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Most Popular Posts of 2013 at Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting

Most popular posts of 2013 at mamasmiles.com

2013 was a big year for this blog, bringing in well over 1 million pageviews! A blog is only a great as its readers, and I truly appreciate the insightful comments (particularly apparent in my two most popular posts from the year), as well as your sharing my posts. Thank you!!! Now, let’s count down to my most popular post, starting with Lucky #13:

13) Preschool Game Day

I can’t take personal credit for this post; I simply chronicled what I saw at my son’s preschool game day. It’s full of wonderful, fun, accessible outdoor activities for kids that were too good not to share. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful teachers in my children’s lives!

12) Activities for the Very Young Who Eat Everything

Compiled at the request of a friend, this list includes some of our favorite activities that are safe for babies who love to put everything in their mouths. My favorite part of this list is that most of the activities will also appeal to older kids – perfect for parents who need ideas of ways that their children can play with baby siblings!

11) Self-Inflating Ghost Balloons

This fun twist on the classic “inflate a balloon using vinegar and baking soda” trick was a hit with my kids – and on Pinterest!

10) Raising Kids Who Love Books

I love books, and so do my kids! Here are a few of my secrets for raising kids who love to read – something, that, in my house, as translated to three of my four kids teaching themselves to read so far!

9) Babywearing 101

I don’t write about it much on this blog, but I am pretty passionate about baby gear! I love baby wearing, and this post explains the different types of baby carriers, and how I have found them most useful.

8) Mess-Free Art

We have enjoyed so many variations on this activity in our home! I did learn this year that some kinds of tempura paint smell really weird when they get mixed in plastic bags! So, we’ll be sticking with food coloring, gel, shampoos, and my favorite Crayola washable paints for this activity.

7)Teaching Kids Emotional Intelligence

My hope is to raise children who are kind, and I think understanding and being able to process emotions is a great place to start developing empathy. This post features a few things I am doing to teach my kids emotional intelligence.

6) Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

This method of making hard-boiled eggs is by far my favorite – and it turns out there are quite a few people on the internet looking for advice!

5) Raising Kids Who Get Along: Bringing Home a Younger Sibling

It’s always exciting to have a new baby in the house – but a lot of changes, too! This post focuses on things we have done that eased the transition for siblings, including many ideas from my own parents (who had 9 opportunities to introduce a younger sibling to the family!)

4) Raising Kids Who Get Along

The best part about having siblings is that you can have built in friends for life! My nine siblings are my best friends, and I’m thrilled to see my kids growing up close as well.

3) Fun Science: Candy Experiments!

I fell in love with science long before I met Mike (let alone my kids) so I’m happy to have this post make the top three! It got more than a little help by being featured in this lovely Buzzfeed post featuring science experiments that are fun for adults as well as kids! Thanks, Buzzfeed!

2) Sewing Tutorial: How to Make a Weighted Sensory Blanket

I wrote this tutorial after my sister asked if I could make a weighted blanket for my nephew. I was very happy with the method I had come up with for making the blanket, and I’m even happier to see that it has been used for so many people! If you are interested in making one, be sure to read through the comments, as readers have offered many helpful suggestions.

1) Parenting: 20 Ways to Cope With Sleep Deprivation

This post, crowd sourced by several of my favorite bloggers, was a bit hit in 2012 and continues to be popular. Let’s face it, all parents face sleep deprivation at some point or another, even the best sleep trainers among us! And, when you’re exhausted, sometimes you need some help remembering how to cope. I love the advice in this post, as well as in the comments!

What posts did you most enjoy from this blog – or another blog – in 2013? If you blog, which of your posts were most popular?

 

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

23 thoughts on “Most Popular Posts of 2013 at Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting”

  1. Wow! Congrats on over 1 million page views! That’s fantastic! I love following along with your craft ideas and everything your cute kids are doing. :)

  2. I love reading your blog MaryAnne and this is a fabulous top 13 list! It’s hard to choose a favorite post but I think for me it was “On being a Third Culture Kid” – https://www.mamasmiles.com/on-being-a-third-culture-kid/ – I loved hearing your insights and that post has made me more mindful of how our lifestyle impacts our kids. I really appreciate how balanced your writing is and I look forward to following along in 2014. Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year!

    1. Happy New Year, Jody! That post was one of my big “heart” posts in 2013, so it means a lot to me that you liked it. I love seeing the way you are raising your kids through your blog, and can’t wait to hear where you will be headed to for your next big adventure!

  3. Congratulations on such a big year! And one of my favorites didn’t make the list — it was the road trip post (because I love to hear family travel stories and ideas :) Looking forward to all the great ideas you’ll have in 2014 too — Happy New Year!

    1. Hi Dayna! I’m thrilled you are joining in with the monthly goals linky, and look forward to getting to know you better through your blog in 2014!

  4. Fantastic list! I’m so pleased you are influencing such a great number of families out there!! You are always such an encouragement to me, and I love all your simple, practical, accessible activities, as well as your insights into big-family and kids-closely-spaced life. Thanks for continuing to share your ideas and observations with us, and I look forward to more (and hopefully blogging again myself…) in 2014!! :)

    1. I love those, also, Natalie! I think they don’t do as well with search engines and so don’t get as many hits, but they are fun to write and it’s nice to hear that you enjoy them since I really value having you as a reader of this blog!

  5. Wow, 1 MILLION views?! *bows down* :)

    My favorite of that bunch is the one about raising kids who get along. In fact, I think that’s how I stumbled on your site (from who knows where) but I remembered that post very well.

    Congrats MaryAnne! And happy new year!

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