Thoughtless spending. I do it all of the time. Grabbing a coffee on my way to work when I have a perfectly good Keurig at home AND at work. Getting groceries (that I actually need) at Target and adding on a pair of jeans and a cute mug. Stopping for food on the way home from spin class when I have a refrigerator at home filled with healthy, yummy food. Watching a YouTube video and buying some beauty gadget that I REALLY don’t need from Amazon just because it is the latest and greatest.
Any of this ring a bell? Just me?
I have decided to put a hold on my spending for the month of February. I have recently noticed myself being extra caught up in the more, more, more atmosphere that can come from social media, our culture, and being inundated with ads and products all day long. Never being satisfied. Always needing something NEW.
The second I decided to really monitor and diminish thoughtless spending, I realized how many parts of my day were consumed by thoughtless spending, that I wasn’t even aware of. The worst part of it all is that I already have so much STUFF. Stuff that I don’t use. Clothes that I fold up and forget about. Beauty products that I push to the back of my shelves underneath my counter. And I still want more.
We are 11 days into 2019 and I thought I would do a small roundup up products I started using in 2018 and use every single day now!
What products are you using that you can’t live without? What should I add to the list? Let me know on my Instagram –> @MadisonCrowley
Corkcicle I use my little Corkcicle cup every single day! I am a slow drinker when it comes to hot coffee, and this mug allows me to make coffee and drink it throughout the morning without wasting it or having to warm it up. You can also use it to keep your wine chilled, on the beach with a mixed drink, or tea at night. It is SO universal and I plan to get 3 more and make a matching set for my apartment.
HydroFlask Keeps my water cold for SO long as well as keeps my ice frozen. Perfect for long hikes and also perfect just for drinking every day! I re-fill it all day and it has helped me up my water intake. I want to get the 40oz one so that I drink even more water! I pee a lot, it’s fine. Also make sure you get the one with the straw, it is so much easier!
Kopari Lip Gloss I love knowing that what I am putting on my body is at least somewhat natural and not full of chemical crap. This coconut oil lip moisturizer is amaaaazing. It has the perfect amount of moisture to wear all day with a hint of shine. It makes me feel polished.
Lavender Essential Oil NECESSARY for sleep these days. I am normally such a good sleeper, but sometimes it is hard to fall asleep and sleep through the night. I put a couple drops of lavender oil in my diffuser when I sleep and it transforms the quality of sleep I get. I get super sick if I don’t get enough sleep so this has become a necessity for me!
Louis Vuitton Cardholder Keychain Doesn’t have to be LV but I got a cardholder keychain for my birthday and I don’t have to carry around my large wallet everywhere I go anymore and it’s amazing! All of the cards I need fit neatly in this little carry-all and it’s great for heading to spin class or running into Whole Foods and not wanting to take your whole wallet or purse.
Airpods Wireless earbuds are such a lifesaver! It’s easy to work out with them on our Peleton, it’s nice to be able to walk through the grocery store while listening to a podcast, or just not get your wires all tangled up. Looooooving my airpods.
Large, line-less notebook I used to only write in notebooks that had lines in them, and I still do when I journal, but when it comes to to-do’s or brainstorming or just writing down thoughts throughout the day, my blank notebook has been amazing. I love the thick paper and binding too!
Oversized black hoodie My style has definitely been changing and moving towards quality over quantity and becoming much more neutral. An oversized black hoodie or sweatshirt has become my go-to on lazy days or for random errands. Black is always chic and allows for a pop color in your shoe or accessory.
Starbucks reusable cup For someone who goes to Starbucks as much as I do, it’s nice to at least TRY to reduce waste by bringing their cups back to them when I order so that I am not throwing away as much. It also saves a nice 10 cents (LOL). You can get them through the link I attached or at your local Starbucks!
Steelie car magnet This has been life changing!!! It is always so scary thinking about how I used to try to use GPS or change the song on Spotify/Apple Music without having my phone be able to be propped up. I get in my car and just plop my phone on the magnetic ball and it’s super easy to answer a call or do something if I absolutely have to on my phone while being hands-free.
