fitness. motherhood. life & style.

On to 2021

I would love to write something super uplifting or great about 2020 but this year has been a little defeating! On a silver lining note, I think it's been nice to slow down and realize what is important to us. I know 2021 is just another January 1st, another tomorrow- but I love the feelings a new year brings and the motivation that comes with it. So in the spirit of a better year next year, I'm sharing some of my goal setting tips and ideas from my own 2021 resolutions.

GOAL SETTING

1- Be realistic with your goals so you don't burn yourself out early in the year and then regret that the rest of the year. This also requires some honesty with yourself, do you have the mindset to really make changes? What is attainable for you with work, family, etc. Just like with fitness, there is a fine line of pushing yourself and pushing yourself too far.

2- What do you really want out of this year? Don't just settle for the generic fitness goal that everyone is doing. What do YOU want out of life this year? New years resolutions don't have to be just fitness oriented. Maybe you decide that this is the year you really pursue a new career or save for something you want. Get creative and think about your 5, 10 year plan as well and how this year will play into that.

3- Write them down. You're much more likely to work towards a goal if it's set it stone (or on paper, not just in your head). Put it somewhere where you can see it or make a big vision board so you're reminded of it. I even use to write notes on my mirror with dry erase marker back in the day for daily motivation.

4- Reward yourself. I think this is something we don't think about as much. Give yourself extra motivation to hit your goals by rewarding yourself. Yes, hitting your goals is rewarding but it's a similar theory to motivating employees- give yourself something worth working towards.

5- Be specific. It's easy to say, "I'll save money." But how much money? How are you going to do it? Also, give yourself a timeline. Write this all down like an actual business plan so you have a map to achieve your goals and it'll make things a lot easier.

MY GOALS

I'm sharing my own 2021 goals in hopes of giving you ideas for your New Years resolutions!

1- Budget every month and log consistently. I always have a general budget but I want to be REALLY specific and tight with this by using the Every Dollar app. My friend Renee inspired me to do this and she paid off $50k in 16 months this way. You can follow her journey on instagram here: @debtfreerhythm

2- Finish paying off the wedding in cash only. This will rely on us budgeting and making sure we are making our money work for us. I've tried to plan out each and every cost as best as possible and will continue to do so as best as I can. Weddings have tons of random tiny expenses, lol. We have also tried to be very diligent about making this as affordable as possible but also what we want.

3- Dry January and 1 hour of activity daily during this month. I will be making mocktails and getting my workouts in early so I don't skip on them haha! I am doing this with a few friends so that will help with motivation.

4- Better fitness level than the previous year. This is somewhat generic but also a goal I aim to achieve every year. I want to continue working out at least six days per week and have a mix of spin/running/strength. I'll need to make sure I'm stretching more and getting enough sleep to really power through a workout. This year I logged (hoping to hit this today) 5000 minutes on the Peloton and I want to up that to 6000 next year.

5- Enjoy every moment and be unapologetically myself. 2020 showed me that I actually enjoy slowing down and living in even small moments like a trip to the mountains with my family. I want to continue that in 2021. I also spent a lot of time over analyzing things in 2020 (too much time at home LOL) and I don't want to carry that into 2021.

Discipline is my main word for 2021. I had to be disciplined to work from home and workout from home this year but I want more of it! To achieve this I actually want to unload what is on my plate a bit so that the stuff I do take on, I take on well because I have the time for it all. I want to make sure to continue to be disciplined with mental health as we continue to navigate this weird time. Disciplined with self care, family time, going to bed early. etc. etc. It all ties together! 

I hope this post was helpful for you and you have the same positive vibes going into the New Year! Cheers to making it through 2020 and on to 2021!

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8 Ways to Gift That Aren't Gifts

 This year is the best year to gift something other than a "gift". Things are tight for a lot of people and we could all use a more meaningful pick me up instead of an Amazon delivery. Now don't get me wrong, I love Amazon haha but I wanted to share a different kind of gift guide this year.

1- If you are able, you can donate in someones name. I love this idea, it gives to people in need and you're doing it on behalf of a good friend or family member.

