{5 Fave Online Places to Shop} Blogember | Day Nine

Have I ever told you I hate to shop in person? I do, honestly. Grocery shopping is the worst. A close second is clothes shopping (why are store mirrors & lighting so horrible??? You think they'd figure it out. Not to mention the fact that nothing is made to fit a 4'11" curvy woman. Ack!). I can do online shopping however. I have way more patience in front of a computer than fighting lines and an endless amount of options presented directly in front of me. So here are just a few of my fave places to spend my shopping hours.

1. Amazon - Isn't that everyone's favorite place to shop? You can buy everything under the sun and have it shipped to you for free! (Thanks to my membership with Amazon Prime) I also own a Kindle, so I'm frequently downloading books and streaming videos to watch.

2. Ruche - I'm continuously impressed with their stylish inventory at such an affordable price. They even have cute gift & accessory options. And they always work with the best photographers for their lookbooks, so their imagery is always dreamy! I honestly go to their site often just for inspiration for photography.

3. Etsy - I became obsessed with this site when I became a photographer. There are so many awesome independent vendors that create and make photography props (especially for newborn photography).

4. Urban Outfitters - I am more a fan of their home decor and accessories than their clothes. They always have such quirky inventory and it's fun to see their latest picks. And they always have fun toy & vintage cameras.

5. Modcloth - This is definitely my go to shop when I'm looking for something special to wear. Unique styles with a vintage flare at a reasonable price.

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl. 

I would love for you to join me and link up over HERE.

{A Day in My Life} Blogember | Day Seven

A typical Thursday in my crazy life...

6-7am I push snooze for an hour and wake up grudgingly (I'm so not a morning person!) I grab my phone, stumble to the bathroom, and play some tunes from Spotify. I jump into a hot shower and take my time opening my eyes. It's a process, I tell ya.

7:30 I wake up the little princess. She is also not a morning person...so I tread lightly to prevent a meltdown and the demise of a perfectly fine day. I let her choose her clothes and get dressed while I finish up getting myself ready. She joins me in the bathroom to brush her teeth and I always brush her hair while she cries (would someone please recommend a good brush for tangles, ugh!).

8 We run out the door grabbing jackets, blanket, lunch boxes, & bags. And I frequently hear myself say "Come on Brooklyn, hurry, we're late"...which kinda makes me cringe at my own words after reading this article. I always listen to Ryan Seacrest (Still have a crush on that guy, but don't tell anyone) on Kiss FM on our way to school and Brooklyn & I sing our fave songs together.

 8:20 I drop Brooklyn off at her school and she gives me hugs & kisses (but always on my cheek because she doesn't like my lipgloss).

8:30ish I arrive to my classroom with a pot of fresh coffee waiting for me in the back room (I love my teacher neighbor and our shared kitchen space)

8:56 My first photography class begins and I still kinda pinch myself that this is my job! I honestly look forward to teaching these days...which is amazing after 16 years in the classroom.

9:50 Nutrition - More coffee with my colleagues

10:08 Spanish 5/6 - This is my first year that I only have one class of Spanish. It's a bit of a paradigm shift going from Photography to Spanish to Photography again in the matter of an hour. 

12:04pm I've been having lunch with my BFF Kal that teaches across the hall from me for at least 10 years. I'm so lucky to work with an awesome group of teachers that are also my friends.

12:44 Last 2 Photography classes for the day

2:40 School Day ends

3:30 Pick up Brooklyn from school and run errands (Trader Joes or Target, etc.)

4:30 Finish up on Brooklyn's homework

6:30 Brooklyn goes to her dads for the evening

7-10 Start a marathon editing session and catch up on all my photography duties OR head out to dinner

10 Catch up on Grey's Anatomy or Nashville if I'm home; If I'm out, time to get my salsa groove on

12 Hit the hay! Whew.

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl. 

I would love for you to join me and link up over HERE.

{Favorite Recipe} Blogember | Day Five

My favorite recipe...