Gold Hoops I throw gold hoops on with pretty much anything. They dress up any outfit and also complete it. I love love LOVE gold hoops and I hope that they don’t die out any time soon.
There ya have it! Some of my top favorites from 2018.
Make sure to follow along with my day-to-day activities on Instagram at @MadisonCrowley! Let me know your favorites from this list or if you use any of these products already.
Welcome back to Vogue and a Latte! I am not sure how you found me, but I am glad you are here. We’re about to get deep here! If you are new, check out my About Me page or head on over to my Instagram to get a feel for who I am. Or just keep on reading and we will become fast friends!
This post concept/idea is going to be in two parts, so buckle up. I wrote the first part of this post when I felt lost, angry, and out of control of my life. First, I want you to feel freedom to admit that you are lost, angry, or feel out of control. Those emotions are real and hiding them doesn’t do any good. This is vulnerable and a part of me I didn’t know I would even share. But I want someone out there to not feel alone in the silence of life. Here goes.
I have had no control over my life over these past few months. Like huge, monumental things that have happened, all at once, that I literally cannot control. It’s uncomfortable. It’s sad. It’s not fun. I am mad. I am crying a lot. I don’t understand why it seems as though I had everything that I ever wanted and it was all taken away from me. I feel disconnected. I don’t feel at home. The idea of comfort is so foreign as of late. Everywhere I go I feel like I have to introduce myself, to tell my story, and explain why my life is now where it is, when it isn’t what I want.
I had a life trajectory, as I am sure that most of you have. An idea of when I would be married, when I would have kids, where I would live, how happy I would be at age 25 with my little family and life all set up. It’s comforting and also frightening how little control we have over our lives. Over other peoples emotions. Over other people’s ideas of their own personal life trajectory.
Thanks for stopping by my sliver of the internet. For daily happenings in my life, follow along on Instagram! @MadisonCrowley
I have recently added gluten-free to the already present dairy-free in my life and things have CHANGED y’all. It’s hard out there for us food intolerant folks. Thankfully we are living in a time when healthy options are much more free-flowing (thank you TJ’s, Whole Foods, and LA!!!) so it isn’t as daunting as trying to eat this way years and years ago.
I am a foodie and I love beer. I love trying new foods and new places. So this is hard for me. But I figured if it would help my digestion, then it’s worth giving it a try. So far, SO GOOD. Which is bittersweet bc beer. While I love trying new foods, my daily go-to foods are pretty basic and honestly not as healthy as I once hoped that they would be. But I have gotten to the point where I no longer want to solely enjoy what I am eating, I want to not feel like crap afterward as well. Prioritizing quality of life, ya know?
So here is this recipe that is everything I wanted it to be and more. I honestly wasn’t even thinking about blogging this at all, but after I made it and tried it and LOVED it, I realized that there are ways to work around this food intolerance thing that I actually enjoy. Finding dairy-free cheese that actually tastes good AND melts is hard… until now. I knew I had to share with you guys. Welcome to my new fave, easy pizza recipe! Totally up to you to add more or fewer toppings, I just did what I knew I liked. I will probably try with different toppings next time, just to keep things new and interesting.
Delicious Gluten + Dairy Free Pizza
UDI’s gluten-free pizza crust (1)
SO Delicious Mozzarella dairy-free shreds
Large pepperoni
Olives
Basil leaves
Tomato paste
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Oil
Thanks for stopping by Vogue and a Latte – your place for all things lifestyle & blogging.
I receive questions on my Instagram weekly about how to start a blog and how I started mine, what my tips and tricks are, who I host with, etc. First, I will say that I am not an expert. I have been blogging for two years – crazy, I literally can’t believe it – and I might do a post summing up things that I learned over the past two years, but I am by no means the SEO and HTML expert. That being said, I want to start a mini-series highlighting all of the questions that I get about blogging and answer with the knowledge that I have currently.
This question / answer blog post will kind of cover just the BASICS of blogging. How do you start blogging? Where do I start blogging? How did I start blogging? How to start a blog?! All of those questions.
