happy new year! (also: a roundup.)
I thought it might be fun to take a peek at my analytics to see what the most-read posts of 2013 were, and interestingly enough, they're pretty much all posts that I wrote before 2013. 
Which either means that I didn't write anything good in 2013, or that posts which have been making their way around the internet for years tend to get more pageviews (since they turn up higher in Google searches).
(Hopefully the latter!)
At any rate, here's the roundup.
Oh, first let me apologize off the bat for any wonky formatting in the posts I'm linking to.
At least on my computer, my older posts are sprinkled with odd black question marks since the site migration.
Also, I can't edit old posts at the moment (which is so frustrating! I never realized how often I access that feature to grab photos.), so I can't even remove the question marks.
The migration team is working on it (presumably not today!), so the problem should be fixed eventually.
(Can I just say again that I am so happy that I hired help for the migration? I can't imagine trying to figure out all of these problems myself. And if I'd done the migration myself, I'd have probably created a whole bunch of new problems!)
1. How to paint wooden furniture
Somehow or another, this post got to be the top result for that search phrase on google, and it's consistently the most-viewed post on my blog.
A lot of you probably found my blog through that post, actually! 
2. How to make homemade yogurt
I am such a big fan of homemade yogurt...it's so cheap and tasty, and my method requires no special equipment. I make this at least three times a month, and more in the summertime.
3. Easy, ridiculously good roasted carrots
Oh, goodness. These are like vegetable candy, without any added sugar. So. Delicious. 
(Of course, I got the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Duh.)
4. How we watch TV without cable service
We don't watch a whole lot of TV here at Chez FG, so our handy-dandy Roku box, a Netflix account (and an Amazon prime account, which I think we got since I wrote that post) suit us just fine.
5. What to buy (and what not to buy) at Aldi
I wrote this post eons ago (in blog time, that is), but I updated it fairly recently to change a few things. For instance, I used to hate their sour cream, but it's been great of late!
6. How to make Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
The girls and I gave this a try for the first time last year...it's a fun, easy, and super inexpensive project that even not-very-crafty people can execute.
7. Homemade Chai Latte Mix
I first made this a few years ago, and since then, I've mostly converted to brewing chai bags and adding sweetener and cream (I think it's a more natural option than the mix.)
The comments on this post are a good read, though, as a number of people figured out methods to make this without the powdered creamer.
8. How to make Chocolate Pudding from Scratch
Chocolate pudding mixes (especially the no-cook sort) are filled with odd ingredients, but you can make your own at home with milk, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch.
That's it.
You could totally handle it.
9. How to make cheap, cheap, cheap French Bread
This recipe is about as close as you can get to making something from nothing. Five simple ingredients (one of which is water!), and you've got yourself a loaf of delicious bread. 
This is a great recipe for first-time yeast bakers to try, as it's nearly foolproof.
(To wit: Money Saving Mom had tried to bake French bread without success before, and she managed to pull it off with my recipe.)
10. Want to see my new black nightstands?
This post is enduringly popular (moreso than my other painting project posts), and the only reason I can think of is that there's a link to it in my how to paint furniture post.
If you love to see painting projects, check out my painting post roundup. And finish up, here are a few popular posts that were just published in the last year:
1. Homemade Fish Cakes
Even if you don't really like fish, you'll probably enjoy this recipe. It's so mild, and it honestly tastes an awful lot like a crab cake (but for a fraction of the cost.) 
We eat them as is with tartar sauce or sometimes we make sandwiches. I even like them leftover and cold (which is quite shocking, because normally I can barely choke down leftover fish!)
2. Homemade Oxi-Clean for Armpit Stains
Not gonna lie...having the photo of my sweated-up shirt armpit plastered all over Pinterest is slightly embarrassing, but hey, it's for a good cause! 
This homemade mixture fixes armpit stains like nothing I've tried before, and I've saved piles of my shirts from the rag bag by using this method.
3. How much stuff should you own? The answer is simpler than you think.
I read some minimalist articles and blogs, and occasionally I'm left with the feeling that I have too much stuff (which is true to a degree!)
However, I realized that as long as I'm regularly using something, it's probably just fine to own it. The problem comes when you have so much stuff that you can't use it regularly.
______________________________
I always enjoy reading roundup posts on my favorite blogs, and it was kind of fun to pull one together on my own blog.
