The 12 Most Popular Posts from The Creative Cheapskate

 The Creative Cheapskate turns one today

Last week I turned 70. Today my blog turned one!  Yesterday I posted on 10 simple ways to improve your life with very little effort.  Number 9 relates to this blog---except the "with very little effort" part!

I have learned a lot over this past year. I hope that my learning to blog has helped you with the "ings" of
your life ---- child-rearing (hints and helps), homemaking (all areas), cooking (simple, cheap and do-it-yourself), making (toys and gifts), preparing (for the unexpected), maintaining (sanity and peace in this increasingly crazy world) ---- all aspects of making the most of making do on little, and having fun in the process!

I am still learning, and this week I  learned that my blog statistics lists the number of visits to each of my posts.  This was an amazing and fun discovery. Here are the top 12.

1. Rocking Horse Cake without special pan
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-rocking-horse-cake-to-make.html

2. Make Your Own Windex and Shout
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/make-your-own-windex-and-shout.html

3. What If . . .  Dry Milk --- When the Grocery Shelves are Empty
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/11/2-what-if-dry-milk-when-grocery-shelves.html

4. Simple Teddy Bear Cake without special Pan
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-teddy-bear-cake-wo-special-pan.html

5. Peanut Butter Cookies Can't Get Much Easier Than This
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/peanut-butter-cookies-cant-get-much.html

6. How to Creatively Garden in Bits and Pieces
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-creatively-garden-in-bits-and.html

7. Do-it-Yourself Barrette Holders for Gift Giving
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-barrette-holders-for-gift-giving.html

8. Cob Corn in Nature's Own Microwaveable Shake-and-Eat Packaging
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/04/cob-corn-in-natures-own-microwaveable.html

9. Homemade Olive Oil Lamps: Safe, Cheap and Quick to Make . . .
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-olive-oil-lamps-safe-cheap-and.html

10. Buyer Be Wiser: The Latest Scoop
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-olive-oil-lamps-safe-cheap-and.html

11. Make 5 Great Meals With Only Two Pounds of Ground Beef
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/make-5-great-meals-with-only-two-pounds.html

12. More Copy-Cat Candy Bars
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-copy-cat-candy-bars.html

These "most visited" posts tell me a lot about my readers.  When I started learning how to blog my guide was appropriately, Google Blogger for Dummies! Several portions of this book teach

• ways, sneaky and otherwise, to increase your readership, i.e. words to use in titles, etc.
• how to make money, by inviting advertising, on your blog.
• to use your statistics to determine what you should blog about.

These suggestions are probably good for others---but not for me.  Yes, I am excited to see the numbers of readers grow but I am excited because I take that to mean I am able to help others.  That was and still remains my goal.  I started married life saying just what Sgt. Shultz on the old Hogan's Heroes TV show used to say: http://www.hark.com/clips/stcglgpcfd-i-know-nothing
and the learning curve was, out of necessity, steep. 

The above 12 most visited posts "tells" me that I should concentrate on cooking (recipes). Still, I will continue as I have covering all the "ings"  and hope I continue to provide help for many.

Since Anything Can Happen to Disrupt Everything . . .

I have one request.  If you do not follow the posts under my "What If..." tab, please check them out. We live in uncertain times and things don't seem to be getting better. Anything can happen to disrupt everything.  And "it" can happen in an instant---personally, regionally, nationally...  Being prepared for sudden events brings great peace of mind. Just like insurance, you hope you never need to use it but it is helpful to have. . . just in case.

Thanks for coming along for the ride this past year. I hope you want to stay on board.

I remain
         Simply, Gail