So, how do you start blogging? This is an excellent question! One that I had myself two years ago at about 11 PM in my room in Georgia after I found Payton Sartain’s blog while searching for an LA guide on Pinterest.
–> BLOG TIP: Pinterest is your literal best friend. I get more traffic to my blog from Pinterest than Instagram or Facebook. Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform.
I landed on her blog and started reading her other content and falling in love with her style. I then found her Instagram and was like omg this girl is so COOL.
I thought to myself, “Could I do this? Could I start my own blog?! Would anyone care what I have to say about denim?”, not knowing an ounce of what that meant or what my end goal was. And I think THAT is the key. I didn’t even know you could make money from blogging. I had no intention of taking this “all the way to the top” (I am nowhere near the top, or the middle lol) or that bloggers and influencers would start to take over Instagram and the fashion world. I simply wanted to share my love for style and photography combined with writing on a website. I have always loved writing and my friends have always come to me for fashion advice so I figured I could combine the two online.
I was just watching Payton’s latest Weekly Video on YouTube ( because being a blogger in this season means also having video because video is the way of the future – you must be adaptable ) and she made a few really good points about blogging and what it entails. You can’t start this if you want someone to do half of the work for you. I knew nothing, zero, about blogging when I started. I knew that I wanted to share my life and help others and I knew that I loved to write. And I knew that if I wanted to do it, I had to figure it out myself.
So, I headed straight to Google. I Google’d everything. I mean EVERYTHING. I said Pinterest is your best friend, and that is the truth, but so is Google. So, I am going to sum up a little bit of what I most likely Google’d and then found during those wee hours of the morning. If there is something you don’t understand, Google it! You have to be a self-starter and a self-motivator to be a blogger.
★ Hosting: (Definition: Hosting (also known as website hosting or Web hosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more websites. In a sense, you rent space on a computer to hold your website. Source. ) I host with Bluehost. This is where I bought my domain. Bluehost is also where my email inbox lives, which is important because having an email address at your domain ( ex: madison@vogueandalatte.com ) makes you seem professional. It’s a popular service and I know that you can buy through other hosting sites as well, Bluehost just came very recommended to me for blogging because of the email feature and the flexibility it gives you. It was also really helpful when my website got hacked. You can do your own research and figure out what hosting site works best for you and where you want to buy your domain. Google is your key!!!!
★ Platform: (Definition: A blogging platform is the software or service that you use to publish your content onto the internet in the form of a blog. A blog platform is a specific form of a content management system. Source.) I use WordPress.org ( not .com – there is a difference!!! ). This is where I am writing this post, where I upload all of my images, where I make my menu, where I instal plugins, where I create all of my pages, etc.
★ Domain: My domain is my blog name ( this is obvious but key ). Ex: www.vogueandalatte.com. Buy yours through your hosting site! ★ Theme: I used Bloom Blog Shop for my theme. You can find all kinds of free themes on WordPress or SquareSpace or wherever, I just wanted mine to not be a theme that everyone else was already using. Being unique is also key and sets you apart from everyone else.
★ Name: Make it something searchable that sums up what your blog is going to be about. I renamed my blog about a year in because I was tired of describing my name and telling people why I chose it. I loved the name and what it stood for but people couldn’t tell what they were getting from my blog by the name. I think that was an important step in my blogging journey though, diving more into what I wanted it to be about. So go with your gut. I started out by simply taking pictures of my outfits and describing them in detail. I can’t remember the last time I did that on my blog. Your blog evolves and changes with you, and that’s the point! I have learned so much about myself through blogging and I think that that is enough for me, even if I never get to do it full-time. You could also make your blog your full name. I know a lot of people who do that so if that is the direction you are leaning towards, more power to ya!
