Follow the Ruels

2018: The Year of the Blog

2017 was a really exciting year for me personally and the blog. Personally, my husband and I got to take some really amazing trips to Hawaii and Napa. I also got to spend some quality time in Waco visiting friends and, of course, the Silos (for you Fixer Upper fans). I even was on TV! Although, I was super awkward so the most you will ever see of it is on this Instagram post.

We finished out the year by buying a new house (!!!), which you can read more about here.

The blog hit some all-time highs, too. My royal icing recipe continues to be a hit and is now one of the top searches on Google for royal icing! I had more viewers in one day in January 2017 than I did for the entire month of January 2016. Since I love numbers, here are some stats for 2017.

2017 Stats:
  • 135 blog posts
  • 319 Instagram posts
  • 19 YouTube videos
  • 231% increase in page views
  • More page views in December than all of 2016 combined
2017 Goals:
  • Publish a regular newsletter. Partially accomplished. About halfway through the year, I starting publishing a “Quick Bites” newsletter that was sent out bi-weekly. Then it was monthly. Then it was really whenever I found the time to write a newsletter. Maybe 2018 will be better.
  • Publish more video content. Accomplished. The baseline was pretty low for this one. In 2016, I published 5 videos. In 2017 I published 19 on YouTube alone. I also published 20 Instagram videos. Expect to see even more in 2018. 
  • Increase Social Media Presence. Accomplished. My main goal was to increase my Instagram following, which I definitely did. I can’t be sure by how much because I don’t have the stats on that, I know I went from under 1k to 2k in 2017. I also started a Facebook profile, which could probably use some more love in 2018. 
  • Monetize the Blog. Accomplished. I had several sponsored posts in 2017 and was able to make some money from affiliate links. While it was very minimal. Very. It’s a start. More than anything, I learned more about how to monetize my blog which will benefit me going forward because….
2018 is the Year of the Blog!

As I hinted at in this post, once we move to Atlanta I am going to dedicate some time to grow the blog into a business. Since it’s inception, blog has always been considered a hobby. Its something that I work on on the weekends and after work during the week. Once we move, the blog will be my full-time job. While I devote a lot of time to creating things for the blog, which is really what I love to do, a lot of the other stuff falls by the wayside due to lack of time. I don’t spend as much time promoting the content, cultivating relationships, marketing the blog, and developing new skills. 

I am hopeful that I can do all of that in 2018. And I am so excited about it!

2018 Blog Goals:
  • Learn SEO, Google Adwords, and basic coding. I really love to learn new things, and these have always been at the top of my list but have never had time to pursue them.
  • Publish more video content. I would love to publish a video with every single recipe that I create. That may be a little ambitious,  but got to aim somewhere!
  • Publish more lifestyle, home design, or DIY content. Now that I am a new homeowner, I already have lots of home projects that I would like to tackle. Expect to see some of them on the blog. 
  • Get to 10k followers on Instagram. This may also be a bit ambitious considering I only have 2k now, but I think with the increased video content I can make this happen.
2018 Personal Goals:
  • Read at least one book every month. I have no excuse not to accomplish this one because now we live across the street from a library.
  • Do more yoga. Not only do I physically feel great after I do yoga, I also feel some much more balanced and centered mentally. I am really bad a taking time out to relax, so I am hoping that by doing yoga regularly throughout the week I can count that as my stress relief. 
  • Run a half marathon. This is something that I have always wanted to do, so 2018 is the year! While I have always been a somewhat of a runner…I have never run more than 8 miles consecutively. But with some consistent training, I think I can do it.
  • Convince my husband to get a dog. Enough said. 

So what are your goals for 2018??

17 Healthy Recipes to Kick-Off 2017

I don’t know about you, but I have a few Christmas pounds to lose. After a week of eating carbs, carbs, and more carbs, it’s about time I get back to some clean eating. 

Fortunately, around this time last year I went through the exact same thing, and even took it to the extreme by going on the Whole 30 diet. While I have no plans to do that again, I do have a stash of super healthy recipes to help me get back on track. Since I know I am not the only one, I thought I would share my favorite top 17 healthy recipes to kick off the new year and get us all on the right track!