I'd be remiss if I closed this without saying thank you to all of you.
Thank you for reading, thank you for the encouraging emails you send me, thank you for sharing my blog with others, and thank you for the lovely comments you leave (I love to hear from you in the comments, so don't be a stranger!)
Things can get a little nuts out there on the internet (reference the comments section on any news article anywhere ever on the web), so I am super grateful to have such an overwhelmingly pleasant community experience here...thank you.
And happy new year to you and yours!
You had me at French Bread.
My guess is it is Pinterest driving the traffic to your old posts. Pinterest is responsible for well over half the traffic to my blog in the last few months and is still continue to grow. I love the painting black furniture one, used it to paint a few of my own yard sale finds.
Yep, I'm sure that's part of it. And how-to posts always are very popular on Pinterest, which explains why so many of my top ten are of that variety. 🙂
I'll admit I found you through your yogurt recipe. I looked at your fish cake recipe a few weeks ago that inspired me to make some (though it ended up being a combo of a few recipes). I also read your furniture and french bread recipes. I just read the carrots one, I have made roasted carrots often but always just tossed them in the oven uncovered and I might try the civered version, though I love them the way I usually make them.
Hapoy New Year!
Hi Kristen, Happy New Year to you and your family! I've started reading your blog last year and I've really enjoyed it. It's been a blessing 🙂
I thought I'd let you know that Amazon is giving away 4 free Beth Moore ebooks while they last. If you're interested, I've attached a link to another blogger with more info: http://mamascoffeeshop.info/blog/2013/12/31/free-beth-moore-ebooks-from-amazon-valued-82-96/
Happy New Year, Kristen!
Your lovely blog is a mainstay for me, although I haven't commented very much. Thank you for your inspiration and good work all year long! I really appreciate you...
Love & Hugs (virtual, of course!)
Dear Kristen, coming out of lurkerdom to wish you and your family a very happy 2014! You and I live in really different worlds, but I so appreciate your writing about family, frugality, and life. I always learn something and feel you make this crazy electronic world we live in a bit more positive. Thank you!
Yay! I just love it when readers de-lurk. 🙂
I cannot remember what led me to your blog because so many of your ideas ring true with mine. Homeschooling? Cooking? Food waste? Whatever it is, I love reading your posts. Thank you!
I always enjoy roundup posts like this, too. 🙂 Happy New Year!
your cheesecake recipe pictured above is an awesome recipe- I made it twice this holiday season and family swooned both times!
I'm not surprised that your older posts are more viewed. You did more how-to's and baking posts in the past than you did in 2013, and this year you cut back on your total number of posts. Doesn't stop me from checking in every day, though.
I just went to the french bread link and printed out the recipe (used printable version). Somehow the recipe showed as 119 pages (two pages or recipe, 100 or so blank pages, and 7 pages of comments and ads at the end! Unfortunately I didn't realize this until it had already printed. This could have been a total user error on my part (technology isn't my thing) but since you'd mentioned having some migration issues and wanted to bring it to your attention. Thanks for all of your wonderful blog posts and recipies! Happy 2014! p.s. I am really looking forward to making the bread!
I'm a long time reader and I'm not surprised. I check your blog because I like you but it does seem like you are "phoning it in" and that you aren't really that into it anymore.
I appreciate your loyalty, even in the midst of your unhappiness with what I've been posting.
To be totally honest, 2013 was a bit of a rough year for me (not due to anything with my husband and kids...the six of us are good). But I am very optimistic about 2014 being a much improved year. 🙂
I still read your blog M-F. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Please tell us which posts in 2013 were most popular.....I mean just the ones written that year.
I also think search terms are super funny. 🙂
Also, I really like your blog. I've been reading it for at least five years.
Thanks for all the work you do!
I hope you make good money doing it too.....check out the ebook, How to Blog without Selling Your Soul. Er, http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/25/how-to-blog-for-profit/
Loved that book...Ruth is brilliant!
Wishing you and your family a happy 2014!
I am going to give that armpit stain recipe a try! Thanks for being willing to put your armpit stains on the internet - I've seen lots of recipes on the internet that claim to fix this, but I actually trust yours, not least because of your before and after pics! Looking forward to reclaiming some of my work shirts from the rag bag.