★ Find bloggers who inspire you and take notes: There are a few bloggers that I LOVE and I tried to get to the bottom of what I loved about them. Realness of every-day-life, authentically themselves, style inspiration, non-intimidating lifestyles, and then tried to replicate that in my blog. I always want me blog to be a real portrayal of my life and what I am going through. I always want to be authentic with my wording/verbage and how I talk about products. I want to inspire other peoples outfits that make them feel confident. I want to show the parts of my life that are glamorous and definitely not glamorous. What do YOU like reading about? Chances are that’s what you’re passionate about and will like writing about too. If not, you will figure out after you have realized what you hate writing about. I realized after a while that I didn’t want to just describe each detail of my outfit in posts and call it a day. I wanted to provide value. Be a place where people could gain something and find information beyond what shirt I am loving. Not that that doesn’t have value, it’s just not what I enjoyed writing in detail about anymore.
★ Get a few posts up and running before you launch so that you have a few things prepared to post: What are you going to blog about? I think this is a really important step to dive into early on.It’s always good to have a few posts up lined up when you first start a blog. Just like when you launch a new Instagram account or social media campaign, you always want to have a PLAN. Sit down and brainstorm the top 5 things that you want to talk about on your blog consistently. Write a post on each. I don’t have a specific day that I post because my full-time job is pretty time consuming ( yes, most bloggers have full-time jobs!!! ) and I write when I can, but if you can tell people exactly when you are going to be posting ( once a week, twice a week, etc. ) that is really helpful!
★ Social Media: Social media drives traffic to your blog. Simple as that. It is important to have a heavy social media presence to be a blogger. You can rely on SEO only, if that’s how you want to go, but make sure you do your research! Socials allow me to personally chat with and relate to my followers and readers. I get to be a micro-blogger in my captions and growing a social following means more eyes on your content that you have worked so hard on. I made my personal instagram into my blog/personal instagram. I know that most bloggers make their instagram handles ( Ex: @MadisonCrowley ) their blog names ( Ex: @VogueandaLatte – not a real thing lol ), that route just wasn’t for me. I really like the lifestyle/reality aspect of having my name be my Insta handle. Occasionally it has been confusing but never a huge issue.
★ Things to Google: SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) Analytics ( Google Analytics, Jetpack plugin ) HTML Basics *Any term in this post that you didn’t understand!!!!
Depending on how detailed I plan on making this series, I may go into each of those topics individually or in a post. But they are some important things you need to know about before starting. Maybe not HTML basics, but for SURE SEO and analytics. I use JetPack with WordPress.org and I also have the Google Analytics Plugin installed so I can look at all of my analytics that way.
Don’t compare yourself. Your blogging journey is yours and no one else’s. You don’t know what you are doing that they aren’t and vice versa. You are never too old. You are never too young. You are never going to make your blog perfect. You are never going to feel like it is ready. You are never going to be 100% satisfied with a post or your homepage if you are a perfectionist like myself. DO NOT LET THAT STOP YOU. Find your niche and dive in. Blogging takes hard ass work and determination and if you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can reach your goals. You also need to grow thick skin to be a blogger. Haters are just a part of the biz. And you have to be able to laugh at yourself. Like I just said “biz”??? Who AM I!
Not everyone continues blogging. So if you are concerned about “over saturation of bloggers” ( not really a thing but people think it is ), don’t be. There are plenty of bloggers that started at the same time I did that are not still blogging anymore. Blogging is hard work and it is not for the faint of heart ( or the lazy ).
An important point to note: Eventually, those who don’t want to put in the work will fall off. Not everyone finishes the race. STAND ABOVE everyone else. Put in the extra hours. Be relentless.
Up next I am going to write about everything that goes into a blog post and then what you need to look for in your analytics. There will be more to come after that! Tell me if there are specific topics that you want me to touch on when it comes to blogging.
Follow along on Instagram ( @MadisonCrowley ) and comment on my latest post letting me know what questions you want me to answer in this series!
We all get into creative ruts as bloggers or entrepreneurs. It’s hard to continue creating new content when things in your life are off or you’re just not feeling it. SO, this is my go-to list. I love to write and sometimes I just need a little push in the creative direction. Follow me on Instagram for more day-to-day creativity tips and to see what I’m up to – @MadisonCrowley.
★ Go to spin class.
Are we surprised this is my first response? Nope! Spin class is my go-to for endorphins and a high. I am always ready to conquer the day after spin class.
★ Get off of Facebook. Go to Pinterest and search something SPECIFIC that you want to learn or write about.
For me lately, I have been searching “branding”. I love learning about the branding process and how I can take details of my brand to every aspect of my blog and Instagram or YouTube. I like learning about new fonts. I like seeing new color palettes. That gets me inspired to finish writing a blog post that I have been saving as a draft, and working hard so that I can expand my brand.
★ Go back to the page/website/person/Instagram/whatever that made you want to start blogging. For me, this is reading Payton Sartain’s blog or watching her YouTube videos.
I gain a lot of inspiration from other people. I think that if you want to learn how to be great at something, study other people who are succeeding in the area that you are trying to succeed in yourself. Take notes. Watch how they interact. How they post and when they post. If they are killing it, chances are you can learn from them. NOTE: This does not mean copy. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t steal people’s ideas. Don’t copy their outfits. Don’t make your blog or vlog the same as theirs. Simply gather ideas, see if you could do a similar post in your own voice that will speak to your own personal audience. And then remember why you’re doing that you are doing. Write down what you take from their blog. Write down how it makes you feel. Not figure out how to make your audience feel that.
★ Watch Danielle Carolan’s YouTube videos.
I have been watching Danielle Carolan’s videos for a while now and they bring so much light into my life!!! I love that she is in Athens and I get to reminisce about my days at UGA but I also just love her hustle. She inspires me to get my butt up and go after what I want. It’s not going to just be handed to you!!! I think what I love most about her vlogs and Insta is that it’s literally just her life. Payton’s life is kinda dreamy, like a goal or farfetched at times. Danielle is just a college gal living her life on trend and with passion. Kinda how I want to live my life. We can’t all be glamorous all of the time ( not that Payton claims to be, it’s just sometimes the pressure that I put on myself as a blogger ) and I think it’s important to not lose that.
★ Read The Skinny Confidentialor listen to The Him and Her Podcast. Lauryn Evarts is SO INSPIRING. Like everything that she does. Google her blog and podcast. You won’t regret it.
★ Go to a coffee shop.
Pretty sure nothing inspires me as much as going to a coffee shop. If you know me and have been following me for a while, you know that one of my favorite things to do is to find new, cute coffee shops. Coffee shops have an atmosphere that promotes hard work and the coolest vibes. I write some of my best posts and short stories in coffee shops.
We are continuing this Morning Routine series for a couple more weeks because there are so many awesome bloggers out there that I want to be able to share with you. This week’s is no exception! Today I am chatting with Faith from the blog Articles of Faith. Her blog has such a clean, pretty design. Her Instagram is always so beautiful and, you guessed it, REAL. I love following Faith because I get so many style ideas from her outfits and she shares so many fun parts of living in Atlanta.
Fun fact: Faith used to design wedding gowns! How cool, right?! She understands all of the sides of the fashion world which is super helpful as a blogger. Make sure you check out her blog to find out so much more about who she is and why I love following her!
Let’s get to the good stuff:
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Bedroom scene: I like white bedding and keep my room fairly organized. I can’t stand to wake up looking at a mess. My nightstand usually contains books I’m reading, nail polish, a water bottle, my phone, iPad, and a candle. I sleep in a tee and some soft shorts or leggings depending on the season. My 3 year old likes to climb in to bed with me in the middle of the night so I usually wake up to his foot in my face. Ha!
7:00 am: Alarm goes off. I wake up hungry so first thing I do is grab some breakfast. I like the kitchen to be clean in the mornings too, so the counters are usually clear and sink is emptied of dishes. It’s just so refreshing to have everything CLEAN in the morning! Some mornings are quick and I’ll do toast and banana or an RX Bar (chocolate coconut and chocolate sea salt are ALWAYS stocked in my pantry!) if I need to get out the door quick. If I’m working from home for the day, then I’ll make eggs, smoothie, oatmeal, or cereal. My toddler likes banana pancakes or toast with Nutella. I get bored and switch it up. I pair breakfast with a cup of coffee or iced chai latte that I make from a mix. It’s so yummy! I usually empty the dishwasher at this time too. I try to start my day with some quiet time and just setting my mind up for the craziness of the day. It doesn’t always happen but if I try to make it a priority.