2- Have a dinner at home! I did this with my girlfriends last weekend and it's one of my favorite traditions. Get dressed up or wear sweats lol and pick food up from your favorite restaurant. You can also get together and cook or have a potluck. I would much rather us spend time together than anything else!

3- Have a board game night or a virtual game night if you're concerned about seeing anyone. These are always fun nights and great ways to get some social interaction.

4- Just sending a Christmas card or hand written letter. I love when people think of us and send us Christmas cards! I also love handwritten notes! They're small tokens of appreciation that are just as meaningful as a gift. You should still have time to do this before Christmas.

5- Doordash someone their favorite meal or sweet treat! It doesn't have to be expensive and who doesn't love food.

6- Schedule a Holiday zoom call. You can have a virtual ugly sweater party or even play a virtual drinking game! Again, I think especially this year any kind of social interaction is way better than a gift.

7- If you know someone with kids, send them a Holiday activity like a little holiday coloring book! All parents want their kids to be occupied with something this year while at home, lol. Also, who didn't love a gift like this as a kid?! and they're very affordable!

8- Do a funny virtual gift exchange. This works if you all live near each other. Draw names and then find something small in your house that you don't want (usually it's something funny) and leave it on your persons doorstep. I would say it's good to clean it (not sure if COVID is passed via items) and then everyone can have a zoom call and open their gift! You can have fun guessing where it came from too. We actually used to do this with my old company (except it was in person back then) and it was so funny to see what people get!

I hope regardless of how this year has been, that everyone still has a wonderful holiday season!

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Last Minute Gift Guide

We have one week until Christmas and I can't wait!! If you still have a few last minute gifts to get- I'm linking some ideas for everyone below. As of today (12/18) they will make it by Christmas. Everything is under $50. Hopefully this will make last minute shopping easier!!


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Holiday 2020 Gift Guide

 This year I wanted to do something different so most of these gifts are from small shops on Etsy! Everything is also under $50 or on sale for under $50 (except maybe one mens item). I tried to keep the gifts pretty general for anyone who is hard to shop for. I also think some of the mens/women's gifts would be good for teens. I hope this helps finish off those shopping lists!

WOMEN

MEN

KIDS

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Outfits for the Holidays

I love the holidays and I love dressing for them! So this week I shared a few outfits for this season and I'm linking them below.

This is my favorite holiday look! So comfy but dressy. You can style with a light color moto jacket for colder weather. Dress and boots are TTS.

I wore this for a bridal shower in March and I'm obsessed with this top I found ON AMAZON! It's so fun. I wore it with jeans and sock booties but you can easily dress it up with a solid color skirt. Top is fitted but TTS.

I love this Pink Blush dress because it's so versatile. It can easily be dressed up or down. I would add a fur coat or vest for a dressier look in colder weather. Dress is TTS.


This Target sweater is a new favorite (it's 20% off this week) and it's very cozy. I have it tucked in here but it is TTS and is longer than this. You can pair with flats or pumps and darker jeans or slacks for a dressier look.

If you need more inspo, check out my finds below!



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Sephora Holiday Sale

It's that time of year again! If you sign up for Sephora's rewards program (it's free) you can save 10-20% on everything. Just use code HOLIDAYFUN. It last's until 11/9 and I'm listing my favorite items (ever) below.


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Loungewear, the 2020 Uniform

Even if you are an essential worker, the weekends of going out have obviously been limited this year so everyones new favorite uniform is loungewear. I love the chic loungewear sets that have hit the market and I love it even more now that it's getting cooler! I've linked all of my favorites below. Most are on sale! 


I also love Vici Dolls loungewear (what I'm wearing above) but I can't link it so I just linked their loungewear section instead.



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All Things Amazon, Prime Day Deals

It's Prime Day!! If COVID has taught me anything, it's that you can order just about anything and everything from Amazon lol. So I had to share some of these Prime Day deals, what I ordered, what's on my Wish List and what I have and love!


WHAT I HAVE

WHAT I ORDERED

WISH LIST

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The Best Etsy Shops

While I do love some larger retailers, I also really love small Etsy shops! I have found some of my favorite and most well made items on Etsy. Today I'm sharing a few of my favorites, including my own. I have also had contact with each of these sellers, and they are all wonderful!