 

1 | Burger Bowl – This is one of my absolute favorite healthy meals that doesn’t actually feel like a healthy meal. I ditched the bun for a bed of lettuce and ate my burger like a salad (P, W30, GF)

2 | Creamy Tomato Soup – Even though this soup is rich and creamy, that doesn’t mean it’s packed with lots of cream. The secret ingredient is actually Greek yogurt which gives it that lush creaminess without the extra calories. (LF, V)

3 | Zucchini Lasagna – Lasagna is a classic comfort food. But when you swap the noodles for zucchini and beef for lean ground turkey, it’s actually one healthy meal! (GF)

4 | 5-Minute Cauliflower Rice – This side dish is a staple in my house! I use it as the foundation for a burrito bowl or as a side for some teriyaki chicken (see below). (P, W30, GF, V)

5 | Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – When you think of healthy recipes, you probably don’t think of buffalo chicken. But this easy slow-cooker recipe is surprisingly healthy and delicious! (P, W30, GF, LF)

6 | Berry Quinoa and Kale Salad – Sometimes my body just craves everything healthy, and that’s when this salad comes in handy. Not only is it packed with kale, but also heart healthy nuts, avocado, and chickpeas as well as nutrient-rich berries. (V, GF)

7 | Chicken Fajita Roll Ups – Skip the tortilla and just wrap your fajita in the chicken itself! It makes the perfect low-carb, Paleo, and Whole 30 compliant meal! (P, W30, GF, DF, LF)

8 | Chicken and Quinoa Stuffed Avocados – Don’t let the fat in the avocado scare you away. A little fat, especially the good fat in avocados, is actually really good for you and your waistline. (GF)

9 | No Churn Strawberry Banana Ice Cream – What I love about this “ice cream” is that it actually has no cream in it whatsoever. It is made entirely of fruit! But the processed frozen bananas create that light creamy texture without the calories. (P, GF, LF, DF, V)

10 |Thai Salmon and Spiralized Vegetable Salad – While I am not a huge fish eater, this was one of my favorite recipes from the past year. The seasoned salmon and the crunchy spiralized veggies make it a perfectly healthy lunch or dinner option. (P, W30, GF)

11 | Cuban Pork Chops – This recipe is an oldie but a goodie. And it’s one of my most popular recipes for a reason – it’s delicious! There is so much flavor in the pork chop, you won’t even think you are eating healthy. (P, W30, GF)

12 | Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork – Another oldie but goodie. The best part about this recipe is that it’s only a couple ingredients that are cooked in a slow-cooker. The only work you have to do it to pull it apart. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard! (P, W30, GF)

13 | Homemade Acai Bowl – Don’t spend money on an expensive acai bowl when you can make it at home for a fraction of the price. It’s just like making your morning smoothie, but more fun! (P, W30, GF, V, DF)

14 | Paleo Beef Stroganoff – Again, beef stroganoff doesn’t really scream “healthy recipe”, but when you swap out a couple things, like the cream and the noodles, its much healthier! (P, W30, GF, DF)

15 | Almond Joy Bites – When cravings hit and it takes every ounce of will power to say “no” to the candy bar. Make these Almond Joy Bites instead. They taste like a candy bar but have no sugar whatsoever! (P, GF, V)

16 | Slow-Cooker Teriyaki Chicken – Teriyaki sauce is one of those food items that is surprisingly packed with sugar! Instead, make your own for this easy slow-cooker recipe! (P, GF, LF)

17 | Paleo Ranch Dressing – If you are on the Whole 30, you know you miss salad dressings! Make this Paleo version to use as dressing, dip, or to top off your Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps! (P, W30, DF)

(Note: I used the following letters to designate each recipes allergen and dietary information: P- Paleo, W30 – Whole 30 approved, GF- Gluten Free, V-Vegetarian, DF- Dairy Free, LF- Low Fat)

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