7:30 am: I finish my coffee/tea while I get ready. First thing I do is wash my face. My bathroom is somewhat small and I keep everything stored away in a cabinet. My hair dryer and curling iron rest on a stand next to the sink. I do a more in depth skincare routine at night so mornings are just a quick cleanse. Again, I switch it up but right now I cleanse with Shea Moisture Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Oil, pat my face dry, apply Pixi Glow Tonic with a cotton pad, and finish with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. I try to remember to apply a tad bit of eye cream but most of the time I forget. After my face is cleansed, I brush my teeth (and my 3 year old’s) and put my contacts in.
7:45 am: Time for makeup! I don’t like a heavy face so I try to stay minimal on my makeup unless I’m going in to work. Most of the time I’m home and stick to concealer (Elf), CC cream (IT Cosmetics), bronzer (varies – currently using Tarte), blush (Tarte), and mascara (varies – currently using L’Oreal). I have a hard time getting makeup to stay, so I always, always, always use a finishing spray (Elf – Clear).
8:00 am: If I’m going to be home for much of the day, I usually put a hat on or throw my hair up. If I’ll be working somewhere else or have other things to do, I’ll curl my hair next.
8:15 am: Get my toddler and myself dressed and either get to work at home or head out the door for the day.
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What a morning routine! Make sure to let her know if you loved this post by giving her some love on Instagram ( @ArticlesofFaith ) and on her blog.
I have loved getting to chat with so many bloggers and get to know them through this series! It has been a blast and I am excited to continue for a few more weeks.
Follow along with my weekend plans on my Instagram at @MadisonCrowley!
I posted a vlog about all of my favorite beauty items right now and I will link it here. If you’re into reading blog posts over watching YouTube videos, I am linking all of the products that I mention in the video in this blog post!
Mentioned in the vlog:
Your Favorite Things Podcast with Brandi Cyrus and Wells Adams
Happy Friday and welcome back to Vogue and a Latte! I am so happy you are here and I hope you have had a wonderful week. I am here to bring you another morning routine from one of my absolute FAVORITE babes to follow on Instagram and on her blog. Meet Sorelle from Autumn Sorelle!!
Okay, so I absolutely love Sorelle because her Instagram posts and stores are always super real ( seeing a pattern here people?? ). She is so focused on being mindful and in charge of your emotions/feelings/day/etc. But I also love that she is so open about the fact that not every day is going to be a good day. There are days that aren’t going to be perfect. There are days that you are going to not feel your best, and that is okay. She is also stunnnnning and has the best style tips and photos.
You can read all about her on her about me page and throughout her blog, Autumn Sorelle. This morning routine has to be one of my favorites so far – it’s SO detailed and specific and really gives us a glimpse at what an ideal morning looks like for Sorelle!
Let’s get to it.
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Despite the fact that I’m someone who likes routine and structure, every morning looks a little different for me right now! I’m a huge believer in maintaining balance and mindfully listening to what my body needs. For a while, I had a consistent routine in the mornings and although it was great (check it out on my blog here), I actually found myself getting worked up on the days I didn’t stick to it. That’s when I realized that things needed to change and I had to loosen up a little and go with the flow.
I work a full-time job in downtown Seattle and my commute is an hour each way, so that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time in the morning! That said, I do try my hardest to make sure that I either get in a workout, yoga class, and/or a quiet meditation/devotion time. All three of these things leave me feeling grounded and ready for the day so I try to fit in at least one. Today I’m going to share an example of what I would consider to be an ideal morning.
6:00 am: Alarm goes off (unfortunately). I’m really working on not pushing snooze, but realistically I usually push it once or twice.
6:10 am: Wake up forreal haha. There are a few things I do immediately after waking up… These habits took time to create!
I stretch out really big and think of a few things I’m grateful for, before letting my brain get all wrapped up in what I have to do that day.
Still half in bed, I drink the (entire) large glass of water that I set on my nightstand the night before. I highly recommend doing this, it’s so good for you! It rehydrates your body, kickstarts your metabolism, fuels your brain, and helps to flush out toxins.
