2015 has brought some major personal challenges, and way too many moves. It has also brought a ton of support I didn’t know I had, and a feeling of community I have been lacking. The blog has gone from “taking it seriously” and swearing I would post every week, to completely missing a month when I had nowhere to live. I bounced all over the place with the Meal Plan, I tried some lame humor, I neglected my Etsy shop, and I started an editorial calendar and then abandoned it. Despite being a hot mess in both my blogging and really real world, I have had a lot of traffic (320,000 this year), and a lot of Likes on Facebook (I reached 2,000!).

Top Post of 2015

Want to Know What the Homeless REALLY Want in Care Packages? The Real Deal From a Mama Who Has Been There (56,000 hits!)

This post has only been up since the middle of November, but is already one of my top posts of all time. It is all over Facebook. I have wanted to post something like this, as well as up my advocacy game from letters-to-the-editor, for quite a while. Posting something like this has its drawbacks, however, since potential employers and landlords are just a Google search away from knowing I was homeless, and there is still stigma attached to that. I have been encouraged by the positive reception of this post.

Highest Traffic of All Time

Link Party Features

Top Referrers

My Top Pins

Other Fabulous Pins

Facebook Posts

Want to help the homeless in your area? You can create a care package or blessing bag. No doubt you’ve seen these posted online somewhere, but often those items are not as helpful as you might hope. I can tell you what to include to help the widest range of the homeless, and why. A person is a person, no matter where they live. http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2015/11/18/real-deal-care-packages-for-homeless/

Thou shalt not park your cart in the middle of the gosh dang aisle! The 10 Commandments of The Grocery Store http://www.scarymommy.com/the-10-commandments-of-the-grocery-store/

Aww this is cute. I Let My Toddler Dress Me For A Week http://www.babble.com/style/i-let-my-toddler-dress-me-for-a-week-heres-what-happened/

I shared this before, but it’s working so well for me I’m sharing it again. I’ve been fighting hoarder tendencies and have tried a lot of different methods for sorting and organizing, but the stuff always creeps back in, and honestly it never really left in the first place. The keep/toss method just doesn’t work for me, I can think or reasons I might NEED something for, like, everything ever. This woman, Marie Kondo, says that you should not be choosing what you want to get rid of, but what you want to keep. You ask yourself if it “sparks joy.” This is language I highly identify with. Not just something you like, something that makes you happy, but that extra burst of happiness. If it does not, you thank the item for its time with you, and then you can say goodbye to it and any guilt or worry attached to it. The thing that is motivating me is the thought of having an entire house full of things like that, that spark joy and make me squeal. Not a house full of piles and mountains of things that make me tired before I even crack the box. This is the most successful method I’ve ever tried and might be my forever friend. De-Cluttering Your House With Love http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/12/09/tidying-up-kondo-westmoreland

Oooh drool! Apple Churro Cupcakes http://www.littlefamilyadventure.com/apple-churro-cupcakes/

At least the pet hair is gone. Why Wives Who Take Care of All the Housework Don’t Want Sex From Dr. Psych Mom. http://www.drpsychmom.com/2015/10/26/why-wives-who-take-care-of-all-the-housework-dont-want-sex/

Frugal Road Trip with Kids – Tips from a Mama Pro. A series of articles full of 244 fantabulous tips for your car trip! http://bit.ly/18EnsLt

Just in case you felt left out in the outrage department, here are some options for you! 30 Worrisome Things with Which to Concern Yourself that Are Not a Starbucks Coffee Cup http://abandoningpretense.com/2015/11/30-worrisome-things-with-which-to-concern-yourself-that-are-not-a-starbucks-coffee-cup.html

People die. Every year. Just from being stuck outside with nowhere to go. If you’re cold, your dog is cold, and you bring him in. What about the neighbors you have that you never see?

You may have noticed a lack of Black Friday deals shared here. That would be because some moms didn’t have enough money to cover the Thanksgiving meal, never mind have anything left over. I would much rather support them than the stores.

Favorite Twits

Helen E Boulos of BubbleGumChic.com

Deborah Smikle-Davis of Urban Naturale

Christina Wiley of Juggling Real Food and Real Life

Bestest Tweets

What the Homeless REALLY Want in Care Packages The down-low from mom who has been down & low https://t.co/M9yG1PdVQj pic.twitter.com/dWpsqHurZU

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) December 2, 2015

A person is a person, no matter where they live. #homlessnessstinks https://t.co/gctExCb2sJ

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) November 18, 2015

New post! May Real Food Meal Plan – flexible, frugal monthly meal plan with printable calendar http://t.co/PoEu7RLwte pic.twitter.com/b5pvDc5njg

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) May 11, 2015

This holiday season take the time to RACK (Random Acts of Christmas Kindness) https://t.co/TE3T4VbJ7T https://t.co/CKqeW8x6rY

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) December 2, 2015

Three year old: “My favorite flavor is powdered sugar.” Chocolate? NO. Strawberry? NO. Vanilla? NO. POWDERED SUGAR. She's so three.

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) December 3, 2015

Thrifty Thanksgiving for Tough Times – Frugal Thanksgiving Links… https://t.co/poh0a40GyH

— More With Less Mom (@MoreWithLessMom) November 14, 2015

Also see 2014 Recap from The More With Less Mom

Photo credits: New Years gnomes from The Graphics Fairy

We hope you enjoyed our 2015 Blog Year in Review from the More With Less Mom post

© Written by Melissa French, The More With Less Mom