. It’s a perfect hobby for calming anxious nerves and to fill the void when you’re at home with nowhere to go.

#4: SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE

Of every post this year, I think this is the one I’m personally the most proud of. It was a labor of love putting it together, but I was also just so blown away by how amazing you guys are. This year was filled with unique challenges and to see that so many of you created side hustles (or already have full hustles) just made me so proud. I’ve also heard from a bunch of readers who completed a bunch of their holiday shopping early (and small) with the guide!

#5: GOING GREY

So I think this post was popular for a few reasons. One, I wrote it at a time when a lot of people were still not able to see their hairstylists and were grappling with their natural hair color. And two, there’s a lot of curiosity around why I don’t dye my hair. I, for one, am so excited to see more women than ever embracing their natural grey hair.

#6: SUMMER WEIGHT SWEATER

I was trying to think why this post was so popular (it’s just an outfit post!), but I think it was in my Instagram bio for a couple of months.

#7: NEEDLEPOINT CANVASES

This post was from 2019 but had great SEO hits and, again, I think so many people were getting into the hobby that there were a lot of people trying to find cute canvases. It had pretty consistent traffic from the first day of posting, and a huge spike this May!

#8: NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale roundup was a top swipe up on Instagram and people returned to it multiple times which I think helped boost it in this year’s ranking. With so many products to sort through, sticking to the things I already own and love makes the process more streamlined.

#9: THE PERFECT BUTTON UP

This one kind of surprised me too. Usually outfit posts don’t get a ton of traffic, but this one did. I think I linked to it on my story frequently when I’d wear these button ups (which really are “perfect”) as far as I’m concerned and people were really curious. Especially since it’s a brand I don’t normally shop from, answering fit questions drove extra traffic.

#10: I’VE GOT QUESTIONS

One of the most helpful posts I did (selfishly for myself!), was ask you guys for wedding advice. And you delivered. I loved reading every comment and hearing about the special things you did for your big day. What you regretted, what you’re glad you did, what you wish you had done. It was so helpful– if you’re planning a wedding in the future, I highly recommend you take the time to go through the comment section.

TOP PRODUCTS BOUGHT

These are the top products purchased from my site (according to my rewardStyle analytics). Not everything I link to is based on commission, but I don’t have access to those analytics. I’m also going based on number of items sold, not commission earned because some items made me more money (because the retailer has a higher commission rate or the value of the product is simply higher). Amazon also changed their analytics so you can’t see what specific products sold, so nothing from Amazon will make the cut, even if something was a top seller.

#1: J. CREW FUNNELNECK PULLOVER

Not a shock, at all, this pullover was hands down the biggest purchase of the year. It got down to under $20 for a while and it was just insane how many people purchased it. I also lived in it for about three months straight– definitely a favorite purchase of mine pandemic-wise. So comfy. Even J. Crew emailed me, they couldn’t believe how quickly the stock moved. The stripe is no longer available, but J. Crew re-released it this winter in their cloud fleece (nice and cozy) in three colors.

#2: TRUE & CO BRA

With so many people working from home and trying to get comfy, it’s no surprise that my lifechanging wireless bra made the cut. They’re all I wear pretty much nowadays!!!

#3: J. CREW TIERED COTTON VOILE DRESS

Again, this was a great dress this summer. One of my favorites J. Crew has done in a while. I also had it in two colors and wore it a lot so it was featured on my blog and Instagram frequently.

#4: MADEWELL HENLEY SWEATER

This was one of my favorite sweaters this fall and I wore it a lot in my daily outfit posts– it was clearly one of your favorites too. It was on sale almost every week too, so it was almost too good to pass up!

#5: CASHMERE HOODIE

I linked to the most recent style, but it remains one of my most items of the year. I’ve been wearing it a lot with pajama bottoms now that the sun sets so early.

#6: FACE MASKS

Face masks of all kind were a top seller this year, but the J. Crew ones were a clear favorite.

#7: J. CREW RIBBED RUFFLENECK TEE

I wore this a lot and had it in multiple colors… plus it got marked down a TON. It was a great, comfortable basic. (My favorite kind of clothing!)

#8: J. CREW HAT

This surprised me! I was on the fence about whether or not I could pull off this hat, but ultimately decided that I loved it. You guys did too!

#9: J. CREW SHERPA JACKET

Another item I wore and posted a bunch of times. It was one of my coziest buys this fall.

#10: J. CREW SWEATER BLAZER

This doesn’t surprise me in the least since so many people were working from home and looking for good “comfortable but professional” Zoom attire. It also got marked down a couple of times and people scooped it up like crazy.