I have to say I was influenced by @somewherelately with this cup and I LOVE IT. It's so cute, reusable obviously (so good for the planet), and sturdy. Also, affordable!



This bracelet is a gorgeous Gigi Clozeau dupe and it comes from France. The seller is super sweet!! I wear this all the time and it has not tarnished. It's such a pretty, dainty bracelet.




This is the cutest pop socket and the seller sent me options to choose from. It is larger but I like it and it's so gorgeous in person.



I purchased this puzzle for Mia last Christmas and she learned quickly how to spell her name. You can customize the colors as well! Super affordable, get's a bit more expensive if you have a longer name lol.


This is where I purchased my Mia necklace that I wear ALL the time. It is so well made but just dainty enough to be super cute. It also layers very well with other necklaces.




Last but not least, my shop! I started a new position at work this year so I haven't had a ton of time to promote this but I still love making cute doormats and dainty jewelry. You can always DM me for something specific. I love that!

Cup and dainty bracelet shown here.

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Things I'm Loving, August 2020

I thought it would be fun to start a new blog series about different, fun things I'm currently loving! It'll range from so many different things like articles, clothing (of course), podcasts, etc. It'll be things I think everyone would enjoy as well!


I'm going to kick it off with the $10 ice roller I mentioned on Instagram Stories this week. It's from Amazon and can honestly be used for a multitude of things but I have been using it to calm any inflammation on my face. I love this thing. It feels soooo good on your face and honestly, would probably help a headache as well.




I'm also loving The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast. Lauryn is so honest and so fabulous. Her and Michael are also hilarious together. They explore so many different things on their podcast which I love. The last one I listened to was about the man who started a major Texas coffee company. I love hearing about entrepreneurial stories.

Recently, I found the designer Mansur Gavriel and I'm obsessed. The handbags are simple and beautiful, they do have good sales, and the packaging has my name all over it haha. Not to mention the site is organized by color. I love it all. If you know me, you know I love handbags. Tagging a few of my favorites (on sale) below.




This is random but when COVID really hit our city I noticed that someone was painting rocks with positive sayings and placing them all over the neighborhood. It really lifted my spirits when all of this started and helped me get through some tough workouts. I am all about spreading positivity and think it's a great idea to find little ways like this to do so. This is a reminder that we can all do something small and sweet like this.

Another thing coming from COVID- is me wanting to redecorate my house LOL (not good). I am very into the "modern farmhouse" look and if that's not a thing, I am making it one. Linking some of my favorites that I would like to incorporate into our house below.




I recently found these under $15 sunnies on Amazon and they look and feel just like Ray-Bans!




Lastly, I am loving the Limoncello and Pasteque La Croix waters. The Limoncello tastes just like cake!! I found them at Sam's Club. You can also order the same pack from Amazon. I haven't tried the third flavor in this pack yet.




I hope you enjoyed this new series!! Any feedback is always appreciated. xoxo!!


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Nordstrom Sale Purchases and Dupes

So a few tips with the Nordstrom sale- if you're into it and something has sold out just watch it almost daily and with returns I bet it'll end up back in stock. But it'll show up really quickly so you have to catch it! If you like an item but want a better price, most of the brands have something similar from the previous year and you can find it on Nordstrom Rack at a much better price now. If you're not into the sale at all but like the styles, there are already dupes all over from this sale. I'm sharing some I found below along with the actual sale items. I can't speak to the quality of these dupes but I linked retailers that I have shopped from before. Please share if you try any of these dupes!

Suede Fringe Jacket



White Booties



Barefoot Dreams Cardigans



Barefoot Dreams Blanket



Topshop Cardigan



Suede Skirt



Chunky Sweater



Marc Fisher Booties (also linked some square heel booties similar to the short Sam Edelman ones)



Sweater Dress



Leopard Dress



Knee High Boots



White Body-con Dress



Puff Sleeve Top



Nike's (hard to find any dupes, so I linked the same style on the Nike site)



Coatigan



Topshop Jeans



Steven Madden Flats (Sisterstudio shared these tan dupes)



Leggings and Cozy Sweatshirt



Cropped Sweater



Chelsea Sweater Cowl Neck Sweater



Spanx Leggings



Evil Eye Choker

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