The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! I love the fireworks, hanging out by the pool, BBQ (of course food makes my list) and of course the patriotic gear we all love to sport! There's always so many fun Americana picks this time of year and they're great for all summer (and year!) long. I found some of my favorite pieces at various price points to shop this weekend; because I know we'll all be out shopping the great sales going on this weekend and finding fun pieces to wear this Independence Day! Here's my favorites:
Life in Rosewood as we know it has officially ended. PLL fans, you know the bittersweet feelings we all have today! The show ended last night and if you're a fan but haven't watched yet, there may be some spoilers in here! ;) Fair warning! I know it was time for it to end, but I've been watching since it started when my summer vacation was just beginning, and I was finishing my sophomore year in high school. I remember the day of the premiere like it was yesterday and the craziness of the past seven seasons has officially ended. I do have to say, I'm VERY happy with how the show ended! I cried, I laughed and my jaw dropped multiple times in typical Pretty Little Liars fashion.
This show has been more than just a television show over the past seven years. It's been something I've bonded with my sister over, and have talked endlessly about with my best friend. It's a mystery that's made me question if maybe I was A! LOL.
--As unreal as being locked in a life-sized doll house, being buried alive, or being cyber-stalked by mysterious figures in black hoodies and gloves may be, it's ALL happened to Spencer, Aria, Hanna, Emily, Alison and even Mona and the PLL guy squad. You name it, they've been through it all! It may sound silly at first, but there really are so many lessons to be learned from this show. Before you think, "this show is totally unrealistic, this would never happen!", bear with me and you'll realize all of the important life lessons Marlene King fit into 160, one hour episodes. As the show and legacy of PLL ends, we're left with lots of answers (even how the moms were stuck in the basement - thank goodness!!) and more importantly, tons of quotes that are just SO relatable to celebrate this series forever and ever.
We're lucky enough to live in a day and age where technology makes everything, including traveling, SO much easier. Being able to plan and organize your trip from your phone, and then navigating and making your way around during your trip is a breeze and makes any stress that comes with a trip disappear. I rely on a lot of apps to help make my travels easier, here's my favorites:
We can unofficially consider it summer now, right?!? ;) All of the summer trends we're seeing so far this season are extremely fun patterns and prints - some predictable and repeated (but never get old!) and some new and unexpected. It's always interesting to see what's making the cut and what stores are selling out of on a weekly basis! My favorite trends for the summertime right now are bows/pom poms, lemon, flamingo, cactus and pineapple prints and a classy palm leaf/tree print. Instead of just finding some super cute finds for each trend, I picked out a handful of each - ALL under $50!!! They're true budget buys because every store has every good reason to mark trending items up, but these fun pieces are great for the summer - whether it be to wear or to entertain/decorate with - and the best part is they don't break the bank! Here's some of the best finds for each trend:
If we're being completely honest, I'm not at ALL a morning person. Once I'm up and moving, I love mornings - how quiet they are, sunrises, getting things done before the sun is fully risen, morning TV. But man oh man do I hate getting out of bed! I think my real problem is that I have ridiculously soft and comfy bedding, but who knows. ;) What you do and how your morning goes really does set the tone for your entire day, so making it a good one is ideal! We all need mornings where we can sleep in, hang around and be lazy and cozy but when you have an alarm set, being able to get up without the "ughhhhh"'s is less than easy. Throw in working from home and being your own boss - which means setting your own hours, often making getting up even harder! I know the feeling all too well, and so does my snooze button. As of late, I've been working really hard on getting as much extra time in earlier in the day so that come night time, I can put the computer down sooner. It's gotten easier over time, and not only have I been getting better sleep but I've been able to wake up not so miserably. It's a win-win! Here's what's helped:
I can hardly believe that summer is literally weeks away - but so is Big Brother and that screams summer! Does anyone else LOVE having that to watch all summer long?? I've done a few save or splurge comparisons before (check them all out here!) and they're always one of my favorite things to do! I tend to splurge more on bags, shoes and accessories and save more on clothes - but I know some people are the exact opposite so I tried to put together a nice mix of both. I found some really fun finds for summer that are trending like crazy right now and I must say, I'm so excited about the dupes I found! There's a pair of gemstone earrings that are $32 and nearly identical to a pair that are the real deal and over $3,000! Just super fun, summer musts - check them all out and see what you'd add to your closet!
If you're starting a new blog, you're in the right place! If you're already a blogger, you're also in the right place - these things apply to everyone and since it's an ever changing and evolving business, you can always learn/grow and implement things along the way. There's nothing more exciting than following your dreams and doing what you love and if you're a blogger or soon-to-be blogger, you likely love to write, network and help others. Your knowledge is more important and useful in the world than you think, trust me! :)
My very favorite part about blogging is being my own boss. It's the best thing to have ever happened in my work life, and I highly recommend it! It takes more than just coming up with a few ideas and throwing them out into the world. It takes effort, time and diligence to succeed but realize all of this and you will do just that - succeed. That being said, here's 7 things you should think a lot about before diving in and starting your blog:
It's graduation season again! When I put together this guide, I tried to think about things that I would have loved to get as a college grad (officially a year out now!) and also asked my sister what she'd like as a soon-to-be high school graduate. We came up with some splurge items, some practical things and a couple of ideas that anyone on your list will love!
I'm not quite sure how it's June already, but man am I excited for summer!! The weather is finally warming up, the pool is almost ready to go and the sun is shining more and more! Summer shopping is in a pretty close tie with holiday shopping for me - between grabbing gifts and summer must haves, there's so many fun things out there this season. I've found a ton of fun finds at all different prices in the last month - here's the ones you need to shop:
