Top 10 Posts of 2018

Today I'm sharing Bedlam & Daisies' Top 10 Blog Posts of 2018. Did your favorite post make the top 10?

End of 2018.

The end of the year is often a time of reflection.

What has happened over the course of the year.

What you liked about it.

And what you might do differently next year.

I typically wait and share my reflections on the anniversary of Bedlam & Daises because that anniversary is January 9th.

Top 10 Posts of 2018.

So for my end of the year round up, I thought I’d share my top 10 posts of 2018.

This order is based completely on the number of views that the post received in 2018.

Sometimes I think this unfair to posts that come later in the year (especially November and December), but we have to gauge it somehow.

And who knows if that’ll be the case.

So on with the show!

Number 10.

The number 10 post is Lessons Learned While Practicing Gratitude.

Tulips in the Museumplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands

This post was published on January 3, 2018. It was a follow-up to the December Gratitude Challenge that I participated in as part of my “this is 40” year of monthly challenges.

Number 9.

The Number 9 post is Glaciers of Greenland.

Glaciers of Greenland

This post was published on February 28, 2018, as part of Wordless Wednesday. The premise, of course, being all photos and no words. It contains a series of photos taken on my return to the United States after a layover in Iceland.

Number 8.

The number 8 post is Doors of Amsterdam.

Doors of Amsterdam

This post was actually published September 4, 2017. Somehow its popularity found a resurgence in July of 2018. So much so that it made the 2018 top 10 list.

Number 7.

The number 7 post is Walking Around Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh Scotland

This post was actually published in 2017 as well. September 5, 2017, to be exact. It seemed to have found some renewed interest in April and May of 2018 that led to its prominent arrival into 2018’s top 10.

Number 6.

The number 6 post is Photo Tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Royal Yacht Britannia

Oh my goodness! Another 2017 post. Ya’ll really showed some extra love to those 2017 posts this year. This post was published November 28, 2017. This post is actually part of a three-part series that take you on a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia (the Royal family’s yacht for over 40 years).

Number 5.

The number 5 post is 5 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Aruba.

Natural Bridge at Arikok National Park in Aruba

How appropriate that the number 5 spot should have 5 in the title! This post was published on April 11, 2018. The title is self-explanatory. Let me know if you agree that the photos DO make you want to visit.

Number 4.

This number 4 post is What I Learned From 30 Days of No Alcohol.

Flight of beers in Stirling, Virginia

This post was published on August 30, 2017. So I can tell you something interesting about the popularity of this post in 2018. You may have already guessed it…but… it became extremely popular in January, then again in November, and seems to be enjoying December. Perhaps plans for New Year’s goals (or resolutions for those who set them…see this post for why I don’t)? Hmmm… This 30 days of no alcohol challenge was actually the catalyst for my decision to begin a year-long set of monthly challenges once I turned 40.

Number 3.

Eek! This is getting so exciting.

The number 3 post is A Personal Photo Favorite.

Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland

This post was published on December 20, 2017. It was part of the weekly photo challenge and the theme was 2017 favorites. If you aren’t familiar with the location of this shot, it’s Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. This street is thought to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. There is another such winding cobblestone road in Edinburgh that I’ve heard mentioned as another possibility, but it’s definitely not as colorful as this street. This is the photo that I had turned into a canvas, which I shared in my review of Photowall post.

Number 2.

I can’t believe that we’re so close!

The number 2 post is Greyfriars Kirkyard.

George Heriot's School from Greyfriars Kirkyard

This post was published on October 31, 2017. Lots of spooky stuff in this graveyard. Do you believe in haunted places?

Number 1.

Drumroll Please!!

And the number 1 post of 2018 is…

Anne Frank House.
Anne Frank House

This post was published on July 25, 2017.

This is actually probably one of my favorite posts as well.

When we traveled to Amsterdam in 2017 (my first overseas trip for anyone new here), visiting the Anne Frank House was on the top of my list. I thought that I wasn’t going to be able to get tickets ahead of time, but we actually were able to get some that included an introductory session.

I like this post because not only am I able to take you through part of that introductory session and give you logistical information, but I also walk you through what the experience was like emotionally. The thoughts and feelings as you make your way through a reminder of this horrible piece of history.

Do you agree?

Which of these 10 was your favorite?

Or do you have a favorite post that didn’t make the top 10?

Sharing is Caring.

As we wrap up the year, I’m inviting you to share.

