I’m sure everyone feels the same way, but I can hardly believe that 2016 is over. This was a REALLY great year for the blog. I was able to expand into more personal care posts (and got to partner with Clarisonic for a post, which was a lot of fun), talked even more about minimalism, and had a series dedicated to my IBM sales internship in Manhattan. I saw my Pinterest following exponentially increase and have had more engaged readers on the site than ever before. Plus, I’ve continued to be passionate and excited about the content I’m creating and have slowly tweaked the look of the blog to best represent the experience I’d love for all of my readers to have.
Today I’ve decided to share with you some of the top posts from 2016 (you can check out the top posts from 2015 here). Enjoy!
Minimalism
How To Consume Media Consciously– This post is all about how to avoid media overwhelm and help you focus on the content that is most inspiring, informative, and beneficial to you.
4 Consignment Shopping Tips– I LOVE consignment shopping because you can get unique, high quality pieces at a reasonable price. This post walks you through the best tips to get a great deal.
Minimalist Evening Skincare Routine– I’ve struggled with my skin for some time and finally figured out how to clear it up and keep it healthy. This details my minimalist skincare routine.
Minimalist Gift Guide– Doing a gift guide is a bit out of my realm because I really don’t like physical gifts all that much. But when I decided to do a minimalist gift guide I knew exactly what to say.
Update: I Didn’t Buy Clothing For A Year– My project of not buying clothing for a year started halfway through 2015 and ended this year. It was an interesting and beneficial minimalist experience and I share what happened here.
Etiquette
Texting Etiquette– We all know those people who drive us crazy with the way they text. Here’s how not to be one of those people.
The Golden Rule Of Etiquette– Although there are a lot of etiquette “rules” this is the main principle you need to know.
How To Be A Refined Woman– This post got an overwhelming response that I wasn’t expecting (it completely blew up on Pinterest and I was thrilled). The four points I share are applicable in every situation, every day.
Darling Magazine: The Etiquette of Breaking Up With a Friend– Writing this post was an absolute dream. I have loved Darling Magazine for so long (and especially loved the Darling event I was able to attend last year) and was thrilled to contribute to their blog.
Dating Etiquette Vlog– This semester I started filming some YouTube videos about relationships with my new friend Patrick. He’s an exchange student from Ireland and we had a lot of fun learning about our cultural perspectives and discussing anything and everything related to relationships. This was our very first video 🙂
Lifestyle
How To Improve Your Speech– If there’s anything that bugs me, it’s using the same words over and over again and improper grammar and overall not conveying ideas in a succinct and practical way. This post is my attempt to combat that.
How To Make Your Dreams A Reality– Sometimes goals can seem insurmountable, but these tips will help you achieve your goals and live your dreams.
How To Make Life More Whimsical– We can get far too serious for far too long, so these are my favorite ways to make life a bit more fun and whimsical.
Auditioning For The Bachelor– This was a fun, silly thing to do with my friend Austen and I absolutely loved getting a behind the scenes look on how contestants are chosen.
Scenes Of Summer 2016– This compilation of my summer is one of my favorite things I’ve produced this year. I don’t have much video experience (although I did make a pretty cool video for my sales competition in Milwaukee this year), but I had a lot of fun making it. I’m planning on making a video of the Fall Semester as well as winter break, the Spring semester, and spring break, so stay tuned!
College/Career
The #1 Question To Ask In An Interview– If you only read one post, make sure this is it because it will prove to be extremely beneficial throughout your career.
Best Free Exercise & Yoga Resources– In college money is in short supply, but there are still ways to get great exercise and yoga information.
The #1 Way To Get Stuff Done– This post helps you put into perspective exactly how to prioritize and maximize your working time.
IBM Sales Internship– This series is all about my sales internship with IBM this summer in Manhattan aka one of the best experiences of my life aka where I will be returning full time after graduation!!!!!!
7 Ways To Have Fun In College On A Budget– Because a lack of money shouldn’t equal a lack of fun.
Career Contessa: 3 Steps to Hone Your Professional Speaking Skills– Just like with Darling Magazine, I was honored to contribute to Career Contessa as they progress in their mission of providing women with career advice and resources.
How To Deal When You Aren’t #1– For all of my overachievers out there who struggle when they don’t win.
Musings
Why I Deleted Tinder– What a love/hate relationship I have with dating apps. For Tinder in particular I got to a point where I couldn’t deal with the nonsense anymore. I will say that Bumble was a lot better for me (in fact, my boyfriend and I met through Bumble), but this post is an analysis of good old Tinder.
Why I Hate The Term #GirlBoss– While it may seem like an empowering term, here’s why I am not a fan of that hashtag.
How To Help A Friend Without Losing Yourself– When a friend is going through a hard time it becomes very difficult to separate her problems from your own life. This is all about how to do just that.
Don’t Make Me Defend Millennials– Have you ever dealt with an attack on your entire generation? Here’s why it’s not ok.
You Are More Than Your Body– It’s rare for me to touch upon a topic like this, but 2016 was a major year in my life with respect to body image and the impact that restrictive eating can have on relationships and personal health so it was too important of a topic to keep quiet on for any longer.
The Guaranteed Way To Achieve Your Goals– Ok, maybe it’s not 100% guaranteed, but this post gives you a great foundation to start.
Why “Cohesive” Instagram Accounts Bore Me– I’m sure I’m not the only one who is sick of looking at a perfectly curated grid.
So there you have it, the very best posts of 2016! Feel free to link to your favorite posts from 2016 so I can check them out 🙂
-AJF
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