It feels like I’ve been away for so long … and I have. And I loved it. Don’t get me wrong — I still love blogging. But every girl (and feline) needs a little break. There is a reason why distance makes the heart grow fonder!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was very good, but everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was sick. The flu is really bad in Minnesota and my grandparents, brother, uncle and eventually my parents feel prey to influenza.
Almost every year, without fail, I get sick during Christmas. I get a cold, which eventually becomes bronchitis. So it is ironic that I type this while feeling … good. I keep waiting for the flu bug to hit me. Fingers crossed that I managed to escape it!
You would think with having some time off that I would have lots of ideas for posts. Ummm … nope. Not really. I purposefully didn’t do anything with my blog. I didn’t even comment on other sites, which I do feel bad about. I can’t wait to see what kind of mischief y’all have been up to these past couple of weeks!
The Most Popular Posts of 2014
I can’t believe another year has come and gone, but according to the calendar, it is so. These were the posts that you loved the most.
- Pancake Lasagna was at the top viewed post. It’s a truly divine treat, but it does take a little bit of work. My sister-in-law made it for a hockey breakfast (or maybe it was youth group) and they loved it. However, she has vowed to never make it again. It’s not a regular weekday breakfast but something I would definitely make for a special one-of-a-kind treat.
- White Chocolate Frito Popcorn with M&Ms was the second most viewed post. Now this is a simple treat that packs a lot of punch. Something you can make year-round, and it makes a delicious movie (or big game) treat too.
- Facing My Money Fears was my most viewed personal post. It was part of the 2014 Money A-ha Financial Literacy Carnival hosted by The Heavy Purse.
- My second most viewed post was An Emotional Eating Win. I suspect lots of people can relate emotional eating. It’s still something that I deal with daily.
- Max’s most viewed post was Starting My Own Business. That’s right, MaxE is a cat-a-prenuer. He is the proud owner of a pet-sitting boutique that has yet to have a client, but that has not dampened his enthusiasm.
Our Favorite Posts
It’s odd how sometimes the post that I think will resonate the most strongly with readers gets very little reaction. And others that I don’t think will garner much response become the most popular. These are the posts that we love and think deserve a little a second (or first) look.
- Max and I are both quite fond of our Halloween MaxE Tall Tail. This year it was The Case of the Missing Mama. You’ll discover that MaxE has quite the vivid imagination!
- I tend to be pretty private (odd, I know, for someone who has a blog) but I made a huge effort last year to be more open. And talking about My Weight Loss Goal: Not Winning and the support I get from you as I work towards getting healthy has made it so much easier, and rewarding, to do so.
- The Versatile Blogger Award is one of my favorite MaxE and Mama conversations on Eat Laugh Purr. MaxE has plenty of catattitude.
- I am still grieving the loss of Robin Williams and am reminded every day of the power of our thoughts. O Captain, O Captain … you will be missed.
- These bad boys are so delicious. Everyone loves them. They are easy to make. Go now and whip up a batch of Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. You won’t regret it.
- These are bit naughty but they are worth some extra time on the treadmill. Chocolate Truffles impress everyone and make great gifts too. I have to give them away or I’d never be able to get off the treadmill!
- The Max-E-Nator shared his superpower of Pounce with us. Since he does smite flies for me, I won’t argue with his claim of being a superhero.
2015 Here We Come!
Max and I are going to put our heads together and come up with our game plan for the new year. I’m sure we’ll have some small tweaks, but you can still expect to see one sassy feline, his slightly neurotic Mama and lots of good food whenever you visit Eat Laugh Purr.
Thank you for making 2014 great and we look forward to making 2015 even better.
Tanya and Max
Welcome back and sorry everyone was so sick over Christmas! I managed to avoid it so far so knock on wood! I think it helped that I was just a serious homebody all last month. Hope 2015 is a great year for you!
Thanks, Tonya! So far I’ve managed to avoid the flu and cold bug too, knock on wood! I kept to myself after I got back from Minnesota too, which helped, I think! Best wishes to a great 2015 to you too!
Welcome back Tanya, missed ya! 🙂 Happy New Year and I hope 2015 is your best year yet!!!
Thanks, Mackenzie! I missed everyone too! And Happy New Year to you too and making 2015 a fabulous year for both of us! (and MaxE too, although he is easy to please!)
Ugh, so sorry your family all fell prey to the yucky flu. Rick’s been checking the CDC website and telling me how bad it is this year. We’re trying to stay low and stay away from people. 😉 Looking forward to a great 2015, my friend!
Everybody seems to be on the road to recovery, thankfully! But the flu is really bad this year so I keep waiting for the hammer to drop. Thus far, still doing good! I hope you and your family manage to avoid it too. Wishing you a great 2015 too, Laurie!
Welcome back Tanya!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’m so sorry to hear everyone was sick. We caught a cold toward the end of our vacation too. Sucks right?
It’s no surprise Max E’s post would make it on your list of popular posts. He’s one smart kitty. And yes, your post about emotinal eating was very relatable!
Here’s to a great 2015! Have a great week Tanya!
It totally sucks to get sick during vacation. For many years, it seemed like I rang in the new year with a NyQuil instead of champagne! LOL! I hope you and your family are getting over the colds. MaxE is very pleased that you noticed what a smart kitty he is. Sometimes I think he is too smart! Wishing you a great 2015 too!