Your Votes Are In – Top 12 Posts of 2012

Welcome to The Simple Homemaker’s new and improved 2013 blog? What’s different? Instead of a little “2” at the end of the date, there’s a little “3.” I know, I know. It’s a lot to take in all at once, but you’ll get used to it. Give it time.

It’s going to be a great year here. We have already begun implementing big plans for The Simple Homemaker in 2013, including a free ebook for all you email subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber, jump on board to get the heads up when that’s available. 

We’ve also got some great nuts and bolts posts lined up to focus more directly on simplifying your life, decluttering your home, streamlining your schedule, and otherwise making homemaking, parenting, holidays, and living a little less complicated. Less complication means more joy…and more time to make cookies. I’ll even give you a few cookie recipes as the icing on the cake.

Meanwhile, enjoy a trip down memory lane with these golden oldies. Some are my most-read posts. Others are those which, based on personal emails and comments, touched readers the most. And there’s one that made the cut just because it’s got a great picture of my handsome hubby. Hey, a girl can love her man out loud!

Top 12 Posts in 2012

(Why 12? Because it was 2012, and because 12 is a cool number–think the apostles, eggs, Krispy Kreme donuts, Cheaper by the Dozen. See?)

Great Grandma’s cough syrup recipe, as well as four others (and a cough drop recipe link) that’ll put a little hair on your chest. Okay, maybe no hair, but they will boost your immune system and help that cough and sore throat. But seriously, it’s the picture I like best. Isn’t she precious? Poor widdle sick baby.

This is our go-to bread recipe for a quick Italian/French loaf. If you’re new to bread, this is the place to begin. If you’re an old pro, you can get creative with it. Four ingredients, that’s it! My seven-year-old makes it alone…except for the oven…and the incessant reminders to wash his hands. You can do it!

When did birthdays become circuses, county fairs, and episodes of Spoiled Little Rich Girl all thrown into one? Well, not here at The Simple Home. Here birthdays are simple, affordable, and, best of all, fun. Here are a few ideas–don’t try to do them all! Remember…simple. Siiimmmmpppllllleee.

If the bad egg in the picture looks all too familiar to you, you need this post. It also links to a guest post by my daughter on how to boil a hard-boiled egg, a very popular (and entertaining) post. If you’re tired of the sulfur green of boiled eggs and the bad egg look, these two posts will be your life-saver…or at least your egg-saver.

When you’re in a pinch or you need baking powder without cornstarch in it, I’ve got your back. In less than a minute you can make your own baking powder and amaze your friends. Actually, I have found that my friends don’t really care. Plus, this post has nothing to do with weed, despite the picture. That’s DILL WEED people. Good grief.

I’ve long been a “from-scratcher,” but when I entered the online realm of the real food world, I was hit hard by judgment, thrown to my knees by criticism, and knocked out by stress and guilt. I was looking for encouragement and coaching, and instead I found I had entered a boxing ring. I don’t want that for you. So I joined a few other gals to offer you grace and encouragement as you gently move toward a healthier lifestyle…and if you don’t want to move toward a healthier lifestyle, there’s a Krispy Kreme coupon on that post. Just kidding. Sorry. Mmmm…Krispy Kreme. I really shouldn’t go on about donuts here, but have you ever had a hot-and-fresh Krispy Kreme? They melt in your mouth–seriously, which is a great last thing to experience before passing into a sugar-coma.

This is one of my favorite posts of the year, one I tried not to write. It is straight from the heart. My husband followed it up with a very beautiful, moving song, which you can’t hear, because it isn’t recorded yet. Sorry for that little tease. Here, want a cookie? Can’t have it, but you can watch me eat one. The images are beautiful as well. Sorry about the cookie thing.

Love in Action is a 14 part series (all linked from this main post) to give you short, simple, daily actions to build stronger families. I include it here not because it drew in the highest traffic, but because it generated a lot of personal emails and comments from people who truly appreciated it. The first seven action steps are directed toward your marriage, and the latter half focuses on your children. I use them myself as a periodic reminder throughout the year.

Four more. These were super popular on my blog this year, and when you put them all together, you have two kinds of ketchup-covered biscuits in a citrusy clean kitchen with well-read kids, so, who doesn’t love that?

How to Make Ketchup

Two Simple Biscuit Recipes

Homemade Orange Vinegar Cleaner

Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids

And my favorite image of the year is this one of my second and seventh children at my grandparents farm:

Please subscribe to my free updates for a very focused year on simplifying and putting the joy back into homemaking!

Have a wonderful year! I love you guys!

Organizing Resource for the new year:

Get Organized Wizard is offering their popular Organize-In-5 Diary for $4.95, a whoppin’ 83% discount.  It includes a 5-minute organizational mission for each day of the year. I own this, and it’s never too late to jump in. (Limited-time offer.)