The second I get out of bed I make it! I pull up my white sheets, fluff my huge white down comforter, and arrange all my boho inspired pillows from Home Goods hehe. I started doing this as a mini New Years’ resolution this year and I don’t think I’ve skipped a day – it’s just second nature by now. Love that it sets the tone for an organized day right off the bat!
6:15 am: All the fun stuff – pee, brush my teeth, quickly wash my face.
6:20 am: Get dressed for the gym! I have an obsession with activewear and sneakers (anyone else?!) so this is weirdly fun for me haha.
6:30 – 7:30 am: Luckily I only live 5 minutes from my gym, so I can get there pretty quickly! My workouts typically consist of a 5-10 minute warmup, 35 minutes of lifting weights, and a 15 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) circuit! I love the mix of lifting and circuits because it’s a great way to get stronger, tone your muscles, AND get in some cardio.
7:35 am: Get back home and hop in the shower! Currently on the hunt for a great shampoo/conditioner, but I love Dr. Bronner’s for body wash. My face wash is part of Emme Diane’s Acne Skin Set.
7:45 am: Towel off, put on some cozy clothes (I love Target’s loungewear) and finish applying my Emme Diane skincare products.
8:05 am: Do something with my hair – I usually leave it down and natural, clip it back, or throw it in a low messy bun.
8:10 am: Get dressed! I try to think about this the night before as I’m falling asleep so usually it doesn’t take me too much time. My current job is pretty laid-back with what we wear so that makes it easier.
8:15 am: Head downstairs and make breakfast. I almost always eat one fried egg, a piece of whole wheat toast (I like Dave’s bread) and a kiwi. Kiwis have even more than daily amount of Vitamin C we’re supposed to get so they’re a great immune booster! I take my vitamins right after eating – green tea extract, super primrose, B12, D3, probiotic, and turmeric. I would list the benefits of all of these but that would take forever – Google if you’re curious. 🙂
8:25 am: If I’m bringing my lunch that day, I’ll throw that together super quick. My favorite is a salad with spring mix, fresh herbs, frozen veggies (they defrost by the time I eat it), cherry tomatoes, red pepper, avocado, chicken, adzuki beans, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, and whatever else I can find haha. I also like to grab a few snacks like raw cashews, chili rice chips from Costco (SO BOMB), dark chocolate, berries or other fruit, and a Clif bar.
8:30 am: Head out the door! 8:30 is usually my goal, but it isn’t do or die for me. I don’t have a set schedule at work, so I can sort of come in when I want. I recently stopped drinking coffee every day because I was becoming too reliant on it, but sometimes I’ll grab Starbucks on the way to work if I’m really in the mood for it. I like white mochas with only 2 pumps of syrup and coconut milk! In the car, I either listen to the radio or podcasts to make the time go by faster.
9:30 am: My work day begins!!
There ya have it! That is what a lot of my mornings tend to look like, except sometimes that workout is switched out with yoga or meditation/quiet time. But a QUICK DISCLAIMER lol: Not every morning is like this for me! I’m not always productive, active, and healthy. I have my fair share of mornings where I sleep an hour longer than I wanted to, skip my workout, eat a crappy breakfast, and rush out the door. The important thing is to have grace for ourselves and just try our best to do what we need to do to stay happy and healthy.
Thanks so much, Madison for including me in this series… This was so fun!
XO Sorelle
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Y’all, shoutout to Sorelle for being so open about her morning routine and each step of the way! I love how she starts her mornings with some quiet time or a workout – working on your mind and body first thing, no matter what that looks like for you, is super important.
Go follow Sorelle on Instagram and check out her blog here. Your feed will be just a little bit brighter with her gorgeous pics and uplifting words.
I have a packed weekend full of blogging fun ( heading to the SIMPLY conference with Caitlyn which should be a blast!!! ) and lots of yummy food with good friends. Follow along on Instagram ( @MadisonCrowley ) if you don’t already!