Chicken Enchiladas

Truth be told...I don't cook much. It's not fun cooking just for yourself and my little one will never eat the same thing as me. Mealtimes are always stressful in my home for that reason. But I do enjoy it when I have friends and family to cook for. I've been trying to make more of an effort lately. I found this recipe years ago in an InStyle magazine and have been making it ever since. I've tweaked a few things along the way, it's super easy, & yummy. It's always a crowd pleaser and I'm always being asked for the recipe. So finally here it is!

Mix one can of the enchilada sauce (I always like verde) with one cup of sour cream, 2 cups of cheese, 4 cups of shredded chicken (I just boil til they float and then shred with two forks), a pinch of sugar and cumin, and a can of green chilis. Fill tortillas, roll, and top with an additional can of enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese to your liking.  Bake at 375 till cheese is completely melted. Voilá!

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl. 

I would love for you to join me and link up over HERE.

{Freedom} Blogember | Day Four

Write for 5 minutes on Freedom....

free·dom

ˈfrēdəm/

noun

the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

When I think of freedom, I instantly think of traveling. It's not often in my daily life that I have felt a sense of freedom until fairly recently. But anytime I have had the opportunity to travel, I'm instantly renewed, refreshed, and reenergized by the freedom of traveling. 

Freedom is almost synonymous with movement: fast cars, migrating birds, wind – if it moves, it’s a metaphor for freedom. And so it goes that travel is also associated with freedom and its partner-in-crime, escape. - Lonely Planet.

One of my closest friends even told me recently "You have to travel to be whole." I laughed but it is oh so true. When I start feeling trapped or suffocated by the immediate demands of living life...I instantly want to take off on an adventure. I think part of that is me escaping my current reality and the other is that I just really feel at home out in the world. Truly. I love the excitement of a new adventure and an unknown destination. I am most alive when I travel. I am most free.

{Blogember} 

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl.
I would love for you to join me and link up over there.

{Favorite Blogs} Blogember | Day Three

My five favorite blogs....

1. Darling Magazine

2. Gail Werner

3. Momastery

4. Thoughts by Natalie

5. Storyline

{Blogember} 

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl.
I would love for you to join me and link up over there.

{Favorite Quote} Blogember | Day Two

My favorite quote....

Before the days of Pinterest, I started a quote journal. I've always been obsessed with words as an avid reader and wanted a place to store all the gems I found in books. So as you can imagine, I have hundreds of quotes stored up in my journal(s) and now posted to a Pinterest board. So it is super difficult to choose just one. But this one has always resonated with me and especially in challenging times when I've been paralyzed with fear. That fear has kept me in situations and relationships that were unhealthy and eventually painful. And doing nothing is worse than actually doing it and failing. The process of overcoming the fear and breaking free almost always results in growth. And with growth comes blossoming...into the person I was meant to be. 

{Blogember} 

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl.
I would love for you to join me and link up over there.

{Best Life Lesson} Blogember | Day One

One of the best lessons life has shown me...

Frequently over the past few years I've thought to myself why does everything have to be so difficult? Why is there so much resistance? 

Why do I constantly feel like I'm taking one step forward and three steps back?  

"The most obvious important realities are often the ones hardest to see and talk about...In the day to day trenches of adult existence banal platitudes can have a life or death importance. Boredom, routine, & petty frustration." 

Did you watch the video? 

Because this quote will make so much more sense...and I can only imagine will ring true for you too.  

Well I've come to realize that life really is all about perspective. What do I choose to give my energy & attention to? Am I really going to fret and stress over things that I have absolutely no control over...such as traffic, long grocery lines, and other people's negative attitudes? If you think about it, it really is such a waste of energy. And there is so much truth to mind over matter. If you just decide to change your perspective, it can and will change your life. It has mine.

This is a series of personal posts to blog every day in November, inspired by A Happy Girl. 

I would love for you to join me and link up over HERE.