We’ve made it. The end of 2018 is near, and the fresh promise of 2019 is on the horizon.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for recap lists at the end of the year. I have no idea why, but there is something about recapping the year that helps me figure out what I want to bring with me into the new year, and what I want to leave behind.

In regards to the blog, I also love knowing what types of topics YOU are interested in as well!

I won’t keep you waiting. Let’s get into the top 12 posts to help you get into a ‘reducing’ mindset, in order to live the life you want.

12. 5 Ways to Meditate without Actually Meditating

I am so happy that this post made the top 12, because it is one of my favorites! Meditating can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! This post contains 5 activities you can do to receive the benefits of meditation without meditating (in the traditional sense).

11. 58 Kindness, Traditions, and Activity-Based Advent Calendar Ideas (Includes two free printables!)

My family and I started doing a kindness/traditions/activity-based advent calendar three years ago, and it has become something we look forward to each year. I share what my family and I do, and provide 58 ideas for you to create your own!

10. 8 Zero Waste Gift Wrap Ideas

Looking for ways to reduce waste in gift giving? This post has 8 different ideas for gift wrap alternatives you can choose from.

9. 19 Zero Waste Bloggers you need to Follow

When you start a new lifestyle change, whether it be zero waste or minimalism, for example, it can be really helpful to follow others on the same path or who are farther along. This post compiles a list of zero waste influencers to follow and inspire and motivate you.

8. How to Create a Vision Board and How it Works

I wrote this post in my early blogging days, yet it still remains one of my more popular ones! A vision board can be a great tool to help you stay focused on the things you want to bring into your life. This post explains what a vision board is AND how it works.

7. How a 100 Things List Can Help You Live a More Intentional Life

This post contains a super easy activity you can do at any time to help you discover what truly matters to you in your life. I have done this activity many times for many different seasons of life (and literal seasons), and I’m always amazed by what I discover. If intentional living is one of your new years intentions, this most is a MUST READ.

6. 10 Ways to be Happy in a Job that Makes you Unhappy

I always have mixed feelings when I see this post in my top posts lists. I am hopeful that it can provide some help for anyone in a situation where they feel stuck in a job, but also sad that so many people are unhappy in their job! If you feel like you are stuck in a position that makes you truly unhappy, this post has 10 ways to help (based on my experiences).

5. Two Things you Must do to Reduce Waste in 2019

I just wrote this post earlier this month, and it has quickly shot up to be in my top 5 posts! With all of the recent environmental reports released this fall/winter, I have felt really compelled to start writing more about ways we can make an impact (adopting a mindset of reducing is huge). This post talks about the two things I think make the most impact on an individual basis.

4. 70 Zero Waste Gift Ideas

This is one of two of my gift guides that made the top 12 list. If you are looking for ideas that are low/zero waste, this guide is for you.

3. Decluttering our way Towards Minimalism – Decluttering Tips and Tricks

This was one of my very first posts I wrote for the blog, and to be honest, I was kind of surprised to not only see it on the top 12 list, but also that it ranked so high! In this post, I go over a handful of areas that were the hardest for us to declutter, and share tips on how we got through it. If you’re looking to start decluttering, this post is for you.

2. Have Yourself a Merry Zero Waste Christmas

Here is another very recently published post that shot up to the top of the charts quickly. I jam-packed this post with every single thing I could think of that you would want to know about having a zero waste holiday. The best part? These tips can apply during other parts of the year as well!

1. The Ultimate Zero Waste, Minimalist Friendly, and Mindful Gift Guide (with 125 gift ideas!)

Remember how I mentioned there were two gift guides in the countdown? Well here is the second one! I wrote this post in time for Valentine’s Day of 2018, and since then, it has continued to be my top post every single month (with the exception of one) since then. I spent a ton of time scouring different sites for gift ideas that would fall within the whole ‘reduction’ mindset, and this is the result.

Honorable Mentions

These posts were actually in the top 12, but since they aren’t officially ‘posts’, I didn’t want to add them in the list.

Decluttering Course

This is my 7-day e-course that I pack with all the decluttering tips I learned while decluttering over 135 large boxes of stuff!

Confessions of a Zero Waste Mama

I wrote this post for the online zero waste magazine #ZeroWasteStoryTime, so while it is an actual post, it doesn’t live on my blog. In it, I confess habits you may not expect from someone who considers herself a ‘zero-waster’.

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed the countdown. THANK YOU for reading – without you, this post and this blog wouldn’t even be possible. Whether you are brand new or have been here a while, I sincerely appreciate each and everyone one of you.

And if you want more, here are the top 10 posts from 2017!

Hope you have a lovely new years, and I’ll see you in 2019!