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Go behind the scenes with me as I look back on 2019!
I haven’t done one of these annual summaries on here before… the closest I’ve come is recipe fails back in 2016. I thought it would be fun to reflect, though! This has been quite the year.
It was definitely a year of milestones:
- I hit my first ever 1,000,000 pageview month back in September. This is a goal that I had my sights set on since I had no clue what I was doing back in 2015! I had no idea how hard it would be to reach. This also happened to be the same month that I left my full-time job (that I had been at for 11 years) to pursue this business full-time after juggling both for four years.
- I reached 100,000 followers on Instagram in July. The growth for me in 2019 has been crazy (in a good way). I’m currently at 160,000 followers… whoa.
- I finally realized that I needed more help, and I hired my sister to help me with blog tasks such as editing, Facebook scheduling, managing my email (this is the smartest thing I’ve ever done since I am horrible with email), and other miscellaneous tasks that let me focus on getting new recipes out.
- I attended my first blogging retreat, learned a lot, made some new friends who have the same worries/hopes/ambitions as I do, and that was actually the first time I’ve ever flown anywhere by myself (strange since I do travel fairly often), so that was a milestone in itself.
- In 2019 I published 120 new recipes (I think I counted them right). 😛 You can find all of my recipes here if you missed any!
2019’s most popular recipe was… Creamy Garlic Chicken
This recipe received over one million visits this year!
2020 vision:
I want to bring you plenty more fast and easy-to-follow dinner recipes. This is my main focus, and I have a huge list of recipes that I’m excited to get started on!
I also plan on engaging more with my Instagram audience and actually showing my face on there more often (yikes). Stay tuned for recipe demos in my stories. I need to get over my introvert nature and just dooo it. It’ll be less painful than pulling teeth, right? The Salt & Lavender cats (the real stars) also plan on making more appearances.
Thanks for a great 2019! As a recipe blogger, nothing makes me happier than when you make one of my recipes and leave a nice review on my blog (those are solid gold and the #1 way you can support me).
Is there anything you would like to see on here? See you next decade. 😉
XOXO
Natasha
I love the variety of your recipes and the fact most are easy/quick to prepare. A bonus for those after work cooking times where I am hungry and patience is low. Good luck with making this a full time gig ! Well done!!
Thanks so much!!
Thank you for all the great recipes in 2019. Looking forward to many more in 2020!
Thank you!! ♥️♥️
Sadly to say it was the name and not the recipes that first caught my attention! Now that I found out they are cats, even happier to continue making your fabulous recipes!! Salt and Lavender will have to take back seats now………
Good luck in 2020❣❣❣
Hahaha they are actually named Leo and Clover – that would have been funny if I named the blog after them. They actually were born after I started the blog. Thanks so much for following along! ♥️
So proud of all your hard work and for being so brave!
I love the recipes and since my nights are usually hectic, the simplicity of them makes it so much better. I haven’t made one my family doesn’t like.
Looking forward to new recipes in 2020!
KP❤️
Aww thanks so much, Kimmy!! I’m glad to have you in my corner. 🥰
Wow, what a year! Looking forwards to seeing what you post in 2020!
♥️♥️♥️
I didn’t realize you left your ft position! Congratulations! Can’t wait to see how 2020 treats you :)!!
Thank you!! Yup, I finally made the decision hahha. 😆
Love your recipes and the Way you write them. I am always safe when the recipes are from you, they are bullet proof 😉 – read tasty 😉 .
Wishing you and yours a happy new year
Thank you so much, Pia!! Thanks for your support, and I wish you all the best in 2020. ♥️