New year’s greetings from New York City, where we have a new mayor! It’s been wear-my-warmest-coat weather here, and I confess that I am over winter. I’m typing this at 4:00 pm and the sun will set in 44 minutes. Although the days are getting longer, I need more sun. When it gets dark, I don’t feel like doing much. Winter lethargy is real.
But the new year always reminds me to take stock of things. So here’s a look at the most-viewed Welcome Objects posts of 2025 — regardless of when I first published them. Not surprisingly, some of these posts were also the top posts of 2024.
1. Switching to a More Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Detergent – This moved up from the fifth spot in 2024 to number one in 2025. Unfortunately, the brand I recommend, Ecover, is hard to find these days. It seems that the company is not selling in the U.S. anymore. Is this tariff related? Booo. I’m on my last box and will have to start my search again.
2. Easy Ikea Hack: Adding Legs to a Kallax Shelf – One of my most popular posts year after year. (It was in the number one spot in 2024.)
3. Thuma Bed Review: A Sturdy & Worthy Upgrade – Still happy with this bed frame, but damn, the price has gone up by $300 since I bought it in 2021.
4. Bed Sheets Review: Brooklinen vs. Quince vs. Pact – Another perpetually popular post.
5. Is Saatva’s Latex Pillow Worth the Splurge? – I liked this pillow but wish it hadn’t been so big (and hence too long for most of my standard pillow cases reviewed above).
6. Carry-On Only: What I Packed For 3 Weeks in Japan – This post makes me miss Japan. I want to go back.
I use the baking sheets from Caraway much more than the pans.
7. I Tried Caraway’s Nonstick Pans & Bakeware (& looked into its non-toxic claims) – One of the few posts I wrote in 2025 that made it onto this list. I spent a lot of time on this post, so I’m glad it’s getting traffic. (Though Caraway is probably not happy with me, because it has so far resulted in no sales referred to them. But I have to be honest: I think nonstick is nice to have, but not a must.)
8. I Tried the Microfiber-Catching Guppyfriend Laundry Bag – This old post from 2019 suddenly did numbers this year, which I hope means that more people care about microplastic pollution.
9. Dishing on Blueland’s Dishwasher Tablets, Dish Soap, & Sponges – Well, will you look at that? Another post about dishwasher detergent.
10. The Best Slim Space-Saving Skirt Hanger – Still a fan of these hangers; I bought more of these in the last year.
11. Is a Silicone Sponge Better than a Disposable One? – Another old post circa 2018. I have since moved on to trying many other eco-friendlier sponges, but haven’t written about them. Maybe I should do a comparison post.
12. Fitting Room Review: Mixed by Nasrin – The only clothing post to make it onto the list. 2025 was the year I finally tried this brand after eyeing it for a while. One of my most commented-on post as well for the year.
After trying on this Mixed dress, reviewed here, I bought it in a different print a few months later. I can now confirm that folding up the sleeves of this dress is key for people of petite stature. I also plan to get it hemmed.
Some Thoughts About Blogging This Past Year & Moving Forward
Last year, I blogged quite a lot less — 19 posts versus 32 in 2024. Part of the reason is that I feel discouraged. As I explained a year ago, a change in Google caused my traffic to plummet in the fall of 2024. This continued into 2025. Google set my traffic back by four years! Before, it had been steadily going up year after year. I could see that my effort was paying off. It doesn’t feel that way any more.
The other part of the reason is that with this current federal administration and inhumane conflicts going on in the world, I thought I should spend some of my energy elsewhere. This past year, I marched in protests, attended a Hands Off NYC training, and joined a neighborhood mutual aid group. I found that the best antidote to the crush of horrifying news is to do something, even small things, with other people.
In February, I asked, “Do I keep blogging in these times?” and now, nearly a year later, the answer is clearer to me: I will blog less, but I will still blog. Because no matter what volume of traffic comes my way, and no matter who is in office, I still care about sustainability and ethical consumption and am not going to shut up about it.
So, I hope that you, dear reader, will check out this space from time to time and say hi to let me know you’re there and still care about these things too. And let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see on here. My aim, as always, is to be helpful to someone else out there.
First image: Prospect Park on a snowy day in December.