Welcome to Vogue and a Latte! Thanks for stopping by my piece of the internet. Today I am bringing another boss babe to your screen and I am SO excited for you all to learn about one of my major blogger inspirations, Peyton Baxter.
Peyton is the creator of love ‘n’ labels, a lifestyle blog filled with bright colors, happiness, ideas, and transparency.
Peyton is SO inspiring and her words bring such truth. She recently wrote this post that brought me to tears! I am so grateful for bloggers who share the deep stuff, the real stuff that grabs you and makes you think. She also talks about her faith on her blog and that brings me so much joy! Jesus is light and he definitely shines through Peyton.
On top of being so real, she has the BEST outfits and photos. She mixes high-end and low-end, which is my kinda vibe. She has such a girly and fun style while still being on top of all of the latest trends. She is super active and engaging on Instagram, which is key. She also has lots of blog posts on how to become a successful blogger and what her personal journey has looked like so far. Basically, Peyton does it all and she is must-follow and must-read babe!!
Enough chit-chat, let’s dive into Peyton’s morning routine:
I’ve never been a huge morning person … Actually, when I was a little girl, I was a bear to try and wake up for school (LOL!). I’m a complete night owl, and my most productive hours are typically later in the day. That being said, I LOVE my mornings when I can just ease into the day with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and my devotion in the other, not having to be anywhere at the crack of dawn. My ideal morning consists of waking up around 8:15-8: 30 am and easing into the morning for about an hour before I get my work day started. Ideally, I’m in my favorite pajama set from Nordstrom. I’ve gotten out of bed to brush my teeth and wash my face with my favorite Tula products. I’ve made coffee for my husband, TJ, and kissed him goodbye as he’s out the door on his way to work. Then, I make myself a massive cup of coffee from our Keurig (I drink it black). While my coffee is brewing, I go around my house and open up ALL the blinds because I love nothing more than the natural morning light shining through. (I don’t even turn on any lights in my house because I love the natural daylight so much better. It’s so energizing!) During this time, I also light candles around my house and in my office (#candleobsessed). I, then, go back upstairs and cover up with my favorite blanket (#ALWAYScold!), turn on some light music (usually my favorite worship songs or instrumental playlist) and dive headfirst into my devotion for the day. I try to start every morning off with some quiet time and meditation, just to clear my head and get started in the right direction. It’s so easy to want to jump straight into my emails first thing, but I’ve found that on the days when I skip my morning quiet time and get straight to work, it’s like I can’t get ANYTHING done, and I just feel so anxious all day long. It’s sooo important for me to spend time in the Word before I start my workday. Since I became my own boss, I’ve learned just how important it is for me to allow myself a slow, easy hour of my morning to focus on ME and get my day started off of the right foot. Here’s a closer look into my step-by-step morning routine:
8:15-30 am: Wake up the same time that TJ gets up
8:30 am: Brush my teeth & wash my face (or shower)
8:45 am: Make TJ’s coffee
9:00 am: Send Teej off to work, start my coffee & open all blinds / light candles
9:15 am: Turn on light music, dive into my quiet time & sip on my coffee
9:45 am: Make a schedule for the rest of my day in my planner & schedule out each task’s time slot (I just recently started doing this & it really helps me to stay on track with the day’s most important ‘to-dos’ which leads me to getting all my work done in a timely manner. As my own boss and someone who works from home, it’s SO challenging to make myself stop working at the end of the day. There’s always more that could be done, and since my home is my office, there’s no “leaving the office at 5:00”. This is why it’s so important for me to take 15 minutes of my morning and schedule out exactly what I need to do for that day and exactly what time I need to be working on those particular tasks.)
10:00 am: Start with emails & begin my work day (which is pretty much different each day ha!)
Let’s all give a big shout out to Peyton for chatting with me about her morning routine so that I can share with all of you! Check her out on Instagram or on her blog.If you loved this post, let her know on her Instagram! She is seriously the sweetest human.
Let me know your thoughts on this post! Share it with friends, send it your bestie who loves morning routines, or post it on social media!
Follow along my jam-packed weekend on Instagram ( @MadisonCrowley ) – it’s going to be a fun one!
