Top Ten Favorite Posts

I know, I know... Top Ten lists are so... predictable. Everybody is doing one. But I LOVE lists, and I just can't help myself. So please bear with me.

There's no particular reason for that photo, except that I like it. It's my madmen avatar. You can make your own avatar at MadMenYourself.com. It's fun.

So here are my favorite blog posts of the year, from oldest to newest. Yes, they're my personal favorites, not the most popular or most commented upon. That's partly because I have to admit I really don't know how to read those statistics, and partly because I'm just feeling a little giddy. Like that's what I want to do, so I'll do it. And really, I don't know if they're my favorites, I just tried to pick out some that I like a lot.

Unless you've been reading this blog all year, there are probably some posts on this list that you haven't read. So here goes...

#10) from 3/23: More Exceptions to Buy Nothing New, in which I add running shoes and a few other items to the list of things I will allow myself to buy new.

#9) from 3/30: How Much Do You Need to Live On? in which I explore the idea that how much money we think we need to live on determines many of the choices we make in life.

#8) from 6/8: Frugal Vacations, in which I talk about house-swapping and other creative ways to travel on a tight budget.

#7) from 6/18: Non-Consumer Father's Day Gift Ideas, in which I make my dad a card from old photos.

#6) from 6/23: 20 Questions to Ask Your Parents, in which I get a tad sentimental.

#5) from 8/25: Livin' the High Life, in which I discuss how my non-consumer lifestyle is not about deprivation.

#4) from 9/15: The United States of Clutter, in which I ponder our collective desire to accumulate STUFF.

#3) from 9/26: In Memoriam: Paul Newman, in which I attempt to dissect the meaning of having such a strong reaction to a celebrity death.

#2) from 10/13: The Skirt, in which I am sorely tempted and my commitment is put to the test.

#1) from 10/27: Our Mini Kitchen Remodel, in which I post lots of photos of our groovy remodeled kitchen.

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year! Tomorrow I'll post some reflections on my year of buying nothing new, and next week I'll be back to a regular schedule with Meatless Mondays, Thrifty Threads, and Food Waste Friday. Plus I'll continue to answer your questions about what I've learned from this experiment and what's ahead for next year.