Snow over at The Snow Melts Somewhere had a Bloggers’ Secret Santa. She invited us to leave the link to one of our favorite posts in the comments. It didn’t have to be one that drew the most attention. In fact, the post may be one that you love that very few people have seen (either because it’s from your earlier days or somehow was just overlooked on publishing day).

I’m asking you all to do the same on this post.

And after leaving your favorite link in my comments, be sure to return the favor to someone else, or many someones else’s, who have left their link in the comment section by reading theirs (and perhaps leaving a comment on their post as well).

Because sharing is caring.

So share some love.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr. quote

Let your light shine!

Amy

17 thoughts on “Top 10 Posts of 2018

  1. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of those posts, and was happy to see you and Mom traveling to find your roots and explore the places where your ancestors came from.

    Somehow you have fallen off my email. What changed? I didn’t change anything? I’ll have to figure out how to get your new post notifications in my email again so I don’t miss a thing in the new year.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family Amy! xx

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the posts Deborah. I loved traveling to Scotland with my mom. I still have tales and scenes from that trip to share!

      I did move my list of email subscribers over to MailChimp. I don’t know if there happened to be a problem with the export. If you were signed up to receive e-mails through the WordPress feed, I don’t think anything changed there. At least I hope not because that’s how many of those following the blog receive notifications.

      I do see that you are now on the list that sends my latest blog updates from MailChimp. I have heard that since I have a gmail.com e-mail address instead of a bedlamanddaisies.com e-mail address sometimes it thinks it’s spam when coming from MailChimp, so in the future, you may want to check there until it realizes it isn’t spam (or I bite the bullet and get a personalized e-mail). The notification that I posted today should hit your inbox at 1:00 am EST.

      Merry Christmas to you and your family as well Deborah! xx

  2. I remember most of these posts and your photography is always amazing… I so enjoy following your blog! 🙂 I would have to say the Aruba one is my favorite, and you know why!! 😀 Because I loved Aruba.
    Happy you liked the blog share idea – here’s my runner up which I was considering posting on my original post but then didn’t… I thas some likes but I always thought it could do better! https://thesnowmeltssomewhere.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/on-belonging/
    I’m happy to get this chance share it here with you now!
    Merry Christmas!!!

    1. Thank you! That is such a nice compliment!! I knew you’d pick Aruba…and I can’t say that I blame you! It’s so stunning there and the people were so friendly.
      Thanks for leaving a link, I’m off to check it out!
      Merry Christmas!!!

  3. Interesting that so many of your top 2018 posts were actually from 2017. I never look at my stats so I really have no clue what my list would look like.

    I do have an old blog that’s been closed since 2013 and every once in a while I’ll get a notification from WP that it’s receiving unusual traffic. I got one of them yesterday saying it had received 100 views in one day. Go figure.

    This was a great look back on your year. It looks like you had a very good one 🙂
    Merry Christmas, Amy, and best wishes for the new year.

    1. It was interesting that so many were from 2017. I think sometimes one would get picked up by StumbleUpon and there were certain ones that gained some Pinterest referrals.

      That’s crazy about the unusual traffic on a closed blog! You never know what people will want to see. My stats are still very small, but it was fun to look at the order and see which most people enjoyed them. The number 1 post actually had 2 1/2 times more views than the number 10 post. Which I found funny given that I’ve published 136 posts this year and 169 last year.

      It was definitely a good year!

      Merry Christmas to you and your family Joanne and I hope that you have a wonderful new year! 🙂

  4. Your photos are all stunning, Amy! It would be difficult to pick a favourite. All of your stories are new to me since I am a new blogger. Something else we have in common is Iceland. I was there for a month last year. I actually wrote a story about Iceland that was posted in an Iceland magazine………which is how I decided to start a blog and continue to write. I look forward to continue reading your site. Happy New Year!

    1. Thank you Erica! I sincerely appreciate the commentary on the photography since I tend to be very critical of my work.

      That’s so awesome about your story being posted in an Iceland magazine! I was only in Iceland for a layover. Not long enough to go out and explore, unfortunately. It was during my trip in 2017 over to Scotland with my mother and aunt (my mother’s first overseas trip and my second). I could only leave my teens for so long and we wanted to focus all our time tracing the family roots, so we didn’t opt for extra days in Iceland. I hope to get back there at some point. A month sounds phenomenal! Another blogger was recently in Iceland and has been sharing some phenomenal photography from there. If you want to check him out, here’s his site: https://edlehming.wordpress.com.

      I look forward to reading your site as well.

      Happy New Year!!

      1. Thank you so much for the link, Amy. Enjoy the special moments with your family this season, making new memories……and taking new photos……🙂

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