The Best of 2015… A Year of Realization and Discovery

Can you believe it? 2015 has come and gone. I, along with many others, would probably say this has been one of the most craziest, eye-opening years. However, Live Well… Be Fabulous had its best year yet, and I cannot wait to see what happens with my blogazine in 2016.

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According to the WordPress.com gurus, this blog received more than 160,000 views in 2015. Now, I realize that for some of my larger blogger friends, this might seem like peanuts compared to the number of views they receive each month. However, for me, that number was a HUGE improvement over the 5,000 total views we had in 2014. I’m blown away by the new statistics.

Thank you so much for being a part of my life and supporting me in the development of this blog.

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This was also the year when I put a ton of effort into making great content. I developed a posting plan and really listened to suggestions from my readers and fans. I also closely followed the posts that performed the best and have now implemented a strategy to create a few new series based on those results as well as improve some of the old favorites. Putting the events of my life out there for everyone to see was scary at first, but I soon found some pretty great folks, some of whom have become great offline friends. With an upcoming trip to Italy in the works, I hope to be able to meet my new friends in person.

Now, on to the recap of the articles & series you loved the most here on LiWBF in 2015!

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You enjoyed LiWBF’s first officially sponsored 24Hr adventure with Caribou Coffee. I actually had a TON of fun mixing one of our most popular features, The Fashion Files, with our #24Hr Caribou Coffee Adventure. Plus, I discovered my love of the fabulously delicious world of the iced coffee. Now, I know what the term “shaken, not stirred” means. I’m looking forward to more of these type of adventures in 2016.

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You loved the Color Wheel – Purple Reign. Almost all the color wheels were written during 2014, that time when LiWBF didn’t have the direction and substance that it has now. Unfortunately, the color wheels have been discontinued for the time being. In the latter part of 2015, LiWBF partnered with the talented photographer, Viktor Hanacek, the mastermind behind picjumbo.com‘s gorgeous database of photos. Any future color wheels will be using either Viktor’s photography or photos from our own talented staff.

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Fashion Friday- What to Wear on Valentine’s Day – Tutorial outfit posts. Most of the time, I use Polyvore to create these goodies. My skills with putting together works of fashionable art has improved greatly since I joined in February of 2015. The response to tutorials that offer instruction on how to find the ideal outfit according to the woman who wears it was amazing. You’ll definitely see plenty more of these. Don’t forget to follow Live Well… Be Fabulous on Instagram, since this is where we post most of these types of photos.

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Thrifty Deals & Frugal Steals – Everyone loves a bargain, right? So it was great to see how much everyone enjoyed my thrifty deal posts. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the days to find the best deals both in stores and online. Even if you don’t find the exact pieces I feature in the posts, you should still be able to head out to the featured store and take advantage of other similar deals. I’ll definitely be returning to this series in 2015.

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The Fashion Files – 50 Shades of KayLeigh By the time I posted this version of the Fashion Files, I had gotten more comfortable with the idea of being a Fashion Blogger and had even started incorporating my sense of style into each post. I joined Lookbook and made some really great friends on there and connected with several brands. I have no doubt that fashion will continue to play a large role here on LiWBF. It’s part of who I am and appeals to my readers of all ages. Look for two new segments starting this month called A Fashion Story and His Superfly Style.

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Make a Swarovski Crystal Jewelry Set in 6 Easy Steps – I wasn’t surprised to find this post on the list of most popular articles. There will be many more jewelry-making tutorials in 2016. I can’t wait to share them with you.

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The Fit & Thrity Diva – 10 Running Tips for Beginners Fitness became a large part of my lifestyle in 2016. I trained for and ran in my first half marathon. That’s 13.1miles! I’m still amazed by my accomplishment to this day. I also lost 20 pounds and lowered my cholesterol level which had skyrocketed over the past few years. Incorporating a healthy lifestyle into my daily routine will play a major role on LiWBF during 2016. Can’t wait to share some of the yummy looking recipes I’ve found.

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Top 10 Movies I’m Dying to Watch in 2015 – I love movies and you loved my reviews and upcoming blockbuster lists. What can I say? 2016’s Dying-to-See list is in the works as you read and I type.

I’m ready to share yet another fun-filled year of Fashion, Movies, Fitness, DIY projects, scrapbooking and everything in between with you. Contests and giveaways were also super popular. No worries. These super fun events will definitely continue throughout the year.

Thank you so much for making this such an awesome year for Live Well… Be Fabulous!

Bring on 2016!